2-Nitropropane induces DNA repair synthesis in rat hepatocytes in vitro and in vivo.

The genotoxicity of 2-nitropropane (2-NP) and 1-nitropropane (1-NP) was investigated by measuring the induction of DNA repair synthesis in rat liver cells in vitro and in vivo. 2-NP strongly induced DNA repair synthesis in both cases. When applied in vivo, 2-NP was considerably more effective in hepatocytes from males than in those from females. 1-NP was not active in vitro or in vivo. 2-NP and 1-NP did not induce repair in cell lines of extrahepatic origin derived from rat, mouse, hamster and man. The results are consistent with the reported carcinogenicity of 2-NP in rat liver and suggest that the formation of hepatocarcinomas by 2-NP is due to the generation of a genotoxic metabolite from 2-NP by liver-specific metabolism.