The Capacity of Murine Epithelial Cell Lines with Different Degrees of Malignant Transformation to Metabolise Benzo[a]pyrene

Cultures of three murine cell lines derived from fetal mouse liver (FL, FLT3 and FLT5) were treated with benzo[a]pyrene to evaluate their ability to activate promutagens. DNA adducts were detected in all three cell lines when they were treated with the major active metabolite of benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[a]pyrene diolepoxide. DNA adducts were also produced in FL and FLT3 cells when they were treated with the promutagen, benzo[a]pyrene, while treatment of FLT5 cells resulted in very few DNA adducts. In treated FL and FLT3 cells, the most evident adduct spot detected showed a chromatographic position similar to that of the main adduct formed in cells treated with (±)-r-7,t-8-dihydroxy-t-9,10-oxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-benzo[a]pyrene.