SLOWER STEP OF THE POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS METABOLISM - KINETIC DATA FROM MICROSPECTROFLUOROMETRIC TECHNIQUES

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 34  (2) , 102-107
Abstract
A microspectrofluorometer was used for kinetic studies of the decrease of benzo (a) pyrene [B(a)P] and benzo (k)fluoranthene [B(k)F] fluorescence. This decrease is observed for single living cells: L cells [lymphocyte with Fc receptor but without surface Ig] and human peripheral blood monocytes after incubation with culture medium containing these compounds and washing the petri dish with fresh medium. The entire fluorescence spectrum is recorded at given time intervals in order to watch at some eventual spectral modification. The fluorescence decrease is monoexponential and its parameters are computed with a program based on the least squares fit method. Such determination shows no difference between the calculated rate constants of metabolization for B(a)P and B(k)F and, as long as the L cells considered have a similar morphological shape, only statistical fluctuations of the rate constants of metabolism are observed. Monocytes show faster kinetics of the decrease of the B(a)P intracellular fluorescence due to B(a)P metabolism and a wider dispersion of rate constant values than do L cels, indicating some heterogeneity in the monocyte population of each donor.

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