Enhanced demethylation and denitrosation of N-nitrosodimethylamine by human liver microsomes from alcoholics.

The metabolism of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) was investigated in incubations with human liver microsomes from alcoholics and control patients who suffered from other diseases, but had a histological normal liver. All of the microsomal samples studied were able to metabolize NDMA at various concentrations to both formaldehyde and nitrite. Analysis of the liver microsomes from alcoholics revealed that both enzymatic activities--formaldehyde and nitrite formation--were enhanced several times as compared to the control patients. The results point to the fact that alcoholics metabolize NDMA at a higher rate probably due to the induction of one or more ethanol-inducible human liver cytochromes (cyt.) P450. The question if alcoholics therefore possess a higher risk for carcinogenic events is discussed.

Metabolic denitrosation of diphenylnitrosamine: a possible bioactivation pathway.

Nitrosodiphenylamine was tested for induction of DNA single strand breaks in rat hepatocytes and Chinese hamster V 79 cells with the alkaline filter elution assay. While in rat hepatocytes DNA damage was observed, negative results were obtained in V 79 cells. In view of the metabolic capacity of hepatocytes and the chemical structure of nitrosodiphenylamine it seems likely that cytochrome P-450-dependent, reductive denitrosation might be necessary for exerting this effect. Therefore the metabolism of nitrosodiphenylamine was investigated in phenobarbital-induced mouse liver microsomes and some of the metabolites were also tested. One metabolite was identified as diphenylamine whereas the others were identified as a ring-hydroxylated derivative of diphenylamine and its corresponding quinoneimine. Diphenylhydroxylamine which was not detected in the microsomes as a metabolite produced a significant amount of DNA single strand breaks in V 79 cells. When diphenylhydroxylamine was incubated with microsomes electron spin resonance spectrum was observed which indicated the formation of the diphenylnitroxide radical. This radical seems to be mediated by auto-oxidation rather than by enzymatic catalysis. Whether diphenylhydroxylamine might be responsible for the observed genetoxic effects of nitrosodiphenylamine assumed to be produced via active oxygen species is discussed.

Oxidative dealkylation and reductive denitrosation of nitrosomethylaniline in vitro.

N-Nitrosomethylaniline (NMA) was incubated with liver microsomes from female mice and rats. Both formaldehyde and nitrite formation were determined in the same incubation mixture under various experimental conditions. The animals were pretreated with phenobarbital (PB) or butylhydroxytoluene (BHT) in order to modify microsomal monooxygenase activities. Furthermore, various possibilities were tried to supply the microsomal system with reducing equivalents (NADPH-regenerating system, NADPH-regenerating system plus NADH or NADH alone). It can be deduced from these experiments that both enzymatic activities--oxidative demethylation and reductive denitrosation of NMA--do not proceed in a parallel manner. Thus both reactions are different from each other. They represent two separate pathways in nitrosamine metabolism.

Denitrosation of diphenylnitrosamine in vivo.

A single dose of diphenylnitrosamine (NDphA) was applied orally or intraperitoneally (i.p.) to rats. The urine was sampled and analysed for nitrite/nitrate by ion chromatography and for diphenylamine (DphA) plus hydroxydiphenylamine by gas chromatography. The major metabolite was nitrate. Nitrite and DphA were found in minor amounts. In a somewhat higher concentration, a monohydroxylated DphA was detected. It is concluded that NDphA is denitrosated to nitric oxide (NO) and DphA in the organism and that NO is then converted into nitrite and nitrate.

Metabolic inactivation of N-nitrosamines by cytochrome P-450 in vitro and in vivo.

Nitrite was formed on incubation of N-nitrosamines with both microsomal systems and a reconstituted system consisting of cytochrome P-450 and NADPH P-450 reductase from pig liver. Nitrite was not obtained when the nitrosamines were incubated with NADPH P-450 reductase alone or when molecular oxygen or NADPH was omitted. Various inhibitors of the microsomal monooxygenase decreased nitrite generation. Furthermore, nitrite and a substantially higher amount of nitrate could be found in the urine of rats given N-nitrosodiphenylamine. Diphenylamine was also detected. From in-vitro studies, it is concluded that denitrosation of N-nitrosamines is a cytochrome P-450-dependent process, which also occurs in vivo.

Isomer-specific determination of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and related compounds in human fat and food.

An analytical procedure for the isomer-specific quantification of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in samples of human and animal origin is described. It consists of a large-scale clean-up including various kinds of column chromatography and high-resolution gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric quantification referring to internal 13C-labelled standards. By additional application of gel-permeation chromatography and the use of a retention gap, detection limits in the low ppq range (10(-15) were achieved.

Metabolic nitrite formation from N-nitrosamines: are there other pathways than reductive denitrosation by cytochrome P-450?

To demonstrate whether there are any pathways of nitrite formation from N-nitrosamines other than reductive denitrosation by cytochrome P-450 we performed the following experiments. An esterified alpha-hydroxylated nitrosamine was incubated in a microsomal system to test if nitrite generation is coupled with or linked to the oxidative bioactivation pathway. Simultaneously, inhibitors of microsomal esterases were added to test if the intact molecule or a metabolite from the oxidative metabolism was responsible for nitrite formation. To check if the superoxide radical anion could be related to the mechanism of nitrite generation, nitrosamines were incubated with a xanthine oxidase/hypoxanthine system. To test if the OH radical was involved in nitrite formation, nitrosamines were incubated with an artificial hydroxy-radical generating system (xanthine oxidase/hypoxanthine system supplemented with Fe2+/EDTA). Measurable amounts of nitrite were detected after incubation of the esterified-hydroxylated N-nitrosamine when the hydrolysis by microsomal esterases was inhibited by diisopropylfluorophosphate or paraoxon and when the N-nitrosamines were incubated with the artificial hydroxy-radical generating system. Nitrite formation could not be detected in the O2(-)-generating system (xanthine oxidase/hypoxanthine) or when the esterified alpha-hydroxylated N-nitrosamine was incubated without inhibition of the microsomal esterases. These results demonstrate that besides reductive denitrosation by cytochrome P-450, nitrite generation from N-nitrosamines can also be caused by hydroxy-radicals. The importance of this possible pathway for the in vivo situation of nitrosamine metabolism is discussed.

Some aspects of cytochrome P450-dependent denitrosation of N-nitrosamines.

The present paper deals with three aspects of cytochrome P450-dependent denitrosation of N-nitrosamines. (1) Nitrate was found in addition to nitrite as a metabolic product of the denitrosation reaction when N-nitrosamines were incubated with a microsomal system. This could also be shown when nitric oxide was added to the microsomes. (2) In order to determine the amount of denitrosation in vivo, the nitroso group of N-nitroso-N-methylaniline was labelled with the 15N isotope and administered to rats; then, the concentrations of 15N-nitrate and 15-N-nitrite in the urine were quantified by measuring the reaction of nitrate and benzene to nitrobenzene. It is estimated from these data that about 33% of the applied dose of 15N-nitroso-N-methylaniline is denitrosated in vivo. (3) Although N-nitrosodiphenylamine (NDPhA) has been classified as a noncarcinogen, recent long-term and short-term studies have cast some doubt. In order to evaluate the mechanism by which NDPhA exerts its possible genetoxic effects, its metabolism was studied in vitro, and NDPhA and its metabolites were tested for induction of DNA single-strand breaks in rat hepatocytes and in Chinese hamster V79 cells. One metabolite was identified as diphenylamine; others were suspected to be the 4-hydroxylated derivative and its corresponding quinoneimine. NDPhA caused DNA damage in rat hepatocytes but not in V79 cells. Diphenylamine also gave negative results in V79 cells, but its putative metabolite, diphenylhydroxylamine, induced a significant increase in DNA single-strand breaks.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)