Mutagenicity of 4,4'-methylene-bis-(2-chloroaniline) "MOCA" and its N-acetyl derivatives in S. typhimurium.

4,4'-methylene-bis-(2-chloroaniline) ("MOCA") and two identified urinary N-acetyl and N,N'-diacetyl derivatives were tested in a Salmonella/mammalian microsome assay. No mutagenic activity was observed without rat liver S9 mix activation. In the presence of rat liver S9 mix, the chemicals were mutagens, but the mutagenicity of N-acetyl derivatives to strain TA100 was reduced when compared to that of "MOCA", and a greater amount of S9 was required to exhibit the mutagenicity of the N,N'-diacetyl-"MOCA". These data suggest that N-acetylation does not account for the mutagenic effectiveness of "MOCA".