Fabrication, characterization and application of laccase-nylon 6,6/Fe3+ composite nanofibrous membrane for 3,3'-dimethoxybenzidine detoxification.

In this study, laccase was immobilized on nylon 6,6/Fe3+ composite (NFC) nanofibrous membrane and used for the detoxification of 3,3'-dimethoxybenzidine (DMOB). The average size and tensile strength of the NFC membrane were found to be 60-80 nm (diameter) and 2.70 MPa, respectively. The FTIR results confirm that the amine (N-H) group of laccase was attached with Fe3+ particles and the carbonyl (C=O) group of NFC membrane via hydrogen bonding. The half-life of the laccase-NFC membrane storage stability was increased from 6 to 11 weeks and the reusability was significantly extended up to 43 cycles against ABTS oxidation. Enhanced electro-oxidation of DMOB by laccase was observed at 0.33 V and the catalytic current was found to be 30 µA. The DMOB-treated mouse fibroblast 3T3-L1 preadipocytes showed maximum (97 %) cell inhibition at 75 µM L-1 within 24 h. The cytotoxicity of DMOB was significantly decreased to 78 % after laccase treatment. This study suggests that laccase-NFC membrane might be a good candidate for emerging pollutant detoxification.

Evidence that 4-aminobiphenyl, benzidine, and benzidine congeners produce genotoxicity through reactive oxygen species.

4-Aminobyphenyl (4-Ab), benzidine (Bz), and Bz congeners were evaluated for their ability to induce genotoxicity through an oxidative mechanism. The mutagenicity of these compounds was tested in the presence and absence of Aroclor 1254-induced rat S9 mix using Salmonella typhimurium tester strain TA102, which is sensitive to agents producing reactive oxygen species (ROS). In the presence of S9, 4-Ab, Bz, N-acetyl-benzidine, and 3,3-dimethoxybenzidine were strongly mutagenic in TA102, whereas, 3,3,5,5-tetra-methylbenzidine, 3,3-dimethylbenzidine (O-tolidine), and N,N-diacetylbenzidine were not mutagenic. In addition, 3,3-dichlorobenzidine and 4,4-dinitro-2-biphenylamine were directly mutagenic in TA102. Incorporation of the free radical and metal scavengers, catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), butylated hydroxytolune (BHT), and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) reduced the mutagenic responses of 4-Ab and Bz, whereas heat-inactivated catalase and SOD had no effect. 4-Ab and Bz also induced lipid peroxidation in the presence of S9 mix as shown using the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances assay. The results of this study indicate that 4-Ab and Bz induce mutations through the induction of ROS.

Chemical-induced atrial thrombosis in NTP rodent studies.

Cardiac thrombosis, one of the causes of sudden death throughout the world, plays a principal role in several cardiovascular diseases, such as myocardial infarction and stroke in humans. Data from studies of induction of chemical thrombosis in rodents help to identify substances in our environment that may contribute to cardiac thrombosis. Results for more than 500 chemicals tested in rodents in 2-year bioassays have been published as Technical Reports of the National Toxicology Program (NTP) http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov/index. We evaluated atrial thrombosis induced by these chemical exposures and compared it to similarly induced lesions reported in the literature. Spontaneous rates of cardiac thrombosis were determined for control Fischer 344 rats and B6C3F1 mice: 0% in rats and mice in 90-day studies and, in 2-year studies, 0.7% in both genders of mice, 4% in male rats, and 1% in female rats. Incidences of atrial thrombosis were increased in high-dosed groups involving 13 compounds (incidence rate: 20-100%): 2-butoxyethanol, C.I. Direct Blue 15, bis(2-chloroethoxy)methane, diazoaminobenzene, diethanolamine, 3,3'-dimethoxybenzidine dihydrochloride, hexachloroethane, isobutene, methyleugenol, oxazepam, C.I. Pigment Red 23, C.I. Acid Red 114, and 4,4'-thiobis(6-t-butyl-m-cresol). The main localization of spontaneously occurring and chemically induced thromboses occurred in the left atrium. The literature survey suggested that chemical-induced atrial thrombosis might be closely related to myocardial injury, endothelial injury, circulatory stasis, hypercoagulability, and impaired atrial mechanical activity, such as atrial fibrillation, which could cause stasis of blood within the left atrial appendage, contributing to left atrial thrombosis. Supplementary data referenced in this paper are not printed in this issue of Toxicologic Pathology. They are available as downloadable files at http://taylorandfrancis.metapress.com/openurl.asp?genre=journal&issn=0192-6233. To access them, click on the issue link for 33(5), then select this article. A download option appears at the bottom of this abstract. In order to access the full article online, you must either have an individual subscription or a member subscription accessed through www.toxpath.org.

Using base-specific Salmonella tester strains to characterize the types of mutation induced by benzidine and benzidine congeners after reductive metabolism.

Although benzidine (Bz), 4-aminobiphenyl (ABP), 3,3'-dichlorobenzidine HCl (DCBz), 3,3'-dimethylbenzidine (DMBz), 3,3'-dimethoxybenzidine (DMOBz) and the benzidine congener-based dye trypan blue (TB) produce primarily frameshift mutations in Salmonella typhimurium, the base-substitution strain TA100 also responds to these compounds when S9 is present. Performing DNA sequence analysis, other investigators have shown that ABP induces frameshift, base-pair and complex mutations. Also, it was found that an uninduced hamster liver S9 preparation with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, FMN, NADH and four times glucose 6-phosphate gave a stronger mutagenic response than the conventional plate incorporation with rat S9 activation mixture for all the compounds tested. Using the base-specific tester strains of S. typhimurium (TA7001-TA7006) with the above reductive metabolic activation system, we surveyed these compounds for the ability to produce specific base-pair substitutions after reductive metabolism. Bz was weakly mutagenic in TA7005 (0.04 revertants/microg). ABP was mutagenic in TA7002 (1.4 revertants/microg), TA7004 (0.6 revertants/microg), TA7005 (2.98 revertants/microg) and TA7006 (0.4 revertants/microg). DCBz was weakly mutagenic in TA7004 (0.01 revertants/microg). It was concluded that benzidine induced some CG->AT transversions in addition to frameshift mutations. ABP induced TA->AT, CG->AT, and CG->GC transversions as well as GC->AT transitions. DCBz induced only GC->AT transitions. Because DMBz, DMOBz and TB were not mutagenic in this base-substitution mutagen detection system, their mutagenic activity was attributed strictly to frameshift mechanisms.

DNA damage induced by 3,3'-dimethoxybenzidine in liver and urinary bladder cells of rats and humans.

3,3'-Dimethoxybenzidine (DMB), a congener of benzidine used in the dye industry and previously found to be carcinogenic in rats, was evaluated for its genotoxic activity in primary cultures of rat and human hepatocytes and of cells from human urinary bladder mucosa, as well as in liver and bladder mucosa of intact rats. A similar modest dose-dependent frequency of DNA fragmentation was revealed by the alkaline elution technique in metabolically competent primary cultures of both rat and human hepatocytes exposed for 20 h to subtoxic DMB concentrations ranging from 56 to 180 microM. Replicating rat hepatocytes displayed a modest increase in the frequency of micronucleated cells after a 48-h exposure to 100 and 180 microM concentrations. In primary cultures of human urinary bladder mucosa cells exposed for 20 h to 100 and 180 microM DMB, the Comet assay revealed a clear-cut increase of DNA fragmentation. In rats given one-half LD50 of DMB as a single oral dose, the GSH level was reduced in both the liver and urinary bladder mucosa, whereas DNA fragmentation was detected only in the bladder mucosa. Taken as a whole, these results suggest that DMB should be considered a potentially genotoxic chemical in both rats and humans; the selective effect on the rat urinary bladder might be the consequence of pharmacokinetic behavior.

ortho-Substituent effects on the in vitro and in vivo genotoxicity of benzidine derivatives.

Benzidine and its 3,3'-diamino, 3,3'-dimethyl, 3,3'-dimethoxy, 3,3'-difluoro, 3,3'-dichloro, 3,3'-dibromo, 3,3'-dicarbomethoxy and 3,3'-dinitro derivatives together with 2-nitrobenzidine and 3-nitrobenzidine were compared for their in vitro and in vivo genotoxicity. Relative mutagenicity was established with Salmonella strains TA98, TA98/1,8-DNP6 and TA100 with and without S9 activation. All the derivatives in the presence of S9 were more mutagenic than benzidine with 3,3'-dinitro- and 3-nitro-benzidine having the greatest mutagenicity. Mutagenicity in all 3 strains with S9 activation could be correlated to electron-withdrawing ability of substituent groups, as measured by the basicity of the amines. This correlation was explained on the basis that electron-withdrawing groups could favor the stability of the mutagenic intermediate N-hydroxylamine and also enhance the reactivity of the ultimate mutagenic species, the nitrenium ion. Mutagenicity was also correlated to the energy of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (ELUMO). Hydrophobicity was found to have very limited effect on the relative mutagenicity of our benzidine derivatives. The in vivo endpoint was chromosomal aberrations in the bone-marrow cells of mice following intraperitoneal administration of benzidine and its derivatives. In contrast to the in vitro results, while all the amines were genotoxic in vivo, only the 3-nitro derivative had a significant increase in toxicity over benzidine.

The effects of prenatal administration of azo dyes on testicular development in the mouse: a structure activity profile of dyes derived from benzidine, dimethylbenzidine, or dimethoxybenzidine.

In mice and rats, prenatal exposure to the dye Congo red permanently reduces the number of germ cells in male and female offspring. In the current investigation, nine other dyes structurally related to Congo red were examined for developmental testicular toxicity. In this study, the structural component of the dyes responsible for the prenatal induction of germ cell aplasia was identified. We found that only benzidine-based dyes altered testicular development and caused hypospermatogenesis in mice during adulthood. Dimethyl- and dimethoxybenzidine-based dyes were without effect. Pregnant mice were dosed orally on Days 8-12 of gestation with a benzidine-, dimethylbenzidine-, or a dimethoxybenzidine-based dye and the testes of 45- to 50-day-old male offspring were examined. The testes of postpubertal male offspring exposed to the benzidine-based dyes, Congo red, diamine blue, and Chlorazol Black E, were small and contained some tubules completely devoid of germ cells, but the dimethylbenzidine-based dyes, trypan blue, Evans blue, and benzopurpurin 4B, and the dimethoxybenzidine-based dye, Chicago sky blue, did not alter testicular development in this manner. Azoic diazo component 48, a dimethoxybenzidine congener, and two other diazo dyes, naphthol blue black and Sudan III, were also without effect on the germ cells. Experiments with Chlorazol Black E (CBE) indicate that the period of susceptibility in the male fetus is limited to the period of primordial germ cell migration and division. When CBE was administered on Days 8-10 of gestation it reduced testis weight after puberty by 30%, while treatment after Day 13 did not affect testicular function.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[The role of carcinogenic aminobiphenyls in hepatocyte differentiation]. / Rol' kantserogennykh aminobifenilov v differentsirovke gepatotsitov.

Contribution of various hemoproteins to peroxidase oxidation of benzidine and its derivatives as well as effects of these substances on functional state of hepatocytes are discussed. Benzidine and its derivatives were shown to induce those forms of cytochrome P-450 which were involved in accelerated oxidation of the carcinogenic drugs studied as well as affected the glutathione transferase, NADPH-dependent glutathione reductase activities and the activity of antioxidant system enzymes. Increase in content of cytochrome P-450, glutathione-dependent enzymes and other effects specific for adult hepatocytes, which occurred in presence of aminobiphenyls, were accompanied by decrease in content of receptors to epidermal factor of growth regulating the hepatocytes proliferation.

ras gene activation in rat tumors induced by benzidine congeners and derived dyes.

Dimethoxybenzidine (DMO) and dimethylbenzidine (DM) are used to synthesize dyes such as C.I. Direct Blue 15 and C.I. Acid Red 114, respectively. These commercially used dyes are metabolically degraded to DMO or DM in the intestinal tract of rodents and subsequently DMO and DM are absorbed into the blood stream. Animals were exposed to DMO, DM, or the dyes in the drinking water. Tumors obtained from control and chemical-treated animals were examined for the presence of activated oncogenes by the NIH 3T3 DNA transfection assay. Activated oncogenes were detected in less than 3% (1/38) of the tumors from control animals whereas 68% (34/50) of the tumors from chemical-treated animals contained detectable oncogenes. Activated oncogenes were detected in both malignant (25/36) and benign (9/14) tumors from the chemically treated animals but only in one of 13 malignant tumors from the control animals. The presence of oncogenes in the chemically induced benign tumors suggests that oncogene activation was an early event in those tumors. Southern blot analysis of transfectant DNA showed that the transforming properties of the chemically induced rat tumor DNAs were due to the transfer of an activated H-ras (31/34) or N-ras (3/34) gene. One spontaneous rat tumor DNA was found to contain an activated H-ras gene. Oligonucleotide hybridization analysis indicated that the H-ras oncogenes from chemical-associated tumors contained mutations at codons 12, 13, or 61 whereas the spontaneously activated H-ras gene contained a point mutation at codon 61. These data suggest that activation of cellular ras genes by point mutation is an important step in the induction of tumors, at least in rats, by this class of benzidine-derived dyes. Moreover, in light of common histogenesis of the normal counterparts of many of the chemically induced neoplasms and histological evidence of varied tissue differentiation in some basal cell neoplasms, it is possible that most or all of the chemically induced neoplasms were derived from a common epidermal progenitor stem cell population.

Thirteen-week toxicity studies of 3,3'-dimethoxybenzidene and C.I. Direct Blue 15 in the Fischer 344 rat.

The benzidine congener 3,3'-dimethoxybenzidine (DMOB), and C.I. Direct Blue 15 (Blue 15), a prototypical compound of the DMOB-derived class of dyes, were evaluated in 13-week studies to characterize the toxicity and establish dose levels for subsequent chronic studies. Groups of 10 Fischer 344 rats of each sex were administered either DMOB, or Blue 15, at 1 of 5 concentrations in drinking water for 13 weeks. DMBO concentrations were 0, 0.017, 0.033, 0.063, 0.125, and 0.25% for males and females. For Blue 15, the concentrations were 0.063, 0.125, 0.25, 0.50, and 1.0% for females and 0, 0.125, 0.25, 0.50, 1.0, and 3.0% for male rats. Rats showed dose-related decreases in water consumption and weight gains. All DMOB-treated rats and their controls survived the 13-week treatment. There were 7 deaths in the 3% level of male rats treated with Blue 15. Liver and kidney weights were increased in rats treated with both compounds. Target organs for DMOB-treated rats were the kidney and thyroid. These lesions were characterized by chronic nephropathy, and increased pigment in the follicular cells of the thyroid. The kidney and liver were identified as target organs for Blue 15-treated rats. In the high-dose rats that died before termination of the study, renal effects were characterized by degeneration and focal necrosis of proximal tubular epithelial cells. Liver lesions in this group consisted of degeneration and necrosis of hepatocytes, fatty metamorphosis, and minimal megalocytosis. Mild chronic nephropathy was the principal histological effect in Blue 15-treated rats surviving to study termination.

Comparative metabolism and mutagenicity of azo and hydrazone dyes in the Ames test.

Enteric bacterial and hepatic azoreductase enzymes are capable of reducing azo dyes to yield the constituent aromatic amines. Azo dyes based on benzidine and benzidine congeners have received particular attention because of their widespread use and the known carcinogenicity of benzidine to humans. Azo dyes based on beta-diketone coupling components exist preferentially as the tautomeric hydrazones. A series of hydrazone dyes based on benzidine and benzidine congeners was prepared and characterized by NMR and UV-visible spectroscopy. These dyes were tested for mutagenicity using a modified Ames assay and, unlike the true azo dyes, showed no significant mutagenic activity. The hydrazone dyes were resistant to enzymatic reduction by FMN-supplemented hamster-liver post-mitochondrial supernatant (S-9); under identical conditions, azo dyes such as trypan blue were rapidly reduced.

The effect of acetyl-CoA supplementation on the mutagenicity of benzidines in the Ames assay.

The conventional Ames assay metabolising system was confirmed to be deficient in its ability to N-acetylate. This may render the test less sensitive to compounds which normally have an acetylation step during their in vivo activation to carcinogens. The addition of acetyl-coenzyme A to the S9 mix in the Ames assay increased the mutagenicity of benzidine in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA1538 4-5-fold. This was consistent with the observation that benzidine is N-acetylated prior to DNA binding in vivo in rat liver. Two 3,3'-disubstituted benzidines, o-tolidine and o-dianisidine, were also tested. A smaller increase in o-tolidine mutagenicity, compared to that observed with benzidine, occurred with the addition of acetyl-coenzyme A. However, the production of acetylated metabolites from o-tolidine was only 37% of that from benzidine. The mutagenicity of o-dianisidine was unaffected by acetyl-coenzyme A. Acetylation of o-dianisidine was only 16% of that observed with benzidine, and the N-acetyl derivatives of o-dianisidine showed lower mutagenicity than the parent amine. The differing responses of benzidine, o-tolidine and o-dianisidine to addition of acetyl-coenzyme A suggests it may not be possible to simply infer the metabolism of 3,3'-disubstituted benzidines to DNA binding species from data on benzidine itself.

Health hazard alert--benzidine-, o-tolidine-, and o-dianisidine-based dyes DHHS (NIOSH) publication No. 81-106.

Recent data from animal tests, case reports, and other sources about the carcinogenic effects and metabolism of benzidine-, o-tolidine-, and o-dianisidine-based dyes have come to the attention of OSHA and NIOSH. Both agencies have reviewed the data and concluded that the findings establish the potential of these dyes to cause cancer in humans. OSHA and NIOSH conclude that persons working with these dyes should be aware of the potential health hazards that could result from excessive exposure to them. The intent of this document is to summarize the information available on the carcinogenic effects and metabolism of benzidine-, o-tolidine-, and 0-dianisidine-based dyes and to provide guidance so that employers, employees, and physicians may work together to reduce potential health hazards that could result from excessive exposure to these dyes.