Interaction of halocompounds with nucleic acids.

The binding of epichlorohydrin, 1,2-dichloroethane, 1,2-dibromoethane, chlorobenzene, bromobenzene, and benzene to nucleic acids and proteins of different murine organs was studied in in vivo and in vitro systems. The extent of in vivo enzymatic activation of brominated compounds was higher than that of chlorinated chemicals. Aryl halides were bound mainly to liver DNA whereas interaction of alkyl halides with DNA of liver, kidney, and lung gave rise to similar binding extent. In vitro activation of all chemicals was mediated by microsomal P-450-dependent mixed function oxidase system which is present in rat and mouse liver and, in smaller amount, in mouse lung. Activation of alkyl halides by liver cytosolic GSH-transferases even occurred. The relative reactivity of chemicals in vivo, expressed as Covalent Binding Index (CBI) to rat liver DNA, was: 1,2-dibromoethane greater than bromobenzene greater than 1,2-dichloroethane greater than chlorobenzene greater than epichlorohydrin greater than benzene. On the whole, it agreed with in vitro activation of chemicals, with genotoxicity data from other short-term assays and also with oncogenicity of benzene, epichlorohydrin, 1,2-dichloroethane, and 1,2-dibromoethane. CBI values of chlorobenzene and bromobenzene gave the first clear evidence of genotoxicity and of possible carcinogenicity of these two chemicals.