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The mutagenicity, in vitro metabolism, and tumor-initiating activity of methylphenanthrenes were evaluated. The only monomethyl isomers which were mutagenic toward Salmonella typhimurium were 1- and 9-methylphenanthrenes. Among the disubstituted phenanthrenes assayed for mutagenicity, only 1,4-dimethylphenanthrene was active in the presence of metabolic activation. Studies on the in vitro metabolism of methylphenanthrenes were performed by incubation of the various isomers with the 9000 X g supernatant from Aroclor-treated rat livers. Comparison of mutagenicity with metabolites formed in vitro indicated that inhibition of 9,10-dihydrodiol formation was positively associated with mutagenic activity. Among the metabolites of 1- and 9-methylphenanthrenes, significant mutagenic activity was associated only with the 3,4- and/or 5,6-dihydrodiol. Metabolism to the 1,2- or 7,8-dihydrodiol, the requisite dihydrodiols for formation of "bay-region" dihydrodiol-epoxides, was most significant in the case of 4-methylphenanthrene. None of the isomeric methylphenanthrenes were active when assayed as tumor initiators on mouse skin. In contrast, 1,4-dimethylphenanthrene was found to have potent tumorigenic activity. These results suggest that inhibition of 9,10-dihydrodiol formation, the influence of a 4-methyl substituent in directing dihydrodiol formation at the 1,2- or 7,8-positions, and the presence of a bay-region methyl group may be responsible for eliciting a tumorigenic response for 1,4-dimethylphenanthrene.

Citation

E J LaVoie, L Tulley-Freiler, V Bedenko, D Hoffman. Mutagenicity, tumor-initiating activity, and metabolism of methylphenanthrenes. Cancer research. 1981 Sep;41(9 Pt 1):3441-7

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PMID: 7020927

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