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Japanese Journal of Cancer Research : Gann logoLink to Japanese Journal of Cancer Research : Gann
. 1992 Sep;83(9):949–954. doi: 10.1111/j.1349-7006.1992.tb02006.x

Enhancing Effects of Harman and Norharman on Induction of Preneoplastic and Neoplastic Kidney Lesions in Rats Initiated with N‐Ethyl‐N‐hydroxyethylnitrosamine

Akihiro Hagiwara 1,✉, Masashi Sano 1, Emiko Asakawa 1, Hikaru Tanaka 1, Ryohei Hasegawa 1, Nobuyuki Ito 1
PMCID: PMC5918970  PMID: 1429205

Abstract

The modifying potential of two nephrotoxic agents, harman and norharman, on N‐ethyl‐N‐hydroxyethylnitrosamine (EHEN)‐induced renal and hepatic carcinogenesis was investigated in male F344/DuCrj rats. Animals were given 0.1% EHEN in their drinking water for the first 2 weeks as an initiator. Subsequently, starting 3 weeks from the commencement, they were fed diet containing these compounds at concentrations of 1000, S00 or 0 ppm until week 26, and then killed for light microscopic examination. The mean numbers of renal tubular cell hyperplasias/cm2 and those of tumors/cm2 in rats given harman and norharman at 1000 ppm after initiation, but not at 500 ppm, were significantly increased as compared to the control values. However, neither compound modified liver carcinogenesis. It is concluded that harman and norharman show enhancing effects on rat kidney carcinogenesis, when ingested at dose levels which cause renal tubular damage.

Keywords: Key words, Harman, Norharman, Renal tumor promotion, N‐Ethyl‐N‐hydroxyethylnitrosamine, F344 rat

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