Effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on liver and lung cytochrome P450s in mice

Certain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been reported to induce cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1 and 1A2. In the present study, the effects of six well-known PAHs, such as benzo[a]pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[k]fluorancene and benzo[b]fluorancene, on the activities of hepatic and pulmonary CYP enzymes were investigated in male ICR mice. When mice were treated intraperitoneally with 3, 10 and 30 mg/kg of individual PAHs for 3 consecutive days, the activities of ethoxyresorufin- and methoxyresorufin-O-dealkylases were significantly and differentially induced in both liver and lung. Moreover, other CYP isozyme-associated monooxygenase activities were also induced significantly in liver and lung with characteristic induction profiles. Our present results suggest that individual PAHs might have inductive effects on CYP isozymes, and that the characteristic inductive effects of individual PAHs on certain CYP isozymes would be developed as a marker for determining exposure to certain PAHs.