Increased sensitivity for determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts in human DNA samples by dissociation-enhanced lanthanide fluoroimmunoassay (DELFIA)

A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the most frequently used immunoassay for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts in human tissues, has been modified to achieve approximately a 6-fold increase in sensitivity. The new assay, a competitive dissociation-enhanced lanthanide fluoroimmunoassay (DELFIA) has utilized the same rabbit antiserum as the ELISA, antiserum elicited against DNA modified with benzo[a]pyrene. However, the alkaline phosphatase conjugate has been replaced with a biotin-europium-labeled streptavidin signal amplification system, and the release of europium into the solution forms a highly fluorescent chelate complex that is measured by time-resolved fluorometry. The DELFIA has achieved a 5- to 6-fold increase in sensitivity for measurement of DNA samples modified in vitro with benzo[a]pyrene, for cultured cells exposed to radiolabeled benzo[a]pyrene, and for human samples from occupationally exposed workers. The assay has been validated by comparison of adduct levels determined by DELFIA, ELISA, and radioactivity in DNA from mouse keratinocytes exposed to radiolabeled benzo[a]pyrene. Human lymphocyte DNA samples from 104 Hungarian aluminum plant workers were assayed by ELISA and compared to blood cell DNA samples from 69 Italian coke oven workers assayed by DELFIA. The standard curves demonstrated that the limit of detection of 4.0 adducts in 10(8) nucleotides for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts by ELISA, using 35 micrograms of DNA/microtiter plate well, has been decreased to 1.3 adducts in 10(8) nucleotides by DELFIA, using 20 micrograms of DNA/microtiter well. If 35 micrograms of DNA were used in the DELFIA, the calculated detection limit would be 0.7 adducts in 10(8) nucleotides.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Antisera specific for carcinogen-DNA adducts and carcinogen-modified DNA: applications for detection of xenobiotics in biological samples

The development of immunoassays and immunoaffinity chromatography methods for determination of carcinogen-DNA adducts and carcinogen-modified DNA samples rests upon eliciting and characterizing polyclonal and monoclonal antisera against these haptens. The use of such antisera has widespread application in investigating chronic carcinogen administration in animal models and in monitoring human tissues for evidence of carcinogen exposure. Radioimmunoassays and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays developed with carcinogen-DNA adduct antisera are exceedingly sensitive, measuring 1 adduct in 10(8) nucleotides. Not only can DNA damage be quantified directly by immunoassay, but the antisera have also been used to isolate DNA adducts of a particular chemical class by immunoaffinity chromatography before application of more chemically-specific end-points. Both of these methodological approaches have made seminal contributions to the newly-emerging field of molecular epidemiology. This chapter will focus on methods for preparing immunogens, the establishment of immunoassays, characterization of antisera and specific problems encountered with biological samples in addition, the use of immunoaffinity chromatography for preparative concentration of DNA adducts of a particular class will be included.

Contribution of occupation and diet to white blood cell polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts in wildland firefighters

Wildland (forest) firefighters are exposed to a wide range of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in forest fire smoke. PAH undergo metabolic activation and can subsequently bind to DNA. In this study, we investigated the association between occupational and dietary PAH exposures and the formation of WBC PAH-DNA adducts in a population of wildland firefighters. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using an antiserum elicited against benzo(a)pyrene-modified DNA was used to measure PAH-DNA adducts in WBC obtained from 47 California firefighters at two time points, early and late in the 1988 forest fire season. PAH-DNA adduct levels were not associated with cumulative hours of recent firefighting activity. However, firefighters who consumed charbroiled food within the previous week had elevated PAH-DNA adduct levels, which were related to frequency of charbroiled food intake. These findings suggest that dietary sources of PAH contribute to PAH-DNA adduct levels in peripheral WBC and should be evaluated when using this assay to assess occupational and environmental PAH exposure.

Relationship between patient response in ovarian and breast cancer and platinum drug-DNA adduct formation

Nucleated blood cell DNA samples from ovarian (n = 27) and breast (n = 25) cancer patients receiving either cis-diamminedichloroplatinum II (cisplatin) and/or diamminecyclobutanecarboxylatoplatinum II were examined for the presence of platinum drug bound to DNA during several cycles of therapy. Platinum-DNA adducts were quantitated by cisplatin-DNA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and atomic absorbance spectroscopy, techniques that measure either a fraction of the intrastrand cis-diammineplatinum-d(ApG) and -d(GpG) adducts (ELISA) or the total platinum bound to DNA (atomic absorbance spectroscopy), respectively. For either the complete study, or for samples obtained during the early cycles, individuals with progressive disease had severalfold lower overall cisplatin-DNA ELISA-measurable adduct levels than the individuals with more favorable clinical responses (complete response, partial response, or stable disease), who were grouped together and termed nonprogressive disease. In the case of the ovarian cancer patients, who experienced a 59% rate of complete and partial response, the correlation of high adduct values with disease response was statistically significant by the Wilcoxon rank-sum test (P = 0.028). In contrast, the breast cancer patients achieved only an 11.5% rate of complete and partial response, and the correlation of high adduct formation with disease response was not statistically significant. Levels of total DNA-bound platinum, measured by atomic absorbance spectroscopy, showed no correlation with disease response for either cancer by any analysis. The study supports previous observations demonstrating a consistent correlation between high cisplatin-DNA ELISA measurements and positive clinical outcome in ovarian cancer patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Platinum chemotherapy during pregnancy for serous cystadenocarcinoma of the ovary

Ovarian carcinoma in pregnancy remains a rare event. Although concern regarding the gestation complicates therapy, platinum drug-based combination chemotherapy is often deemed warranted in such cases. We report the antepartum use of cisplatin, followed by carboplatin, for an ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma. During this treatment, serial sonographic assessment of fetal morphometric parameters and biophysical profiles with fetal heart rate monitoring were performed to document fetal well being. Platinum-DNA adducts were measured in maternal blood, placenta, fetal amniotic cells, and cord blood. This report represents an attempt to define platinum drug transfer in utero and fetal growth and development during therapy and to document the first use of carboplatin in pregnancy.

Significance of DNA adduct studies in animal models for cancer molecular dosimetry and risk assessment

To elucidate the relationship between DNA adduct formation and tumorigenesis, a number of experiments have been conducted to measure DNA adducts in target tissues from experimental animals during continuous exposure to carcinogens. With aflatoxins, aromatic amines, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, tumor induction appears to be associated with the major DNA adduct detected, whereas with N-nitrosamines the response is normally correlated with minor forms of DNA damage. During continuous carcinogen administration, steady-state adduct concentrations are generally obtained in the target tissues, and there is often a linear correlation between the carcinogen concentration and the steady-state DNA adduct level. Exceptions exist when the mechanism of activation changes or with the onset of significant toxicity. Steady-state DNA adduct levels are often linearly related to the tumorigenic response. Carcinogen-induced cell proliferation occurs when significant deviations from linearity are observed. Because DNA adducts detected in humans are chemically identical to those found in experimental animals, DNA adduct data in animals may contribute to our understanding of human cancer risk.

Biphasic removal of DNA adducts in a repetitive DNA sequence after dietary administration of 2-acetylaminofluorene

Dietary administration of the hepatocarcinogen 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) to rats results in the formation of a major hepatic DNA adduct, N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-aminofluorene (dG-C8-AF). In liver DNA, dG-C8-AF reaches steady-state conditions after approximately 2 weeks of feeding and is removed in a biphasic manner. In these experiments, we have quantified adduct concentrations in a 370 base-pair repetitive DNA fragment to determine if the adduct levels and kinetics of adduct removal were similar to those found in total genomic DNA. Male F344 rats were fed 0.02% 2-AAF for 28 days and were sacrificed at intermittent times up to 56 days after being returned to the control diet. Hepatic DNA adduct levels were measured by 32P-postlabeling or radioimmunoassay (RIA) in total genomic DNA and in a 370 base-pair fragment obtained by digesting genomic DNA with Hind III. Biphasic removal of dG-C8-AF, which composed about 90% of the total adducts measured, was observed in total genomic DNA, with comparable rate constants being detected by both 32P-postlabeling and RIA. 32P-Postlabeling also showed analogous biphasic removal of dG-C8-AF in the 370 base-pair fragment. A second adduct, 3-(deoxyguanosin-N2-yl)-2-AAF (dG-N2-AAF), which accounted for about 10% of the total adducts measured, showed similar biphasic removal kinetics in the total genomic DNA and the 370 base-pair fragment; however, as compared to dG-C8-AF, little removal of dG-N2-AAF was observed during the slow phase.

Platinum drug-DNA interactions in human tissues measured by cisplatin-DNA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and atomic absorbance spectroscopy

Studies of platinum drug-DNA adduct formation in tissues of cancer patients have involved both atomic absorbance spectroscopy (AAS), which measures total DNA-bound platinum, and anti-cisplatin-DNA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which detects a fraction of the AAS-measurable adduct. These studies were designed to explore mechanisms of drug-DNA interactions, to make correlations with clinical outcome, and possibly to validate DNA adduct measurements for use in occupational and environmental biomonitoring. The results, determined by both ELISA and AAS, demonstrate that cisplatin and its analog carboplatin bind to DNA in many human organs, including kidney, brain, peripheral nerve, and bone marrow, which are sites for drug toxicity. Platinum was also observed bound to ovarian tumor DNA. The adducts were highly persistent, being measurable in tissues obtained at autopsy up to 15 months after the last administration of platinum chemotherapy. A comparison of blood cell DNA adduct levels, determined by ELISA, and the clinical response of 139 patients with ovarian, testicular, colon, or breast cancer demonstrated a strong correlation between failure to form DNA adducts and failure of therapy. Conversely, patients who formed high levels of DNA adduct were most likely to respond favorably. A similar correlation was not observed for adducts determined by AAS; that is, the average total DNA-bound platinum levels were the same for patients who did not respond to therapy and for patients who had any kind of response. Thus, in this study, human blood cell DNA adducts measured by ELISA correlate with tumor remission, while those measured by AAS do not.

Association of PAH-DNA adducts in peripheral white blood cells with dietary exposure to polyaromatic hydrocarbons

Previous investigations suggest that dietary sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contribute to the PAH-DNA adduct load in peripheral white blood cells (WBCs). In the current study, we measured PAH-DNA adducts by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in WBCs obtained from 47 California wildland (forest) firefighters at two time points (early and late) during an active forest fire season. PAH-DNA adduct levels were not associated with recent firefighting activity, but were positively associated with frequency of charbroiled food consumption in the previous 2 weeks. In addition, adduct levels declined with time since last ingestion of charbroiled food. These studies indicate that recent consumption of charbroiled food contributes to the PAH-DNA adduct load in peripheral WBCs.

Detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts in human lung

Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy has been combined with immunoaffinity chromatography (IAC) and HPLC to detect polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-DNA adducts and measure r-7,t-8-dihydroxy-t-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BPDE)-DNA adducts in human tissues and cells. A monoclonal antibody (8E11) that recognizes a range of PAH-DNA adducts, but not chemically unrelated adducts, was used to prepare IAC columns. Samples of DNA (25 from human lung and 8 positive and negative controls) were hydrolyzed enzymically and subjected to IAC. Adducts captured by the antibodies and eluted in NaOH (50 mM) were analyzed for fluorescent properties. The spectral fluorescence excitation-emission matrices suggested the presence of mixtures of PAH-DNA adducts in some of the eluates. The eluates were subsequently hydrolyzed with acid (HCl, 0.1 N, 3 hr) and reanalyzed by synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy using a wavelength differential of 34 nm. In 6 of the 25 human lung DNA samples, materials with HPLC retention times identical to benzo[a]pyrene-7,10/8,9-tetrahydrotetrol were found to have fluorescence characteristics indistinguishable from pyrene. Comparisons with appropriate standards indicated that BPDE-DNA adduct levels were between 1 and 40 adducts in 10(8) unmodified nucleotides. No correlation was observed between lung DNA-adduct levels and measures of recent smoking (serum cotinine), but tissue samples taken from different portions of the same lungs showed variation in the DNA adduct levels detected. This finding complicates interpretation of the data and has important implications for the design of future experiments.

DNA adducts in peripheral blood lymphocytes from aluminum production plant workers determined by 32P-postlabeling and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

32P-Postlabeling analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) have been used to detect DNA adducts in peripheral blood lymphocytes from primary aluminum production plant workers who were exposed occupationally to a mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Preliminary results reported here are from a comparative study being performed in two aluminum plants. The levels of aromatic DNA adducts have been determined by the 32P-postlabeling assay in samples collected on two occasions, 1 year apart. PAH-DNA adduct levels have also been determined by competitive ELISA in the second set of DNA samples. The results show the necessity of follow-up biomonitoring studies to detect possible alterations in biological effect induced by changing exposures. The comparison of the results obtained by 32P-postlabeling and ELISA may lead to a better understanding of the power and weaknesses of the two methods applied in these studies.

Biomarkers of carcinogen exposure and cancer risk in a coke plant

To evaluate the association between an indicator of carcinogen exposure (peripheral blood leukocyte DNA adducts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and an early indicator of neoplastic transformation (sputum epithelial cell membrane antigens binding by monoclonal antibodies against small cell lung cancer and against nonsmall cell lung cancer), a survey of 350 coke-oven workers and 100 unexposed workers was planned. This paper reports a pilot investigation on a subgroup of 23 coke-oven workers and 8 unexposed controls. A "gas regulator" worker with positive tumor antigen binding was identified. Results show that smokers, subjects with decreased pulmonary function (forced expiratory volume in 1 sec/forced vital capacity% < 80), and those with morphological dysplasia of sputum cells have higher levels of DNA adducts. The gas regulators showed the highest values for adducts; however, no significant difference of adduct levels was found between the coke-oven group and unexposed controls.

Preferential incorporation of 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine into telomeric DNA and Z-DNA-containing regions of Chinese hamster ovary cells

3'-Azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (azidothymidine; AZT) induces bone marrow toxicity in patients chronically given therapeutic doses of drug and is tumorigenic in rodents, inducing squamous cell tumors in vaginal tissues of mice and rats. In the study reported here, we explored the incorporation of AZT into specific regions of mammalian chromosomal DNA. CHO cells were exposed to AZT for 4 h, allowed to complete at least one cell cycle, and then arrested in metaphase with colchicine. Regions of concentrated AZT incorporation were identified in individual metaphase chromosomes by immunohistochemistry using antiserum specific for AZT and a secondary antiserum with a streptavidin--Texas red end point. These studies demonstrated that most of the intensely staining regions were chromosomal ends or telomeres. When 18 metaphases were examined, all telomeres but one (39 of 40) were positive at least once. Using an anti-Z-DNA antibody, chromosomal regions containing DNA in Z conformation were also localized by immunohistochemistry using a rhodamine-conjugated secondary antibody. When metaphase chromosome spreads were stained for either AZT or Z-DNA, ideograms showing localization of AZT (18 metaphases) and DNA in Z configuration (26 metaphases) were drawn for every chromosome of each metaphase examined. These ideograms demonstrated that 60% of the regions that stained positive for AZT were also positive for Z-DNA. Furthermore, slides incubated with both antibodies, using streptavidin--Texas red to identify AZT and fluorescein to identify Z-DNA, confirmed colocalization of the two markers. Additional experiments exploring the induction of chromatin bridges in AZT-treated cells suggest that the analogue may be able to bind to and disrupt the normal functioning of telomeric DNA.

Therapy of patients with metastatic breast cancer with 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin and carboplatin

Thirty-four women with metastatic breast cancer were treated at the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health, with a regimen of leucovorin (L), 500 mg/m2 i.v. over 30 min, followed in 1 h by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), 375 mg/m2 i.v. bolus on days 1-5, and carboplatin (CBDCA), 50-100 mg/m2 i.v. bolus on days 2-4, every 28 days. All patients had received previous combination chemotherapy with at least one regimen (29 patients with 5-FU-containing regimens). CBDCA, 100 mg/m2 on days 2-4, resulted in grade 4 neutropenia in 10 out of 11 patients associated with sepsis in all 10 patients. CBDCA, 75 mg/m2 (seven patients) and 50 mg/m2 (15 patients), resulted in grade 4 neutropenia in six and eight patients, and neutropenic sepsis in five and two cases, respectively. Grade 4 thrombocytopenia occurred in 10, five and two patients receiving 100, 75 and 50 mg/m2 of CBDCA, respectively. Other toxicities included grade 3/4 mucositis in 18 patients and grade 3/4 diarrhea in 10 patients. Twenty nine patients were evaluable for response, with one pathologic complete response (3%), two partial responses (6%), 18 stable disease (53%) and eight (24%) progressive disease. Sites of response included bone, viscera and soft tissue. The median time from entry on study to progression, for responders, was 15 months. When platinum-DNA adduct formation in peripheral white blood cells was analyzed in 27 patients at 24 h after drug administration, a significant correlation between adduct level and CBDCA cumulative dose was found.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Persistence of platinum-ammine-DNA adducts in gonads and kidneys of rats and multiple tissues from cancer patients

The persistence of platinum-DNA adducts was investigated using normal rats as well as tissues from cancer patients receiving either cisdiamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cisplatin) or diamminecyclobutanedicarboxylatoplatinum(II) (carboplatin) for cancer chemotherapy. These studies used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, established with a rabbit anti-cisplatin-DNA that is specific for intrastrand platinum-DNA adducts. The gonads and kidneys of male and female rats, sites for antitumor activity and toxicity, respectively, were monitored for cisplatin-DNA adduct formation after a single dose of drug and during multiple-dose exposures (once a wk for 3 wk). DNA adducts were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay 4 h and 2, 4, 7, and 14 days after administering a single i.v. injection of 8 mg/kg of cisplatin. Adduct profiles in renal tissues were similar in both males and females with adduct levels increasing between 4 h and 2 days, decreasing between Days 2 and 7, and stable between Days 7 and 14. In both sexes, levels of kidney DNA adduct measured 7 to 14 days after cisplatin injection comprised about 30% of the highest (Day 2) value. In testes and ovaries, adduct removal was complete by 4 days, and 40 to 50% of adducts present at Day 2 persisted until Days 7 and 14. A study of multiple dosing showed that adducts in renal and testicular DNA from rats given three weekly doses of 5 mg/kg of cisplatin had different accumulation profiles. In the testis there was a 2-fold accumulation of adduct after the third dose, while in the kidney adducts dropped with repeated dosing. In humans, the persistence of platinum-DNA adducts was studied in tissues from eight cancer patients who received their last dose of cisplatin or carboplatin chemotherapy between 1 day and 15 mo before autopsy. The patients had either ovarian cancer, breast cancer, or lymphoma, and the tissues studied included ovarian tumor, bone marrow, kidney, liver, spleen, lymph node, peripheral nerve, and brain. When samples were available from tumor tissues and from bone marrow within the same patient, adduct levels were similar in the two tissues. In addition, adducts were persistent for many months, since half of the individuals received their most recent platinum-drug therapy 7 to 15 mo before death. Overall, these studies demonstrate a widespread distribution and high degree of platinum-DNA adduct persistence in both animal and human tissues subsequent to cisplatin or carboplatin treatment.

Antineoplastic drug resistance and DNA repair

Important aspects of the DNA repair mechanisms in mammalian, and especially human, cells are reviewed. The DNA repair processes are essential in the maintenance of the integrity of the DNA and in the defense against cancer. It has recently been discovered that the DNA repair efficiency differs in different regions of the genome and that active genes are preferentially repaired. There is mounting evidence that DNA repair processes play a role in the development of drug resistance by tumor cells. We will discuss such data as well as further approaches to clarify the relationship between DNA repair and antineoplastic drug resistance. Specifically, there is an increasing need to investigate the intragenomic heterogeneity of DNA repair and correlate the repair efficiency in specific genes to aspects of drug resistance. We also discuss the therapeutic potential of inhibiting the DNA repair processes and thereby possibly overcoming drug resistance.

Comparison between DNA adduct formation and tumorigenesis in livers and bladders of mice chronically fed 2-acetylaminofluorene

Female BALB/c mice continuously fed 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) develop liver and bladder tumors. The incidence of liver tumors is linearly related to the carcinogen concentration in the diet, while the tumor response in the bladder is markedly non-linear. In the current experiments, liver and bladder DNA adducts were measured in female BALB/c mice fed several different concentrations of AAF for 28 days. The adduct concentrations were then compared to the previously reported incidences of neoplastic and preneoplastic lesions in these tissues. In initial experiments, mice were fed either 30 or 150 mg [ring-3H]AAF/kg diet for 21 days. Liver DNA adducts were identified by HPLC, which indicated the presence of one major adduct, N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-aminofluorene (dG-C8-AF). This adduct was also the major product detected by 32P-postlabeling in liver and bladder DNA from mice fed the same concentrations of AAF for 28 days. Radioimmunoassays, conducted with an antibody specific for dG-C8-AF, showed that steady-state concentrations of dG-C8-AF were obtained at 28 days of AAF feeding; thus, this time point was used to determine the relationship between the dose of AAF and the adduct levels. In mice fed nine concentrations of AAF (5-150 mg AAF/kg diet), the adduct concentrations after 28 days of feeding were linearly related to dose in both the liver and bladder, with the adduct concentration being approximately 3-fold greater in the bladder. These results indicate that a linear correlation exists between the hepatic concentration of dG-C8-AF and the liver tumor incidence. In the bladder however, a linear relationship was not observed, which suggests that additional tissue-specific factors, such as toxicity, are essential components for tumorigenesis in this tissue.

Carcinogen-induced alterations in rat liver DNA adduct formation determined by computerized fluorescent image analysis

These studies employed continuous feeding of a carcinogenic level of N-2-acetylaminofluorene to male rats for 28 days. Under these conditions normal hepatocytes are known to be inhibited from proliferation, whereas xenobiotic-resistant putative preneoplastic hepatocytes with altered liver enzyme phenotypic expression appear to have a growth advantage. A novel technique using computerized fluorescent image analysis of triple-stained frozen liver sections was developed and used to visualize three different molecular markers in individual hepatic cells. Proliferating liver cells were identified by anti-5-bromodeoxyuridine immunostaining in livers of rats injected with 5-bromodeoxyuridine 1 hour before sacrifice. Anti-cytokeratin immunostaining was used to identify bile ducts and putative oval cells. Characterization of DNA adduct formation was achieved with an antiserum specific for N-(deoxyguanosine-8-yl)-2-aminofluorene, the major DNA adduct of 2-acetylaminofluorene. The image analysis demonstrated low but distinct DNA adduct concentrations in putative oval cells identified by anti-cytokeratin staining and in scattered, replicating liver cells recognized by anti-5-bromodeoxyuridine. Adducts were not detected in replicating foci consisting of 3 to 11 nuclei. It is possible that proliferating liver cells that have low N-2-acetylaminofluorene-DNA adduct levels may clonally expand to become foci protected from further adduct accumulation and preneoplastic liver lesions. Thus, the computerized fluorescent image analysis demonstrated here may provide a novel procedure for identification of carcinogen-induced liver cell alterations.

Quantitation and immunohistochemical localization of DNA adducts in rat embryos and associated yolk sac membranes exposed in vitro to N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-Ac-AAF)

Specific antibodies and radioimmunoassay (RIA) were used to measure the levels of acetylated and deacetylated C-8 substituted deoxyguanosine adducts in day 11 rat embryos and their associated yolk sacs after exposure of whole rat conceptuses in vitro to the teratogen N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-Ac-AAF). The deacetylated adduct predominates in both the embryo and the associated yolk sac, and a dose response for adduct formation was observed when adducts were quantitated by RIA. Immunohistochemical localization of the deacetylated adducts revealed that adducts were confined to the nuclei in all tissues examined and that the abundance of adducts varied within and between tissues. Our initial findings indicate that specific DNA adduct antibodies may be useful in the study of teratogenesis induced by a wide variety of agents that modify DNA.

Characterization of the DNA damage recognized by an antiserum elicited against cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II)-modified DNA

A series of in vitro and in vivo studies were performed to characterize DNA damage recognized by an antiserum elicited against DNA modified with cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cisplatin). Adducts determined by the cisplatin-DNA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in human blood cell DNA have been shown to correlate well with positive clinical outcome in testicular and ovarian cancer patients receiving platinum drug-based chemotherapy (Reed et al. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 84; 5024, and Reed et al. (1988) Carcinogenesis, 9, 1909). DNAs from calf thymus, salmon sperm, pBR322 and synthetic oligonucleotides were modified with cisplatin in vitro before or after specific DNA digestion steps to yield adducted samples of known size and/or chemical composition. These cisplatin modified DNAs were assayed by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) to assess absolute platinum content, and by ELISA to determine the antiserum specificity. The antiserum recognizes native cisplatin-modified calf thymus DNA, and native oligonucleotides containing intrastrand cis-Pt (NH3)2-d(pGpG) adducts (Pt-GG) and intrastrand cis-Pt (NH3)2-d(pApG) adducts (Pt-AG). Modified plasmid DNA fragments of varying sizes (down to 309 base pairs) are recognized similarly to cisplatin-modified calf thymus DNA. The antiserum does not cross-react with individual Pt-GG or Pt-AG adducts not bound to DNA. In experiments designed to assess the relationship between adduct measured by ELISA and total platinum bound to DNA as measured by AAS, male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were injected i.p. with cisplatin and a dose response for adduct formation was determined in kidney DNA samples. Values obtained by ELISA were substantially lower than those measured by AAS, and the two were directly related in DNA from kidney tissues of rodents but not in DNA from human nucleated blood cells. In rodent samples the ELISA measured a consistent 0.2% of the total DNA-bound platinum determined by AAS, with a correlation coefficient of 0.91. Among 54 blood cell DNA samples from human patients, which gave measurable adduct values in both ELISA and AAS, the ELISA measured a variable fraction (0.2-33.0%) of the total DNA-bound platinum measured by AAS. We conclude that the cisplatin-DNA ELISA measures a three dimensional lesion in DNA that is formed in direct proportion to total DNA-bound platinum in rat kidney, but that in human biological samples, interindividual variability precludes a relationship that conforms to simple mathematical algorithms.

DNA adduct formation and removal in hepatic chromatin fractions from rats chronically fed 2-acetylaminofluorene

Continuous dietary administration of the hepatocarcinogen 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) to rats produces a gradual increase in hepatic DNA adducts until a plateau is reached after approximately 2 weeks. The rate of DNA adduct formation remains constant through 1 month of AAF feeding, while adduct removal profiles are biphasic during both carcinogen feeding and subsequent time on control diet. In the present experiments, we tested the hypothesis that biphasic adduct removal is due to differential repair kinetics taking place in different chromatin fractions. Rats were fed 0.02% AAF for times up to 30 days and control diet for a subsequent 28 days. HPLC analysis of nuclear DNA indicated that the deacetylated adduct, N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-aminofluorene, comprised approximately 90% of the total C8-substituted deoxyguanosine adducts after 3 days of feeding and greater than 98% after 20 days. The nuclear DNA was partitioned into endogenous nuclease sensitive (approximately 2%), low salt soluble (approximately 70%), high salt soluble (approximately 20%) and nuclear matrix (approximately 8%) fractions. During 28 days of AAF feeding, each fraction showed a profile of adduct formation similar to that observed in whole nuclei; however, the adduct concentration in nuclear matrix-associated DNA was consistently less than that in the other fractions. In rats fed AAF for 28 days followed by control diet, adduct removal in each of the fractions showed biphasic kinetics that were similar to those observed in nuclear DNA. When rats were fed AAF for 7 days, however, adduct removal kinetics could be best described by a single first-order rate constant. These data indicate that biphasic adduct removal may be due to the presence of particular nucleotide sequences that are common to all fractions and are relatively resistant to adduct formation and removal. The low concentration of adducts found in the nuclear matrix may be due to a decreased rate of adduct formation in this region and/or the proximity of membrane-bound beta-polymerases that are responsible for repair.

Reduced DNA adduct formation in replicating liver cells during continuous feeding of a chemical carcinogen

To investigate early cellular alterations in liver DNA during hepatocarcinogenesis, we have visualized replicating cells and analyzed their DNA adduct content in livers of rats continuously fed a carcinogenic level (0.02%) of 2-acetylaminofluorene for periods up to 4 weeks. One hour prior to sacrifice, cells undergoing DNA synthesis were pulse-labeled with the thymidine analogue 5-bromodeoxyuridine. Replicating cells were visualized immunohistochemically with anti-(5-bromodeoxyuridine), and identification of aminofluorene-DNA adducts in replicating nuclei was achieved by staining with an antiserum specific for N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-aminofluorene; both stains were observed simultaneously by two-color immunofluorescence. Data were obtained for all cells, including large hepatocytes (nuclei greater than 6 microns) and small cells (nuclei less than 6 microns), such as hepatocytes sliced asymmetrically, oval cells, Kuppfer cells, and sinusoidal lining cells. Based on the size of their nuclei, the hepatocytes were the only cells that could be identified separately from the total. A distinct increase in the number of cells synthesizing DNA was observed after 25 days of 2-acetylaminofluorene feeding; replicating cells were either scattered randomly throughout the liver or clustered in discrete foci. At times up to 28 days, cells with both large and small nuclei that were synthesizing DNA showed reduced aminofluorene-DNA adduct immunofluorescence compared to nonreplicating cells. The results suggest that liver cells replicating during carcinogen exposure have altered metabolic capacities resulting in reduced aminofluorene-DNA adduct formation. It is possible that such cells constitute the progenitors of preneoplastic foci, which have a replicative advantage as compared to normal liver.

Formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts in peripheral white blood cells during consumption of charcoal-broiled beef

The effect of ingesting charcoal-broiled (CB) beef on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-DNA adduct levels in nucleated peripheral white blood cells (WBCs) was examined in four healthy, non-smoking males who consumed an average of 280 g CB beef daily for 7 days. PAH-DNA adducts were quantitated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. During the week of CB beef consumption, two individuals exhibited a 3- to 6-fold increase in PAH-DNA adducts above baseline levels observed during the month prior to CB beef consumption. In contrast, PAH-DNA adduct levels in the two other subjects did not increase. Thus, dietary sources of PAH can contribute to the PAH-DNA adduct load in peripheral WBCs in some individuals.

Localization of DNA adducts induced by N-acetoxy-N-2-acetylaminofluorene in Chinese hamster ovary cells using electron microscopy and colloidal gold

DNA adduct induction by N-acetoxy-N-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-Ac-AAF) has been investigated in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells using immunoelectron microscopy. The major RNA and DNA adducts, N-(guanosin-8-yl)-2-aminofluorene (G-C8-AF) and N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-aminofluorene (dG-C8-AF), were localized with a rabbit anti-G-C8-AF antiserum and colloidal gold cytochemistry. Appropriate controls, including incubation of untreated cells with normal rabbit serum and immunogen-absorbed serum, demonstrated that colloidal gold deposits were indicative of the presence of adducts. The localization of gold particles in close association with nuclear chromatin revealed high concentration of adducts in DNA and RNA of nuclei. Morphometric evaluation of adduct formation in organelles of from different carcinogen exposures showed that 85-88% of total adducts were concentrated in nuclei. DNA adducts remaining in nuclei after RNAse treatment appeared to concentrate in heterochromatic areas, and these areas contained 59% of bound gold particles by morphometry. A total of 137-178 particles were found in nuclei of treated cells vs. 15-26 in the surrounding cytoplasm. Treated cells incubated with normal rabbit serum or specific adduct-absorbed serum showed 19-34 particles for all cellular compartments.

Enhanced malignant conversion of benign mouse skin tumors by cisplatin

The chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin, reported to be a complete carcinogen in rodents and a tumor initiator for mouse skin, was tested for activity to enhance the conversion of carcinogen-induced skin papillomas to carcinomas. Initiation of mouse skin by 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene followed by 12 weeks of promotion by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate produced seven to eight papillomas/mouse. Ten weekly injections of 100 micrograms of cisplatin into these papilloma-bearing mice induced a 2.3-fold enhancement of conversion relative to the spontaneous rate of 1.9%. Even a single exposure to cisplatin in tumor-bearing mice increased the carcinoma incidence to the same extent as 10 exposures to urethane, an agent previously shown to enhance malignant conversion. At the dose tested, cisplatin was inactive as a complete carcinogen or a tumor promoter. Cisplatin-DNA adducts, measured in samples from skin, liver, and kidneys, were persistent for at least 4 weeks after the last exposure to cisplatin. Thus cisplatin is a relatively potent inducer of the putative genotoxic changes required for conversion of skin tumors from a benign to a malignant phenotype. The activity of cisplatin in the initiation and malignant conversion stages in this animal model for carcinogenesis suggests that patients given cisplatin-based chemotherapy are at increased risk for the development of treatment-induced second cancers.

Evaluation of platinum-DNA adduct levels relative to known prognostic variables in a cohort of ovarian cancer patients

Single-agent chemotherapy with cisplatin or carboplatin can induce remissions in approximately 30% of previously treated patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer. Previous studies have shown that the extent of platinum-DNA adduct formation measured in WBC DNA of ovarian cancer patients treated with cisplatin or carboplatin is directly associated with disease response (Reed et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 84: 5024-5028, 1987). It has been unclear whether adduct level in WBC DNA is independent of known prognostic variables in this disease, or whether adduct level parallels a known prognostic variable that can be more easily monitored. In a cohort of 24 ovarian cancer patients treated with single-agent cisplatin or carboplatin, we retrospectively assessed the relationship between disease response, platinum-DNA adducts in WBC DNA, and each of eight prognostic variables by both univariate analysis and multivariate analysis. The prognostic variables evaluated included: response to previous treatment, Karnofsky status, total platinum dose prior to current therapy, stage of disease, age, bulk of disease at initiation of therapy, histological type, and histological grade. By univariate analysis, adduct level was strongly associated with disease response (two-sided P = 0.0058), with the next strongest associations with disease response being held by Karnofsky status (P = 0.125), stage of disease (P = 0.189), response to previous treatment (P = 0.352), total previous platinum dose (P = 0.358), and age (P = 0.374). No significant associations were found between adduct level and histological type or histological grade. Further, when patients were stratified by the number of cycles studied (one cycle, two cycles, or three cycles), higher levels of adduct were consistently seen in those patients responding to therapy. We conclude that, in this small cohort of refractory ovarian cancer patients treated with single-agent cisplatin or carboplatin, adduct level in WBC DNA appears to be more closely related to disease response than other previously identified prognostic variables.

Chromosome site-specific immunohistochemical detection of DNA adducts in N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene--exposed Chinese hamster ovary cells

In these studies a polyclonal antiserum elicited against a carcinogen-DNA adduct was used to explore the localization of DNA adducts in metaphase chromosomes of cultured cells. Morphological visualization of the adduct N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-aminofluorene (dG-C8-AF) in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells exposed to the direct-acting carcinogen N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-Ac-AAF) was accomplished by indirect immunofluorescence with an anti-G-C8-AF antiserum. At the same time the pattern of chromosomal DNA replication was determined by replicative incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) and chromosomal staining with anti-BrdUrd. Visualization of DNA in chromosomes was accomplished with Hoechst 33258 dye. When synchronized CHO cells were exposed to N-Ac-AAF for 0.5 h during early S phase, the chromosomal pattern of dG-C8-AF adduct formation was not random. Metaphase chromosome spreads from cells exposed to N-Ac-AAF in different experiments contained certain chromosome regions that had a consistently high adduct concentration. The regions of high DNA damage corresponded to the regions active in DNA synthesis when BrdUrd and the carcinogen were given simultaneously in early S phase. In addition, the patterns of high adduct concentration and replicative synthesis shifted when the carcinogen and BrdUrd were given simultaneously during late S phase. Thus, the stage of cell cycle in which adducts are induced is an important factor in the specific location of the highest concentrations of this type of DNA lesion.

Biological monitoring of fire fighters: sister chromatid exchange and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts in peripheral blood cells

Fire fighters are exposed to potentially carcinogenic combustion and pyrolysis products during the course of their work. The present study was designed to test 43 fire fighters and matched controls for DNA damage which might be related to occupational carcinogen exposures. Using peripheral blood lymphocytes, we examined (a) baseline sister chromatid exchange (SCE) frequency and (b) SCE induction by in vitro mutagenic challenge with mitomycin C. Using nucleated peripheral blood cells, we examined (c) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adduct levels by assessing benzo(a)pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE)-DNA antigenicity. Exposures were determined from histories of fire-fighting activity. The presence of confounding factors (e.g., tobacco smoking, charcoal-broiled food consumption, etc.) was determined by questionnaire. Plasma cotinine levels were measured to assess recent exposures to tobacco smoke. White fire fighters exhibited a significantly higher risk for the presence of detectable BPDE-DNA antigenicity than white controls (odds ratio, 3.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-10.5 after adjustment). Consumption of charcoal-broiled food less than 3 times a month was associated with a smaller proportion of individuals exhibiting measurable (positive) BPDE-DNA antigenicity, while consumption of broiled food greater than 3 times a month did not affect the proportion of positive individuals. Daily alcohol consumption was associated with a larger proportion of individuals exhibiting positive BPDE-DNA antigenicity, (P = 0.07). Tobacco smoking and charcoal-broiled food consumption, but not fire fighting, were associated with increased levels of baseline SCE. Sensitivity to SCE induced by mitomycin C in cultured peripheral lymphocytes was similar in fire fighter and control groups. However, sensitivity of individual fire fighters to mitomycin C-induced SCE was correlated with number of fires fought in the previous 24 h.

DNA adduct formation and removal in specific liver cell populations during chronic dietary administration of 2-acetylaminofluorene

The concentration of DNA adducts in specific hepatic cell types has been determined in F344 rats fed 0.02% 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) for 28 days followed by control diet for an additional 28 days. In animals killed at 28 days of AAF feeding, the major DNA adduct, N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-aminofluorene, was present in each cell type in the order: hepatocytes (282 +/- 28 fmol/micrograms DNA) greater than whole liver (232 +/- 33 fmol/micrograms DNA) greater than nonparenchymal cells (128 +/- 30 fmol/micrograms DNA) greater than bile duct fraction (60 +/- 12 fmol/micrograms DNA). After an additional 28 days on control diet, the adduct level in each cell fraction was 30-40 fmol/micrograms DNA. Adduct removal was biphasic in whole liver, hepatocytes and nonparenchymal cells, with a fast phase apparent until the adduct concentration reached approximately 60 fmol/micrograms DNA. In whole liver and hepatocytes this level was obtained in approximately seven days, and in nonparenchymal cells the fast phase was complete in about two days. Adduct removal in the bile duct fraction exhibited only a single slow phase. At the end of the AAF feeding, hepatocytes accounted for 86% of the total liver DNA adducts. After an additional 28 days on control diet, hepatocyte adducts still contributed a major fraction (67%) of the total persistent adduct population. Thus, hepatocytes, the target cell for AAF-induced hepatic tumors, dominate the adduct formation and removal profile observed in whole liver.

Derivative fluorescence spectral analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts in human placenta

Metabolic activation in humans of chemical carcinogens found in the environment results in the formation of carcinogen-DNA adducts in vivo. Some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts in human DNA can be hydrolyzed under mildly acidic conditions to yield tetrahydrotetrol derivatives which may then be detected by synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy. In an analysis of human placental DNA, second derivative spectroscopy alone was unable to resolve the synchronous fluorescent signature for r-7,t-8,t-9,c-10-tetrahydroxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[alpha]pyrene from a crude extract, because a complex array of other fluorescent materials was also present. Purification of the sample by a combination of chromatographic procedures including immunoaffinity chromatography and HPLC has now been shown to yield r-7,t-8,t-9,c-10-tetrahydroxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[alpha]pyrene residues from human DNA that are spectroscopically pure at the second derivative level. Immunoaffinity columns were prepared with rabbit antiserum raised against DNA that had been modified with (+/-)-r-7,t-8-dihydroxy-t-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[alpha]pyre ne. This antiserum has now been shown to recognize DNA samples that have been modified with six different polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon diol epoxides and is probably only specific for a broad spectrum of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts. Adducts were eluted from the immunoaffinity columns, hydrolyzed with acid, and extracted into isoamyl alcohol, before being subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography. These experiments reveal important limitations of second derivative fluorescence spectroscopy as a tool in the analysis of complex environmental mixtures. Furthermore, they extensively define the ability of anti-benzo[alpha]pyrenediol epoxide-DNA antibodies to recognize different types of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts.

The measurement of cisplatin-DNA adduct levels in testicular cancer patients

Seventeen patients with 'poor prognosis' non-seminomatous testicular cancer were monitored for formation of intrastrand bidentate N7-d(ApG)- and N7-d(GpG)-diammineplatinum adducts in peripheral blood cell DNA during the course of cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Adduct values from blood cell DNA samples were compared with disease response data from the same individuals. Patients who received a dose of 40 mg/m2 cisplatin for 5 days generally formed more adducts than patients receiving 20 mg/m2 for 5 days, and adduct levels ranged from 0 to approximately 300 amol/micrograms DNA. Among the individuals who achieved a complete response, the median adduct level was 170 amol/micrograms DNA and the mean was 162. Among the individuals who achieved a partial response, the median adduct level was 78 amol/micrograms DNA and the mean was 83. Comparison of adduct levels between response groups using the Mann-Whitney test gave a two-sided P value of 0.072 (one-sided P value 0.036). Of 11 patients forming high levels of adduct (greater than 140 amol/micrograms DNA), 10 achieved a complete response; this compares with two complete responders in the group of six patients forming low levels (less than 100 amol/micrograms DNA) of adduct (P = 0.055, two-sided Fisher exact test). We conclude that cisplatin-DNA adduct formation in peripheral blood cell DNA correlates with the occurrence of complete response in patients with poor prognosis testicular cancer.

Interlaboratory comparison of antisera and immunoassays for benzo[a]pyrene-diol-epoxide-I-modified DNA

An interlaboratory comparison of immunoassays using antisera elicited against benzo[a]pyrene-diol-epoxide-modified DNA (BPDE-I-DNA) was carried out resulting in standardization of antisera, competitors and assay conditions. The assays used included competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) with color and fluorescence endpoint detection and an ultrasensitive enzyme radioimmunoassay (USERIA) with a radioactive endpoint. Three different antisera were compared, two of which were obtained from different rabbits immunized with the same BPDE-I-DNA and a third from an animal immunized with another BPDE-I-DNA sample. Samples of standardized BPDE-I-DNA with high (36 pmol adduct/microgram DNA; 1.2 adducts/10(2) nucleotides) and low (4.5 fmol/microgram DNA; 1.5 adducts/10(6) nucleotides) modification levels were prepared and used in each laboratory. The antisera were all elicited against DNAs modified to a high extent, and it was therefore not surprising that they detected adducts in a slightly modified DNA sample with lower efficiency than those in highly modified DNA samples. The discrepancy of antibody recognition between the highly and slightly modified samples varied between 1.4- and 11.2-fold depending on the antiserum and assay. To ascertain the quantitative capability of the immunoassays, the modification level of DNA isolated from mouse keratinocytes treated with [3H]benzo[a]pyrene was determined by radioactivity and immunoassay. These results indicated that when a biological sample is assayed against a BPDE-I-DNA standard modified in the same range as the biological samples (4.5 fmol/microgram), quantitative recovery of adducts is achieved by immunoassay. These studies resulted in the realization that interlaboratory differences in immunoassay procedure can have significant consequences for data comparison and that where possible it is preferable for laboratories to use the same antisera and modified DNA standards.

Lack of acetylaminofluorene--DNA adduct formation in enzyme-altered foci of rat liver

Formation of the N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-aminofluorene adduct was studied in enzyme-altered foci induced by four different liver carcinogenesis models. Foci were detected and scored for enzyme phenotype by a computer-aided image overlay technique. Localization of the enzymes gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, canalicular ATPase and glucose-6-phosphatase was performed by enzyme histochemistry, allowing identification of foci of seven different phenotypes. Patterns of foci obtained by image overlay were compared to in situ 2-acetylaminofluorene--DNA adduct distribution obtained by immunofluorescence. Foci were induced by the following models: (1) chronic feeding of 0.02% 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) for 8 weeks; (2) intubation of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) (10 mg/kg) 24 h after a 70% partial hepatectomy (PH), followed 8 weeks later by a diet containing 0.05% phenobarbital for 9 months; (3) intubation of DEN (10 mg/kg) 24 h after PH, followed by a diet containing 0.01% ciprofibrate for 5 months, and after an additional 4 months a diet containing 0.05% phenobarbital for 2 months; (4) maintenance for 7.5, 16.5 or 19.5 months after transplantation of DEN/2-AAF/PH ('Solt-Farber' protocol) donor liver cells into host rats receiving a brief 2-AAF/PH selective regimen then no further treatment until sacrifice. To test the capacity of both foci and morphologically normal livers to form DNA adducts, the animals in models 2-4 received a diet containing 0.02% 2-AAF for 5 or 6 days before sacrifice. In all of the enzyme-altered foci identified in models 1-3 there were no DNA adducts visible by immunofluorescence. Scattered groups of positive cells were occasionally seen in the otherwise dark foci induced by model 4. For technical reasons some enzyme-altered foci were not identifiable on the fluorescence-stained slides. In liver serial sections from rats in models 1-4, there were 75, 304, 125 and 68 enzyme-altered foci of seven different phenotypes which were identified as AF-DNA negative. In models 1 and 4 there were some additional adduct-negative foci not associated with any of the seven identified focus phenotypes. These studies demonstrate that loss of the ability to form DNA adducts in hepatic enzyme-altered foci is a common and very early biochemical adaptation to xenobiotic exposure in different hepatocarcinogenesis models. This adaptation also is retained by the majority of foci in later stages of hepatocarcinogenesis.

Benzo[alpha]pyrene diol epoxide I binds to DNA at replication forks

The distribution of lesions in DNA caused by (+/-)-7 beta,8 alpha-dihydroxy-9 alpha,10 alpha-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo [alpha]pyrene (B[alpha]P diol epoxide-I) was studied in synchronized C3H/10T1/2 cells treated in S phase. Sites of carcinogen modification of DNA were identified by polyclonal rabbit antibodies elicited against DNA modified with B[alpha]P diol epoxide-I in vitro. This antigenic DNA contained trans-(7R)-N2-[10-(7 beta,8 alpha,9 alpha-trihydroxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[alpha]pyrene)-yl]- deoxyguanosine; other adducts were not detected by liquid chromatography. In this study, DNA replication forks with antibodies bound to B[alpha]P diol epoxide-I adducts were detected by electron microscopy. The frequency of replication forks containing carcinogen adducts associated with the fork junction was found to be 8-fold higher than expected for an average distribution. The proportion of replication forks that were apparently blocked at the site of the DNA damage increased when replication was allowed to occur after carcinogen exposure. These results support the conclusions that the fork junction is particularly vulnerable to adduction by B[alpha]P diol epoxide-I and that B[alpha]P diol epoxide-I adducts block the displacement of replication forks during DNA synthesis in intact cells.

Chemical carcinogenesis: from animal models to molecular models in one decade

During the last decade, progress in chemical carcinogenesis research has been substantial, and understanding the cellular changes and molecular causes of initiation, promotion, and malignant conversion appears to be within reach. Cancer begins as a carcinogen-induced genetic change in a single cell. The interaction of a particular carcinogen with specific genetic sites results, in part, from selectivity of metabolically activated carcinogens for particular nucleosides or gene sequences. In turn, modification of the molecular structure at specific genetic loci will have tissue-specific and species-specific consequences dependent on the expression of a particular gene, its sequence, and the function of the gene product in the target cell. It is likely that inactivation of regulatory regions, genomic rearrangements, and point mutations in coding sequences all can result in an altered cell phenotype. The rasH gene (and perhaps other members of the ras gene family) appears to be a common target for coding sequence mutations in the initiation of carcinogenesis in several organ sites and species by specific carcinogens. Whatever genetic mechanisms are involved, an initiated cell phenotype common to many epithelial cell types is observed. Initiated cells have an altered program of terminal differentiation, are resistant to cytotoxic substances or show altered requirements for specific growth factors or nutrients. These cells would have a selective growth advantage in cytostatic or cytotoxic situations or under conditions favoring terminal differentiation. Tumor promoters, some acting through specific cellular receptors, produce a tissue environment conductive to the selective clonal outgrowth of the initiated cell population resulting in a clinically evident premalignant lesion. The tissue specificity for most promoters depends on the ability of a particular agent to produce the selective conditions required for the initiated phenotype of that organ. At the molecular level, phorbol ester tumor promoters bind to and activate protein kinase C and transduce signals through this second-messenger pathway. Heterogeneity in the species of protein kinase C molecule expressed by normal and initiated epidermal cells could account for the differential response pattern observed in these cell types during skin tumor promotion. Malignant conversion of benign tumors requires further genetic changes in the tumor cell. Such changes could result from inherent instability in the genome of initiated cells, from spontaneous mutations more likely to occur in the expanding population of proliferating benign tumor cells, or by additional exposure to exogenous genotoxic agents.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

DNA adducts, protein adducts, and sister chromatid exchange in cigarette smokers and nonsmokers

In order to validate markers of internal dose and biologically effective dose of carcinogens, a battery of measurements was made on blood samples from 22 smokers and 24 nonsmokers. The markers included immunoreactivity in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) quantified in white blood cells with the use of a polyclonal anti-benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide-I-DNA antibody, 4-aminobiphenyl hemoglobin (4-ABP-Hb) adducts measured by negative chemical ionization mass spectrometry, sister chromatid exchange (SCE) in cultured lymphocytes, and cotinine in plasma measured by radioimmunoassay. Several blood samples were drawn from each subject. In blood samples 1 and 3 having detectable levels of DNA adducts, mean femtomole-per-microgram levels were consistently higher among smokers compared to nonsmokers. The borderline significance of this difference may be attributable to the small numbers of subjects. Consistently higher adduct levels were seen in females compared to males. In sample 3, adduct levels were significantly correlated with measurements of active smoking in smokers and with passive smoking in nonsmokers. By contrast to the ELISA data, which may reflect cumulative exposure from multiple background sources, the 4-ABP-Hb assay was able to distinguish clearly between smokers and nonsmokers. SCEs were significantly elevated in the smokers compared to nonsmokers. Also observed were significant correlations between 4-ABP-Hb and both cotinine and SCEs, as well as a positive correlation between the 4-ABP-Hb and DNA adduct levels (sample 3) that was highly significant. The correlation between DNA and 4-ABP-Hb adducts was significant in smokers but not nonsmokers (sample 3). These results support the need for batteries of markers to detect and to quantify the carcinogenic dose to humans resulting from both specific and "background" environmental exposures.

Platinum-DNA adducts in leukocyte DNA correlate with disease response in ovarian cancer patients receiving platinum-based chemotherapy

Fifty-five ovarian cancer patients receiving platinum drug-based chemotherapy have been studied prospectively to determine the extent of formation of the bidentate intrastrand adducts of diammineplatinum covalently attached to the N7 positions of adenosine and/or guanosine in leukocyte DNA. Data for clinical response, obtained from medical records, were then correlated with the adduct values. Patients were treated with platinum-based single-agent or combination chemotherapy containing cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) or diamminecyclobutane-dicarboxylatoplatinum on approved experimental protocols. Adduct measurements were performed by ELISA, and disease response to therapy was assessed by standard oncologic criteria. This study comprises a total of 101 blood samples obtained after intravenous cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) or diamminecyclobutane-dicarboxylatoplatinum infusion from 55 individuals, and in each case the highest (or "peak") adduct level for each patient was chosen for statistical analysis. Values for median adduct levels in patients grouped by complete response, partial response, and no response were 212, 193, and 62 amol of adduct per microgram of DNA, respectively. Analysis of these data by Jonckheere's test (an extension of the Mann-Whitney test) shows that higher levels of adduct formation correlates with disease response with a two-sided P value of 0.030. Of eight patients on single-agent therapy whose buffy-coat samples did not have measurable adduct levels, none responded to therapy. Analysis of these data using the exact test for trend shows that the formation of adduct at a level of 160 amol/micrograms of DNA or greater correlates with disease response with a two-sided P value of 0.032. Thus in ovarian cancer patients, the formation of the intrastrand diammineplatinum adducts in leukocyte DNA is associated with favorable disease response to cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) or diamminecyclobutane-dicarboxylatoplatinum chemotherapy.

Microfluorometric determination of DNA adducts in immunofluorescent-stained liver tissue from rats fed 2-acetylaminofluorene

The intensities of immunofluorescence in nuclei stained by an antiserum specific for the DNA adduct N-deoxyguanosin(8-yl)aminofluorene (dG-8-AF), were quantified by microfluorometry in frozen liver sections from male Fischer rats fed 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF). Results of previous studies demonstrated that dG-8-AF is the predominant adduct (80-100%) formed in livers of rats fed AAF continuously, and that nuclei of hepatocytes and bile duct epithelial cells in rats fed AAF exhibit an adduct-specific immunofluorescence. In the present investigation, nuclear staining for dG-8-AF was quantified by microfluorometry in liver sections from male Fischer rats fed 0.02% AAF continuously for 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 28 days. Microfluorometric determinations of the intensities of nuclear immunofluorescence staining within periportal, midzonal, and centrilobular hepatocytes and bile duct epithelial cells revealed that levels of the dG-8-AF adduct increased in these cells during AAF feeding, reaching a plateau by 12 days. However, significant differences were detected in dG-8-AF levels within cells of each lobular area. Nuclei of periportal hepatocytes exhibited the most intense immunofluorescence, nuclei of centrilobular hepatocytes and bile duct epithelial cells emitted the least intense fluorescence, and nuclei of midzonal hepatocytes exhibited an intermediate fluorescence intensity. Quantitation of whole-liver levels of the dG-8-AF adduct by RIA, after extraction of DNA, also revealed that adduct accumulation reached a plateau by 12 days of AAF feeding. Thus, similar profiles of adduct accumulation were obtained by microfluorometric analysis of immunofluorescence staining within frozen liver sections, and by RIA analysis of DNA extracted from whole livers. The periportal concentration of DNA adducts in livers of rats continuously fed a carcinogenic dose of AAF may be an important early event in AAF-induced liver tumorigenesis.

cis-Diamminedichloroplatinum (II)-DNA adduct formation in renal, gonadal, and tumor tissues of male and female rats

cis-Diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cisplatin), a potent anticancer agent, is thought to exert its cytotoxic effects through DNA damage. Using a polyclonal rabbit antisera which recognizes intrastrand bidentate deoxy(ApG)- and deoxy(GpG)-N7-diammineplatinum adducts, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay has been developed to quantitate this adduct in cisplatin-exposed DNA. Cisplatin-DNA adducts were measured in renal, gonadal, and tumor (sarcoma) tissues of Sprague-Dawley rats following i.v. or i.p. administration of cisplatin. When drug was administered i.v. to animals fed ad libitum adduct levels were highest in kidneys, 50% lower in s.c. sarcoma, and substantially lower in gonads. Under these experimental conditions, a large interindividual variability in adduct formation was observed in renal and tumor tissues, and adduct levels in some samples were too low to measure. Higher values among individuals were obtained using tissues of animals fasted overnight and treated i.p. Adduct levels following i.p. injections of drug were higher in kidneys and gonads of male rats than in kidneys and gonads of female rats. Analysis of tissue platinum content demonstrated higher platinum levels in kidneys of male rats than in kidneys of female rats, but the magnitude of this gender difference in total tissue platinum was not as great as that observed for adduct formation. When the influence of castration on adduct formation was investigated, adduct levels in kidneys of castrated females were higher than those in sham-operated females, but adduct levels in kidneys of the castrated male animals were not substantively different from those seen in sham-operated male controls. We conclude that the route of drug administration, diet, and hormonal status of the animal are factors that may influence cisplatin-DNA adduct formation in the rat.

Effects of carcinogen treatment on rat liver DNA synthesis in vivo and on nascent DNA synthesis and elongation in cultured hepatocytes

One objective of this study was to determine the effects of N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-OH-AAF) treatment on DNA synthesis in regenerating rat liver. Rats were subjected to a two-thirds hepatectomy followed 20 h later by i.p. injection of N-OH-AAF. 4 h after carcinogen injection, it was found that N-OH-AAF caused a dose-dependent inhibition of [3H]thymidine incorporation into liver DNA. This inhibition was followed by a gradual, but incomplete recovery beginning 28 h after carcinogen treatment. Radioimmunoassay of deoxyguanine-C8 adducts remaining in liver DNA indicated that the recovery began prior to detection of adduct removal. The second objective of the study was to determine the effects of DNA damage on the size distribution and elongation of nascent hepatocyte DNA. Hepatocytes, which have been shown to demonstrate a pattern of inhibition and subsequent recovery of DNA synthesis following UV irradiation similar to that seen in vivo upon treatment with N-OH-AAF (Zurlo and Yager, 1984), were cultured under conditions that promote replicative DNA synthesis. The size distribution of nascent DNA after UV irradiation was determined by pH step gradient alkaline elution analysis. [3H]Thymidine pulse times and subsequent chase times were adjusted to equalize amounts of DNA synthesis in control and UV-irradiated cells. The results show that UV irradiation caused a dose-dependent decrease in the size distribution of nascent DNA suggesting an inhibition of elongation. Pulse-chase studies revealed that subsequent joining of nascent chains in UV-irradiated hepatocytes occurred at a rate comparable to or faster than controls and that this could be inhibited by caffeine. The results obtained from both the in vivo and in vitro studies show that resumption of DNA synthesis and nascent strand elongation occur on damaged templates. These observations along with our previous studies demonstrating the ability of UV-irradiated hepatocytes to carry out enhanced reactivation of UV-irradiated herpes virus lend support to the idea that DNA damage leading to inhibition of DNA synthesis may induce SOS-type processes which if mutagenic may play a role in the initiation of carcinogenesis.

Quantitation of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum II (cisplatin)-DNA-intrastrand adducts in testicular and ovarian cancer patients receiving cisplatin chemotherapy

The antitumor activity of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum II (cisplatin) is believed to be related to its covalent interaction with DNA where a major DNA binding product is an intrastrand N7-bidentate adduct on adjacent deoxyguanosines. A novel immunoassay was used to quantitate this adduct in buffy coat DNA from testicular and ovarian cancer patients undergoing cisplatin therapy. 44 out of 120 samples taken from 45 cisplatin patients had detectable cisplatin-DNA adducts. No adducts were detected in 18 samples of DNA taken from normal controls, patients on other chemotherapy, or patients before treatment. The quantity of measurable adducts increased as a function of cumulative dose of cisplatin. This was observed both during repeated daily infusion of the drug and over long-term, repeated 21-28 d cycles of administration. These results suggested that adduct removal is slow even though the tissue has a relatively rapid turnover. Patients receiving cisplatin for the first time on 56-d cycles, and those given high doses of cisplatin as a "salvage" regimen, did not accumulate adducts as rapidly as patients on first time chemotherapy on 21- or 28-d cycles. Disease response data, evaluated for 33 cisplatin-treated patients, showed a positive correlation between the formation of DNA adducts and response to drug therapy. However, more data will be required to confirm this relationship. These data show that specific immunological probes can readily be applied to quantitate DNA adducts in patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy.

Immunohistochemical localization of DNA adducts in rat liver tissue and phenotypically altered foci during oral administration of 2-acetylaminofluorene

Histological studies using paired immunofluorescence staining and peroxidase-anti-peroxidase staining were performed on sections of rat livers with an antiserum specific for the 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF)-DNA adduct N-deoxyguanosin-(8-yl)-aminofluorene (dG-8-AF). This is the predominant adduct in rat liver DNA at 5 (80%) and 28 (100%) days of AAF feeding. Nuclear staining was observed in livers of male Fischer rats fed 0.02% AAF for these time periods, and was not present in livers of animals fed control diet or detected when specific antiserum, first absorbed with the immunogen adduct, was utilized. In addition, nuclear staining was unchanged after incubation with RNase and abolished after incubation with DNase. Adducts were not readily detectable when whole-liver adduct concentrations were less than an average of 10(5) adducts per cell (30-50 fmol/micrograms DNA). The overall pattern of adduct distribution in livers of AAF-fed animals was distinctly non-uniform. A predominance of nuclear staining was found in the periportal areas by both immunofluorescence and immunoperoxidase procedures. In contrast, staining was very weak in the centrilobular areas. When animals were fed AAF for 28 days and control diet subsequently for 7, 14, 21 or 28 days, the overall intensity of the immunohistochemical staining decreased with time on control diet. However, the pattern of localization remained the same as in livers of rats fed AAF for 28 days, with the predominance of adducts being in the periportal areas. In male rats fed 0.02% AAF for 8 weeks, foci positive for gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) became apparent, and the nuclei in these areas showed no immunofluorescence, indicating the absence of detectable levels of the dG-8-AF adduct. Twenty adduct-negative areas in the median lobes of three rat livers were positive for GGT, which suggests that loss of ability to form adducts in these regions occurs concomitantly with early phenotypic changes.

Polyclonal antibodies to quantitate cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II)--DNA adducts in cancer patients and animal models

cis-Diamminedichloroplatinum (II) (cis-DDP), the antitumor drug, is cytotoxic in vitro primarily by binding to DNA and disrupting its normal functions. We have studied cis-DDP modification of DNA in nucleated peripheral blood cells (buffy coat cells) of testicular and ovarian cancer patients receiving cis-DDP chemotherapy, and of untreated controls. Using a highly sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with an antiserum specific for the bidentate intrastrand N7-deoxyguanosine adduct, blood cell DNA was assayed at multiple times during courses of cis-DDP treatment. A total of 138 samples were analyzed from 54 individuals. Of these, all samples from 18 untreated controls were negative, while 44 out of 120 samples from cis-DDP patients were positive. Testicular and ovarian cancer patients receiving chemotherapy on the first course, and given cis-DDP in 21- or 28-day cycles (five days of drug infusion followed by two or three drug-free weeks) accumulated cis-DDP-DNA adducts in blood cell DNA as a function of dose. Patients receiving their first course of cis-DDP on 56-day cycles and those given high doses of this drug after failing other chemotherapy showed much slower adduct accumulation than patients receiving their first course on 21- or 28-day cycles. Adduct accumulation, in positive patients, occurred both as a function of total cumulative dose and with increasing cycle number, suggesting that adduct removal took at least a month in these patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Quantitation by electron microscopy of the binding of highly specific antibodies to benzo[a]pyrene-DNA adducts

Highly specific antibodies bound to carcinogen adducts in DNA modified with (+/-)7 beta,8 alpha-dihydroxy-9 alpha, 10 alpha-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BPDE I) were quantitated by electron microscopy (EM) visualization and these observations were compared with quantitation of adducts by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The antiserum, elicited in rabbits following inoculation with BPDE I-modified DNA, has been found to be highly specific in its recognition of BPDE I-deoxyguanosine moieties. Parallel DNA samples prepared for analysis by ELISA and EM quantitation were randomized, encoded, and analyzed to determine extents of carcinogen modification in double-blind studies. After levels of modification were determined by immunoassays, DNA samples were prepared for EM analysis by incubation with amounts of anti-BPdG-DNA serum in excess of that necessary for complete binding of antibody to antigenic sites. At equilibrium, samples were enzymatically digested with papain in order to cleave anti-BPdG-DNA IgG molecules into Fab fragments in situ. Following column exclusion chromatography, BPdG-DNA-Fab complexes were incubated with ferritin-labeled Fab' fragments of goat [anti-rabbit F(ab')2] IgG in amounts in excess of those necessary for complete binding. When DNA samples were modified to between 0 and 40 fmol adduct/micrograms DNA, excellent agreement was obtained between ELISA quantitation and visualization by EM of antibodies bound to adducts.

DNA adduct formation, removal and persistence in rat liver during one month of feeding 2-acetylaminofluorene

Male Wistar-Furth rats were fed 0.02% 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) for 3 days or 0.02% AAF for 25 days followed by 0.02% [ring-3H]AAF for an additional 3 days. The concentration of hepatic DNA adducts was then monitored by both radioimmunoassay and radiolabeling during 28 days of control diet. This approach allowed comparisons to be made of adduct accumulation, removal and persistence at both the beginning and end of a four week carcinogen feeding period. DNA adduct formation remained constant during the month of AAF administration with an accumulation rate of 157 fmol adduct/micrograms DNA during days 1-3 and days 25-28 of the experiment. Furthermore, the rate of removal of adducts formed during these three day periods was similar when both groups were fed control diets for 28 additional days. Continued AAF administration resulted in a slow accumulation of persistent adducts; thus, 91 +/- 6% of the adducts detected after 3 days of AAF feeding were removed during a subsequent month of control diet, while only 65 +/- 11% of the adducts detected after 28 days of AAF diet were removed when rats were fed control diet for an additional 28 days. In a second experiment, the removal of adducts was compared in animals fed control or AAF diet after previously being fed 0.02% AAF for 17 days. Similar removal curves were observed in both groups; therefore, continued ingestion of AAF did not affect the rate of adduct removal. In both experiments, biphasic repair curves were observed. These data were used to develop a pharmacokinetic model. Two genomic regions were postulated, an area susceptible to fast repair and a region more resistant to the removal of AAF adducts. At equilibrium, which was reached after 2-3 weeks of AAF feeding, the concentration of adducts in each region was similar with approximately 150 fmol adduct/micrograms DNA. Although the total number of adducts formed in the fast repair region during one month of AAF administration was five times greater than in the resistant region, the model predicted that the adducts localized in regions resistant to repair were the persistent adducts detected after one month of control diet. Overall, the removal of adducts formed during chronic AAF feeding was very efficient since greater than 93% of the adducts were removed by the end of a subsequent month of control diet.

Benzo(a)pyrene-DNA adduct formation and removal in mouse epidermis in vivo and in vitro: relationship of DNA binding to initiation of skin carcinogenesis

An antiserum specific for the major benzo(a)pyrene (BP) adduct formed with deoxyguanosine in vivo has been used by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to monitor the formation and removal of DNA-bound products in BALB/c mouse epidermis exposed topically to initiating doses of BP and in BALB/c mouse keratinocytes exposed in vitro to BP or its activated derivatives. In mouse epidermal DNA, formation of antibody-recognizable products increased proportionally between doses of 50 and 250 nmol of BP, giving 2.3 to 6.0 fmol/micrograms of DNA, respectively, and reached a plateau of 10 to 11 fmol/micrograms of DNA at doses between 1000 and 1500 nmol. Antibody-recognizable adducts comprised roughly one-half of the total BP-DNA binding, since a 250-nmol dose of [3H]BP yielded 6 fmol/micrograms of DNA by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and 12.9 fmol/micrograms of DNA by radiolabeling. Removal of trans-(7R)-N2-(10-[7 beta, 8 alpha, 9 alpha-trihydroxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo(a)pyrene]-yl)-deoxyguanosine adducts was monitored in epidermal DNA of mice exposed to 500 nmol of BP and, although no correction was approximated for DNA turnover in the skin, about one-half of the adducts formed by 24 hr were removed 3 days later, and only 10% remained at the end of a week. BP-DNA binding and removal were also studied in cultured mouse keratinocytes, where proliferating basal cells and terminally differentiating cells can be selectively studied by modulating the Ca2+ concentration of the medium. BP dose-response studies showed that, in cells of different maturation states, BP-DNA adduct levels were similar. Adduct formation greater than 10 to 11 fmol/micrograms (the highest obtained in vivo) was associated with extensive cytotoxicity and cell death. The kinetics of adduct removal was followed in culture under conditions in which dilution by DNA synthesis or cell loss could be monitored. Results of these experiments suggested that initial removal of BP-DNA adducts was more rapid in the differentiating population although, in both populations, 50% of the adduct was removed by 24 hr. The formation of foci resistant to Ca2+-induced terminal differentiation has been associated previously with carcinogen treatment in cultured keratinocytes. Exposure to BP or the antidiol-epoxide, at concentrations producing low cytotoxicity, yielded frequencies of differentiation-altered foci proportional to the dose of the compound used and to the number of DNA adducts formed.

The use of carcinogen-DNA adduct antisera for quantitation and localization of genomic damage in animal models and the human population

The use of antibodies to detect chemical carcinogen-induced DNA damage involves quantitative determination and morphological localization utilizing antisera specific for carcinogen-DNA adducts. In recent years a large number of polyclonal and monoclonal antisera have been produced against individual adducts and modified DNAs with addition products varying in structure from ethyl and methyl groups to aromatic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aflatoxins, and platinum-ammine complexes. The quantitative assays developed through the use of these antisera are able to detect attomole (10(-18) M) adduct concentrations, corresponding to one adduct in 10(8) nucleotides or a few hundreds of modifications per mammalian cell genome. This review focuses on data generated during the past 3 yr utilizing this immunotechnology as a tool to probe mechanisms of carcinogen-DNA interactions in various model systems and in the human population. Areas discussed in depth include quantitative and morphological studies involving detection of 2-acetylaminofluorene-DNA adducts in rat liver, O6-ethyl and O6-methyl deoxyguanosine adducts in rat brain, benzo[a]pyrene-DNA adducts in mouse skin and cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II)-DNA adducts in peripheral nucleated blood cells of cancer patients.