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2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) is known to induce a characteristic mutation, G deletion at the 5'-GGGA-3' site, preferentially in the lacI transgene of the colonic mucosa of Big Blue((R)) rats (BBR) and mice and specifically in the Apc gene of rat colon tumors. In this study, lacI mutations of the mammary glands in PhIP-treated rats were investigated. Six-week-old female (BBRxSprague-Dawley)F(1) rats were administered 10 gavages of 65 mg/kg/day PhIP. Mammary ducts were collected from the macroscopically normal mammary tissue of PhIP-treated and untreated rats at 56-69 weeks of age by collagenase treatment. The mutant frequencies were 25 +/- 2.1x10(-6) in control rats and 323 +/- 44x10(-6) in the PhIP-treated rats. By sequencing 40 and 177 mutants in the control and PhIP-treated groups, respectively, 34 and 149 mutations were considered independent mutations. In the control group, G:C-->A:T transitions at CpG sites dominated and no G:C deletions were detected. In the PhIP-treated group, G:C-->T:A transversions were most frequent (43%), followed by single base pair deletions of G:C (21%). A total of nine deletions were at 5'-GGGA-3' sites, accounting for 29% of the G:C deletions and 6% of the 149 total mutations. Clusters of more than three mutations at one nucleotide position were observed at 12 positions and two were G deletions at 5'-GGGA-3' sites. Comparison of the PhIP-induced mutations in the mammary glands with those previously reported in the colon revealed that G:C-->T:A transversions occurred at a significantly higher frequency in the mammary glands and that G:C deletions occurred at a significantly lower frequency. However, the signature mutation, G deletion at the 5'-GGGA-3' site, was commonly observed in both tissues.

2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) is the most abundant mutagenic heterocyclic amine (HCA) present in cooked foods. PhIP induces colon cancer in male Fischer 344 (F344) rats, and its role in human colon carcinogenesis has been suspected. To study the ecogenetics in PhIP colon carcinogenesis, rat system using aberrant crypt focus (ACF) formation as a phenotypic marker was applied. Among Buffalo (BUF), Brown Norway (BN), F344 and ACI/N (ACI) strains of rats, F344 rats produced a lower level of PhIP-DNA adducts than other three strains, and the number of ACFs/rat was highest in BUF, intermediate in BN and F344 and lowest in ACI. Thus there was no correlation between adduct levels and number of ACF induced by PhIP. F1 progenies of BUF and ACI developed ACF at a similar level to that of F344, and F1 progenies of F344 and ACI developed ACF at a similar level to that of F344. Thus it was indicated that susceptibility of F344 to the ACF induction was autosomally dominant over ACI rats. The results also suggest that BUF rats have at least two genes, one is autosomally recessive against ACI rats and one is autosomally dominant similar to that F344 has. A total of 170 progeny of ACI backcross of F344/ACI F1 were examined for number of ACFs and 65 progeny were phenotyped as F344 and 60 were ACI. Using these 125 rats, chromosomal mapping is being performed using markers of simple sequence length polymorphism (SSLP) and representational difference analysis (RDA). By mapping the gene, we will be able to identify humans who might belong to high risk group in general population, and cancer can be prevented more efficiently by attaining early diagnosis., (Copyright 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.)

Dietary intake of mutagenic compounds is considered to be an important factor for the induction of some human cancers. Highly mutagenic compounds are known to be formed in meat during the cooking process. Since the discovery of such compounds, many studies have been conducted to evaluate their carcinogenic potential. One of the most mutagenic compounds formed in the cooking of meat is 2-amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (MeIQ). The recent development of mouse chromosome painting probes expand the capability of evaluating these food mutagens as potential clastogens in vivo. In this paper, we demonstrate the induction of chromosome aberrations in mice chronically exposed to MeIQ in their diet. CDF1 female mice were fed 400 ppm MeIQ beginning at 7 wk of age. At 76 wk of age, five control and eight exposed mice were euthanized. Blood and bone marrow cells were obtained and arrested in metaphase. Whole chromosome painting probes were used for fluorescence in situ hybridization of metaphase cells from blood and bone marrow. MeIQ-exposed mice were found to have a twofold increase in translocations and a 16-fold increase in fragments in their peripheral blood compared with controls. No aberrations were observed in the bone marrow. All organs were examined for the presence of tumours and routine histopathological analysis was performed on all organs as well as any tissue with macroscopic abnormalities. Forestomach and/or liver tumours developed in all but one of the mice fed MeIQ, but no such tumours were observed in the control mice. These data indicate that MeIQ is clastogenic and carcinogenic in vivo.

The carcinogenicity of 2-amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (MeIQ) was examined in Big Blue female mice with the genetic background of C57BL/6N. With the administration of 300 ppm of MeIQ in their diet for 92 weeks, the Big Blue female mice developed intestinal tumors and hepatocellular carcinomas. The incidences of adenocarcinomas were 42% (8/19) in the colon and 68% (13/19) in the cecum. The incidence of hepatocellular carcinomas was 84% (16/19). No carcinomas of the intestine or the liver were induced in the control group. As we previously reported, administration of 300 ppm of MeIQ in a diet for 12 weeks induced lacI mutants at the highest frequency in colonocytes, and at only less than one-tenth of the colon in cells of the liver, forestomach and bone marrow, indicating no direct correlation between the lacI mutant frequency (MF) and cancer incidence (CI). The fate of cells with lacI mutation in each organ should be taken into consideration to validate MF as an indicator of carcinogenic potency of a chemical in different organs., (Copyright 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.)

Activating mutations in the beta-catenin (CTNNB1) gene corresponding to N-terminal phosphorylation sites in the protein have been implicated in the development of human colon cancer. To determine the possible involvement of such mutations during chemically induced colon carcinogenesis, we examined the corresponding region of Ctnnb1 in colon tumors induced in the F344 rat by two cooked meat heterocyclic amines, 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline and 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP). All of the colon tumors induced by 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline that were examined (5 of 5) and 4 of 7 PhIP-induced colon tumors had mutations within or flanking codons corresponding to important phosphorylation sites in beta-catenin. None of the colon tumors bearing Ctnnb1 mutations had genetic changes in the Apc gene, and those that contained wild-type Ctnnb1 were known from our previous work to contain Apc mutations. The results provide evidence for a major role of the beta-catenin/Apc pathway in the development of heterocyclic amine-induced colon tumors and give further weight to the view that regulation of beta-catenin is critical to the tumor suppressive effects of Apc during colon carcinogenesis. In contrast, Ctnnb1 mutations were completely absent in 23 PhIP-induced mammary tumors, in accordance with recent work showing that human breast carcinomas lack mutations in CTNNB1.

Okadaic acid (OA) is a strong tumor promoter of mouse skin carcinogenesis and also a potent inhibitor of serine/threonine protein phosphatases. OA induces various genetic alterations in cultured cells, such as diphtheria-toxin-resistance mutations, sister chromatid exchange, exclusion of exogenous transforming oncogenes, and gene amplification. The present study revealed that it caused minisatellite mutation (MSM) at a high frequency in NIH 3T3 cells, although no microsatellite mutation was found. Nine of 31 clones (29%) exhibited MSM after 6 days of OA treatment, as opposed to only 1 of 30 clones (3%) without OA exposure. Moreover, NIH 3T3 cells treated with OA acquired tumorigenicity in nude mice, giving rise to 7 tumors within 25 weeks in 20 sites where 3 x 10(6) cells were injected. In contrast, the same numbers of untreated cells gave rise to only one tumor, and the tumor grew much slower. All of three OA-induced tumors examined manifested the MSM. The findings thus point to a molecular mechanism by which OA could function as a tumor promoter, and also the biological relevance of the induction of MSM in the tumorigenic process by OA.

During the cooking of meats, several highly mutagenic heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are produced. Three HCAs, IQ, MeIQx, and PhIP have been under study for carcinogenicity in cynomolgus monkeys, and to date, IQ has been shown to be a potent hepatocarcinogen. Concomitantly, the metabolic processing of these HCAs has been examined. Metabolism studies show that the potent hepatocarcinogenicity of IQ is associated with the in vivo metabolic activation of IQ via N-hydroxylation and the formation of DNA adducts. In monkeys undergoing carcinogen bioassay with IQ, N-hydroxylation was confirmed by the presence of the N-hydroxy-N-glucuronide conjugate of IQ in urine. The N-hydroxylation of IQ appears to be carried out largely by hepatic CYP3A4 and/or CYP2C9/10, and not by CYP1A2, an isoform not expressed in liver of this species. Notably MeIQx is poorly activated in cynomolgus monkeys and lacks the potency of IQ to induce hepatocellular carcinoma after a 5-year dosing period. The poor activation of MeIQx appears to be due to the lack of constitutive expression of CYP1A2 and an inability of other cytochromes P450, such as CYP3A4 and CYP2C9/10, to N-hydroxylate the quinoxalines. MeIQx is detoxified in monkeys largely by conjugation with glucuronide at the N-1 position. Although the carcinogenicity of PhIP is not yet known, the metabolic data suggest that PhIP will be carcinogenic in this species. PhIP is metabolically activated in vivo in monkeys by N-hydroxylation, as discerned by the presence of the N-hydroxy-N-glucuronide conjugate in urine, bile, and plasma. PhIP also produces DNA adducts that are widely distributed in tissues. The results from these studies support the importance of N-hydroxylation in the carcinogenicity of HCAs in nonhuman primates and by analogy, the importance of this metabolic activation step in the possible carcinogenicity of dietary HCAs in humans.

A method was established for detecting mutations in the mouse p53 gene by cDNA-PCR-SSCP, using four cell lines which were derived from forestomach tumors induced in CDF, mice by 2-amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo [4,5-f]quinoline (MeIQ). All the cell lines were demonstrated to have mutations in exons 4, 5, 7 and 10, respectively, and the method was confirmed to be efficient and reliable. It was therefore used to analyse the role of p53 gene mutations in forestomach carcinogenesis induced by MeIQ, by examining four original tumors, one papilloma, two primary carcinomas and one lymph node metastasis. The papilloma (F 14) and the carcinoma (F 12) had mutations, but the lymph node metastasis of F 12 mouse (F 12 LN) did not. These results thus indicate that p53 mutations may occur relatively early but do not confer any predisposition for lymph node metastasis.

2-Amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (MeIQ), which is a heterocyclic amine found in food and the potent mutagen in S. typhimurium TA98, was examined for its genotoxic potential using lacI transgenic mice (Big Blue, C57BL/6N lineage). Female mice, at 7 weeks of age, were given a diet containing 0.03% MeIQ for 1, 4 and 12 weeks, and mutant frequencies (MF) were analyzed in the bone marrow, liver, forestomach, colon and heart. The MF increased in a feeding period-dependent manner. Relative to untreated mice, the MF after a 12-week-feeding of MeIQ was 38 times higher in the colon, 5.8 times higher in the bone marrow, 4.6 times higher in the liver, and 2.6 times higher in the forestomach. No increase in MF was detected in the heart, where no tumors develop.

A transgenic mouse (Tg), having the human c-Ha-ras proto-oncogene, has been demonstrated to develop hemangioendothelial sarcomas (HESs) which are associated with the transgene mutation, but not to develop liver tumors. In this study, we examined the effects of 2-amino-6-methyldipyrido [1,2-a:3',2'-d] imidazole (Glu-P-1), a food-borne carcinogen, which has been demonstrated to induce HESs and liver tumors in CDF1 mice, on Tg mice. Chronic administration of 0.05% Glu-P-1 in the diet induced HESs in Tg (7/17), but not in 18 non-transgenic mice (N-Tg). With basal diet, two out of 17 Tg but none of 22 N-Tg, developed HESs. In contrast, Glu-P-1 administration induced liver tumors, both in Tg and in N-Tg; 16/17 in Tg and 13/18 in N-Tg. The incidence of hepatocellular carcinomas in Tg was higher than that in N-Tg (8/17 versus 3/18). With basal diet, only one out of 17 Tg and none of 22 N-Tg developed liver tumors. The Ha-ras mutation in tumors developed by the groups administered Glu-P-1, was examined. No mutations were detected in the transgene and mouse c-Ha-ras genes in all three HESs examined. In contrast, when 29 liver tumors taken from Tg were examined, two mutations of the transgene were detected in two HCCs. No mouse c-Ha-ras gene mutations were detected in any of the 47 liver tumors examined, which had developed in Tg and N-Tg mice. These results suggest that the transgene plays a role in the development of HESs induced by Glu-P-1, but not as a result of its mutation. Further, the transgene plays no significant role in the development of liver tumors induced by Glu-P-1, but does play a role in the malignant conversion of some liver tumors, as a result of its mutation.

Cancer cells are produced by the accumulation of genetic alterations in somatic cells. Those genetic alterations are produced by xenobiotics, which enter the human body from the environment, and by autobiotics, which are produced in the human body. Food contains many different types of xenobiotic mutagens/carcinogens and tumor promoters. Food can influence the formation of autobiotic mutagens/carcinogens and give rise to tumor-promoting conditions. In spite of this, it can also contain many antimutagenic, anticarcinogenic, and antitumor-promoting substances. Carcinogenic risk and anticarcinogenic efficacy are hard to express quantitatively; however, holistic approaches that are designed to improve lifestyle are realistic for cancer prevention.

Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are mutagens/carcinogens to which humans are exposed on almost a daily basis. 2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhlP) is the most abundant of the various carcinogenic HCAs (present at a level of 0.56 to 69.2 ng/g of cooked meat or fish), with 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MelQx) following it at 0.64 to 6.44 ng/g. HCAs have been found in the urine of healthy people who consume ordinary diets, while patients receiving parenteral alimentation lack, for example, PhlP and MelQx in their urine. Based on the concentrations of PhlP and MelQx in urine samples from 10 healthy volunteers, daily intake of MelQx in Japanese was calculated to be 0.3 to 3.9 micrograms/person, while that of PhlP was 0.005 to 0 micrograms. The Japanese consume more MelQx than Americans, whereas Japanese intake of PhlP was about one-third that of Americans. MelQx-DNA adducts have also detected in Japanese Kidney, colon, and rectum samples using the 32P-postlabeling method followed by identification using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis; the levels were 0.18, 1.8, and 1.4 per 10(9) nucleotides, respectively. In addition, we elucidated the mutational fingerprints of Phlp by analyzing Apc mutations in rat colon cancers induced by this carcinogen. Four of eight tumors had a total of five mutations in the Apc gene, four of which featured a guanine deletion from 5'-GTGGGAT-3' sequences. This specific mutation spectrum may be used as a fingerprint of PhlP in evaluating its risk potential for human colon carcinogenesis. Mutations were not found in similar 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline-induced colon lesions. Microsatellite instability was detected in both colon and mammary tumors induced by PhlP. The mechanisms involved in this development of microsatellite instability in PhlP. The mechanisms involved in this development of microsatellite instability in PhlP-induced cancers remain to be elucidated.

Fischer-344 rats of both sexes were administered the heterocyclic amine 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) for 52 wk at the dietary level of 400 ppm. Light microscopic and ultrastructural investigation of the myocardium revealed prominent changes in all PhIP-treated male and female animals investigated. These were characterized by a diffuse proliferation of markedly enlarged mitochondria, with abundant cristae and often containing lamellar bodies as inclusions. PhIP is well known to cause DNA adducts in the rat heart, and there are numerous reports of mutations in mitochondrial DNA in both humans and experimental animals being associated with very similar lesions to those observed in the present study. The results thus suggest that this heterocyclic amine induces cardiac damage by the same mechanism.

Background: In rat colon tumors induced by the cooked food mutagens 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) and 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ), ras and p53 alterations are rarely detected. To investigate the roles of the APC gene and microsatellite instability (MI) in PhIP-induced colon carcinogenesis, mutations of the APC gene and alterations of microsatellites were examined., Methods: Complimentary DNA sequence of the rat APC gene were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers based on the human APC sequence. PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis was performed using primers based on sequences of flanking introns and exon 15. Microsatellite alterations were also analyzed using 85 microsatellite sequences dispersed through most of the rat chromosomes., Results: Five mutations in the APC gene were detected in four of eight PhIP-induced rat colon tumors. All five mutations involved deletion of a guanine base in a 5'-GGGA-3' sequence. Only 2 of 13 IQ-induced colon tumors had mutations of the APC gene and these were base substitution mutations. Seven of eight PhIP-induced colon tumors had microsatellite alterations in at least one locus, whereas no alterations were observed in the IQ-induced colon tumors., Conclusions: The specific 5'-GGGA-3' to 5'-GGA-3' mutation and MI demonstrated in this study are strong evidence of a mutational fingerprint of PhIP.

To assess mechanisms of chemoprevention of hepatocarcinogenesis by trans-beta-carotene (beta-C), DL-alpha-tocopherol (alpha-T), and freeze-dried whole leaves of Kidachi aloe (Aloe), formation of 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ)-DNA adducts was measured by 32P-post-labeling analysis, and CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 protein levels were analyzed by ELISA. Group 1 rats were fed diet containing 0.02% beta-C, 1.5% alpha-T or 30% Aloe over an 8-day period, while group 2 was given basal diet alone. On day 7, all animals were subjected to two-thirds partial hepatectomy (PH). Twelve hours after PH, they received a single dose of the carcinogenic food pyrolysate IQ (100 mg/kg) intragastrically, to initiate hepatocarcinogenesis. Rats were killed 6, 12, 24 and 48 h after IQ administration. The levels of adducts, expressed as relative adduct labeling values in rats treated with beta-C, alpha-T and Aloe, were decreased as compared with the control group at hour 24 (36 h after PH), with a significant difference in the case of the beta-C group (46.4% of the control value). Similarly, all showed a tendency for decrease at hour 48. Furthermore, the levels of CYP1A2, known to be responsible for activation of IQ, showed a significant reduction at hour 24. It is concluded that beta-C, and possibly also alpha-T and Aloe, have the potential to reduce IQ-DNA adduct formation, presumably as a result of decreased formation of active metabolites. The results may explain, at least in part, the previously observed inhibitory effects of these compounds on induction of preneoplastic hepatocellular lesions.

beta-Carbolines, harman (1-methyl-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole) and norharman (9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole) and gamma-carbolines, 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-1) and 3-amino-4-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-2), are present in cooked foods and cigarette smoke. We studied the effects of these heterocyclic amines on the activity of DNA topoisomerases. Trp-P-1 and Trp-P-2 inhibited topoisomerase I (topo I) activity with ED50 values of 1.48 and 1.55 micrograms/ml, respectively, in a relaxation assay. Harman and norharman inhibited topo I activity but with much higher ED50 values, 23.8 and 34.4 micrograms/ml, respectively. Trp-P-1 and Trp-P-2 also inhibited topoisomerase II (topo II) activity at about 50 micrograms/ml, in a decatenation assay. Harman and norharman showed a much lower inhibitory effect on topo II activity. None of these compounds stabilized the cleavable complex mediated by topo II. Trp-P-1 and Trp-P-2 intercalated into DNA at concentrations inhibitory to topoisomerases. We considered that the intercalation with DNA and the inhibition of DNA topoisomerases by heterocyclic amines might be partly related to their inhibition of DNA excision repair and their enhancing effect on UV- or chemically induced mutagenic activity.

2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) induces colon tumors in male, but not female, F344 rats. We investigated the mechanisms leading to this difference by measuring the level of PhIP-DNA adducts, the enhancement of cell proliferation and aberrant crypt focus (ACF) formation in colon mucosa. PhIP was administered in the diet at a level of 0.04% to both male and female F344 rats for 1-8 weeks. The level of DNA adducts in the colon mucosa was measured using the 32P-postlabeling method. Four major PhIP-DNA adducts were detected in fairly constant proportions in all the animals examined. The level of PhIP-DNA adducts in male and female rats was the same, indicating no direct correlation between adduct levels and carcinogenesis. Labeling indices (LIs) were determined by measuring BrdU incorporation in rats after feeding with a PhIP diet for 4, 8 and 12 weeks. After 8 weeks administration the LI had increased 1.5-fold in the colon of the male rats, but no increase was observed in the female rats. ACF formation was examined after feeding with a PhIP diet for 14 weeks. The number of aberrant crypt foci was 6.6 +/- 1.5 per rat in males and 1.9 +/- 0.5 per rat in females. Thus differences in colon tumor development in male and female rats takes place at an early stage(s). Our results suggest that, in addition to DNA adduct formation, enhanced proliferation contributes to the formation of ACFs, which are premalignant lesions of the colon.

Quercetin, 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), and okadaic acid are found in various foods and have been shown to have mutagenic or promoter-like activity. The effects of these three compounds on the transmission of the inactive X chromosome were examined in MST-C6 murine tumor cells, which were derived from hybrid F1 mice from matings between C57BL/6 and MSM mice. Polymerase chain reaction analysis using polymorphic markers on the X chromosome detected transmission distortion of the inactive X chromosome due to nondisjunction as a copy-number imbalance in allelic bands. The cells exposed to all three chemicals (but not untreated cells) exhibited such imbalances at high frequencies under exposure conditions similar to those in previous experiments in which tumor progression and recombination were observed. The cells also showed increased frequencies of tumor formation when subcutaneously injected. These results suggest that the three chemicals are capable of inducing transmission distortion of the inactive X chromosome and that such activity may be a causative factor in promoting the tumorigenicity of MST-C6 cells.

Samples of water from the Chao Phraya river and some connected canals in Bangkok, Thailand, and from the Sumida and Ara rivers in Tokyo, Japan, were tested for mutagenicity using blue rayon to adsorb the mutagens. The samples from the Chao Phraya river and connected canals at sites located 50-150 km from the river mouth taken in May 1993 showed a mutagenicity of 87-1213 revertants per 0.05 g blue rayon extract towards S. typhimurium YG1024 in the presence of S9 mix. Samples from most sites taken in December 1993, which follows the rainy season, showed a lower mutagenicity than those taken in May, possibly due to dilution by the larger volume of water in the river and canals in December. Water samples from the Sumida river were collected in July 1993 and February 1994, and those from the Ara river in January 1994. Mutagenicity of samples from all sites of the Sumida and Ara rivers, which were located 2-30 and 2-20 km, respectively, from the river mouth was also clearly detected in the presence of S9 mix and did not differ much, being 155-748 revertants of YG1024 per 0.05 g blue rayon extract. These results demonstrated that the water in all three rivers contained some frameshift mutagens.

Carcinogenicity of 2-amino-3-methyl-9H-pyrido[2,3-b]-indole (MeA alpha C) was investigated at dietary levels of 0 (control), 0.01, 0.02, 0.04 and 0.08% using male F344/DuCrj rats. The administration of MeA alpha C was continued for 100 experimental weeks for the control, 0.01 and 0.02% groups, but halted after 52 and 26 experimental weeks for the 0.04 and 0.08% groups respectively due to severe toxicity. Well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinomas, lacking in control animals, were induced in 5/20 rats (25%) and 6/20 rats (30%) of the 0.01% and 0.02% groups respectively. Pancreatic acinar cell adenomas were also significantly increased in the 0.01% (30%) and 0.02% (40%) groups, in association with high incidences of hyperplastic lesions of acinar cells. Fibromas in the subcutis developed at a high incidence (70%) in the 0.02% group. MeA alpha C was also suggested to elicit fibrosarcomas in the salivary gland and transitional cell carcinomas in the urinary bladder. Among the non-neoplastic lesions, severe atrophy of the salivary glands and pancreas and severe renal toxicity were noteworthy. In conclusion, MeA alpha C is a multi-targeting carcinogen in rats, similar in this respect to other heterocyclic amines.

The N-hydroxylamine of a carcinogenic heterocyclic amine, 2-amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (MeIQ), was reacted with four 2'-deoxynucleoside 3'-monophosphates after O-acetylation. 32P-Postlabeling analysis demonstrated that the adduct was formed with only the guanine nucleotide, and the structure of the compound in the obtained adduct spot was determined to be N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-MeIQ 3',5'-diphosphate (3',5'-pdGp-C8-MeIQ). DNA samples from livers of mice fed MeIQ were also 32P labeled under standard conditions and additionally treated with nuclease P1 and phosphodiesterase I. A single adduct spot was obtained and the structure of the adduct was identified as 5'-pdG-C8-MeIQ. Thus, MeIQ binds at the C-8 position of guanine in vitro and in vivo, like other heterocyclic amines.

2-Amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ) is one of several heterocyclic amines formed during the cooking of proteinaceous foods. IQ is a potent carcinogen in rodent bioassays and causes a high incidence of hepatocellular carcinomas in nonhuman primates. We examined 20 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) from nonhuman primates for mutations of the p53 gene using polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformational polymorphism analysis. Mutations in the p53 gene were detected in 4 of 20 HCCs (20%) with 3 showing G-to-T transversions and one a G-to-A transition. Three of these mutations were observed in codons 175 and 248 that are known mutational hot spots in human cancers. These data indicate that part of the IQ-induced HCCs in nonhuman primates may involve inactivation of the p53 gene and suggest that IQ and possibly other heterocyclic amines may participate in human carcinogenesis by a similar mechanism.

We investigated the modulation by dietary corn oil and calcium levels of carcinogenesis by heterocyclic amines (HCA), a new class of important carcinogens in the human nutritional environment, since they are formed during cooking. Two approaches involved (i) a chronic bioassay in male and female F344 rats, and (ii) an abbreviated test, the induction of foci of aberrant crypts in the colon in male F344 rats. One typical HCA, 2-amino-3-methylimidazo [4,5-f]quinoline (IQ) was fed at 75 ppm for 12 months to male and female rats that were held three and six months longer, respectively, on control diets. Neoplasms were induced in the Zymbal gland, skin (predominantly in male rats), liver, mammary and preputial glands, colon, and lung. Diets with 23.5% corn oil increased carcinomas in the liver in males, and in the mammary gland in females, compared with a 5% corn oil diet. Males on the low-fat diet had more cancers in the lip, and females had more ear duct cancers, than did rats on the high-fat diet. Another HCA, 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), fed at 400 ppm for nine weeks induced foci of aberrant crypts in the lower intestinal tract of male F344 rats. There were significantly more aberrant crypts on the high-fat than on the low-fat diet. On the low-fat diet, there were fewer aberrant crypts on the higher calcium level. Thus, dietary fat modulates the carcinogenic action of HCA food carcinogens in specific organs of male and female F344 rats. Also, both fat and calcium affected the induction of aberrant crypts in the distal intestinal tract of male F344 rats.

2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) is the most abundant mutagenic heterocyclic amine in cooked foods. Two mouse tumor cell lines, BMT11 and FM3A, were exposed to its proximate form, 2-hydroxyamino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (N-OH-PhIP). Fifty-six subclones of BMT11 and 39 subclones of FM3A were isolated and analyzed by DNA fingerprinting. Treatment with 10-20 microM N-OH-PhIP gave rise to extra bands or shifted bands, but treatment without N-OH-PhIP did not. This suggests that mutations resulting from recombination were induced. The mutation frequencies were 21-53% and 22-35% for BMT11 and FM3A, respectively. These findings suggest that PhIP induces recombinational mutations.

N-(Deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (dG-C8-PhIP) has been shown to be a major adduct in DNA of rats given [3H]PhIP. However, when DNA from organs of rats fed PhIP was analyzed by the 32P-postlabeling method under standard and adduct-intensification conditions, four adduct spots were observed, and 3',5'-pdGp-C8-PhIP was detected as a minor, not a major, adduct spot. Since the three other major adduct spots were suspected to be those of adducted di- or oligo-nucleotides, the 32P-labeled samples were further treated with nuclease P1 and phosphodiesterase I and found to yield only a single adduct spot. The material in this adduct spot was confirmed to be 5'-pdG-C8-PhIP. Thus, using this newly modified 32P-postlabeling method, dG-C8-PhIP was detected as a major adduct in DNA of rats given PhIP.

The ability of 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ) to induce chromosomal aberrations (CAs) in Chinese hamster lung fibroblast (CHL/IU) cells in vitro was examined. On incubation with rat S9 (2.5-10%, v/v) for 3 h, followed by a recovery culture period of 21 h, IQ caused significant induction of CAs at a concentration 20 micrograms/ml, but had less effect at 40 micrograms/ml. With longer recovery culture times such as 27-33 h, however, IQ was much more effective at 40 micrograms/ml. No significant induction was observed with 1 or 6 h treatments followed by 23 or 18 h recovery cultures, respectively. On incubation without S9, only weak CA induction by IQ was observed. These results show that IQ is a clastogen and that its clastogenic effect varied with the experimental conditions, such as the time of exposure and the time of recovery culture. The cell cycle perturbation effect is suggested to be one of the critical factors for the detection of the clastogenic potential of IQ.

Heterocyclic amines have been isolated from cooked foods and found to be mutagens and carcinogens. Among them, 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-1) and 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-2) were also found to enhance UV-induced mutation frequencies in Escherichia coli at the concentrations where they were neither toxic nor mutagenic by themselves. Using an immunological method recently developed to detect UV-induced DNA damage, we investigated the inhibitory effect of Trp-P-1 on the removal of both cyclobutane dimers and (6-4)photoproducts from the DNA of UV-irradiated E.coli. Cells repaired 60% of the initial cyclobutane dimers within 30 min and 75% at 120 min after UV-irradiation. Furthermore, the same cells repaired 90% of the initial (6-4)photoproducts within 30 min. On the other hand, Trp-P-1 clearly showed inhibition of repair of both photolesions in a concentration-dependent manner. The levels of repair inhibition by Trp-P-1 were almost the same between cyclobutane dimers and (6-4)photoproducts. These results suggested that the enhancing effect of Trp-P-1 on UV-induced mutagenesis in E.coli stemmed from the inhibition of the removal of photolesions from the DNA.

We examined the reactivity of the N-hydroxyamino derivative of a carcinogenic heterocyclic amine, 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), after its O-acetylation with four 2'-deoxyribonucleoside 3'-monophosphates. 32P-Postlabeling analysis demonstrated that the levels of adducts with 2'-deoxyguanosine 3'-monophosphate were much higher than those with the other three nucleotides. 1H-NMR, mass spectral and UV absorption spectral analyses of the major adducts formed by N-acetyoxy-PhIP with 2'-deoxyguanosine and with its phosphate esters indicated that PhIP bound at the C-8 position of guanine, as previously demonstrated with other heterocyclic amines.

2-Amino-1-methyl-6-(4-hydroxyphenyl)imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (4'-OH-PhIP) showed mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 in the presence of S9 mix, inducing 180 revertants per 100 micrograms. Since creatinine, tyrosine and glucose, which are present in meat, are expected to be involved in the formation of 4'-OH-PhIP, its presence in broiled beef was examined. 4'-OH-PhIP was detected in broiled beef by high-performance liquid chromatography and UV-spectrometry after extraction with 0.1 N HCl and purification by blue cotton treatment and ion exchange column chromatography. Its level was estimated to be 21.0 ng per g of broiled beef, which is comparable to that of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP).

Dose responses to two heterocyclic amines, 2-amino-3-methyl-9H-pyrido[2,3-b]indole (MeA alpha C) and 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), in induction of glutathione S-transferase placental form positive liver cell foci (GST-P+ foci) and DNA adduct formation in the liver were examined in male F344 rats. Beginning 2 weeks after a single diethylnitrosamine (DEN) injection (200 mg/kg, i.p.), rats received MeA alpha C or PhIP in the diet at various doses for 6 weeks. All rats were subjected to two-thirds partial hepatectomy (PH) 1 weeks after the test agents were added to the diet and were killed 8 weeks after DEN initiation. MeA alpha C (100, 200, 400 and 800 p.p.m.) significantly increased numbers and areas of GST-P+ foci over control levels in all dose groups with a clear dose-response. In contrast, PhIP (50, 100, 200 and 400 p.p.m.) only equivocally increased foci development in the highest dose group and rather was associated with decrease in the lower dose groups. DNA adduct formation assessed by 32P-postlabeling demonstrated a dose-dependent increase with both chemicals, the levels being much higher with MeA alpha C. Thus, two highly mutagenic heterocyclic amines that are produced in broiled foodstuffs exerted different influence on GST-P+ foci development and DNA adduct formation; these findings are consistent with liver carcinogenicity in rats and/or mice.

Okadaic acid (OA) is a specific and strong inhibitor of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A present in eukaryotes, and a potent promoter of carcinogenesis in mouse skin. In this study, we examined the mutagenicity of OA. OA did not induce mutations in S. typhimurium TA100 and TA98, with or without a microsomal metabolic activation system. However, it was strongly mutagenic to Chinese hamster lung (CHL) cells without a microsomal activation system, as shown using diphtheria toxin (DT) resistance (DTr) as a selective marker. Treatment of CHL cells with OA at 17.5 ng/ml induced 164 DTr mutants per 10(6) survivors. A plot of the mutation frequency against the OA concentration gave a concave curve, and the mutant frequency was calculated to be 5500/10(6) survivors/micrograms, with OA in the dose range of 10-15 ng/ml. This value was about 680 times that of ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), and comparable to that of 2-amino-N6-hydroxyadenine, one of the strongest known mutagens. Elongation factor 2 (EF-2) obtained from 4 DTr clones was not ADP-ribosylated by DT fragment A. PCR-direct sequencing revealed that the hot spot of EF-2 for EMS mutagenesis in CHO-K1 cells, the first letter of codon 717, was not a hot spot for OA mutagenesis in CHL cells.

The mutagenicity of the base analogue, 2-amino-N6-hydroxyadenine (AHA), was tested in Salmonella typhimurium TA100 and TA98 and in Chinese hamster lung (CHL) cells. AHA showed very potent mutagenicity in TA100 without S9 mix, inducing 25,000 revertants/micrograms. The mutagenicity increased about 2-fold upon addition of S9 mix containing 10 microliters S9. AHA was found to be one of the strongest mutagens for TA100. Addition of S9 mix containing 100 microliters S9 induced no significant increase of revertants with AHA at amounts up to 50 ng per plate. AHA was also mutagenic for the frameshift mutant, TA98, without S9 mix, the mutagenicity for TA98 being about 1/1000 of that for TA100. When the mutagenicity of AHA was tested in CHL cells, with diphtheria toxin resistance (DTr) as a selective marker in the absence of S9 mix with a 3-h treatment of cells, DTr mutants increased dose-dependently at concentrations of 2.5-15 micrograms/ml. When cells were incubated with AHA for 24 h, a 200-fold increase in the number of DTr mutants was observed; the mutagenicity was 500-fold higher than that of ethyl methanesulfonate. This marked increase of mutagenicity by prolonged incubation may indicate that AHA induces mutations mainly after incorporation into DNA. The addition of a small amount of S9 increased the mutagenicity obtained with a 3-h treatment 2-fold, but a larger amount of S9 decreased the mutagenicity as was found with S. typhimurium TA100.

Fischer 344 rats were given a single dose of 0.60 mg/animal of [2-14C]2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) by gavage; and radioactivity contained in feces, urine, blood, serum proteins, hemoglobin, and tissues was determined at 12, 24, 48 and 96 h after dosing. One major and four minor radioactivity-containing fractions were found in the urine and one major and two minor radioactivity-containing fractions were found in the feces. The feces was the major route of excretion, representing 78% of dose during the first 24 h, and unchanged PhIP in the feces accounted for 51% of the dose. Unmetabolized PhIP was also shown to be the major radioactive fraction in bile and feces from animals given a single dose by i.p. injection. Blood contained a small fraction of the dose and the major, persistently-bound form of PhIP in the blood was to hemoglobin. At 12 h after administration of the dose the colon and cecum contained the highest concentration of radioactivity, while at later times the kidney and liver showed the highest concentration. Of the tissue-contained radioactivity 80-90% was ethanol insoluble at time points later than 24 h, suggesting that it was covalently bound to macromolecules.

2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), the most abundant mutagenic heterocyclic amine in cooked foods, was examined for carcinogenic potential using Nagase analbuminemic rats (NARs), which are sensitive to various carcinogens. The concentration of PhIP in the diet was 0.04% at the beginning of the experiment, this being subsequently gradually reduced to 0.01% to avoid severe body weight loss. Ten of 13 treated NARs developed a total of 36 intestinal tumors within the 311-day experimental period. Among these, 22 were adenocarcinomas and 2 were adenomas of the small intestine, 4 were adenocarcinomas of the cecum and 8 were adenocarcinomas of the large intestine. The results suggest that PhIP could represent a significant risk to human populations exposed to foods containing heterocyclic amines.

The pyrolysis product of creatine showed potent mutagenic activity to Salmonella typhimurium TA98 with metabolic activation by S9 mix. One of the mutagenic substances in creatine pyrolysate was isolated and named Cre-P-1. Its structure was determined by X-ray crystallography to be 4-amino-1,6-dimethyl-2-methylamino-1H,6H-pyrrolo[3,4-f]benzimidazole- 5,7-dione. Cre-P-1 is the first registered mutagenic heterocyclic amine containing oxygen atoms in the molecule, that has been isolated from pyrolysis products.

Coffee shows direct-acting mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium TA100 and most of this mutagenicity is due to the synergistic effects of methylglyoxal and hydrogen peroxide. The modifications of deoxyribonucleosides by methylglyoxal plus hydrogen peroxide were studied in vitro. When 2'-deoxyguanosine (6.25 mumole) was treated with methylglyoxal (125 mumole) and hydrogen peroxide (125 mumole) in 5 ml of 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) at 37 degrees C for 3 h, N2-acetyl-2'-deoxyguanosine was formed with a yield of 1.1%. Its formation increased time-dependently. By contrast, no appreciable modification of other deoxynucleosides was detected after their incubation with methylglyoxal and hydrogen peroxide under similar conditions. N2-Acetyl-2'-deoxyguanosine was also formed during incubation of 2'-deoxyguanosine with instant coffee.

The effect of administration of 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) at various doses on DNA adduct formation in male rats was examined by 32P-postlabeling analysis. Administration of MeIQx in the diet at 0.4 ppm, 4 ppm, 40 ppm and 400 ppm for one week resulted in the formations of 0.04, 0.28, 3.34 and 39.0 adducts per 10(7) nucleotides in rat liver cells. Continuous administration of 400 ppm of MeIQx in the diet for 61 weeks to rats induced hepatocellular carcinomas in all rats. The carcinogenicity of MeIQx at doses of 40 ppm or less is not known yet, but the above results show a linear relationship between the level of MeIQx administered and the adduct level. In rats treated with low doses of 0.4, 4 and 40 ppm of MeIQx, adduct levels increased linearly with time of treatment, the levels in week 12 being two to three times those in week 1. In contrast, on treatment with 400 ppm of MeIQx, the adduct level in the liver increased until week 4, when it was 110 adducts per 10(7) nucleotides, and then remained constant for the next 8 weeks. Induction of the multidrug-resistance gene was suggested to be involved in development of this plateau level.

Freshly brewed blended coffee, instant coffee and instant caffeine-free coffee induced prophage lambda in lysogenic E. coli K12, strain GY5027. Because coffee prepared from green beans by the same extraction method as used for freshly brewed blended coffee had no prophage-inducing activity, this activity may be attributed to compounds produced in the roasting process. Roasting also produced compounds that were mutagenic in S. typhimurium TA100 and E. coli WP2 uvrA/pKM101.

The mutagenicities of evaporated residues of alcoholic beverages were tested by the Ames method with the modification of pre-incubation, by using Salmonella typhimurium TA100 and TA98. 12 of 13 brands of whisky were mutagenic to TA100 without S9 mix. Addition of S9 mix decreased or abolished these mutagenicities. 5 brands of brandy and 1 apple brandy were tested, and all showed a similar type of mutagenicity to that of whisky. A fraction of brand-K whisky, containing a major mutagen(s), eluted from XAD-2 column with water, gave 3800 revertants of TA100 per plate at a dose equivalent to 10 ml of whisky.

Many nitrofuran derivatives are known to be mutagenic on Escherichia coli WP2 but not on Salmonella typhimurium TA1535, TA1536, TA1537 or TA1538. Ames and coworkers recently obtained a new tester strain of S. typhimurium, TA100, by putting an R factor plasmid, pKM101, into TA1535. We found that all mutagenic nitrofuran derivatives previously found to be mutagenic on E. coli WP2 were mutagenic on this new strain (TA100).

Three recent topics related to possible exposure of humans to mutagenic and carcinogenic aromatic amines and related compounds in foods are reviewed. A food additive, AF-2,2-(2-furyl)-3-(5-nitro-2-furyl) acrylamide, was first demonstrated to be mutagenic in Escherichia coli WP-2 and then proved to be carcinogenic in experimental animals. This is an example of prediction of the carcinogenicity of a compound from results of short-term microbial tests. Pyrolysates of amino acids, proteins, and foods high in a protein contain many heterocyclic aromatic amine compounds. For example, a tryptophan pyrolysate contains two derivatives ofamino-gamma-carboline(pyridoindole), and a glutamicd acid pyrolysate contains two derivatives of djipyridoimidazole. These compounds are strong frameshift mutagens in Salmonella typhimurium. Some of them were carcinogenic in an in vitro transformation test and were also carcinogenic when injected sc into hamsters and rats and when given orally to mice. Carcinogenic aromatic amines, such as aniline, and o-toluidine and yellow OB were demonstrated to be mutagenic in the presence of the beta-carboline, norharman, with S-9 mix. Diphenylnitrosamine was also mutagenic in the presence of norharman, which is present in tobacco tar and broiled food. These mutagenicities of aniline, o-toluidine, yellow OB, and diphenylnitrosamine are discussed in relation to an evaluation of compounds as environmental carcinogens from the results of short-term microbial tests.

The mutagenic aromatic amines Trp-P-1, Trp-P-2 and Glu-P-1, isolated frm pyrolysates of tryptophan and glutamic acid, at the concentration of 0.025 mM were treated with 0.05 mM nitrite at various pH values at 37 degrees C. The resulting reaction mixtures were tested for mutagenicity towards Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100. When treated with nitrite at this physiologically realistic concentration, these mutagenic aromatic amines were readily converted to extremely weak or non-mutagenic deaminated compounds. These deaminated products were identified as the corresponding hydroxy compounds by mass and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopies. Comparative kinetic studies were made on the disappearance of the mutagenic aromatic amines. The half-life (t1/2 of Glu-P-1 on treatment with nitrite at pH 1.6 was less than 5 min, and those of Trp-P-1 and Trp-P-2 were 95 and 105 min, resp.

3-Amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-2), a mutagenic principle in tryptophan pyrolysates, binds to DNA after metabolic activation by rat liver enzymes. The enzymes for activation of Trp-P-2 were found in both microsomes and the cytosol. The reaction required NADPH and ATP, metabolic and was inhibited by 7,8-benzoflavone. Considerable binding was observed with only microsomes as enzyme source, but further addition of cytosol enhanced the binding, enhancement depending on the amount of cytosol added. Inducers for microsomal mixed-function oxidases induced activating enzyme(s) for Trp-P-2, 3-methylcholanthrene being most effective, followed by polychlorinated biphenyls and then phenobarbital.

The potent mutagens Trp-P-1 (3-amino-1, 4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido-[4,3-b]-indole) and Trp-P-2 (3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole) are known to be produced by pyrolysis of tryptophan [8]. To determine whether such mutagens are produced by cooking foods, the fractions obtained from broiled sardines cooked in the ordinary way were analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The results showed that 13.3 ng of Trp-P-1 and 13.1 ng of Trp-P-2 were, in fact, present per gram of broiled sardines.

A mutation assay system with Chinese hamster lung cells (CHL) using diphtheria toxin resistance as a selective marker has been established. The mutagenic activities of heterocyclic amines, originally isolated from pyrolyzates of amino acids and proteins, broiled fish and fried beef were assayed in cultured CHL cells in the absence and presence of a metabolic activation system, with diphtheria toxin resistance as a marker. All the heterocyclic amines tested except 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido [4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-1) required the presence of a metabolic activation system for mutagenicity on CHL cells. 3-Amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-2) was the most mutagenic among the heterocyclic amines tested. Other compounds were also mutagenic in the following order of decreasing potency: Trp-P-1, 2-amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (MeIQ), 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ), 2-amino-9H-pyrido[2,3-b]indole (A alpha C), 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx), 2-amino-6-methyldipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'-d]imidazole (Glu-P-1) and 2-aminodipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'-d]imidazole (Glu-P-2).

The mutagenicities of 14 nitrosamine compounds were tested on Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 in the presence of the co-mutagen norharman. N-Nitrosophenyl compounds, such as N,N-diphenylnitrosamine, N-methyl-N-phenylnitrosamine, N-ethyl-N-phenylnitrosamine and N-phenyl-N-benzylnitrosamine, were mutagenic when norharman was added to the incubation mixture, but not mutagenic in its absence. Norharman did not enhance the mutagenic activities of N-nitrosoaliphatic compounds.

2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) is the most abundant mutagenic heterocyclic amine by weight in cooked foods. This mutagen was found to produce DNA adducts in all ten tested organs of rats using the 32P-postlabeling method. The level of DNA adducts in the pancreas, kidney and liver increased dose-dependently and feeding time-dependently up to four weeks. When diet containing 0.05% PhIP was given to rats for four weeks, levels of PhIP-DNA adducts were relatively high in the lung, pancreas and heart, being around 20 per 10(7) nucleotides, and lowest in the liver, being 2.20 per 10(7) nucleotides. Thus, PhIP showed a unique feature in the formation of DNA adducts compared to other mutagenic and carcinogenic heterocyclic amines, which produce the highest level of DNA adducts in the liver.

Quinoline, recently reported to be carcinogenic in rats [12], was mutagenic to Salmonella typhimurium tester strains TA100 and TA98 in the presence of the metabolic activation system S-9 mix. 2-Chloroquinoline, a non-carcinogen [12], was non-mutagenic with or without S-9 mix. 8-Hydroxyquinoline, which is t known to be carcinogenic, was mutagenic with S-9 mix to both bacterial strains. The mutagenicities of 17 other quinoline derivatives that are not known to be carcinogenic were tested, and 12 of these compounds were mutagenic.