P-Nitrobenzoic acid alpha2u nephropathy in 13-week studies is not associated with renal carcinogenesis in 2-year feed studies.

The objective of this study was to characterize the renal toxicity and carcinogenicity of p-nitrobenzoic acid in F344 rats. Dose levels in 13-week and 2-year studies ranged from 630-10,000 ppm and 1,250-5,000 ppm, respectively. At 13 weeks, renal lesions included minimal to mild hyaline droplet accumulation in male rats and karyomegaly in male and female rats. At 2 years, renal lesions included proximal tubule epithelial cell hyperplasia in male rats and oncocytic hyperplasia in high-dose male and female rats, and a decreased severity of nephropathy in males and females. The hvaline droplets in renal tubular epithelial cells of male rats at 13 weeks were morphologically similar to those described in alpha2u-globulin nephropathy. Using immunohistochemical methods, alpha2u-globulin accumulation was associated with the hyaline droplets. In addition, at 13 weeks, cell proliferation as detected by PCNA immunohistochemistry was significantly increased in males exposed to 5,000 and 10,000 ppm when compared to controls. Cytotoxicity associated with alpha2U-globulin nephropathy such as single-cell necrosis of the P2 segment epithelium or accumulation of granular casts in the outer medulla did not occur in the 13-week study. In addition, chronic treatment related nephrotoxic lesions attributed to accumulation of alpha2u-globulin such as linear foci of mineralization within the renal papilla, hyperplasia of the renal pelvis urothelium and kidney tumors were not observed. Although there was histologic evidence of alpha2u-globulin accumulation in male rats at 13 weeks, the minimal severity of nephropathy suggests that the degree of cytotoxicity was below the threshold, which would contribute to the development of renal tumors at 2 years.

Regulation of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-induced tumor promotion by 17 beta-estradiol in female Sprague--Dawley rats.

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a potent hepatocarcinogen in female but not in male rats. In an initiation-promotion model, ovariectomy inhibits TCDD-induced cell replication and reduces both TCDD-induced tumor formation and the promotion of enzyme-altered hepatocellular foci (AHF). The aim of this study was to determine the involvement of the ovarian hormone 17 beta-estradiol in the induction of cell proliferation and development of putative preneoplastic AHF following chronic exposure to TCDD. Diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-initiated ovariectomized (OVX) female rats were treated with TCDD for 20 or 30 weeks in the presence and absence of 17 beta-estradiol administered continuously by implanted 90-day release pellets. Following 20 weeks of treatment, cell proliferation in TCDD-treated rats was decreased regardless of ovarian hormones. Following 30 weeks of exposureTCDD, only significantly induced cell proliferation in OVX rats receiving supplemental 17 beta-estradiol. These data demonstrate that the the transitory mitoinhibition of cell replication by TCDD is not hormonally responsive, but that induction of cell replication at later time points is. TCDD exposure resulted in elevated AHF expressing gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) in intact, but not OVX rats at both time points. TCDD also induced GGT-positive AHF in 17 beta-estradiol-supplemented OVX rats. TCDD induced AHF expressing the placental form of glutathione-S-transferase (PGST) in both intact and OVX rats regardless of 17 beta-estradiol exposure, indicating that the modulating effect of 17 beta-estradiol on AHF was specific to the GGT-positive phenotype.

14-Week toxicity and cell proliferation of methyleugenol administered by gavage to F344 rats and B6C3F1 mice.

Methyleugenol, a food flavor and fragrance agent, was tested for toxicity in male and female F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice. Groups of 10 males and 10 females per sex per species were administered 0, 10, 30, 100, 300 or 1000 mg methyleugenol/kg body weight in 0.5% aqueous methylcellulose by gavage, 5 days per week for 14 weeks. Additional groups of rats and mice of each sex were dosed similarly and used for hematology and clinical chemistry studies. Groups of 10 male and 10 female rats and mice received the vehicle by gavage on the same dosing schedule and served as vehicle controls. For serum gastrin, gastric pH and cell proliferation studies groups of 10 female rats were given 0, 37, 75 or 150 mg/kg, once daily 5 days per week for 30 or 90 days or 300 or 1000 mg/kg for 30 days; male mice were given 0, 9, 18.5, 37, 75, 150 or 300 mg/kg for 30 or 90 days. For the gastrin, pH and cell proliferation studies, groups of 10 female rats and 10 male mice were given the vehicle for 30 or 90 days and served as controls. Methyleugenol administration to rats induced erythrocyte microcytosis and thrombocytosis in male and female rats. It also caused an increase in serum alanine aminotransferase and sorbitol dehydrogenase activities and bile acid concentration, suggesting hepatocellular injury, cholestasis or altered hepatic function. Additionally, methyleugenol induced hypoproteinemia and hypoalbuminemia, evidenced by decreased total protein and albumin concentrations in both male and female rats, suggesting in inefficiency of dietary protein utilization due to methyleugenol-induced toxic effects on the liver and glandular stomach of rats and mice. The increase in gastrin and gastric pH of rats and mice given methyleugenol suggests that gastrin feedback was impaired and resulted in conditions not conducive to protein digestion. In rats, methyleugenol caused an increase in the incidences of hepatocyte cytologic alteration, cytomegaly, Kupffer cell pigmentation, mixed foci of cellular alteration and bile duct hyperplasia of the liver and atrophy and chronic inflammation of the mucosa of the glandular stomach. In mice, it caused an increase in the incidence of cytologic alteration, necrosis, bile duct hyperplasia and subacute inflammation of the liver and atrophy, degeneration, necrosis, edema, mitotic alteration, and cystic glands of the fundic region of the glandular stomach. The increased incidences of adrenal gland cortical hypertrophy and/or cytoplasmic alteration in the submandibular salivary glands, adrenal glands, testis and uterus of rats were considered secondary to the chemical-related effects observed in the liver and glandular stomach. Based on mortality, body weight gain, clinical chemistry and gross and microscopic evaluation of tissues of rats and mice, the no-observed-effect level (NOEL) of methyleugenol for both species was estimated at 10 mg/kg.

Effect of natural antioxidants and apocynin on LPS-induced endotoxemia in rabbit.

The objective of this study was to compare the prophylactic effects of the natural antioxidant from spinach (NAO) and apocynin, on the hepatic oxidative stress and liver damage induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Male New Zealand rabbits were challenged with LPS with or without 8 days of antioxidant pretreatment. Pretreatment with NAO, but not apocynin, significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the levels of hydroperoxides and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the liver cytosolic fraction and the activity of NADPH oxidase-generated superoxide in the microsomal fraction, compared to LPS alone. The activity of glutathione peroxidase (G-POX) was significantly (p < 0.05) increased in the LPS-treated group, whereas treatment with NAO, but not apocynin, significantly (p < 0.05) decreased G-POX activity. Pretreatment with the same antioxidants had no significant effects on superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, whereas an increased level of catalase (CAT) was obtained in all LPS-treated groups. TUNEL immunohistochemical staining in the LPS-treated animals indicated that there was no increase in apoptosis outside of necrotic foci. However, apoptotic hepatocytes were observed within areas of focal necrosis in animals exposed to LPS alone or LPS plus apocynin. Hepatocyte cell proliferation was tested by the proliferating-cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) tool, which indicated a proliferative effect in the LPS group, whereas the effect disappeared in the antioxidant-treated groups. The prophylactic effect of NAO on liver pathology and the significant decreases in lipid peroxidation products and NADPH oxidase activity suggest the use of NAO as an efficient strategy for treatment of endotoxemia.

Retrospective evaluation of alpha 2u-globulin accumulation in male rat kidneys following high doses of diisononyl phthalate.

Diisononyl phthalate (DINP), a widely used plasticizer, has been evaluated in two chronic studies in rats and one in mice. In the early 1980s, Exxon found no carcinogenic potential at the estimated maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of 0.6% (307 mg/kg/ day for male rats) administered in the diet of rats for 2 years. A recent study conducted at dietary levels up to 1.2% DINP (733 mg/kg/d for male rats) reported kidney tumors in male rats at the high treatment level, but not in female rats nor mice of either sex. Because these tumors occurred only in male rats, and only at high doses, the male rat-specific alpha 2u-globulin (alpha2UG) mechanism of action was investigated. Technological advances in immunohistochemical staining and computerized image analysis techniques permitted measuring the accumulation of alpha2UG in archived kidneys from the earlier Exxon study. Using archived tissue obtained at the 12-month interim sacrifice, we identified a dose-dependent accumulation of alpha2UG in specific regions of male rat kidneys only. An increase in cell proliferation was confirmed by immunohistochemical detection of proliferating-cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and was confined to the areas of alpha2UG accumulation. H and E-stained sections revealed tubular epithelial hypertrophy and regeneration, consistent with the immunohistopathology findings. These findings are consistent with the alpha2UG mechanism of tumorigenesis, which is not regarded as relevant for humans. Thus, exposure to DINP produced a dose-dependent alpha2UG accumulation in male rat kidneys, significant at a dietary level of 0.6% and a likely mechanism for the kidney tumors seen only in male rats administered higher dietary levels of DINP.

Characterization of hepatocellular resistance and susceptibility to styrene toxicity in B6C3F1 mice.

Short-term inhalation exposure of B6C3F1 mice to styrene causes necrosis of centrilobular (CL) hepatocytes. However, in spite of continued exposure, the necrotic parenchyma is rapidly regenerated, indicating resistance by regenerated cells to styrene toxicity. These studies were conducted to test the hypothesis that resistance to repeated styrene exposure is due to sustained cell proliferation, with production of hepatocytes that have reduced metabolic capacity. Male mice were exposed to air or 500 ppm styrene (6 h/day); hepatotoxicity was evaluated by microscopic examination, serum liver enzyme levels, and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-labeling index (LI). Metabolism was assessed by measurement of blood styrene and styrene oxide. Both single and repeated exposures to styrene resulted in mortality by Day 2; in mice that survived, there was CL necrosis with elevated BrdU LI at Day 6, and complete restoration of the necrotic parenchyma by Day 15. The BrdU LI in mice given a single exposure had returned to control levels by Day 15. Re-exposure of these mice on Day 15 resulted in additional mortality and hepatocellular necrosis, indicating that regenerated CL cells were again susceptible to the cytolethal effect of styrene following a 14-day recovery. However, in mice repeatedly exposed to styrene for 14 days, the BrdU LI remained significantly increased on Day 15, with preferential labeling of CL hepatocytes with enlarged nuclei (karyomegaly). If repeated exposures were followed by a 10-day recovery period, CL karyomegaly persisted, but the BrdU LI returned to control level and CL hepatocytes became susceptible again to styrene toxicity as demonstrated by additional mortality and acute necrosis after a challenge exposure. These findings indicated a requirement for continued styrene exposure and DNA synthesis in order to maintain this resistant phenotype. Analyses of proliferating-cell nuclear-antigen (PCNA) labeling were conducted to further characterize the cell cycle kinetics of these hepatocytes. The proportion of cells in S-phase was increased by repeated exposure. However, PCNA analysis also revealed an even larger increase in the G1 cell compartment with repeated exposures, without a concurrent increase in G2 phase or in mitotic cell numbers. These data indicate that resistance to styrene-induced necrosis under conditions of repeated exposure is not due to sustained cell turnover and production of new, metabolically inactive cells, but rather is due to some other, as yet unknown, protective phenotype of the regenerated cells.

Effects of the carcinogen, acrylonitrile, on forestomach cell proliferation and apoptosis in the rat: comparison with methacrylonitrile.

Acrylonitrile (AN) and methacrylonitrile (MAN) are two major industrial nitriles used in the production of plastics and acrylic fibers. Whereas AN is a potent acute toxin and carcinogenic in rats, little is known regarding MAN. Current work is part of an overall effort designed to assess the potential toxicity/carcinogenicity of MAN. The present study compares the ability of the two chemicals to induce epithelial proliferation and apoptosis in the forestomach (FS; a target of AN carcinogenicity), liver and glandular stomach (non-targets of AN carcinogenicity) of male F344 rats. AN was administered to rats daily, by gavage, for 6 weeks, at 0.43 and 0.22 mmol/kg. MAN was administered at 0.87 and 0.43 mmol/kg. Both AN and MAN induced a dose-dependent increase in epithelial cell proliferation in the FS of male F344 rats as determined by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation into DNA. In contrast, AN, but not MAN caused a dose-dependent increase in the thickness of the forestomach squamous mucosa. This increased thickness (hyperplasia) was reflected by an increase in the number of total epithelial cells per unit length of mucosa. At doses of AN and MAN which induced a 2.3-fold increase in BrdU incorporation, apoptosis was 5- and 18-fold greater than controls, respectively. Although both MAN and AN caused a similar increase in cell proliferation, the relatively more prominent increase in the apoptotic index of the squamous epithelium of rats exposed to MAN may explain the lack of a detectable increase in the thickness of the mucosa compared to that seen with AN. The disruption of the balance between FS mucosal cell proliferation and apoptosis in favor of a net increase in the number of FS epithelial cells per unit length may contribute to the carcinogenicity of AN. In conclusion, present work demonstrated that AN selectively induced a net enhancement in FS cell proliferation, a site of its carcinogenicity. On the other hand, MAN-induced FS cell proliferation was associated with a parallel increase in apoptosis. The relatively greater increase in apoptosis by MAN may have compensated for the increase in FS mucosal cell proliferation and the lack of observable change in the FS thickness.

Both K-ras and H-ras protooncogene mutations are associated with Harderian gland tumorigenesis in B6C3F1 mice exposed to isoprene for 26 weeks.

Isoprene is the 2-methyl analog of 1,3-butadiene, a genotoxic and carcinogenic compound in rats and mice. Male B6C3F1 mice were exposed to 0, 2200 or 7000 ppm isoprene by inhalation (6 h/day; 5 days/week) for 26 weeks. Following a 26-week recovery period, an increased incidence of Harderian gland (HG) neoplasms was observed at both concentrations. The present study was designed to characterize genetic alterations in the K-ras and H-ras protooncogenes in HG neoplasms. Mutations in K-ras and H-ras were identified by single-strand conformational analysis and direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplified DNA, isolated from paraffin-embedded sections of HG neoplasms. A higher frequency of ras mutations, in particular K-ras mutations, was detected in isoprene-induced neoplasms than in 1,3-butadiene-induced or control HG neoplasms. All of the isoprene-induced HG neoplasms exhibited activated K-ras (60%) or H-ras (40%) mutations. In contrast, ras mutations were detected in 69% of HG neoplasms from 1,3-butadiene exposed mice (14% K-ras and 55% H-ras) and in 56% of HG neoplasms obtained from control B6C3F1 mice (8% K-ras and 48% H-ras). The predominant mutations in isoprene-induced HG neoplasms, but not in previously or newly analysed 1,3-butadiene-induced HG neoplasms, consisted of A-->T transversions (CAA-->CTA) at K-ras codon 61 (15/30) and C-->A transversions (CAA-->AAA) at H-ras codon 61 (8/30). Two-thirds of the K-ras CTA mutations were detected in HG neoplasms from the 2200 ppm exposure group while one-third was present in the 7000 ppm group. Isoprene-induced HG neoplasms with K-ras or H-ras mutations had an elevated proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) index, compared to spontaneous HG neoplasms without ras mutations. The high frequency and specificity of the ras mutation profile suggest that ras protooncogene activation contributes to isoprene-induced HG tumorigenesis.

Alteration in cell kinetics in control B6C3F1 mice infected with Helicobacter hepaticus.

The discovery of Helicobacter hepaticus infection, H. hepaticus hepatitis, and increased incidence of liver tumors in control males from several recent National Toxicology Program B6C3F1 mouse carcinogenicity bioassays raised questions regarding the suitability of these bioassays for hazard identification. The purpose of this study was to determine if changes in cell proliferation and death at terminal sacrifice might be linked to the increased liver tumor incidences among control males. In control males, enhanced rates of hepatocyte proliferation, as assessed by immunostaining for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and apoptosis, as assessed from hematoxylin and eosin- and TUNEL-stained preparations, were seen in 3 bioassays with H. hepaticus hepatitis. One bioassay with H. hepaticus infection without attendant hepatitis and one bioassay without H. hepaticus or hepatitis did not have elevated rates of hepatocyte proliferation or apoptosis. There was no significant effect on PCNA cell proliferation indices or apoptosis in females. The present findings are indicative of a clear association between the presence of H. hepaticus infection with attendant hepatitis, increased cell proliferation and apoptosis, and increased incidences of hepatocellular neoplasia in males but not in females. Thus, the interpretation of liver tumor responses in H. hepaticus-infected studies is considered to be confounded in male mice. The lack of enhanced cell proliferation or hepatocellular neoplasia in control females suggests that bioassay results from females are valid for hazard identification. Furthermore, the absence of enhanced cell proliferation in lungs and kidneys of male and females suggests that neoplastic effects at these sites are not exacerbated by H. hepaticus infection.

Cell proliferation rates in common cancer target tissues of B6C3F1 mice and F344 rats: effects of age, gender, and choice of marker.

Increasing emphasis is being placed on mode of action for chemical carcinogens as an important consideration for risk assessment. Many rodent carcinogens appear to act through nongenotoxic mechanisms, such as induced cell proliferation. Information on cell proliferation rates based on species, age, gender, tissue, and choice of marker will provide a foundation for incorporating such measurements into rodent toxicity studies. Cell proliferation was evaluated in liver, kidney, skin, and forestomach of control male and female B6C3F1 mice and F344 rats at 7, 10, 13, and 20 weeks of age. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), an endogenous cell proliferation marker, and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) administered by ip injection 2 hr before euthanization were compared as markers of cell proliferation. Only in liver were BrdU and PCNA labeling indices (LIs; S phase only) statistically similar. As expected, the PCNA proliferating index (PI; G1 + S + G2 + M phases) was consistently greater than the S phase LI in all tissues examined. Age-related differences in LI were evident in liver and kidney, whereas LIs in the forestomach and skin were not age- dependent. In all tissues examined, gender- and species-related differences in cell proliferation were detected. Although BrdU and PCNA LIs were often statistically different, they both provided a useful indication of cell proliferation rates in the tissues examined. These results provide potentially useful information for designing rodent toxicity studies and biological models of carcinogenesis.

Measures of cell replication in risk/safety assessment of xenobiotic-induced, nongenotoxic carcinogenesis.

The phenomena associated with nongenotoxic carcinogenesis are multifaceted and complex. Nongenotoxic carcinogens stimulate cell replication in the presence or the absence of cytotoxicity. Cell proliferation is pivotal in the neoplastic process, but the extent of its contribution to the development of xenobiotic-induced cancer remains an open question. The search for a better understanding of this process has generated considerable interest and effort, often with the objective of obtaining useful predictors of the tumourigenic potential of xenobiotics. Alterations in the natural balance of endogenous humoural agents that maintain replicative homeostasis results in proliferative stimulation (or inhibition) which may be transient or sustained. The bases for the molecular interaction of these mediators with cellular receptors, trans-cytoplasmic message conveyance, and subsequent nuclear responses leading to xenobiotic-induced mitosis are becoming better understood. Assessment of tissue replicative status has now become established and utilizes biochemical and histological methodology in a routine manner. The increasingly challenging international regulatory environment is demanding greater understanding of the mechanisms that underlie fundamental phenomena and the influences exerted by xenobiotics prior to their registration. While the precise mode of action of an individual xenobiotic may not be known, sound interpretation of toxicological data, including the contribution made by cell replication, creates greater confidence of its safety in the scientific, regulatory, and commercial communities. This article offers a view of cell proliferation from molecular interactions at the cellular level, through practical assessment of cell and tissue replicative status to its utility in contributing to the registration of new drugs and chemicals.

Effects of propylene oxide on nasal epithelial cell proliferation in F344 rats.

In chronic inhalation studies, propylene oxide (PO), widely used in the chemical and food industries, induced nasal tumors in F344 rats. Nonneoplastic findings of the chronic studies suggest a strong cytotoxic and proliferative component in the mechanism of PO carcinogenicity. A 4-week cell proliferation study was conducted to establish a no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for nonneoplastic changes in the nasal epithelium of rats. Male F344 rats were exposed to 0, 10, 20, 50, 150, or 525 ppm PO vapor for up to 4 weeks with up to 4 weeks of recovery. Histopathology showed that the incidence and severity of respiratory epithelial hyperplasia increased with exposure time and regressed after termination of exposure with complete recovery after 4 weeks. Similarly, cell proliferation, as determined by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation into replicating cells, was elevated following 1 and 4 weeks of exposure but decreased to control values after 1 week of recovery. Degeneration of the olfactory epithelium was found after 4 weeks of exposure with a decrease in incidence and severity after termination of exposure. Cell proliferation at this site was elevated during the 4-week exposure period and 1 week postexposure with return to control values after 4 weeks of recovery. Based on the cytotoxic and proliferative findings, the NOAEL for PO in nasal epithelium is 50 ppm.

A decision tree approach for carcinogen risk assessment.

When presented with the information that an environmental chemical produces cancer in animals, the default approach is to apply the linearized multistage risk model with no mechanistic information. The decision tree presented here outlines a straightforward strategy in the collection of information relevant to risk assessment. Three situations are noted where a different approach to risk assessment should be considered: (1) a tumor response that is not relevant to the human situation; (2) chemicals acting through a nongenotoxic/cytotoxic mode of action; and (3) chemicals acting through a nongenotoxic/mitogenic mode of action. Usually upon learning that a chemical produced a rodent tumor response, no additional research is done because of the high costs in money, time, and personnel to conduct such studies. Compounding this situation is a widely-held view that no amount of mechanistic information will be sufficient to convince regulators to depart from the default risk assessment. Hence, there are very few data sets to confirm and refine the above suggestions. There should be incentives to conduct the research required to obtain the type of information outlined in the decision tree approach presented here. All involved with these issues agree that the gathering and use of scientific information should be encouraged. Hopefully, these suggestions will provide a means of furthering that goal.

Genotoxicity of environmental agents in human mammary epithelial cells.

Despite an increasing incidence of human breast cancer, its etiology remains unknown. Since some environmental chemicals are stored in human breast fat and are rodent mammary carcinogens, determining the genotoxic potential of environmental agents in this key target tissue is important. An assay was developed for detecting genotoxic activity, as unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS), induced by chemicals and UV radiation in early passage cultures of normal human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) derived from 5 different women. In order to measure UDS in culture, reduction in the percentage of cells in S-phase was accomplished either by depriving the cells of epidermal growth factor and bovine pituitary extract or by contact inhibition of growth. Cultures were incubated with test chemicals for 24 h in the presence of [3H]-thymidine. UDS was quantitated autoradiographically as net grains per nucleus (nuclear grains minus cytoplasmic background, population average) with > or = 6 net nuclear grains considered in repair for any individual cell. A positive response was observed with UV radiation, benzo(a)-pyrene, aflatoxin B1, ethylmethanesulfonate, 1,6-dinitropyrene, 2-acetylaminofluorene, and tobacco smoke condensate but not 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene or 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. These results demonstrate that HMEC from all 5 women examined have the ability to metabolize a variety of environmental chemicals to DNA-reactive forms. Furthermore, some chemicals known either to cause mammary cancer in rodents or to be contaminants in human breast tissue are genotoxic in HMEC. A positive response in passage 9 cultures was observed only with direct acting agents, suggesting that HMEC may lose their metabolic capabilities in longer-term cultures. The HMEC UDS assay may be used to address the role of environmental agents in human breast cancer by determining whether chemicals are DNA reactive or metabolized to DNA reactive species in this critical target tissue.

Mitogenic stimulation of hepatocellular proliferation in rodents following 1,4-dichlorobenzene administration.

1,4-Dichlorobenzene (DCB), a non-DNA-reactive compound, induced hepatocellular carcinomas at 600 mg/kg/day, but not 300 mg/kg/day in male and female B6C3F1 mice in a National Toxicology Program (NTP) bioassay. Cell proliferation studies were performed under conditions of the NTP bioassay to determine the mode of DCB-induced hepatocellular proliferation and whether this proliferative response may be related to the carcinogenic activity of DCB. The percentage of cells in S-phase (labeling index; LI) was measured using immunohistochemical detection of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine. Time-course and dose-response studies revealed a sharp increase in LI 24 h after treatment in female mice and rats, and at 48 h in male mice with no increases in liver-associated plasma enzymes at up to twice the highest bioassay dose. During 13 weeks of DCB administration under bioassay conditions, a statistically significant transient peak of hepatocellular proliferation was observed during week 1 at 600 mg/kg/day, but not at 300 mg/kg/day, in male and female mice. Hepatocellular proliferation was also observed in female rats, which were reported as exhibiting no increased liver tumor incidence when compared to controls in the NTP bioassay. An increase in liver weight as a percentage of body weight compared to controls was observed in high dose male and female mice, and female rats at all time points. No significant elevations in liver-associated plasma enzymes were found at any time point, indicating a lack of overt hepatotoxicity. Histopathological evaluation revealed no evidence of hepatocellular necrosis in all groups. These data indicate an early mitogenic stimulation of cell proliferation, rather than regeneration secondary to cytolethality, in the livers of DCB-treated mice, which correlates with previously observed tumor formation in a dose-dependent manner. The mode by which a chemical induces cell proliferation is an important consideration in mechanistic studies and the risk assessment process. The demonstrated mitogenic activity of DCB raises the possibility that this early proliferative response may be sufficient for liver tumor formation in the B6C3F1 mouse, or that DCB may provide a selective growth advantage to preneoplastic cells in the mouse liver upon long-term treatment. The observed induction of cell proliferation by DCB in the rat in the absence of a tumorigenic response suggests important species differences and complexities in the relationship between cell proliferation and carcinogenesis, and indicates that caution be applied in equating cell proliferation to cancer.

Tissue-specific genotoxic effects of acrylamide and acrylonitrile.

Acrylamide (AA) has been reported to induce dominant lethal mutations in male rat germ cells and tumors in a variety of organs, including the scrotum, thyroid and mammary glands, but not the liver of rats. The structurally similar vinyl monomer acrylonitrile (ACN) does not induce dominant lethal mutations but does induce tumors of the brain, Zymbal gland, forestomach and mammary gland, but not the liver of rats. Several in vitro and/or in vivo unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) assays were employed to examine the potential tissue-specific genotoxic activity of these compounds. Neither AA nor ACN induced DNA repair in either the in vitro or in vivo hepatocyte DNA repair assays. Glycidamide (GA), a mutagenic metabolite of AA, induced DNA repair in the in vitro hepatocyte DNA repair assay. Cyanoethylene oxide (CEO), a mutagenic metabolite of ACN, did not yield a DNA repair response in the in vitro hepatocyte DNA repair assay, but was highly toxic and could not be tested at doses equivalent to GA. AA, but not ACN, produced a DNA repair response in the in vivo spermatocyte DNA repair assay. AA produced a slight response in the in vitro human mammary epithelial cell (HMEC) DNA repair assay in normal cells derived from discarded surgical samples from five different women. GA produced a strong UDS response in all cases in the same assay. CEO, but not its parent compound ACN, produced a response in the HMEC DNA repair assay. These results show a highly tissue-specific pattern of genotoxic activity for AA and ACN that correlates, to the extent that it has been examined, with the tissue-specific pattern of carcinogenic and dominant lethal activity. The induction of DNA repair by GA and CEO confirms the genotoxic potential of these metabolites. While the observation of genotoxic activity of AA in the HMEC DNA repair assay suggests that mammary cells might be a target for carcinogenic activity of this compound in humans, other factors such as pharmacokinetics and epidemiology must be evaluated to establish that effect.

Comparison of spontaneous mutagenesis in early-passage human mammary cells from normal and malignant tissues.

Spontaneous mutant frequencies were determined in early-passage epithelial-cell strains derived from either normal or malignant human breast tissues, as well as a non-tumorigenic immortalized human mammary epithelial cell line (184B5) derived from normal cells. Mutations at the hypoxanthine-guanine phophoribosyltransferase (HPRT) locus were quantified by determining the 6-thioguanine resistance. Mutant frequencies in human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) from 4 normal and 5 carcinoma tissue samples did not differ significantly. In contrast, the mutant frequency in the immortalized HMEC was approximately 10 times higher than in average normal HMEC and normal non-immortalized cells from early-passage cultures of the same cell lineage. Our data suggest that the progression of normal breast cells to invasive carcinoma cells does not necessarily involve the establishment of a general genetic instability during this progression.

Specific locus mutagenesis of human mammary epithelial cells by ultraviolet radiation.

Tissue and locus specificity of mutation induction was studied in human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC). Primary HMEC from normal tissue, as well as immortalized HMEC (184B5) derived from normal HMEC, were cultured under identical conditions and exposed to 10 J/m2 ultraviolet (UV) radiation (254 nm peak wavelength), which produced approximately 50% mean survival in all cell strains and lines tested. UV radiation was found to induce mutations at the Na(+)-K+ ATPase locus as determined by ouabain-resistance in both normal and immortalized HMEC. Mutation frequencies measured in these cells following UV exposure were similar to those reported for human diploid fibroblasts. In addition, mutation induction was investigated at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) locus in normal and immortalized HMEC. Induced mutations at the HPRT locus as determined by 6-thioguanine resistance in normal primary HMEC were not observed following UV radiation. In contrast, mutation induction was observed at this locus in UV-exposed immortalized HMEC.

Measurement of chemically induced cell proliferation in rodent liver and kidney: a comparison of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine and [3H]thymidine administered by injection or osmotic pump.

Different labeling methods for quantitating cell proliferation were evaluated in livers and kidneys of control and chemically treated mice and rats. The percentage of cells in S-phase (labeling indices) were compared in tissues of animals given either 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BRDU) or [3H]thymidine. These DNA precursor labels were delivered either by a single i.p. injection 2 h prior to killing the animals or via the s.c. implanted osmotic pump for 3 or 6 days. B6C3F1 mice and male F344 rats were exposed to either a peroxisome proliferator and hepatocarcinogen, Wy-14,643 (WY), in the diet at 0.1% for up to 5 days, or a non-genotoxic mouse liver and male rat kidney carcinogen, 1,4-dichlorobenzene (DCB), in corn oil by gavage for up to 5 days in mice (600 mg/kg/day) or up to 3 weeks in rats (300 mg/kg/day, 5 days per week). Labeling indices (LIs) in the liver and kidney were similar in BRDU- and [3H]thymidine-labeled mice and rats. Cell proliferation was increased in livers of both species of WY- and DCB-treated animals when compared to controls. After 4 days of chemical treatment with continuous administration of a DNA precursor label during the last 3 days of treatment, LIs in controls, DCB- and WY-treated mouse livers were 0.7, 19 and 17% for BRDU and 0.9, 15 and 13% for [3H]-thymidine respectively. Furthermore, BRDU and [3H]-thymidine labeled the same population of cells as revealed by similar patterns of cell labeling in the livers and kidneys of treated animals. The LI for BRDU- and [3H]thymidine-labeled renal proximal tubular cells was 7.7 and 8.0% respectively, in rats receiving DCB for 4 days and DNA precursor label during the last 3 days of treatment, while the LI for controls was 4.3 and 3.7% respectively. The renal proximal tubular cell LI increased to 11% in BRDU-labeled rats treated with DCB for 3 weeks. LIs in both liver and kidney were greatest in control and treated animals that received the DNA precursor label via osmotic pumps for 6 days, and least in 2 h pulse-labeled animals. However, induction of hepatic LI in treated over control animals was greatest for treated animals labeled for 3 days. These results demonstrate comparable cell labeling of cells in S-phase with either BRDU and [3H]thymidine labeling methods. BRDU presents no radioactive containment problems, and results are obtained more rapidly than [3H]thymidine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)