A compilation of two decades of mutagenicity test results with the Ames Salmonella typhimurium and L5178Y mouse lymphoma cell mutation assays

As previously reported [Cameron, T. P., Rogers-Back, A. M., Lawlor, T. E., Harbell, J. W., Seifried, H. E., and Dunkel, V. C. (1991) Gentoxicity of multifunctional acrylates in the Salmonella/mammalian-microsome assay and mouse lymphoma TK+/- assay. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 17, 264-271], the National Cancer Institute (NCI) shares the responsibility of selecting the most significant chemicals for carcinogenicity testing by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) and has used data from Salmonella and mouse lymphoma mutagenicity assays to aid in the selection and prioritization of chemicals to be further evaluated in chronic 2 year rodent studies. In addition, a number of antineoplastic and anti-AIDS drugs in preclinical evaluation were tested for the NCI's Division of Cancer Treatment Toxicology Branch. In the NCI/NTP chemical selection process, it is no longer necessary to test chemicals prior to sending them to the NTP so the NCI program has ceased performing mutagenicity tests. Some of the testing data has been made available in summary form in the Chemical Carcinogenisis Research Information System (CCRIS), which is searchable on the NLM TOXNET system. The limitations in using this source are that only summary results are available and many negative test results are not included. A summary table that presents the results for each compound is provided in the Appendix with raw data provided in the Supporting Information. The Appendix table contains the compound name, CAS number, and a summary of the data from the Ames test and the mouse lymphoma assay.

Genotoxicity of iron chelators in L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells

To further study the mechanism of observed iron mutagenicity and cellular toxicity, a number of different iron chelators were evaluated to select a compound that was not mutagenic and had limited toxicity to mouse lymphoma cells. A series of iron chelators including those used clinically, those under development for clinical applications, and those used in nonclinical applications were evaluated. The mutagenic activity of the iron chelators was assessed in L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells. Eight of the 12 iron chelators that were tested induced mutagenic responses both with and without the addition of S9. Among those chelators used clinically or developed for clinical use, the only compound that did not induce a mutagenic response was the starch deferoxamine conjugate. In contrast, deferoxamine mesylate showed the highest toxicity in this group of chemicals and the concentrations leading to toxicity and mutagenicity between the activated and nonactivated assays were not significantly different. The other three chelators that were not mutagenic were Na2EDTA, phytic acid, and ferrozine.

Genotoxicity of iron compounds in Salmonella typhimurium and L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells

The mutagenic activity of elemental and salt forms of iron (Fe), including compounds currently being used in dietary supplements and for food fortification, were evaluated for mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium and L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells. Except for the weak response obtained with ferrous fumarate, none of the compounds induced a mutagenic response in Salmonella. In the mouse lymphoma assay, responses were related to the Fe compound and/or reduction of ferric (Fe+3) to ferrous (Fe+2). Responses with the elemental forms of Fe were divergent. Electrolytic Fe with a relatively larger particle size and irregular shape was negative. The smaller-sized carbonyl Fe, which after 4 hr attached to and was taken up by the cells, induced mutagenic responses both with and without S9. With ferric chloride (FeCl3) and ferric phosphate (FePO4), there was an increase in mutant frequency only with S9. With the Fe+2 compounds, ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) and ferrous fumarate (FeC4H2O4), positive responses were observed without S9. The Fe chelate, sodium Fe(III)EDTA was positive in both the presence and absence of S9. The lowest effective doses (LED) for induction of mutagenicity were identified for these compounds and an LED ratio calculated. The LED ratio ranges from 1 for FeSO4 to 30 for carbonyl Fe, which are similar to oral LD50 values obtained in animal studies.

Strategy and planning for chemopreventive drug development: clinical development plans II

This is the second publication of Clinical Development Plans from the National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Chemoprevention Branch and Agent Development Committee. The Clinical Development Plans summarize the status of promising chemopreventive agents regarding evidence for safety and chemopreventive efficacy in preclinical and clinical studies. They also contain the strategy for further development of these drugs, addressing pharmacodynamics, drug effect measurements, intermediate biomarkers for monitoring efficacy, toxicity, supply and formulation, regulatory approval, and proposed clinical trials. Sixteen new Clinical Development Plans are presented here: curcumin, dehydroepiandrosterone, folic acid, genistein, indole-3-carbinol, perillyl alcohol, phenethyl isothiocyanate, 9-cis-retinoic acid, 13-cis-retinoic acid, l-selenomethionine and 1, 4-phenylenebis(methylene)selenocyanate, sulindac sulfone, tea, ursodiol, vitamin A, and (+)-vorozole. The objective of publishing these plans is to stimulate interest and thinking among the scientific community on the prospects for developing these and future generations of chemopreventive drugs.

The mechanism of action of cytochrome P-450. Occurrence of the 'NIH shift' during hydroperoxide-dependent aromatic hydroxylations

The mechanism of liver microsomal aromatic hydroxylation has been investigated by using cumene hydroperoxide as the hydroxylating agent and comparing this reaction with the NADPH-dependent reaction. The conversion of [4-(3)H]acetanilide to 4-hydroxyacetanilide by rat liver microsomes (or purified cytochrome P-450) in the presence of either cumene hydroperoxide or NADPH is attended by comparable 'NIH shifts'. This indicates that hydroxylation in the two systems proceeds via a common intermediate, presumably an arene oxide. The intermediacy of an arene oxide, phenanthrene-9,10-oxide, is established by incubating [3-(3)H]-phenanthrene with rat-liver microsomes and cumene hydroperoxide in the presence of either non-radioactive phenanthrene-9,10-oxide as a 'trap' or in the presence of cyclohexene oxide, an inhibitor of the enzyme epoxide hydrase. Incubation of phenanthrene with cumene hydroperoxide in an 18O-enriched medium has confirmed that the oxygen atom in phenanthrene-9,10-oxide is derived from the hydroperoxide and not from the medium.

Investigation of microsomal oxygenases of biosynthetic processes. Stearyl-CoA desaturase of adipose tissue and liver

Porcine and rat microsomal stearyl-CoA desaturases require reduced pyridine nucleotide and oxygen, are cyanide sensitive, and are insensitive to carbon monoxide. The Km for stearyl-CoA is somewhat larger for liver than for the adipose desaturases, but, in general, assay conditions are quite similar. Adipose tissue microsomes contain cytochromes b5 and P-450, as well as the NADH- and NADPH-specific cytochrome reductases. Compared to liver, the specific contents and activities of electron carriers are much lower in adipose tissue, and activities of 4-methyl sterol oxidase of cholesterol biosynthesis, as well as the cytochrome P-450-dependent aminopyrene demethylase and benzypyrene hydroxylase, are negligible in adipose tissue microsomes. Furthermore, unlike hepatic desaturase, administration of insulin stimulates the adipose desaturase 3-fold without affecting either the amounts or activities of microsomal oxidation-reduction proteins; the changes in desaturase activities produced either by altering dietary fat or by fasting and/or fasting followed by refeeding are, in general, both more extensive and more permanent in adipose compared to liver microsomes. The effects produced by isotopic hydrogen substitution both in stearyl-CoA and in the medium (2H2O) are similar with microsomes from both tissues. The rate-determining step of desaturase appears to be similar in both tissues. The primary isotope effect, k H/Tr, observed with [9,10-3H2]stearyl-CoA is relatively small, 2.88. Since little, if any, primary isotope effect is associated with methyl sterol oxidase, these two mixed function oxidases of biosynthetic processes also appear to share this property in common.