REDUCTION OF TUMORIGENICITY AND OF DIHYDRODIOL FORMATION BY FLUORINE SUBSTITUTION IN THE ANGULAR RINGS OF DIBENZO(A,I)PYRENE

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 41  (11) , 4341-4345
Abstract
The tumor-initiating activities on mouse skin and in vitro metabolism of dibenzo(a,i)pyrene, 2-fluorodibenzo(a,i)pyrene, 3-fluorodibenzo(a,i)pyrene and 2,10-difluorodibenzo(a,i)pyrene were compared. After an initiating dose of 500 .mu.g, followed by promotion with tetradecanoylphorbol acetate, dibenzo(a,i)pyrene induced skin tumors in 85% of the mice and caused 5.8 skin tumors/mouse. The corresponding tumorigenic activities for the fluorinated compounds were as follows: 2-fluorodibenzo(a,i)pyrene (85%; 1.7 tumors/mouse); 3-fluorodibenzo(a,i)pyrene (80%; 3.1 tumors/mouse); and 2,10-difluorodibenzo(a,i)pyrene (10%; 0.1 tumors/mouse). After an initiating dose of 100 .mu.g, only dibenzo(a,i)pyrene showed significant tumor-initiating activity. 3,4-Dihydro-3,4-dihydroxydibenzo(a,i)pyrene was identified as a metabolite of dibenzo(a,i)pyrene formed by the 9000 .times. g supernatant from the livers of Aroclor 1254-pretreated rats. Another dihydrodiol was tentatively identified as 1,2-dihydro-1,2-dihydroxydibenzo(a,i)pyrene. The formation of these angular ring dihydrodiols was inhibited in the metabolism of 2-fluorodibenzo(a,i)pyrene and 3-fluorodibenzo(a,i)pyrene. Angular ring dihydrodiols were not detected in the metabolism of 2,10-difluorodibenzo(a,i)pyrene. An angular ring dihydrodiol, 3,4-dihydro-3,4-dihydroxydibenzo(a,i)pyrene, which can form a bay-region dihydrodiol epoxide, may be a proximate carcinogen of dibenzo(a,i)pyrene.