George SE, Chadwick RW, Kohan MJ, Allison JC, Warren SH, Williams RW. Atrazine treatment potentiates excretion of mutagenic urine in 2,6-dinitrotoluene-treated Fischer 344 rats.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MUTAGENESIS 1995;
26:178-184. [PMID:
7556115 DOI:
10.1002/em.2850260212]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Atrazine (ATZ), an s-triazine herbicide, is a widespread environmental contaminant. The hepatocarcinogenic component of technical grade dinitrotoluene, 2,6-dinitrotoluene (2,6-DNT, 19.5%), is a byproduct of trinitrotoluene synthesis and is found at production sites. This study explores the effect of ATZ treatment on the bioactivation of the promutagen, 2,6-DNT. Male Fischer 344 rats (5 weeks old) were administered 50 mg/kg of ATZ by gavage for 5 weeks. At 1, 3, and 5 weeks, both DMSO-control and ATZ-pretreated rats were treated p.o. with 75 mg/kg of 2,6-DNT and were housed in metabolism cages for urine collection. Sulfatase- and beta-glucuronidase-treated, concentrated urine was bioassayed for urinary mutagens in a microsuspension modification of the Salmonella assay with and without metabolic activation. No significant change in mutagen excretion was observed in ATZ-treated rats; however, an elevation in direct-acting urine mutagens from rats receiving ATZ and 2,6-DNT at weeks 1 (359 +/- 68 vs. 621 +/- 96 revertants/ml) and 5 (278 +/- 46 vs. 667 +/- 109 revertants/ml) of treatment was observed. The increase in production of urinary mutagens was accompanied by an elevation in small intestinal nitroreductase activity. Increases in large intestinal nitroreductase and beta-glucuronidase were observed after 5 weeks. There was no apparent effect of ATZ following 5 weeks of treatment on the production of 2,6-DNT-derived hepatic DNA adducts. ATZ treatment modifies intestinal enzymes responsible for promutagen bioactivation, and potentiates the excretion of mutagenic urine in 2,6-DNT-treated animals.
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