Hydrocarbon carcinogens induce p53 activity in normal mouse tissue

Previous studies led to the suggestion that a sub class of hydrocarbon carc inogens have the capacity of damage DNA and evade normal cellular defence m echanisms. To examine the ability of hydrocarbon carcinogens to induce p53 transcriptional activity in normal tissues, we have used transgenic mice in which LacZ transgene is driven by a p53 response element. We demonstrate t hat transcriptionally active p53 is induced in normal tissue after exposure to putative stealth carcinogens in an identical manner to non-stealth agen ts. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.