Rat liver DNA damage by the non-hepatocarcinogen 3,2'-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl.

The intestinal carcinogen 3,2'-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl (DMAB) and the hepatocarcinogen N-2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) were administered intraperitoneally to male F344 rats to determine if both would produce DNA damage in the liver. Hepatocyte primary cultures (HPC) were prepared and DNA-repair was assessed in vitro by autoradiography. Hepatocytes from both DMAB- and AAF-exposed rats displayed DNA repair synthesis. These results confirm other observations that non-hepatocarcinogens can produce DNA damage in the liver, and that they can be detected in both in vitro and in vivo HPC/DNA repair assays.