Isolation of frameshift mutagens from smokers' urine: experiences with three concentration methods

Frameshift mutagens were isolated and concentrated from cigarette smokers' urine by the use of three different extraction methods; XAD-2 resin chromatography, chloroform and blue cotton extraction systems. The extracts were tested for mutagenicity in the Salmonella/mammalian microsome test employing Salmonella typhimurium TA98. By the use of XAD-2 resin chromatography, no clear correlation was found between urine mutagenicity versus number of cigarettes smoked and no detectable mutagenic activity was observed when fewer than four cigarettes a day were consumed. A clear correlation was found between urine mutagenicity versus number of cigarettes smoked when urine samples were extracted by the use of chloroform or blue cotton. Interference of free histidine in mutagenicity assays could be excluded.