Characterization of the oxidation of amine metabolites of nitrotoluenes by rat hepatic microsomes. N- and C-hydroxylation.

The rat hepatic microsomal oxidation of amine metabolites of mono-and dinitrotoluene isomers has been investigated. Microsomes catalyzed the NADPH-dependent oxidation of 2-amino-6-nitrobenzyl alcohol, 2-amino-4-nitrobenzyl alcohol, and the isomeric aminobenzyl alcohols to ethyl acetate-extractable compounds capable of reducing ferric iron. The microsomal metabolism of 2-amino-6-nitrobenzyl alcohol, a metabolite of the hepatocarcinogen 2,6-dinitrotoluene, was characterized in detail. High pressure liquid chromatographic analysis indicated the formation of two metabolites, both of which were reducing agents. One metabolite was identified as 2-hydroxylamino-6-nitrobenzyl alcohol by comparison of its chromatographic properties and mass spectrum with those of the authentic compound. Mass spectral, proton NMR, and UV-visible spectroscopic studies suggested that the other metabolite was 2-amino-5-hydroxy-6-nitrobenzyl alcohol. The microsomal oxidation of 2-aminobenzyl alcohol also resulted in the formation of two reducing agents, one of which was the corresponding hydroxylamine. The formation of 2-hydroxylamino-6-nitrobenzyl alcohol from the microsomal oxidation of 2-amino-6-nitrobenzyl alcohol was linear with respect to time for at least 20 min, while aminophenol formation was only linear for 3 min. The rate of the microsomal oxidation of 2-amino-6-nitrobenzyl alcohol was decreased by known inhibitors of cytochrome P-450, while heat inactivation of microsomal flavin-containing monooxygenase had no effect. The rate of formation of both metabolites was increased 1.5-fold by phenobarbital pretreatment. Pretreatment with beta-naphthoflavone had no effect on the rate of N-hydroxylation, while a small but statistically significant increase in the rate of C-hydroxylation (117% of control) was observed. The rate of oxidation of 2-amino-6-nitrobenzyl alcohol was lower with microsomes from female rats than with those from males, yielding male/female ratios of 1.34 for aminophenol formation and 3.26 for hydroxylamine formation. These data indicate that 2-amino-6-nitrobenzyl alcohol, a metabolite of the hepatocarcinogen 2,6-dinitrotoluene, can be N-hydroxylated by hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that a hydroxylamine metabolite of 2,6-dinitrotoluene is sulfated in vivo to produce an electrophilic species.