Cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenases in olfactory epithelium of dogs: possible role in tumorigenicity.

The respiratory tract epithelium of dogs, from the nose to the lungs, was examined for cytochrome P-450 and associated biotransformation activities. In the ethmoturbinates, where olfactory epithelium is located, the amount of cytochrome P-450 was comparable to that in the liver, when measured on the basis of activity per milligram of microsomal protein. The rest of the nasal region also contained large quantities of cytochrome P-450. The presence of these enzymes in the nose may be important in chemical-induced tumorigenesis. The nasal carcinogen hexamethyl-phosphoramide was shown to be metabolized by nasal microsomal enzymes to another nasal carcinogen, formaldehyde.