H. J. Seidel

Evaluation of the genotoxic potential of some microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOC) with the comet assay, the micronucleus assay and the HPRT gene mutation assay

Microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOC), metabolites of fungi detected in indoor moulds and in working places in compost facilities are considered as a potential health hazard. Their toxicological relevance, however, is largely unknown and data are rare. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro the genotoxic, clastogenic and mutagenic potential of same typical MVOC. For the study of DNA damage human lung carcinoma epithelial A549 cells, V79 Chinese hamster fibroblasts and human peripheral blood cells were exposed and subjected to the alkaline comet assay (single cell gel test). Taking the Chinese hamster V79 cell line as a target clastogenic effects were studied by the micronucleus test and mutagenic effects by the hypoxanthine-guanine-phosphoribosyl transferase gene mutation test (HPRT test). The cytogenic effects of MVOC were assessed by a clonogenic assay using the A549 cell line. The alkylating agent methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) was taken as a positive control. The results indicate that MVOC induced DNA damage is only seen in conditions in which also cytotoxic effects are observed. Clastogenic and mutagenic effects could not be detected.

On the cytotoxicity of some microbial volatile organic compounds as studied in the human lung cell line A549.

The cytotoxicity of 13 microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOC) was studied using a human lung carcinoma epithelial cell line A549 in a colony formation assay and two colorimetric assays: the microculture tetrazolium assay (MTT assay) and the cellular protein assay (methylene blue-MB assay). For comparison, two known cytotoxic substances: the non-volatile mycotoxin gliotoxin and the mono-functional alkylating agent methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) were studied. Concentration-response curves for each agent were established and the IC50 value (concentration resulting in 50% inhibition of colony growth or absorbance) was estimated. There are differences in toxicity levels between the MVOC tested and gliotoxin and MMS. The most toxic MVOC was 1-decanol which was as effective as MMS in all test systems. 1-decanol was about 10-fold more toxic than the other MVOC. All MVOC tested were more than 1000-fold less toxic than gliotoxin.

Estimation of Extent of Cell Death in Different Stages of Normal Murine Hematopoiesis

Murine hematopoiesis has been analyzed by many authors, and available data allow for quantitative evaluation of this dynamic process. In this study, the capacity of several populations of the bone marrow clonogenic cells (progenitors) to produce blood cells was compared with their actual production. The cell cycle progression rate was directly measured in the following types of hematopoietic progenitors: day 8 colony‐forming units‐spleen, GM‐colony‐forming cells, BFU‐E, and CFU‐E in normal mice. The cell cycle progression rates of the individual progenitors, together with their numbers in the whole hematopoietic tissue, were used to calculate the absolute numbers produced daily in each population. The data reviewed from literature were analyzed in parallel. The capacity of the progenitors to produce mature blood cells was derived from the daily production of progenitors multiplied by their clonogenic potential. This theoretical capacity to produce blood cells was compared to the actual blood cell production determined from the turnover of circulating blood elements. The comparison strongly suggested an intensive cell death rate occurring at the early stages of differentiation and its decline as the hematopoietic cells become more differentiated and mature.

Thymic nurse cells: differentiation of thymocytes within complexes

SummaryThymic nurse cell complexes (TNC-c) were isolated from thymuses of BDF1 mice at pre-determined intervals during the 12-week latency period that precedes the development of leukemias. T-cell leukemias were induced by a single i.v. injection of 50 mg/kg of methylnitrosourea (MNU). In order to clarify processes taking place in TNC-c, the complexes of mice after MNU injection were compared with TNC-c of age-matched control mice, with respect to their number per thymus, the distribution of TNC-c according to their size (the number of intra-TNC thymocytes reflects the type of TNC-c), the number of intra-TNC thymocytes that undergo DNA synthesis, and the phenotype of thymocytes inside TNC-c. During the latency period of leukemogenesis, the effects of MNU were shown to involve, in addition to changes in number of TNC-c, a decrease in the number of thymocytes incorporating labeled thymidine, viz., the number of dividing cells, thus affecting the size distribution of TNC-c types. Intra-TNC thymocytes of control mice were heterogeneous in their phenotype and represented cells at varying stages of their maturation cycle. MNU administration was followed by selective differentiation of thymocytes within TNC-c to Lyt 1-thymocytes in some and to Lyt 2-thymocytes in others, Lyt 1 and Lyt 2 being specific antigens expressed by thymocytes.

Donor cell leukemia after bone marrow transplantation in the Friend leukemia in mice.

After lethal irradiation (800 R) Friend virus (FV-P)-infected leukemic DBA/2 mice were transplanted with normal bone marrow cells. Isogeneic transplantation led to an immediate relapse of leukemia. Therefore, allogeneic bone marrow cells were taken from almost FV-P resistant C57BL/6 mice. A measure of leukemia development was given by the number of erythropoietin-independent erythroid colonies (CFU-EI) in bone marrow and spleen, characteristic for the Friend leukemia. Even after allogeneic transplantation leukemia recurred after 5 to 19 days. By an electrophoretic analysis of the hemoglobin, it could be shown that the transformed erythropoiesis was donor derived. Thus, marrow of C57BL/6 origin loses its FV-P resistance in allogeneic leukemic lethally irradiated recipients and is transformed by the surviving virus.

Comparative Studies on Hemopoietic Stem Cell Pools in Mice after Friend (FV-P) or Rauscher Virus Infection

In the past years many studies have been published regarding the murine hematopoiesis after infection of mice with the Rauscher or both strains of the Friend virus.1–24 The results have not always been the same in different laboratories and especially the interpretation of the erythropoietic changes has been subject to discussions in the Rauscher system8,25 (Nooter and Ghio 1975, Seidel 1976, Opitz et al 1977). Moreover no studies on both diseases, i.e., Rauscher virus induced erythroblastosis and Friend virus induced polycythemia have been performed by the same group.

Sensitivity of CFU-E to exogenous erythropoietin in benzene-treated mice

SummaryNormal as well as hypertransfused BDF1 mice were exposed to 300 ppm of benzene, 6 h/day, 5 days per week for 2, 4, and 6 weeks respectively. Erythroid-committed hematopoietic progenitor cells CFU-E were determined in the bone marrow, and59Fe incorporation was measured in the peripheral blood 48 h after its injection, as an indicator of active erythroid cell production. CFU-E numbers were reduced in benzene-exposed mice at all intervals, as was59Fe incorporation in the peripheral blood after 2 weeks of exposure. In hypertransfused mice the CFU-E suppression, caused primarily by the hypertransfusion, was aggravated by benzene. After injection of 1 IU Ep 4 days before killing the CFU-E numbers and the59Fe incorporation increased in controls as well as in benzene-exposed animals, but the difference persisted. After nine consecutive Ep injections the difference concerning the femur disappeared after 2 and 6 weeks of benzene exposure but was still present in the peripheral blood. These results suggest that chronic benzene exposure has a negative effect on early erythroid-committed, Ep-responsive hematopoietic cells.

Normal and Friend Virus Specific Cell Compartments in Friend Leukemia Characterized by their Sensitivity to Actinomycin D in vivo

SummaryDBA/2 mice were infected with the polycythemia inducing Friend Virus (F-MuLV-P) and treated with different doses of Actinomycin D (Act D) when the whole erythroid cell system, as measured by the CFU-E technique with and without addition of erythropoietin (Ep), had been transformed into Ep-independence. During and after this therapy the different stem cell pools CFU-S, CFU-C, BFU-E and CFU-E (with and without Ep) were studied and their sensitivity to Act D in bone marrow and spleen was compared to that of normal mice, recently published by other authors. There seemed to be no difference in the Act D sensitivity between normal erythropoiesis and Ep-independent erythropoiesis caused by F-MuLV-P. Furthermore a cell called ICPC (infectious centers producing cell) was studied. This cell system, detected by spleen colony formation due to high local virus production in an unirradiated host, proved to be Act D sensitive in the spleen but not in the marrow. When the erythroid cell system regenerated after Act D chemotherapy, all erythroid colony growth was Ep-independent. This means that Act D did not induce normal erythropoiesis as seen with hydroxyurea treatment.

Effects of tilorone on hemopoietic stem cells and on the development of Friend leukemia

SummaryHematological effects of tilorone, an interferon inducer, on the hematopoietic cell system of normal CBA/Ca mice and on the development of Friend virus (FV-P)-induced polycythemia in DBA/2 mice were studied. In normal mice 80 mg/kg IP had a marked depressive effect on pluripotent (CFU-S), granuloid committed (CFU-C), and erythroid committed (CFU-E) stem cells with regeneration between days 5 and 12. In bone marrow smears only lymphopenia was detected. Treatment of mice before FV-P infection caused a slight retardation in the development of the splenomegaly and the transformation of bone marrow cells to Ep independence. Repeated treatment after FV-P infection also reduced the increase in spleen weight and the development of reticulocytosis, but the Ep independence of bone marrow and spleen cells was not influenced. In vitro exposure of normal cells and cells from FV-P-infected animals to the drug showed the same sensitivity of colony growth in normal as well as in Ep-independent CFU-E. The action of the drug on Friend leukemia is at least in part considered a toxic effect on the hematopoietic stem cell system.