Metabolic activation of chrysene in mouse skin: evidence for the involvement of a triol-epoxide.

All three possible dihydrodiols of chrysene and a chrysene triol, formed from the further metabolism of the chrysene-1,2-diol, were detected when ether extracts of mouse skin that had been treated with 3H-labelled chrysene were examined by h.p.l.c. The major deoxyribonucleoside-hydrocarbon adducts present in hydrolysates of DNA isolated from the mouse skin were examined by chromatography on Sephadex LH20 and by h.p.l.c. on Zorbax ODS. One adduct had chromatographic properties identical to those of the major adduct formed when r-1,t-2-dihydroxy-t-3,4-oxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrochrysene reacts with DNA. A second major adduct was present that had chromatographic properties that were indistinguishable from those of an adduct that was formed when either chrysene-1,2-diol or 3-hydroxychrysene were incubated with DNA in a rat liver microsomal metabolising system. The results provide evidence that this new adduct is formed via the reaction of a 'triol-epoxide', that appears to be 9-hydroxy-chrysene-1,2-diol 3,4-oxide, with DNA in mouse skin.