Hepatic cytochrome P-450 isozyme(s) induced by dietary carcinogenic aromatic amines preferentially in female mice of DBA/2 and other strains.

DBA/2, BALB/c or (BALB/c X DBA/2)F1 (CDF1) mice of both sexes were treated for 1 week with a dietary hepatocarcinogenic tryptophan pyrolysate component (Trp P-1 or Trp P-2), and the activity of hepatic microsomal enzyme(s) for mutagenic activations of Trp P-1 and Trp P-2 were assessed by means of a mutation test with Salmonella typhimurium TA98. In both Ah-responsive (BALB/c and CDF1) and Ah-nonresponsive (DBA/2) mice, the dietary treatment with Trp P-1 or Trp P-2 resulted in a significant increase of the enzyme activity for mutagenic activations of Trp P-1 and Trp P-2 in females but not in males, except the case of male BALB/c mice treated with dietary Trp P-1. Also induction of enzyme(s) in female mice was suppressed by an administration of testosterone. The induced hepatic microsomal enzyme(s) was demonstrated to be cytochrome P-450 isozyme(s) (mol. wt of 55,000 daltons) by immunoblots with use of an anti-rat cytochrome P-448 monoclonal antibody and by selective inhibition of the activity by addition of 7,8-benzoflavone into the mutation assay system. These findings indicate that carcinogenic aromatic amines such as Trp P-1 and Trp P-2 are able to induce hepatic cytochrome P-450 isozyme(s) not only in Ah-responsive mice (BALB/c and CDF1) but also in Ah-nonresponsive DBA/2 mice and that the cytochrome P-450 induction is controlled by androgen(s).