Human Fibroblasts Lacking Trans‐Stilbene Oxide Active Glutathione Transferase Exhibit Increased Cell Death when Exposed to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons*

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Abstract
Glutathione transferases (GST) are detoxifying enzymes who act with many endogenous and exogenous substances such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The GST activity towards trans-stilbene oxide (GST-tSBO) is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion and can be separated in high (GST-positive) and low (GST-negative) phenotypes when measured in blood. Human fibroblast cultures were established from males matched for age, smoking habits and clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis. Matched pairs of GST-negative and GST-positive fibroblasts were studied. There was a very strong correlation between the levels of GST-tSBO in peripheral blood and in cultured fibroblasts within the same individual. When fibroblasts were exposed to benzo(a)pyrene (BP) or dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA) GST-negative cells produced relatively more collagen than GST-positive cells. GST-negative fibroblasts showed a greater cell death than GST-positive fibroblasts as well among controls as after exposure to PAH. It is concluded that lack of GST-tSBO is easily discriminated in cultured skin fibroblasts. GST-negative and GST-positive fibroblasts showed different susceptibility towards some toxic stimuli that might be of importance in atherogenesis