Alain Barbin

Etheno DNA-base adducts from endogenous reactive species

Promutagenic etheno (epsilon) adducts in DNA are generated through reactions of DNA bases with LPO products derived from endogenous sources or from exposure to several xenobiotics. The availability of sensitive methods has made it possible to detect three epsilon-adducts in vivo, namely epsilon dA, epsilon dC and N2,3-epsilon dG. One probable endogenous source for the formation of these adducts arises from LPO products such as trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), resulting in highly variable background epsilon-adduct levels in tissues from unexposed humans and rodents. The range of background levels of epsilon dAx10-8dA detected inhuman tissues was <0.05 to 25 and in rodent tissues 0.02 to 10; the corresponding values for epsilon dCx10-8dC were 0.01 to 11 and 0.03 to 24, respectively. Part of this variability may be associated with different dietary intake of antioxidants and/or omega-6 PUFAs which oxidize readily to form 4-hydroxyalkenals, as epsilon dA and epsilon dC levels in WBC-DNA of female volunteers on a high omega-6 PUFA diet were drastically elevated. Increased levels of etheno adducts were also found in the liver of cancer-prone patients suffering from hereditary metal storage diseases, i.e., Wilsons disease (WD) and primary hemochromatosis (PH) as well as in Long-Evans Cinnamon rats, an animal model for WD. Increased metal-induced oxidative stress and LPO-derive epsilon-adducts, along with other oxidative damage, may trigger this hereditary liver cancer. Epsilon-Adducts could hence be explored as biomarkers (i) to ascertain the role of LPO mediated DNA damage in human cancers associated with oxidative stress imposed by certain lifestyle patterns, chronic infections and inflammations, and (ii) to verify the reduction of these epsilon-adducts by cancer chemopreventive agents. This article summarizes recent results on the formation, occurrence and possible role of epsilon-DNA adducts in carcinogenesis and mutagenesis.

Mutagenic and alkylating metabolites of halo-ethylenes, chlorobutadienes and dichlorobutenes produced by rodent or human liver tissues

Mutagenicity, expressed as the number of his+ revenants per μmole of test compound per hour of exposure, was estimated in two strains of S. typhimurium in the presence of a postmitochondrial mouse-liver supernatant, following exposure to vapours of one of a series of halo-olefins. Their activity was in the following descending order: 3,4-dichlorobutene-1 > 1-chlorobutadiene (technical grade) > 2-chlorobutadiene > vinyl bromide > vinylidene chloride > vinyl chloride; marginal mutagenicity was detected in the presence of 1,1,2-trichloroethylene and 1,1-difluoroethylene, and none with tetrachloroethylene and vinyl acetate. Liver fractions from humans converted vinyl chloride, vinyl bromide, vinylidene chloride and 2-chlorobutadiene into mutagens. In the plate incorporation assay, 1,4-dichlorobutene-2 was mutagenic per se, and addition of microsomal fractions from human or mouse liver enhanced the mutagenicity; a synthetic putative metabolite, 1,4-dichloro-2,3-epoxybutane was less mutagenic than the parent olefin in strain TA100. Treatment of rats with phenobarbital or 3-methylcholanthrene caused an up to 2-fold increase in the liver microsome-mediated mutagenicities of vinyl chloride and vinylidene chloride in S. typhimurium TA1530; while treatment with pregnenolone-16α-carbonitrile, aminoacetonitrile or disulfiram decreased the mutagenic effects. Vinyl chloride, and probably vinyl bromide, were shown to be epoxidized by mouse-liver microsomes; volatile alkylating metabolites were trapped by reaction with excess 4-(4-nitrobenzyl)pyridine and analysed spectrally. 2-Chlorobutadiene also yielded an alkylating intermediate, but 1,1-difluoroethylene, 1,1-dichloroethyleneand 1,1,2-trichloroethylene did not. 2-Chloro- and 1-chlorobutadiene, 3,4-dichlorobutene-1, 1,4-dichlorobutene-2 and its 2,3-epoxy derivative showed alkylating activity with 4-(4-nitrobenzyl)pyridine, which was not related quantitatively to mutagenic activity in S. typhimurium TA100 in the absence of a metabolic activation system. These data support the hypothesis that an oxidation of the double bond in certain halo-olefins, which is dependent on microsomal mono-oxygenases is a common pathway in the formation of biologically reactive intermediates. The relevance of the metabolites formed during such oxidative processes to the mutagenic, toxic and carcinogenic activities in vivo of some of the parent compounds is discussed.ZusammenfassungDie mutagene Wirkung einer Reihe halogenierter Kohlenwasserstoffe wurde in Gegenwart einer postmitochondrialen Mäuseleberfraktion in zwei Stämmen von S. typhimurium gemessen. Wenn die Bakterien den gasförmigen Testsubstanzen ausgesetzt wurden, war die Mutagenität in folgender Reihenfolge: 3,4-Dichlorbuten-1 > 1-Chlorbutadien (technischer Reinheitsgrad) > 2-Chlorbutadien > Vinylbromid > Vinylidenchlorid > Vinylchlorid. 1,1,2-Trichloräthylen und 1,1-Difluoräthylen zeigten schwachen, Tetrachloräthylen und Vinylacetat keinen mutagenen Effekt. Gewebefraktionen von Menschenleber konnten Vinylchlorid, Vinylbromid, Vinylidenchlorid und 2-Chlorbutadien in mutagene Metabolite überführen. Im konventionellen Plattentest zeigte 1,4-Dichlorbuten-1 eine direkte mutagene Wirkung, die durch Zusatz von mikrosomalen Leberfraktionen von Menschen oder von der Maus erhöht wurde. Der vermutete reaktive Metabolit 1,4-Dichlor-2,3-Epoxybutan wurde synthetisiert, erwies sich aber im Stamm TA100 als ein schwächeres Mutagen als die Muttersubstanz. Die Vorbehandlung von Ratten mit Phenobarbital oder 3-Methylcholanthren verdoppelte die mikrosomenabhängige Mutagenität von Vinylchlorid und Vinylidenchlorid in S. typhimurium TA1530, Pregnenolon-16α-Carbonitril, Aminoacetonitril oder Disulfiram dagegen verminderten die mutagene Wirkung. Eine Epoxidierung von Vinylchlorid und wahrscheinlich Vinylbromid durch Mäuselebermikrosomen wurde durch die Bildung und Abfangen von flüchtigen, alkylierenden Metaboliten mit 4-(4-Nitrobenzyl)pyridin sowie spektralen Untersuchungen nachgewiesen; 2-Chlorbutadien bildete ebenfalls eine alkylierende Zwischenstufe, die in ähnlichen Experimenten mit 1,1-Difluoräthylen, 1,1-Dichloräthylen und 1,1,2-Trichloräthylen nicht nachgewiesen werden konnte. 2-Chlor- und 1-Chlorbutadien, 3,4-Dichlorbuten-1,1,4-Dichlorbuten-2 und sein 2,3-Epoxid zeigten alkylierende Wirkung in Gegenwart von 4-(4-Nitrobenzyl)pyridin, die sich quantitativ nicht mit der mutagenen Aktivität in S. typhimurium TA100 in Abwesenheit metabolischer Aktivierung korrelieren ließ. Die Ergebnisse zeigen einen gemeinsamen Bildungsweg in halogenierten Olefinen auf, der über eine mikrosomale Oxidation der Doppelbindung zu biologisch reaktiven Zwischenstufen führt. Die Bedeutung derartig gebildeter Metabolite für die mutagene, toxische und karzinogene Wirkung der Muttersubstanzen in vivo wird zusammenfassend erörtert.

Liver-microsome-mediated formation of alkylating agents from vinyl bromide and vinyl chloride.

Abstract When a mixture of vinyl chloride/oxygen or vinyl bromide/air was passed through a mouse-liver microsomal system, volatile alkylating metabolites were trapped by reaction with excess 4-(4-nitrobenzyl)pyridine. The absorption spectra of the adducts, either from vinyl bromide or vinyl chloride, were identical with that obtained by reaction of chloroethylene oxide with 4-(4-nitrobenzyl) pyridine. Chloroethylene oxide decomposes in aqueous solution with a half-life of 1.6 minutes. After reaction of chloroethylene oxide and 2-chloroacetaldehyde with adenosine and Sephadex chromatography the binding products were compared with those formed in the presence of vinyl chloride, mouse-liver microsomes and adenosine. A common product of these reactions was tentatively characterized as 3-β-ribofuranosyl-imidazo-[2,1- i ]purine.

Mutagenicity of vinyl chloride, chloroethyleneoxide, chloroacetaldehyde and chloroethanol

Exposure of S. typhimurium strains TA 1530, TA 1535 and G-46 to vinyl chloride increased the number of his+ rev./plate 16, 12 or 5 times over the spontaneous mutation rate. The mutagenic response for TA 1530 strain was enhanced 7, 4 or 5-fold when fortified S-9 liver fractions from humans, rats or mice were added. In TA 1530 strain, chloroacetic acid showed only toxic effects, while chloroacetaldehyde, chloroethanol and chloroethyleneoxide caused a mutagenic response. The latter compound was shown to be a strong alkylating agent.

Etheno-adduct-forming chemicals: from mutagenicity testing to tumor mutation spectra.

During the past 25 years, ethenobases have emerged as a new class of DNA lesions with promutagenic potential. Ethenobases were first investigated as DNA reaction products of vinyl chloride, an occupational carcinogen causing angiosarcoma of the liver (ASL). They were subsequently shown to be formed by several carcinogenic agents, including urethane (ethyl carbamate), and more recently, to occur in various tissues of unexposed humans and rodents. The endogenous source of ethenobases in DNA is thought to be a lipid peroxidation (LPO) product. Initial studies on metabolic activation, mutagenicity and carcinogenicity moved to the analyses of the formation of ethenobases in vivo and to the determination of their promutagenic properties. Quantification of etheno adducts in vivo became possible with the development of ultrasensitive techniques of analysis. To study the miscoding properties of ethenobases, the initial assays on the fidelity of replication or of transcription were replaced by site-directed mutagenesis assays in vivo. Ethenobases generate mainly base pair substitution mutations. With the advent of new techniques of molecular biology, mutations were investigated in the ras and p53 genes of tumors induced by vinyl chloride and urethane. In liver tumors induced by vinyl chloride, specific mutational patterns were found in the Ki-ras gene in human ASL, in the Ha-ras gene in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in rats, and in the p53 gene in human and rat ASL. In tumors induced by urethane in mice, codon 61 of the Ha-ras gene (liver, skin) and of the Ki-ras gene (lung) seems to be a characteristic target. These tumor mutation spectra are compatible with the promutagenic properties of etheno adducts and with their formation in target tissues, suggesting that ethenobases can be initiating lesions in carcinogenesis. Another recent focus has been given to the repair of etheno adducts, and DNA glycosylases able to excise these adducts in vitro have been identified. The last two decades have brought ethenobases to light as potentially important DNA lesions in carcinogenesis. More research is needed to better understand the environmental and genetic factors that affect the formation and persistence of ethenobases in vivo.

DNA damage, and repair in mutagenesis and carcinogenesis: implications of structure-activity relationships for cross-species extrapolation

Previous studies on structure-activity relationships (SARs) between types of DNA modifications and tumour incidence revealed linear positive relationships between the log TD50 estimates and s-values for a series of mostly monofunctional alkylating agents. The overall objective of this STEP project was to further elucidate the mechanistic principles underlying these correlations, because detailed knowledge on mechanisms underlying the formation of genotoxic damage is an absolute necessity for establishing guidance values for exposures to genotoxic agents. The analysis included: (1) the re-calculation and further extension of TD50 values in mmol/kg body weight for chemicals carcinogenic in rodents. This part further included the checking up data for Swain-Scott s-values and the use of the covalent binding index (CBI); (2) the elaboration of genetic toxicity including an analysis of induced mutation spectra in specific genes at the DNA level, i.e., the vermilion gene of Drosophila, a plasmid system (pX2 assay) and the HPRT gene in cultured mammalian cells (CHO-9); and (3) the measurement of specific DNA alkylation adducts in animal models (mouse, rat, hamster) and mammalian cells in culture. The analysis of mechanisms controlling the expression of mammalian DNA repair genes (alkyltransferases, glycosylases) as a function of the cell type, differentiation stage, and cellular microenvironment in mammalian cells. The 3 classes of genotoxic carcinogens selected for the project were: (1) chemicals forming monoalkyl adducts upon interaction with DNA; (2) genotoxins capable of forming DNA etheno-adducts; and (3) N-substituted aryl compounds forming covalent adducts at the C8 position of guanine in DNA. In general, clear SARs and AARs (activity-activity relationships) between physiochemical parameters (s-values, O6/N7-alkylguanine ratios, CBI), carcinogenic potency in rodents and several descriptors of genotoxic activity in germ cells (mouse, Drosophila) became apparent when the following descriptors were used: TD50 estimates (lifetime doses expressed in mg/kg b.wt. or mmol/kg b.wt.) from cancer bioassays in rodents; the degree of germ-cell specificity, i.e., the ability of a genotoxic agent to induce mutations in practically all cell stages of the male germ-cell cycle of Drosophila (this project) and the mouse (literature search), as opposed to a more specific response in postmeiotic stages of both species; the Mexr-/Mexr+ hypermutability ratio, determined in a repair assay utilizing Drosophila germ cells; mutation spectra induced at single loci (the 7 loci used in the specific-locus test of the mouse (published data), and the vermilion gene of Drosophila); and doubling doses (DD) in mg/kg (mmol/kg) for specific locus test results on mice. By and large, the TD50 values, the inverse of which can be considered as measures of carcinogenic potency, were shown to be predictable from knowledge of the in vivo doses associated with the absorbed amounts of the investigated alkylators and with the second-order constant, kc, reaction at a critical nucleophilic strength, nc. For alkylating agents kc can be expressed as the second-order rate constant for hydrolysis, kH2O, and the substrate constant s:kH2OTD50 is a function of a certain accumulated degree of alkylation, here given as the (average) daily increment, ac, for 2 years exposure of the rodents. The TD*50 in mmol/kg x day) could then be written: [formula: see text] This expression would be valid for monofunctional alkylators provided the reactive species are uncharged. This is the case for most SN2 reagents. Although it appears possible to predict carcinogenic potency from measured in vivo doses and from detailed knowledge of reaction-kinetic parameter values, it is at present not possible to quantify the uncertainty of such predictions. One main reason for this is the complication due to uneven distribution in the body, with effects on the dose in target tissues. The estimation can be impro

Metabolic activation of vinyl chloride by rat liver microsomes : Low-dose kinetics and involvement of cytochrome P450 2E1

The metabolism and pharmacokinetics of vinyl chloride (VC) have been extensively studied in rodents and humans, but the maximum velocity (Vmax) and Michaelis constant (K(m)) for the activation of VC by microsomal monooxygenases in vitro have not yet been determined. Using a new sensitive assay, the epoxidation of VC by rat liver microsomes (adult Sprague-Dawley) at concentrations from 1 ppm to 10(6) ppm in the gas phase was measured. In the assay, the reactive VC metabolites chloroethylene oxide and 2-chloroacetaldehyde were trapped with excess cAMP, yielding, 1,N6-etheno-cAMP (epsilon cAMP) which was quantitated by HPLC fluorimetry. The trapping efficiency of electrophilic VC metabolites by cAMP was close to 10%. The specificity of the method was confirmed by purification of epsilon cAMP on an immunogel. The VC concentration in the gas phase was measured by GC/flame ionization detection, while in the aqueous phase it was calculated from the partition coefficient between air and the microsomal suspension. Activation of VC by rat liver microsomes followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics with K(m) = 7.42 +/- 0.37 (+/- SD) microM and Vmax = 4674 +/- 46 pmol.mg protein-1.min-1. Inhibitor studies and immunoinhibition assays showed that VC was activated by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2E1 down to 1 ppm in the air phase. Based on the metabolic parameters determined, the uptake of VC by rats in vivo can be accurately predicted.

Nucleophilic selectivity as a determinant of carcinogenic potency (TD50) in rodents: a comparison of mono- and bi-functional alkylating agents and vinyl chloride metabolites

Using published data, the carcinogenic potency (TD50) in rodents of a series of monofunctional alkylating agents, bifunctional antitumor drugs and the vinyl chloride (VC) metabolites chloroethylene oxide (CEO) and chloroacetaldehyde (CAA) was compared to their nucleophilic selectivity (Swain and Scotts constant s or initial ratio of 7-/O6-alkylguanine in DNA). A positive correlation between the log of TD50 estimates and the s values for a series of 14, mostly monofunctional, alkylating agents was observed. This linear relationship also included 2 bifunctional chloroethylnitrosoureas, although their carcinogenic potency was compared to their initial 7-/O6-alkylguanine ratio rather than their s values (n = 16, r = 0.91, p less than 0.005). In addition, the carcinogenic potency of 2 alkyl sulfates, which is not yet known accurately, may correlate with their nucleophilic selectivity through the same relationship. By contrast, 2 methyl halides and 5 bifunctional antitumor drugs (nitrogen mustards and azyridinyl derivatives) did not follow this linear relationship: at similar nucleophilic selectivity, they were more potent carcinogens than the above 18 alkylating agents; this may hold true for CEO and CAA too, although further carcinogenicity experiments are needed to calculate their precise TD50 values. The possible molecular mechanisms involved in tumor induction by these agents are discussed on the basis of these findings. Comparison of the estimated TD50 for CEO, CAA and VC in rodents confirms that CEO is the ultimate carcinogenic metabolite of VC and suggests that only a very small proportion of metabolically generated CEO is available for DNA alkylation in vivo.

ras gene mutations in vinyl chloride-induced liver tumours are carcinogen-specific but vary with cell type and species

Previous studies have shown that a high proportion (5/6) of human liver angiosarcomas (ASL) associated with exposure to vinyl chloride (VC) contains a GC→AT mutation at the Ki‐ras codon 13. This mutation, however, has not been found in 5 ASL or 2 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) induced in rats by VC. These 2 HCC did contain a mutation at codon 61 of the Ha‐ras gene. In order to extend this study and further explore the mechanisms of tumour induction, an additional 6 ASL and 6 HCC induced in rats by VC were analysed for ras gene point mutations, as well as 10 rat and 10 murine ASL induced by vinyl fluoride (VF), and 5 ASL, 6 Kupffer cell sarcomas, 4 HCC and 2 cholangiocellular carcinomas induced by Thorotrast in rats. Tumour DNA was analysed by PCR‐SSCP and direct sequencing. None of the rodent ASL contained a mutation at codon 13 of the Ki‐ras gene showing that the ras gene mutational pattern is species‐specific. The CAA→CTA mutation, previously found at codon 61 of the Ha‐ras gene in rat HCC, was observed in 5 further VC‐induced HCC but was not detected in the Thorotrast‐induced HCC, suggesting carcinogen‐specificity. This mutation was also absent in VC‐induced ASL, which supports the cell‐specificity of the ras mutational pattern in chemically induced tumours. No predominant mutation was detected in VF‐ and Thorotrast‐induced tumours. Thus, a given mutation in a tumour may be carcinogen‐specific but also depend on the species and the cell type. Int. J. Cancer 85:223–227, 2000. ©2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Heritable and cancer risks of exposures to anticancer drugs: inter-species comparisons of covalent deoxyribonucleic acid-binding agents.

In the past years, several methodologies were developed for potency ranking of genotoxic carcinogens and germ cell mutagens. In this paper, we analyzed six sub-classes of covalent deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) binding antineoplastic drugs comprising a total of 37 chemicals and, in addition, four alkyl-epoxides, using four approaches for the ranking of genotoxic agents on a potency scale: the EPA/IARC genetic activity profile (GAP) database, the ICPEMC agent score system, and the analysis of qualitative and quantitative structure-activity and activity-activity relationships (SARs, AARs) between types of DNA modifications and genotoxic endpoints. Considerations of SARs and AARs focused entirely on in vivo data for mutagenicity in male germ cells (mouse, Drosophila), carcinogenicity (TD50s) and acute toxicity (LD50s) in rodents, whereas the former two approaches combined the entire database on in vivo and in vitro mutagenicity tests. The analysis shows that the understanding and prediction of rank positions of individual genotoxic agents requires information on their mechanism of action. Based on SARs and AARs, the covalent DNA binding antineoplastic drugs can be divided into three categories. Category 1 comprises mono-functional alkylating agents that primarily react with N7 and N3 moieties of purines in DNA. Efficient DNA repair is the major protective mechanism for their low and often not measurable genotoxic effects in repair-competent germ cells, and the need of high exposure doses for tumor induction in rodents. Due to cell type related differences in the efficiency of DNA repair, a strong target cell specificity in various species regarding the potency of these agents for adverse effects is found. Three of the four evaluation systems rank category 1 agents lower than those of the other two categories. Category 2 type mutagens produce O-alkyl adducts in DNA in addition to N-alkyl adducts. In general, certain O-alkyl DNA adducts appear to be slowly repaired, or even not at all, which make this kind of agents potent carcinogens and germ cell mutagens. Especially the inefficient repair of O-alkyl-pyrimidines causes the high mutational response of cells to these agents. Agents of this category give high potency scores in all four expert systems. The major determinant for the high rank positions on any scale of genotoxic of category 3 agents is their ability to induce primarily structural chromosomal changes. These agents are able to cross-link DNA. Their high intrinsic genotoxic potency appears to be related to the number of DNA cross-links per target dose unit they can induce. A confounding factor among category 3 agents is that often the genotoxic endpoints occur close to or at toxic levels, and that the width of the mutagenic dose range, i.e., the dose area between the lowest observed effect level and the LD50, is smaller (usually no more than 1 logarithmic unit) than for chemicals of the other two categories. For all three categories of genotoxic agents, strong correlations are observed between their carcinogenic potency, acute toxicity and germ cell specificity.