The mutagenicity of 45 nitrosamines in Salmonella typhimurium

The correlation between mutagenicity in the rat liver microsome--mediated Salmonella Mutagenicity Assay of Ames and carcinogenicity in rats was examined with three groups of nitrosamines. Qualitatively the correlation was good, but there was poor correlation between mutagenic potency and carcinogenic potency. Of 23 cyclic nitrosamines, 19 were carcinogenic and mutagenic, and two were carcinogenic but not mutagenic, and the carcinogenicity studies of the remaining two are not complete. Of six symmetrical aliphatic nitrosamines, five were carcinogenic and mutagenic while only one carcinogen was not mutagenic. The greatest discrepancy occurred among 16 asymmetric nitrosamines, where 11 were both carcinogenic and mutagenic, four were carcinogenic but nonmutagenic, and one carcinogenicity study is incomplete.