Activatin of guanylate cyclase during the oxidation of arylamine carcinogens.

When added alone, the arylamine procarcinogens N-acetyl-aminofluorene, 4-acetyl-aminobiphenyl or their N-hydroxy derivatives failed to alter partially purified soluble guanylate cyclase from rat liver or particulate guanylate cyclase activity from colonic mucosa. However, addition of linoleic acid hydroperoxide to the enzyme preparation in the presence N-OH-acetyl-aminofluorene or N-OH-acetyl-aminobiphenyl significantly increased guanylate cyclase activity. With linoleic acid hydroperoxide plus N-OH-acetyl-aminofluorene, both the activation of hepatic guanylate cyclase and the formation of the carcinogen oxidation product 2-nitrosofluorene required hematin but not molecular O₂. Both processes were inhibited by ascorbic acid. These data strongly imply that guanylate cyclase activation was dependent upon hematin catalyzed oxidation of N-OH-acetyl-aminofluorene by the lipid peroxide. The results provide the first evidence that guanylate cyclase activation can occur during the conversion of a procarcinogen to a more reactive chemical species, and thereby emphasize the importance of examining carcinogen interaction with the GC system under conditions which permit such chemical conversion.