PubMed1986
Male Fischer 344 rats were used to determine effect of consumption of 0.5% N-nitroso-n-butyl-(4-hydroxybutyl)amine (BNN) in the drinking-water for 2 wk on the response to 0.02, 0.2 and 2.0% trisodium nitrilotriacetate (Na3 NTA . H2O) in the diet in terms of urinary mineral excretion, bladder mass and bladder mineral concentrations. The primary objective of the study was to determine whether exposure of rats to an initiating dose of a bladder carcinogen (BBN) alters the threshold dose of Na3NTA . H2O required to alter urinary or bladder mineral concentrations or the dose-response to NTA. Such alterations are considered to be necessary precursors for changes in bladder morphology in rats fed NTA in chronic toxicity studies (Anderson, Bishop & Campbell, CRC Crit. Rev. Toxicol. 1985, 15, 1). The results demonstrated that BBN exposure caused an increase in bladder mass and bladder-tissue Zn concentration. However, BBN pretreatment did not have any effect on Na3NTA . H2O metabolism, the threshold dose of Na3NTA . H2O required to attain the necessary conditions for induction of bladder toxicity by NTA, or the dose-response relationships for NTA's effects on any parameter examined. From these data, it is concluded that it is unlikely that NTA would show a different threshold or dose-response for bladder tumour promotion than for its tumorigenicity at this site, which has been demonstrated previously (National Cancer Institute, DHEW Publication No. (NIH) 77-806, 1977).