Effects of isoproterenol on mammary gland tumors induced by N-nitroso-N-methylurea and salivary gland tumors induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene.

The effect of isoproterenol (IPR) (20 mg/kg, twice per wk) on mammary gland tumors induced by N-nitroso-N-methylurea (NMU) (40 or 77 mg/kg, iv) was studied. Within 18 weeks 50--60% of the noninbred female Sprague-Dawley rats that received a single injection of NMU developed carcinomas of the mammary gland. In addition, a malignant lymphoma was observed. There was no change in the incidence of tumors if NMU was administered at the time that DNA synthesis was stimulated in the submandibular glands by two injections of IPR (160 mg/kg, ip) given 24 hours apart. Tumors of unequivocal salivary gland origin were not observed, irrespective of whether NMU was given at the peak of stimulated DNA synthesis or without pretreatment with IPR. However, in 10% of the tumor-bearing rats, tumors were found in the neck region. These tumors could be separated from the salivary glands by dissection and were of mammary gland origin. Chronic treatment with IPR caused marked enlargements of the parotid and submandibular glands with hypertrophy of the acinar cells and degeneration of the duct system. Such a treatment caused a high death rate but no change in the incidence of the tumors. The effect of chronic IPR treatment (10 mg/kg twice per wk or 5 mg/kg three times per wk) on submandibular gland tumors induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) was also studied. With the intraglandular injection of 100 or 200 micrograms of DMBA, the incidences of squamous cell carcinomas in the glands were 6.8 and 38.6%, respectively. Chronic administration of IPR after the instillation of DMBA caused a high death rate but no statistically significant change in the incidence of salivary gland tumors.