DNA adduct formation in human and rat mammary epithelium by N-hydroxy derivatives of 2-aminofluorene and 4-aminobiphenyl

Primary cultures of rat mammary epithelium and the human mammary cell line MCF-12 were incubated with 10 microM N-formyl-, N-acetyl-, or N-propionyl-derivatives of N-hydroxy-2-aminofluorene (N-OH-AF) or N-formyl-, or N-acetyl derivatives of N-hydroxy-4-aminobiphenyl (N-OH-ABP), in the medium with or without 100 microM paraoxon, for 3 h. Carcinogen-DNA adducts in the nuclei were detected with an immunohistochemical method using polyclonal antibodies against N-(deoxyguano-8-yl)-2-aminofluorene and ABP-DNA adducts. The relative amounts of adducts per nucleus were determined by image analysis. After treatment, more than 90% of the cells that were attached on the coverslip were alive, as determined by the trypan blue exclusion. All carcinogens produced adducts in both human and rat cells. Adduct formation by the formyl, but not the acetyl or porpionyl, derivatives was inhibited up to 65% by paraoxon. These results demonstrate that both acetyl and propionyl derivatives are primarily activated by cytosolic acetyltransferases and the formyl derivatives may be equally activated by the acetyltransferases and microsomal carboxylesterases. Additionally, the results suggest that exposure to aromatic amines may be a risk factor for human breast cancer.

Genotoxic and functional consequences of transplacental zidovudine exposure in fetal monkey brain mitochondria

Mitochondrial toxicity was assessed in the brains of developing Erythrocebus patas monkey fetuses exposed in utero to the nucleoside analogue drug zidovudine (3'-azido-3'deoxythymidine or AZT). Pregnant E. patas monkeys were given 0 (n = 5), 10 (n = 3), and 40 (n = 3) mg of AZT/day, equivalent to 21 and 86% of the human daily dose, for the last half (about 10 weeks) of gestation. Mitochondria were isolated from fetal cerebrum and cerebellum at birth and mitochondrial morphology was examined in these tissues by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) enzyme specific activities were measured spectrophotometrically. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) integrity and quantity were determined by Southern blot and slot blot analysis. In the cerebral mitochondria, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) dehydrogenase (complex I) specific activity decreased by 25% in monkeys treated with 40 mg of AZT/day compared with unexposed monkeys (p > or = .05). At the same AZT dose in the cerebral mitochondria, succinate dehydrogenase (complex II) and cytochrome c reductase (complex IV)-specific activities showed dose-dependent increases (p > or = .05), compared with those in controls. In the cerebellum, no difference was seen in mitochondrial OXPHOS enzyme activities between unexposed and exposed fetuses. Furthermore, TEM demonstrated no difference in mitochondrial morphology in frontal cerebrum or cerebellum from unexposed and exposed fetuses, and all fetuses had similar amounts of mtDNA in both tissues. Cerebral mtDNA degradation was noted in the highest AZT dosage group, whereas mtDNA from cerebellum was uneffected. Thus, in fetal patas monkeys given a human equivalent daily dose of AZT during the last half of pregnancy, mitochondria in the fetal cerebrum appear to sustain moderate damage, while the fetal cerebellum mitochondria were not effected.

Oxidative DNA damage in fetal tissues after transplacental exposure to 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT)

The nucleoside analogue 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) has been used successfully to reduce the incidence of transplacental and perinatal transmission of the HIV virus. However, prolonged treatment with high doses of AZT is utilized in this therapy, and AZT has been found to be a perinatal carcinogen in mice. Any possible perinatal carcinogenic side effects in the human can best be managed if the mechanism is understood. AZT targets mitochondria and might cause increased intracellular production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We tested whether transplacental AZT may cause oxidative damage in nuclear DNA of fetal tissues. CD-1 Swiss pregnant mice were treated with the transplacental carcinogenesis regimen (25 mg/day AZT, for gestation days 12-18) and tissues collected on the day of birth. Significant increases in 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguano- sine (8-oxo-dG) were found in the livers, a target tissue for transplacental carcinogenesis, and in the kidneys. A non-significant increase occurred in brain, with no change in lung. Tissues were also obtained from fetal patas monkeys (Erythrocebus patas), whose mothers had received 10 mg AZT/day during the last half of gestation. Although limited numbers of samples were available, possible increases in 8-oxo-dG were noted, relative to controls, for placenta and for fetal lung and brain (P = 0.055 for treatment-related increases in these tissues). These results suggest that an increase in reactive oxygen species could contribute to the mechanism of transplacental carcinogenesis by AZT in mice, and that this may also occur in primates.

Fetal mitochondrial heart and skeletal muscle damage in Erythrocebus patas monkeys exposed in utero to 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine

3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) is given to pregnant women positive for the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) to reduce maternal-fetal viral transmission. To explore fetal mitochondrial consequences of this exposure, pregnant Erythrocebus patas monkeys were given daily doses of 1.5 mg (21% of the human daily dose) and 6.0 mg (86% of the human daily dose) of AZT/kg body weight (bw), for the second half of gestation. At term, electron microscopy of fetal cardiac and skeletal muscle showed abnormal and disrupted sarcomeres with myofibrillar loss. Some abnormally shaped mitochondria with disrupted cristae were observed in skeletal muscle myocytes. Oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) enzyme assays showed dose-dependent alterations. At the human-equivalent dose of AZT (6 mg of AZT/kg bw), there was an approximately 85% decrease in the specific activity of NADH dehydrogenase (complex I) and three- to sixfold increases in specific activities of succinate dehydrogenase (complex II) and cytochrome-c oxidase (complex IV). Furthermore, a dose-dependent depletion of mitochondrial DNA levels was observed in both tissues. The data demonstrate that transplacental AZT exposure causes cardiac and skeletal muscle mitochondrial myopathy in the patas monkey fetus.

Absence of structural or functional alterations in male and female reproductive organs of F1 and F2 generations derived from female mice exposed to 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine during pregnancy

To investigate the effects of in utero exposure to 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) on male and female reproductive system development, pregnant CD-1 mice were given daily intragastric doses of 25.0 mg AZT during days 12 through 18 of gestation. The offspring were examined at birth, as well as at pubertal, young adult and adult stages of development, for reproductive organ endpoints including anogenital distance, onset of testicular descent, latency to vaginal opening, and proportion of time for each of the stages of estrous cycle. These reproductive endpoints remained mostly unchanged in AZT-treated offspring as compared to the controls. Males and females exposed in utero to AZT (F1 generation) were fertile when mated to untreated females and males, respectively, and their liveborn F2 offspring showed no adverse effects for any of the reproductive parameters tested. Thus, no evidence of developmental reproductive toxicity was noted either in the F1 mice exposed to AZT during the critical period of male and female reproductive system development, or in the F2 mice born of matings between the AZT-exposed F1 mice and unexposed animals.

Relationships between DNA incorporation, mutant frequency, and loss of heterozygosity at the TK locus in human lymphoblastoid cells exposed to 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine

3'-Azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT), a thymidine analogue widely used in the treatment of AIDS patients and for prevention of the onset of AIDS in HIV-seropositive individuals, causes tumors in mice exposed as adults or in utero. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential mechanisms of AZT mutagenicity and carcinogenicity by quantifying the incorporation of AZT into cellular DNA, measuring AZT-induced thymidine kinase (TK) mutant frequencies (Mfs), and determining the percentage of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in spontaneous or AZT-induced TK mutants in the human lymphoblastoid cell line, TK6. Cells were exposed to 300 microM AZT for 0, 1, 3, or 6 days, or to 0, 33, 100, 300, or 900 microM AZT for 3 days (n = 5 flasks/group). The effects of exposure concentration on incorporation of AZT into cellular DNA were evaluated by an AZT radioimmunoassay, and the effects of duration and concentration of AZT exposure on the TK Mfs were assessed by a cell-cloning assay. AZT was incorporated into DNA in a dose-related manner at concentrations up to 300 microM, above which no further increase was observed. TK Mf increased with the extended duration and with incremental concentrations of AZT exposure. There was a positive correlation (P = 0.036, coefficient = 0.903) between AZT-DNA incorporation and AZT-induced TK Mfs, suggesting that AZT incorporation into cellular DNA has a direct role in the genotoxicity of AZT. Southern blot analyses indicated that 84% (6.2 x 10(-6)/7.4 x 10(-6)) of AZT-induced mutants were attributable to LOH, consistent with the known mechanism of AZT as a DNA chain terminator. Considering the importance of LOH in human carcinogenesis, AZT-induced LOH warrants further study.

Carcinogen macromolecular adducts and their measurement

Damage to DNA induced by carcinogenic chemicals reflects exposure and is directly related to tumor formation, whereas modification of protein provides relatively precise dosimetry for stable adducts of proteins with a known half-life. Sophisticated methods for the detection and quantitation of DNA and protein adducts have been developed during the last approximately 25 years. For DNA adducts the most widely used methods include electrochemical detection, mass spectrometry, fluorescence and phosphorescence spectroscopy, immunoassays and immunohistochemistry and (32)P-post-labeling. Detection limits for quantitative assays are typically in the range of 1 adduct in 10(7) or 10(9) nucleotides. However, accelerator mass spectrometry, which is highly sophisticated but less accessible, has a detection limit of approximately 1 adduct in 10(12) nucleotides. Methods for the determination of protein adducts include immunoassay and a variety of elegant high-resolution mass spectrometry approaches. The detection limit of approximately 0.1 fmol for protein adducts, is based primarily on method specificity and the availability of large quantities of sample material. Using these highly sensitive methods a major achievement has been the biomonitoring of chemically exposed human populations. Validation of macromolecular adduct formation in humans has been predicated on studies in animal models. Adduct formation in humans appears to be indicative of molecular dosimetry and suggestive of increased human cancer risk. However, despite the large body of literature documenting DNA and protein adduct molecular dosimetry for many carcinogen exposures, the relationship between adduct formation and human cancer risk has been defined for only a few carcinogens. Thus, elucidation of this association remains a compelling challenge. For the future, integration of DNA and protein adduct measurements together with documentation of correlative and subsequent events, and host susceptibility factors, within the context of valid molecular epidemiologic study designs, will further our understanding of human disease mechanisms.

Methods of DNA adduct determination and their application to testing compounds for genotoxicity

At the International Workshop on Genotoxicity Test Procedures (IWGTP) held in Washington, DC (March 25-26, 1999), a working group considered the uses of DNA adduct determination methods for testing compounds for genotoxicity. When a drug or chemical displays an unusual or inconsistent combination of positive and negative results in in vitro and in vivo genotoxicity assays and/or in carcinogenicity experiments, investigations into whether or not DNA adducts are formed may be helpful in assessing whether or not the test compound is a genotoxin. DNA adduct determinations can be carried out using radiolabeled compounds and measuring radioactive decay (scintillation counting) or isotope ratios (accelerator mass spectrometry) in the isolated DNA. With unlabeled compounds adducts may be measured by (32)P-postlabeling analysis of the DNA, or by physicochemical methods including mass spectrometry, fluorescence spectroscopy, or electrochemical detection, or by immunochemical methods. Each of these approaches has different strengths and limitations, influenced by sensitivity, cost, time, and interpretation of results. The design of DNA binding studies needs to be on a case-by-case basis, depending on the compound's profile of activity. DNA purity becomes increasingly important the more sensitive, and less chemically specific, the assay. While there may be adduct levels at which there is no observable biological effect, there are at present insufficient data on which to set a threshold level for biological significance.

Incorporation of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) into fetal DNA and fetal tissue distribution of drug after infusion of pregnant late-term rhesus macaques with a human-equivalent AZT dose

In the United States, the nucleoside analogue drug 3'-azido-3'deoxythymidine (AZT; also called zidovudine or ZDV) is given to most pregnant women who produce a positive test result for HIV-1. To investigate transplacental distribution and genotoxicity of AZT, near-term pregnant rhesus (Macaca mulatta) monkeys and their fetuses were studied. Four pregnant monkeys were continuously infused with 8 mg AZT/kg body weight for the 4 hours just prior to hysterotomy at term. This short-term AZT exposure resulted in AZT incorporation into DNA of fetal liver, lung, heart, skeletal muscle, brain, testis, and placenta, which varied between 29 and 1944 molecules of AZT/10(6) nucleotides. In contrast, values for AZT and combined metabolites, determined by radioactivity, varied between 0.94 and 5.20 microg AZT equivalents/g tissue. A fifth animal, (H076), was infused with 17.3 mg AZT/kg body weight for approximately 3 hours, followed by 1 hour without drug before hysterotomy. Similar to the 4 other monkeys, variable levels of AZT (16-147 molecules of AZT/10(6) nucleotides) were incorporated into organ DNA of H076, whereas organ tissues contained less-variable levels of AZT and metabolites (0.86-2.05 microg AZT equivalents/g tissue). For H076, at hysterotomy 1 hour after discontinuation of drug, values for AZT and the 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine-beta-D-glucuronide (AZTG) in fetal blood and amniotic fluid were twofold and threefold higher than those in maternal blood. Most AZT pharmacokinetic parameters in the fifth monkey were similar to those previously reported for the first 4 monkeys and those observed in a similar study of pregnant women. These data show that a short-term AZT infusion in pregnant rhesus monkeys, which have similar AZT pharmacokinetics to those present in a pregnant human, results in incorporation of drug into the DNA of placenta and most fetal organs. Data imply that the human fetus may also be subject to incorporation of AZT into DNA even after short-term AZT infusion to the mother just before delivery.

Multiorgan transplacental and neonatal carcinogenicity of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine in mice

The anti-HIV drug 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) is used successfully for reduction of perinatal viral transmission. However toxic side effects including carcinogenesis are possible. To test this, pregnant CD-1 Swiss mice were given 25.0 or 12.5 mg AZT on gestation days 12-18. Previously we reported an increase in lung, liver, and female reproductive system tumors in offspring euthanized at 1 year (Olivero et al., J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 89, 1602-1608, 1997). Findings for all remaining offspring up to 2 years old are reported here. AZT effects were most prominent in female offspring, with a significant threefold increase in lung tumors, a reduction in lymphoblastic and follicle center cell lymphomas, and a significant increase in histiocytic sarcomas (0 in controls, 3% after low-dose AZT, and 8% after high-dose AZT, p = 0.022). Dose-dependent incidences of mammary gland, ovarian, and seminal vesicle tumors were low but significant: 0/106 controls, 3/105 low-dose, and 8/105 high-dose mice presented one of these neoplasms (p = 0.0025). Incidences of females showing any clearly AZT-related neoplasm, in lung, liver, ovary, or mammary gland or histiocytic sarcoma, in the second year, were 12/32 after the low dose and 14/27 after the high dose vs 3/23 controls (p = 0.0045). Also, the sensitivity of neonatal mice was assessed by administration of 25, 50, 100, or 200 mg/kg AZT on postnatal days 1 through 8. The effects at 2 years were similar to those seen after transplacental exposure, with significant increases in lung, liver, and mammary tumors in females. The results confirm that AZT is a moderately effective perinatal carcinogen in mice, targeting several tissue types.

Genotoxicity of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine in the human lymphoblastoid cell line, TK6: relationships between DNA incorporation, mutant frequency, and spectrum of deletion mutations in HPRT

Perinatal treatment with 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) has been found to reduce the rate of maternal-infant transmission of HIV; however, AZT is genotoxic in mammalian cells in vitro and induces tumors in the offspring of mice treated in utero. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationships between incorporation of AZT into DNA, and the frequency and spectrum of mutations at the HPRT locus of the human lymphoblastoid cell line, TK6, following in vitro exposures to AZT. Cells were cultured in medium containing 0 or 300 microM AZT for 1, 3, or 6 day(s) (n = 5/group). The effects of exposure duration on incorporation of AZT into DNA and HPRT mutant frequency were determined using an AZT radioimmunoassay and a cell cloning assay, respectively. AZT accumulated in DNA in a supralinear manner, approaching a plateau at 6 days of treatment (101.9 +/- 14.7 molecules AZT/10(6) nucleotides). After 3 days of AZT exposure, HPRT mutant frequency was significantly increased (1.8-fold, p = 0.016) compared to background (mutant frequency = 3.78 x 10(-6)). Multiplex PCR amplification of genomic DNA was used to determine the frequency of exon deletions in HPRT mutant clones from untreated cells versus AZT-treated cells. Molecular analyses of AZT-induced mutations revealed a significant difference in the frequency of total gene deletions (44/120 vs. 18/114 in controls, p = 0.004 by the Mann-Whitney U-statistic). In fact, the Chi-square test of homogeneity demonstrate that the differences between the control and AZT-treatment groups is attributed mainly to this increase in total gene deletion mutations (p = 0.00001). These data indicate that the primary mechanism of AZT mutagenicity in human TK6 cells is through the production of large deletions which occur as a result of AZT incorporation into DNA and subsequent chain termination. The data imply that perinatal chemoprophylaxis with AZT may put children of HIV-infected women at potential risk for genetic damage.

Tamoxifen-DNA adduct formation in rat liver determined by immunoassay and 32P-postlabeling

Tamoxifen (TAM), a nonsteroidal antiestrogen used as a chemotherapeutic and chemopreventive agent for breast cancer, induces liver tumors in rodents and covalent DNA adduct formation in hepatic DNA. Here, we report the development and validation of highly sensitive and specific immunoassays for the determination of TAM-DNA adducts. Rabbits were immunized with calf thymus DNA, chemically modified with alpha-acetoxytamoxifen to 2.4 adducts per 100 nucleotides, and the resulting antisera were characterized by competitive dissociation-enhanced lanthanide fluoroimmunoassay (DELFIA) and chemiluminescence immunoassay (CIA). Compared with DELFIA, the CIA has a much lower background and a 20-fold increase in sensitivity. For the immunogen TAM-DNA, 50% inhibition was at 2.0 +/- 0.11 (mean +/- SE, n = 18) fmol of (E)-alpha-(N2-deoxyguanosinyl)tamoxifen (TAM-dG) adduct in TAM-DNA by DELFIA. For TAM-DNA modified to 4.8 adducts in 10(6) nucleotides, 50% inhibition was at 20.6 +/- 6.6 (mean +/- SE, n = 8) fmol of TAM-dG in TAM-DNA by DELFIA and at 0.92 +/- 0.11 (mean +/- SE, n = 10) fmol of TAM-dG in TAM-DNA by CIA. No inhibition was observed in either assay with up to 20 microg (62.5 nmol of nucleotides) of unmodified DNA. The individual adducts TAM-dG and (Z)-alpha-(N2-deoxyguanosinyl)tamoxifen and the individual compounds TAM and 4-OH-TAM gave DELFIA 50% inhibitions at 828, 2229, 5440, and 8250 fmol, respectively. For assay validation, TAM-dG levels were determined by DELFIA, CIA, and 32P-postlabeling in TAM-DNA samples modified in vitro to different levels, and comparable values were obtained in all three assays. Further validation was obtained in vivo in rat liver. DNA adducts of TAM were measurable in rat liver 24 h after a single i.p. dose of 45 mg TAM/kg body weight and after daily p.o. dosing for 7 days with 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0 mg TAM/kg body weight. In addition, TAM-DNA adducts disappeared slowly over 21 days in rats on a control diet that were first given p.o. TAM at 45 mg/kg/day for 4 days. In the rat experiments, TAM-DNA adduct levels determined by CIA compared well with those determined by 32P-postlabeling, although the CIA gave an underestimation at the highest doses. For rat liver samples, the detection limit by CIA was 3 adducts per 10(9) nucleotides (0.2 fmol of adducts per 20 microg of DNA).

Biomonitoring of human genotoxicity induced by complex occupational exposures

Sensitivity, specificity and correlations among several biomarkers for monitoring occupational exposure to complex mixtures of genotoxic agents were assessed in occupational environments in Hungarian study populations. The studies have been focused on DNA adduct formation, urinary metabolites, mutations and micronuclei induced by exposures to complex organic mixtures. In two Hungarian aluminium plants, increased DNA adduct and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OH-PY) levels were observed in workers as compared to controls. However, no association between the biomarker levels was evident on an individual basis. In Hungarian garage mechanics, DNA adduct determinations did not show increased genotoxic exposure as compared to the controls. However, ambient air measurements, significantly enhanced 1-OH-PY levels, and slightly enhanced frequency of micronuclei indicated increased polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure in the garages, as compared to the general environment. In a Hungarian vulcanizing plant, DNA adduct determinations and 1-OH-PY did not show significantly elevated exposure levels as compared to controls. The glycophorin A (GPA) somatic mutation assay was also negative for this occupational exposure. The results support previous observations of a lack of correlation between DNA adducts detectable by 32P-postlabelling and those measured by the PAH-DNA immunoassay in the same DNA sample. These studies also demonstrate a lack of close correlation between levels of DNA adducts and urinary 1-OH-PY in the same individual.

3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) transplacental perfusion kinetics and DNA incorporation in normal human placentas perfused with AZT

Vertical transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) is reduced from approximately 25% to approximately 7% as a result of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) therapy given during pregnancy; however, the consequences of transplacental AZT exposure to the fetus remain unknown. To address the extent and kinetics of AZT transfer across the human placenta, perfusion studies have been performed with fresh uninfected human placentas perfused with 0.5, 1. 0 and 5.0 mg AZT/ml for 2 h using a dual recirculating single cotyledon perfusion apparatus [T.I. Ala-Kokko, P. Pienimaki, R. Herva, A.I. Hollmen, O. Pelkonen, K. Vähäkangas, Transfer of lidocaine and bupivacaine across the isolated perfused human placenta, Pharmacol. Toxicol. 77 (1995) 142-148]. For two placentas, samples of perfusion effluent were taken every 15 min from the maternal and fetal sides of the apparatus and AZT levels were determined by AZT radioimmunoassay (RIA). At the end of the perfusion, AZT-DNA incorporation into placental DNA was determined by AZT-RIA. The concentration of AZT in the fetal perfusate increased with time, along with a concomitant slow decrease in the concentration of AZT in the maternal perfusates. For three different placentas, at 2 h after the start of perfusion, AZT-DNA incorporation values (molecules of AZT/10(6) nucleotides) were 11.8 for the 0.5 mg AZT/ml perfusate, 13.7 for the 1.0 mg AZT/ml perfusion, and 42.0 for the 5 mg AZT/ml perfusion. An additional placenta perfused with 1 mg AZT/ml did not have detectable values of AZT incorporated into DNA (data not shown). The data show that AZT crosses the human placenta and becomes rapidly incorporated into DNA of placental tissue in a dose-dependent fashion, suggesting that even short exposures to this drug might induce fetal genotoxicity and might also inhibit maternal-fetal viral transmission.

Incorporation of zidovudine into leukocyte DNA from HIV-1-positive adults and pregnant women, and cord blood from infants exposed in utero

OBJECTIVE

The nucleoside analog 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (ZDV) has widespread clinical use but also is carcinogenic in newborn mice exposed to the drug in utero and becomes incorporated into newborn mouse DNA. This pilot study was designed to determine ZDV incorporation into human blood cell DNA from adults and newborn infants.

DESIGN

In this prospective cohort study, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were obtained from 28 non-pregnant adults and 12 pregnant women given ZDV therapy, six non-pregnant adults with no exposure to ZDV, and six non-pregnant adults who last received ZDV > or = 6 months previously. In addition, cord blood leukocytes were obtained from 22 infants of HIV-1-positive, ZDV-exposed women and from 12 infants unexposed to ZDV. There were 11 mother-infant pairs involving HIV-1 -positive women.

METHODS

DNA was extracted from PBMC obtained from non-pregnant HIV-1-positive adults taking ZDV, pregnant HIV-1-positive women given ZDV during pregnancy, and from adults not taking ZDV. Cord blood leukocytes were examined from infants exposed to ZDV in utero and from unexposed controls. DNA samples were assayed for ZDV incorporation by anti-ZDV radioimmunoassay (RIA).

RESULTS

The majority (76%) of samples from ZDV-exposed individuals, pregnant women (8 of 12), non-pregnant adults (24 of 28), or infants at delivery (15 of 22), had detectable ZDV-DNA levels. The range of positive values for ZDV-treated adults and infants was 25-544 and 22-452 molecules ZDV/10(6) nucleotides, respectively. Analysis of 11 mother-infant pairs showed variable ZDV-DNA incorporation in both, with no correlation by pair or by duration of drug treatment during pregnancy. Two of the 24 samples from individuals designated as controls were positive by anti-ZDV RIA. The 20-fold range for ZDV-DNA values in both adults and infants suggested large interindividual differences in ZDV phosphorylation.

CONCLUSIONS

Incorporation of ZDV into DNA was detected in most of the samples from ZDV-exposed adults and infants. Therefore, the biologic significance of ZDV-DNA damage and potential subsequent events, such as mutagenicity, should be

Synthesis, characterization, and quantitation of a 4-aminobiphenyl-DNA adduct standard

32P-Postlabeling is a powerful technique for the detection of DNA adducts; however, quantitation of DNA adducts by this method can result in errors due to differences in hydrolysis and labeling efficiencies between adducted and normal nucleotides. We have synthesized a DNA sample modified with 4-aminobiphenyl to serve as a quantitation standard for 32P-postlabeling and other DNA adduct detection methodologies. [2,2'-3H]-N-Hydroxy-4-aminobiphenyl was reacted with calf thymus DNA at pH 5 to give 62 +/- 0.8 adducts/10(8) nucleotides (mean +/- SD) on the basis of 3H content. HPLC analyses following enzymatic hydrolysis to nucleosides indicated one major adduct, N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-4-aminobiphenyl (dG-C8-4-ABP). The adduct identity was confirmed by HPLC/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, which indicated a modification level of 19 +/- 1.7 dG-C8-4-ABP/10(8) nucleotides. 32P-Postlabeling analysis gave a value of 0.84 dG-C8-4-ABP/10(8) nucleotides, while a dissociation-enhanced lanthanide fluoroimmunoassay (DELFIA) indicated levels of 82 +/- 26 and 63 +/- 20 dG-C8-4-ABP/10(8) nucleotides after enzymatic hydrolysis to nucleotides and nucleosides, respectively. The utility of the DNA adduct standard was determined by assessing the level of dG-C8-4-ABP in liver DNA from mice treated with [2,2'-3H]-4-aminobiphenyl. 32P-Postlabeling analyses, based upon measuring the extent of the 32P incorporation, underestimated the levels of dG-C8-4-ABP, while DELFIA, using a G-C8-4-ABP quantitation standard, overestimated the adduct levels. The adduct levels determined by HPLC/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry best reflected those obtained from 3H incorporation. When the 32P-postlabeling analyses and the DELFIA were conducted using the DNA modified in vitro with dG-C8-4-ABP as a quantitation standard, accurate estimations of the extent of in vivo formation of dG-C8-4-ABP were obtained.

Skin tumorigenesis and Ki-ras and Ha-ras mutations in tumors from adult mice exposed in utero to 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine

This study was designed to evaluate the potential initiating effects of transplacental 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymine (AZT) and the role of ras mutational activation in skin tumors induced in a two-stage mouse skin model. In addition, mouse liver and lung tumors from a transplacental AZT tumorigenicity study reported elsewhere (Olivero et al., J Natl Cancer Inst 89:1602-1608, 1997) were examined for evidence of ras activation. For both tumor studies, pregnant CD-1 mice were given either vehicle or 25 mg of AZT daily on days 12-18 of gestation. In the 1997 study, the offspring were given no further exposure and were killed at 1 yr of age. For the skin tumor study, all mice received twice-weekly topical 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) treatment from weeks 5-35; half of the mice had been exposed to AZT in utero. At weeks 16-18, 30, 31, and 34-41, the skin tumor incidences in mice given AZT and TPA were significantly higher than in mice given TPA alone (P < or = 0.05). At week 41, the average numbers of tumors per mouse were 1.44+/-0.36 (mean +/- standard error of the mean) and 0.57+/-0.13 for mice given AZT plus TPA and TPA alone, respectively (P = 0.006). Mutagenesis in ras exons I and II was determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and dye-terminator cycling sequencing of PCR products. Ha-ras exon I codons 12 and 13 were mutated in 11 of 19 tumors (58%) from mice given AZT and TPA and in one of 15 tumors (7%) from mice given TPA alone (P= 0.004). The only mutation in Ha-ras codon 12 (four in four tumors examined) was a G-->A transition in the second base, and the major mutation in codon 13 (six in seven tumors examined) was a G-->T transversion in the second base. In skin tumors, AZT exposure did not increase the number of Ha-ras codon 61 mutations, and no Ki-ras mutations were observed. Analysis of ras mutations in liver and lung tumors from mice exposed to AZT in utero (Olivero et al., J Natl Cancer Inst 89:16021608, 1997) with no TPA promotion showed no significant AZT-related increases.

Biomonitoring of United States Army soldiers serving in Kuwait in 1991

Biomarkers of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure and genetic biomarkers of potential cancer susceptibility were determined in a group of United States Army soldiers who were deployed to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia in 1991 in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War. Because hundreds of oil well fires were still burning, there was concern that ground troops stationed in Kuwait might be exposed to high levels of PAHs and other toxicants. The United States Army Environmental Hygiene Agency monitored air and soil for ambient PAHs. In addition, a group of 61 soldiers was involved in the biomonitoring study reported here. These soldiers kept diaries of daily activities and provided blood and urine samples in Germany (June) before deployment to Kuwait, after 8 weeks in Kuwait (August), and 1 month after the return to Germany (October). Here we present data for PAH-DNA adducts measured by immunoassay in blood cell DNA samples obtained at all three sampling times from 22 soldiers and bulky aromatic adducts measured by 32P-postlabeling in blood cell DNA samples from 20 of the same soldiers. Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene-glucuronide levels were determined by synchronous fluorescence spectrometry in a matched set of samples from 33 soldiers. Contrary to expectations, environmental monitoring showed low ambient PAH levels in the areas where these soldiers were working in Kuwait. For both DNA adduct assays, levels were the lowest in Kuwait in August and increased significantly after the soldiers returned to Germany (October). Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene-glucuronide levels were also lowest in Kuwait and highest in Germany, but the differences were not statistically significant. The PAH-exposure biomarker levels were not significantly influenced by polymorphic variations of CYP1A1 (MspI) and glutathione S-transferases M1 and T1. Overall, the data suggest that this group of soldiers was not exposed to elevated levels of PAHs while deployed in Kuwait.

Transplacental effects of 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (AZT): tumorigenicity in mice and genotoxicity in mice and monkeys

BACKGROUND

When given during pregnancy, the drug 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (AZT) substantially reduces maternal-fetal transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). However, AZT has been shown to be carcinogenic in adult mice after lifetime oral administration. In this study, we assessed the transplacental tumorigenic and genotoxic effects of AZT in the offspring of CD-1 mice and Erythrocebus patas monkeys given AZT orally during pregnancy.

METHODS

Pregnant mice were given daily doses of either 12.5 or 25.0 mg AZT on days 12 through 18 of gestation (last 37% of gestation period). Pregnant monkeys were given a daily dose of 10.0 mg AZT 5 days a week for the last 9.5-10 weeks of gestation (final 41%-43% of gestation period). AZT incorporation into nuclear and mitochondrial DNA and the length of chromosomal end (telomere) DNA were examined in multiple tissues of newborn mice and fetal monkeys. Additional mice were followed from birth and received no further treatment until subjected to necropsy and complete pathologic examination at 1 year of age. An anti-AZT radioimmunoassay was used to monitor AZT incorporation into DNA.

RESULTS

At 1 year of age, the offspring of AZT-treated mice exhibited statistically significant, dose-dependent increases in tumor incidence and tumor multiplicity in the lungs, liver, and female reproductive organs. AZT incorporation into nuclear and mitochondrial DNA was detected in multiple organs of transplacentally exposed mice and monkeys. Shorter chromosomal telomeres were detected in liver and brain tissues from most AZT-exposed newborn mice but not in tissues from fetal monkeys.

CONCLUSIONS

AZT is genotoxic in fetal mice and monkeys and is a moderately strong transplacental carcinogen in mice examined at 1 year of age. Careful long-term follow-up of AZT-exposed children would seem to be appropriate.

Cisplatin-DNA adduct determination in the hepatic albumin gene as compared to whole genomic DNA

A quantitative time-resolved fluorometriC PCR-stop assay has been used to determine cisplatin-DNA adducts in a 1.612 kb region and a polymorphic 1.85 kb region of the rat liver albumin gene containing parts of exons B and C and all of the BC intron. The values were compared to adducts in the whole rat liver genome determined by atomic absorbance spectrometry (AAS). Initial validation of the PCR-stop assay involved modification of purified rat liver DNA in vitro to desired levels by incubation with different concentrations of cisplatin. In these DNA samples, cisplatin-DNA adduct levels determined in the 1612 base pair fragment by PCR-stop assay were shown to be similar to those determined in the whole genomic DNA by AAS. In freshly isolated primary rat hepatocytes cultured for 2 h with 50, 75, 100, and 150 microM cisplatin, adduct levels determined by the PCR-stop assay were similar to those measured by AAS. Cultured MH1C1 rat hepatoma cells, which express albumin, had a polymorphism in the rat albumin gene such that the fragment amplified with the same primers was about 1.85 kb (13% larger). When MH1C1 cells were exposed to 5, 15, 25, 50, and 75 microM cisplatin for 24 h, 50% cell kill was at 21.0 +/- 5.5 microM cisplatin. For doses of 15-75 microM cisplatin, the cisplatin-DNA adduct levels in this fragment, measured by PCR-stop assay, were about one-half of those in the whole genomic DNA measured by AAS. In addition, MH1C1 cells exposed to 150 microM cisplatin for 4 h and subsequently incubated with fresh medium for 24 h showed no change in adduct level in whole genomic DNA during this time but showed a 29% adduct removal in the 1.85 kb fragment. The data demonstrate that this 1.85 kb region containing expressed regions of the albumin gene has undergone both less adduction and more rapid adduct removal, as compared to the MH1C1 genome as a whole.

Preferential formation and decreased removal of cisplatin-DNA adducts in Chinese hamster ovary cell mitochondrial DNA as compared to nuclear DNA

Levels of DNA adducts in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells exposed to cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cisplatin) for 24 h, have been shown to be 4- to 6-fold higher in mitochondrial (mt) DNA as compared to nuclear (n) DNA (Olivero et al., Mutation Res., 346 (1995) 221). The aim of the present study was to understand if the preferential cisplatin binding in mtDNA is partially caused by lack of adduct removal in the mitochondria. Chinese hamster ovary cells were exposed for 6 h to 50 microM cisplatin, followed by incubation for 24 and 48 h in cisplatin-free medium. At the 30-h time point (6 h with cisplatin, 24 h without cisplatin), half of the cells from each plate were harvested and the remainder were cultured and harvested at 54 h (6 h with cisplatin, 48 h without cisplatin). The 30- and 54-h time points are called 'T30' and 'T54', respectively. Cisplatin-DNA adducts were measured in DNA from nuclear and mitochondrial fractions by dissociation-enhanced lanthanide fluoroimmunoassay (DELFIA), a sensitive competitive microtiter-based immunoassay utilizing antiserum elicited against cisplatin-modified DNA. An initial higher level of cisplatin-DNA adducts was observed in mtDNA when compared to nDNA, at T30. In addition, a lack of removal of adducts in mtDNA was demonstrated in cells at T54. Dilution of DNA adducts by DNA replication was documented in pulse-chase experiments that employed [3H]thymidine incorporation. Adduct removal by repair-related mechanisms was considered to comprise the difference between total DNA adduct removal and adduct removal related to DNA replication. The final results demonstrated that both, higher initial binding and lack of removal of cisplatin-DNA adducts appear to contribute to the preferential cisplatin-mtDNA binding observed in CHO cells.

DNA adducts as exposure biomarkers and indicators of cancer risk

Quantitation of DNA adducts in human tissues has been achieved with highly sensitive techniques based on adduct radiolabeling, antisera specific for DNA adducts or modified DNA, and/or adduct structural characterization using chemical instrumentation. Combinations of these approaches now promise to elucidate specific adduct structures and provide detection limits in the range of 1 adduct/10(9) nucleotides. Documentation of human exposure and biologically effective dose (i.e., chemical bound to DNA) has been achieved for a wide variety of chemical carcinogens, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), aromatic amines, heterocyclic amines, aflatoxins, nitrosamines, cancer chemotherapeutic agents, styrene, and malondialdehyde. Due to difficulties in exposure documentation, dosimetry has not been precise with most environmental and occupational exposures, even though increases in human blood cell DNA adduct levels may correlate approximately with dose. Perhaps more significant are observations that lowering exposure results in decreasing DNA adduct levels. DNA adduct dosimetry for environmental agents has been achieved with dietary contaminants. For example, blood cell polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adduct levels were shown to correlate with frequency of charbroiled meat consumption in California firefighters. In addition, in China urinary excretion of the aflatoxin B1-N7-guanine (AFB1-N7-G) adduct was shown to increase linearly with the aflatoxin content of ingested food. Assessment of DNA adduct formation as an indicator of human cancer risk requires a prospective nested case-control study design. This has been achieved in one investigation of hepatocellular carcinoma and urinary aflatoxin adducts using subjects followed by a Shanghai liver cancer registry. Individuals who excreted the AFB1-N7-G adduct had a 9.1-fold adjusted increased relative risk of hepatocellular carcinoma compared to individuals with no adducts. Future advances in this field will be dependent on chemical characterization of specific DNA adducts formed in human tissues, more-precise molecular dosimetry, efforts to correlate DNA adducts with cancer risk, and elucidation of opportunities to reduce human DNA adduct levels.

Aromatic amine DNA adduct formation in chronically-exposed mice: considerations for human comparison

Lifetime chronic exposure of mice to the aromatic amines 4-aminobiphenyl (ABP) and 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) produces liver and urinary bladder tumors. In parallel experiments, DNA adduct levels in target tissues reach a steady-state (a balance between adduct formation and removal) after about four weeks of either AAF or ABP ingestion. For these and other carcinogens, steady-state DNA adduct levels most frequently increase linearly with dose, but the formation of tumors also depends upon a variety of factors, including the proliferative capacity of the target tissue, the sex of the animal, genotoxic properties of the specific adducts formed, and other unknown events. Chronic dosing experiments in animal models are of interest for human risk assessment because human exposure is typically intermittent, involving repeated exposures. However, it is to be expected that in a genetically-diverse human population, where the lifetime averages > 70 years, the relationship between tumorigenesis and DNA adduct formation will be relatively more complex than that observed in mice. From our studies of chronic ABP exposure in male mice, we have obtained the daily dose of ABP and the steady-state level of N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-4-aminobiphenyl (dG-C8-ABP) adduct associated with a 50% mouse bladder tumor incidence. Our attempt at a human extrapolation for adducts and urinary bladder cancer in smoking males (20-40 cigarettes/day) is based on the ABP dose per cigarette, values for the dG-C8-ABP adduct in bladder biopsies of lifetime heavy smokers at age approximately 70, and the smoking-related bladder tumor incidence (absolute lifetime risk) for Caucasian males in the United States aged 65-84 years. The extrapolation has produced two major predictions, one related to adduct formation and the other related to tumorigenesis. First, the observed level of smoking-related dG-C8-ABP in DNA of human bladder epithelium, expressed as a function of daily ABP intake, is about 3500-times higher than similar data for mice, which suggests that humans may perform the biotransformation of ABP more efficiently than mice. Second, at a similar bladder tumor incidence, mouse bladder contained adduct concentrations that were much higher than those observed in human bladder; for example, at a 2.6% tumor incidence, mouse bladder contained an average of 55.5 fmol dG-C8-ABP/microgram DNA (1850 adducts/10(8) nucleotides), while bladders from Caucasian male smokers contained an average of 0.036 fmol dG-C8-ABP/microgram DNA (1.2 adducts/10(8) nucleotides). This suggests that factors other than ABP-DNA adducts, such as adducts of other carcinogens, the influence of promoters, and synergistic effects of all of these factors contribute substantially to smoking-related bladder cancer in humans.

Abrogation of cisplatin-induced programmed cell death in human breast cancer cells by epidermal growth factor antisense RNA

BACKGROUND

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) perturbation by receptor ligand(s), e.g., epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha), or receptor-specific antibodies accentuates cisplatin-induced toxicity in tumor cells. This sensitization occurs only in tumor cells with high expression of EGF-R but not in those with low expression of EGF-R.

PURPOSE

Therefore, we have studied the role of EGF-R expression on cisplatin-mediated cytotoxicity.

METHODS

MDA-468 human breast cancer cells were stably transfected with a p-chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (pact[p]-CAT) vector containing a 4.1-kilobase full-length antisense EGF-R complementary DNA. EGF-R content was assessed by 125I-EGF binding and EGF-R immunoblot assays. Cisplatin sensitivity was evaluated by (a) colony-forming assay in vitro, (b) xenograft growth in nude mice, (c) cell cycle distribution of propidium iodide-labeled DNA, (d) DNA fragmentation in agarose gels, and (e) terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (Tdt) fluorescence in situ. Cisplatin uptake was measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy, and the levels of drug-DNA intrastrand adducts were determined by a dissociation-enhanced fluoroimmunoassay that utilizes an antibody against cisplatin-modified DNA.

RESULTS

Selected clones (MDA-468/AS-EGFR) exhibited more than 90% loss of both 125I-EGF binding and receptor content determined by western blot analysis, whereas clones transfected with the vector alone (MDA-468/p-CAT) had EGF-R levels similar to those of the parent cells. By use of a colony-forming assay, the 1-hour IC50 (i.e., the concentration of drug required for 1 hour to achieve 50% cell kill) for cisplatin was 2 microM or less for parental and vector-transfected clones (n = 4), whereas it was 25 microM or more for all MDA-468/AS-EGFR clones (n = 3). MDA-468/p-CAT clones exhibited internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, enhanced Tdt-end labeling in situ, and G2 arrest 48 hours after a 1-hour incubation with 3-30 microM cisplatin. Under these conditions, apoptosis and G2 arrest were undetectable in all MDA-468/AS-EGFR clones. An MDA-468 subline selected after long-term treatment with a TGF-alpha-Pseudomonas exotoxin A fusion protein 40 lacked EGF binding and also exhibited cisplatin resistance (1-hour IC50: > 30 microM) compared with parental cells. This EGF-R-dependent difference in cisplatin response was confirmed in a nude mouse xenograft model by use of high- and low-EGF-R-expressing cell clones. Total intracellular drug accumulation after a 1-hour cisplatin exposure, as measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy, was identical in both groups of cells. Intrastrand drug-DNA adducts, however, were statistically higher in high EGF-R expressors than in low-EGF-R-expressing clones.

CONCLUSIONS

These data indicate that a critical level of EGF-R signaling, which is amplified in some common human cancers, is necessary for cisplatin-mediated apoptosis in tumor cells and suggest an inhibitory effect of this pathway on the repair of cisplatin-damaged DNA.

Transplacental cisplatin exposure induces persistent fetal mitochondrial and genomic DNA damage in patas monkeys

A previous attempt to model transplacental cisplatin exposure and genotoxicity employed several pregnant Erythrocebus patas monkeys; most of the animals were exposed near the end of gestation and cisplatin-DNA adduct analyses included only genomic DNA. Here, both genomic and mitochondrial DNA adduct formation have been determined in fetuses from two pregnant monkeys exposed at the end of the second trimester of gestation. Multiple fetal tissues were obtained after doses of 0.315 mg cisplatin/kg body weight (5.3 mg/m2 total) on days 101 and 106 of gestation. Cesarean sections were performed 24 h after exposure and 27 d after exposure. Cisplatin genomic (g)-DNA adducts were observed in fetal adrenal, brain, heart, kidney, liver, skin, spleen, and thymus. When placentas from the two animals were divided into four concentric regions at increasing distances from the umbilical cord, and g-DNA was assayed, cisplatin DNA adduct levels were similar in all four regions. Mitochondrial (mt)-DNA adducts were higher than g-DNA adducts in maternal liver and fetal liver, brain and kidney, suggesting that the mitochondria may constitute a particular target for cisplatin genotoxicity. The study demonstrates significant fetal genotoxicity in g-DNA and mt-DNA of patas monkeys exposed to cisplatin in utero, suggesting that similarly exposed human fetuses may also sustain drug-induced DNA damage.

Elevated mitochondrial cisplatin-DNA adduct levels in rat tissues after transplacental cisplatin exposure

Although there is evidence that the toxic effects of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cisplatin) include morphologically abnormal mitochondria, direct demonstrations of mitochondrial DNA damage by this chemotherapeutic agent have rarely been reported. Here we show that, in rats exposed to a single dose of cisplatin during gestation, cisplatin-DNA binding levels in both maternal and fetal liver and brain mitochondrial DNA are higher than those observed in genomic DNA. Pregnant F344/NCr rats were injected i.p. with either 5 or 15 mg cisplatin/kg body wt at 18 days of gestation and killed 24 h later. Cisplatin-DNA adducts were determined by dissociation-enhanced lanthanide fluoroimmunoassay using a cisplatin-DNA standard modified in the same range as the biological samples. Values for genomic cisplatin-DNA adducts in multiple maternal and fetal tissues have been presented elsewhere. Here, genomic DNA adduct levels for liver, brain, kidney and placenta are reported again for comparison with mitochondrial DNA adduct levels in the same tissues. In maternal and fetal brain, mitochondrial DNA adduct levels were approximately 7- to 50-fold higher than genomic DNA adduct levels, and in fetal liver they were approximately 2- to 16-fold higher than genomic DNA adduct levels. These studies demonstrate extensive cisplatin-DNA adduct formation in brain and liver mitochondria of fetal rats exposed transplacentally and suggest that mitochondrial DNA in some organs may be a particular target for cisplatin genotoxicity.

Human DNA adduct measurements: state of the art

Human DNA adduct formation (covalent modification of DNA with chemical carcinogens) is a promising biomarker for elucidating the molecular epidemiology of cancer. Classes of compounds for which human DNA adducts have been observed include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nitrosamines, mycotoxins, aromatic amines, heterocyclic amines, ultraviolet light, and alkylating cancer chemotherapeutic agents. Most human DNA adduct exposure monitoring has been performed with either 32P-postlabeling or immunoassays, neither of which is able to chemically characterize specific DNA adducts. Recently developed combinations of methods with chemical and physical end points have allowed identification of specific adducts in human tissues. Studies are presented that demonstrate that high ambient levels of benzo[a]pyrene are associated with high levels of DNA adducts in human blood cell DNA and that the same DNA adduct levels drop when the ambient PAH levels decrease significantly. DNA adduct dosimetry, which has been achieved with some dietary carcinogens and cancer chemotherapeutic agents, is described, as well as studies correlating DNA adducts with other biomarkers. It is likely that some toxic, noncarcinogenic compounds may have genotoxic effects, including oxidative damage, and that adverse health outcomes other than cancer may be correlated with DNA adduct formation. The studies presented here may serve as useful prototypes for exploration of other toxicological end points.

Cisplatin-DNA adduct formation in maternal and fetal rat tissues after transplacental cisplatin exposure

Cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) (cisplatin), given to pregnant rats at 5 mg/kg body weight (bw) is a trans placental carcinogen for fetal liver, kidney, nervous system and lung, resulting in tumor incidences of 22.5, 10.5, 6.1 and 7.5% respectively, in offspring grown to adulthood (B.A. Diwan et al., 1995, Toxicol. Appl. Pharm., 132, 115). In this study, the capacity of cisplatin to pass through the placental barrier and bind covalently to DNA in maternal and fetal tissues was evaluated. Pregnant F344/NCr rats were injected i.p. with single doses of 5, 10 or 15 mg cisplatin/kg bw at 18 days of gestation and sacrificed 24 h later. Cisplatin-DNA adducts were determined by dissociation-enhanced lanthanide fluoroimmunoassay (DELFIA) using both High (90 pmol/micrograms DNA) and Low (0.50 pmol/ microgram DNA) Modified cisplatin-DNA standards and atomic absorbance spectrometry (AAS). The adduct quantities determined by the two DELFIAs varied in concert, but the DELFIA with Low Modified standard gave actual values similar to those observed with AAS. In maternal and fetal tissues, with the exception of placenta in one experiment and maternal kidney in another experiment, the extent of cisplatin-DNA adduct formation increased with dose. In maternal kidney, the low adduct levels observed at the 15 mg/kg dose may reflect kidney toxicity. Fetal kidney, liver and lung contained fewer cisplatin-DNA adducts than the corresponding maternal tissues. In contrast, at 5 and 15 mg/kg, fetal brain DNA contained higher adduct levels than maternal brain DNA. This study demonstrates the presence of DNA damage induced by cisplatin in multiple maternal and fetal rat tissues at tumorigenic doses of drug; the results are therefore consistent with the hypothesis that genotoxic mechanisms play an important role in the drug-induced tumor incidence.

DNA adduct formation and tumorigenesis in mice during the chronic administration of 4-aminobiphenyl at multiple dose levels

Recent studies have demonstrated the presence of DNA adducts from 4-aminobiphenyl (4-ABP) in the bladder cells of humans; however, the correlation between the concentration of these adducts and the tumorigenic response is not clear. To help elucidate this relationship, we have investigated DNA adduct formation in experimental animals continuously administered 4-ABP. Male and female BALB/c mice were treated for 28 days with 4-ABP. hydrochloride in their drinking water. DNA adducts in target tissues (liver of females and bladder of males) were identified and quantified by 32P-postlabeling analyses and radioimmunoassays. These results were compared to previously reported tumor incidences obtained from the lifetime administration of 4-ABP hydrochloride. The major adduct observed in both tissues was N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-4-ABP. In the bladders of both sexes and the livers of female mice, adduct levels increased with dose at low doses, but saturation was observed at high doses. In the livers of males, the adduct levels were linearly correlated with dose throughout the entire dose range. A comparison between DNA adducts and tumorigenesis indicated a linear correlation between adduct levels and the incidence of liver tumors in female mice. In the bladders of male mice, however, the relationship was markedly nonlinear. These data suggest that adduct formation alone is insufficient for tumorigenesis in the bladder and that other factors such as cell proliferation are necessary for tumor production.

The impact of glutathione s-transferase M1 and cytochrome P450 1A1 genotypes on white-blood-cell polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adduct levels in humans

Carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) form DNA adducts via a complex metabolic activation pathway that includes cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1, whereas intermediate metabolites can be detoxified by conjugation through pathways including glutathione s-transferase M1 (GSTM1). PAH-DNA adducts can be measured in peripheral white blood cells (WBCs) and should reflect the net effect of competing activation and detoxification pathways and DNA repair as well as exposure. We have previously shown that WBC PAH-DNA adducts measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were associated with recent, frequent consumption of charbroiled food among 47 nonsmoking wildland fire-fighters who provided two blood samples 8 wk apart. In the investigation reported here, which was performed in the same population, we measured the association between the GSTM1 null genotype, which results in loss of enzyme activity, and PAH-DNA adduct levels, hypothesizing that subjects with this genotype would have higher levels of DNA adducts because of their decreased ability to detoxify PAH metabolites. However, PAH-DNA adduct levels were nonsignificantly lower in subjects with the GSTM1 null genotype (n = 28) compared with other subjects (n = 19) (median 0.04 fmol/microgram DNA vs 0.07 fmol/microgram DNA, respectively, P = 0.45, Wilcoxon rank-sum test). Adduct levels were also lower in the nine subjects heterozygous or homozygous for the CYP1A1 exon 7 polymorphism (which codes for a valine rather than isoleucine and is thought to be associated with greater CYP1A1 activity) compared with the 38 wild-type subjects (P = 0.12). In the entire group, there was a positive association between consuming charbroiled food and PAH-DNA adduct formation (r = 0.24, P = 0.02, Spearman rank-order correlation). This association was weaker in the subgroup of subjects with the GSTM1 null genotype (r = 0.03, P = 0.84) and stronger among the remaining subjects (r = 0.57, P = 0.0002). These results suggest that the GSTM1 null genotype and CYP1A1 exon 7 polymorphism are not associated with increased susceptibility for PAH-DNA adduct formation in peripheral WBCs measured by ELISA in nonsmoking populations.

Interindividual differences in the concentration of 1-hydroxypyrene-glucuronide in urine and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts in peripheral white blood cells after charbroiled beef consumption

Biological markers of internal dose and macromolecular dose from PAHs provide a potential means of assessing environmental exposure to PAHs through inhalation, ingestion and percutaneous absorption. In this study we examined the time course and interindividual variation of 1-hydroxypyrene-glucuronide (1-OHP-gluc) excretion in urine and PAH-DNA adduct formation in peripheral white blood cells (WBCs) after charbroiled (CB) beef consumption. As a marker of internal dose, 1-OHP-gluc was measured in human urine using immunoaffinity chromatography and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy. PAH-DNA adducts were measured in WBCs by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in order to assess macromolecular dose. Ten healthy non-smoking males consumed identical amounts of CB beef on five consecutive days. Multiple blood and urine samples were collected before, during, and after the feeding period. The morning after the first day of CB beef consumption, individual urinary concentrations of 1-OHP-gluc increased 10- to 80-fold (range: 2.0-16.6 pmol/ml urine) above pre-feed baseline concentrations (0.23 +/- 0.11 pmol/ml) in the 10 subjects. 1-OHP-gluc concentration decreased to near baseline levels by 24-72 h after CB beef consumption ended. In contrast, PAH-DNA adducts in WBCs increased markedly in only four of 10 subjects during or after CB beef consumption. Significant interindividual variation was observed for both urinary 1-OHP-gluc concentration (P < 0.001 by Kruskal-Wallis) and PAH-DNA adduct levels (P < 0.005) during the feeding period. The mean urinary 1-OHP-gluc concentration for each subject during and immediately after (days 2-8) the feeding period was significantly correlated with their mean PAH-DNA adduct level in WBCs during the same time period (Spearman r = 0.79, P < 0.01). Evidence of segregation of the subjects into separate response groups based on level of urinary 1-OHP-gluc was observed, suggesting that discrete determinants may regulate the absorption, metabolism and/or excretion of ingested pyrene.

Preferential binding of cisplatin to mitochondrial DNA of Chinese hamster ovary cells

Some chemical carcinogens localize preferentially in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) when compared with genomic DNA (gDNA). Here we compare the ability of cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum[II]) to induce DNA adducts in both genomic and mtDNA of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells in culture. Cytotoxicity was examined by cell survival 4, 8 and 24 h after exposure to 50 microM cisplatin. Cisplatin-DNA adducts were measured in DNA from nuclear and mitochondrial fractions by dissociation-enhanced lanthanide fluoroimmunoassay (DELFIA), a sensitive competitive microtiter-based immunoassay utilizing antiserum elicited against cisplatin-modified DNA. An additional comparison of cisplatin-DNA binding in both compartments was performed by immunoelectron microscopy using the cisplatin-DNA antiserum and colloidal gold. DELFIA analysis of cisplatin-DNA adducts in gDNA and mtDNA showed a six-fold higher incorporation of drug into mtDNA as compared to gDNA. Morphometric studies of colloidal gold distribution in photomicrographs of CHO cells showed mtDNA to contain a four-fold higher concentration of cisplatin as compared to nuclear DNA. Therefore, both methods demonstrated a preferential binding of cisplatin to mtDNA versus gDNA.

Biomonitoring of genotoxic exposure in aluminium plant workers by determination of DNA adducts in human peripheral blood lymphocytes

A longitudinal human biomonitoring study has been performed in two Hungarian primary aluminium production plants that operated Söderberg cells. Carcinogen-DNA adducts have been determined by 32P-postlabelling and competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in peripheral blood lymphocytes from potroom workers and occupationally unexposed control individuals. Blood samples were collected on three occasions; the first two occasions were 1 year apart during normal operation, and the last samples were taken 6 months after close-down of aluminium production. Assays of the first set of samples demonstrated no significant difference between the control group and workers in Plant I. Workers in Plant II had significantly higher DNA adduct levels than individuals in the control group and workers in Plant I. One year later a significant elevation of DNA adducts was detected in Plant I so that values approached those seen in Plant II, which remained unchanged. In the last sample set there was no difference between former potroom workers and occupationally unexposed individuals. The results suggest that carcinogen-DNA adducts are a useful biomarker for monitoring occupational genotoxic exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and that the findings can contribute to improved health risk assessment.

Vaginal epithelial DNA damage and expression of preneoplastic markers in mice during chronic dosing with tumorigenic levels of 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine

3'-Azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (AZT, Retrovir, zidovudine), a nucleoside analogue currently used in the therapy of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, induces papillomas and carcinomas in vaginal epithelium of mice as a result of lifetime drug administration. In this study, female CD-1 mice were administered AZT at doses of 180, 360, and 720 micrograms/ml of drinking water for 28 days to determine whether AZT became incorporated into vaginal DNA and whether this was associated with preneoplastic changes within the target tissue. In addition, bone marrow, a target for AZT-induced cytotoxicity in mice and humans, was examined for chromosomal aberrations. A positive correlation was observed between dose level of AZT, proliferation of cells in the basal layer of vaginal epithelium, and incorporation of AZT into vaginal DNA. Incorporation of AZT into vaginal DNA was originally detected by radioimmunoassay and confirmed by immunohistochemistry. An aberrant pattern for alpha 6 integrin distribution, similar to the pattern described in skin papillomas with high risk for malignant conversion, also increased with dose in mice given AZT. Chromosomal aberrations in bone marrow increased more than 4-fold in AZT-exposed animals. The genotoxicity demonstrated by incorporation of AZT into vaginal DNA and proliferation of vaginal epithelium may play an essential part in the ability of AZT to induce abnormal differentiation in vaginal epithelium and vaginal tumorigenesis in mice.

Immunohistochemical and microfluorometric determination of hepatic DNA adduct removal in rats fed 2-acetylaminofluorene

Biphasic removal of DNA adducts has previously been demonstrated by radioimmunoassay in whole liver DNA from rats chronically fed 2-acetylaminofluorene for 28 days. In the present study, removal of N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-aminofluorene was observed in situ by microfluorometry. Frozen liver sections from animals fed 0.02% 2-acetylaminofluorene for 28 days, followed by a control diet for 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days, were examined immunohistochemically for localization of N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-aminofluorene with fluorescein-conjugated secondary antiserum. In addition, bile ducts and oval cells were stained with antibodies to keratins using Texas red-labeled indirect immunofluorescence. Hoechst dye was used to identify DNA in nuclei. During the 28 days on the control diet, after 28 days of feeding 2-acetylaminofluorene, the DNA adduct concentrations of parenchymal liver cells were reduced by 85%, as compared to animals fed only the carcinogen for 28 days. Periportal hepatocytes exhibited biphasic (fast and slow) adduct removal. Only fast adduct removal was demonstrated in midzonal and centrilobular hepatocytes, since the adduct levels were below the detectable range in these regions after 7 days on the control diet. After 28 days on the control diet, N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-aminofluorene was detected in approximately 50% of periportal hepatocytes. These results are compatible with the previously observed biphasic removal profile determined by radioimmunoassay of whole liver DNA adducts and indicate that periportal hepatocytes remove adducts from two distinct genomic compartments.

DNA adduct measurements and tumor incidence during chronic carcinogen exposure in rodents

In an attempt to elucidate the relationship between DNA adduct formation and tumorigenesis, DNA adducts were measured in the livers and bladders of mice during chronic exposure to several different doses of 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) and 4-aminobiphenyl (4-ABP). Continuous oral administration of these compounds for 4 weeks produced an increase in DNA adduct formation during the first 2 weeks, followed by a plateau, which presumably occurred because the rate of adduct removal offset the rate of adduct formation. The quantity of DNA adducts present at equilibrium correlated directly with the carcinogen concentration; therefore, when exposure was continued for 4 weeks, DNA adducts that reflected the plateau level at each dose could be expressed as a function of dose. Liver and bladder DNA adduct profiles thus obtained during administration of multiple doses of 2-AAF (to female mice) and 4-ABP (to male and female mice) were compared to profiles for tumor incidences obtained during lifetime exposures to the same doses. These experiments demonstrated similar profiles for DNA adduct formation and tumorigenesis in liver. In the bladder, DNA adducts were linear, but tumors only appeared at the higher doses in conjunction with cell proliferation. In addition to these aromatic amines, similar data are available for aflatoxin B1, diethylnitrosamine, and (methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (also known as nicotine-derived nitrosoketone). Of the nine different biological situations (carcinogen/species/sex/organ) for which data are available, correlations between steady-state DNA adduct levels and tumorigenic response at the different doses were linear in five of the nine biological models.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

p185c-erbB-2 signal enhances cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity in human breast carcinoma cells: association between an oncogenic receptor tyrosine kinase and drug-induced DNA repair

The c-erbB-2 (HER-2/neu) protooncogene encodes an M(r) 185,000 transmembrane glycoprotein with intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity. Agonistic antibodies against p185c-erbB-2 enhance the cytotoxic effect of the DNA alkylator, cisplatin, against c-erbB-2-overexpressing human carcinoma cells (Hancock et al., Cancer Res., 51:4575-4580, 1991). We have studied the possible association between receptor signal transduction and cisplatin-mediated cytotoxicity utilizing the SKBR-3 human breast cancer cell line and the anti-p185 TAb 250 IgG1. TAb 250 induced tyrosine phosphorylation of p185 and the receptor substrate phospholipase C-gamma 1, as well as rapid association of these molecules in vivo. Simultaneously with phosphorylation, phospholipase C-gamma 1 catalytic activity measured in a [3H]phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate hydrolysis assay was increased 61 +/- 12% above control. Preincubation of SKBR-3 cells with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor tyrphostin 50864-2 abrogated the enhancement of drug-mediated cell kill induced by TAb 250. The supraadditive drug/antibody effect was not seen in SKBR-3 cells with TAb 263, an anti-p185 IgG1 that does not induce receptor signaling or with TAb 250 in MDA-468 breast cancer cells which do not overexpress c-erbB-2. In addition, transforming growth factor-alpha increased cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity against NIH 3T3 cells overexpressing an epidermal growth factor receptor/c-erbB-2 chimera. Cellular uptake or efflux of [195mPt]cisplatin by SKBR-3 cells was not altered by TAb 250. Finally, simultaneous treatment of SKBR-3 cells with TAb 250 and cisplatin increased cisplatin/DNA intrastrand adduct formation and delayed the rate of adduct decay. Taken together these data support a direct association between p185c-erbB-2 signal transduction and inhibition of cisplatin-induced DNA repair.

Platinum-DNA adducts assayed in leukocytes of patients with germ cell tumors measured by atomic absorbance spectrometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

BACKGROUND

Platinum-DNA adducts can be measured in peripheral blood cells, and high adduct levels have previously been correlated with favorable clinical response to platinum-based therapy in patients with germ cell tumors and ovarian cancer.

METHODS

To evaluate the relationship between platinum-DNA adducts and clinical response to chemotherapy, 36 patients with germ cell tumors treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy had platinum-DNA adducts assayed in leukocytes by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and cisplatin-DNA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Three chemotherapy regimens were involved: cisplatin and etoposide (Regimen A); carboplatin and etoposide (Regimen B); and cyclophosphamide, vinblastine, dactinomycin, bleomycin, and cisplatin [VAB-6] with or without high dose carboplatin plus etoposide plus autologous bone marrow rescue (Regimen C). Blood samples were drawn before and after each cycle of chemotherapy.

RESULTS

One hundred ninety-two blood samples were assayed by AAS and 137 by ELISA: DNA adducts measured by AAS and ELISA increased immediately after treatment and decreased during the intervening time before the next treatment. DNA adducts were measurable by both methods 4-8 weeks after the last cycle of therapy. The peak and mean adduct levels measured in samples drawn immediately after Cycles 1 and 2 and after all cycles were analyzed in terms of their relationship to clinical response. In contrast to numerous prior studies, a positive correlation was not observed between DNA adduct formation as determined by either AAS or ELISA and favorable clinical responses.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that peak and mean platinum-DNA adduct levels were influenced by the dose and schedule of the platinum analogue. For example, treatment with VAB-6 with or without high dose carboplatin and etoposide (Regimen C) resulted in significantly higher adduct levels when measured by AAS compared with Regimen A or B. Inconsistencies between studies regarding observed correlations of DNA adducts and treatment outcome may be attributable to differences in platinum analogue, dose, schedule, and timing of sample procurement. These factors must be considered in future studies.

DNA adducts in human and patas monkey maternal and fetal tissues induced by platinum drug chemotherapy

Platinum-DNA adducts in placenta and blood from a woman exposed to 200 mg/m2 of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cisplatin) and 300 mg/m2 diamminecyclobutanedicarboxylatoplatinum(II) (carboplatin) for ovarian cancer have been documented by cisplatin-DNA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and atomic absorbance spectrometry (AAS). A patas monkey model was used to investigate transplacentally induced cisplatin-DNA damage in fetal tissues. During the last trimester of gestation, 5 patas monkeys were given multiple doses of cisplatin to mimic human ovarian cancer treatment. In spite of careful choice of dose and treatment conditions, cumulative toxicity occurred in monkeys given doses comparable on a mg/m2 basis to those received by the human. A total dose of 12 mg/m2 (0.625 mg/kg body weight), given in the last trimester, supported fetal viability, and multiple tissues, taken by cesarean section, were examined in the fetal monkeys. By cisplatin-DNA ELISA and AAS, maternal tissues from the monkey receiving the highest dose contained approximately twice as much DNA damage as the fetal tissues. A similar relationship was observed when we compared DNA adduct formation in fetal liver and biopsies of liver taken from the monkey dams at cesarean delivery. In all of the monkey pairs studied there were very significant levels of DNA damage in the placenta, and high adduct levels in brains of fetuses that survived treatment. Thus, cisplatin does cross the placenta in the patas monkey. These observations imply that the human fetus, for which the total maternal dose was approximately 5.4 mg platinum drug/kg body weight, may also have sustained some DNA damage.

Para-aminobenzoic acid suppression of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) nephrotoxicity

Concurrent administration of para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) reduced the toxicity of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (DDP) in a dose-related manner in rats. When administered i.p. simultaneously with 7.5 mg/kg DDP, PABA (100 mg/kg) significantly reduced plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) and plasma creatinine levels as well as DDP-induced weight loss. Increasing doses of PABA (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg) correlated with progressively better parameters of renal activity and body wt and with lower levels of platinum in plasma and tissues in rats killed 5 days after drug administration. The formation of cisplatin-DNA adducts, the total platinum levels in kidney and testes and the DDP-induced tumor response were investigated in the presence and absence of PABA exposure in mice bearing P388 leukemic cells. Renal and testicular DNA-adducts in mice treated i.p. with 16 mg/kg DDP in normal saline were higher than those observed in mice receiving the same protocol and added PABA. Analysis of tissue platinum content demonstrated significantly lower platinum levels both in kidneys (P < 0.05) and testes (P < 0.01) of mice receiving DDP and PABA in normal saline compared to those receiving only DDP in normal saline. PABA did not affect the in vivo and in vitro antitumor activity of DDP against P388 leukemia, and there was no significant PABA-induced modification in the concentration of platinum both in the tumor cells and in DNA samples isolated from P388 leukemic cells of DDP-treated mice. We conclude that PABA may be a promising compound for reducing DDP-toxic side effects, including nephrotoxicity, without compromising its antitumor activity.

Dose response effects of 2-acetylaminofluorene on DNA damage, cytotoxicity, cell proliferation and neoplastic conversion in rat liver

This study measured the effect of precise doses of 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) in inducing DNA damage, functional changes and neoplastic conversion in rat liver. Groups of male F344 rats at 9 weeks of age were exposed to cumulative doses of 0.5 or 2.0 mmol AAF per kg body weight given by gavage daily 5 days per week over an 8-week period and maintained with no further exposure for up to 8 weeks. Administration of AAF resulted in the formation of N-deoxyguanosin-(8-yl)-2-aminofluorene in liver DNA in relationship to dose. In centrilobular hepatocytes the zone of glutamine synthetase-expressing cells was reduced by exposure. By 8 weeks, but not at 4 weeks, the higher of the two doses of AAF provoked an increase in cell proliferation measured by immunohistochemical incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine. Altered hepatocellular foci expressing the placental form of glutathione transferase were induced by the high dose of AAF at 4 weeks, but not at the low dose. At 8 weeks the incidence of foci at the high dose was 79 times that induced by the low dose. These foci were highly proliferative. In animals exposed to AAF for 8 weeks and maintained for 4 weeks with no exposure, DNA adducts decreased by 80% and cell proliferation subsided by 80%, although the glutamine synthetase zone remained diminished. After discontinuation of AAF, the number of foci diminished by 50% and their proliferation subsided by 80% at 4 weeks, indicating a phenotypic reversion of many foci. With this protocol of administration of precise doses of AAF, we have established non-linearity of effects and a lack of correlation between DNA adduct formation and induction of cellular lesions. We suggest that doses in the range of those reported can be used to study the contribution of epigenetic and genotoxic effects in carcinogenesis and to study threshold events.

Inhibition by gonadectomy of effects of 2-acetylaminofluorene in livers of male, but not female rats

The influence of gonadectomy on the effects of 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) in the livers of rats was studied. Groups of male and female F344 rats at 9 weeks of age were given AAF by daily gavage 5 days per week for 4 or 8 weeks for total cumulative doses of 1.0 or 2.0 mmol/kg body wt. AAF was administered either with no pretreatment or beginning 4 weeks after gonadectomy, which was performed at 5 weeks of age. In male rats AAF induced a large number of placental glutathione S-transferase foci in livers by 8 weeks, while in female rats the number was about 10% of that in males. Orchidectomy decreased the AAF induction of foci in male rats by 60%, whereas ovariectomy had no effect in female rats. Similarly, orchidectomy decreased DNA adduct levels approximately 85% in male rats given AAF by gavage for 4 weeks. In ovariectomized female rats at 4 and 8 weeks hepatic DNA adduct levels were somewhat elevated (< 50%) as compared to intact controls. The zone of glutamine synthetase-positive hepatocytes around the central vein was reduced by AAF exposure of male, but not female, rats. Male rats displayed a larger zone than females and the zone in males was reduced to the level of females by orchidectomy. Orchidectomy also diminished the effect of AAF on glutamine synthetase-positive cells. Thus, the induction of neoplastic conversion by AAF in rat liver, the extent of DNA adduct formation and the reduction of the glutamine synthetase-positive zone of hepatocytes were greater in males than females and were dependent upon the hormonal status of males.

Cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II)-procaine pharmacokinetic interaction in mice bearing P388 leukemia

The distribution and elimination kinetics of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) (DDP) in female BDF1 mice bearing 6-day P388 leukemia were investigated in the presence and absence of procaine hydrochloride (P.HCl) exposure. DDP was administered as a single i.p. dose of 8 mg/kg in a 0.9% NaCl solution 6 days after tumor inoculum. P.HCl was administered as a single i.v. dose of 40 mg/kg immediately after DDP. The combined treatment with P.HCl produced marked changes in the plasma concentration-time profile of Pt. The unbound fraction of Pt was significantly increased both in the ascites fluid and plasma following DDP + P.HCl administration. P.HCl treatment induced a significant reduction (P < 0.01) in the rate constant of the protein-bound of Pt in plasma of tumored mice. Urinary excretion of Pt was unaffected by P.HCl, and there was no significant P.HCl-induced modification in the concentrations of Pt in the P388 leukemic cells. A statistically significant reduction of kidney and spleen Pt content was observed in female mice exposed to a dose of 8 mg/kg DDP + P.HCl. A similar reduction was observed in kidneys and testes of tumored mice receiving 16 mg/kg DDP along with 40 mg/kg P.HCl, which also showed lower renal and testicular cisplatin-DNA adducts after DDP + P.HCl than after DDP treatment. Potential explanations for the ability of P.HCl to interfere with the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of DDP are discussed.