ACROLEIN GENOTOXICITY IN DROSOPHILA-MELANOGASTER .3. EFFECTS OF METABOLISM MODIFICATION

In order to investigate the role of metabolism in acrolein genotoxicit y in D. melanogaster, the action of several metabolism modifiers, name ly phenobarbital, an inducer of xenobiotic metabolism, phenylimidazole and iproniazid, inhibitors of oxidative activities of cytochrome P450 , and diethyl maleate, a glutathione-depleting agent, have been assaye d using the sex-linked recessive lethal (SLRL) test, with two differen t administration routes (feeding and injection). The results support t he hypothesis that acrolein is not only a direct mutagen but is also t ransformed, by oxidative activities of cytochrome P450 after glutathio ne conjugation, into an active metabolite, possibly glycidaldehyde. Mo reover, acrolein is deactivated by an enzymatic activity induced by ph enobarbital.