Data on the occurrence of endemic nephropathy (EN) and urinary tract and other cancers in an endemic region of Vratza district, Bulgaria, for the years 1965-1974, are presented. In endemic villages a high incidence of urinary tract tumours, affecting in particular the renal pelvis and ureter, closely correlated with the EN incidence and mortality rates. In the villages with high and moderate EN incidences urinary tract tumours are the most common neoplasms. They account for 25% of all tumour sites in males and 30% in females. In hyperendemic villages age-adjusted incidences in EN and urinary tract tumours were 506/10(5) and 104/10(5) in females, and 315/10(5) and 89/10(5) in males respectively. EN mortality in these villages accounted for over 40% of all deaths in females and about 30% in males. Both diseases displayed peculiar geographic clustering. Females and middle-aged persons were most often affected. Urinary tract neoplasms were often multiple and nearly 90% of them originated in the uro-epithelium. In endemic and non-endemic villages of the region studied, the frequency and pattern of non-urinary tract cancers were rather similar, with statistical values close to those of the rural population of Vratza District and Bulgaria as a whole.

Cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) in olive oil was injected into outbred Syrian hamsters: in adults i.p. on the 10th--14th days of gestation, total dose 1.5--2.5 mg/g b.w.; in 12 to 14-days-old animals s.c., total dose 0.5--1.5 mg/animal. Following 15--25 months of observation benign and malignant neoplasms of various location were found in 2/58 (3.4%) females, treated during pregnancy; in 17/51 (33.3%) of their transplacentally exposed offsprings; in 5/53 (9.4%) of neonatally treated hamsters. In the last two groups females were more affected than males. Most frequently occurred tumors of adrenal glands, pancreas, female sex organs, and liver. No tumors appeared in controls, either untreated or injected with olive oil. In addition, hyperplastic lesions, in particular multiple liver cysts and cholangiomatosis were also observed, mainly in animals exposed transplacentally and as neonates.

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Background: Some human tumors exhibit a high requirement for Glutamine (Gln) for metabolic processes, a condition defined "Gln-addiction'' leading to the investigation of Gln-dependence as therapeutic tar-

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Ten widely used pharmaceutical agents for which mutagenicity or carcinogenicity data are still lacking were tested in parallel with three methods: Ames' bacterial mutagenicity test (TA1535, TA1537, TA98, and TAlOO Salmonella strains), micronucleus (mice BDF,), and sperm morphology abnormality (mice) tests. The groups and generic names of the tested products, all produced by Pharmachim (Bulgaria), were as follows: Psychopharmaca (Loxapinsuccinate, Medazepam hydrochloride, Nomifensinmaleate, Viloxazine hydrochloride), Vasodilatators (Nitroprussid Na, Isosorbid mononitrate, Isosorbid dinitrate), Spasmolytica (Trimetoquinol), Antirheumatica (Diclofenac Na), and the antimycotic agent Lavendotricin. In all testa, negative results were obtained. To avoid false negative results, several suggestions are made.

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