The potent hepatocarcinogen methapyrilene does not form DNA adducts in livers of Fischer 344 rats.

The antihistamine methapyrilene hydrochloride has been shown to be a potent hepatocarcinogen in Fischer 344 rats. It has also been evaluated in a number of short-term in vitro genotoxicity assays resulting in conflicting reports. Short-term in vivo assays suggest that it may act as a promoter. We studied its ability to form DNA adducts in the target organ using the highly sensitive 32P-postlabeling technique. Methapyrilene failed to induce formation of DNA adducts in hepatocellular DNA at doses which induced S-phase DNA synthesis. These data suggest that methapyrilene does not induce the carcinogenesis process through a direct genotoxic mechanism.