Effect of alkane tumor‐promoting agents on chemically induced mutagenesis in cultured v79 Chinese hamster cells

Abstract

Linear alkanes of specific chain length between 6 and 16 carbon atoms, an aryl derivative of dodecane, and a phorbol diester were tested in a cell culture system for relative ability to enhance mutagenesis induced by a chemical carcinogen, methyl‐azoxymethanol acetate (MAM). Mutation frequencies at the ouabain‐resistance locus were measured. Results indicated an excellent correlation between the relative activities of the above compounds in enhancing mutagenesis in the in vitro culture system and their tumor‐promoting activities in mouse skin. None of the compounds tested showed mutagenic activity per se, further lending support to the theory that promoters act via derepression of latent carcinogen‐induced damage to the genome.