Using P1 nuclease enhanced 32p postlabeling, we investigated DNA adduct formation in HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells treated with the benzene metabolites hydroquinone, catechol, and 1,2,4-benzenetriol. Comparison of the slopes of the dose-response curves showed that hydroquinone was 7-9 times more effective than 1,2,4,-benzenetriol and catechol at inducing DNA adducts. Comparison of hydroquinone with catechol showed a good correlation between adduct formation and cytotoxicity. Similar comparisons of hydroquinone and 1,2,4,-benzenetriol suggest that cellular processes in addition to DNA adduct formation contributed to cytotoxicity. In cells treated with the combination of hydroquinone and either catechol or 1,2,4,-benzenetriol, DNA adduct formation was 3-6 times greater than the sum of adduct formation produced by single-agent treatments. Treatment with hydroquinone and 1,2,4,-benzenetriol produced DNA adducts not detected after treatment with either metabolite alone. The synergistic interaction of benzene metabolites in the production of DNA adducts may play an important role in the genotoxic effects of benzene in vivo.Acute exposure to benzene has a strong toxic effect on the hematopoietic system of laboratory animals (1) and humans (2). Chronic exposure is carcinogenic in rats and mice (3, 4) and leukemogenic in humans (5, 6). To exert its toxic effects, benzene must be metabolized (7-9). The first step of benzene metabolism is the formation of benzene oxide by cytochrome P450 oxidation followed by either spontaneous conversion to phenol (9) or to 5,6-dihydroxy-1,3-cyclohexadiene by epoxide hydrolase. Phenol is further oxidized to hydroquinone (HQ). Catechol may be obtained by the rearomatization of 5,6-dihydroxy-1,3-cyclohexadiene by dihydrodiol dehydrogenase (10); 1,2,4-Benzenetriol (BT) results from the oxidation of either HQ or catechol. These metabolites accumulate in the bone marrow (7,11,12), where they may serve as reducing cosubstrates for peroxidases (12-16). The quinones or semiquinone radicals formed by peroxidase activation can react with both DNA (17-19) and protein (14-16).Benzene administration has resulted in the formation of DNA adducts in vivo. Although the metabolites responsible for this binding have not been identified (20-23), our 32p_ postlabeling studies have shown that HQ and p-benzoquinone (p-BQ) form the same DNA adduct in HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells (24). Neither phenol nor HQ is myelotoxic by itself, but in combination they have a myelotoxic effect similar to that ofbenzene (25). The administration of phenol with either HQ or catechol resulted in a synergistic inhibition of 59Fe uptake by erythroid bone marrow cells in mice (26). Similarly, phenol and HQ have a strong synergistic effect on micronucleus formation in Swiss mice (27) and in human lymphocytes (28). These results suggest that the genotoxic effects of benzene may be due to a synergistic interaction of its metabolites.In this study, we investigated DNA adduct formation and cytotoxicity in HL-60 cells tr...