Carcinogens and Oxidized Fatty Acids in the Skin

Abstract

Rusch and Kline¹ showed that carcinogenic hydrocarbons inhibit the autoxidation of unsaturated fatty acids. Thiobarbituric acid is a reagent for the estimation of fatty acid peroxides^2,3 and has been used for confirming the inhibition of the autoxidation of fatty acids, in particular linolenic acid, by these compounds. Pieces of excised skin placed in thiobarbituric acid give the characteristic red colour produced by the reaction of this acid with oxidized fatty acids³. Various carcinogens were painted on the skin of white mice to determine their effect on the peroxide concentration in vivo. Previous experiments have shown that the carcinogens inhibited the peroxide formation in homogenates of brain and skin. The compounds themselves do not interfere with the thiobarbituric acid reaction.