SEPARATION OF WATER-SOLUBLE METABOLITES OF BENZO[A]PYRENE FORMED BY CULTURED HUMAN-COLON

A method has been developed to separate conjugated metabolites of benzo[a]pyrene into three major fractions: sulfate esters, glucuronides and glutathione conjugates. In cultured human colon, formation of sulfate esters and glutathione conjugates is the major conjugation pathway, while formation of glucuronides accounts for only 6 per cent of the water-soluble metabolites. Hydrolysis of the sulfate esters with arylsulfatase and the glucuronides with β-glucuronidase released metabolites of benzo[a]pyrene that were extractable with organic solvent. Separation of these metabolites by high-pressure liquid chromatography indicated that trans-4,5-dihydro-4,5-dihydroxybenzo[a]pyrene,7,8,9, 10-tetrahydro-7,8,9, 10-tetrahydroxybenzo[a]pyrene and trans-9, 10-dihydro-9, 10-dihydroxybenzo[a]pyrene were the major substrates for UDP-glucuronic acid transferase, while trans-7,8-dihydro-7,8-dihydroxybenzo[a]pyrene and 9-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene were the major substrates for sulfotransferase in cultured human colon. © 1979.