Absence of formation of benzo[a]pyrene/DNA adducts in the cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis, Mollusca: Cephalopoda)

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1994 · Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/em.2850230111· OSTI ID:7008314

Lee, P G; Lu, L J.W.; Salazar, J J; Holoubek, V ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX (United States)

Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) injected intramuscularly into the base of the arms of cuttlefish was released continuously from the injection site and removed from the organism. Only a portion of the compound accumulated in the body. Twenty-four hr after its injection, 75% of B[a]P applied in olive oil was removed from the cuttlefish, and 1.2% was found in the body outside the head, in site of injection. If the carcinogen was dissolved in dimethylformamide, the removal of B[a]P was slower, so that only 18% of the injected B[a]P was removed from the organism and 0.36% accumulated in the body outside the head 24 hr after injection. The high level of B[a]P in gills and hemolymph 4 hr after injection and the kinetics of the decrease of its concentration with time indicate that these two organs could be involved in the excretion of B[a]P from the body. The B[a]P/DNA adducts characteristic for vertebrates could not be demonstrated in gills, skin, brain, hepatopancreas, and lymphocytes of the cuttlefish 24 hr after injection. The dose of the carcinogene injected into the cuttlefish was 2-4 times higher than the dose resulting in the formation of a high level of B[a]P/DNA adducts in vertebrates. A different metabolism of B[a]P in the tissue of cephalopods, compared to vertebrates, could be less favorable to the process leading to malignant transformation and could explain the absence from the literature of reports of tumors in cephalopods. 15 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 7008314
• Journal Information: Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis; (United States), Vol. 23:1; ISSN 0893-6692
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BENZOPYRENE
TOXICITY
DNA ADDUCTS
BIOSYNTHESIS
MOLLUSCS
BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS
ADDUCTS
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
AROMATICS
CONDENSED AROMATICS
HYDROCARBONS
INVERTEBRATES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
SYNTHESIS
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology