Detection of DNA adducts in developing CD4+ CD8+ thymocytes and splenocytes following in utero exposure to benzo[a]pyrene.

Environmental carcinogen exposure may play an important role in the incidence of cancer in children. In addition to environmental pollutants, maternal smoking during pregnancy may be a contributing factor. Major carcinogenic components of cigarette smoke and other combustion by-products in the environment include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Mouse offspring exposed during midpregnancy to the PAH, benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), show significant deficiencies in their immune functions, observed in late gestation which persist for at least 18 months. Tumor incidences in these progeny are 8 to 10-fold higher than in controls. We have demonstrated a significant reduction in thymocytes (CD4+ CD8+, CD4+ CD8+ Vbeta8+, CD4+ CD8+ Vgamma2+) from newborn and splenocytes (CD4+ CD8+) from 1-week-old mouse progeny exposed to B[a]P in utero. To investigate possible causes of the observed T cell reduction, we analyzed the thymocytes and splenocytes from progeny and maternal tissues for the presence of B[a]P-DNA adducts. Adducts were detected in maternal, placental and offspring lymphoid tissues at day 19 of gestation, at birth and 1-wk after birth. The presence of B[a]P-DNA adducts in immature T cells may, in part, explain the previously observed T cell immunosuppression and tumor susceptibility in mice exposed to B[a]P in utero. The effects of DNA lesions on progeny T cells may include interference with normal T-cell development. These results provide a possible explanation for the relationship between maternal smoking during pregnancy and childhood carcinogenesis.

Oral treatment of Fischer 344 rats with weathered crude oil and a dispersant influences intestinal metabolism and microbiota.

When oil is spilled into aquatic systems, chemical dispersants frequently are applied to enhance emulsification and biological availability. In this study, a mammalian model system was used to determine the effect of Bonnie Light Nigerian crude oil, weathered for 2 d with continuous spraying and recirculation, and a widely used dispersant, Corexit (Cx) 9527, on intestinal microbial metabolism and associated populations. To determine the subchronic dose, concentrated or diluted (1:2, 1:5, 1:10, 1:20) Cx9527 or oil was administered by gavage to Fischer 344 rats and the effect on body weight was determined. Next, rats were treated for 5 wk with oil, dispersant, or dispersant + oil. Body and tissue weights, urine mutagenicity, and the impact on the intestinal microflora and three microbial intestinal enzymes linked to bioactivation were determined in the small and large intestines and cecum. Two tested dispersants, Cx9527 and Cx9500, were toxic in vitro (1:1,000 dilution), and oil was not mutagenic in strains TA98 and TA100(+/-S9). None of the treated rats produced urine mutagens detected by TA98 or TA100. Undiluted dispersant was lethal to rats, and weight changes were observed depending on the dilution, whereas oil generally was not toxic. In the 5-wk study, body and tissue weights were unaffected at the doses administered. Small-intestinal levels of azoreductase (AR), beta-glucuronidase (BG), and nitroreductase (NR) were considerably lower than cecal and large-intestinal activities at the same time point. A temporal increase in AR activity was observed in control animals in the 3 tissues examined, and large-intestinal BG activity was elevated in 3-wk controls. No significant changes in cecal BG activity were observed. Oil- or dispersant-treated rats had mixed results with reduced activity at 3 wk and elevated activity at 5 wk compared to controls. However, when the dispersant was combined with oil at 3 wk, a reduction in activity was observed that was similar to that of dispersant alone. One-week nitroreductase activity in the small intestine and cecum was unaffected in the three treatment groups, but elevated activity was observed in the large intestines of animals treated with oil or dispersant. The effect of the combination dose was not significantly different from the control value. Due to experimental error, no 3- or 5-wk NR data were available. By 5 wk of treatment, enterobacteria and enterococci were eliminated from ceca of oil-treated rats. When oil was administered in combination with dispersant, an apparent protective effect was observed on the enterococci and lactose-fermenting and nonfermenting enterobacteria. A more detailed analysis at the species level revealed qualitative differences dependent on the treatment. This study suggests that prolonged exposure of mammals to oil, dispersant, or in combination impacts intestinal metabolism, which ultimately could lead to altered detoxification of oil constituents and coexposed toxicants.

An evaluation of the mutagenicity, metabolism, and DNA adduct formation of 5-nitrobenzo[b]naphtho[2,1-d]thiophene.

Thioarenes, sulfur-containing polycyclic aromatic compounds, are environmental contaminants suspected of posing human health risks. In this study, 5-nitrobenzo[b]naphtho[2,1-d]thiophene (5-nitro-BNT), a nitrated-thioarene, was examined for its mutagenicity, metabolism and subsequent formation of DNA adducts. 5-Nitro-BNT was weakly mutagenic in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100 without Aroclor-1254-induced rat liver S9 (S9), and its activity was increased in the presence of S9. Anaerobic metabolism of 5-nitro-BNT by S9 or xanthine oxidase (XO) produced one major metabolite, identified as 5-amino-BNT by NMR, MS, and UV spectroscopy and by comparison with an authentic standard. Aerobic S9 metabolism of 5-nitro-BNT produced a major metabolite, identified as trans-9,10-dihydroxy-9,10-dihydro-5-nitro-BNT (5-nitro-BNT-9,10-diol). Also present was a minor amount of 5-amino-BNT and trans-9,10-dihydroxy-9,10-dihydro-5-amino-BNT (5-amino-BNT-9,10-diol). DNA adduct analyses were performed using the (32)P-postlabeling assay and reversed-phase HPLC. Three major XO-derived calf thymus DNA adducts were detected. On the basis of their chromatographic mobilities, two adducts were identified as reaction products of 5-nitro-BNT with 2'-deoxyguanosine and one adduct with 2'-deoxyadenosine. Incorporation of allopurinol (a specific XO inhibitor) in the incubation mixture resulted in loss of all three adducts, confirming enzymatic mediation by XO. Aerobic S9 activation of 5-nitro-BNT with calf thymus DNA produced three adducts. On the basis of their chromatographic mobilities, two were identified as reaction products of 5-nitro-BNT with 2'-deoxyguanosine and one with 2'-deoxyadenosine. Incorporation of 1-aminobenzotriazole (a P450 inhibitor) in the incubation mixture resulted in a loss of these adducts, confirming enzymatic mediation by P450. Aerobic S9-catalyzed metabolism of 5-nitro-BNT-9,10-diol produced the same DNA adducts as observed with 5-nitro-BNT. Aerobic S9-catalyzed metabolism of 5-amino-BNT-9,10-diol produced the same deoxyadenosine-derived DNA adducts as observed with 5-nitro-BNT and 5-nitro-BNT-9,10-diol. These results provide additional information that both ring oxidation and nitroreduction are involved in the metabolism, DNA adduct formation and mutagenicity of 5-nitro-BNT.

Mutagenicity in lung of big Blue((R)) mice and induction of tandem-base substitutions in Salmonella by the air pollutant peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN): predicted formation of intrastrand cross-links.

Peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) is a ubiquitous air pollutant formed from NO(2) reacting with acetoxy radicals generated from ambient aldehydes in the presence of sunlight and ozone. It contributes to eye irritation associated with photochemical smog and is present in most urban air. PAN was generated in a chamber containing open petri dishes of Salmonella TA100 (gas-phase exposure). After subtraction of the background mutation spectrum, the spectrum of PAN-induced mutants selected at 3.1-fold above the background mutant yield was 59% GC-->TA, 29% GC-->AT, 2% GC-->CG, and 10% multiple mutations - primarily GG-->TT tandem-base substitutions. Using computational molecular modeling methods, a mechanism was developed for producing this unusual tandem-base substitution. The mechanism depends on the protonation of PAN near the polyanionic DNA to release NO(2)(+) resulting in intrastrand dimer formation. Insertion of AA opposite the dimerized GG would account for the tandem GG-->TT transversions. Nose-only exposure of Big Blue((R)) mice to PAN at 78ppm (near the MTD) was mutagenic at the lacI gene in the lung (mutant frequency +/-S.E. of 6.16+/-0.58/10(5) for controls versus 8.24+/-0.30/10(5) for PAN, P=0.016). No tandem-base mutations were detected among the 40 lacI mutants sequenced. Dosimetry with 3H-PAN showed that 24h after exposure, 3.9% of the radiolabel was in the nasal tissue, and only 0.3% was in the lung. However, based on the molecular modeling considerations, the labeled portion of the molecule would not have been expected to have been bound covalently to DNA. Our results indicate that PAN is weakly mutagenic in the lungs of mice and in Salmonella and that PAN produces a unique signature mutation (a tandem GG-->TT transversion) in Salmonella that is likely due to a GG intrastrand cross-link. Thus, PAN may pose a mutagenic and possible carcinogenic risk to humans, especially at the high concentrations at which it is present in some urban environments.

A quantitative comparison of dibenzo[a,l]pyrene-DNA adduct formation by recombinant human cytochrome P450 microsomes.

Dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DB[a,l]P), an extremely potent environmental carcinogen, is metabolically activated in mammalian cells and microsomes through the fjord-region dihydrodiol, trans-DB[a,l]P-11, 12-diol, to syn- and anti-DB[a,l]P-11,12-diol-13,14-epoxides (syn- and anti-DB[a,l]PDEs). The role of seven individual recombinant human cytochrome P450s (1A1, 1A2, 1B1, 2B6, 2C9, 2E1, and 3A4) in the metabolic activation of DB[a,l]P and formation of DNA adducts was examined by using (32)P postlabeling, thin-layer chromatography, and high-pressure liquid chromatography. We found that, in the presence of epoxide hydrolase, only P450 1A1 and P450 1B1 catalyzed the formation of DB[a,l]PDE-DNA adducts and several unidentified polar adducts. Human P450 1A1 catalyzed the formation of DB[a, l]PDE-DNA adducts and unidentified polar adducts at rates threefold and 17-fold greater than did human P450 1B1 (256 fmol/h/nmol P450 versus 90 fmol/h/nmol P450 and 132 fmol/h/nmol P450 versus 8 fmol/h/nmol P450, respectively). P450 1A1 DNA adducts were derived from both anti- and syn-DB[a,l]PDE at rates of 73 fmol/h/nmol P450 and 51 fmol/h/nmol P450, respectively. P450 1B1 produced adducts derived from anti-DB[a,l]PDE at a rate of 82 fmol/h/nmol, whereas only a small number of adducts were derived from syn-DB[a,l]PDE (0.4 fmol/h/nmol). These results demonstrated the potential of human P450 1A1 and P450 1B1 to contribute to the metabolic activation and carcinogenicity of DB[a,l]P and provided additional evidence that human P450 1A1 and 1B1 differ in their stereospecific activation of DB[a,l]P. Mol. Carcinog. 26:74-82, 1999. Published 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Colonization and clearance of environmental microbial agents upon intranasal exposure of strain C3H/HeJ mice.

Environmental dissemination of biotechnology agents is becoming a common practice. Most applications use historically innocuous species; however, potential health effects of individual products are not scrutinized unless they contain genetically engineered microorganisms. In order to investigate possible health concerns, four surrogate microbial agents were studied in vivo. Male C3H/HeJ (endotoxin-resistant) mice were administered intranasally (i.n.) with approximately 10(7) Pseudomonas aureofaciens, Burkholderia cepacia, P. fluorescens, or P. putida. To determine clearance of the dosed bacterial strains, lungs, small intestine, large intestine, cecum, mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), spleen, and liver were homogenized individually, plated, and dilutions inoculated onto selective media. Pseudomonas fluorescens and P. putida were eliminated from the lungs by 2 d posttreatment, and P. aureofaciens was not detected in the lungs by 5 d posttreatment. Burkholderia cepacia was reisolated from the lungs and cecum for the experimental duration (14 d). Translocation to extraintestinal sites (MLN, spleen, and liver) also occurred. Burkholderia cepacia was recovered from the MLN for 10 d after treatment of mice. Pulmonary exposure to several bacterial strains resulted in unexpected mortality. Pseudomonas aureofaciens was lethal at the lowest dose (8.26 x 10(6) CFU/ mouse), while P. fluorescens and B. cepacia were fatal at higher doses (6.15 x 10(8) CFU/mouse and 1.34 x 10(8) CFU/mouse, respectively). By using the model described in this study, human safety issues can be more easily addressed and evaluated.

Modulation of 2,6-dinitrotoluene genotoxicity by alachlor treatment of Fischer 344 rats.

Due to its widespread use as a preemergent herbicide, alachlor has been detected as a groundwater contaminant. The procarcinogen, 2,6-dinitrotoluene (DNT), a by-product of the munitions industry and a precursor to polyurethane production, is found in the manufacturing waste stream. This study explores the effect of alachlor treatment on the bioactivation of DNT by examining urine mutagenicity, intestinal enzymes, and hepatic DNA adducts to detect changes in metabolism. Five-week-old male rats were treated daily by gavage with 50 mg/kg of alachlor for up to 5 weeks while control animals received an equal volume of peanut oil. At 1, 3, and 5 weeks following the initial alachlor dose, animals were administered p.o. 75 mg/kg DNT or DMSO. Urine was collected for 24 hr in metabolism cages. Following incubation with sulfatase and beta-glucuronidase, urines were individually concentrated by C-18 solid phase extraction, dried under N2, and prepared for bioassay in Salmonella typhimurium strain TA98 with and without metabolic activation. Urine from peanut oil- and alachlor-treated rots was not mutagenic. Even though calf thymus DNA-alachlor adducts formed in vitro, no hepatic DNA adducts were detected in vivo in these two treatment groups. Interestingly, a significant increase in excretion of mutagenic urine from DNT-treated rats was observed following 3 weeks of alachlor treatment in the absence of S9 (690 +/- 130 vs. 339 +/- 28 revertants/ml) which corresponded to increased DNT-related hepatic DNA adduct formation (5.90 +/- 0.88 adducts/10(8) nucleotides vs. 10.56 x +/- 0.59 adducts/10(8) nucleotides [relative adduct level (RAL)]). Elevation in the production of mutagenic urine from control and treated animals was linked to increases in intestinal nitroreductase and beta-glucuronidase activities; however, the only significant alachlor-related effects were an increase in small intestinal 1-week beta-glucuronidase and 5-week dehydrochlorinase activities. The increased urine mutagenicity and hepatic DNA adduct formation indicates that alachlor has a transient effect on DNT bioactivation that apparently is unrelated to intestinal bioactivation.

Comparative in vitro and in vivo benzo[a]pyrene-DNA adduct formation and its relationship to CYP1A activity in two species of ictalurid catfish.

We have measured the formation and persistence of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP)-DNA adducts in the liver of two closely related species of fish, the brown bullhead (Ameriurus nebulosus) and the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) using the 32P-postlabeling method. Liver microsomal ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity, arylhydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity, and in vitro microsome-mediated DNA binding were all significantly higher in the channel catfish. In an in vivo time-course experiment, fish were either induced with beta NF followed by a single BaP i.p. injection (20 mg/kg) or treated with corn oil. BaP-DNA adducts and EROD activity in liver were analyzed 1, 3, 7, 14, and 45 days after the BaP dosage. As in the in vitro experiments, EROD activities in channel catfish were significantly higher at most time points than in bullhead liver (p < 0.05). However, in contrast to the in vitro data, the BaP-DNA adduct profile revealed significantly higher levels of adducts in the bullhead than the channel catfish throughout the time course (p < 0.05). Prior induction with beta NF did not significantly affect the level or type of adduct binding to DNA in either species. Further characterization of the major adduct by HPLC confirmed it to be the anti-BPDE-dGuo adduct. Analysis of tissue distribution of [14C]BaP in the two species suggested similar absorption and initial distribution, but slower elimination from the liver of bullhead than the catfish. The BaP-adduct profiles were consistent with the relative species susceptibility to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-induced liver neoplasia. EROD activities, however, were negatively associated with adduct levels following in vivo exposure.

In vitro methylation of inorganic arsenic in mouse intestinal cecum.

The capacity of mouse intestinal cecal microflora to methylate inorganic arsenicals (iAs) was examined in vitro under conditions of restricted bacterial growth. Cecal contents incubated under anaerobic conditions at 37 degrees C for 21 hr methylated up to 40% of either 0.1 microM arsenite (iAsIII) or 0.1 microM arsenate (iAsV). Methylarsenic (MAs) was the predominant metabolite; however, about 3% of either substrate was converted to dimethylarsenic (DMAs). Over the first 6 hr, the rate of methylation was several times greater for iAsIII than for iAsV. There was a 3-hr delay in the production of methylated metabolites from iAsV, suggesting that reduction of iAsV to iAsIII before methylation could be rate limiting. Over the concentration range of 0.1 to 10 microM of iAsIII or iAsV, there was an approximately linear increase in the production of MAs and DMAs. There was evidence of saturation or inhibition of methylation at 100 microM of either substrate. Substrate concentration had little effect on MAs/DMAs ratio. Incubation of cecal contents at 0 degrees C abolished methylation of either arsenical. Under aerobic or anaerobic conditions, cecal tissue homogenates produced little MAs or DMAs from either arsenical. Addition of potential methyl group donors, L-methionine and methylcobalamin, into cecal contents significantly increased the rate of methylation, especially for iAsV. Addition of glutathione, but not L-cysteine, had a similar effect. Selenite, a recognized inhibitor of iAs methylation in mammalian tissues, inhibited methylation of either substrate by cecal contents. These data suggest that cecal microflora are a high capacity methylation system that might contribute significantly to methylation of iAs in intact animals.

Mutagenicity of HPLC-fractionated urinary metabolites from 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene-treated Fischer 344 rats.

The production and storage of explosives has resulted in the environmental accumulation of the mutagen 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). In order to characterize the production of mutagenic urinary metabolites, 6-week old male Fischer 344 rats were administered 75 mg of TNT/kg or DMSO vehicle by gavage. The animals were placed into metabolism cages, and urine was collected for 24 hr. Following filtration, metabolites in the urine were deconjugated with sulfatase and beta-glucuronidase and concentrated by solid phase extraction. The eluate was fractionated by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using acetonitrile/water, and the fractions, were solvent exchanged in DMSO by nitrogen evaporation. Each HPLC fraction was bioassayed in strains TA98, TA98NR, TA100, and TA100NR without metabolic activation using a microsuspension modification of the Salmonella histidine reversion assay. Fractions 3, 5-18, 21, 22, and 24-26 contained mutagens detected by strain TA98. In the nitroreductase-deficient strain TA98NR, some mutagenic activity was lost; however, fractions 3, 6, 9-11, 15, and 25 clearly contained direct-acting mutagens. Fewer fractions were positive in strain TA100 (9-16, 19, 20, and 25) with less activity observed in the nitroreductase deficient strain TA100NR (fractions 3, 12, 14, 15, and 25). Although some mutagenic activity coeluted with known TNT metabolite standards, there were still many unidentified mutagenic peaks.

In vitro characterization of DNA adducts formed by foundry air particulate matter.

This study is part of an ongoing investigation of biomarkers in iron foundry workers exposed to polycyclic aromatic compounds. Foundry workers with the highest exposures had elevated levels of DNA adducts in their white blood cells in previous studies. The purpose of this study was to characterize the nature of DNA reactive chemicals in foundry air samples through incubating the foundry filter extract with DNA and activation enzymes. Calf thymus DNA was incubated with foundry filter extract and activated by either rat liver activation mixture (S9 mix) or xanthine oxidase. A complex pattern of adducts was observed on thin-layer chromatography (TLC) by the 32P-postlabeling assay. Two selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)--1-NP-and anti(+/-)benzo[a]pyrene-trans-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide [anti(+/-) BPDE]-DNA adducts--were used as marker compounds in characterizing the postlabeled DNA adducts by TLC combined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). After an initial separation of DNA adducts by TLC, individual spots were isolated and separated further on HPLC. HPLC analysis and spiking with anti(+/-)BPDE-DNA standard confirmed the co-migration of the anti(+/-)BPDE-DNA standard with one PAH adduct formed by the S9 mix-activated DCM extract in calf thymus DNA.

Hepatic DNA adducts and production of mutagenic urine in 2,6-dinitrotoluene-treated B6C3F1 male mice.

The hepatocarcinogen 2,6-dinitrotoluene (2,6-DNT) is an intermediate in the chemical synthesis of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene and polyurethane products and can contaminate the waste stream emitted by these industries. In this study, the production of mutagenic urine metabolites and the formation of hepatic DNA adducts is examined in the B6C3F1 male mouse. Animals were administered 50 mg/kg 2,6-DNT by gavage for 3 consecutive days. No body or liver weight effects were observed in treated animals. Following sacrifice, the livers were excised and DNA isolated for examination of 2,6-DNT-derived DNA adducts. During 2,6-DNT treatment, urine was collected, concentrated, and tested for mutagenicity in the Salmonella reversion bioassay. Mutagenic urine metabolites (469+/-53 revertants/ml urine) were excreted from B6C3F1 mice treated with 2,6-DNT and were comparable to results obtained for CD-1 mice and Fischer 344 rats. Two distinct hepatic DNA adducts (0.8+/-0.1 and 0.6+/-0.1 RAL/10(8) nucleotides) were detected in B6C3F1 mice by (32)P-postlabeling and thin layer chromatography which differed from the four adducts observed in hepatic DNA from 2,6-DNT-treated Fischer 344 rats.

Metabolic activation of the genotoxic environmental contaminants 2- and 3-nitrofluoranthene in variants of Salmonella typhimurium TA98.

The mutagenic environmental pollutants 2-nitrofluoranthene (2-NFA) and 3-nitrofluoranthene (3-NFA), labelled with 3H and 14C respectively, were incubated with Salmonella typhimurium strain TA98, its nitroreductase-deficient variant TA98NR and its O-acetytransferase-deficient variant TA98/1,8-DNP6, to investigate the activity of these metabolic pathways under conditions approximating those of the Ames assay, hence their contribution to mutagenic potency. 2-Aminofluoranthene (2-AFA) was the major metabolite of 2-NFA (4 microM) in all three TA98 variants, isolated by reverse-phase HPLC and identified by UV-vis and NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. 2-AFA was formed more slowly in TA98NR (65 pmol/h/ml resting phase bacterial broth, 1 to 2 x 10(9) bacteria/ml) than in TA98 (295 pmol/h/ml) or TA98/1,8-DNP6 (82 pmol/h/ml). 2-Acetamidofluoranthene (2-AAFA) was also identified in incubations with TA98 (80 pmol/h/ml), TA98NR (21 pmol/h/ml), and TA98/1,8-DNP6 (8 pmol/h/ml). 3-Aminofluoranthene (3-AFA, confirmed by UV-vis and NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry) was formed by all three variants from 3-NFA (4 microM): TA98, 1.76 nmol/h/ml; TA98NR, 0.55 nmol/h/ml; TA98/1,8-DNP6, 2.93 nmol/h/ml. 3-Acetamidofluoranthene (3-AAFA) was not detected in any of the variants. 3-AFA and 3-AAFA were less mutagenic than 3-NFA, and required S9 for activation. Mutagenicity of 3-NFA relative to initial nitroreduction rate was similar in TA98 and in TA98NR, but almost 10-fold lower in TA98/1,8-DNP6; hence O-acetylation considerably enhances the mutagenicity of reduction products of 3-NFA. Mutagenicity of 2-NFA relative to initial nitroreduction rate was similar in TA98 and in TA98/1,8-DNP6; the bacterial genotoxicity of 2-NFA is therefore largely independent of O-acetyltransferase activity. Ratios of mutagenicity to nitroreduction rate were similar in TA98 for 2-NFA and 3-NFA; differences in the potency of these isomers arise primarily from their respective suitabilities as substrates for nitroreductase enzymes.

Potentiation of 2,6-dinitrotoluene genotoxicity in Fischer 344 rats by pretreatment with coal tar creosote.

Pretreatment of male Fischer 344 rats for 5 wk with coal tar creosote, a coal distillation product that is widely used as a wood preservative, potentiated the excretion of urinary mutagens in 2,6-dinitrotoluene (DNT) treated rats. Creosote increased the bioactivation of DNT to significantly greater levels of urinary genotoxic metabolites and/or formed DNA adducts in the liver. A significant increase in the excretion of mutagenic DNT metabolites was observed after the first week of creosote treatment, peaked at wk 3, and then decreased by 33% after 5 wk of treatment. Nevertheless, there was a significant increase (66%) in the formation of DNT-derived DNA adducts in the livers of rats treated with DNT plus creosote at wk 5. Increased cecal beta-glucuronidase activity and reduced small intestinal nitroreductase activity may play roles in the bioactivation of DNT. The excretion of mutagenic DNT metabolites supplies useful information about the bioactivation of DNT; it does not provide a useful index of DNT-derived hepatic DNA adduct formation. Such interactions could be important to predictive risk assessment because the overall cancer risk of such chemical mixtures may exceed the sum of the component risks.

Atrazine treatment potentiates excretion of mutagenic urine in 2,6-dinitrotoluene-treated Fischer 344 rats.

Atrazine (ATZ), an s-triazine herbicide, is a widespread environmental contaminant. The hepatocarcinogenic component of technical grade dinitrotoluene, 2,6-dinitrotoluene (2,6-DNT, 19.5%), is a byproduct of trinitrotoluene synthesis and is found at production sites. This study explores the effect of ATZ treatment on the bioactivation of the promutagen, 2,6-DNT. Male Fischer 344 rats (5 weeks old) were administered 50 mg/kg of ATZ by gavage for 5 weeks. At 1, 3, and 5 weeks, both DMSO-control and ATZ-pretreated rats were treated p.o. with 75 mg/kg of 2,6-DNT and were housed in metabolism cages for urine collection. Sulfatase- and beta-glucuronidase-treated, concentrated urine was bioassayed for urinary mutagens in a microsuspension modification of the Salmonella assay with and without metabolic activation. No significant change in mutagen excretion was observed in ATZ-treated rats; however, an elevation in direct-acting urine mutagens from rats receiving ATZ and 2,6-DNT at weeks 1 (359 +/- 68 vs. 621 +/- 96 revertants/ml) and 5 (278 +/- 46 vs. 667 +/- 109 revertants/ml) of treatment was observed. The increase in production of urinary mutagens was accompanied by an elevation in small intestinal nitroreductase activity. Increases in large intestinal nitroreductase and beta-glucuronidase were observed after 5 weeks. There was no apparent effect of ATZ following 5 weeks of treatment on the production of 2,6-DNT-derived hepatic DNA adducts. ATZ treatment modifies intestinal enzymes responsible for promutagen bioactivation, and potentiates the excretion of mutagenic urine in 2,6-DNT-treated animals.

Role of the intestinal microbiota in the activation of the promutagen 2,6-dinitrotoluene to mutagenic urine metabolites and comparison of GI enzyme activities in germ-free and conventionalized male Fischer 344 rats.

After male germ-free and conventionalized Fischer 344 rats were administered per os (p.o.) 75 mg/kg 2,6-DNT, intestinal nitroreductase, beta-glucuronidase, and azo reductase activities were lower in the cecum and large intestine of germ-free animals. However, there was no significant difference in the small intestinal nitroreductase and azo reductase compared to the conventionalized counterparts. This indicated a potential mucosal source for the enzymes. Urines from germ-free rats (1144 +/- 64 revertants/ml) were less mutagenic than those from conventionalized animals (1467 +/- 171 revertants/ml) in Salmonella typhimurium strain TA98 without S9. In the presence of S9, urine from conventionalized animals (894 +/- 56 revertants/ml) was more mutagenic than that from germ-free rats (686 +/- 60 revertants/ml). The presence of the intestinal flora plays an important role in the activation of 2,6-DNT but other metabolic pathways, such as the small intestinal mucosal and/or hepatic enzymes, are present that can generate excreted genotoxicants.

Pulmonary clearance and inflammatory response in C3H/HeJ mice after intranasal exposure to Pseudomonas spp.

The environmental release of engineered microorganisms has caused health and environmental concerns. In this study, an animal model was used to examine health effects following pulmonary exposure to environmental and clinical isolates. In order to rule out the possibility that an adverse response was caused by endotoxin, 50% lethal doses (LD50) were determined, when possible, with endotoxin-sensitive (C3HeB/FeJ) and endotoxin-resistant (C3H/HeJ) mice by using both environmental isolates (Pseudomonas aeruginosa BC16, BC17, BC18, and AC869 and Pseudomonas maltophilia BC6) and clinical isolates (P. aeruginosa PAO1 and DG1). The LD50 of strains AC869, DG1, and PAO1 are 1.05 x 10(7), 6.56 x 10(6), and 1.02 x 10(7) CFU, respectively, in C3HeB/FeJ mice and 1.05 x 10(7), 1.00 x 10(7), and 2.75 x 10(6) CFU, respectively, in C3H/HeJ mice. Strains BC17 and BC18 were not lethal to the animals. On the basis of the LD50 data, an appropriate sublethal dose (approximately 10(6) CFU) was selected. Animals were challenged intranasally with microorganisms, and clearance from the lungs and nasal cavity was determined. Strains BC17, BC18, and AC869 were not detected in lungs or nasal washes 14 days following treatment. Strains BC6, BC16, and DG1 were recovered from the nasal cavities at the end of the experiment. Only strain PAO1 was detected in lungs and in nasal cavities 14 days after treatment. At selected intervals following treatment, the percentages of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and lymphocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage samples were determined. P. aeruginosa AC869, PAO1, and DG1 elicited a relatively strong inflammatory response which was indirectly related to lung clearance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Potentiation of 2,6-dinitrotoluene genotoxicity in Fischer-344 rats by pretreatment with Aroclor 1254.

Pretreatment of Fischer 344 rats for 5 weeks with Aroclor 1254, a commercial mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls, potentiated the genotoxicity of 2,6-dinitrotoluene (DNT), a component of an industrial chemical used in the production of polyurethane foams. This interaction resulted from Aroclor 1254-mediated bioactivation of DNT to markedly greater levels of the genotoxic metabolites, that were excreted in urine and formed DNA adducts in the liver. A significant increase in the excretion of mutagenic urinary DNT metabolites was observed after the first week of Aroclor 1254 treatment, peaked at week 2 and then declined by nearly 25% at week 4. Nevertheless, by week 5, there was almost a 4-fold increase in the formation of hepatic DNA adducts. Significantly elevated hepatic metabolism and increased beta-glucuronidase in the small intestine and cecum, at 4 weeks, may account for the increased adducts and decreased urinary mutagens. Altered nitroreductase activity, reduced pH, and changes in the microfloral population may also play a role in the effect of Aroclor 1254 on the bioactivation of DNT. Such chemical interactions could be important to predictive risk assessment because the overall cancer risk of the mixture would exceed that determined by the current guidelines for chemical mixtures.

2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid influence on 2,6-dinitrotoluene-induced urine genotoxicity in Fischer 344 rats: effect on gastrointestinal microflora and enzyme activity.

2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) and 2,6-dinitrotoluene (2,6-DNT) are hazardous chemicals that have potential harmful effects. 2,6-DNT is recognized as a hepatotoxicant while 2,4,5-T, a component of Agent Orange, is also suspect. 2,6-DNT requires both oxidative and reductive metabolism to elicit genotoxic effects. To determine what effect 2,4,5-T had on 2,6-DNT metabolism, intestinal enzymes, microbial populations, and urine mutagenicity were examined during 2,4,5-T treatment. Weanling Fischer 344 male rats were treated daily with 54.4 mg/kg 2,4,5-T by gavage for 4 weeks. One, two, and four weeks after the initial 2,4,5-T dose, rats were administered (po) 2,6-DNT (75 mg/kg) and urine was collected for 24 hr in metabolism cages. Azo reductase, nitroreductase, beta-glucuronidase, dechlorinase, and dehydrochlorinase activities were examined concurrently. Treatment of rats for 1 week reduced the transformation of 2,6-DNT to mutagenic urinary metabolites. This was accompanied by a decrease in the fecal anaerobic microorganisms. The elimination of Lactobacillus fermentum from the small intestine and cecum of treated animals accompanied a significant increase in oxygen-tolerant lactobacilli and other unidentified aerobic microorganisms. However, there were no significant alterations in the intestinal enzyme activities examined. By 2 weeks of 2,4,5-T treatment, microbiota and urine genotoxicity returned to the levels observed in control animals. This trend continued for the duration of the experiment. After 2 weeks, while cecal nitroreductase and azo reductase activities increased, small intestinal beta-glucuronidase activity decreased. By 4 weeks, treated and untreated animal intestinal enzyme activities were indistinguishable.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)