Jean-Pierre Buisson

Photobiological activities of 1,6-dioxapyrene in pro- and eukaryotic cells

The photobiological effect of a new pyrene derivative, 1,6-dioxapyrene (1,6-DP), was studied in Salmonella typhimurium (strain TA100) and in the diploid strain D7 of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In Salmonella, 1,6-DP shows little mutagenicity in the dark in comparison to benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). This mutagenic activity decreases in the presence of liver S9 homogenates from Aroclor induced XVIInc/Z mice. However, in combination with 365 nm (UVA) radiation and in the absence of S9 mix, 1,6-DP behaves as an effective photodynamic compound inducing lethal and mutagenic effects in both organisms. In yeast, its activity, like that of B[a]P, is highly dependent on the presence of oxygen. For the same incident dose of UVA, 1,6-DP is, however, at least 6 times more effective than B[a]P in inducing cytotoxic and mutagenic effects. At equitoxic doses, 1,6-DP is as photomutagenic as B[a]P, suggesting that in both cases mutagenicity is due to similar mechanisms. Spectrophotometric measurements indicate physical interaction of 1,6-DP with DNA in the dark. Laser flash photolysis experiments show that 1,6-DP generates singlet oxygen with a quantum yield of 0.17. In vitro 1,6-DP produces oxidative damage to guanine bases specific for singlet oxygen mediated reactions. Alkaline step elution analysis of 1,6-DP plus UVA treated yeast cells indicates a decrease in average molecular weights in DNA and an induction of single strand breaks (ssb) originating from alkali labile sites. This effect is enhanced by D2O and is thus likely to be due to the production of singlet oxygen. The strand breaks appear to differ from those induced by gamma-rays because little, if any, repair of these ssb occurs during 30 min of post-treatment incubation in complete growth medium. These results suggest that the photobiological effects of 1,6-DP are due to oxidative damage in DNA mostly induced by singlet oxygen.

Naphthofurans induced chromosomal aberrations detected in metaphase, anaphase and telophase V79 Chinese hamster cells☆

The mutagenic activities of 5 newly synthesized naphthofurans were analysed in two in vitro cytogenetic assays: the metaphase chromosomal aberration assay and the anaphase telophase bridge-fragment assay. Both assays were conducted using V79 Chinese hamster cells. The compounds included: 2-nitro-7-methoxynaphtho[2,1-b]furan (A), 2-nitro-8-methoxynaphtho[2,1-b]furan (B), 2-nitro-naphtho[2,1-b]furan (C), 2-nitro-7-bromonaphtho[2,1-b]furan (D) and 7-methoxynaphtho[2,1-b]furan (E). The cells were treated with 3 concentrations (0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 microgram/ml) of each compound, in the dose range already tested in studies on the mutagenic properties of the same compounds realised with other systems. The highest concentration, only, was used in the anaphase-telophase assay. In the first approach, compounds A, B and C were active while compounds D and E did not increase significantly the aberration frequency above that of the DMSO controls. The results were confirmed in the second approach. They demonstrated that the two studies were complementary. Based on their genotoxic activities, the 5 compounds were ranked in the following decreasing order of potency: A congruent to B much greater than C greater than D congruent to E congruent to DMSO; which is comparable to the ranking order obtained in different in vitro mutagenic and carcinogenic assays. All these activities are closely related to the highly specific molecular structure of each compound, particularly to the nature and position of the different substituents introduced on the skeleton.

Spectroscopic Properties of Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds. Part III: Fluorescence Emission and Quenching Behavior of Periodic Table Group 16 Hetero-Atom Derivatives

Fluorescence emission spectra are reported for benzo[b]naphtho[2,3d]furan, dinaphtho[l,2b:l′,2′d]furan, dinaphtho[2,lb:l′,2′d]furan, dibenzo[2,3:10,11]perylo[l,12bcd]furan, dibenzo[2,3:10,ll]perylo-(l,12bcd]thiophene, naphtho[l,8bc:5,4b′c′]dipyran (also called 1,6-dioxapyrene), and naphtha[l,8bc:4,5b′c′]dipyran (also called 1,8-dioxapyrene) in organic nonelectrolyte solvents of varying polarity. Results of these measurements indicate that dinaphtho[l,2b:l′,2′d]furan exhibits slight signs of probe character as evidenced by changing emission intensity ratios; however, the dynamic range was much too small to classify this molecule as a polycyclic aromatic compound probe. The effect of nitromethane and 1,2,4-trimethoxybenzene as selective quenching agents was also examined. Nitromethane was found to quench fluorescence emission of all the aforementioned compounds except benzo[b]naphtho[2,3d]furan.

Molecular and electronic structures of some mutagenic nitronaphthofurans: structure—activity relationships

The study of the relationships between the mutagenic activities and the molecular and electronic structures of a series of 2-nitronaphthofurans by X-ray crystallography and theoretical calculation reveals: 1) the tendency of these molecules to superpose with important π orbitals overlapping; the formation of CH …O intermolecular bonds; 2) the high sensitivity of the electron distribution, and of the resulting molecular electrostatic potential (MEP), to the presence of substituents, particularly those β-positioned on the furan ring; 3) the existence of a good correlation between MEP and mutagenic activity, as demonstrated by statistical analysis of experimental and theoretical data.

Comparison of the carcinogenic effects of two 2-nitro-naphthofurans injected sub-cutaneously in rats.

7-Methoxy-2-nitro-naphtho[2,1-b]furan (R 7000) and its methylated homolog in position 1 (R 7372) are among the most mutagenic agents presently known, as shown by the results obtained both in the Ames test and in the SOS Chromotest. Their carcinogenic effects were tested in rats. We were able to confirm the carcinogenic effects of these nitro-naphthofurans, the presence of a methyl group--while increasing the mutagenic effect of R 7000 10 times--induces a significant decrease of the carcinogenic effects in R 7372. The discrepancy between the mutagenic effects in bacterial assays and the carcinogenic effects of these two 2-nitro-naphthofurans remains to be explained.

Free Radical Production During Photo-Assisted Nadph Reduction of four α-Nitroarenofurans

Generation of radical anions during NADPH reduction of four mutagenic and genotoxic alpha-nitroarenofurans was examined. ESR showed that free radicals were generated during reduction solely in the presence of light. Computer simulations of ESR spectra were in good agreement with the experimental ones.