S-(3-Aminobenzanthron-2-yl)cysteine in the globin of rats as a novel type of adduct and possible biomarker of exposure to 3-nitrobenzanthrone, a potent environmental carcinogen.

3-Nitrobenzanthrone (3-NBA), a potent environmental mutagen and carcinogen, is known to be activated in vivo to 3-benzanthronylnitrenium ion which forms both NH and C2-bound adducts with DNA and also reacts with glutathione giving rise to urinary 3-aminobenzanthron-2-ylmercapturic acid. In this study, acid hydrolysate of globin from rats dosed intraperitoneally with 3-NBA was analysed by HPLC/MS to identify a novel type of cysteine adduct, 3-aminobenzanthron-2-ylcysteine (3-ABA-Cys), confirmed using a synthesised standard. The 3-ABA-Cys levels in globin peaked after single 3-NBA doses of 1 and 2 mg/kg on day 2 to attain 0.25 and 0.49 nmol/g globin, respectively, thereafter declining slowly to 70-80% of their maximum values during 15 days. After dosing rats for three consecutive days with 1 mg 3-NBA/kg a significant cumulation of 3-ABA-Cys in globin was observed. 3-ABA-Cys was also found in the plasma hydrolysate. Herein, after dosing with 1 and 2 mg 3-NBA/kg the adduct levels peaked on day 1 at 0.15 and 0.51 nmol/ml plasma, respectively, thereafter declining rapidly to undetectable levels on day 15. In addition, sulphinamide adducts were also found in the exposed rats, measured indirectly as 3-aminobenzanthrone (3-ABA) split off from globin by mild acid hydrolysis. Levels of both types of adducts in the globin samples parallelled very well with 3-ABA/3-ABA-Cys ratio being around 1:8. In conclusion, 3-ABA-Cys is the first example of arylnitrenium-cysteine adduct in globin representing a new promising class of biomarkers to assess cumulative exposures to aromatic amines, nitroaromatics and heteroaromatic amines.

Xenobiotic metabolism in differentiated human bronchial epithelial cells.

Differentiated human bronchial epithelial cells in air liquid interface cultures (ALI-PBEC) represent a promising alternative for inhalation studies with rodents as these 3D airway epithelial tissue cultures recapitulate the human airway in multiple aspects, including morphology, cell type composition, gene expression and xenobiotic metabolism. We performed a detailed longitudinal gene expression analysis during the differentiation of submerged primary human bronchial epithelial cells into ALI-PBEC to assess the reproducibility and inter-individual variability of changes in transcriptional activity during this process. We generated ALI-PBEC cultures from four donors and focussed our analysis on the expression levels of 362 genes involved in biotransformation, which are of primary importance for toxicological studies. Expression of various of these genes (e.g., GSTA1, ADH1C, ALDH1A1, CYP2B6, CYP2F1, CYP4B1, CYP4X1 and CYP4Z1) was elevated following the mucociliary differentiation of airway epithelial cells into a pseudo-stratified epithelial layer. Although a substantial number of genes were differentially expressed between donors, the differences in fold changes were generally small. Metabolic activity measurements applying a variety of different cytochrome p450 substrates indicated that epithelial cultures at the early stages of differentiation are incapable of biotransformation. In contrast, mature ALI-PBEC cultures were proficient in the metabolic conversion of a variety of substrates albeit with considerable variation between donors. In summary, our data indicate a distinct increase in biotransformation capacity during differentiation of PBECs at the air-liquid interface and that the generation of biotransformation competent ALI-PBEC cultures is a reproducible process with little variability between cultures derived from four different donors.

Activation and detoxification metabolism of urban air pollutants 2-nitrobenzanthrone and carcinogenic 3-nitrobenzanthrone by rat and mouse hepatic microsomes.

OBJECTIVES: 2-Nitrobenzanthrone (2-NBA) has recently been detected in ambient air particulate matter. Its isomer 3-nitrobenzanthrone (3-NBA) is a potent mutagen and suspected human carcinogen identified in diesel exhaust. Understanding which enzymes are involved in metabolism of these toxicants is important in the assessment of individual susceptibility. Here, metabolism of 2-NBA and 3-NBA by rat and mouse hepatic microsomes containing cytochromes P450 (CYPs), their reductase (NADPH:CYP reductase), and NADH:cytochrome b5 reductase was investigated under anaerobic and aerobic conditions. In addition, using the same microsomal systems, 2-NBA and 3-NBA were evaluated to be enzymatically activated under anaerobic conditions to species generating 2-NBA- and 3-NBA-derived DNA adducts. METHODS: High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ultraviolet (UV) detection was employed for the separation and characterization of 2-NBA and 3-NBA metabolites formed by hepatic microsomes of rats and mice under the anaerobic and aerobic conditions. Microsomal systems isolated from the liver of the control (untreated) rats and rats pretreated with Sudan I, ß-naphthoflavone (ß-NF), phenobarbital (PB), ethanol and pregnenolon 16α-carbonitrile (PCN), the inducers of cytochromes P450 (CYP) 1A1, 1A1/2, 2B, 2E1 and 3A, respectively, were used in this study. Microsomes of mouse models, a control mouse line (wild-type, WT) and Hepatic Cytochrome P450 Reductase Null (HRN) mice with deleted gene of NADPH:CYP reductase in the liver, thus absenting this enzyme in their livers, were also employed. To detect and quantify the 2-NBA- and 3-NBA-derived DNA adducts, the 32P postlabeling technique was used. RESULTS: Both reductive metabolite of 3-NBA, 3-aminobenzanthrone (3-ABA), found to be formed predominantly under the anaerobic conditions, and two 3-NBA oxidative metabolites, whose structures have not yet been investigated, were formed by several microsomal systems used in the study. Whereas a 3-NBA reductive metabolite, 3-ABA, was found only in the microsomal systems of control rats, the rats treated with ß-NF and PB, and microsomes of WT and HRN mice, all hepatic microsomes tested in the study were capable of activating this carcinogen under the reductive conditions to form DNA adducts. A stability of a reactive intermediate of 3-NBA, N-hydroxy-3-aminobenzanthrone that is formed during 3-NBA reduction to 3-ABA, to form nitrenium (and/or carbenium) ions binding to DNA in individual microsomes as well as binding of these ions to proteins of these microsomes, might be the reasons explaining this phenomenon. In contrast to 3-NBA, its isomer 2-NBA was not metabolized by any of the used enzymatic systems both under the anaerobic and aerobic conditions. Likewise, no DNA adducts were detectable after reaction of 2-NBA in these systems with DNA. CONCLUSIONS: The results found in this study, the first report on the metabolism of 2-NBA and 3-NBA by rat and mouse hepatic microsomes demonstrate that 3-NBA, in contrast to 2-NBA, is reductively activated to form 3-NBA-derived DNA adducts by these enzymatic systems. NADPH:CYP reductase can be responsible for formation of these DNA adducts in rat livers, while NADH:cytochrome b5 reductase can contribute to this process in livers of HRN mice.

Hepatic and immune biological effect assays in C57BL/6 mice to measure polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon bioavailability under laboratory exposures with increasing environmental relevance.

BACKGROUND: Monitoring biological responses that are mediated via the aryl-hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in animals exposed to environmental contaminants can indicate both the presence of chemicals that act through this biochemical pathway and whether these chemicals are bioavailable. OBJECTIVES: The use of an ex-situ method that incorporated biological responsiveness monitoring in mice for determining the presence of 'biologically active' hydrocarbons in contaminated soils was investigated. METHODS: The use of C57BL/6 as a test organism was validated by determining hepatic and immune responsiveness to two polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): 3,4 benz[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and 1,2 benz (a)anthracene (BA) administered via intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection. The responsiveness of mice exposed to soils spiked with hydrocarbons or ex situ exposures to soil removed from two contaminated sites was also investigated. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Mice that were exposed to B[a]P via i.p. injections showed a 14-fold increase in liver microsomal ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activity compared to the control group. In contrast EROD activity following BA exposure at the same level was not significantly enhanced. Mouse immune response was significantly inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by i.p. injections of B[a]P. No significant inhibition occurred with the same doses of BA. Following i.p. exposure, the retention of B[a]P in mouse carcasses was greater than BA. Mice exposed to clean soils spiked with environmentally relevant concentrations of B[a]P and BA failed to show any significantly different hepatic or immune responses. Carcass residue data indicated a limited uptake of PAH from the soil. In contrast, EROD activity in mice exposed (ex situ) to hydrocarbon-contaminated soils removed from a fuel-loading depot and decommissioned gas works was significantly enhanced (4- and 2-fold respectively). However, this increase in EROD activity did not appear to correlate with either soil or carcass PAH concentrations. CONCLUSIONS AND OUTLOOK: These results support the assumption that B[a]P has a higher affinity for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) compared to BA. Soil parameters such as organic carbon content, structure and particle size distribution can modulate the bioavailability of contaminants to biological receptors. These factors are implicated in the lack of responsiveness demonstrated in the spiked soil experiments. However the responsiveness of EROD activity in mice exposed (ex situ) to soil contaminated with complex mixtures of hydrocarbon compounds confirms the potential usefulness of this model to determine the presence of 'biologically active' compounds in aged soils removed from contaminated sites.

Environmental pollutant and potent mutagen 3-nitrobenzanthrone forms DNA adducts after reduction by NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase and conjugation by acetyltransferases and sulfotransferases in human hepatic cytosols.

3-Nitrobenzanthrone (3-nitro-7H-benz[de]anthracen-7-one, 3-NBA) is a potent mutagen and suspected human carcinogen identified in diesel exhaust and air pollution. We compared the ability of human hepatic cytosolic samples to catalyze DNA adduct formation by 3-NBA. Using the (32)P-postlabeling method, we found that 12/12 hepatic cytosols activated 3-NBA to form multiple DNA adducts similar to those formed in vivo in rodents. By comparing 3-NBA-DNA adduct formation in the presence of cofactors of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) and xanthine oxidase, most of the reductive activation of 3-NBA in human hepatic cytosols was attributed to NQO1. Inhibition of adduct formation by dicoumarol, an NQO1 inhibitor, supported this finding and was confirmed with human recombinant NQO1. When cofactors of N,O-acetyltransferases (NAT) and sulfotransferases (SULT) were added to cytosolic samples, 3-NBA-DNA adduct formation increased 10- to 35-fold. Using human recombinant NQO1 and NATs or SULTs, we found that mainly NAT2, followed by SULT1A2, NAT1, and, to a lesser extent, SULT1A1 activate 3-NBA. We also evaluated the role of hepatic NADPH:cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (POR) in the activation of 3-NBA in vivo by treating hepatic POR-null mice and wild-type littermates i.p. with 0.2 or 2 mg/kg body weight of 3-NBA. No difference in DNA binding was found in any tissue examined (liver, lung, kidney, bladder, and colon) between null and wild-type mice, indicating that 3-NBA is predominantly activated by cytosolic nitroreductases rather than microsomal POR. Collectively, these results show the role of human hepatic NQO1 to reduce 3-NBA to species being further activated by NATs and SULTs.

Numerical evaluation of bioaccumulation and depuration kinetics of PAHs in Mytilus galloprovincialis.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are important organic pollutants in the aquatic environment due to their persistence and bioaccumulation potential both in organisms and in sediments. Benzo(a)anthracene (BaA) and phenanthrene (PHE), which are in the priority pollutant list of the U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), are selected as model compounds of the present study. Bioaccumulation and depuration experiments with local Mediterranean mussel species, Mytilus galloprovincialis were used as the basis of the study. Mussels were selected as bioindicator organisms due to their broad geographic distribution, immobility and low enzyme activity. Bioaccumulation and depuration kinetics of selected PAHs in Mytilus galloprovincialis were described using first order kinetic equations in a three compartment model. The compartments were defined as: (1) biota (mussel), (2) surrounding environment (seawater), and (3) algae (Phaeodactylum tricornutum) as food source of the mussels. Experimental study had been performed for three different concentrations. Middle concentration of the experimental data was used as the model input in order to represent other high and low concentrations of selected PAHs. Correlations of the experiment and model data revealed that they are in good agreement. Accumulation and depuration trend of PAHs in mussels regarding also the durations can be estimated effectively with the present study. Thus, this study can be evaluated as a supportive tool for risk assessment in addition to monitoring studies.

Evidence for the involvement of a bis-diol-epoxide in the metabolic activation of dibenz[a,h]anthracene to DNA-binding species in mouse skin.

Dibenz[a,h]anthracene (DB[a,h]A) and its microsomal metabolites, trans-3,4-dihydro-3,4-dihydroxydibenz[a,h]anthracene (DBA-3,4-diol), trans,trans-3,4:8,9-tetrahydro-3,4:8,9-tetrahydroxydibenz[a,h]anth racene, trans,trans-3,4:10,11-tetrahydro-3,4:10,11-tetrahydroxydibenz[a,h] - anthracene (DBA-3,4,10,11-bis-diol) and trans,trans-3,4:12,13-tetrahydro-3,4:12,13- tetrahydroxydibenz[a,h]anthracene were each applied topically to mouse skin and the epidermal DNA isolated 24 h later. 32P-postlabeling analysis of each of the DNA samples was performed. DNA from mice treated with DB[a,h]A produced an adduct map on TLC consisting of one major and three minor adduct spots. A similar pattern of spots was produced by DBA-3,4-diol. No detectable DNA adducts were produced by trans,trans-3,4:12,13-tetrahydro-3,4:12,13-tetrahydroxy- dibenz[a,h]anthracene, although a single, minor adduct spot was produced by trans,trans-3,4:8,9-tetrahydro-3,4:8,9-tetrahydroxydibenz[a,h]- anthracene. However, DBA-3,4,10,11-bis-diol was found to produce a major single adduct that comigrated on thin layer chromatography with the major adduct produced by both DB[a,h]A and DBA-3,4-diol. In addition, this adduct was present at a level 10 times higher than the corresponding adduct produced by treatment with the parent hydrocarbon. Coelution of the major adducts formed from DB[a,h]A and DBA-3,4-diol with that formed from DBA-3,4,10,11-bis-diol was also demonstrated on reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. Thus, we propose that, in mouse skin, the major pathway of DB[a,h]A activation to DNA binding products is via a 3,4-diol to the 3,4,10,11-bis-diol and ultimately to a bis-diol-epoxide (potentially the 3,4,10,11-bis-dihydrodiol-1,2-oxide).

Human enzymes involved in the metabolic activation of the environmental contaminant 3-nitrobenzanthrone: evidence for reductive activation by human NADPH:cytochrome p450 reductase.

Determining the capability of humans to metabolize the suspected carcinogen 3-nitrobenzanthrone (3-NBA) and understanding which human enzymes are involved in its activation are important in the assessment of individual susceptibility to this environmental contaminant found in diesel exhaust and ambient air pollution. We compared the ability of eight human hepatic microsomal samples to catalyze DNA adduct formation by 3-NBA. Using two enrichment procedures of the (32)P-postlabeling method, nuclease P1 digestion and butanol extraction, we found that all hepatic microsomes were competent to activate 3-NBA. DNA adduct patterns with multiple adducts, qualitatively similar to those found recently in vivo in rats, were observed. Additionally one major DNA adduct generated by human microsomes was detected. The role of specific cytochromes p450 (p450) and NADPH:p450 reductase in the human hepatic microsomal samples in 3-NBA activation was investigated by correlating the p450- and NADPH: p450 reductase-linked catalytic activities in each microsomal sample with the level of DNA adducts formed by the same microsomes. On the basis of this analysis, most of the hepatic microsomal activation of 3-NBA was attributed to NADPH: p450 reductase. Inhibition of DNA adduct formation in human liver microsomes by alpha-lipoic acid, an inhibitor of NADPH: p450 reductase, supported this finding. Using the purified rabbit enzyme and recombinant human NADPH: p450 reductase expressed in Chinese hamster V79 cells, we confirmed the participation of this enzyme in the formation of 3-NBA-derived DNA adducts. Moreover, essentially the same DNA adduct pattern found in microsomes was detected in metabolically competent human lymphoblastoid MCL-5 cells. The role of individual human recombinant p450s 1A1, 1A2, 1B1, 2A6, 2B6, 2D6, 2C9, 2E1, and 3A4 and of NADPH: p450 reductase in the metabolic activation of 3-NBA, catalyzing DNA adduct formation, was also examined using microsomes of baculovirus-transfected insect cells containing the recombinant enzymes (Supersomes). DNA adducts were observed in all Supersomes preparations, essentially similar to those found with human hepatic microsomes and in human cells. Of all of the recombinant human p450s, p450 2B6 and -2D6 were the most efficient to activate 3-NBA, followed by p450 1A1 and -1A2. These results demonstrate for the first time the potential of human NADPH: p450 reductase and recombinant p450s to contribute to the metabolic activation of 3-NBA by nitroreduction.

Bioaccessibility of nitro- and oxy-PAHs in fuel soot assessed by an in vitro digestive model with absorptive sink.

Ingestion of soot present in soil or other environmental particles is expected to be an important route of exposure to nitro and oxygenated derivatives of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We measured the apparent bioaccessibility (Bapp) of native concentrations of 1-nitropyrene (1N-PYR), 9-fluorenone (9FLO), anthracene-9,10-dione (ATQ), benzo[a]anthracene-7,12-dione (BaAQ), and benzanthrone (BZO) in a composite fuel soot sample using a previously-developed in vitro human gastrointestinal model that includes silicone sheet as a third-phase absorptive sink. Along with Bapp, we determined the 24-h sheet-digestive fluid partition coefficient (Ks,24h), the soot residue-fluid distribution ratio of the labile sorbed fraction after digestion (Kr,lab), and the maximum possible (limiting) bioaccessibility, Blim. The Bapp of PAH derivatives was positively affected by the presence of the sheet due to mass-action removal of the sorbed compounds. In all cases Bapp increased with imposition of fed conditions. The enhancement of Bapp under fed conditions is due to increasingly favorable mass transfer of target compounds from soot to fluid (increasing bile acid concentration, or adding food lipids) or transfer from fluid to sheet (by raising small intestinal pH). Food lipids may also enhance Bapp by mobilizing contaminants from nonlabile to labile states of the soot. Compared to the parent PAH, the derivatives had larger Kr,lab, despite having lower partition coefficients to various hydrophobic reference phases including silicone sheet. The Blim of the derivatives under the default conditions of the model ranged from 65.5% to 34.4%, in the order, 1N-PYR > ATQ > 9FLO > BZO > BaAQ, with no significant correlation with hydrophobic parameters, nor consistent relationship with Blim of the parent PAH. Consistent with earlier experiments on a wider range of PAHs, the results suggest that a major determinant of bioaccessibility is the distribution of chemical between nonlabile and labile states in the original solid.

Identification of a multidrug resistance-like system in Tetrahymena pyriformis: evidence for a new detoxication mechanism in freshwater ciliates.

The freshwater ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis is an ubiquitous organism that is present in all aquatic ecosystems. This protozoan showed a clear resistance against some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which can be attributed to an efflux pump probably of the multidrug resistance (MDR) type. Immunocytochemical detection showed a positive stain of ciliate cells using the monoclonal antibodies 4E3, raised against P-glycoprotein (P-gp). The kinetics of P-gp expression were studied for control cultures and cultures treated with 15 microM benzo(a)pyrene. Western blot analysis using the Ab1, anti-P-gp polyclonal antibodies indicates the presence of two bands of 66 and 96 kDa of which the intensity increased with time in benzo(a)pyrene-treated ciliates. Uptake experiments with target compounds for the MDR pump, namely adriamycin, rhodamine 123 and two polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzo(a)pyrene and 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene, were carried out by flow cytometry, in the presence or absence of cyclosporin (an inhibitor of the multidrug resistant pump). The data indicate that the accumulation of these compounds by ciliate cells is significantly enhanced in the presence of cyclosporin. This suggests that Tetrahymena is provided with a P-gp-like system that is functionally active in a way similar to that of the mammalian P-gp.

Potent tumorigenicity of 7-chlorobenz[a]anthracene and 7-bromobenz[a]anthracene in the neonatal B6C3F (1) male mouse.

The tumorigenicity of 7-chlorobenz[a]anthracene (7-Cl-BA, and environmental contaminant, and 7 bromobenz[a]anthracene (7-Br-BA) was determines in the male B6C3F(1) newborn mouse. Mice receiving 7-Cl-BA and 7-Br-BA by i.p. injections at a dose of 1600 nmol per mouse on 1, 8, and 15 days after birth developed 92 and 96% hepatocellular adenomas, and 100 and 83% hepatocellular carcinoma, respectively. Metabolism by liver microsomes of 15-day-old mice each produced the corresponding trans-3,4-dihydrodiol. Analysis by (32)P-postlabeling/HPLC indicated the presence of DNA adducts derived from 7-Cl-BA trans-3,4-dihydrodiol and 7-Br-BA trans-3,4-dihydrodiol. Our results indicate that both 7-Cl-BA and 7-Br-BA are potent carcinogens and that bay-region diol epoxides are the ultimate metabolites that lead to DNA adduct formation and tumor initiation.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons enhance terminal cell death of human ectocervical cells.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are a class of chemical carcinogens whose active metabolites form DNA adducts, resulting in specific mutational events. The tumor suppressor protein p53 is believed to play a pivotal role in the ability of cells to response to DNA damage, resulting in either cell cycle arrest in G1 or apoptosis under conditions of excessive damage. This growth inhibition is associated with the concomitant induction of p53 and enhanced terminal cell differentiation. In this study we evaluated the effects of PAH on cell growth, cell differentiation, xenobiotic metabolism, and DNA adduct levels in normal ectocervical epithelial cells (ECE) and compared them to cervical cells whose p53 have been inactivated either by binding to viral HPV E6 oncogene (ECE16-1) or by mutation (C33A). The PAH 3-methylcholanthrene (3MC) inhibited normal ECE and to a lesser extent ECE16-1 cell proliferation. Not only did the growth inhibition occur at lower concentrations in the normal cells but the extent of inhibition was also greater in normal as compared to immortalized cells. Benzanthracene (BA) had a minor effect on normal ECE cells with no effect on immortalized ECE16-1 cells. C33A cell growth was unaffected by 3MC and BA. Terminal cell death was enhanced only in normal ECE cells as evidenced by increased envelope formation and was paralleled by an increase in the level of p53 following 3MC treatment. The differentiation status of the 3MC-treated cells was similar to untreated cells as indicated by three independent markers of cell differentiation; transglutaminase, involucrin, keratin expression. There was no difference in the pattern or level of DNA adducts formed in normal and immortalized cells following 3MC treatment. In addition the basal level of metabolism of 14C-BaP to phenols, diols and quinnones was unaltered by pretreatment with either 3MC or BA. These results demonstrate that immortalized cervical cells are less sensitive to toxicant damage [i.e. cell proliferation and terminal differentiation], and as a result, immortalized cells proliferate in the presence of genotoxic damage and are at increased risk for mutations and cancer.

DNA adducts and mutagenic specificity of the ubiquitous environmental pollutant 3-nitrobenzanthrone in Muta Mouse.

3-nitrobenzanthrone (3-NBA) is an extremely potent mutagen in the Salmonella reversion assay and a suspected human carcinogen identified in diesel exhaust and in ambient airborne particulate matter. To evaluate the in vivo mutagenicity of 3-NBA, we analyzed the mutant frequency (MF) in the cII gene of various organs (lung, liver, kidney, bladder, colon, spleen, and testis) in lambda/lacZ transgenic mice (Muta Mouse) after intraperitoneal treatment with 3-NBA (25 mg/kg body weight injected once a week for 4 weeks). Increases in MF were found in colon, liver, and bladder, with 7.0-, 4.8-, and 4.1-fold increases above the control value, respectively, whereas no increase in MF was found in lung, kidney, spleen, and testis. Simultaneously, induction of micronuclei in peripheral blood reticulocytes was observed. The sequence alterations in the cII gene recovered from 41 liver mutants from 3-NBA-treated mice were compared with 32 spontaneous mutants from untreated mice. Base substitution mutations predominated for both the 3-NBA-treated (80%) and the untreated (81%) groups. However, the proportion of G:C-->T:A transversions in the mutants from 3-NBA-treated mice was higher (49% vs. 6%) and the proportion of G:C-->A:T transitions was lower than those from untreated mice (10% vs. 66%). The increase in MF in the liver was associated with strong DNA binding by 3-NBA, whereas in lung, in which there was no increase in MF, a low level of DNA binding was observed (268.0-282.7 vs. 8.8-15.9 adducts per 10(8) nucleotides). DNA adduct patterns with multiple adduct spots, qualitatively similar to those formed in vitro after activation of 3-NBA with nitroreductases and in vivo in rats, were observed in all tissues examined. Using high-pressure liquid cochromatographic analysis, we confirmed that all major 3-NBA-DNA adducts produced in vivo in mice are derived from reductive metabolites bound to purine bases (70-80% with deoxyguanosine and 20-30% with deoxyadenosine in liver). These results suggest that G:C-->T:A transversions induced by 3-NBA are caused by misreplication of adducted guanine residues through incorporation of adenine opposite the adduct (A-rule).

The metabolism of formyl-substituted benzanthracenes to hydroxymethyl metabolites in rat liver in vitro and in vivo.

Hydroxylation of benzylic methyl carbon atoms on drugs and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) forms benzylic alcohols. Many carcinogenic and mutagenic PAHs bear a primary or secondary benzylic hydroxyl group attached to the meso-region of the molecule. According to the unified theory, PAHs bearing a benzylic hydroxyl group are proximate carcinogenic metabolites. This paper demonstrates that carcinogenic benz[a]anthracenes bearing a formyl group at the meso-region undergo enzymatic reductive metabolism to the corresponding carcinogenic benzylic alcohol in vitro and in vivo. The unified theory would then predict sulfuric acid esterification of such benzylic alcohols as the final common step in their metabolic activation to generate ultimate electrophilic benzylic carbocations. Finally, oxidative metabolism of 7-formylbenz[a]anthracenes gives rise to corresponding carboxylic acids and other oxygenated metabolites that are carcinogenically inert. Thus, oxidative metabolism of meso-region formyl compounds represents an avenue for the elimination of the carcinogen in a detoxified form.

The oxidation of the highly tumorigenic benz[a]anthracene 3,4-dihydrodiol by rat liver dihydrodiol dehydrogenase.

Rat liver dihydrodiol dehydrogenase (DDH, EC 1.3.1.20) has been shown to reduce the mutagenicity of benz[a]anthracene (BA) in the bacterial Ames test. BA-3,4-dihydrodiol is a highly mutagenic and tumorigenic metabolite of BA. In order to test the hypothesis that this dihydrodiol may be a substrate of DDH, we established two novel assay systems for the NADP(+)-dependent oxidation of BA-3,4-dihydrodiol by rat liver DDH, an HPLC-based assay procedure and a radiometric assay with specifically labelled [3,4-3H]-BA-3,4-dihydrodiol as substrate. With the HPLC-based assay, the kinetic constants of the enzymatic catalysis were as follows: Km(app) = 21 microM for BA-3,4-dihydrodiol and Vmax = 20.0 nmol/min.mg enzyme. The reaction product was identified by cochromatography, fluorimetry and mass spectroscopy as BA-3,4-catechol, but interconversions between the catechol and the corresponding o-quinone during the analytical procedures were detected. With the radiolabelled substrate, a linear relationship between substrate concentration and reaction velocity was found. The V/K value for labelled substrate was 0.155 ml/min.mg enzyme and a (V/K)H/(V/K)T kinetic isotope effect of 6.7 was observed. The non-labelled substrate acted as a competitive inhibitor of the enzymatic oxidation of tritiated BA-3,4-dihydrodiol with a Ki value of 56.4 microM. The reaction rates determined in this study suggest an important role of DDH activity in the metabolism of BA.

The proximate carcinogen trans-3,4-dihydroxy-3,4-dihydro-dibenz[c,h]acridine is oxidized stereoselectively and regioselectively by cytochrome 1A1, epoxide hydrolase and hepatic microsomes from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats.

Metabolism of the proximate carcinogen trans-3,4-dihydroxy-3,4-dihydrodibenz[c,h]acridine has been examined with rat liver enzymes. The dihydrodiol is metabolized at a rate of 2.4 nmol/nmol of cytochrome P450 1A1/min with microsomes from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats, a rate more than 10-fold higher than that observed with microsomes from control or phenobarbital-treated rats. Major metabolises consisted of a diastereomeric pair of bis-dihydrodiols (68-83%), where the new dihydrodiol group has been introduced at the 8,9-position, tetraols derived from bay region 3,4-diol-1,2-epoxides (15-23%), and a small amount of a phenolic dihydrodiol(s) where the new hydroxy group is at the 8,9-position of the substrate. A highly purified monooxygenase system reconstituted with cytochrome P450 1A1 and epoxide hydrolase (17 nmol of metabolites/nmol of cytochrome P450 1A1/min) gave a metabolite profile very similar to that observed with liver microsomes from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats. Study of the stereoselectivity of these microsomes established that the (+)-(3S,4S)-dihydrodiol gave mainly the diol epoxide-1 diastereomer, in which the benzylic 4-hydroxyl group and epoxide oxygen are cis. The (-)-(3R,4R)-dihydrodiol gave mainly diol epoxide-2 where these same groups are trans. The major enantiomers of the diastereomeric bis-dihydrodiols are shown to have the same absolute configuration at the 8,9-position. Correlations of circular dichroism spectra suggest this configuration to be (8R,9R). The (8R,9S)-oxide may be their common precursor.

Bioassay for determining 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents (TEs) in human hepatoma Hepg2 cells.

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (TCDF), and benz[a]anthracene (BA) highly induce cytochrome P4501A1, determined by aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity, in human hepatoma HepG2 cells within 24 h. AHH activity induced by TCDD and TCDF persists for at least 48 h. In contrast, AHH activity induced by BA rapidly declines, although the amounts applied are 4-5 orders of magnitude higher than those of TCDD or TCDF. AHH induction in HepG2 cells differs from that in rat hepatoma cells H4IIEC3/T in two aspects: (1) HepG2 cells are 20 times less sensitive to the test compounds than H4IIEC3/T cells. (2) TCDF-induced AHH activity does not persist in the rat cells. The results suggest that human HepG2 cells, because of their low sensitivity, are inferior to rat H4IIEC3/T cells for determining TCDD equivalents in environmental samples. They may be useful for investigating species dependent differences in the toxicokinetics of individual polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbon congeners.

DNA adduct formation from the mutagenic air pollutant 3-nitrobenzanthrone.

The environmental contaminant 3-nitrobenzanthrone (3-nitro-7H-benz[d, e]anthracen-7-one) was recently shown to be a very strong bacterial mutagen, suggesting a new class of mutagenic compounds present in airborne particulate matter and diesel exhaust. Using the 32P-postlabeling assay, we investigated the capacity for 3-nitrobenzanthrone to form DNA adducts in vitro. Calf thymus DNA was incubated with 3-nitrobenzanthrone and either xanthine oxidase, a mammalian nitroreductase or rat liver S9 or zinc. Under these conditions 3-nitrobenzanthrone formed a total of seven adducts detectable by 32P-postlabeling. Using enrichment by butanol extraction the highest level of DNA adduct formation was found with activation by zinc (RAL: 88.4+/-32 per 108 nucleotides) followed by activation with xanthine oxidase (RAL: 75.5+/-12) and activation by rat liver S9 (RAL: 48.6+/-8). Three of the seven adduct spots were detected in all activation systems, however different amounts of individual spots were obtained in the different in vitro systems. The adduct pattern observed for the enzymatic incubations consisted of three major spots and was essentially identical. Chemical reduction of 3-nitrobenzanthrone by zinc resulted in five adduct spots whose formation was found to be concentration dependent. All adducts of 3-nitrobenzanthrone observed in this study migrated primarily along a diagonal zone, typical for DNA adducts derived from extracts of airborne particulate matter. When butanol enrichment was compared with nuclease P1 enrichment one adduct was clearly sensitive to the 3'-monophosphatase activity of nuclease P1. Our results demonstrate that 3-nitrobenzanthrone binds covalently to DNA after metabolic activation, forming multiple DNA adducts in vitro all of which are reduction products. These adducts may contribute to the known genotoxicity and carcinogenicity of extracts from airborne particulates.

Comparative study of the biodisposition of benzanthrone in different rodent species.

The bio-elimination and organ retention of [14C]benzanthrone, an anthraquinone dye intermediate, were determined in rats, mice and guinea pigs. Urinary excretion of benzanthrone during 96 hr was higher in guinea pigs (28%) compared with rats and mice (19%). However, faecal elimination during 96 hr was higher in rats (39%) and mice (42%) than in guinea pigs (25%). Urinary elimination of benzanthrone in rats and mice was highest between 12 and 24 hr, while guinea pigs showed a peak value between 24 and 48 hr. The maximum amount of radiolabelled benzanthrone was eliminated through faeces at 24-48 hr in all the three animal species. The retention of [14C]benzanthrone in the liver was comparable in rats (11.2%) and mice (11.9%), while in guinea pigs it was substantially higher (21.9%). The testes of rats and mice were devoid of radioactivity, whereas those of guinea pigs showed a marginal retention (1.25%) of 14C. The present study suggests that guinea pigs are more prone to benzanthrone toxicity than are rats and mice since the bio-elimination of this compound is slower and its organ retention is higher in this species.

Effect of extraneous supplementation of ascorbic acid on the bio-disposition of benzanthrone in guinea pigs.

The bio-elimination and organ retention of orally administered [14C]benzanthrone, an anthraquinone dye intermediate, were determined in control and ascorbic acid-supplemented guinea pigs. Urinary excretion of benzanthrone in control and ascorbic acid-treated animals during 96 hr was 27.9 and 30.5%, respectively, with peak elimination at 48 hr. Faecal elimination in control and supplemented animals during 96 hr was 24.5 and 38.8%, respectively, with a peak at 48 hr. The organ retention of radiolabelled benzanthrone at the end of 96 hr was of the order of 39% in control animals (gastro-intestinal tract 16%; liver 22%; testis 1.2%); ascorbic acid supplementation reduced benzanthrone retention to 19.5% (gastro-intestinal tract 12.7%; liver 6.8%). Overall, pretreatment of guinea pigs with ascorbic acid caused a 32% enhancement in the clearance of radiolabelled benzanthrone through the urine and faeces, while organ retention was reduced by about 50%. A prophylactic dose of ascorbic acid may prevent benzanthrone-induced toxic symptoms in exposed workers.