Main description:

Originally published in 1992, this volume looks in depth at the carcinogenic properties of N-nitroso compounds. These compounds occur widely in smoked foods and in meat and fish cured with nitrates; they are also formed in some industrial processes and in addition are found in cosmetics, tobacco and tobacco smoke. By focusing on the chemical and biological properties, the volume attempts to explain how these compounds exert their carcinogenic potential and, furthermore, goes on to explain how apparently harmless precursors such as nitrates and amines are transformed to produce carcinogens.

Contents:

Glossary; Foreword; Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction; 2. Occurence, formation and detection of N-nitroso compounds; 3. Chemical properties of N-nitroso compunds; 4. Metabolism and cellular interactions of N-nitroso compunds; 5. Toxicity of N-nitroso compunds; 6. Mutagenesis and cell transformation by N-nitroso compunds; 7. Structure-activity relations in carcinogenesis by N-nitroso compunds; 8. Conclusions - the importance of N-nitroso compunds as environmental carcinogens and as experimental models for investigating cancer; Index.