Benzo(a)pyrene metabolism and plasma elimination rates of phenacetin, acetanilide and theophylline in man.

The plasma elimination rates of phenacetin, acetanilide and theophylline have been determined in 32 healthy subjects in an effort to find drugs resembling in their metabolism the carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene. The plasma half-lives and metabolic clearance rates of the three drugs were correlated with the inducibilities of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) in mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes and the plasma half-lives and metabolic clearance rates of antipyrine determined in previous studies. Statistically significant correlations were found between the half-lives and metabolic clearance rates of phenacetin, acetanilide and theophylline and the AHH ratios except for the metabolic clearance rates of phenacetin which did not correlate. The correlations of the three drugs with the half-lives and metabolic clearance rates of antipyrine were equally good. Of all the drugs tested thus far for similarity in metabolism to benzo(a)pyrene, antipyrine showed the best association followed closely by theophylline.