IN-VIVO ANTIGENOTOXIC EFFECTS OF DIETARY ALLYL SULFIDES IN THE RAT

The effects of dietary administration of diallyl sulfide (DAS), dially l disulfide (DADS) and allyl mercaptan (AM) on the genotoxicity of dif ferent chemicals were studied in two experimental systems: (i) measure ment of hepatic DNA single-strand breaks induced in rats by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) or methylnitrosourea (MNU); ( ii) mutagenicity of AFB1 or NDMA on Salmonella typhimurium TA100 using hepatic S9 from rats fed allyl sulfides as the activation system. All compounds strongly reduced hepatic DNA breaks induced by AFB1 and NDM A but did not modify the genotoxicity of MNU. In the Ames test, the mu tagenicity of NDMA was strongly inhibited by hepatic S9 from rats fed either compound. The mutagenicity of AFB1 was also reduced but to a le sser extent. Such effects are likely related to the modulation of drug -metabolizing enzymes which play a key role in metabolic activation as well as detoxication of NDMA and AFB1. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Irel and Ltd.