The Metabolism of 2-Acetamidofluorene in the Guinea-Pig

THE experiments described below form part of an investigation of the action of various carcinogenic agents upon guinea-pigs which was undertaken in view of (1) the resistance of the guinea-pig to many carcinogens and (2) the similarity of this species to man in its inability to synthesise ascorbic acid. 2-Acetamidofluorene when given with the food to rats produces malignant tumours of the liver, kidney, ureter, bladder, pancreas, acoustic duct, mammary gland, uterus and skin (Wilson, De Ed and Cox, 1941; Bielschowsky, 1944) and forms a derivative, the 7-hydroxy compound, which appears in the urine and can be demonstrated by means of a colour reaction with sodium nitrite (Biel-schowsky, 1945). The experiments described below were designed to show, whetherthe guinea-pig reacted in these respects in the same way as the rat.