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5139739 
Journal Article 
Effect of Chloroform Ingestion on Some Carcinogen-Metabolising Enzyme Systems of Rats 
Capel, ID; Dorrell, HM; Jenner, M; Williams, DC 
1979 
Yes 
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
ISSN: 0007-4861
EISSN: 1432-0800 
SPRINGER VERLAG 
NEW YORK 
23 
1 
112-116 
English 
497414 
WOS:A1979HK56800022 
The effect of chloroform (67663) ingestion on the activity of the enzymes responsible for the oxidation and conjugation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was investigated using benzo(a)pyrene (50328) as the test carcinogen. Male Sprague-Dawley-rats were given drinking water containing chloroform at a final dose of either 0.15 or 15mg/kg at 40 milliliters/rat/day. There was no effect of either dose of chloroform on gross liver weight or microsomal protein content. Cytochrome-P450 was significantly decreased at the higher dose level, but no difference was noted in aryl-hydrocarbon-hydroxylase (AHH) activity. A significant decrease in the DNA binding of benzo(a)pyrene was noted in the presence of trichloropropene-2,3-oxide, an epoxide-hydratase inhibitor, particularly in chloroform treated animals. Chloroform ingestion at either concentration significantly decreased the activity of microsomal uridine-diphosphoglucuronic-acid-transferase, while no significant difference was noted in the level of glutathione-transferase. The authors conclude that while these experiments show that ingestion of chloroform even at low levels affects the activity of carcinogen metabolizing enzymes, prediction of the consequences of these changes for man is uncertain.