Aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase induction in maternal and cord blood mitrogen-treated lymphocytes.

The inducibility of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase was measured in mitrogen-activated peripheral lymphocytes from smoking and nonsmoking mothers and their newborn infants (cord blood). The mean inducibility ratio in lymphocytes from smoking women was 4.02 and that for nonsmokers 2.87. Benz(a)anthracene-induced and noninduced AHH activities were 3-6 times higher in the lymphocytes from the cord blood than in those from the mothers. The inducibility ratio in the cord blood lymphocytes from the smoking mothers was 3.65 and did not differ significantly from that for the nonsmokers, 3.54. There was a significant correlation in the induction ratio between maternal and cord blood lymphocytes from the nonsmokers, but not in the smokers. Thymidine incorporation was about twice as high on average in the cord blood lymphocytes as in the maternal lymphocytes. The results demonstrate that the extent and distribution of inducibility were very similar in the maternal and cord blood lymphocytes.