title: Metabolic activation of aflatoxin B1 by liver tissue from male fischer F344 rats of various ages.
abstract: The effect of aging on the ability of the liver to activate chemical procarcinogens was studied using 12-, 18-, and 27-month-old male Fischer F344 rats. The cytochrome P-450 content of the S9 and microsomal fractions of the liver decreased approximately 30% between 12 and 18 months of age. The structural conformation of cytochrome P-450 in microsomes from 12-, 18-, and 27-month-old rats was studied using electron-spin resonance spectroscopy. An age-related decrease in the amount of cytochrome P-450 ferric iron in the liver microsomes was observed. The conversion of the chemical procarcinogen aflatoxin B1 to mutagenic compounds by the S9 and microsomal fractions of liver was measured using the Salmonella typhimurium bioassay. A 40-50% decrease in the metabolic activation of aflatoxin B1 was observed between 12 and 18 months of age. However, the activation of aflatoxin B1 did not change after 18 months of age. The age-related decrease in the activation of aflatoxin B1 by liver appears to be due to a decrease in the metabolic activity of the mixed-function oxidase system.
mesh_terms: D016604:Aflatoxin B1; D000348:Aflatoxins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344 / Q000378:metabolism*; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000348:Aflatoxins; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D016604:Aflatoxin B1