Caffeine inhibits hepatic-microsomal activation of some dietary genotoxins.

Hepatic microsomal fractions (microsomes) were prepared from female BALB/c mice. The potential of caffeine to modify the ability of microsomes to convert the heterocyclic aromatic amines MeIQ, Trp-P-2 and MeIQx, to bacterial mutagens (indicator: Salmonella typhimurium TA98) was investigated. Caffeine inhibited mutagenicity and did so by inhibiting microsomal metabolism of the three compounds, rather than by altering uptake of the active mutagens and/or interacting with the DNA repair processes in the bacterial cell. Notional Ki values determined for the three heterocyclic amines were similar, suggesting that caffeine inhibits at a stage common to the metabolism of all three compounds.