Lack of DNA adduct formation in mice treated with benzene

The potential of benzene to produce DNA adducts in B6C3F1 mice was investigated by the nuclease P1-enhanced 32P-postlabeling assay. The mice were daily treated i.p. with 500 mg/kg benzene in olive oil for 4 days, and the liver, mammary gland, and bone marrow were collected 24 h after the last treatment. Thin-layer chromatograms obtained with treated-tissue DNA specimens were qualitatively identical to those from corresponding olive oil-treated (control) tissue DNA. Quantitative evaluations revealed that there was no treatment-related increase in radioactivity on the chromatograms at or near the locations where the major in vitro adducts of phenol, hydroquinone and benzoquinone migrated. Benzene treatment, however, resulted in a decrease in the levels of certain endogenous adducts, the biological significance of which is unknown. Our results indicate that benzene treatment does not produce detectable levels of aromatic DNA adducts in mouse tissues.