Acetylator genotype-dependent expression of arylamine N-acetyltransferase and N-hydroxyarylamine O-acetyltransferase in Syrian inbred hamster intestine and colon. Identity with the hepatic acetylation polymorphism.

Human epidemiological studies suggest an association between rapid acetylator phenotype and the incidence of colorectal cancer. Genetic regulation of acetyl coenzyme A-dependent N-acetyltransferase (NAT) and O-acetyltransferase (OAT) enzymatic activities may play a role in the metabolic activation of arylamine chemicals in the intestine and colon. In this study, the inheritance of acetyltransferase activity in the intestine and colon was investigated in the Syrian inbred hamster model. Relatively high levels of both arylamine NAT and N-hydroxyarylamine OAT activities were expressed in hamster intestine and colon cytosols, at levels similar to those in the liver. Acetylator genotype-dependent levels of NAT activity were expressed towards p-aminobenzoic acid and the carbocyclic arylamine carcinogens 2-aminofluorene (AF), 4-aminobiphenyl, and beta-naphthylamine. However, acetylator genotype-independent activity was found with the heterocyclic arylamine carcinogens 2-aminodipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'd]imidazole, 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole, and 2-amino-9H-pyrido-[2,3,b]indole. F1 hybrid heterozygous acetylator progeny expressed unimodal levels of acetyltransferase activity intermediate between the homozygous rapid and slow acetylator parental strains. F2 generation progeny segregated into three modes (low, intermediate, and high) in a ratio of 1/2/1, and both sets of backcrosses yielded bimodal distributions of low and intermediate or high and intermediate in equal ratios. The genetic data is consistent with simple autosomal Mendelian inheritance of two codominant alleles (rapid and slow) at a single genetic locus, the polymorphic acetyltransferase gene. Levels of N-hydroxy-2-aminofluorene OAT activity were acetylator genotype-dependent in liver, intestine, and colon cytosols, which correlated well with AF NAT activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)