Human hair follicles, a convenient tissue for genetic studies on carcinogen metabolism

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Basal levels of benzo(a)pyrene metabolism were measured in hair follicles of 7 monozygotic twins, 8 dizygotic twins and 10 pairs of unrelated individuals. Organic soluble metabolites were separated by TLC, visualized by autoradiography and quantified by scanning of the films. Activity was expressed as pmol 7,8- and 9,10-dihydrodiol metabolites of benzo(a)pyrene/.mu.g DNA per h. Intra-twin differences in benzo(a)pyrene metabolism for monozygotic twins were smaller than for dizygotic twins, which were smaller than for pairs of unrelated individuals. Individual differences in benzo(a)pyrene metabolism in hair follicles apparently are partly genetically determined. Hair follicles may be used for investigation on the suggested relations between genetic predisposition to carcinogen-induced cancer and individual differences in carcinogen metabolism. The relevance of these findings to research into the induction of neoplasms by carcinogens in epithelial tissues is discussed.