Kinetic study on the reaction of sodium nitrite with neurotransmitters secreted in the stomach.

Nitroso-compounds are potentially mutagenic and carcinogenic compounds due to their ability to alkylate DNA bases. One of the most common sources of human exposure to nitroso-compounds is their formation in the acidic environment of the stomach by the reaction between electron-rich molecules present in the lumen and sodium nitrite ingested in the diet. To date, the formation of nitroso-compounds by the reaction of nitrite with food components has been investigated in depth, but little attention has been paid to substances secreted in the stomach, such as dopamine or serotonin, whose reaction products with nitrite have proven mutagenic properties.