N -Substituted aromatic compounds can be metabolized in most species to N -acetylated derivatives that are themselves subject to further enzymatic transformations, including hydrolysis and N,O -acyltransfer. These proceses can either potentiate or ameliorate the biological responses to these N -substituted derivatives. Decreasing the levels of metabolites, such as arylhydroxylamines may, in some systems, reduce the probability of eliciting adverse biological effects. In others, arylhydroxamic acids produced by the acetylation of arylhydroxylamines may increase their potential for metabolic activation by N,O -acyltransfer. In the rabbit, rat and perhaps other species, the acetyl CoA-dependent N -acetyltransferase is also capable of activating arylhydroxamic acids by N-O -acyltransfer. These cytosolic organotriphosphate ester-resistant enzymes can utilize arylhydroxamic acid as a donor of the acetyl moiety in the acetyl transferase reaction and apparently are capable of activating arylhydroxamic acids because of their ability to O -acetylate the arylhydroxlamine. In mice, N -acetyltransferase and N,O -acetyltransferase seem not to exhibit this relationship. Enzymes from the microsomes of a number of species are also capable of activating arylhydroxamic acids. The particulate-bound enzymes are organotriphosphate ester-sensitive deacylases that are unable to form nucleic acid adducts on incubation with N -methoxy- N -acetylaminoarenes, substrates that are not capable of activation by N,O -acyltransfer. Thus, depending on the specificity of the enzymes involved, N -substituted aromatic compounds may be activated by N,O -acyltransfer during both the acetylation and deacylation process. The influence of this activation in the carcinogenic process is the object of continuing investigation.

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The relationship between acetylation rates of rabbit hepatocytes and their susceptibility to genotoxicity by DNAdamaging chemicals that undergo N-acetylation was studied in primary cultures of hepatocytes from New Zealand White rabbits that have a genetically determined difference in acetylation rates. Hepatocytes from rapid and slow acetylator rabbits maintained in culture the difference in acetylation rates that existed in viva DNA repair, an index of DNA damage, was produced by hydralazine in hepatocytes from slow acetylator rabbits but not in those from rapid acetylators. In contrast to these results, hepatocytes from rapid acetylators were more sensitive than those from slow acetylators to toxicity from the carcinogen 2-aminofluorene and displayed greater amounts of DNA repair. The amount of DNA repair measured with either chemical was dose dependent. These phenotype-dependent differences in the genotoxicity of two DNAdamaging chemicals provide evidence for the role of the acetylation polymorphism as a factor in determining susceptibility to toxicity, and perhaps carcinogenicity, of these chemicals. N-Acetylation rates of xenobiotics are under polymorphic genetic control in both humans and rabbits, resulting in individuals being either rapid or slow acetylators (1-5). This trait has been linked to toxicity and damage to DNA by chemicals of the aromatic amine or hydrazine type (6). For example, slow acetylator individuals are more likely than rapid acetylators to develop drug-related systemic lupus erythematosus (6-8). Individuals that develop this reaction have antinuclear antibodies as well as antibodies to DNA and nucleoproteins (6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13). In vitro studies have also demonstrated interaction of systemic lupus erythematosus-inducing drugs with DNA (11,14,15).In the metabolism ofxenobiotics, N-acetylation is a step that can be followed by reactions such as N-hydroxylation and esterification, resulting in the generation of reactive metabolites that undergo covalent binding with cellular macromolecules, including DNA (16,17). Chemicals that can be acetylated and that also form covalent adducts with DNA include procainamide (18,19), isoniazid (20), and hydralazine (15), as well as the aromatic amine carcinogens, benzidine (21, 22), 2-aminofluorene, and 4-aminobiphenyl (23). Adduct formation by chemicals can be mediated by the enzymatic removal of the N-acetyl moiety (24,25), and evidence in the rabbit suggests that this reaction and the initial acetylation step are properties of the same enzyme (26).Because a difference in the acetylation rate can alter the proportion ofspecific metabolites that are formed (27), it is possible that genotoxicity-i. e., damage to DNA (28)-by substrates of N-acetyltransferase could be affected by the amount of acetylation. In order to investigate this possibility, we developed a model system that permitted measurement of both N-acetyltransferase activity and DNA damage in the same cells, using hepatocytes, which represent a major tissue of acetylation (...

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JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and Brogan & Partners are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Environmental Health Perspectives. N-Substituted aromatic compounds can be metabolized in most species to N-acetylated derivatives that are themselves subject to further enzymatic transformations, including hydrolysis and NOacyltransfer. These proceses can either potentiate or ameliorate the biological responses to these Nsubstituted derivatives. Decreasing the levels of metabolites, such as arylhydroxylamines may, in some systems, reduce the probability of eliciting adverse biological effects. In others, arylhydroxamic acids produced by the acetylation of arylhydroxylamines may increase their potential for metabolic activation by NO-acyltransfer. In the rabbit, rat and perhaps other species, the acetyl CoA-dependent N-acetyltransferase is also capable of activating arylhydroxamic acids by N-O-acyltransfer. These cytosolic organotriphosphate ester-resistant enzymes can utilize arylhydroxamic acid as a donor of the acetyl moiety in the acetyl transferase reaction and apparently are capable of activating arylhydroxamic acids because of their ability to O-acetylate the arylhydroxlamine. In mice, N-acetyltransferase and NO-acetyltransferase seem not to exhibit this relationship. Enzymes from the microsomes of a number of species are also capable of activating arylhydroxamic acids. The particulate-bound enzymes are organotriphosphate ester-sensitive deacylases that are unable to form nucleic acid adducts on incubation with N-methoxy-N-acetylaminoarenes, substrates that are not capable of activation by N,O-acyltransfer. Thus, depending on the specificity of the enzymes involved, N-substituted aromatic compounds may be activated by NO-acyltransfer during both the acetylation and deacylation process. The influence of this activation in the carcinogenic process is the object of continuing investigation.