Autoradiographic Localization of Tissue-Bound Tritiated 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene in Mouse Skin 24 and 48 Hours After Single Application2

Abstract

Localization of a chemical carcinogen bound to cellular constituents, possibly proteins, in the skin was demonstrated with autoradiographs of mouse skin 24 and 48 hours after topical application of randomly tritiated 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene. An appreciable amount of radioactivity was concentrated in the epidermis, upper part of the hair follicle, and sebaceous gland. This observation appears to be consistent with the histogenesis studies by Ghadially of a variety of epithelial tumors produced as a result of skin carcinogenesis. Moreover, we believe that a direct reaction between the chemical carcinogen and the epithelial cells is the first step in the mechanism of skin carcinogenesis.