Effects of alpha-deuterium substitution on the tumorigenicity of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone in F344 rats

Metabolism and DNA Adduct Formation of Tobacco-Specific N-Nitrosamines

The tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) and N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) always occur together and exclusively in tobacco products or in environments contaminated by tobacco smoke. They have been classified as "carcinogenic to humans" by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. In 1998, we published a review of the biochemistry, biology and carcinogenicity of tobacco-specific nitrosamines. Over the past 20 years, considerable progress has been made in our understanding of the mechanisms of metabolism and DNA adduct formation by these two important carcinogens, along with progress on their carcinogenicity and mutagenicity. In this review, we aim to provide an update on the carcinogenicity and mechanisms of the metabolism and DNA interactions of NNK and NNN.

Context Matters: Contribution of Specific DNA Adducts to the Genotoxic Properties of the Tobacco-Specific Nitrosamine NNK

The tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is a potent pulmonary carcinogen in laboratory animals. It is classified as a Group 1 human carcinogen by the International Agency for Cancer Research. NNK is bioactivated upon cytochrome P450 catalyzed hydroxylation of the carbon atoms adjacent to the nitrosamino group to both methylating and pyridyloxobutylating agents. Both pathways generate a spectrum of DNA damage that contributes to the overall mutagenic and toxic properties of this compound. NNK is also reduced to form 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL), which is also carcinogenic. Like NNK, NNAL requires metabolic activation to DNA alkylating agents. Methyl hydroxylation of NNAL generates pyridylhydroxybutyl DNA adducts, and methylene hydroxylation leads to DNA methyl adducts. The consequence of this complex metabolism is that NNK generates a vast spectrum of DNA damage, any form of which can contribute to the overall carcinogenic properties of this potent pulmonary carcinogen. This Perspective reviews the chemistry and genotoxic properties of the collection of DNA adducts formed from NNK. In addition, it provides evidence that multiple adducts contribute to the overall carcinogenic properties of this chemical. The adduct that contributes to the genotoxic effects of NNK depends on the context, such as the relative amounts of each DNA alkylating pathway occurring in the model system, the levels and genetic variants of key repair enzymes, and the gene targeted for mutation.

DNA Polymerase ν Rapidly Bypasses O6-Methyl-dG but Not O6-[4-(3-Pyridyl)-4-oxobutyl-dG and O2-Alkyl-dTs

4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is a potent tobacco carcinogen that forms mutagenic DNA adducts including O6-methyl-2'-deoxyguanosine (O6-Me-dG), O6-[4-(3-pyridyl)-4-oxobut-1-yl]-dG (O6-POB-dG), O2-methylthymidine (O2-Me-dT), and O2-POB-dT. We evaluated the ability of human DNA polymerase ν to bypass this damage to evaluate the structural constraints on substrates for pol ν and to evaluate if there is kinetic evidence suggesting the in vivo activity of pol ν on tobacco-induced DNA damage. Presteady-state kinetic analysis has indicated that O6-Me-dG is a good substrate for pol ν, while O6-POB-dG and the O2-alkyl-dT adducts are poor substrates for pol ν. The reactivity with O6-Me-dG is high with a preference for dCTP > dGTP > dATP > dTTP. The catalytic activity of pol ν toward O6-Me-dG is high and can potentially be involved in its bypass in vivo. In contrast, pol ν is unlikely to bypass O6-POB-dG or the O2-alkyl-dTs in vivo.

Investigation of the reaction of myosmine with sodium nitrite in vitro and in rats

Previous studies have shown that the minor tobacco alkaloid myosmine (5) reacts with NaNO2 in the presence of acid to yield 4-hydroxy-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (HPB, 8) via 4-(3-pyridyl)-4-oxobutanediazohydroxide (7). Intermediate 7 is also formed in the metabolism of the tobacco-specific nitrosamines N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN, 1) and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK, 2), resulting in pyridyloxobutylation of DNA and Hb. These pyridyloxobutyl adducts can be quantified by analyzing HPB released upon acid treatment of DNA or base treatment of Hb. Quantitation of HPB-releasing DNA and Hb adducts has been used to assess the metabolic activation of NNN and NNK in smokers and smokeless tobacco users. Because myosmine is found in the diet as well as in tobacco products, it has been suggested that nitrosation of myosmine could lead to the formation of HPB-releasing adducts in people not exposed to tobacco products. We investigated the nitrosation of myosmine in vitro and in vivo in rats. The reaction of myosmine with NaNO2 under acidic conditions produced HPB, as previously reported. A new product was identified as 3'-oximinomyosmine (11) based on its spectral properties. NNN was not detected. Groups of rats were treated with NNN, NNK, myosmine, NaNO2, or combinations of myosmine and NaNO2. HPB-releasing Hb and DNA adducts were clearly detected in the rats treated with NNN or NNK, but we found no evidence for production of these adducts from the combination of myosmine plus NaNO2. The results of this study do not support the hypothesis that exposure to dietary myosmine could lead to HPB-releasing DNA or Hb adducts in humans.

Induction of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) activation in rat lung microsomes by chronic ethanol consumption and repeated running exercise

The effects of both chronic ethanol consumption and repeated exercise on metabolism of the tobacco-specific carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) by rat lung microsomes were investigated. Keto aldehyde production was significantly enhanced 52% and 98%, respectively, by the ethanol and exercise, as was keto alcohol production (72% and 76%). 4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) production was significantly enhanced only by the exercise (+32%). The combined treatment enhanced the keto alcohol production by 39%, indicating non-additive effects on cytochrome P450 (CYP) isozymes by the different treatments. Immunoblot and metabolic studies revealed an increased activity and content of CYP1A2 and CYP2B induced by the ethanol and exercise treatments as well as an induction of CYP2E1 proteins by the ethanol and combined treatments. These results indicate that both ethanol consumption and running exercise enhance NNK activation by increasing the expression of the CYP enzymes responsible for NNK activation.

Recent studies on mechanisms of bioactivation and detoxification of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), a tobacco-specific lung carcinogen

This article reviews recent advances in the biochemistry and molecular biology of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), a tobacco-specific pulmonary carcinogen believed to be involved in the induction of lung cancer in smokers. Several aspects of NNK bioactivation are addressed, including identification of its metabolites in laboratory animals and humans, cytochrome P450 enzyme involvement in its metabolic activation, DNA and protein adduct formation, biological significance of the major DNA adducts formed, and mutations in oncogenes from tumors induced by NNK. Collectively, the presently available data provide a reasonably clear picture of NNK bioactivation in rodents, although there are still important gaps in our mechanistic understanding of NNK-induced tumorigenesis. The studies in rodents and primates have facilitated development of methods to assess NNK bioactivation in humans, which will be applicable to studies of lung cancer susceptibility and prevention.

Effects of isothiocyanates on tumorigenesis by benzo[a]pyrene in murine tumor models

Previous studies have shown that benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) inhibited lung tumorigenesis induced in A/J mice by benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), but other experiments using a somewhat different protocol demonstrated that phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) had no effect on lung tumorigenesis induced by BaP in this strain. In contrast, PEITC but not BITC had been shown to inhibit lung tumorigenesis induced by 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) in A/J mice. Therefore, one goal of this study was to directly compare the chemopreventive activities of BITC and PEITC on BaP-induced lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice. In the same experiment we also compared the tumorigenic activities of BaP and NNK. Either BITC or PEITC was administered by gavage 15 min before gavage of BaP. This regimen was carried out three times at 2-week intervals, and the mice were sacrificed 26 weeks after the first treatment. As assessed by tumor multiplicity, BITC but not PEITC significantly inhibited lung tumorigenesis by BaP, whereas PEITC but not BITC significantly inhibited forestomach tumorigenesis. Comparison of the tumorigenic activities of NNK and BaP demonstrated that NNK was about ten times more potent than BaP as a lung tumorigen, while BaP but not NNK induced forestomach tumors. In a second set of experiments we evaluated the effects of isothiocyanates on the mouse skin tumor-initiating activity of BaP. The isothiocyanates tested were BITC, PEITC, 6-phenylhexyl isothiocyanate (PHITC) and a series of isothiocyanates structurally related to polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons: 9-phenanthryl isothiocyanate (9-PhenITC), 9-phenanthrylmethyl isothiocyanate (9-PhenMeITC), 6-chrysenyl isothiocyanate (6-ChrysITC) and 6-benzo[a]pyrenyl isothiocyanate (6-BaPITC). None of the isothiocyanates inhibited tumor development by BaP, and three of them--PHITC, 9-PhenITC and 9- PhenMeITC--enhanced skin tumor multiplicity. Taken together with available literature data, the results of this study suggest that different isothiocyanates selectively inhibit cytochrome P450 enzymes involved in the metabolic activation or detoxification of BaP and therefore have differing effects on BaP tumorigenesis.

Chemically induced DNA damage in isolated rabbit lung cells

By use of an isolation procedure including centrifugal elutriation and density gradient centrifugation, relatively pure fractions of Clara cells and type II cells were obtained from rabbit lungs. These cells and alveolar macrophages isolated by lavage were exposed to methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP), 1-nitropyrene (1-NP), 2-nitrofluorene (2-NF), 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), N-nitrosoheptamethyleneimine (NHMI) or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (TPA). DNA damage measured as alkali-labile sites and/or single-strand breaks was then determined in the different lung cells by an automated alkaline elution system. The direct-acting compound MMS showed similar DNA-damaging effect in Clara cells, type II cells and alveolar macrophages. The nematocide DBCP, activated by both P450- and glutathione S-transferase(s)-dependent pathways, caused considerably less DNA damage in macrophages than in Clara or type II cells. Similar differences between the lung cells in induction of DNA damage as observed with DBCP were demonstrated after exposure to the activation-dependent nitrosamines NNK and NHMI and the tumor promoter TPA. The other test substances (1-NP, 2-NF, NNN) did not cause any marked DNA damage measured by the alkaline elution technique. These findings are in agreement with the known metabolic capacity of these cell types, indicating that Clara and type II cells are possible primary targets for lung toxic/carcinogenic compounds.

Analysis of mutagenic activity and ability to induce replication of polyoma DNA sequences by different model metabolites of the carcinogenic tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone

The tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) requires metabolic activation to express its carcinogenic activity. This activation leads to the formation of methylating and pyridyloxobutylating agents. To determine the possible biological effects mediated by each of these metabolic pathways we have studied the activities of model compounds that are metabolized to either a methylating or pyridyloxobutylating species. Each model compound was evaluated for its mutagenic activity in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell systems. The model compounds were also tested for their ability to induce asynchronous replication of viral DNA sequences. We demonstrate here that both the methylating model compound acetoxymethylmethylnitrosamine (AMMN) and the pyridyloxobutylating model compound 4-(acetoxymethyl)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNKOAc) were mutagenic in strains TA98, TA100, and TA1535 but not TA102. While NNKOAc appeared to be 10 times more potent than AMMN in Salmonella, AMMN was found to be a more potent mutagen in mammalian G12 cells. Both chemicals could induce asynchronous replication of polyoma DNA sequences in rat fibroblast cells carrying an integrated copy of the polyoma virus with AMMN appearing to be more active. Measurement of DNA adduct levels suggest that the damage produced by NNKOAc was at least as active as that produced by AMMN when viewed on a per adduct basis. The possible implications of the biological activities exhibited by methylating and pyridyloxobutylating model compounds to NNK induced carcinogenesis are discussed.

Tobacco-specific nitrosamines--metabolism and biological monitoring of exposure to tobacco products

Tobacco-specific nitrosamines are derived from nicotine and related tobacco alkaloids and can be detected in tobacco products as well as in mainstream and sidestream smoke. Two of them, N-nitrosonornicotine and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone, are strong carcinogens in laboratory animals. Because of its organospecificity for the lung, the latter is considered to be a causative factor in tobacco-related human lung cancer. Upon metabolic activation both nitrosamines give rise to a common reactive intermediate binding to macromolecules such as DNA and haemoglobin and hydrolysing to 4-hydroxy-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone. Because of easy access to large quantities of haemoglobin from blood samples, it is most suitable for biomonitoring human exposure to tobacco-specific nitrosamines. A highly sensitive analytical method for determination of femtogram amounts of 4-hydroxy-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone provides an approach to assess individual exposure to active and passive smoking.

A/J mouse lung tumorigenesis by the tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone and its inhibition by arylalkyl isothiocyanates

4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is an important carcinogen found in tobacco and tobacco smoke. It is a potent lung tumorigen in rodents and appears to be involved in human cancer induced by tobacco products. NNK induces lung tumors in A/J mice after a single dose; tumor multiplicity is higher when the mice are maintained on an AIN-76A diet than when they are maintained on NIH-07 diet. This paper reviews our recent research using this single-dose model. Bioassays of deuterium substituted analogues of NNK have demonstrated that methylation of DNA by NNK is an important step in lung tumor induction. Arylalkyl isothiocyanates inhibit the metabolic activation of NNK and consequently inhibit its DNA binding and tumorigenesis. Structure activity studies have demonstrated that increasing alkyl chain length leads to increasing efficacy in prevention of NNK tumorigenesis. Thus, 3-phenylpropyl isothiocyanate and 4-phenylbutyl isothiocyanate blocked NNK induced lung tumor formation in A/J mice. Lower doses of longer chain arylalkyl isothiocyanates were even more effective as chemopreventive agents.