Effect of micronutrients, antioxidants and related compounds on the mutagenicity of 3,2'-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl, a colon and breast carcinogen.

The possible antimutagenic effects of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), ethoxyquin, disulfiram, indole-3-carbinol, indole-3-acetonitrile, sodium selenite and alpha-tocopherol on 3,2'-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl-induced mutagenicity were studied using the Ames Salmonella/mammalian microsome assay system with strains TA98 and TA100. All seven compounds were nonmutagenic in both bacterial tester strains. The addition of or 50-250 micrograms of sodium selenite, 5-50 mg of alpha-tocopherol or 50-250 microgram of BHT per plate inhibited DMAB-induced mutagenicity in TA98 and/or TA100. Ethoxyquin, disulfiram and indole-3-carbinol increased DMAB-induced mutagenicity in TA100, whereas these compounds had little or no effect in TA98-3-acetonitrile had very little effect in either strain.