title: Metabolism and genotoxicity of styrene.
abstract: An overview on the metabolism and genotoxicity of styrene is given in this article. The mutagenic potency of styrene has been confirmed in a number of test systems providing the metabolic activation of styrene. Styrene is converted to styrene-7,8-oxide as catalyzed by cytochrome P-450 cored enzyme complex. Styrene-7,8-oxide is mutagenic in prokaryotic and eukaryotic test systems without metabolic activation. It reacts with nucleic acid bases, especially with deoxyguanosine producing 7-alkylguanine and deoxycytidine producing N-3 alkylcytosine. Quite recently, styrene-7,8-oxide has been found to be a potent carcinogen in rats. In human whole blood cultures, styrene is metabolized into styrene-7,8-oxide. Styrene is able to induce both SCEs and chromosomal aberrations in cultured lymphocytes. The clastogenic action of styrene can be explained by the metabolism of styrene into styrene-7,8-oxide in cultured human blood cells. Although also an arene oxide, styrene-3,4-oxide, has been suggested in the biotransformation of styrene, the evidence so far supports the view that the vinyl group oxidation and oxirane formation plays a predominant role in the genotoxicity of styrene.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001711:Biotransformation; D002273:Carcinogens; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D009153:Mutagens; D011247:Pregnancy; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D013343:Styrenes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D013723:Teratogens
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens; D009153:Mutagens; D013343:Styrenes; D013723:Teratogens; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System