Metabolism of 2-acetylaminofluorene by rainbow trout

In order to examine factors that may contribute to the reported resistance of rainbow trout, Shasta strain, to the well-known hepatocarcinogenic effects of 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF), the in-vitro and in-vivo metabolism of [¹⁴C]AAF in trout has been examined. Trout (compared to rat) liver microsomes metabolized AAF more efficiently, producing 3-fold larger amounts of ring-hydroxylated metabolites (7-hydroxy-AAF and 5-hydroxy-AAF), but 5-fold less N-hydroxy-AAF. Freshly isolated trout hepatocytes extensively metabolized AAF to form the same ring-hydroxylated metabolites and their respective glucuronide and sulfate conjugates. N-OH-AAF (plus its conjugates) and covalently-bound AAF derivatives amounted, respectively, to < 1% and 1.4-1.6% of total metabolites. Liver DNA of trout treated with AAF contained a single AAF-DNA adduct identified as N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-aminofluorene (the major persistent AAF-DNA adduct found in rat liver). The level of this adduct (12 attomoles/μg DNA) was about 1000-fold lower than the level of AAF-DNA adduct previously reported in rat liver. The data show that trout liver, compared to rat liver, is considerably less efficient in metabolizing AAF to carcinogenic metabolites, and more efficient in forming nontoxic products, thus possibly explaining, in part, the resistance of trout to AAF-induced hepatocarcinogenesis.