Metabolism of N-nitrosohexamethyleneimine to give 1,6-hexanediol bound to rat liver nucleic acids.

Rats were gavaged with the liver carcinogen H-nitrosohexamethyleneimine labeled with 3H or 14C and killed 16 hours later. The liver RNA and DNA were isolated and hydrolyzed with 1 M HCl at 100 degrees C. Chromatography of the 3H-labelled RNA hydrolysate on a cation exchange resin (NH4+ form), with water elution, separated five radioactive peaks, with peak "E" containing 27% of the bound 3H. There were no radioactive peaks in the 7-substituted guanine region. Hydrolysis of the 3H-labeled DNA gave a similar profile, but E contained only 5% of the 3H. The major component of E was identified as 1,6-hexanediol by its behavior and/or that of its benzoate derivative on cation exchange, anion exchange, thin-layer and gas-liquid chromatography, and by recrystallization of a mixture of the E and diol benzoates to constant specific radioactivity.