Three different mouse strains, C3H/C^b_s C3H/HeN and B6C3 (C57BL x C3H) F1, having low, high and moderate catalase activities, were studied for duodenal tumorigenesis by the combined treatment with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)* and hydrogen peroxide (HPO). DMH alone rarely induced duodenal tumors. Administration of HPO into 3 different mouse strains induced different frequencies of duodenal tumors ; 91.7% in C3H/C^b_s 9.5% in C3H/HeN and 31.8% in B6C3F1 mice. The incidence of duodenal tumors was significantly increased to 52.6% and 93.8% both in C3H/HeN and B6C3F1 mice by the combined administration of DMH and HPO. These increases in duodenal tumor were inversely correlated with the finding that administration of DMH or HPO alone or combined treatment of DMH and HPO significantly decreased mean blood catalase activities both in C3H and B6C3F1 mice
