Oncogenicity of purine 3-oxide and unsubstituted purine in rats
Teller, M.N.; Giner-Sorolla, A.; Stöhrer, G.; Budinger, J.M.; Brown, G.B.
Cancer Research 38(8): 2229-2232
1978
ISSN/ISBN: 0008-5472 PMID: 208761 Document Number: 128053
Injection s.c. of purine 3-oxide into Wistar rats resulted in the appearance of sarcomas and fibromas at the interscapular site of administration, carcinomas in the liver, and a high incidence of s.c. fibromas in the hip at a distance from the site of injection. A small number of liver tumors but not tumors at the injection site appeared in rats to which the parent compound, purine, was administered. Oxidation of purine 3-oxide by xanthine oxidase was found to occur in two steps to yield the potent oncogen 3-hydroxyxanthine. A similar process may occur in vivo since a protein preparation from rat s.c. tissue has similar oxidizing activity.