THE SALMONELLA MAMMALIAN MICROSOME MUTAGENICITY TEST - COMPARISON OF HUMAN AND RAT LIVERS AS ACTIVATING SYSTEMS

The mutagenicity of several test compounds was verified by the Salmonella/microsome mutagenicity test (Ames test), using both human liver and rat liver (untreated or pretreated with Aroclor 1254) S9 under identical experimental conditions. Aflatoxin B1, 3-methylcholanthrene and cigarette-smoke condensate were less mutagenic in the presence of human-liver S9 than in the presence of rat-liver S9 (particularly after treatment with Aroclor 1254). The opposite was observed with 2-aminonanthracene and to a lesser degree with 2-aminofluorene; correlation studies indicate that the 2 compounds were activated by the same or by very similar enzymes, probably cytochrome P-450. Human-liver S9, as an activating system, behaves differently than rat-liver S9; therefore, it may constitute a useful, additional tool for the study of mutagenicity and probably, carcinogenicity in man.