The objective of the present study was to compare DNA and protein adduct formation of benzo[a]pyrene-4,5-oxide (BPO) in vivo and to determine the persistence of the adducts in both mouse and rat epidermis. (+/-)BPO at a dose of 100 nmol/mouse and 200 nmol/rat was topically applied to male Swiss mice and Wistar rats. Three hours after application, there was 3-fold less binding of BPO to mouse epidermal DNA than to rat epidermal DNA; inversely, the amount of BPO bound to mouse skin protein was 3.6 times higher than in rat skin protein. One and three weeks after application of BPO, persistence of 17-20% of the initial amount of BPO-DNA adducts and 2-4% of initial amount of BPO bound to protein was detected in both mouse and rat skin epidermis. H.p.l.c. analysis of the enzymatic hydrolysates of DNA from mouse and rat epidermis 3 h after application of BPO showed five distinct products: one early-eluting, two BPO-deoxyguanosine (dGuo) (ratio 1.5:1) and two BPO-deoxyadenosine (dAdo) adducts (ratio 2:1). The ratio of the total modified dGuo to the total modified dAdo was 2:1. The amount of total BPO-dGuo and BPO-dAdo adducts was 3.5 times greater in rat than in mouse epidermis. Persistence of the major BPO-dAdo adduct was observed in mouse and rat epidermal DNA, and 1 and 3 weeks after topical application of BPO there was a 6-fold greater amount of the persisting BPO-dAdo adduct in rat skin epidermis than in mouse skin epidermis (4.1 and 0.66 pmol/mg DNA, respectively). Minor amounts of the BPO-dGuo were found to persist in rat skin epidermis DNA.