I-compounds are covalent DNA modifications presumably derived from endogenous electrophiles. To investigate the possible role of cytochrome P450 in I-compound metabolism, groups of female Sprague-Dawley rats (225-250 g) were treated i.p. with vehicle or cytochrome P450 inducers, i.e. 80 mg/kg phenobarbital (PB), 20 mg/kg 3-methylcholanthrene (MC) or 50 mg/kg pregnenolone-16 alpha-carbonitrile (PCN), once daily for 4 days. DNA synthesis rate was measured via [3H]methylthymidine incorporation. DNA adducts and I-compounds in liver and kidney were analyzed 1 and 8 days after the last treatment. Total liver and kidney microsomal cytochrome P450 content and activities of representative drug-metabolizing enzymes for PB, MC and PCN, i.e. benzphetamine N-demethylase, ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase (ECD) and erythromycin N-demethylase, were also determined in all groups. PCN caused significant depletion of total non-polar I-compounds at 1 day, compared to controls. Levels of several individual I-spots in liver were differentially reduced by each of the three inducers at 1 day. Most I-spots were restored to control levels at 8 days. Kidney I-compounds were not affected by PB or PCN, but MC reduced the level of one non-polar individual I-compound at 1 day. Except for the expected DNA adduct formation from MC, there were no qualitative changes in profiles of postlabeled modified nucleotides. Total cytochrome P450 content in liver microsomes and activities of individual P450 enzymes were significantly increased by treatment with each of the inducers at 1 day. This was, however, not the case at 8 days in PB- and PCN-treated livers. MC-treated rats, on the other hand, displayed elevated levels of liver cytochrome P450 and ECD at 8 days. In kidney, PB and PCN did not elicit induction of P450 and individual enzymes, but MC increased total P450 content and ECD activity at 1 day, and ECD activity alone at 8 days. These results suggest a major role for cytochrome P450 enzymes in the metabolism of I-compounds.