title: Mutagenicity and carcinogenicity of masheri, a pyrolysed tobacco product, and its content of tobacco-specific nitrosamines.
abstract: Masheri, an indigenous pyrolysed tobacco product in India, was studied for its chemical, mutagenic and carcinogenic profile. Masheri extract was found to be rich in N-nitrosamines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. It was highly mutagenic in the presence of an exogenous metabolic system in the Ames test and in the micronucleus test, in a dose-dependent manner. It also induced 8-azaguanine-resistant mutants in Chinese hamster V79 cells. On skin painting, it showed a weak carcinogenic effect in Swiss nude mice. The saliva of masheri users showed high levels of N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN; 14-43 ppb) and N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR; 2.2-8.3 ppb). Thus, this widespread habit, predominant among women, could be an additive risk factor in the high incidence of oropharyngeal cancer prevalent in India.
authors: Cancer Research Institute, Tata Memorial Centre, Parel, Bombay, India.
authors: S V
authors: SV
authors: Bhide
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Kulkarni
authors: U J
authors: UJ
authors: Nair
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Spiegelhalder
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Preussmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D006224:Cricetinae; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009602:Nitrosamines / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis*; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D011083:Polycyclic Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D012463:Saliva / Q000032:analysis; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000032:analysis*; D014030:Tobacco, Smokeless / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D009602:Nitrosamines; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011083:Polycyclic Compounds; C057607:masheri