Enhancement of stability of 7 beta,8 alpha-dihyroxy-9 alpha epoxybenzo(a)pyrene by complex formation with serum albumin.

The biologically active and chemically unstable metabolite of benzo(a)pyrene, 7 beta,8 alpha-dihydroxy-9 alpha, 10 alpha-epoxybenzo(a)pyrene (BPDE), binds to human serum albumin in aqueous solutions with an association constant of 2.6 X 10(5)M-1. At pH 7.2, 24 degrees C and in 5mM sodium cacodylate buffer solution, this binding increases the lifetime of the diol epoxide by a factor of nearly 3. It is suggested that the formation of such physical complexes with proteins having hydrophobic interiors or with lipids may provide a mechanism by which highly reactive metabolites are transported from the site of metabolic synthesis to biological target molecules (e.g., DNA), in a reactive aqueous environment.