Time-matched analysis of DNA adduct formation and early gene expression as predictive tool for renal carcinogenesis in methylazoxymethanol acetate treated Eker rats.

Genotoxic carcinogens pose great hazard to human health. Uncertainty of current risk assessment strategies and long latency periods between first carcinogen exposure and diagnosis of tumors have raised interest in predictive biomarkers. Initial DNA adduct formation is a necessary step for genotoxin induced carcinogenesis. However, as DNA adducts not always translate into tumorigenesis, their predictive value is limited. Here we hypothesize that the combined analysis of pro-mutagenic DNA adducts along with time-matched gene expression changes could serve as a superior prediction tool for genotoxic carcinogenesis. Eker rats, heterozygous for the tuberous sclerosis (Tsc2) tumor suppressor gene and thus highly susceptible towards genotoxic renal carcinogens, were continuously treated with the DNA alkylating carcinogen methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAMAc). Two weeks of MAMAc treatment resulted in a time-dependent increase of O6-methylguanine and N7-methylguanine adducts in the kidney cortex, which was however not reflected by significant expression changes of cyto-protective genes involved in DNA repair, cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. Instead, we found a transcriptional regulation of genes involved in the tumor-related MAPK, FoxO and TGF-beta pathways. Continuous MAMAc treatment for up to 6 months resulted in a mild but significant increase of cancerous lesions. In summary, the combined analysis of DNA adducts and early gene expression changes could serve as a suitable predictive tool for genotoxicant-induced carcinogenesis.

Comparison of Aristolochic acid I derived DNA adduct levels in human renal toxicity models.

Aristolochic acid (AA) dependent human nephropathy results either from environmental exposure to Aristolochiaceae plant subspecies or their use in traditional phytotherapy. The toxic components are structurally related nitrophenanthrene carboxylic acids, i.e. Aristolochic acid I (AAI) and II (AAII). AAI is considered to be the major cause of Aristolochic acid nephropathy, characterized by severe renal fibrosis and upper urothelial cancer. Following enzymatic activation in kidney and/or liver, AAI metabolites react with genomic DNA to form persistent DNA adducts with purines. To determine whether AAI can be activated in human renal cells to form DNA adducts, we exposed telomerase immortalized renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (RPTEC/TERT1), the human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cell line, as well as primary human kidney cells (pHKC) to AAI in vitro. We modified an isotope dilution ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (ID-UPLC-MS/MS) based method for the quantification of dA-AAI adducts in genomic DNA. In addition, time dependent accumulation of adducts in renal cortex and bladder tissue from AAI/II treated Eker rats were used to validate the detection method. AAI-induced toxicity in human renal cells was determined by dA-AAI adduct quantification, the impact on cell viability, and NQO1 expression and activity. Our findings demonstrated adduct formation in all cell lines, although only pHKC and RPTEC/TERT1 expressed NQO1. The highest adduct formation was detected in pHKC despite low NQO1 expression, while we observed much lower adduct levels in NQO1-negative HEK293 cells. Adduct formation and decreased cell viability correlated only weakly. Therefore, our data suggested that i.) enzymes other than NQO1 could be at least equally important for AA bioactivation in human renal proximal tubule cells, and ii.) the suggested correlation between adduct levels and viability appears to be questionable.