Combined effects of catechol, sodium chloride (NaCl) and ethanol on the post-initiation stage of gastric carcinogenesis were examined in rats pretreated with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). F344 male rats were given a single intragastric dose of 150 mg/kg b.w. MNNG at 6 weeks of age. Starting 1 week thereafter, groups of 15 rats were administered 0.8% catechol, 5% NaCl and 10% ethanol either individually or in combination, or basal diet alone for 51 weeks. Further groups of animals were similarly treated with these chemicals without the MNNG pretreatment. All rats were killed at the end of week 52 for histopathological examination. In the forestomach, treatment with catechol alone after MNNG initiation caused a 100% incidence of papillomas (versus 67% in the controls) as well as carcinomas (versus 0% in the controls). On the other hand, the treatment with ethanol alone significantly lowered the incidence of papillomas (13 versus 67% in the controls). The combined treatment with catechol, NaCl and ethanol significantly lowered the incidence of squamous cell carcinomas (57%) as compared to the catechol alone group value (100%). In the glandular stomach, catechol enhanced the development of adenocarcinomas (73 versus 0% in the controls), but this was decreased to 29% by the combined treatment with ethanol and NaCl. NaCl without MNNG pretreatment slightly enhanced epithelial cell proliferation in the forestomach. These results indicate that combined treatment with NaCl and ethanol exerts protective effects against catechol-induced forestomach and glandular stomach carcinogenesis, this apparently being largely due to the ethanol.