Carcinogenic nitrosamines in traditional beer as the cause of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma in black South Africans.

BACKGROUND: Before the 1930s, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oesophagus was almost unknown among black South Africans. From the 1930s the annual frequency rose. A dietary cause was sought, the staple diet of black people having changed from sorghum to maize (corn), with traditional beer being brewed from maize. Carcinogenic N-nitrosamines in traditional beer were suggested as a cause of SCC of the oesophagus, with Fusarium moniliforme, a corn saprophyte, thought to play a role. OBJECTIVES: To confirm the presence of N-nitrosamines in traditional beer and demonstrate a mechanism for the oncogenesis of oesophageal carcinoma. METHODS: Analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography was conducted for the identification of nitrosamines in traditional beer samples, and molecular docking studies were employed to predict the affinity between N-nitrosamines and the S100A2 protein. RESULTS: Carcinogenic N-nitrosamines were identified in all six samples of traditional beer examined (N=18 analyses), and docking studies confirmed a high affinity of the nitrosamine N-nitrosopyrrolidone with the S100A2 protein. This may result in the altered expression of the S100A2 protein, leading to tumour progression and prognosis. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that carcinogenic N-nitrosamines in traditional beer are a major factor in the causation of SCC of the oesophagus in black South Africans. N-nitrosamines have been shown to produce cancer experimentally, but there has not been conclusive epidemiological evidence that N-nitrosamines are carcinogenic to humans. This study is the first to demonstrate the potential link between N-nitrosamines and a human tumour.

Analysis of adducts in hepatic DNA of rats treated with N-nitrosopyrrolidine.

N-Nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) is a hepatocarcinogen in rats. It is metabolically activated by cytochrome P450 enzymes in the liver leading to the formation of 4-oxobutanediazohydroxide (4) and related intermediates that react with DNA to form adducts. Because DNA adducts are thought to be critical in carcinogenesis by NPYR, we analyzed hepatic DNA of NPYR-treated rats for several adducts: N2-(tetrahydrofuran-1-yl)dGuo (N2-THF-dGuo, 13), N6-THF-dAdo (14), N4-THF-dCyd (17), and dThd adducts 15 and 16. The rats were treated with NPYR in the drinking water, 600 ppm for 1 week, or 200 ppm for 4 or 13 weeks. Hepatic DNA was isolated, enzymatically hydrolyzed, and analyzed by capillary LC-ESI-MS-SIM, which indicated the presence of adducts 13, 14, and 17. Because these adducts can be unstable at the deoxyribonucleoside level, further analyses were carried out using DNA treated with NaBH3CN, which converts adducts 13-17 to N2-(4-hydroxybut-1-yl)dGuo [N2-(4-HOB)dGuo, 18], N6-(4-HOB)dAdo (19), O2-(4-HOB)dThd (20), O4-(4-HOB)dThd (21), and N4-(4-HOB)dCyd (22). [15N]-Labeled analogues of adducts 18-20 and 22 were synthesized and used in this analysis, which was performed by capillary LC-ESI-MS/MS-SRM. Convincing evidence for the presence of adducts 18-22 was obtained. Levels of 18, 19, 20, and 21 were (mumol/mol dGuo): 3.41-5.39, 0.02-0.04, 2.56-3.87, and 2.28-5.05, respectively. Compound 22 was not quantified due to interfering peaks. These results provide the first evidence for tetrahydrofuranyl-substituted DNA adducts in the livers of rats treated with NPYR. The finding of dAdo and dThd adducts is of particular interest since previous studies have shown that NPYR causes mutations at AT base pairs in DNA of rat liver.

In vivo mutational analysis of liver DNA in gpt delta transgenic rats treated with the hepatocarcinogens N-nitrosopyrrolidine, 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline, and di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate.

In order to cast light on carcinogen-specific molecular mechanisms underlying experimental hepatocarcinogenesis in rats, in vivo mutagenicity and mutation spectra of known genotoxic rat hepatocarcinogens N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR), and 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ), as well as the nongenotoxic hepatocarcinogen di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) and the noncarcinogen acetaminophen (AAP), were investigated in guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (gpt) delta transgenic rats, a recently developed animal model for genotoxicity analysis. After 13-wk treatment, glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P)-positive liver cell foci were significantly increased in NPYR-treated and IQ-treated rats. In the DEHP-treated rats, marked hepatomegaly with centrilobular hypertrophy of hepatocytes occurred, although GST-P staining was consistently negative. Positive mutagenicity was detected in IQ- and NPYR-treated rats. Mutant frequencies (MFs) in the liver DNA were 188.0 x 10(-6) and 56.5 x 10(-6), approximately 35-fold and 10-fold higher, respectively, than that of nontreatment control rats (5.5 x 10(-6)). There were no increases in MFs in the DEHP- or AAP-treated rats as compared to the nontreatment control value. IQ induced mainly base substitutions leading to G:C to T:A transversions (56.9%) and deletions of G:C base pairs. In contrast, NPYR primarily caused specific A:T to G:C transitions (49.3%), which are very rare in the other groups. These data provided support for the conclusion that IQ and NPYR hepatocarcinogenesis depends on genotoxic processes and specific DNA adduct formation while DEHP exerts its influence via a nongenotoxic promotional pathway. Our data also indicate that analysis of specific in vivo mutational responses with transgenic animal models can provide crucial information for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying chemical carcinogenesis.

Dietary exposure and urinary excretion of total N-nitroso compounds, nitrosamino acids and volatile nitrosamine in inhabitants of high- and low-risk areas for esophageal cancer in southern China.

We assessed the exposure of total N-nitroso compounds (TNOCs) in the inhabitants of high- and low-risk areas for esophageal cancer in southern China. Samples of 24 hr diet and 12 hr overnight urine were collected from 120 male adults in each of the 2 areas, a high-risk area (Nan'ao County) and a low-risk area (Lufeng County) for esophageal cancer. Annual standardized mortality rates of esophageal cancer in Nan'ao and Lufeng are 110/10(6) and 10/10(6) respectively. The 240 healthy male subjects (35-64 years old) were selected by a 3-stage random cluster sample procedure. Levels of TNOCs, NAAs and volatile nitrosamines in the samples were measured. The TNOC detection rate (95%) in the diet, the TNOC daily intake (4.25 +/- 0.84 micromol), TNOC excretion levels (0.04 +/- 0.01 nmol/12 hr) and daily intake of volatile nitrosamines (5.84 +/- 0.71 micromol) in the high-risk area were significantly greater than values in the low-risk area (A +/- B = mean +/- SE). The TNOC detection rate in the diet, the TNOC daily intake, TNOC excretion levels and daily intake of volatile nitrosamines in the low-risk area were 70%, 0.25 +/- 0.06 micromol, 0.02 +/- 0.01 nmol/12 hr and 3.18 +/- 0.31 micromol, respectively. NAA excretion levels showed no difference between the 2 areas (16.3 +/- 7.18 micromol/12 hr for Nan'ao and 31.2 +/- 26.4 micromol/12 hr for Lufeng). Thus, TNOCs are implicated in the etiology of esophageal cancer in southern China.

Reactions of alpha-acetoxy-N-nitrosopyrrolidine with deoxyguanosine and DNA.

We investigated the reactions of alpha-acetoxy-N-nitrosopyrrolidine (alpha-acetoxyNPYR) with dGuo and DNA. Alpha-acetoxyNPYR is a stable precursor to the major proximate carcinogen of NPYR, alpha-hydroxyNPYR (3). Our goal was to develop appropriate conditions for the analysis of DNA adducts of NPYR formed in vivo. Products of the alpha-acetoxyNPYR-dGuo reactions were analyzed directly by HPLC or after treatment of the reaction mixtures with NaBH3CN. Products of the alpha-acetoxyNPYR-DNA reactions were released by enzymatic or neutral thermal hydrolysis of the DNA, then analyzed by HPLC. Alternatively, the DNA was treated with NaBH3CN prior to hydrolysis and HPLC analysis. The reactions of alpha-acetoxyNPYR with dGuo and DNA were complex. We have identified 13 products of the dGuo reaction-6 of these were characterized in this reaction for the first time. They were four diastereomers of N2-(3-hydroxybutylidene)dGuo (20, 21), 7-(N-nitrosopyrrolidin-2-yl)Gua (2), and 2-(2-hydroxypyrrolidin-1-yl)deoxyinosine (12). Adducts 20 and 21 were identified by comparison to standards produced in the reaction of 3-hydroxybutanal with dGuo. Adduct 2 was identified by its spectral properties while adduct 12 was characterized by comparison to an independently synthesized standard. With the exception of adduct 2, all products of the dGuo reactions were also observed in the DNA reactions. The major product in both the dGuo and DNA reactions was N2-(tetrahydrofuran-2-yl)dGuo (10), consistent with previous studies. Several other previously identified adducts were also observed in this study. HPLC analysis of reaction mixtures treated with NaBH3CN provided improved conditions for adduct identification, which should be useful for in vivo studies of DNA adduct formation by NPYR.

A cyclic N7,C-8 guanine adduct of N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR): formation in nucleic acids and excretion in the urine of NPYR-treated rats.

N-Nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) is a well-established hepatocarcinogen that is present in the diet and tobacco smoke and may form endogenously in humans. Biomarkers to assess NPYR exposure and metabolic activation in humans are needed. The cyclic N7,C-8 guanine adduct 2-amino-6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-9-hydroxypyrido[2,1-f]purin-4(3H)-one (8), which is formed in tissues of rats treated with NPYR, is one potential candidate for such a biomarker. In this study, we evaluated the formation of this and other NPYR adducts in reactions of alpha-acetoxyNPYR with dGuo, Guo, DNA, and RNA and determined the extent of urinary excretion of adduct 8 in rats treated with NPYR. alpha-AcetoxyNPYR, a stable precursor to the major product of NPYR metabolic activation, was allowed to react with dGuo, Guo, DNA, or RNA at 37 degrees C, pH 7. The most striking observation was that the cyclic N7,C-8 guanine adduct 8 was formed 9 times more extensively in the reaction with Guo than with dGuo. It was also formed 2.5 times more extensively in RNA than in DNA. In rats treated with NPYR, levels of the cyclic N7,C-8 guanine adduct 8 were 2 times as high in RNA than in DNA. Rats treated with [14C]adduct 8 excreted 51% of this adduct unchanged in urine. Rats treated with [3,4-3H]NPYR excreted 0.00004% of the dose as adduct 8. The major differences in product formation in reactions of alpha-acetoxyNPYR with dGuo versus Guo are unusual for alkylating agents; potential mechanisms are discussed. The higher levels of adduct 8 in RNA than in DNA suggest that RNA may be superior as a source of adduct 8 as a biomarker.

Enhancement of tumorigenesis by N-nitrosodiethylamine, N-nitrosopyrrolidine and N6-(methylnitroso)-adenosine by ethanol.

Inclusion of 10% ethanol with 6.8 ppm N-nitrosodiethylamine in the drinking water of strain A male mice resulted in a 4-fold enhancement of multiplicity of lung tumors and a 16-fold increase in incidence of fore-stomach tumors, compared with carcinogen alone. Given with 40 ppm N-nitrosopyrrolidine, ethanol caused a 5.5-fold increase in lung tumor multiplicity. The inclusion of 15% ethanol with N6-(methylnitroso)adenosine, given orally to Swiss female mice, led to reduced body weights and shortened survival time related to hemangiosarcoma occurrence or increased incidence of thymic lymphoma, depending on dose of carcinogen. The data provide additional support for the proposal that co-administered ethanol increases the tumorigenicity of nitrosamines by blocking hepatic first-pass clearance.

Formation of 7-(4-oxobutyl)guanine in hepatic DNA of rats treated with N-nitrosopyrrolidine.

We have reported previously the formation of two structurally distinct exocyclic guanine adducts (adducts 1 and 6) in liver DNA of F344 rats treated with N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR). In this study, we detected and characterized a previously unidentified guanine adduct in liver DNA of NPYR-treated rats. The structure of this adduct was established as 7-(4-oxobutyl)guanine (adduct 2) by comparison with the synthetic standard and confirmed by NaBH4 reduction to 7-(4-hydroxybutyl)guanine. The level of adduct 2 in liver DNA of F344 rats treated with 450 mg/kg of NPYR by i.p. administration was 643 +/- 9 mumol/mol guanine, approximately one-third of the level of adduct 1. This study is the first to demonstrate the in vivo formation of a formylalkyl-substituted guanine adduct by a nitrosamine.

The short-term effects of carcinogens and sulphur dioxide on the nuclear size of rat nasal epithelial cells.

Enlarged nuclei have been observed frequently as an early carcinogen-induced change in both cultured cells and in target tissues in vivo. The purpose of this work was to examine the occurrence of nuclear enlargement in the upper respiratory tract of rats to provide further evidence of whether nuclear enlargement is a reliable marker of carcinogenesis, and if it could be used as a short-term test for respiratory carcinogens. Carcinogen-induced nuclear enlargement is best demonstrated in vivo when the tissue involved has been undergoing rapid replication. Male Wistar albino rats were simultaneously exposed to an atmosphere containing sulphur dioxide (which caused a hyperplastic response in the nasal cavity) and received an i.p. injection of a nitrosamine. Sections were prepared from the nasal cavity, and the nuclear areas of respiratory epithelial cells were measured. There were some increases in nuclear size 24 and 72 h after the start of treatment. The reversal of this effect 120 h after the start of treatment may have been due to the loss of the normal ciliated mucosal epithelium, and subsequent loss of metabolic capability.

Comparative study of DNA damage and repair induced by ten N-nitroso compounds in primary cultures of human and rat hepatocytes.

Ten carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds were assayed for DNA-damaging activity in primary cultures of human and rat hepatocytes. DNA fragmentation was measured by the alkaline elution technique, and unscheduled DNA synthesis by quantitative autoradiography. Positive dose-related responses in the range of subtoxic concentrations indicated were obtained in cells of both species with N-nitrosodiethylamine (10-32 mM), N-nitrosodi-n-propylamine (1.8-10 mM), N-nitrosomorpholine (1-3.2 mM), N-nitrosopiperidine (1-3.2 mM), N-nitrosopyrrolidine (3.2-18 mM), N-nitroso-N-methylurea (0.32-1.8 mM), N-nitroso-N-ethylurea (0.32-1.8 mM), and N-nitroso-N-butylurea (0.1-0.32 mM). N-nitrosodi-n-butylamine was practically inactive at the maximal soluble concentration (1 mM). The responses of human hepatocytes were qualitatively similar to those of rat hepatocytes, but statistically significant differences between the two species in the amounts of DNA damage and/or unscheduled DNA synthesis were observed with N-nitrosodimethylamine, N-nitrosomorpholine, N-nitrosopiperidine, N-nitrosopyrrolidine, and N-nitroso-N-butylurea. On the other hand, quantitative differences in the genotoxic effects induced by 5 mM N-nitrosodimethylamine in cultures derived from 20 human donors and from 20 rats were greater than average interspecies differences displayed by this nitrosamine and by other N-nitroso compounds. These results indicate that the rat hepatocyte DNA repair assay is a valid model for predicting the genotoxic potential of N-nitroso compounds in human hepatocytes.

The effect of pyrazole, phenobarbital, ethanol and 3-methylcholanthrene pretreatment on the in vivo and in vitro genotoxicity of N-nitrosopyrrolidine.

The in vitro genotoxicity of N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPy) has been studied in Salmonella typhimurium strain TA1535 in the presence of untreated and pyrazole-, phenobarbital (PB)-, 4-day ethanol (EtOH)-, 10-day EtOH- and 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC)-pretreated male Sprague-Dawley rat liver S-9 fractions. Unless stated otherwise, the last pretreatment exposure was 24 h prior to sacrifice and isolation of hepatic enzymes. Pyrazole and EtOH (10-day exposure) both effectively induced the conversion of NPy into a mutagen at doses as low as 500 microM. PB and EtOH (4-day exposure) had a modest enhancing effect on the number of revertants scored, while 3-MC and uninduced S-9 fractions gave results not significantly different from background (no NPy). The same pretreatment protocols were used to determine the in vivo genotoxicity of NPy in rat liver using the technique of alkaline elution. The inducing agents had the exact opposite effect in vivo with control, 3-MC- and 4-day EtOH-treated animals showing the highest level of DNA damage. Pyrazole and 10-day EtOH pretreatments gave DNA elution rate constants comparable to animals not treated with NPy. However, in 10-day EtOH-pretreated animals which were administered NPy without a 24-h interval between EtOH and NPy exposure, DNA damage was observed at the same high levels as was seen in uninduced and 3-MC treated rats. The results are discussed in terms of a detoxification role for microsomal proteins and that the observed in vivo DNA damage may be induced by enzymes associated with the nuclear compartment.

Effects of N-nitrosopyrrolidine and N-nitrosoproline on the incorporation of 3H-thymidine into the DNA of various organs of the mouse: tissue specificity and effects of ethanol consumption.

The effects of the carcinogenic N-nitrosamine N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) and the non-carcinogenic N-nitrosamino acid N-nitrosoproline (NPRO) on 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA were evaluated in various organs of male C57BL mice. The N-nitroso compounds were given intraperitoneally 24 hrs before sacrifice in equimolar amounts (148 mumol/kg b.wt.). Two hours before the mice were killed, they were given an intraperitoneal injection of 3H-thymidine. NPYR, but not NPRO, induced a tissue-specific inhibition of 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA. The inhibition occurred only in organs reported to be involved in the biotransformation of NPYR, i.e., the liver, lung, and nasal mucosa. Daily oral consumption of ethanol (1.8 ml 30% ethanol for 30 days) had no effects in itself on 3H-thymidine incorporation, but resulted in an enhancement of the inhibitory action of NPYR in the lung and nasal mucosa.

Mutagenicity of some dialkylnitrosamines, cyclic nitrosamines and N,N-diethanolnitrosamine in Salmonella typhimurium with rat and rabbit nasal, lung and liver S9 homogenates.

6 nitrosamines, 5 of which cause rat nasal cancer, were tested for mutagenicity in the TA100 strain of S. typhimurium with rat and rabbit nasal, lung and liver S9 homogenates. The TA98 strain also was used with rabbit tissue homogenates. The two cyclic nitrosamines tested, N-nitrosopiperidine and N-nitrosopyrrolidine, were substantially mutagenic with all rabbit tissue homogenates in TA100, but in the rat only nasal homogenate was effective in activating them. N-Nitrosodi(n)propylamine also was activated by rat nasal tissue homogenate but not by the other rat or rabbit tissue homogenates. Diethanolnitrosamine was a direct mutagen in both TA100 and TA98. N-Nitrosodimethylamine and N-nitrosodiethylamine were not mutagenic under any test conditions. The results indicate that some nitrosamines that cause nasal cancer can be activated by nasal enzymes and that possibly important differences in activating capabilities occur among respiratory tract and hepatic tissues and among animal species.

Mutagenicity of N-nitrosopyrrolidine derivatives in Salmonella (Ames) and Escherichia coli K-12 (343/113) assays.

The mutagenicity of nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) and its derivatives was determined by use of the Ames Salmonella assay. A clear specificity to revert the missense stain of TA1535 and a requirement for the phenobarbital-induced rat-liver activation system (S9 mix) were noted. 3,4-Dichloronitrosopyrrolidine was more mutagenic than NPYR, whereas 3-hydroxynitrosopyrrolidine was weakly mutagenic. The carcinogenic nitroso-3-pyrrolidine was not mutagenic under the test conditions. The noncarcinogenic derivatives (2,5-dimethylnitrosopyrrolidine, nitrosoproline and 4-hydroxynitrosoproline) were not mutagenic. Liquid preincubation assays were not any more effective than the pour-plate assays. Selected derivatives of NPYR were tested in the Escherichia coli K-12 (343/113) assay A specificity to revert the missense mutation at the arg locus and a dependence on phenobarbital-induced rat-liver S9 mix were noted with NPYR and its derivatives. 3,4-Dibromonitrosopyrrolidine, which was not mutagenic in Salmonella, was effective in E. coli, and the weakly carcinogenic NPRL was a weak mutagen resulting in a 2-fold enhancement in the E. coli arginine reversion assay.

Enhanced metabolism and mutagenesis of nitrosopyrrolidine in liver fractions isolated from chronic ethanol-consuming hamsters.

The effect of chronic ethanol consumption on the ability of isolated liver fractions to metabolize the carcinogen N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPY) was examined. Microsomal fractions of treated animals exhibited increased rates of alpha-hydroxylation of NPY. Similar increases in the specific activities of aniline hydroxylase, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate cytochrome c reductase, and the specific content of cytochrome P-450 were also observed. In contrast, no differences in the specific activities of benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase or glucose-6-phosphatase were observed. Liver postmitochondrial supernatants from ethanol-consuming animals were able to produce 5 times more mutants than did control preparations. It is concluded that alpha-hydroxylation of NPY is probably the mechanism by which NPY is converted to a mutagen and that this pathway can be induced by ethanol.