Steroidal nonspecific esterase metabolism of N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene: evidence for selective activation by the cellular reductant NADPH.

The significance of the nonspecific esterases of human mononuclear leukocytes (HMLs) in arylamine carcinogenesis is suggested by data showing that the metabolically formed hydroxamic acid derivative of 2-acetylaminofluorene, N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene, is a substrate for this class of enzymes. A viable cell assay for the nonspecific esterases using α-naphthyl acetate as substrate is described, and data showing this activity to be sensitive to already known substrates for HML esterases as measured by three previously described assays are presented