HYDROCARBONS 355 



^6 

 7 



3-Hydroxj'chrysene 



The Oxidation of Chrysene in the Rat^"-^^ to 3-Hydroxj^chrysene (The numbers on the 

 chrysene molecule indicate the designation for the several positions) 



found that 9,10-dimethyl-l,2-benzanthracene is converted to a similar 

 4' -hydroxy derivative in rats. 



1 ,2-Benzanthracene 4 '-Hydroxy-1 ,2-benzanthracene 



The Metabolism of 1 ,2-Benzanthracene in Mice and Rats to the Corresponding 4 



Hj'droxyl Derivative'™-^' 



(b) Five-Ringed Hydrocarbons, a'. 3,4-Benzpyrene: 3,4-Benzpyrene 

 is an extremely potent carcinogenic agent ; it has been identified as one of 

 the substances in coal tar which is capable of producing cancer, although 

 Cook and co-workers-^^ found that 1,2 benzpyrene was the most active 

 carcinogenic agent in tar, especially in the case of mice. Rabbits are less 

 susceptible. I'^o- 290 



According to Chang, -'^^ 3, 4 -benzpyrene is digested by rats to the extent 

 of approximately 56%. When benzpyrene is administered to rats and 

 mice, the feces exhibit a blue-green fluorescence, -^^ while the bile and fatty 

 tissues show a blue-\'iolet fluorescence. -9- "^^^ The substances responsible 

 for the fluorescence were designated "BPF" (feces) and "BPX" (bile), 



289 J. W. Cook, C. L. Hewett, and I. Hieger, /. Chem. Soc, 1933, 395-405. 

 "0 C. Sannie, C. Oberling, M. Guerin, and P. Gu^rin, Compt. rend. soc. biol., 120, 1196- 

 1198(1935). 



"1 J. G. Chalmers, Biochem. J., S3, 271-278 (1938). 



"2 P. R. Peacock, Brit. J. Exptl. Pathol, 17, 164-172 (1936). 



"3 p. R. Peacock and S. Beck, Brit. J. Exptl. Pathol, 19, 315-319 (1938). 



"^ P. R. Peacock, Am. J. Cancer, 40, 251-254 (1940). 



