Specificity of four forms of cytochrome P-450 in the metabolic activation of several aromatic amines and benzo[a]pyrene.

The involvement of four forms of cytochrome P-450 in the activation of the promutagens, 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-2), 2-amino-6-methyl-dipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'-d]imidazole (Glu-P-1), 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ), 2-aminofluorene and 4-aminobiphenyl has been investigated using a Salmonella test system. A high-spin form, P-448 II-a, catalysed the activation of IQ and Glu-P-1 28 and 12 times faster, respectively, than a low-spin form, P-448 II-d, whereas benzo[a]pyrene was metabolized to the phenols 60 times faster by P-448 II-d than P-448 II-a. Both P-448 II-a and P-448 II-d were highly active in the activation of Trp-P-2 and 2-aminofluorene. Treatment of CDF1 mice with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) increased the microsomal-activating ability for the promutagens in various degrees. More than a ten-fold increase was observed with Trp-P-2, while the increase was only two-fold with IQ. No sex-related difference was observed for the hepatic microsomal activating ability of male and female CDF1 mice for Trp-P-2, Glu-P-1 or IQ. These results indicate that more than two forms of cytochrome P-450, which are inducible by treatment with PCB or 3-methylcholanthrene, mediate the metabolic activation of heteroaromatic amines in rats and mice.