Induction of osteogenic sarcomas and tumors of the hepatobiliary system in nonhuman primates with aflatoxin B1.

The carcinogenicity of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) has been under evaluation in nonhuman primates for the past 13 years. A total of 47 Old World monkeys, chiefly rhesus and cynomolgus, have received AFB1 i.p. (0.125 to 0.25 mg/kg) and/or p.o. (0.1 to 0.8 mg/kg) for 2 months or longer, and 12 are currently alive and without evidence of tumor. Thirteen of the 35 monkeys necropsied to date (37%) developed one or more malignant neoplasms, yielding an overall tumor incidence of 28%. Five of the neoplasms were primary liver tumors (2 hepatocellular carcinomas and 3 hemangioendothelial sarcomas), and 2 cases of osteogenic sarcoma were found. Other tumors diagnosed were 6 carcinomas of the gall bladder or bile duct, 3 tumors of the pancreas or its ducts, and one papillary Grade I carcinoma of the urinary bladder. The tumors developed in animals receiving an average total AFB1 dose of 709 mg (range, 99 to 1354 mg) for an average of 114 months (range, 47 to 147 months). Fifteen of the 22 necropsied monkeys (68%) without tumor showed histological evidence of liver damage, including toxic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hyperplastic liver nodules. These animals had received an average total AFB1 dose of 363 mg (range, 0.35 to 1368 mg) for an average of 55 months (range, 2 to 141 months). Our results indicate that AFB1 is a potent hepatotoxin and carcinogen in nonhuman primates and further support the hypothesis that humans exposed to this substance may be at risk of developing cancer.