Metabolism and macromolecular binding of the carcinogen Michler's ketone in rats.

1. Studies on the metabolism of 14C-Michler's ketone (4,4'-bis-(dimethylamino)[carbonyl- 14C]benzophenone) in rats have revealed that this carcinogen is subject to demethylation, ring-hydroxylation and N-acetylation after adjacent methyl groups have been removed. 2 As identified by mass spectral analysis, microsomal metabolites are the mono-, di-, tri- and tetra-demethylated derivatives. 3. The major metabolites appearing in the bile are the di- and tri-demethylated derivatives and the N-acetylated tetra-demethylated compound; minor metabolites, tentatively identified, are the ring-hydroxylated derivatives of di- and tri-demethylated Michler's ketone and of N-acetylated tri- and tetra-demethylated Michler's ketone. 4. The major urinary metabolite is tentatively identified as a ring-hydroxylated derivative of N-acetylated, di-demethylated Michler's ketone; a minor urinary metabolite lacks the hydroxyl group. 5. Injection of 14C-Michler's ketone into rats resulted in the irreversible binding of radioactivity to liver proteins. 6. When the rats were pretreated with phenobarbital, this binding was increased and extended to proteins of some other tissues and to DNA and RNA of liver and DNA of kidney.