Comparison of the in vitro and in vivo hepatic metabolism of the carcinogen 1-nitropyrene.

[4,5,9,10(-3)H]1-nitropyrene was incubated with NADH- or NADPH-fortified rat liver microsomes under an argon atmosphere. Residual substrate and metabolites were extracted with ethyl acetate and analyzed by high pressure liquid chromatography. Both reduced and oxidized products were formed: namely, 1-aminopyrene, trans-4,5-dihydroxy-4,5-dihydro-1-nitropyrene, and 3-, 6- and 8-hydroxy-1-nitropyrene. When incubations were conducted with rat liver cytosol, only the reduced products 1-nitrosopyrene and 1-aminopyrene were detected. In parallel experiments, [4,5, 9,10-3H]1-nitropyrene was administered to rats by intravenous injection or gavage and the bile was collected. After 4 h, approximately one-third of the intravenously-administered compound appeared in the bile as O-glucuronides of 3-, 6- and 8-hydroxy-1-nitropyrene, the O-glucuronide of trans-4,5-dihydroxy-4,5-dihydro-1-nitropyrene, and unidentified glutathione conjugates. The same metabolites were found in rats treated with 1-nitropyrene by gavage; however, only 10% of the dose appeared in the bile within 12 h. These studies indicate that both nitroreduction and ring oxidation are involved in the hepatic metabolism of 1-nitropyrene. The importance of these pathways in the etiology of 1-nitropyrene tumorigenesis is discussed.