The effect of diet on aflatoxin B1 binding to hepatic macromolecules in rats.

Fischer 344 rats were fed a low-fat high carbohydrate diet (HC), an isocaloric fat-containing diet (IC), a hypercaloric fat-containing diet (HF) or rat chow. Covalent binding of AFB 1 to liver DNA, RNA and total proteins was investigated in a 24 hour period following administration of a single intraperitoneal dose of AFB 1 (1 mg/kg body weight). AFB 1 binding to nucleic acids was greatest in the HC and was generally significantly lower (p<0.05) in the HF, IC and rats fed chow. The results suggest that fat decreases hepatic macromolecular adduct formation by inhibiting activation of AFB 1 to the epoxide or by enhancing the activity of detoxification pathways