DNA modification by chemical carcinogens

The chemistry and molecular biology of DNA adducts is only one part of the carcinogenic process. Many other factors will determine whether a particular chemical will exert a carcinogenic effect. For example, the size of particles upon which a carcinogenic may be adsorbed will influence whether or not, and if so where, deposition within the lung will occur. The simultaneous exposure to several different agents may enhance or inhibit the metabolism of a chemical to its ultimate carcinogenic form (Rice et al., 1984; Smolarek and Baird, 1984). The ultimate carcinogenic metabolites may be influenced in their ability to react with DNA by a number of factors such as internal levels of detoxifying enzymes, the presence of other metabolic intermediates such as glutathione with which they could react either enzymatically or non-enzymatically, and the state of DNA which is probably most heavily influenced by whether or not the cell is undergoing replication or particular sequences being expressed. Replicating forks have been shown to be more extensively modified than other areas of DNA. Another critical factor which can influence the final outcome of the DNA damage is whether or not the modifications can be repaired. If this occurs with high fidelity and the cell has not previously undergone replication then the effect of the damage by the carcinogen is likely to be minimal. The major area in which progress is needed is an understanding of what this damage really does to the cell such that after an additional period of time, which may be as long as twenty or more years, these prior events are expressed and cell proliferation occurs. Clearly additional stimulatory factors, for example tumor promoting agents such as the phorbol esters or phenobarbital, are often needed. After such prolonged periods it seems likely that the DNA adducts would no longer be present. However, the way in which their earlier presence is remembered is not clear. Simple mutations do not explain all the characteristics of tumor progression and, when it occurs, regression. Even if a specific site mutation does occur then its expression must be under other types of control. Any explanation of the action of DNA modification at the molecular level also requires that account be taken of the diverse nature of the DNA adducts from simple modifications such as methylation to bulkier adducts such as benzo[a]pyrene, aflatoxin or aromatic amines.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Metabolic activation of chrysene in mouse skin: evidence for the involvement of a triol-epoxide

All three possible dihydrodiols of chrysene and a chrysene triol, formed from the further metabolism of the chrysene-1,2-diol, were detected when ether extracts of mouse skin that had been treated with 3H-labelled chrysene were examined by h.p.l.c. The major deoxyribonucleoside-hydrocarbon adducts present in hydrolysates of DNA isolated from the mouse skin were examined by chromatography on Sephadex LH20 and by h.p.l.c. on Zorbax ODS. One adduct had chromatographic properties identical to those of the major adduct formed when r-1,t-2-dihydroxy-t-3,4-oxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrochrysene reacts with DNA. A second major adduct was present that had chromatographic properties that were indistinguishable from those of an adduct that was formed when either chrysene-1,2-diol or 3-hydroxychrysene were incubated with DNA in a rat liver microsomal metabolising system. The results provide evidence that this new adduct is formed via the reaction of a 'triol-epoxide', that appears to be 9-hydroxy-chrysene-1,2-diol 3,4-oxide, with DNA in mouse skin.

Induction of specific monooxygenases by isosteric heterocyclic compounds of benz[a]anthracene, benzo[c]phenanthrene and chrysene

Benzo[c]phenanthrene and a series of heterocyclic compounds (benzo[b]naphtho(1,2-d)thiophene; benzo[b]naphtho(2,1-d)thiophene; benz[a]acridine and benz[c]acridine) were tested to their capacity of inducing monooxygenase activity in rat liver by means of recording the metabolite profile of benz[a]anthracene formed in rat liver microsomal incubations. Although all compounds tested were found to be weak monooxygenase inducers the pretreatment of rats with them resulted in significant changes of the microsomal metabolite profile of benz[a]anthracene. The thiophenes equally gave rise to oxidation at the 5,6- and the 8,9-positions, whereas the benzacridines being isosteric to benz[a]anthracene favoured the K-region oxidation (5,6-oxidation). A structure-dependent effect of monooxygenase inducers on the metabolite profile of benz[a]anthracene is discussed.

Mutagenicity of the optical isomers of the diastereomeric bay-region chrysene 1,3-diol-3,4-epoxides in bacterial and mammalian cells

The mutagenic activities of the four optically pure (+)- and (-)-enantiomers of the two diastereomeric bay-region chrysene 1,2-diol-3,4-epoxides were evaluated in histidine-dependent strains of Salmonella typhimurium and in cultured Chinese hamster V79 cells. In strain TA98 of S. typhimurium, (-)-1 alpha, 2 beta-dihydroxy-3 beta, 4 beta-epoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrochrysene was 5 to 10 times more active than the other three optical isomers. However, in strain TA100 of S. typhimurium and in Chinese hamster V79 cells, (+)-1 beta, 2 alpha-dihydroxy-3 alpha, 4 alpha-epoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrochrysene was the most mutagenic diol-epoxide and was from 5 to 40 times more active than the other three optical isomers. The bay-region (+)- and (-)-3,4-epoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrochrysene isomers has identical mutagenic activities in all three systems. These studies indicate that the presence and orientation of the hydroxyl groups play an important role in modulating the mutagenic activity of bay-region epoxides of chrysene in both bacterial and mammalian cells.

Induction of aldehyde dehydrogenase by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in rats

Short-term intragastric administration of selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (100 mg/kg daily for 4 days) to male Wistar rats resulted in marked changes in liver cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase activity. Non-carcinogenic anthracene, phenanthrene and chrysene produced a 2.5--3-fold increase in the activity assayed with propionaldehyde as substrate and NAD as coenzyme. Weakly carcinogenic 1,2-benzanthracene enhanced aldehyde dehydrogenase activity 9-fold and the potent carcinogens 3,4-benzpyrene and 3-methylcholanthrene 30-fold. With benzaldehyde as substrate and NADP as coenzyme the differences between the groups were even more pronounced. Somewhat similar but less manifest effects on aldehyde dehydrogenase activity were detected also in the liver microsomes and in the postmitochondrial fractions of the small intestinal mucosa. On the basis of their ability to induce aldehyde dehydrogenase activity the compounds could be divided into three groups. This classification was found to correlate well with the carcinogenic potency of the compounds. It appeared that the exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, especially the carcinogenic ones, was followed by synthesis of a new aldehyde dehydrogenase form. This new form was differentiated from the normally existing cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase by its ability to oxidize benzaldehyde in the presence of NADP.

Activity of pyruvate kinase and lactic acid dehydrogenase in mouse lung after transplacental exposure to carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic chemicals

The carcinogenic urethane (URTH), dimethylnitrosamine (DMN), 3-methylcholanthrene (MCA), benzo[a]pyrene (BP), 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) and aflatoxin B1 (B1) administered to pregnant CFLP mice increased the activity of pyruvate kinase (PK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and decreased the ratio of LDH H and M subunits in the lungs of offsprings. However, under the same conditions, the non-carcinogenic phenylurethane (PHUR), ethylformate (EF), chrysene (CHRY), perylene (PER) and pyrene (PYR), as well as the toxic Paraquat (PAR), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and cadmium chloride (CdCl2), did not influence the activities of the enzymes tested.

Activation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to mutagens by singlet oxygen: an enhancing effect of atmospheric pollutants?

Chrysene and 3-methylcholanthrene are transformed to direct-acting mutagens by photodynamically generated singlet oxygen. In view of the presence of this species of oxygen in the polluted atmosphere, the possible conversion of environmental polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to mutagens and to potential direct-acting ('ultimate') carcinogens deserves consideration.

Induction of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase in human peripheral blood lymphocytes by chrysene

Many of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g., benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), benzanthracene (BA), 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC)) are not only carcinogenic, but also induce AHH in human tissues. Recently, chrysene has been implicated as an etiologic determinant of chemical carcinogenesis. Here we describe the ability of chrysene to induce AHH in cultured human lymphocytes. Lymphocytes were obtained from 9 healthy subjects, divided into 2 sets, and cultured in duplicate, triplicate, or quadruplicate for 48 h. Chrysene (25 microM final concentration) in acetone was then added to the induced culture set and the control set received acetone alone. Lymphocytes were then cultured an additional 24 h before harvesting. AHH was quantitated by a fluorometric analysis of the phenolic metabolites produced by incubating the lymphocytes with B[a]P for 35 min. A significant increase in enzyme induction occurred in the chrysene-induced cultures compared with control (non-induced) cells (one-tailed student t-test; P less than 0.001). It was also observed that the interindividual variation in AHH inducibility seen with other PAHs is also observed with chrysene.

[Distribution of the reducing equivalents in the cell in the active phase of benz(a)pyrene metabolism]

Hydroxylation of benz/a/pyrene might occur under decreased activity of NADPH-dependent reductase. In vivo a decrease in the activity of NADPH-dependent reductase did not influence apparently the intensity of benz/a/pyrene hydroxylation, which is maintained due to redistribution of reducing equivalents between oxygenase and oxidase systems in the cells. Anticarcinogenic effects of two different substances chrisene and ubiquinone are discussed taking into account possible normalization of NADPH- and NADH-dependent oxidative reactions in the cells.

1,2-dihydro-1,2-dihydroxy-5-methylchrysene, a major activated metabolite of the environmental carcinogen 5-methylchrysene

The metabolic activation of the environmental carcinogen 5-methylchrysene was studied by combining high-pressure liquid chromatographic analysis of metabolites formed in vitro with assays of these metabolites for mutagenic activity toward Salmonella typhimurium. Metabolites were formed by incubation of 5-methylchrysene with the 9000 x g supernatant from Aroclor-treated rat livers. With the use of reverse-phase columns, the metabolites were resolved into nine peaks, A to I. Each peak was collected and tested for mutagenicity with activiation. Significant mutagenic activity was observed primarily in peak E and to a lesser extent in peak D. None of the other metabolites showed significant mutagenic activity. The major mutagenic metabolite (peak E) was identified as 1,2-dihydro-1,2-dihydroxy-5-methylchrysene (7.0% from 5-methylchrysene); Peak D was 7,8-dihydro-7,8-dihydroxy-5-methylchrysene (2.6% from 5-methylchrysene). Other metabolites included 9,10-dihydro-9,10-dihydroxy-5-methylchrysene, 9-hydroxy-5-methylchrysene, 7-hydroxy-5-methylchrysene, 1-hydroxy-5-methylchrysene, and 5-hydroxymethylchrysene. These results indicate that 1,2-dihydro-1,2-dihydroxy-5-methylchrysene is a major proximate mutagen of 5-methylchrysene.

Evaluation of the mutagenicity of compounds of known carcinogenicity, belonging to the benz[a]anthracene, chrysene, and cyclopenta[a]phenanthrene series, using Ames's test

Fifty-four polycyclic compounds, 29 of the cyclopenta[a]phenanthrene series, 11 chrysenes, and 14 benz[a]anthracenes, have been tested for mutagenicity by Ames's method, using Salmonella typhimurium TA100. Without exception all 37 carcinogens and a known initiator were mutagens. Of the 16 noncarcinogens 7 were mutagenic, but none of these has yet been tested for initiating, as opposed to carcinogenic, activity. There appeared to be little quantitative correspondence between carcinogenic and mutagenic potency, however, and possible reasons for this are discussed. The aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase inhibitor 7,8-benzoflavone strongly inhibited the mutagenicity of certain compounds when it was added to the incubations.

Mutagenicity and purative carcinogenicity tests of several polycyclic aromatic compounds associated with impurities of the insecticide methoxychlor

Several polycyclic hydrocarbons, 3,6-dimethoxy-9,10-bis(p-methoxyphenyl)-phenathrene, tetrakis(p-methoxyphenylyethylene and 3,6,11,14-tetramethoxydibenzo(g,p)chrysene, which are associated as impurities in commerical samples of the insecticide methoxychlor, have been tested in the Ames mutagenicity test with strains of Salmonella thyphimurium, TA 1535, TA 1537, TA 1538, and TA 98. Activation by liver microsomes induced with either phenobarbitol or Aroclor was examined. The only active compound was 3,6,11,14-tetramethoxydibenzo(g,p)chrysene, mutagenic (0.39 revertants/nmol) tostrain TA 98.

Antibacterial activity of some newly synthesized azaphenanthrene and diazachrysene compounds

Four newly synthesized azaphenanthrene compounds viz., 7,8,9,10-Tetrahydro-7-oxo-2-methoxy-benzo(c) phenathridine; 7,8,9,10-Tetrahydro -7-oxo-benzo(c) phenanthridine-2-[1-6-methoxy-1-naphthylimino)-methyl]cyclohexane-1,3-dione and 2-[1-(1-naphthyli; mino)-methyl]cyclohexane-1,3 dione and two diazachrysene compounds viz., 1,5-Diazachrysene and 2,5-Diazachrysese were screened for their antibacterial potency against a large number of bacterial strains. The antibacterial activity which to a varying degree was shown to be related to the aza, methoxy and keto groups, in the case of the Azaphenanthrene compounds, however, it was related to the position of the nitrogen atom in the ring in the case of Diazachrysene compounds.