Counteraction of the genotoxicity of some cooked-food mutagens by biogenic amines.

ABSTRACT

The biogenic amines tryptamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, tyramine and histamine were assessed for their abilities to modify the genotoxicity of the cooked-food mutagens IQ, MeIQ, MeIQx, Trp-P-1 and Trp-P-2. These measurements were made using a bacterial mutation assay with hepatic fractions from either SWR mice or DSN Syrian hamsters as the activating system and Salmonella typhimurium TA98 as the indicator organism. Although histamine had very little effect on the genotoxicity of these mutagens, the other amines reduced genotoxicity, with tryptamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine exerting the greatest effect. Generally the amines exhibited greater potency when S-9 fractions from mice rather than from hamsters were used.