Carcinogen metabolism and carcinogen-induced strand breaks in DNA of isolated liver cells.

Viable rat hepatocytes were isolated and incubated for various times in suspension or monolayer. RNA and DNA synthesis and the contents of cytochromes P450 and b5, as well as microsomal functions, were studied throughout the incubation. Incubation with dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) resulted in protein and RNA alkylation that were linear with time over a period of 4 hours. Correspondingly the appearance of single strand breaks in DNA could be demonstrated following in vivo or in vitro administration of the carcinogen.