Role of N-ghicuronidation in benzidine-induced bladder cancer in dog

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Abstract
The mechanism by which benzidine induces bladder cancer in dog was evaluated by assessing me tabolism of [3H]benzidine by dog liver slices and microsomes. Slices incubated with 0.05 mM [3H]benzidine exhibited a 32.5 min peak, which was also produced when microsomal incubations were supplemented with UDP-glucuronic acid. In contrast to microsomes, very little of the 32.5 min peak was produced with the 100 000 g supernatant fraction. Microsomal metabolism was increased 5-fold by pretreatment with Triton X-100. Very little activity was observed with rat microsomes in either the presence or absence of Triton X-100. This metabolite was also generated by incubating benzidine with glucuronk add at 4°C for 3 days. Thermospray MS identified this metabolite as benzidine N-glucuronide. At 37°C, the t½ stability of purified N-glucuronide was 99, 25 and 3 min in dog urine adjusted to pH 7.3, 6.3 and 5.3 respectively. The N-glucuronide was quite stable at pH 9.3, in dog plasma, and in aprotic solvents for 4 h at 37°C. Relative to benzidine, its N-glucuronide is weakly bound to plasma proteins but not more reactive with DNA. Thus, detoxification by liver provides a mechanism for accumulation of benzidine in acidic urine, uptake of benzidine into bladder epithelium, and activation of benzidine in bladder. The liver and N-glucuronidation play a potentially important role in the species specificity of benzidine carcinogenesis.

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