A model system for studying covalent binding of food carcinogens MeIQx, MeIQ and IQ to DNA and protein.

We have studied the covalent binding of carcinogenic aminoimidazoazaarene compounds to macromolecules in a microsomal model system. The 14C-labelled compounds were incubated with rat-liver microsomes, and binding to macromolecules was measured after their precipitation on glass filters, which were washed several times in organic solvents. The amount of radioactivity was determined by liquid scintillation counting. Covalent binding was dependent on the addition of NADPH, with an optimal concentration of about 1 mM. The binding appeared to follow saturation kinetics when carcinogen concentrations were lower than 200 microM, with Km values of less than 20 microM. At 50 microM, 2-amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]-quinoline (MeIQ) and 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ) bound more effectively than 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx). When DNA was included in the incubations, binding to this macromolecule was ten-fold less per milligram than binding to proteins. In comparison with microsomes from untreated animals, those from rats treated with beta-naphthoflavone caused up to nine-fold more binding of MeIQx, six-fold more of IQ and three times as much of MeIQ. Induction by Aroclor 1254 caused up to 17-fold more binding, whereas induction by phenobarbital caused up to three-fold more binding. The effects of the inducers were greatest for MeIQx and IQ, while smaller effects were seen for MeIQ. The results are most consistent with cytochrome P450-dependent metabolic activation of the carcinogens to hydroxylamine metabolites, for which an isoenzyme(s) inducible by polyaromatic and polychlorinated hydrocarbons is most effective. To our knowledge, this is the first report that MeIQx is metabolized to reactive species capable of covalent binding to macromolecules.