The effect of schistosomiasis on the activation of aflatoxin B1.

This study examined activation of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in livers of Schistosoma mansoni-infected and noninfected mice by measuring covalent binding of [3H]AFB1 to cellular macromolecules in vivo and in vitro. During a one week time period after AFB1 treatment of animals, maximal binding of [3H]AFB1 to DNA, RNA and protein in liver occurred during the 1-6 hour period after treatment, with less binding throughout of AFB1 to macromolecules of infected mice. Experiments performed in vitro to determine the capacity of liver microsomes to mediate the binding of AFB1 to calf thymus DNA showed that microsomes from infected mice mediated the binding of less [3H]AFB1 to DNA than those from noninfected animals.