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CONCEPT OF ACTIVITY PROFILES OF ANTIMUTAGENS
Citation:
Waters, M., A. Brady, H. Stack, AND H. Brockman. CONCEPT OF ACTIVITY PROFILES OF ANTIMUTAGENS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/D-90/037.
Description:
Experimental evidence suggests that chemical mutagenesis and carcinogenesis are related phenomena such that identification of causative agents and protection from exposure might prevent certain human cancers and related diseases. gents that inhibit the processes of mutagenesis and carcinogenesis, particularly naturally occurring agents, might be expected to exert a primary protective effect. his paper will consider the use of short-term bioassays to identify antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic substances and to classify them [cf. MutatIon Res. 168 (1986) 47-65] according to the locus of their protective influence, i.e., intracellular or extracellular, and putative mechanism(s) of action. n the extracellular environment, inhibition of formation or uptake of mutagens and inactivation of promutagenic or mutagenic species are examples of antimutagenic mechanisms. ntracellularly, antimutagenic substances have been described as "scavengers" of radicals, "blocking agents" (involving at least 3 different mechanisms), and "suppressing agents". dditional intracellular mechanisms include alterations in DNA repair processes and/or modification of the genotoxic response to the mutagen/carcinogen. he presentation format will be based on the genetic activity profile (GAP) methodology developed by the authors. he GAPs of known mutagens/carcinogens will be presented together with newly designed profiles for antimutagens/ anticarcinogens according to the classification scheme outlined above.