Abstract
The possibility that chemicals found in the environment can suppress certain immune responses is one of the cornerstones of immunotoxicology. The nitrosamines represent an environmentally important group of compounds that includes dimethylnitrosamine (DMN, N-Nitrosodimethylamine). DMN is a potent carcinogen in several rodents (Magee and Barnes, 1967) and is a suspected carcinogen in man (Craddock, 1983). N-nitroso compounds are formed when primary, secondary, or tertiary amines react with nitrogen oxides or nitrite (Ember, 1980). Studies have shown that the generation of nitrosamines occurs not only in the external environment, but may also occur in the human stomach (Sander, 1967). Later investigations showed that several species of bacteria, including Escherichia coli, were capable of forming nitrosamines from secondary amines and nitrites (Montesano and Magee, 1970). Therefore, the possibility of nitrosamine formation in the digestive tract coupled with the possibily for direct exposure to the preformed nitrosamines in the environment via ingestion, inhalation, or dermal contact suggest a potential hazard for the population at large.
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© 1987 ECSC, EEC, EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg and WHO, Geneva
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Munson, A.E., Holsapple, M.P., Duke, S.S. (1987). Effects of Dimethylnitrosamine. In: Berlin, A., Dean, J., Draper, M.H., Smith, E.M.B., Spreafico, F. (eds) Immunotoxicology. Developments in Hematology and Immunology, vol 16. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4307-0_24
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4307-0_24
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