This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Lijinsky, W. Articles by Gallagher, C. H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lijinsky, W. Articles by Gallagher, C. H.

Interaction of Aflatoxins B₁ and G₁ with Tissues of the Rat¹

Division of Oncology, Institute for Medical Research, The Chicago Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60612

The incorporation of tritium-labeled aflatoxins B₁ and G₁ into DNA, RNA, and soluble protein of liver, kidney, spleen, and intestine of rats has been examined. The variation of the amount of incorporation of labeled compound with time has been followed by isolation of nucleic acids and proteins from animals killed 1 hr, 6 hr, 18 hr, 1 week, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks after being given a single i.p. injection of the labeled aflatoxins. Maximal incorporation of radioactivity into all 3 components of the 4 organs was found between 6 and 18 hr after injection. With both aflatoxins, a progressive decline in specific activity of nucleic acids and protein of the 4 organs was observed from 18 hr to 8 weeks. The highest specific activity with aflatoxin B₁ was in the liver protein at 6 hr, which contained 10% of the injected radioactivity; with aflatoxin G₁, the highest specific activity was in liver RNA at 18 hr. Labeling of kidney and spleen protein was particularly persistent with both aflatoxins. The radioactivity appeared to be covalently bound to protein. It was not possible to correlate the binding of the 2 aflatoxins to DNA, RNA, or protein of the various organs with the induction of tumors by the aflatoxins.

¹ Supported by USPHS Contract 43-65-67 from the National Cancer Institute.

² Present address: Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer, University of Nebraska College of Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska 68105.

³ Recipient of a Research Career Development Award, USPHS.

⁴ Present address: Department of Veterinary Pathology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Received 3/21/69. Accepted 5/ 7/70.