Stimulation of soluble guanylate cyclase activity and cellular accumulation of cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate by the carcinogen 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide: brief communication.

4-Nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO), a compound that induces tumors in various rat organs, rapidly increased the cellular accumulation of cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP) to peak values fourfold to 13-fold over basal levels in the liver, lung, renal cortex, and gastric and colon mucosa of rats. This action of 4NQO was expressed in the presence or absence of extracellular calcium. When added directly to the broken cell preparations, 4NQO also stimulated guanylate cyclase activity threefold to sixfold over basal levels in the 100,000 X g soluble fractions of each of these tissues. Dicumarol, which blocks the reduction of 4NQO, inhibited 4NQO stimulation of guanylate cyclase and cGMP. Conversely, phenythydrazine, which enhances the reduction of 4NQO, potentiated the actions of 4NQO on guanylate cyclase and cGMP. These results suggested that the activation of the guanylate cyclase-cGMP system may be mediated by reduction products of 4NQO. The activation of the guanylate cyclase system by 4NQO or its derivatives could function in the expression of carcinogenicity.