Chromosome aberrations cause tumorigenesis through chromosomal rearrangements in a hepatocarcinogenesis rat model.

Chromosome aberrations (CAs), a genotoxic potential of carcinogens, are believed to contribute to tumorigenesis by chromosomal rearrangements through micronucleus formation. However, there is no direct evidence that proves the involvement of CAs in tumorigenesis in vivo. In the current study, we sought to clarify the involvement of CAs in chemical carcinogenesis using a rat model with a pure CA-inducer hepatocarcinogen, acetamide. Whole-genome analysis indicated that hepatic tumors induced by acetamide treatment for 26-30 weeks showed a broad range of copy number alterations in various chromosomes. In contrast, hepatic tumors induced by a typical mutagen (diethylnitrosamine) followed by a nonmutagen (phenobarbital) did not show such mutational patterns. Additionally, structural alterations such as translocations were observed more frequently in the acetamide-induced tumors. Moreover, most of the acetamide-induced tumors expressed c-Myc and/or MDM2 protein due to the copy number gain of each oncogene. These results suggest the occurrence of chromosomal rearrangements and subsequent oncogene amplification in the acetamide-induced tumors. Taken together, the results indicate that CAs are directly involved in tumorigenesis through chromosomal rearrangements in an acetamide-induced hepatocarcinogenesis rat model.

Appearance of sex-determining region Y-box 9 (SOX9)- and glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P)-positive hepatocytes as possible carcinogenic events in the early stage of furan-induced hepatocarcinogenesis.

Furan, the basic skeleton of various flavoring agents, induces cholangiocellular tumors with higher incidences in the caudate lobe and hepatocellular tumors without the lobe specificity in rats, but the mechanism is unclear. We investigated the lobe distribution of possible carcinogenic events. Furan caused proliferation/infiltration of oval and inflammatory cells prominently in the caudate lobe as early as 4 weeks and cholangiofibrosis in this lobe at 8 weeks. In vivo mutagenicity assays using DNA extracted from the caudate or left lateral lobe of male gpt delta rats, the reporter gene-transgenic rats, treated with 8 mg/kg furan for 4 or 8 weeks showed negative outcomes. The distribution of glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P)-positive or sex-determining region Y-box 9 (SOX9)-positive hepatocytes was examined. Significant increases in the number of GST-P-positive hepatocytes were observed in all lobes of furan-treated rats at 8 weeks. By contrast, SOX9-positive hepatocytes, liver injury-inducible progenitor cells, were also found in all lobes of treated rats, the incidences of which were by far the highest in the caudate lobe. In addition, some of these hepatocytes also co-expressed delta like 1 homolog (DLK1), a hepatoblast marker, particularly in areas with a predominant presence of inflammatory cells. Overall, furan induced liver injury, leading to the appearance of SOX9-positive hepatocytes, some of which were subjected to dedifferentiation in the inflammatory microenvironment of a cholangiocarcinoma-prone lobe. Thus, the appearance of SOX9-positive hepatocytes together with GST-P-positive hepatocytes could be initial events in furan-induced hepatocarcinogenesis via non-genotoxic mechanisms.

Possible contribution of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine to gene mutations in the kidney DNA of gpt delta rats following potassium bromate treatment.

8-Hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) is well known not only as an effective biomarker of oxidative stress but also as a mutagenic DNA modification. Incorporation of dAMP at the opposite site of 8-OHdG induces G>T or A>C transversions. However, in vivo analyses of gene mutations caused by potassium bromate (KBrO3), which can induce 8-OHdG at carcinogenic target sites, showed that G>T was prominent in the small intestines of mice, but not in the kidneys of rats. Because KBrO3 was a much clearer carcinogen in the kidneys of rats, detailed analyses of gene mutations in the kidney DNA of rats treated with KBrO3 could improve our understanding of oxidative stress-mediated carcinogenesis. In the current study, site-specific reporter gene mutation assays were performed in the kidneys of gpt delta rats treated with KBrO3. Groups of 5 gpt delta rats were treated with KBrO3 at concentrations of 0, 125, 250, or 500 ppm in the drinking water for 9 weeks. At necropsy, the kidneys were macroscopically divided into the cortex and medulla. 8-OHdG levels in DNA extracted from the cortex were dramatically elevated at concentrations of 250 ppm and higher compared with those from the medulla. Cortex-specific increases in mutant frequencies in gpt and red/gam genes were found at 500 ppm. Mutation spectrum and sequence analyses of their mutants demonstrated significant elevations in A>T transversions in the gpt gene and single base deletions at guanine or adenine in the gpt or red/gam genes. While A>T transversions and single base deletions of adenine may result from the oxidized modification of adenine, the contribution of 8-OHdG to gene mutations was limited despite possible participation of the 8-OHdG repair process in guanine deletion.

Formation of hepatocyte cytoplasmic inclusions and their contribution to methylcarbamate-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in F344 rats.

Methylcarbamate (MC), a reaction product between dimethyl dicarbonate and ammonia or ammonium ion, is a potent hepatocarcinogen in F344 rats. Various genotoxicity tests have shown negative results for MC. Although previous studies have described the effects of MC on the liver, including the formation of characteristic basophilic cytoplasmic inclusions (CIs) in hepatocytes, the toxicological significance of CIs and their involvement in hepatocarcinogenesis remain unclear. In the current study, to elucidate the mechanisms of MC hepatocarcinogenesis, we examined hepatotoxicity and genotoxicity after 4 weeks of administration of MC using gpt delta rats with an F344 genetic background as a reporter gene transgenic animal model. Histopathologically, single-cell necrosis, karyomegaly, and the formation of CIs positive for Feulgen staining were observed in hepatocytes at the carcinogenic dose, demonstrating the hepatotoxicity of MC. CIs were also detected as large micronuclei in liver micronucleus tests but not in the bone marrow, suggesting that MC could cause chromosomal instability specifically in the livers of rats. Reporter gene mutation assays demonstrated that MC did not induce mutagenicity even in the liver. Immunofluorescence analyses revealed that CIs exhibited loss of nuclear envelope integrity, increased heterochromatinization, and accumulation of DNA damage. An increase in liver STING protein levels suggested an effect on the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase/stimulator of interferon genes innate immune pathway. Overall, these data demonstrated the possible occurrence of chromothripsis-like chromosomal rearrangements via CIs. Thus, the formation of CIs could be a crucial event in the early stage of MC-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in F344 rats.

Site-specific genotoxicity of rubiadin: localization and histopathological changes in the kidneys of rats.

Rubiadin (Rub) is a genotoxic component of madder color (MC) that is extracted from the root of Rubia tinctorum L. MC induces renal tumors and preneoplastic lesions that are found in the proximal tubule of the outer stripe of the outer medulla (OSOM), suggesting that the renal carcinogenicity of MC is site specific. To clarify the involvement of Rub in renal carcinogenesis of MC, we examined the distribution of Rub in the kidney of male gpt delta rats that were treated with Rub for 28 days. We used desorption electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry imaging (DESI-Q-TOF-MSI), along with the histopathological analysis, immunohistochemical staining, and reporter gene mutation assays of the kidney. DESI-Q-TOF-MSI revealed that Rub and its metabolites, lucidin and Rub-sulfation, were specifically distributed in the OSOM. Histopathologically, karyomegaly characterized by enlarged nuclear and microvesicular vacuolar degeneration occurred in proximal tubule epithelial cells in the OSOM. The ɤ-H2AX- and p21-positive cells were also found in the OSOM rather than the cortex. Although dose-dependent increases in gpt and Spi- mutant frequencies were observed in both the medulla and cortex, the mutant frequencies in the medulla were significantly higher. The mutation spectra of gpt mutants showed that A:T-T:A transversion was predominant in Rub-induced gene mutations, consistent with those of MC. Overall, the data showed that the distribution of Rub and its metabolites resulted in site-specific histopathological changes, DNA damage, and gene mutations, suggesting that the distribution of genotoxic components and metabolites is responsible for the site-specific renal carcinogenesis of MC.

A 13-week comprehensive toxicity study with adductome analysis demonstrates the toxicity, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity of the natural flavoring agent elemicin.

Elemicin, an alkenylbenzene flavoring, exists naturally in foods, herbs, and spices. Some alkenylbenzenes are hepatotoxic and hepatocarcinogenic in rodents. However, few studies have examined the toxicology of elemicin. In the current study, we comprehensively evaluated the general toxicity, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity of elemicin using gpt delta rats and DNA adductome analysis. Groups of 10 male F344 gpt delta rats were treated with elemicin by gavage at a dose of 0, 25, 100, or 400 mg/kg bw/day for 13 weeks. Liver weights were significantly increased with histopathological changes in groups receiving 100 mg/kg bw/day or more. Significant increases in serum hepatotoxic parameters were observed in the 400 mg/kg bw/day group. Based on the observed changes in liver weights, 18.6 mg/kg bw was identified as the low benchmark dose. Significant increases in the number and area of glutathione S-transferase placental form-positive foci and gpt mutant frequencies were apparent only in the 400 mg/kg/day group, although elemicin-specific DNA adducts were detected from the lowest dose, suggesting that elemicin exhibited hepatocarcinogenicity in rats only at higher doses. Because elemicin showed no mutagenicity at lower doses, there was an adequate safety margin between the acceptable daily intake and the estimated daily intake of elemicin.

Comprehensive analysis of the general toxicity, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity of 3-acetyl-2,5-dimethylfuran in male gpt delta rats.

The safety of flavoring agents has been evaluated according to classification by chemical structure and using a decision tree approach. The genotoxic potential found in some flavoring agents has highlighted the importance of efficient toxicity studies. We performed a comprehensive toxicity analysis using reporter gene transgenic rats to assess the safety of 3-acetyl-2,5-dimethylfuran (ADF), a flavoring agent exhibiting genotoxic potential in silico and in vitro assays. Male F344 gpt delta rats were given 0, 30, or 300 mg/kg body weight/day ADF by gavage for 13 weeks. In serum biochemistry analyses, triglyceride, total cholesterol, phospholipid, and total protein levels and albumin/globulin ratios were significantly altered in the 30 and 300 mg/kg groups. Histopathologically, nasal cavity toxicity and hepatocellular hypertrophy were observed in the 300 mg/kg group. In the livers of 300 mg/kg group, a significant increase in gpt mutant frequencies were observed along with ADF-specific DNA adduct formation. The number and area of glutathione S-transferase placental form-positive foci were significantly increased in the same group. Thus, ADF affected nasal cavity, liver, and lipid metabolism and showed genotoxicity and possible carcinogenicity in the liver. Overall, our comprehensive toxicity study using gpt delta rats provided insights into the safety evaluation of ADF.

Toxicity, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity of 2-methylfuran in a 90-day comprehensive toxicity study in gpt delta rats.

2-Methylfuran (2-MF) exists naturally in foods and is used as a flavoring agent. Furan, the core structure of 2-MF, possesses hepatocarcinogenicity in rodents. Accumulation of toxicological information on furan derivatives is needed to elucidate their carcinogenic mode of action. In the current study, we examined the comprehensive toxicological studies of 2-MF using gpt delta rats. 2-MF was intragastrically administered to groups of 10 male and 10 female Sprague-Dawley gpt delta rats at a dose of 0, 1.2, 6, or 30 mg/kg/day for 13 weeks. Effects of 2-MF on the hepatobiliary system including an increase in serum alkaline phosphatase were observed in the 6 and 30 mg/kg groups, and cholangiofibrosis was found in the 30 mg/kg group. The no observed adverse effect level was set at 1.2 mg/kg/day for both sexes and 1.14 mg/kg/day was determined as the benchmark dose low. The acceptable daily intake was calculated to be 11.4 µg/kg/day. Increases in the number and areas of glutathione S-transferase placental form-positive foci in the 30 mg/kg group were apparent, suggesting the hepatocarcinogenicity of 2-MF in rats. By contrast, the lack of increase in in vivo mutagenicity in the liver implied that 2-MF hepatocarcinogenesis may not involve genotoxic mechanisms.

Visualization of the distribution of anthraquinone components from madder roots in rat kidneys by desorption electrospray ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry imaging.

Madder color (MC), a natural dye isolated from Rubia tinctorum, is a potent carcinogen that targets the outer stripe of outer medulla (OSOM) in the kidneys of rats. To clarify the role of MC components in renal carcinogenesis, we examined distributions of MC components and metabolites in the kidneys of rats treated with MC using desorption electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry imaging (DESI-MSI). Alizarin, lucidin, munjistin, nordamnacanthal, purpurin, pseudopurpurin, rubiadin, and some other metabolites detected and identified by liquid chromatography time-of-flight MS analysis of rat serum 1 h after MC administration were subjected to DESI-MSI. This analysis enabled visualization of the distribution of anthraquinones in the kidney, and the ion images showed a characteristic distribution according to their chemical structure. Among the components, lucidin and rubiadin specifically localized in the OSOM, suggesting that their genotoxicity was a direct cause of MC carcinogenesis. Alizarin showed greater distribution in the OSOM than the cortex and may therefore participate in renal carcinogenicity owing to its tumor-promoting activity. Overall, our data suggested that the distribution of carcinogenic components to the OSOM was responsible for the site-specific renal carcinogenicity of MC and that DESI-MSI analysis may be a powerful tool for exploring the mechanisms of chemical carcinogenesis.

A 90-day subchronic toxicity study of Myrrh in F344 rats.

Myrrh is a flavoring agent and food additive. Here, we performed a subchronic toxicity study of Myrrh in male and female F344 rats by feeding at 5,000, 15,000 and 50,000 ppm for 90 days. No deaths or clinical signs were observed. Suppression of body weight gain was observed from the early phase of administration in both males and females in the 50,000 ppm group. Because there were no obvious changes in food intake in any of the Myrrh groups compared with the control group, suppression of body weight gain was considered an adverse effect of Myrrh. Hematology and serum biochemistry parameters with significant changes observed in the Myrrh groups were considered to have no toxicological significance. We observed a significant increase in relative kidney weight in male rats treated with 50,000 ppm Myrrh; this effect was considered to be related to the appearance of hyaline droplets in the epithelium of the proximal tubules histopathologically observed in this group. Immunohistochemical staining with anti-α2u-globulin antibodies suggested that these hyaline droplets were caused by factors other than α2u-globulin deposition. Thus, the no-observed-adverse-effect level of Myrrh was determined to be 15,000 ppm (males: 0.85 g/kg/day, females: 0.95 g/kg/day).

In vivo mutagenicity and tumor-promoting activity of 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol in the liver and kidneys of gpt delta rats.

1,3-Dichloro-2-propanol (1,3-DCP), a food contaminant, exerts carcinogenic effects in multiple organs, including the liver and kidneys, in rats. However, the underlying mechanisms of 1,3-DCP-induced carcinogenesis remain unclear. Here, the in vivo mutagenicity and tumor-promoting activity of 1,3-DCP in the liver and kidneys were evaluated using medium-term gpt delta rat models previously established in our laboratory (GPG and GNP models). Six-week-old male F344 gpt delta rats were treated with 0 or 50 mg/kg body weight/day 1,3-DCP by gavage for 4 weeks. After 2 weeks of cessation, partial hepatectomy or unilateral nephrectomy was performed to collect samples for in vivo mutation assays, followed by single administration of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) for tumor initiation. One week after DEN injection, 1,3-DCP treatment was resumed, and tumor-promoting activity was evaluated in the residual liver or kidneys by histopathological analysis of preneoplastic lesions. gpt mutant frequencies increased in excised liver and kidney tissues following 1,3-DCP treatment. 1,3-DCP did not affect the development of glutathione S-transferase placental form-positive foci in residual liver tissues, but enhanced atypical tubule hyperplasia in residual kidney tissues. Detailed histopathological analyses revealed glomerular injury and increased cell proliferation of renal tubular cells in residual kidney tissues of rats treated with 1,3-DCP. These results suggested possible involvement of genotoxic mechanisms in 1,3-DCP-induced carcinogenesis in the liver and kidneys. In addition, we found that 1,3-DCP exhibited limited tumor-promoting activity in the liver, but enhanced clonal expansion in renal carcinogenesis via proliferation of renal tubular cells following glomerular injury.

Chromosome aberrations induced by the non-mutagenic carcinogen acetamide involve in rat hepatocarcinogenesis through micronucleus formation in hepatocytes.

Chromosome aberrations (CAs), i.e. changes in chromosome number or structure, are known to cause chromosome rearrangements and subsequently tumorigenesis. However, the involvement of CAs in chemical-induced carcinogenesis is unclear. In the current study, we aimed to clarify the possible involvement of CAs in chemical carcinogenesis using a rat model with the non-mutagenic hepatocarcinogen acetamide. In an in vivo micronucleus (MN) test, acetamide was revealed to induce CAs specifically in rat liver at carcinogenic doses. Acetamide also induced centromere-positive large MN (LMN) in hepatocytes. Immunohistochemical and electron microscopic analyses of the LMN, which can be histopathologically detected as basophilic cytoplasmic inclusion, revealed abnormal expression of nuclear envelope proteins, increased heterochromatinization, and massive DNA damage. These molecular pathological features in LMN progressed with acetamide exposure in a time-dependent manner, implying that LMN formation can lead to chromosome rearrangements. Overall, these data suggested that CAs induced by acetamide play a pivotal role in acetamide-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats and that CAs can cause chemical carcinogenesis in animals via MN formation.

The role of DNA polymerase ζ in benzo[a]pyrene-induced mutagenesis in the mouse lung.

DNA polymerase zeta (Polζ) is a heterotetramer composed of the catalytic subunit Rev3l, Rev7 and two subunits of Polδ (PolD2/Pol31 and PolD3/Pol32), and this polymerase exerts translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) in yeast. Because Rev3l knockout results in embryonic lethality in mice, the functions of Polζ need further investigation in vivo. Then, we noted the two facts that substitution of leucine 979 of yeast Rev3l with methionine reduces Polζ replication fidelity and that reporter gene transgenic rodents are able to provide the detailed mutation status. Here, we established gpt delta mouse knocked in the constructed gene encoding methionine instead of leucine at residue 2610 of Rev3l (Rev3l L2610M gpt delta mice), to clarify the role of Polζ in TLS of chemical-induced bulky DNA adducts in vivo. Eight-week-old gpt delta mice and Rev3l L2610M gpt delta mice were treated with benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) at 0, 40, 80, or 160 mg/kg via single intraperitoneal injection. At necropsy 31 days after treatment, lungs were collected for reporter gene mutation assays. Although the gpt mutant frequency was significantly increased by BaP in both mouse genotypes, it was three times higher in Rev3l L2610M gpt delta than gpt delta mice after treatment with 160 mg/kg BaP. The frequencies of G:C base substitutions and characteristic complex mutations were significantly increased in Rev3l L2610M gpt delta mice compared with gpt delta mice. The BaP dose-response relationship suggested that Polζ plays a central role in TLS when protective mechanisms against BaP mutagenesis, such as error-free TLS, are saturated. Overall, Polζ may incorporate incorrect nucleotides at the sites opposite to BaP-modified guanines and extend short DNA sequences from the resultant terminal mismatches only when DNA is heavily damaged.

A 90-day subchronic toxicity study of 5-methyl-2-phenyl-2-hexenal in F344 rats.

5-Methyl-2-phenyl-2-hexenal (MPH) has been used as a flavoring agent. In the present study, we performed a subchronic toxicity study in male and female F344 rats with oral administration of MPH by gavage at 0, 8, 24 and 70 mg/kg body weight (BW)/day for 90 days. No mortality or clinical signs were observed during the experimental period. Body weight and food consumption for all treated groups of both sexes were essentially the same as for the respective control groups. Hematologic examination demonstrated significant decreases in monocyte counts for females given 24 and 70 mg/kg BW/day. However, these changes were not substantial and no related histopathological changes were observed, suggesting that these changes were not toxicologically significant. Among organ weights, the absolute and/or relative weights of testes and liver were significantly increased in the 70 mg/kg BW/day groups of males and females, respectively, but no related histopathological changes were observed, suggesting that these changes did not reflect adverse effects. In addition, no treatment-related histopathological changes were observed for any of the tissues examined. Based on the overall data, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for MPH was determined to be 70 mg/kg BW/day, the highest dose tested, in both male and female rats.

Background data of 2-year-old male and female F344 gpt delta rats.

Although gpt delta rats, as reporter gene-transgenic rats, were originally developed for in vivo mutation assays, they have also been used to evaluate chemical carcinogenesis and comprehensive toxicity. Therefore, it is necessary to accumulate background data on carcinogenicity and general toxicity in gpt delta rats. Here, we investigated the background data of 110-week-old male and female F344 gpt delta rats and wild-type rats. There was no effect of reporter gene transfection on animal survival rates and body weights during the experiment. The relative weight of male gpt delta rat adrenals was significantly higher than that of wild-type rats, possibly due to the higher incidence of pheochromocytoma. There were no intergenotype differences in the incidence of nonneoplastic lesions in both sexes, including chronic progressive nephropathy and focus of cellular alteration in the liver, which had a higher incidence in both genotypes. Additionally, the significantly higher incidence of adrenal pheochromocytoma in male gpt delta rats than that in wild-type rats was likely incidental because of the lack of differences in the incidences of preneoplastic (male and female) and neoplastic (female) adrenal lesions in both genotypes. Other neoplastic lesions in both sexes showed no intergenotype differences in incidence rates, although large granular lymphocytic leukemia in the spleen and Leydig cell tumors in the testes of males showed higher incidence rates. Overall, there were no effects of reporter gene transfection on the spectrum of spontaneous lesions in F344 gpt delta rats, thus supporting their applicability in evaluating chemical toxicity and carcinogenicity.

Lack of In Vivo Mutagenicity of Acetamide in a 13-Week Comprehensive Toxicity Study Using F344 gpt Delta Rats.

Acetamide, a food contaminant, has been shown to induce hepatocellular tumors in rats. However, the mode of action underlying acetamide-induced hepatocarcinogenesis remains unclear. In the current study, we aimed to examine the possible involvement of in vivo mutagenicity in hepatocarcinogenesis of acetamide and evaluate its toxicological profile using a comprehensive medium-term toxicity study in gpt delta rats. Six-week-old male F344 gpt delta rats were given a basal diet containing 0%, 0.625%, 1.25%, or 2.5% acetamide for 13 weeks. In general toxicologic assessment, hepatotoxic parameters in serum, such as aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase were significantly changed at the 1.25% group and higher. Histopathological examination of the liver revealed that various changes related to hepatic injury were observed at the 1.25% group and higher. Interestingly, Feulgen-positive cytoplasmic inclusion was frequently observed in hepatocytes in these groups. In the hematopoietic system, red blood cell parameters in plasma, such as mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin were significantly changed at the 1.25% group and higher, and decrease of erythroblast in the spleen was observed histopathologically in the 2.5% group. Thus, the no-observed-adverse-effect level of acetamide in this study was 0.625% (equivalent to 394 mg/kg body weight/day). In vivo mutation assays showed that acetamide induced no changes in gpt and red/gam gene mutant frequencies, even at the carcinogenic target site. In contrast, Ki67-positive hepatocytes were increased significantly at carcinogenic doses. Therefore, these results suggested that cell proliferation activity, but not mutagenicity, played crucial roles in acetamide-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats.

Furan Induced Characteristic Glutathione S-Transferase Placental Form-Positive Foci in Terms of Cell Kinetics and Gene Expression.

Glutathione S-transferase placental form-positive (GST-P+) foci are markers of preneoplastic lesions in rat hepatocarcinogenesis. Our previous studies using reporter gene transgenic rats showed that furan, a hepatocarcinogen in rodents, rapidly induces the formation of GST-P+ foci after short exposure without reporter gene mutation. We hypothesized that GST-P+ foci induced by furan may have biological characteristics different from those induced by diethylnitrosamine (DEN), a genotoxic hepatocarcinogen. Accordingly, we compared the cell kinetics of GST-P+ foci after cessation of DEN treatment and performed comprehensive gene expression in DEN- or furan-induced GST-P+ foci. The number and area of DEN-induced GST-P+ foci were increased after cessation of treatment, whereas furan decreased these parameters. Size distribution analysis showed that large furan-induced GST-P+ foci disappeared after cessation of treatment. Hierarchical cluster analysis showed that all samples from GST-P+ foci induced by furan were separated from those induced by DEN. SOX9 expression was upregulated in furan-induced GST-P+ foci and was detected by immunohistochemistry in large furan-induced GST-P+ foci. Our results indicated that large furan-induced GST-P+ foci were quite different from DEN-induced GST-P+ foci at the molecular and cellular levels. And one of the properties of disappearing large GST-P+ foci were characterized by inclusion of hepatocytes expressing SOX9.

DNA modifications that do not cause gene mutations confer the potential for mutagenicity by combined treatment with food chemicals.

Cell proliferation plays a key role in fixing mutations induced by DNA damage. We clarified whether this phenomenon occurred after combined treatment with chemicals in food. The effects of antibiotic flumequine (FL), a residue of veterinary medicinal products in foodstuffs, on mutagenicity in the liver were examined in mice treated with estragole (ES), a natural food flavouring compound. Gpt delta mice were orally administered 10 or 100 mg/kg/day ES and simultaneously fed a diet containing 0.4% FL for 4 weeks. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen-positive cells and cell cycle-related genes were additively increased in the livers of combined treatment groups as compared with high-dose ES or FL groups. Mutant frequencies (MFs) in gpt after cotreatment with low-dose ES and FL were significantly increased, although treatment with ES alone increased MFs only in the high-dose group. Sult1a1 mRNA levels were unchanged after FL treatment. Liquid chromatography with tandem-mass spectrometry analysis showed that FL did not affect the amount of ES-specific DNA adducts in the livers, indicating that FL treatment did not influence metabolic pathways of ES. Thus, enhancement of the mutagenic potential of a chemical by chemical-induced cell proliferation may occur as a result of the combined effects of chemicals in food.

Effects of inhibition of hepatic sulfotransferase activity on renal genotoxicity induced by lucidin-3-O-primeveroside.

Sulfotransferase 1A (SULT1A) expression is lower in the liver of humans than that of rodents. Therefore, species differences should be taken into consideration when assessing the risk of rodent hepatocarcinogens metabolically activated by SULT1A in humans. Although some renal carcinogens require SULT1A-mediated activation, it is unclear how SULT1A activity in the liver affects renal carcinogens. To explore the effects of SULT1A activity in the liver on genotoxicity induced by SULT1A-activated renal carcinogens, B6C3F1 mice or gpt delta mice of the same strain background were given lucidin-3-O-primeveroside (LuP), a hepatic and renal carcinogen of rodents, for 4 or 13 weeks, respectively, and pentachlorophenol (PCP) as a liver-specific SULT inhibitor, was given from 1 week before LuP treatment to the end of the experiment. A 4 week exposure of LuP induced lucidin-specific DNA adduct formation. The suppression of Sult1a expression was observed only in the liver but not in the kidneys of PCP-treated mice, but co-administration of PCP suppressed LuP-induced DNA adduct formation in both organs. Thirteen-week exposure of LuP increased mutation frequencies and cotreatment with PCP suppressed these increases in both organs. Given that intact levels of SULT activity in the liver were much higher than in the kidneys of rodents, SULT1A may predominantly activate LuP in the liver, consequently leading to genotoxicity not only in the liver but also in the kidney. Thus, species differences should be considered in human risk assessment of renal carcinogens activated by SULT1A as in the case of the corresponding liver carcinogens.

Molecular Pathological Differences in Global Gene Expression between Two Sustained Proliferative Lesions, Nodular Regenerative Hepatocellular Hyperplasia and Hepatocellular Adenoma, in Mice.

Long-term exposure to piperonyl butoxide (PBO) induces multiple nodular masses along with hepatocellular tumors in the liver of mice. The histopathological features of the nodules led to our diagnosis of nodular regenerative hepatocellular hyperplasia (NRH). However, because of the lack of data on the biological characteristics of NRH, whether this lesion is truly nonneoplastic remains unknown. In this study, the molecular characteristics of NRH were compared with those of hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) by global gene expression analysis. Six-week-old male ICR mice were fed a diet containing 6,000 ppm PBO for 43 weeks to induce NRH and HCA development. Complementary DNA microarray analysis was performed using messenger RNA extracted from NRH and HCA frozen sections collected by laser microdissection. Hierarchical cluster analysis showed that all NRH samples clustered together but were separate from the HCA cluster. Pathway analysis revealed activation of the cell cycle and Delta-Notch signaling in both lesions, but the latter was more upregulated in HCA. Downregulation of cytochrome p450 enzymes was observed in NRH, but not in HCA. These results imply that NRH differs from HCA in terms of not only morphological but also molecular characteristics.