TISSUE DISTRIBUTION OF DNA-ADDUCTS IN PRE-WEALING BLU-HA MICE TREATEDWITH A TUMORIGENIC DOSE OF FLUORANTHENE

Fluoranthene (FA), a ubiquitous atmospheric pollutant, is tumorigenic to the lung when injected into BLU:Ha mice 1, 8, and 15 days after bir th. DNA adducts were measured by a modified HPLC-P-32-postlabeling met hod in target (lung) and non-target (liver, kidney, spleen plus thymus ) organs of 16-day-old mice 24 h after the last treatment with a tumor igenic dose (3.5 mg/mouse) of FA. The anti-FADE adduct was the major D NA adduct and was present at levels ranging from 3.5 to 37 adducts per 10(8) nucleotides (106-1138 fmols/mg DNA) in all DNA samples from the organs of FA-treated mice. The lung contained anti-FADE adduct levels approximately 2, 2.5 and 5 times higher than those in kidney, liver, and spleen plus thymus, respectively: There was no significant differe nce between anti-FADE adduct levels in liver and kidney; however, addu ct levels were significantly higher than those in spleen plus thymus. Significant variation was found among litters in anti-FADE adduct leve ls from lung, liver, and kidney, but not from spleen plus thymus. An u nidentified peak was present in the adduct profile of the kidneys of t reated but not control animals. Three additional unidentified radioact ive peaks were present in adduct profiles of DNA from tissues of both treated and control animals, but their levels were significantly highe r in the tissues of treated animals than in controls. Possible correla tions between tumorigenic response and DNA adduct formation are discus sed.