α-Naphthylamine and β-Naphthylamine in Cigarette Smoke

Abstract

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL data suggest an association between cigarette smoking and urinary bladder cancer in men^1–3. In mice experimental application of cigarette smoke has led only to inflammation and hyperplasia of the bladder mucosa, but not to histologically proven bladder tumours⁴. Recently, however, tumours were reported in the renal pelvis of mice painted with “refined cigarette tar”⁵. These observations suggest the need for investigations of bladder carcinogens in cigarette smoke. Two earlier attempts failed to prove the presence of some of the known experimental bladder carcinogens in the group of aromatic amines^6,7. Recently, naphthylamines were found to be formed on pyrolysis from amino-acids⁸. This communication describes the identification and quantitative determination of α and β-naphthylamine in cigarette smoke.