Purine base composition analysis of normal and tumor rat DNA

Chemical and viral induced rat tumors were analyzed for their purine base composition and compared to normal tissue DNA'S. The tumors were induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), 20-methylcholanthrene (MC), 3,4-benzopyrene (BP), 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) and Rous sarcoma virus (RSV). Normal DNAs were extracted from colon, caecum, liver, spleen and embryo and used as reference standards for base composition of normal rat DNA. The composition of purines was obtained by spectrophotometric estimation of the total adenine and guanine (A/G) contents after depurination of the DNA with 66% formic acid at 30 degrees C for 18 h and passage over a cationic exchange resin. Statistical comparison of the A/G molar ratios in normal rat DNAs (1.271) to those of chemical-induced primary tumors (1.342) has shown a highly significant increase. No significant differences could be detected when the base composition of the normals were compared to transplanted tumors, whether chemically or virally induced. Possible explanations from a mutational point of view are discussed.