Metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene by human melanocytes in culture.
Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) is a ubiquitous environmental pollutant and known skin carcinogen. In the present study, in vitro addition of [3H]B[a]P to normal human melanocytes in culture, isolated from adult human skin, resulted in the metabolism of [3H]B[a]P both intracellularly and extracellularly. HPLC analysis showed that [3H]B[a]P-9,10- and 7,8-diol were the major intracellular and extracellular metabolites followed by 3,6-quinone, 9-hydroxy and 3-hydroxy metabolites. Significant amounts of the [3H]B[a]P metabolites were found to be present in the sonicated cell suspension and culture medium as the glucuronide and sulfate conjugates. In total 37.3% of the [3H]B[a]P added in the culture medium was metabolized by melanocytes, of which 21.1% was quantified as the intracellular and 16.2% as the extracellular metabolites. Our data show that human melanocytes are capable of metabolizing B[a]P.
Department of Dermatology, University Hospitals of Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University, OH.
R
R
Agarwal
E E
EE
Medrano
I U
IU
Khan
J J
JJ
Nordlund
H
H
Mukhtar
D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004101:Dihydroxydihydrobenzopyrenes / Q000378:metabolism; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007424:Intracellular Fluid / Q000378:metabolism; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D014316:Tritium
D004101:Dihydroxydihydrobenzopyrenes; D014316:Tritium; C017228:benzo(a)pyrene 7,8-dihydrodiol; C020738:9,10-dihydro-9,10-dihydroxybenzo(a)pyrene; D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene