title: In vivo induction of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase in human scalp hair follicles by topical application of a commercial coal tar preparation.
abstract: Five low-dose applications of a commercial coal tar preparation on a small scalp skin region resulted in an induction of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity in freshly isolated human hair follicles. Large but reproducible interindividual differences in AHH-inducibility could be detected. The method offers the opportunity to measure AHH-inducibility, which has been correlated to the risk of developing chemical-induced cancer, in vivo in normal epithelium, a cell-type highly relevant for chemical carcinogenesis. Smoking habits did not have any effect on AHH-activity in freshly isolated hair follicles. Therefore the method potentially permits the identification of persons with high and low genetically determined AHH-inducibility.
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000328:Adult; D001189:Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D002283:Carcinoma, Bronchogenic / Q000175:diagnosis; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests; D003033:Coal Tar / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004790:Enzyme Induction / Q000187:drug effects; D004848:Epithelium / Q000201:enzymology; D006197:Hair / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D012306:Risk; D012535:Scalp / Q000201:enzymology*; D012907:Smoking; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013382:Subtraction Technique
chemical_list: D003033:Coal Tar; D001189:Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases