Hansruedi Glatt

Genotoxicity of three food processing contaminants in transgenic mice expressing human sulfotransferases 1A1 and 1A2 as assessed by the in vivo alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis assay

The food processing contaminants 2‐amino‐1‐methyl‐6‐phenylimidazo[4,5‐b]pyridine (PhIP), 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and 2,5 dimethylfuran (DMF) are potentially both mutagenic and carcinogenic in vitro and/or in vivo, although data on DMF is lacking. The PHIP metabolite N‐hydroxy‐PhIP and HMF are bioactivated by sulfotransferases (SULTs). The substrate specificity and tissue distribution of SULTs differs between species. A single oral dose of PhIP, HMF or DMF was administered to wild‐type (wt) mice and mice expressing human SULT1A1/1A2 (hSULT mice). DNA damage was studied using the in vivo alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay. No effects were detected in wt mice. In the hSULT mice, PhIP and HMF exposure increased the levels of DNA damage in the liver and kidney, respectively. DMF was not found to be genotoxic. The observation of increased DNA damage in hSULT mice compared with wt mice supports the role of human SULTs in the bioactivation of N‐hydroxy‐PhIP and HMF in vivo. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 56:709–714, 2015.

Human CYP2E1-dependent mutagenicity of mono- and dichlorobiphenyls in Chinese hamster (V79)-derived cells.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a group of persistent organic pollutants with confirmed carcinogenicity to humans. Metabolic activation of lower chlorinated PCBs to genotoxic metabolites may involve hydroxylation and further oxidation, and some hydroxylated metabolites may be sulfo-conjugated. However, the genotoxicity of individual PCB compounds is largely unknown. In this study, 15 mono- and dichlorobiphenyls were investigated for genotoxicity using the micronucleus and Hprt mutagenicity assays in a Chinese hamster V79-derived cell line expressing both human cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2E1 and human sulfotransferase (SULT) 1A1 (V79-hCYP2E1-hSULT1A1). All tested compounds were inactive in both assays in V79 control cells. However, eight dichlorobiphenyls strongly induced micronuclei and other congeners were weakly positive for this endpoint in V79-hCYP2E1-hSULT1A1 cells. The effects of each PCB in V79-hCYP2E1-hSULT1A1 cells were abolished or reduced in the presence of a CYP2E1 inhibitor (1-aminobenzotriazole), or enhanced by pretreatment of the cells with (CYP2E1-inducing) ethanol, while the genotoxicity was not significantly affected by a SULT1 inhibitor (pentachlorophenol). As representative dichlorobiphenyls, PCB 5, 10, 8 and 11 (2,3-, 2,5-, 2,4- and 3,3-dichlorobiphenyl, respectively) strongly induced Hprt gene mutations in V79-hCYP2E1-hSULT1A1 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. This is the first indication that human CYP2E1 is capable of converting a series of dichlorobiphenyls to strong mutagens.

Role of human sulfotransferase 1A1 and N -acetyltransferase 2 in the metabolic activation of 16 heterocyclic amines and related heterocyclics to genotoxicants in recombinant V79 cells

Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) are primarily produced during the heating of meat or fish. HAAs are mutagenic and carcinogenic, and their toxicity in model systems depend on metabolic activation. This activation is mediated by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, in particular CYP1A2. Some studies have indicated a role of human sulfotransferase (SULT) 1A1 and N-acetyltransferase (NAT) 2 in the terminal activation of HAAs. In this study, we conducted a metabolism/genotoxicity relationship analysis for 16 HAAs and related heterocyclics. We used the γH2AX genotoxicity assay in V79 cells (deficient in CYP, SULT and NAT) and V79-derived cell lines genetically engineered to express human CYP1A2 alone or in combination with human SULT1A1 or NAT2. Our data demonstrated genotoxic properties for 13 out of the 16 compounds tested. A clear relationship between metabolic bioactivation and genotoxicity allowed to distinguish four groups: (1) Trp-P-1 genotoxicity was linked to CYP1A2 bioactivation only—with negligible effects of phase II enzymes; (2) Glu-P-2, Glu-P-1, Trp-P-2, APNH, MeAαC and AαC were bioactivated by CYP1A2 in combination with either phase II enzyme tested (NAT2 or SULT1A1); (3) IQ, 4-MeIQ, IQx, 8-MeIQx, and 4,8-DiMeIQx required CYP1A2 in combination with NAT2 to be genotoxic, whereas SULT1A1 did not enhance their genotoxicity; (4) PhIP became genotoxic after CYP1A2 and SULT1A1 bioactivation—NAT2 had not effect. Our results corroborate some previous data regarding the genotoxic potency of seven HAAs and established the genotoxicity mechanism for five others HAAs. This study also permits to compare efficiently the genotoxic potential of these 13 HAAs.

Methyleugenol DNA adducts in human liver are associated with SULT1A1 copy number variations and expression levels

Methyleugenol is a rodent hepatocarcinogen occurring in many herbs and spices as well as essential oils used for flavoring. Following metabolic activation by cytochromes P450 (CYPs) and sulfotransferases (SULTs), methyleugenol can form DNA adducts. Previously, we showed that DNA adduct formation by methyleugenol in mouse liver is dependent on SULT1A1 expression and that methyleugenol DNA adducts are abundant in human liver specimens. In humans, SULT1A1 activity is affected by genetic polymorphisms, including single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and copy number variations (CNVs). Here we investigated the relationship between individual methyleugenol DNA adduct levels and SULT1A1 in human liver samples. Using isotope-dilution ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry, we quantified methyleugenol DNA adducts in 121 human surgical liver samples. Frequent CNVs, including deletions (fu2009=u20093.3%) and duplications (fu2009=u200936.4%) of SULT1A1, were identified using qPCR and TaqMan assays in the donors’ genomic DNA. SULT1A1 mRNA and protein levels were quantified using microarray data and Western blot analysis, respectively. Methyleugenol DNA adducts were detected in all 121 liver samples studied. Their levels varied 122-fold between individuals and were significantly correlated to both mRNA and protein levels of SULT1A1 (rsu2009=u20090.43, and rsu2009=u20090.44, respectively). Univariate and multivariate statistical analysis identified significant associations of SULT1A1 CNVs with mRNA (pu2009=u20091.7u2009×u200910−06) and protein (pu2009=u20094.4u2009×u200910−u200910) levels as well as methyleugenol DNA adduct levels (pu2009=u20090.003). These data establish the importance of SULT1A1 genotype for hepatic methyleugenol DNA adducts in humans, and they confirm a strong impact of SULT1A1 CNVs on SULT1A1 hepatic phenotype.

Impact of genetic modulation of SULT1A enzymes on DNA adduct formation by aristolochic acids and 3-nitrobenzanthrone.

Exposure to aristolochic acid (AA) causes aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN) and Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN). Conflicting results have been found for the role of human sulfotransferase 1A1 (SULT1A1) contributing to the metabolic activation of aristolochic acid I (AAI) in vitro. We evaluated the role of human SULT1A1 in AA bioactivation in vivo after treatment of transgenic mice carrying a functional human SULT1A1-SULT1A2 gene cluster (i.e. hSULT1A1/2 mice) and Sult1a1(−/−) mice with AAI and aristolochic acid II (AAII). Both compounds formed characteristic DNA adducts in the intact mouse and in cytosolic incubations in vitro. However, we did not find differences in AAI-/AAII-DNA adduct levels between hSULT1A1/2 and wild-type (WT) mice in all tissues analysed including kidney and liver despite strong enhancement ofxa0sulfotransferase activity in both kidney and liver of hSULT1A1/2 mice relative to WT, kidney and liver being major organs involved in AA metabolism. In contrast, DNA adduct formation was strongly increased in hSULT1A1/2 mice compared to WT after treatment with 3-nitrobenzanthrone (3-NBA), another carcinogenic aromatic nitro compound where human SULT1A1/2 is known to contribute to genotoxicity. We found no differences in AAI-/AAII-DNA adduct formation in Sult1a1(−/−) and WT mice in vivo. Using renal and hepatic cytosolic fractions of hSULT1A1/2, Sult1a1(−/−) and WT mice, we investigated AAI-DNA adduct formation in vitro but failed to find a contribution of human SULT1A1/2 or murine Sult1a1 to AAI bioactivation. Our results indicate that sulfo-conjugation catalysed by human SULT1A1 does not play a role in the activation pathways of AAI and AAII in vivo, but is important in 3-NBA bioactivation.

Potent mutagenicity of some non-planar tri- and tetrachlorinated biphenyls in mammalian cells, human CYP2E1 being a major activating enzyme

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been classified as human carcinogens. Mutagenicity of lower chlorinated biphenyls as well as activation of transcription factors by some other congeners may contribute to the carcinogenicity of PCBs. Recently, we reported that human CYP2E1 activates mono- and dichlorobiphenyls to mutagens. However, mutagenicity of other PCBs and the involvement of other CYPs remained unknown. In this study, Chinese hamster V79-derived cell lines genetically engineered for expression of individual human CYP enzymes and a human hepatocyte (L-02) line endogenously expressing various CYPs were used to determine the activities of several tri- and tetrachlorobiphenyls to induce micronuclei and gene mutations. 2,3,4′-Trichlorobiphenyl, 2,3,3′-trichlorobiphenyl, 2,4,4′,5-tetrachlorobiphenyl and 2,2′,5,5′-tetrachlorobiphenyl efficiently induced micronuclei and/or gene mutations in V79-derived cells at low micromolar concentrations, depending on human CYP2E1, while they were inactive in parental V79-Mz cells and weakly positive or inactive in V79-derived cells expressing human CYP1A1, 1A2, 1B1 or 3A4. The induction of gene mutations in human CYP2E1-expressing V79 cells by 2,3,4′-trichlorobiphenyl and 2,4,4′,5-tetrachlorobiphenyl was more potent than that of N-nitrosodimethylamine, a strong carcinogen activated by CYP2E1. As representative PCB compounds, 2,3,3′-trichlorobiphenyl and 2,3,4′-trichlorobiphenyl induced micronuclei in L-02 cells, and this effect was blocked by specific CYP2E1 inhibition, wherein the effects of benzo[a]pyrene and aflatoxin B1 (activated by some CYPs other than CYP2E1) were unaffected. This study demonstrates that some non-planar tri- and tetrachlorobiphenyls are potent mutagens in mammalian cells—more potent than previously tested mono- and dichlorobiphenyls—and that among several human CYP enzymes, CYP2E1 is most efficient in activating these environmental contaminants.

Conversion of Suspected Food Carcinogen 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural by Sulfotransferases and Aldehyde Dehydrogenases in Postmitochondrial Tissue Preparations of Humans, Mice, and Rats

The food contaminant 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is formed by heat- and acid-catalyzed reactions from carbohydrates. More than 80% of HMF is metabolized by oxidation of the aldehyde group in mice and rats. Sulfo conjugation yields mutagenic 5-sulfoxymethylfurfural, the probable cause for the neoplastic effects observed in HMF-treated rodents. Considerable metabolic differences between species hinder assessing the tumorigenic risk associated with human dietary HMF uptake. Here, we assayed HMF turnover catalyzed by sulfotransferases or by aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) in postmitochondrial preparations from liver, kidney, colon, and lung of humans, mice, and rats. The tissues-specific clearance capacities of HMF sulfo conjugation (CL(SC)) and ALDH-catalyzed oxidation (CL(OX)) were concentrated to the liver. The hepatic clearance CL(SC) in mice (males: 487u2009µl/min/kg bw, females: 2520u2009µl/min/kg bw) and rats (males: 430u2009µl/min/kg bw, females: 198u2009µl/min/kg bw) were considerably higher than those in humans (males: 21.2u2009µl/min/kg bw, females: 32.2u2009µl/min/kg bw). The ALDH-related clearance rates CLOX in mice (males: 3400u2009ml/min/kg bw, females: 1410u2009ml/min/kg bw) were higher than those of humans (males: 436u2009ml/min/kg bw, females: 646u2009ml/min/kg bw) and rats (males: 627u2009ml/min/kg bw, females: 679u2009ml/min/kg bw). The ratio of CL(OX) to CL(SC) was lowest in female mice. This finding indicated that HMF sulfo conjugation was most substantial in the liver of female mice, a target tissue for HMF-induced neoplastic effects, and that humans may be less sensitive regarding HMF sulfo conjugation compared with the rodent models.

Use of genetically manipulated Salmonella typhimurium strains to evaluate the role of human sulfotransferases in the bioactivation of nitro- and aminotoluenes

Various nitro‐ and aminotoluenes demonstrated carcinogenic activity in rodent studies, but were inactive or weakly active in conventional in vitro mutagenicity assays. Standard in vitro tests do not take into account activation by certain classes of enzymes. This is true in particular for sulfotransferases (SULTs). These enzymes may convert aromatic hydroxylamines and benzylic alcohols, two major classes of phase‐I metabolites of nitro‐ and aminotoluenes, to reactive esters. Here it is shown that expression of certain human SULTs in Salmonella typhimurium TA1538 or TA100 strongly enhanced the mutagenicity of various nitrotoluenes and nitro‐ and amino‐substituted benzyl alcohols. Human SULT1A1, SULT1A2, and SULT1C2 showed the strongest activation. The observation that some nitrotoluenes as well as some aminobenzyl alcohols were activated by SULTs in the absence of cytochromes P450 implies that mutagenic sulfuric esters were formed at both the exocyclic nitrogen and the benzylic carbon, respectively. Nitroreductase deficiency (using strain YG7131 instead of TA1538 for SULT1A1 expression) did not affect the SULT‐dependent mutagenicity of 1‐hydroxymethylpyrene (containing no nitro group), moderately enhanced that of 2‐amino‐4‐nitrobenzyl alcohol, and drastically attenuated the effects of nitrobenzyl alcohols without other substituents. The last finding suggests that either activation occurred at the hydroxylamino group formed by nitroreductase or the nitro group (having a strong –M effect) had to be reduced to an electron‐donating substituent to enhance the reactivity of the benzylic sulfuric esters. The results pointed to an important role of SULTs in the genotoxicity of nitrotoluenes and alkylated anilines. Activation occurs at nitrogen functions as well as benzylic positions. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 57:299–311, 2016.

Ethanol and 4-methylpyrazole increase DNA adduct formation of furfuryl alcohol in FVB/N wild-type mice and in mice expressing human sulfotransferases 1A1/1A2

Furfuryl alcohol (FFA) is a carcinogenic food contaminant, which is formed by acid- and heat-catalyzed degradation of fructose and glucose. The activation by sulfotransferases (SULTs) yields a DNA reactive and mutagenic sulfate ester. The most prominent DNA adduct, N(2)-((furan-2-yl)methyl)-2-deoxyguanosine (N(2)-MF-dG), was detected in FFA-treated mice and also in human tissue samples. The dominant pathway of FFA detoxification is the oxidation via alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) and aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs). The activity of these enzymes may be greatly altered in the presence of inhibitors or competitive substrates. Here, we investigated the impact of ethanol and the ADH inhibitor 4-methylpyrazole (4MP) on the DNA adduct formation by FFA in wild-type and in humanized mice that were transgenic for human SULT1A1/1A2 and deficient in the mouse (m) Sult1a1 and Sult1d1 genes (h1A1/1A2/1a1(-)/1d1(-)). The administration of FFA alone led to hepatic adduct levels of 4.5 N(2)-MF-dG/10(8) nucleosides and 33.6 N(2)-MF-dG/10(8) nucleosides in male and female wild-type mice, respectively, and of 19.6 N(2)-MF-dG/10(8) nucleosides and 95.4 N(2)-MF-dG/10(8) nucleosides in male and female h1A1/1A2/1a1(-)/1d1(-) mice. The coadministration of 1.6g ethanol/kg body weight increased N(2)-MF-dG levels by 2.3-fold in male and by 1.7-fold in female wild-type mice and by 2.5-fold in male and by 1.5-fold in female h1A1/1A2/1a1(-)/1d1(-) mice. The coadministration of 100mg 4MP/kg body weight had a similar effect on the adduct levels. These findings indicate that modulators of the oxidative metabolism, e.g. the drug 4MP or consumption of alcoholic beverages, may increase the genotoxic effects of FFA also in humans.

Role of exposure/recovery schedule in micronuclei induction by several promutagens in V79-derived cells expressing human CYP2E1 and SULT1A1

The standard procedure for the micronucleus test in cell lines requires a short exposure (≤0.5 cell cycle) to the test compounds followed by a long recovery (≥1.5 cell cycle), and in case of negative or equivocal results, a second test with extended exposure (≥2 cell cycles) without or with a recovery time. In general the two procedures are advantageous for detecting clastogens and aneugens, respectively. However, whether the recommended procedures apply to micronucleus tests with promutagens in cell lines genetically engineered for expressing biotransformation enzymes has not been identified. In this study, several promutagens dependent on cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2E1 and/or sulfotransferase (SULT) 1A1 were used in the micronucleus test in a Chinese hamster V79-derived cell line expressing human CYP2E1 and SULT1A1 (V79-hCYP2E1-hSULT1A1), with varying exposure/recovery schedules: 3h/21h, 6h/18h, 12h/12h, 18h/6h, and 24h/0h, in comparison with known clastogens and aneugens in V79 control cells. The results showed peaked micronuclei induction by mitomycin C and bleomycin (clastogens) at the 12h/12h schedule, while colchicine and vinblastine (aneugens) showed the strongest effect at 24h/0h. Catechol and trihydroxybenzene (activated by CYP2E1) induced micronuclei most strongly at 6h/18h, whereas somewhat longer exposures were optimal for hydroquinone, another compound activated by CYP2E1. 1-Hydroxymethylpyrene (activated by SULT1A1) and 1-methylpyrene (activated sequentially by CYP2E1 and SULT1A1) produced the highest response with the 18h/6h treatment regimen. Moreover, mitotic arrest by 1-hydroxymethylpyrene was observed in V79-hCYP2E1-hSULT1A1 cells but not in V79 cells, and 1-methylpyrene arrested mitosis in V79-hCYP2E1-hSULT1A1 more strongly than in V79 cells. Our study suggests that intracellular bioactivation of promutagens may not delay the induction of micronuclei in the present model, and 1-methylpyrene and 1-hydroxymethylpyrene may be activated to mitosis-arresting metabolites.