Substrates and inhibitors of hepatic amine oxidase inhibit dimethylnitrosamine-induced mutagenesis in Salmonella typhimurium.

The mutagenic effect of dimethylnitrosamine in Salmonella typhimurium TA100, in the presence of a rat-liver homogenate derived from animals treated with Aroclor 1254, was inhibited by substrates and inhibitors of monoamine oxidase. Substrates of diamine oxidase did not inhibit dimethylnitrosamine mutagenesis and, furthermore, monoamine oxidase inhibitors had no effect on mutagenesis by benzo[a]pyrene or aflatoxin B1. The results suggest that monoamine oxidase participates in the activation of dimethylnitrosamine to a mutagen.