2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), the most abundant mutagenic heterocyclic amine in cooked foods, was examined for carcinogenic potential using Nagase analbuminemic rats (NARs), which are sensitive to various carcinogens. The concentration of PhIP in the diet was 0.04% at the beginning of the experiment, this being subsequently gradually reduced to 0.01% to avoid severe body weight loss. Ten of 13 treated NARs developed a total of 36 intestinal tumors within the 311-day experimental period. Among these, 22 were adenocarcinomas and 2 were adenomas of the small intestine, 4 were adenocarcinomas of the cecum and 8 were adenocarcinomas of the large intestine. The results suggest that PhIP could represent a significant risk to human populations exposed to foods containing heterocyclic amines.