The carcinogenic initiating and promoting properties of a lightly refined paraffinic oil

The dermal carcinogenic potential of some petroleum-derived liquids is related to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) content. However, repeated application of middle distillates (MDs), e.g., kerosene, diesel fuel, and heating oil, produced tumors in mouse skin. This result was unexpected sinc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Fundamental and applied toxicology 1989-05, Vol.12 (4), p.748-756
Main Authors: McKee, R.H., Plutnick, R.T., Przygoda, R.T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Carcinogenesis, carcinogens and anticarcinogens
Carcinogens
Chemical agents
Chemical mutagenesis
Male
Medical sciences
Mice
Oils - toxicity
Paraffin - toxicity
Rats
Rats, Inbred Strains
Salmonella typhimurium - genetics
Skin - drug effects
Toxicology
Tumors
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Summary:The dermal carcinogenic potential of some petroleum-derived liquids is related to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) content. However, repeated application of middle distillates (MDs), e.g., kerosene, diesel fuel, and heating oil, produced tumors in mouse skin. This result was unexpected since the MDs typically contain very low levels of biologically active PAHs. The present study examined the tumorigenic mechanism of a lightly refined paraffinic oil (LRPO), an MD shown to be active in mouse skin. The LRPO was separated into saturated and aromatic fractions. Whole LRPO and various fractions were tested for mutagenic activity in the Salmonella assay and for carcinogenic initiating and promoting activity. There was no evidence that any of the samples examined were mutagenic in bacteria or carcinogenic initiating agents in mouse skin. Thus no support was provided for the hypothesis that the complete tumorigenic activity of LRPO was in any way related to the presence of low levels of PAHs or to an interaction between initiating and promoting constituents. There was evidence that LRPO was a weak promoter of dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA)-initiated mouse skin. It was also found that repeated application of LRPO produced chronic irritation and hyperplasia, and this may have been responsible for the promotional effects. Based on these data, it seemed likely that the complete carcinogenic activity of this class of products is also the result of an epigenetic process related to skin irritation.
ISSN:0272-0590
1095-6832
DOI:10.1016/0272-0590(89)90006-7