Year: 1970
Type: article
Abstract: The carcinogenic activity of the benzo[a]pyrene 1, the 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene 2 and the 3-methylcholanthrene 3 is suggested to be determine by the electrophilic attack of the active oxygen, induced by the hydroxylating enzyme systems, on the most reactive substituting carbon atom(s). The cationic intermediate(s) with the charge mainly localized on a complementary, interrelated position(s) of the hydroxyl substituted position(s) reacts further with the cellular nucleophiles. The electrophilic nature of the ultimate chemical carcinogens constitutes the common distinctive feature that correlates their different structures and allows us to understand their carcinogenicity. The formation of a covalent bond with the nucleophiles of the biological macromolecules, nucleic acids and proteins, appears to be the essential requirement in the primary process of carcinogenesis.
Authors: Ercole L. Cavalieri, M. Calvin
Language: English
Subfield: Cancer Research
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2266557605