Influence of disulfiram on mutagenicity of the urinary metabolites of 2-acetylaminofluorene and N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene in the Salmonella test system.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed control diet or 0.65% disulfiram (DS) in the diet for up to 20 days. Groups of these animals were injected with 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) or N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-OH-AAF) after 3, 10 and 20 days, in order to study the effects of DS administration on the mutagenic activity of urinary metabolites of the carcinogens. Administration of DS alone for 20 days did not increase significantly the mutagenicity of urine. Urine from rats administered either of the carcinogens showed mutagenic activity which was increased appreciably in the presence of S9 and beta-glucuronidase. Urine from rats which also were fed DS showed an even greater increase in revertants under these conditions. The results indicate that DS increased the excretion of glucuronide metabolites of the carcinogens.