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Inducibility of benzo [α] pyrene hydroxylase in human skin by polycyclic hydrocarbons
Author(s) -
Alvares A. P.,
Kappas A.,
Levin W.,
Conney A. H.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
clinical pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.941
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1532-6535
pISSN - 0009-9236
DOI - 10.1002/cpt197314130
Subject(s) - carcinogen , pyrene , enzyme , chemistry , foreskin , human skin , anthracene , nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate , biochemistry , benzanthracene , biology , photochemistry , organic chemistry , genetics , oxidase test , cell culture
Neonatal human foreskin contains an enzyme system that hydroxylates the carcinogen benzol [α]pyrene (BP). The hydroxylase system requires nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and molecular oxygen and has a pH optimum of 7.4. Exposure to carbon monoxide completely inhibits hydroxylase activity. When skins were incubated in a growth medium containing benz[α]anthracene (BA) two‐ to fivefold Increases in the amount of BP hydroxylase were observed. Maximum enzyme levels were found when the skin was incubated in the presence of BA for 16 to 24 hours. Inducibility of hydroxylase activity was greater in human skin than in neonatal rodent skin. Considerable variability in the basal levels and in the inducibility of BP hydroxylase was observed in foreskins obtained from 13 sub;ects. These studies indicate that human skin can metabolize polycyclic hydrocarbons and that the levels of the hydroxylase, as well as the inducibility of the enzyme in skin, may provide a useful means for evaluating individual differences in the capacities of humans to metabolize environmental carcinogens.