Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology
-
Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. · Feb 1997
Analysis of human urine for pyridine-N-oxide metabolites of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone, a tobacco-specific lung carcinogen.
4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is a potent pulmonary carcinogen in rodents and is believed to be a causative factor for lung cancer in smokers. NNK also may be involved in oral cancer etiology in users of smokeless tobacco products. Pyridine-N-oxidation of NNK and its major metabolite, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL), produces NNK-N-oxide and NNAL-N-oxide, respectively, which are detoxification products of NNK metabolism and are excreted in the urine of rodents and primates. ⋯ However, PEITC also could have inhibited pyridine-N-oxidation of NNK and NNAL. The urine of these smokers was analyzed for NNAL-N-oxide. The results demonstrated that watercress consumption had no effect on levels of NNAL-N-oxide in urine, supporting the conclusion that PEITC does inhibit the metabolic activation of NNK in humans.