The results of the reserpine bioassay (DHHS Publication Nos. NIH 70-1749 and 80-1749) were published more than 7 years ago. Yet many of the controversies emanating from that bioassay remain unresolved. Uniform diagnostic criteria and terminology still are not applied consistently in rodent toxicity studies, and the word “pheochromocytoma” is still used in some of these studies despite the availability of more appropriate terminology. However, increased incidences of rat adrenal medullary tumors now have been observed with a wide variety of pharmacologically unrelated and diverse agents. An analysis of these data make it evident that the proliferative lesions in the aged rat adrenal medulla are of no carcinogenic relevance to man.
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