Stereochemistry of the major rodent liver microsomal metabolites of thecarcinogen dibenz[a,j]acridine.

The major metabolites of the carcinogen dibenz[a,j]acridine formed in rodent liver microsomal preparations were trans-3,4-dihydroxy-3,4-dihydrodibenz[a,j]acridine (DBAJAC-3,4-DHD) and dibenz[a,j]acridine 5,6-oxide (DBAJAC 5,6-oxide) [Gill et al. (1987) Carcinogenesis 8, 425-431]. The enantiomers of DBAJAC-3,4-DHD were prepared from the separable diastereoisomeric esters with (+)-endo-1,4,5,6,7,7-hexachlorobicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxyl ic acid (HCA). The absolute configuration of trans-3(R),4(R)-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrodibenz[a,j]acridine was assigned by conversion to the bis[p-(dimethylamino)benzoate] and examination of the exciton coupling in its circular dichroic (CD) spectrum. The 3(R),4(R)-tetrahydrodiol was converted to DBAJAC-3(R),4(R)-DHD. The enantiomers of DBAJAC 5,6-oxide were partially resolved by chiral stationary-phase chromatography, and subsequent methoxide attack afforded two enantiomerically enriched isomeric ethers from each fraction. The structures of the two ethers from each enantiomer were determined, and from their 1H NMR spin-spin coupling between the H5 and H6 signals and the CD spectra of the ethers, the absolute configuration of the ethers, and hence the 5,6-oxides, was determined. The enantiomeric composition of the 3,4-dihydrodiol and 5,6-oxide formed as microsomal metabolites of rat liver preparations was 69% 3R,4R and 81% 5R,6S, respectively. When rats were pretreated with 3-methylcholanthrene (MC), these percentages were 70% and 5%, indicating a reversed stereochemical preference for oxide formation in the MC-induced preparation. Results are also presented for phenobarbitone-induced rat liver and mouse liver preparations.