Integration of in vivo genotoxicity and short-term carcinogenicity assays using F344 gpt delta transgenic rats: in vivo mutagenicity of 2,4-diaminotoluene and 2,6-diaminotoluene structural isomers

Mutagenicity of carcinogenic heterocyclic amines in Salmonella typhimurium YG strains and transgenic rodents including gpt delta

Chemical carcinogens to humans have been usually identified by epidemiological studies on the relationships between occupational or environmental exposure to the agents and specific cancer induction. In contrast, carcinogenic heterocyclic amines were identified under the principle that mutagens in bacterial in the Ames test are possible human carcinogens. In the 1970s to 1990s, more than 10 heterocyclic amines were isolated from pyrolysates of amino acids, proteins, meat or fish as mutagens in the Ames test, and they were demonstrated as carcinogens in rodents. In the 1980s and 1990s, we have developed derivatives of the Ames tester strains that overexpressed acetyltransferase of Salmonella typhimurium. These strains such as Salmonella typhimurium YG1024 exhibited a high sensitivity to the mutagenicity of the carcinogenic heterocyclic amines. Because of the high sensitivity, YG1024 and other YG strains were used for various purposes, e.g., identification of novel heterocyclic amines, mechanisms of metabolic activation, comparison of mutagenic potencies of various heterocyclic amines, and the co-mutagenic effects. In the 1990s and 2000s, we developed transgenic mice and rats for the detection of mutagenicity of chemicals in vivo. The transgenics were generated by the introduction of reporter genes for mutations into fertilized eggs of mice and rats. We named the transgenics as gpt delta because the gpt gene of Escherichia coli was used for detection of point mutations such as base substitutions and frameshifts and the red/gam genes of λ phage were employed to detect deletion mutations. The transgenic rodents gpt delta and other transgenics with lacI or lacZ as reporter genes have been utilized for characterization of mutagenicity of heterocyclic amines in vivo. In this review, we summarized the in vitro mutagenicity of heterocyclic amines in Salmonella typhimurium YG strains and the in vivo mutagenicity in transgenic rodents. We discussed the relationships between in vitro and in vivo mutagenicity of the heterocyclic amines and their relations to the carcinogenicity.

New homozygous gpt delta transgenic rat strain improves an efficiency of the in vivo mutagenicity assay

Background

Gene mutation assays in transgenic rodents are useful tools to investigate in vivo mutagenicity in a target tissue. Using a lambda EG10 transgene containing reporter genes, gpt delta transgenic mice and rats have been developed to detect point mutations and deletions. The transgene is integrated in the genome and can be rescued through an in vitro packaging reaction. However, the packaging efficiency is lower in gpt delta rats than in mice, because of the transgene in gpt delta rats being heterozygous and in low copy number. To improve the packaging efficiency, we herein describe a newly developed homozygous gpt delta rat strain.

Results

The new gpt delta rat has a Wistar Hannover background and has been successfully maintained as homozygous for the transgene. The packaging efficiency in the liver was 4 to 8 times higher than that of existing heterozygous F344 gpt delta rats. The frequency of gpt point mutations significantly increased in the liver and bone marrow of N-nitroso-N-ethylurea (ENU)- and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP)-treated rats. Spi⁻ deletion frequencies significantly increased in the liver and bone marrow of BaP-treated rats but not in ENU-treated rats. Whole genome sequencing analysis identified ≥ 30 copies of lambda EG10 transgenes integrated in rat chromosome 1.

Conclusions

The new homozygous gpt delta rat strain showed a higher packaging efficiency, and could be useful for in vivo gene mutation assays in rats.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s41021-021-00195-1.

Weight of evidence approach using a TK gene mutation assay with human TK6 cells for follow-up of positive results in Ames tests: a collaborative study by MMS/JEMS

BACKGROUND

Conflicting results between bacterial mutagenicity tests (the Ames test) and mammalian carcinogenicity tests might be due to species differences in metabolism, genome structure, and DNA repair systems. Mutagenicity assays using human cells are thought to be an advantage as follow-up studies for positive results in Ames tests. In this collaborative study, a thymidine kinase gene mutation study (TK6 assay) using human lymphoblastoid TK6 cells, established in OECD TG490, was used to examine 10 chemicals that have conflicting results in mutagenicity studies (a positive Ames test and a negative result in rodent carcinogenicity studies).

RESULTS

Two of 10 test substances were negative in the overall judgment (20% effective as a follow-up test). Three of these eight positive substances were negative after the short-term treatment and positive after the 24 h treatment, despite identical treatment conditions without S9. A toxicoproteomic analysis of TK6 cells treated with 4-nitroanthranilic acid was thus used to aid the interpretation of the test results. This analysis using differentially expressed proteins after the 24 h treatment indicated that in vitro specific oxidative stress is involved in false positive response in the TK6 assay.

CONCLUSIONS

The usefulness of the TK6 assay, by current methods that have not been combined with new technologies such as proteomics, was found to be limited as a follow-up test, although it still may help to reduce some false positive results (20%) in Ames tests. Thus, the combination analysis with toxicoproteomics may be useful for interpreting false positive results raised by 24 h specific reactions in the assay, resulting in the more reduction (> 20%) of false positives in Ames test.

My career development with Ames test: A personal recollection

I first became acquainted with the Ames test at the very beginning of my career in 1978, when my task at the National Institute of Health Sciences (Tokyo) was to screen for mutagenicity of food additives used in Japan, using the Ames test. I also used this test to research the metabolic activation mechanisms of chemical carcinogens, in particular, the analgesic drug, phenacetin. This chemical was not mutagenic in Salmonella typhimurium TA100 with standard 9000 × g supernatant of liver homogenates (S9) from rat but was mutagenic with hamster S9. It was revealed that hamster S9 had much higher deacetylation activities than rat S9, which accounts for the species difference. Then, my work was focused on molecular biology. We cloned the genes encoding nitroreductase and acetyltransferase in Salmonella typhimurium TA1538. Plasmids carrying these genes made strain TA98 more sensitive to mutagenic nitroarenes and aromatic amines. Because of their high sensitivity, the resulting strains such as YG1021 and YG1024 are widely used to monitor mutagenic nitroarenes and aromatic amines in complex mixtures. Later, we disrupted the genes encoding DNA polymerases in TA1538 and classified chemical mutagens into four classes depending on their use of different DNA polymerases. I was also involved in the generation of gpt delta transgenic rodent gene mutation assays, which examine the results of the Ames test in vivo. I have unintentionally developed my career under the influence of Dr. Ames and I would like to acknowledge his remarkable achievements in the field of environmental mutagenesis and carcinogenesis.

Transgenic rat models for mutagenesis and carcinogenesis

Rats are a standard experimental animal for cancer bioassay and toxicological research for chemicals. Although the genetic analyses were behind mice, rats have been more frequently used for toxicological research than mice. This is partly because they live longer than mice and induce a wider variety of tumors, which are morphologically similar to those in humans. The body mass is larger than mice, which enables to take samples from organs for studies on pharmacokinetics or toxicokinetics. In addition, there are a number of chemicals that exhibit marked species differences in the carcinogenicity. These compounds are carcinogenic in rats but not in mice. Such examples are aflatoxin B1 and tamoxifen, both are carcinogenic to humans. Therefore, negative mutagenic/carcinogenic responses in mice do not guarantee that the chemical is not mutagenic/carcinogenic to rats or perhaps to humans. To facilitate research on in vivo mutagenesis and carcinogenesis, several transgenic rat models have been established. In general, the transgenic rats for mutagenesis are treated with chemicals longer than transgenic mice for more exact examination of the relationship between mutagenesis and carcinogenesis. Transgenic rat models for carcinogenesis are engineered mostly to understand mechanisms underlying chemical carcinogenesis. Here, we review papers dealing with the transgenic rat models for mutagenesis and carcinogenesis, and discuss the future perspective.

A Novel Open Tubular Capillary Electrochromatographic Method for Differentiating the DNA Interaction Affinity of Environmental Contaminants

The interaction of chemicals with DNA may lead to genotoxicity, mutation or carcinogenicity. A simple open tubular capillary electrochromatographic method is proposed to rapidly assess the interaction affinity of three environmental contaminants (1,4-phenylenediamine, pyridine and 2,4-diaminotoluene) to DNA by measuring their retention in the capillaries coated with DNA probes. DNA oligonucleotide probes were immobilized on the inner wall of a fused silica capillary that was first derivatized with 3-(aminopropyl)-triethoxysilane (APTES). The difference in retention times and factors was considered as the difference in interaction affinity of the contaminants to the DNA probes. The interaction of the contaminants with both double-stranded (dsDNA) and single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) coatings was compared. Retention factors of 1,4-phenylenediamine, pyridine and 2,4-diaminotoluene in the capillary coated with ssDNA probe were 0.29, 0.42, and 0.44, respectively. A similar trend was observed in the capillary coated with dsDNA, indicating that 2,4-diaminotoluene has the highest affinity among the three contaminants. The relative standard deviation (RSD) for the retention factors was in the range of 0.05-0.69% (n = 3). The results demonstrated that the developed technique could be applied for preliminary screening purpose to provide DNA interaction affinity information of various environmental contaminants.

Past, Present and Future Directions of gpt delta Rodent Gene Mutation Assays

Genotoxicity is a critical endpoint of toxicity to regulate environmental chemicals. Genotoxic chemicals are believed to have no thresholds for the action and impose genotoxic risk to humans even at very low doses. Therefore, genotoxic carcinogens, which induce tumors via genotoxic mechanisms, are regulated more strictly than non-genotoxic carcinogens, which induce tumors through non-genotoxic mechanisms such as hormonal effects, cell proliferation and cell toxicity. Although Ames bacterial mutagenicity assay is the gold standard to identify genotoxicity of chemicals, the genotoxicity should be further examined in rodents because Ames positive chemicals are not necessarily genotoxic in vivo. To better evaluate the genotoxicity of chemicals in a whole body system, gene mutation assays with gpt delta transgenic mice and rats have been developed. A feature of the assays is to detect point mutations and deletions by two distinct selection methods, ie, gpt and Spi- assays, respectively. The Spi- assay is unique in that it allows analyses of deletions and complex DNA rearrangements induced by double-strand breaks in DNA. Here, I describe the concept of gpt delta gene mutation assays and the application in food safety research, and discuss future perspectives of genotoxicity assays in vivo.

Genomic integration of lambda EG10 transgene in gpt delta transgenic rodents

Background

Transgenic gpt delta mouse and rat models were developed to perform gpt and Spi⁻ assays for in vivo mutagenicity tests. The animals were established by integration of lambda EG10 phage DNA as a transgene into the genome. The inserted position of the transgene on chromosome was determined by fluorescent in situ hybridization and Southern blot analyses; however, the exact position and sequence of the inserted junction were not known. To identify the site and pattern of genomic integration of the transgene copies, genomic DNAs extracted from C57BL/6J gpt delta mice and F344 gpt delta rats were applied to whole genome sequencing and mate-pair analysis.

Results

The result confirmed that multi-copy lambda EG10 transgenes are inserted at a single position in the mouse chromosome 17. The junction contains 70 bp of overlapped genomic sequences, and it has short homology at both ends. A copy number analysis suggested that the inserted transgenes may contain 41 head-to-tail junctions and 16 junctions of other types such as rearranged abnormal junctions. It suggested that the number of intact copies could be approximately 40 at maximum. In the F344 gpt delta rats, transgenes are inserted at a single position in the rat chromosome 4. The junction contains no overlapped sequence but 72-kb genomic sequence including one gene was deleted. The inserted transgenes may contain 15 head-to-tail junctions and two rearranged junctions. It suggested that the number of intact copies could be 14 at maximum. One germline base substitution in the gpt gene rescued from gpt delta rats was characterized.

Conclusions

The exact inserted positions of the lambda EG10 transgene in the genome of gpt delta transgenic rodents were identified. The copy number and arrangement of the transgene were analyzed. PCR primers for quick genotyping of gpt delta mice and rats have been designed.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s41021-015-0024-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Evaluation of p-phenylenediamine, o-phenylphenol sodium salt, and 2,4-diaminotoluene in the rat comet assay as part of the Japanese Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods (JaCVAM)-initiated international validation study of in vivo rat alkaline comet assay

As part of the Japanese Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods (JaCVAM)-initiated international validation study of in vivo rat alkaline comet assay (comet assay), p-phenylenediamine dihydrochloride (PPD), o-phenylphenol sodium salt (OPP), and 2,4-diaminotoluene (2,4-DAT), were analyzed in this laboratory as coded test chemicals. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (7-9 weeks of age) were given three oral doses of the test compounds, 24 and 21 h apart and liver and stomach were sampled 3h after the final dose administration. Under the conditions of the test, no increases in DNA damage were observed in liver and stomach with PPD and OPP up to 100 and 1000 mg/kg/day, respectively. 2,4-DAT, a known genotoxic carcinogen, induced a weak but reproducible, dose-related and statistically significant increase in DNA damage in liver cells while no increases were observed in stomach cells.

Genotoxicity of phenacetin in the kidney and liver of Sprague-Dawley gpt delta transgenic rats in 26-week and 52-week repeated-dose studies

Transgenic rat mutation assays can be used to assess genotoxic properties of chemicals in target organs for carcinogenicity. Mutations in transgenes are genetically neutral and accumulate during a treatment period; thus, assays are suitable for assessing the genotoxic risk of chemicals using a repeated-dose treatment paradigm. However, only a limited number of such studies have been conducted. To examine the utility of transgenic rat assays in repeated-dose studies, we fed male and female Sprague-Dawley gpt delta rats with a 0.5% phenacetin-containing diet for 26 and 52 weeks. A long-term feeding of phenacetin is known to induce renal cancer in rats. Phenacetin administration for 52 weeks in males significantly increased gpt (point mutations) mutant frequency (MF) in the kidney, the target organ of carcinogenesis. In the liver, the nontarget organ of carcinogenesis, gpt MFs were significantly elevated in phenacetin treatment groups of both genders during 26- and 52-week treatments. Furthermore, sensitive to P2 interference (Spi(-)deletions) MF increased in the liver of both genders following 52-week treatment. MFs were higher after treatment for 52 weeks than after treatment for 26 weeks. Frequencies of phenacetin-induced mutations were higher in the liver than in the kidney, suggesting that the intensity of genotoxicity does not necessarily correlate with the induction of tumor formation. Results from gpt delta rat assays of repeated-dose treatments are extremely useful to elucidate the relationship between gene mutations and carcinogenesis in the target organ induced by cancer-causing agents.

Evaluation of the genotoxicity of tamoxifen in the liver and kidney of F344 gpt delta transgenic rat in 3-week and 13-week repeated dose studies

Transgenic rat gene mutation assays can be used to assess genotoxicity of chemicals in target organs for carcinogenicity. Mutations in transgenes are genetically neutral and accumulate during a treatment period; thus, the assays are suitable for assessment of the genotoxicity risk of chemicals using a repeated-dose treatment paradigm. However, few such studies have been conducted. To examine the utility of the transgenic rat assays in repeated-dose studies, we treated female F344 gpt delta rats with tamoxifen (TAM) at 20 and 40mg/kg, or toremifene (TOR) at 40mg/kg by gavage daily for 3 weeks. We also fed gpt delta rats with TAM at either 250ppm (15.4-17.6mg/kg) or 500ppm (30.0-32.9mg/kg) for 13 weeks. TAM is carcinogenic in the rat liver and TOR is not carcinogenic. TAM administration significantly increased gpt (point mutations) and Spi(-) (deletions) mutant frequencies (MFs) in the liver, the target organ of carcinogenesis; MFs were higher after treatment for 13 weeks than after treatment for 3 weeks. The MFs in the kidney did not increase in any of the TAM treatment groups. TOR had no effect on MFs (gpt and Spi(-)) in either the liver or the kidney. We conclude that the gpt delta rat assay in the repeated-dose treatment paradigm is sensitive enough to detect gene mutations induced by TAM in the target organ for carcinogenesis. Furthermore, the assay can be integrated into a 13-week dose-finding study for a 2-year cancer bioassay.

Development of a Medium-term Animal Model Using gpt Delta Rats to Evaluate Chemical Carcinogenicity and Genotoxicity

In this study, the potential for development of an animal model (GPG46) capable of rapidly detecting chemical carcinogenicity and the underlying mechanisms of action were examined in gpt delta rats using a reporter gene assay to detect mutations and a medium-term rat liver bioassay to detect tumor promotion. The tentative protocol for the GPG46 model was developed based on the results of dose-response exposure to diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and treatment with phenobarbital over time following DEN administration. Briefly, gpt delta rats were exposed to various chemicals for 4 weeks, followed by a partial hepatectomy (PH) to collect samples for an in vivo mutation assay. The mutant frequencies (MFs) of the reporter genes were examined as an indication of tumor initiation. A single intraperitoneal (ip) injection of 10 mg/kg DEN was administered to rats 18 h after the PH to initiate hepatocytes. Tumor-promoting activity was evaluated based on the development of glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P)-positive foci at week 10. The genotoxic carcinogens 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF), 2-amino-3-methylimidazo [4,5-f] quinolone (IQ) and safrole (SF), the non-genotoxic carcinogens piperonyl butoxide (PBO) and phenytoin (PHE), the non-carcinogen acetaminophen (APAP) and the genotoxic non-hepatocarcinogen aristolochic acid (AA) were tested to validate the GPG46 model. The validation results indicate that the GPG46 model could be a powerful tool in understanding chemical carcinogenesis and provide valuable information regarding human risk hazards.

Concordance between Results of Medium-term Liver Carcinogenesis Bioassays and Long-term Findings for Carcinogenic 2-Nitropropane and Non-carcinogenic1-Nitropropane in F344 Rats

This study was conducted to determine the concordance of results for a pair of structural isomers, 2-nitropropane (2-NP) and 1-nitropropane (1-NP), using the rat medium-term liver carcinogenesis bioassay (Ito test) and previously published long-term carcinogenicity tests. Male F344 rats were given a single intraperitoneal injection of DEN (200 mg/kg b.w.) to initiate hepatocarcinogenesis. After 2 weeks, they received per os 0, 0.8, 4 or 20 mg/kg/day of 2-NP or 1-NP six times a week and were subjected to two-thirds partial hepatectomy at week 3. Non-initiated groups receiving 0 or 20 mg/kg/day were also included. The animals were sacrificed for quantitative analysis of GST-P-positive foci at week 8. With the highest dose of 2-NP, significantly increased numbers and areas of GST-P-positive foci were demonstrated as compared with the respective control but were not noted with 1-NP. In the non-DEN-initiated groups, many small GST-P-positive foci of less than 0.2 mm in diameter were also induced in the rats treated with 2-NP at 20 mg/kg/day but were lacking with 1-NP. These results strongly support that 2-NP is a complete hepatocarcinogen with a potent initiation activity, whereas 1-NP is not.

A core in vitro genotoxicity battery comprising the Ames test plus the in vitro micronucleus test is sufficient to detect rodent carcinogens and in vivo genotoxins

In vitro genotoxicity testing needs to include tests in both bacterial and mammalian cells, and be able to detect gene mutations, chromosomal damage and aneuploidy. This may be achieved by a combination of the Ames test (detects gene mutations) and the in vitro micronucleus test (MNvit), since the latter detects both chromosomal aberrations and aneuploidy. In this paper we therefore present an analysis of an existing database of rodent carcinogens and a new database of in vivo genotoxins in terms of the in vitro genotoxicity tests needed to detect their in vivo activity. Published in vitro data from at least one test system (most were from the Ames test) were available for 557 carcinogens and 405 in vivo genotoxins. Because there are fewer publications on the MNvit than for other mammalian cell tests, and because the concordance between the MNvit and the in vitro chromosomal aberration (CAvit) test is so high for clastogenic activity, positive results in the CAvit test were taken as indicative of a positive result in the MNvit where there were no, or only inadequate data for the latter. Also, because Hprt and Tk loci both detect gene-mutation activity, a positive Hprt test was taken as indicative of a mouse-lymphoma Tk assay (MLA)-positive, where there were no data for the latter. Almost all of the 962 rodent carcinogens and in vivo genotoxins were detected by an in vitro battery comprising Ames+MNvit. An additional 11 carcinogens and six in vivo genotoxins would apparently be detected by the MLA, but many of these had not been tested in the MNvit or CAvit tests. Only four chemicals emerge as potentially being more readily detected in MLA than in Ames+MNvit--benzyl acetate, toluene, morphine and thiabendazole--and none of these are convincing cases to argue for the inclusion of the MLA in addition to Ames+MNvit. Thus, there is no convincing evidence that any genotoxic rodent carcinogens or in vivo genotoxins would remain undetected in an in vitro test battery consisting of Ames+MNvit.

New Short Term Prediction Method for Chemical Carcinogenicity by Hepatic Transcript Profiling following 28-Day Toxicity Tests in Rats

We have previously shown the hepatic gene expression profiles of carcinogens in 28-day toxicity tests were clustered into three major groups (Group-1 to 3). Here, we developed a new prediction method for Group-1 carcinogens which consist mainly of genotoxic rat hepatocarcinogens. The prediction formula was generated by a support vector machine using 5 selected genes as the predictive genes and predictive score was introduced to judge carcinogenicity. It correctly predicted the carcinogenicity of all 17 Group-1 chemicals and 22 of 24 non-carcinogens regardless of genotoxicity. In the dose-response study, the prediction score was altered from negative to positive as the dose increased, indicating that the characteristic gene expression profile emerged over a range of carcinogen-specific doses. We conclude that the prediction formula can quantitatively predict the carcinogenicity of Group-1 carcinogens. The same method may be applied to other groups of carcinogens to build a total system for prediction of carcinogenicity.