Question

How do polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons cause cancer ?

Answer 1

Hint: A polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) is a hydrocarbon—a chemical compound containing only carbon and hydrogen—that is composed of multiple aromatic rings. The simplest of such chemicals are naphthalene, having two aromatic rings, and the three-ring compounds anthracene and phenanthrene.

Complete answer:
When humans are more exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) then this results in lung cancer. After entry into the lung, PAHs induce phase I metabolic enzymes such as cytochrome, monooxygenases, i.e. CYP1A1/2 and 1B1, and enzymes in phase 2 such as glutathione S-transferases, UDP glucuronyl transferases, NADPH quinone oxidoreductases, aldo-keto reductases, and epoxide hydrolases, via the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-dependent and independent pathways.

Humans can also be affected by PAHs through diet, via consumption. of charcoal broiled foods.These reactive metabolites produce DNA adducts, which cause gene alliteration,DNA mutations, expression in the profiles, and tumorigenesis. Mutations in xenobiotic metabolic enzymes, as well as polymorphisms of tumor suppressor genes or genes involved in gene expression are associated with lung cancer susceptibility in human populations from different sex and age.

Although various metabolic activation or inactivation pathways, AhR signaling, and genetic susceptibilities lead to lung cancer, the exact point at which PAHs induce tumor initiation remain unknown.

Note: The least difficult of such synthetics are naphthalene, having two sweet-smelling rings, and the three-ring compounds anthracene and phenanthrene. The terms polyaromatic hydrocarbon or polynuclear sweet-smelling hydrocarbon are likewise utilized for this idea.