Effects of triethyllead chloride on hepatic microsomal N- and C-oxygenation of N,N-dimethylaniline in rats.

Triethyllead chloride was added directly to male rat liver microsomes (0.0, 0.05, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, and 3.0 mM), or the rats were pretreated with ip injections, once a day for 2 days (0.0, 1.5, and 3.0 mg triethyllead chloride/kg body wt), and microsomes prepared without any further treatment on Day 3. The effects of these treatments on microsomal N-oxygenation and C-oxygenation in vitro were studied by using N-oxide formation and N-demethylation of N,N-dimethylaniline (DMA) as test reactions. Increased microsomal N-oxygenation was obtained by in vivo treatment and decreased microsomal C-oxygenation by in vitro treatment. As a result, either treatment thus gave rise to an increase in the N-oxygenation/C-oxygenation ratio. Conditions favoring accumulation of the N-oxide product may potentiate the tumor-inducing characteristics of carcinogenic aromatic amines.