Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric investigation of four commercial pristane (2.6.10.14-tetramethylpentadecane) preparations used for plasmacytoma induction in BALB/c mice.

: The most widely studied model of plasmacytomagenesis is the induction of plasmacytomas by intraperitoneal injections of pure alkanes such as pristane (2.6.10.14-tetramethylpentadecane). The presence of small amounts of genotoxic contaminants, that could contribute to the complex oncogenic process, in commercial pristane preparations has not been completely ruled out. Therefore, we conducted a chemical analysis of different pristane preparations applying a combined GC/MS technique, but were not capable of identifying any obvious or putative genotoxic/cancerogenic contaminants.