The effect of pretreatment with adrenal-protecting compounds on the metabolism of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and related compounds by rat-liver homogenates.

1. 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene is converted by rat-liver homogenates into products with the properties of the 7- and 12-hydroxymethyl derivatives, the 7,12-dihydroxymethyl derivative, the related carboxylic acids and ring-hydroxylated products such as the 8,9-dihydro-8,9-dihydroxy derivative and phenols. Ring-hydroxylated products and products arising from the further oxidation of the hydroxymethyl groups were formed when the hydroxymethyl derivatives were themselves incubated with rat-liver homogenates. 2. Pretreatment of the animal with 3-methylcholanthrene or with Sudan III, which can protect rat adrenal glands from damage by 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene or by its 7-hydroxymethyl derivative, led to an increased rate of metabolism of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and its hydroxymethyl derivatives. The metabolic routes mainly affected were those involving the formation of ring-hydroxylated products. 3. Pretreatment with phenobarbitone led to a small increase in the rate of metabolism of the hydrocarbon and of its hydroxymethyl derivatives, but the increase appeared mainly to involve increased metabolism of the methyl and hydroxymethyl groups. 4. Pretreatment with metyrapone increased the rate of metabolism of the hydrocarbon mainly by increasing the amounts of products resulting from hydroxylation of the methyl groups: small increases in the amounts of ring-hydroxylated products were also produced. 8. Of a number of hydrocarbons and of derivatives of 3-methylcholanthrene tested as enzyme inducers, 3-methylcholanthrene itself was the most effective.