Izzotti A, Balansky R, Scatolini L, Coscia N
Istituto di Igiene e Medicina Preventiva, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Genova.
Boll Soc Ital Biol Sper. 1991 Sep;67(9):869-74.
The levels of benzo(a)pyrene diolepoxide(BPDE)-DNA adducts were measured in rat and human cells by synchronous fluorescence spectrophotometry. BPDE-DNA adducts detected in human pulmonary alveolar macrophages were related to current smoking habits, in contrast to the adducts found in peripheral blood leukocytes. BP administration to rats produced BPDE-DNA adducts in both liver and lungs. Although small yet repeatable signals were also detected in lung DNA from rats treated for 3 days with tobacco smoke. None of the samples obtained from untreated animals was positive. The detection of BPDE-DNA adducts may be used in biomonitoring and experimental studies for determining of exposure to BP even when applied as a constituent of complex mixtures.