Doc 0000184385

-. #/&~ ;l~~ f Offtce Memorandum • UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT ! f. If-: 1 ( TO ... ..D .ATB: 4 August 1954 . ' .. .... . '. IUB]BC'l': MethJ1cholanthrene 'lbe following are brief notes on Hethylcholantl-.rene, in response to your request ot August 3, 1954. Literature: George Wolf Assistant Professor University ot Illinois. 1. 1 • "Chemical Induction of Cancer", 1953. seeesp. p.29,44 etc • B.t means of a special genetic technique, Strong, J.N.C..I.5, 339 1945 induced tumors with methylcholan 1 threne in many different tissues. Methyl ChoLanthrene is a good initiator (high tumor incidence) and a good promoter (short.. . latent period) -p.85 Wolt. Hartwell: Survey of Compounds tested for Carcinogenic - prope~ies PHS: 149 National Institute Cancer E. C. HUBER: Public Health Report Supplelnent 209, 1948 on Environmental and Occupational Cancer. National Institute Cancer Louis F. Fieser and Mary Fieser: Natural Products relAted to Phenanthrene, 3rd editioq 1949 p. 159: Hethyl 1 - cholanthrene was found capable or initiating malignant z. growth in test animals by G\d:-teras physiol, Chemie . 214,89, 1933. "' Methylcholanthrene is now recognized as probably the most potent known carcinogen in the production of tumors of various types. If this hydrocarbon can be produced in the laboratory by chemical ... transfonnations of normal constituents of the hwnan or&nnism, it is possible that the substance may arise in the body through a process of abnormal metabolism- am initiate cancer. * The degradations of desoxycholic acid (one of the normal con stituents of human bile), cholic acid and cholesterol (a substance in .. all tissues of the body) all involve lo~1-yield pyrolytic reactions; they have not peen effected under anything arrroaching physiological ~ con:ii tions; careful processing of cancerous tissues and urines has failed * · to establi~h the presence of meteylcholanthrene. - There is thus no evidence that this or other hydrocarbon carcino -·( gen plays 8nf role in the etiology of human cancer • .. ~ l ~ (_ --.·. .. . . ~:·.~~:..:.:.:..:. ....· ~-:.. :_._ .. ~~. ..~ _:. .....~ ~j,L"~-~·.V-=.w. ... :-~. ....... ~.-~:-,~ ...~ ---.;.:..,.:-":tiJ1#~--~-....~~:...: . .. 1 .!11f:..~ ..~ . ··:~~~;-:. .: ·: •. ,.~. -...~ ~...-.;.. ." :~~ ~ ..... _· ...... ~· ··;·:_:... ...... ~~--J.·· ........ _.. . ';;_•:_·,~·,~-:. .. ··=.:..:."-: :- On the other hand, present evid~t)ce does not exclude such a. possibility. Every minute amount or methylcholanthrene could produce ... a. few maUgnant cells; The image is a digital representation of a document's header. It features a stylized title, "THE BLACK VAULT," in a white, somewhat gothic font, set against a dark background with a blue glow. To the left of the title is a graphic of a vault door, with a circular locking mechanism and various gears. Below the title, white text explains that the document was sourced from The Black Vault, an online repository of declassified government documents, specifically mentioning the MKULTRA/Mind Control Collection and its origin with the CIA. The text also provides a URL for accessing the collection. There is no photographic imagery of people, locations, equipment, or experimental procedures, nor are there any handwritten annotations, signatures, official stamps, forms, tables, or diagrams. The page is entirely text-based, with no visible redactions or obscured content. ..~ . ··:~~~;-:. .: ·: •. ,.~. -...~ ~...-.;.. ." :~~ ~ ..... _· ...... ~· ··;·:_:... ...... ~~--J.·· ........ _.. . ';;_•:_·,~·,~-:. .. ··=.:..:."-: :- On the other hand, present evid~t)ce does not exclude such a. possibility. Every minute amount or methylcholanthrene could produce ... a. few maUgnant cells; these -by cell-division ard without. • . Further stimulation trom the initiating agent eoUld lead to a palpabl'e cancerous proliferation a,fter an irduction period during which the initiating agent may have been eliminated from the Sl'Stern:' I - • • SOURCE: 3-Methyl...Cholanthrene:. 4383 Cat. Chemical Cpds. Fischer .•.. - Scientific Co. 7722 Woodbury, Silver Spring, Washington, D. c. . $4.40 Price:· l/2 g. l _g. $8.25 * Carl Hax Hasselmann am HIU:IS Otto Johne in Arch. Dennato & Syphilis -~·· 188, 693-707, 1950 reported primary multiple skin carcinoma with simulta.neous tertiary syphilis. , Disturbances or the cholesterol metabolism, present' in syphilis cases or long standing, as well as cancer cases are discussed with respect to the reaction between the physiologica.l substances: cholesterol, ch~cal bile acid and desoxycholic acid, and the cancerogenic substances cholan threne and methylc holanthrene. - Both Huber and Hart~rell appear very knowledgable and are connected with the .National Institute cancer. ~I t- (; f, r t. .• ~ f . . • ri f· i t ! .. : .. - -( The document is a memorandum with official letterhead stating "Office Memorandum" and "UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT". Handwritten annotations "A/BI 24-1" appear in the top right corner. There are two large black redaction boxes, one obscuring text in the "TO:" field and another in the "FROM:" field. The document discusses "Methylcholanthrene" as the subject. Several lines of text are partially obscured by horizontal black marks, particularly on the right side of the page. There are no photographs, diagrams, or visual evidence of experimental procedures, equipment, or facilities. The page features a typed document with several black redactions that obscure parts of the text, notably large blocks at the top and bottom. There are also smaller black marks and lines present throughout the page, some of which appear to be redactions. In the lower right quadrant, the letter "A" is faintly visible in what appears to be handwriting, followed by another black redaction. The page also shows some specks and smudges, consistent with an older document. There are no photographs, diagrams, stamps, or forms visible on this page.