The acute necrogenic effects of N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) on nasal tissues of female Sprague-Dawley rats and golden Syrian hamsters were determined. Rats and hamsters were given a single ip dose of 0, 10, 20, 40, or 80 mg NDEA/kg body wt. After 24 hr, the rats and hamsters were killed and tissues were collected. Sections of nasal cavity and liver were evaluated histologically. All doses of NDEA caused inhibition of glycoprotein synthesis in cells of Bowman's glands in the olfactory region of rats and hamsters as determined by the loss of Alcian blue-periodic acid-Schiff staining material. Glycoprotein synthesis in other glands including the lateral nasal glands, maxillary glands, medial nasal glands, and the acinous glands near the vomeronasal organ was not affected by NDEA. Necrosis of Bowman's glands in the olfactory region of the nasal cavity occurred in rats given 20, 40, or 80 mg NDEA/kg body wt whereas the same cells were not necrotic in hamsters given NDEA. The results demonstrate the unique susceptibility of cells of the Bowman's glands to the toxic effects of NDEA given ip and indicate that nasal tissues of the rat are more susceptible to the necrogenic effects of NDEA than those of the hamster.