ABSTRACT
The chemical structure of a carcinogen often gives no indication of its carcinogenic potency — often seemingly inert compounds are potent carcinogens, for example, polycylic hydrocarbons and nitrosamines. Ironically, the animal body often creates an “active” carcinogenic species from an otherwise inert chemical by the very mechanisms designed to protect itself, that is, by detoxification. Very little work has been done on the chemical nature of naturally occurring cellular carcinogen:protein complexes. The most clearly characterized example is the formation of methionine derivatives after azo dye and acetylaminofluorene administration. Aberrations in nuclear morphology and function found during carcinogenesis, together with bizzare biochemical changes and loss of growth control, have been attributed to modification or damage of the DNA template by carcinogens. The azo dyes represent a well-characterized group of chemical carcinogens acting on the liver, the chemistry and biochemistry of which have been extensively researched by Japanese and American workers.
