Activation of some aromatic amines to mutagenic products by prostaglandin endoperoxide synthetase.

Cooxidation of xenobiotics may occur during prostaglandin biosynthesis. The ability of prostaglandin endoperoxide synthetase to cooxidize several aromatic amines and other chemicals to mutagenic products was tested with the standard Salmonella tester strains. The microsomal fraction of ram seminal vesicles, a rich source of prostaglandin endoperoxide synthetase, in the presence of the prostaglandin endoperoxide synthetase substrate arachidonic acid metabolized benzidine, 2-aminofluorene, 2-naphthylamine, and 2,5-diaminoanisole to mutagenic products. 1-Napthylamine, 2-aminoanthracene, 2-acetylaminofluorene, and 2,4-diaminoanisole were negative or weakly mutagenic. N-Nitrosodimethylamine, N-nitrosomorpholine, the pesticide Aminocarb, and di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate were not activated to mutagenic products by the ram seminal vesicle microsomal fraction.