1-Nitropyrene, the predominant nitropolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon found in diesel exhaust, is a mutagen and tumorigen. 1,6-Dinitropyrene is present in diesel exhaust in much smaller quantities than 1-nitropyrene, but is much more mutagenic and carcinogenic. In an attempt to understand this difference in biological potencies, we have compared the extent of DNA binding by these two nitropyrenes in vivo. We have also determined the effect of 1-nitropyrene pretreatment upon the induction of nitroreductases and the subsequent DNA binding by both 1-nitropyrene and 1,6-dinitropyrene. Covalent DNA binding by 1-nitropyrene could not be detected in vivo; however, 1,6-dinitropyrene formed N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-1-amino-6-nitropyrene as the major DNA adduct in rat liver, kidney, urinary bladder and mammary gland, with the highest levels being found in the bladder. The capability of liver microsomes to catalyze the oxidative metabolism of 1-nitropyrene was unchanged after treating rats with 8 mg/kg 1-nitropyrene. Cytochrome P-450, NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase and cytochrome b5 levels were also unchanged, while slight increases were detected in NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase and epoxide hydrase activities. Liver cytosolic and microsomal nitroreductase activities toward both 1-nitropyrene and 1,6-dinitropyrene were increased 2-fold, and cytosolic nitrosoreductase activity toward 1-nitrosopyrene and 1-nitro-6-nitrosopyrene was elevated by approximately 20%. DNA binding of both 1-nitropyrene and 1,6-dinitropyrene in vitro was 2-fold higher when using cytosol from 1-nitropyrene-pretreated rats. However, pretreatment of rats with 1-nitropyrene only slightly increased the amount of in vivo DNA binding by 1,6-dinitropyrene except in kidney where there was a 60% increase. These results indicate that although nitroreduction is involved in DNA adduct formation by 1,6-dinitropyrene, additional factors (e.g. O-acetylation) limit the extent of DNA binding in vivo.