Alterations in the metabolism of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and various xenobiotics by rat hepatic microsomes following Sudan III treatment in vivo.

Sudan III treatment of Long-Evans rats results in increased hepatic monooxygenase activity using ethoxycoumarin and aniline as substrates. Monooxygenase activity towards amino-pyrine and nitrosodimethylamine is not affected. Sudan III treatment results in increased microsomal cytochrome P448 and increased amounts of a protein band which comigrates with purified cytochrome P448 during SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The proportions of the different dihydrodiols formed during the incubation of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene with microsomes vary between untreated and treated animals. Thus, extracts of microsomes from untreated rats were found to contain materials with chromatographic properties identical to those of the 3,4-dihydrodiol and the 5,6-dihydrodiol when examined on two different h.p.l.c. systems. Extracts of microsomes from Sudan III treated animals were found to contain materials with chromatographic properties identical to those of the 5,6-dihydrodiol and the 8,9-dihydrodiol when similarly examined. These findings suggest that the protective effect of Sudan III against DMBA induced leukaemia is mediated by an alteration in monooxygenase activity.