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Metabolism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in cultured human leukocytes under genetic control

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Summary

Metabolism of the polycyclic hydrocarbon benzo(a)pyrene(BP) to watersoluble products was measured in cultured human leukocytes from 35 healthy volunteers. The classification into 3 different groups with respect to degree of BP metabolism fits that obtained in a previous population and family study, where only the ratio of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity of 3-methylcholanthrene (3MC) treated cultures to the activity of control cultures was measured. These data support previous observations that metabolism of polycyclic hydrocarbons is under genetic control.

Zusammenfassung

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde der Metabolismus des carcinogenen Kohlen wasserstoffes Benzpyren zu wasserlöslichen Produkten in Leukocytenkulturen von 35 gesunden Individuen untersucht. Hinsichtlich der Geschwindigkeit im Benzpyrenmetabolismus können 3 Gruppen unterschieden werden. Diese Einteilung ist in völliger Übereinstimmung mit der einer Populations-und Familienstudie, wo das Verhältnis der “Aryl-Hydrocarbon-Hydroxylase”-Aktivität von 3-Methylcholanthren-behandelten Leukocytenkulturen zu der von Kontrollkulturen bestimmt wurde. Diese Ergebnisse stützen die Beobachtung, daß der Metabolismus von carcinogenen Kohlenwasserstoffen unter genetischer Kontrolle ist.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Medical Genetics, Department of Biology, The University of Texas at Houston, M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, 77025, Houston, Texas

    Gottfried Kellermann, Mieke Luyten-Kellermann & Charles R. Shaw

Authors
  1. Gottfried Kellermann
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  2. Mieke Luyten-Kellermann
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  3. Charles R. Shaw
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Additional information

This work was supported in part by NIH Research Grant GM 15597 and Grant Ke 217/1 Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG).

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Kellermann, G., Luyten-Kellermann, M. & Shaw, C.R. Metabolism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in cultured human leukocytes under genetic control. Humangenetik 20, 257–263 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00385737

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00385737

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