title: Modification of DNA by bile acids: a possible factor in the etiology of colon cancer.
abstract: Bile acids have been implicated as promoters and cocarcinogens in the etiology of colon cancer and as comutagens and mutagens in bacteria. These observations suggest the hypothesis that bile acids may interact directly with DNA. We treated the single stranded circular DNA of phage M13 with bile acids and found that the transfection efficiency of this DNA declined up to a 1000-fold. This result suggests that bile acids can damage DNA and thus may play an important role in the etiology of colon cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson 85724.
authors.forename: P Y
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Cheah
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bernstein
mesh_terms: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000502:physiology*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D004247:DNA / Q000187:drug effects*; D004249:DNA Damage; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D004247:DNA