%0 Journal Article %A R. FRANKE %T The Possible Role of Hydrophobic Interactions of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons with Protein in Chemical Carcinogenesis %D 1969 %J Molecular Pharmacology %P 640-657 %V 5 %N 6 %X Using thermodynamic data for the hydrophobic binding of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to human serum albumin and the [unknown]K[unknown] values of O. Chalvet ("Mécanique ondulatoire et biologie moléculaire," p. 99, Paris, 1961) as a measure of chemical reactivity, the possible role of hydrophobic interactions of polycyclic hydrocarbons with protein in the process of chemical carcinogenesis has been investigated. It was shown that these interactions are necessary and favorable for the process of chemical carcinogenesis, but that their role is only of secondary importance as compared with the chemical reactivity of the hydrocarbons. The influence of hydrophobic interactions may be due to the induction of a conformational change in a receptor protein. Multiple regression analysis yielded a new complex index which permits the correct grouping of the hydrocarbons considered according to their carcinogenic activity. The concept presented in this paper offers a simple explanation for the drop in carcinogenic activity observed if the hydrocarbons are substituted with polar substituents or bulky alkyl groups, as well as for the interference among hydrocarbons in skin carcinogenesis. The results are in keeping with both the K-L-region theory of chemical carcinogenesis and the protein deletion hypothesis. %U https://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/molpharm/5/6/640.full.pdf