Biomaterial Database

Mutagenic activity of tryptophan metabolites produced by rat intestinal microflora. 1976

J P Bowden, and K T Chung, and A W Andrews

The catabolism of tryptophan by rat intestinal microflora was studied for the production of mutagenic metabolites that might be involved in the etiology of colon cancer. Various tryptophan metabolites were assayed for mutagenic and comutagenic activity in the Ames bacterial test system. These included metabolites that were identified by thin-layer chromatography in cultures of rat fecal bacteria, other compounds structurally related to tryptophan, whole unfractionated mixed fecal bacteria culture filtrates, and concentrated solvent extracts. A total of 27 materials were tested with 5 Salmonella strains in the mutagenesis assay. Most substances were inactive, and only one compound, o-aminoacetophenone, which was unlikely to be produced in the intestine, showed weak comutagenic activity. Our results did not support the hypothesis that tryptophan metabolites produced by intestinal microflora are major etiologic factors in cancer of the colon.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007210	Indoleacetic Acids	Acetic acid derivatives of the heterocyclic compound indole. (Merck Index, 11th ed)	Auxin,Auxins,Indolylacetic Acids,Acids, Indoleacetic,Acids, Indolylacetic
D007211	Indoles	Benzopyrroles with the nitrogen at the number one carbon adjacent to the benzyl portion, in contrast to ISOINDOLES which have the nitrogen away from the six-membered ring.
D007413	Intestinal Mucosa	Lining of the INTESTINES, consisting of an inner EPITHELIUM, a middle LAMINA PROPRIA, and an outer MUSCULARIS MUCOSAE. In the SMALL INTESTINE, the mucosa is characterized by a series of folds and abundance of absorptive cells (ENTEROCYTES) with MICROVILLI.	Intestinal Epithelium,Intestinal Glands,Epithelium, Intestinal,Gland, Intestinal,Glands, Intestinal,Intestinal Gland,Mucosa, Intestinal
D007414	Intestinal Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the INTESTINES.	Cancer of Intestines,Intestinal Cancer,Cancer of the Intestines,Intestines Cancer,Intestines Neoplasms,Neoplasms, Intestinal,Cancer, Intestinal,Cancer, Intestines,Cancers, Intestinal,Cancers, Intestines,Intestinal Cancers,Intestinal Neoplasm,Intestines Cancers,Intestines Neoplasm,Neoplasm, Intestinal,Neoplasm, Intestines,Neoplasms, Intestines
D007422	Intestines	The section of the alimentary canal from the STOMACH to the ANAL CANAL. It includes the LARGE INTESTINE and SMALL INTESTINE.	Intestine
D008460	Meat	The edible portions of any animal used for food including cattle, swine, goats/sheep, poultry, fish, shellfish, and game.	Meats
D009153	Mutagens	Chemical agents that increase the rate of genetic mutation by interfering with the function of nucleic acids. A clastogen is a specific mutagen that causes breaks in chromosomes.	Clastogen,Clastogens,Genotoxin,Genotoxins,Mutagen
D002273	Carcinogens	Substances that increase the risk of NEOPLASMS in humans or animals. Both genotoxic chemicals, which affect DNA directly, and nongenotoxic chemicals, which induce neoplasms by other mechanism, are included.	Carcinogen,Oncogen,Oncogens,Tumor Initiator,Tumor Initiators,Tumor Promoter,Tumor Promoters,Initiator, Tumor,Initiators, Tumor,Promoter, Tumor,Promoters, Tumor
D004032	Diet	Regular course of eating and drinking adopted by a person or animal.	Diets
D004357	Drug Synergism	The action of a drug in promoting or enhancing the effectiveness of another drug.	Drug Potentiation,Drug Augmentation,Augmentation, Drug,Augmentations, Drug,Drug Augmentations,Drug Potentiations,Drug Synergisms,Potentiation, Drug,Potentiations, Drug,Synergism, Drug,Synergisms, Drug