The metabolism of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and 7-hydroxymethyl-12-methylbenz[a]anthracene by rat liver and adrenal homogenates and by rat adrenocortical cells.

The metabolism of 3H-labelled 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) and of 7-hydroxymethyl-12-methylbenz[a]anthracene (7-OHM-12-MBA) into solvent- and water-soluble and protein-bound derivatives has been examined in rat liver and adrenal homogenates and in rat adrenocortical cells in culture. Although the overall extents of metabolism of the substrates by the two types of homogenate were similar, there was twice as much binding to protein in incubations with the 7-hydroxymethyl derivative. Rat adrenal cells in culture metabolized DMBA more extensively than 7-OHM-12-MBA and converted much more of the parent hydrocarbon into water-soluble derivatives. Both hydrocarbons were metabolized to yield dihydrodiols that were separated and identified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The 8,9-dihydrodiol was the major dihydrodiol formed from DMBA but, with 7-OHM-12-MBA as substrate, metabolism was diverted to the 10,11- and 3,4-positions in adrenal and hepatic preparations respectively. The viability of rat adrenocortical cells in culture, as measured by trypan blue exclusion, did not appear to be affected by treatment with DMBA, 7-OHM-12-MBA, the sulphate ester of 7-OHM-12-MBA or by 3,4-dihydro-3,4-dihydroxy-7-hydroxymethyl-12-methylbenz[a]anthracene.