Interactions of ionizing radiation, nitrosamines, sulfonoxyalkanes and antioxidants as they affect carcinogenesis and survival in mice

Abstract

Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), pretreatment of 8-wk-old BALB/c mice for 28 days protected against 30-day lethality by X-rays, diethylnitrosamine (DEN), dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) and ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) but not against methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). In X-ray survivors, neither mean survival nor leukemia incidences were affected by BHT. However, BHT (lifetime), given alone or with DEN (300 MG/KG BW in H2O) or 250 R X-rays, increased irradiated survivors at 18 months but not leukemia or tumor incidences. BHT + DEN treated females had increased survival and a decreased frequency of forestomach squamous carcinomas compared with DEN alone; no differences were seen in males or in pulmonary adenomas. In X-ray + DEN treated females, effect upon survival was additive, but the specific diseases causing this effect were not identified.