The first step in metabolic activation of mutagenic and carcinogenic heterocyclic amines has been elucidated to be N-hydroxylation by cytochrome P-448. N-Hydroxyamino compounds are further activated to form N-O-acyl derivatives that readily react with DNA. The adducts between the metabolites of Trp-P-2 and Glu-P-1 and DNA were shown to have a C8-guanylamino structure. In the case of Glu-P-1, modification of guanine in GC clusters occurred preferentially. Glutathione transferases and myeloperoxidase were shown to inactivate some heterocyclic amines or their active metabolites. Hemin and fatty acids bind to and inactivate them. Fibers and other factors from vegetables also work to inactivate heterocyclic amines. Nitrite at low pH also degraded some heterocyclic amines, but those with an imidazole moiety were resistant. Glu-P-1 induced intestinal tumors in a high incidence when fed orally to rats. When 14C-Glu-P-1 was administered by gavage into rats about 50% and 35% were excreted into feces and urine, respectively, within 24 hr. When the bile was collected, around 60% of radioactivity was excreted into it within 24 hr. In the bile, N-acetyl-Glu-P-1 was identified as one of the metabolites of Glu-P-1. It showed a mutagenic activity of about one fourth that of Glu-P-1 with S9 mix. Some radioactivity was also detected in the blood. At 24 hr after administration, most of the radioactivity was found to be bound to erythrocyte beta-globins and serum proteins including albumin.