POLYMORPHIC DRUG-METABOLISM - STUDIES WITH RECOMBINANT CHINESE-HAMSTER CELLS AND ANALYSES IN HUMAN-POPULATIONS

Most promutagens and procarcinogens exert their genotoxicty after undergoing metabolic activation. Metabolism of chemicals is an important factor in limiting the extent of the action of a chemical. In this study, we established cell lines which carried cDNAs coding for human CYP1A2 and N-acetyltransferase (NAT); the latter functions as O-acetyltransferase for N-hydroxyarylamines formed by CYP1A2. A cell line which expresses CYP1A2 together with P450 reductase activated aflatoxin B-1, but not heterocyclic amines. A cell line which carries CYP1A2 and polymorphic NAT (NAT2) in addition to P450 reductase efficiently activated IQ and some other heterocyclic amines. However, a cell line which carries CYP1A2 and monomorphic NAT (NATI) had only low activity toward the same heterocyclic amines, In order to determine the presence of and frequency of genetic polymorphisms of CYP1A2 and NAT2 in humans, we performed in caffeine phenotyping test on 205 Japanese volunteers. Analyses of metabolic ratios of urinary metabolites showed a bimodal distribution, indicating that about 86% and 91% of Japanese were extensive metabolizers (EM) of CYP1A2 and NAT2, respectively, The genotype NAT2 determined by the PCR-RFLP method agreed completely with the phenotype. To determine the mechanism of the differences in CYP1A2 activity, genomic DNA from peripheral lymphocytes of poor metabolizers (PM) and EM was subjected to DNA sequencing. No differences in nucleotide sequence were observed between PMs and EMs in the exons, exon-intron junctions and 5'-flanking region of the CYP1A2 gene. Since CYP1A2 and NAT2 were assumed to be factors determining carcinogenic risks to heterocyclic amines, it is expected that EMs of CYP1A2 and NAT2 are at high risk when exposed to these promutagens.