Richard D. Irons

An interaction of benzene metabolites reproduces the myelotoxicity observed with benzene exposure

Benzene-induced myelotoxicity can be reproduced by the coadministration of two principal metabolites, phenol and hydroquinone. Coadministration of phenol (75 mg/kg) and hydroquinone (25-75 mg/kg) twice daily to B6C3F1 mice for 12 days resulted in a significant loss in bone marrow cellularity in a manner exhibiting a dose-response. One explanation for this potentiation is that phenol stimulates the peroxidase-dependent metabolism of hydroquinone. Addition of phenol to incubations containing horseradish peroxidase, H2O2, and hydroquinone resulted in a stimulation of both hydroquinone removal and benzoquinone formation. Stimulation occurred with phenol as low as 100 microM and with very low concentrations of horseradish peroxidase. When boiled rat liver protein was added to identical incubations containing [14C]hydroquinone, the level of radioactivity recovered as protein bound increased by 37% when phenol was added. Similar results were observed when [14C]hydroquinone was incubated in the presence of activated human leukocytes. Hydroquinone binding was increased by approximately 70% in the presence of phenol. Phenol-induced stimulation of hydroquinone metabolism and benzoquinone formation represents a likely explanation for the bone marrow suppression associated with benzene toxicity.

Benzene disposition in the rat after exposure by inhalation

Abstract Little information is available on benzene disposition after exposure by inhalation despite the importance of this route in man. Benzene metabolites as a group have been measured in bone marrow, but quantitation of individual metabolites in this target tissue has not been reported. Male Fischer-344 rats were exposed to 500 ppm benzene in air and the uptake and elimination was followed in several tissues. Concentrations of free phenol, catechol, and hydroquinone in blood and bone marrow were also measured. Steady-state concentrations of benzene (11.5, 37.0, and 164.0 μg/g in blood, bone marrow, and fat, respectively) were achieved within 6 hr in all tissues studied. Benzene half-lives during the first 9 hr were similar in all tissues (0.8 hr). A plot of amount of benzene remaining to be excreted in the expired air was biphasic with t 1 2 values for the α and β phases of 0.7 and 13.1 hr, respectively. Phenol was the main metabolite in bone marrow at early times (peak concentration, 19.4 μg/g). Catechol and hydroquinone predominated later (peak concentrations, 13.0 and 70.4 μg/g, respectively). Concentrations of these two metabolites declined very slowly during the first 9 hr. These data indicate that free catechol and hydroquinone persist in bone marrow longer than benzene or free phenol.

Quinones as toxic metabolites of benzene

Occupational exposure to benzene has long been associated with toxicity to the blood and bone marrow, including lymphocytopenia, pancytopenia, aplastic anemia, acute myelogenous leukemia, and possibly lymphoma. A variety of studies have established that benzene itself is not the toxic species but requires metabolism to reactive intermediates. The bioactivation of benzene is complex. Both primary and secondary oxidation of benzene and its metabolites are mediated via cytochrome P-450 in the liver, although the role of secondary metabolism in the bone marrow is not clear. Toxicity is associated with the dihydroxy metabolites, hydroquinone and catechol, which concentrate in bone marrow. Hydroquinone and its terminal oxidation product, p-benzoquinone, have been demonstrated to be potent suppressors of cell growth in culture. Suppression of lymphocyte blastogenesis by these compounds is a sulfhydryl-dependent process and occurs at concentrations that do not result in cell death, or in detectable alterations in energy metabolism, intracellular glutathione concentration, or protein synthesis. Recent studies suggest that these compounds and other membrane-penetrating sulfhydryl alkylating agents, such as N-ethylmaleimide and cytochalasin A, and endogenous regulatory molecules, such as soluble immune response suppressor (SIRS), interfere with microtubule assembly in vitro and selectively interfere with microtubule-dependent cell functions at identical concentrations. These agents appear to react with nucleophilic sulfhydryl groups essential for guanosine triphosphate binding to tubulin that are particularly sensitive to sulfhydryl-alkylating agents.

Evidence for direct action of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on thymic epithelium

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) acts on selected targets within the immune system to produce a characteristic profile of pathologic responses typified by thymic atrophy, suppressed cellular immunity, and inhibition of antibody production to T-lymphocyte-dependent antigens. Studies in inbred mice differing in sensitivity to TCDD indicate that TCDD-induced thymic atrophy is mediated by a receptor protein (designated the Ah receptor). To study the cellular and molecular basis for TCDD-induced thymic atrophy, primary cultures of thymic epithelial (TE) cells were established from C57BL/6 mice, a strain sensitive to TCDD. Treatment of TE monolayers with TCDD (0.1 to 10 nM) resulted in the altered maturation of cocultured syngeneic thymocytes as judged by suppression (40% of control at 10 nM TCDD) of TE-dependent responsiveness of thymocytes to the mitogens concanavalin A and phytohemagglutinin. TE-conditioned medium enhanced the mitogen responsiveness of thymocytes three- to four-fold; however, the enhanced mitogen response mediated by the TE-conditioned medium was not suppressed in thymocytes incubated in medium collected from TCDD-treated cultures or in TE-conditioned medium to which TCDD (10 nM) had been added directly. The suppression of TE-dependent maturation of thymocytes was concentration dependent (EC50 approximately 1 nM) and stereospecific, suggesting involvement of the Ah receptor. The Ah receptor in cytosol fractions from cultured TE cells was measured directly and was found to be present at a concentration 3 and 3.5 times greater than that measured in whole thymus and thymocytes, respectively. The results of this study indicate that TCDD can act directly on epithelial target cells in the thymus: one consequence of this action appears to be the altered thymus-dependent maturation of T-lymphocyte precursors, mediated through direct cell-cell contact between thymocytes and TE cells.

Effects of the principal hydroxy-metabolites of benzene on microtubule polymerization

The principal hydroxy-metabolites of benzene — phenol, catechol and hydroquinone — possess characteristics and produce toxicity similar to those reported for certain inhibitors of microtubule polymerization. In this study we examined the effects of phenol, catechol and hydroquinone on purified microtubule polymerization and the decay of tubulin-colchicine binding activity. Hydroquinone, but not catechol or phenol, inhibited microtubule polymerization and accelerated the decay of tubulin-colchicine binding activity. The latter effect was shown to be dependent on the concentration of GTP. Hydroquinone did not directly complex with GTP or ATP but bound to the high molecular weight fraction of tubulin. Concentration ratios of hydroquinone to tubulin resulting in altered activity were low, suggesting a specific interaction, presumably at the tubulin-GTP binding site. The acceleration of tubulin-colchicine binding activity decay was completely prevented under anaerobic conditions, indicative of an oxidative mechanism. These studies suggest that hydroquinone, which auto-oxidizes, may interfere with microtubule function, nucleotide binding or both and that this mechanism may be involved in eliciting the wide range of cytoskeletal-related abnormalities observed in cells exposed to benzene in vivo or its metabolites in vitro.

Benzene is metabolized and covalently bound in bone marrow in situ

In trod uc t ion Benzene is a well-known myelotoxic agent which has recently been implicated as a leukemogen [1]. The mechanism by which benzene induces myelotoxic i ty is not understood. Myelotoxici ty could result from the action of the parent compound or any of the well-known metabolites of benzene such as phenol, catechol, hydroquinone, 1,2,4-benzenetriol or trans, transmuconic acid [2--4]. Quantitatively, the liver is the major site of benzene metabolism in the body [ 5] ; however, the relative importance of metabolism in the liver with respect of myelotoxic action is unknown. The intermediate(s) responsible for bone marrow toxici ty may be synthesized in the liver and transported to marrow where they act directly; they may require additional metabolism in bone marrow to form the ultimate toxic intermediate; or, as an alternative, bone marrow metabolism of benzene may be the only prerequisite for benzene induced myelotoxici ty. The possibility that benzene can be metabolized directly in bone marrow, the principal target organ, has no t been explored [6] . Phenol, catechol and hydroquinone are found in rat blood and bone marrow following inhalation of benzene [ 7], but the sites of formation of these metaboli tes have no t been established, nor has the metabolic contr ibut ion of the bone marrow been ascertained. The principal objective of this work was to determine if bone marrow is capable of metabolizing benzene independent of metabolism in the liver.

Immunosuppression following 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene exposure in B6C3F1 mice. I. Effects on humoral immunity and host resistance

It has previously been demonstrated that the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), benzo(a)pyrene (B[a]P), suppresses the terminal step in B-cell differentiation, resulting in a decrease in antibody production to T-dependent and B-2 T-independent antigens. The purpose of this study was to ascertain if this effect was common to carcinogenic PAHs or specific for B[a]P. The PAH 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) was administered to B6C3F1 female mice by ten sc injections of 0.5, 5, or 10 micrograms/g over a 2-week period (i.e., total dose of 5, 50, and 100 micrograms/g). Immune function and host resistance assays were performed 3 to 5 days following the last injection. The 10 micrograms/g dosage resulted in a marked decrease in spleen weights and spleen and bone marrow cellularity, while thymus and body weights were not significantly altered. The ability to generate B-lymphocyte colonies in vitro from spleen precursor cells was also suppressed at the 10 micrograms/g dose. Exposure to DMBA at 5 micrograms/g or greater resulted in a reduction of up to 97% in the number of IgM plaque-forming cells in response to the T-dependent antigen sheep red blood cells (SRBC). The IgG response to SRBC was similarly depressed. The IgM response to the hapten-conjugated T-independent antigens trinitrophenyl-lipopolysaccharide (TNP-LPS) (specific for B-1 cells) and trinitrophenyl (TNP)-Ficoll (specific for B-2 cells) was also depressed (88 and 97%, respectively) at 10 micrograms/g. DMBA exposure resulted in an increased susceptibility to challenge with the PYB6 transplantable sarcoma and the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, in contrast to B[a]P exposure, which had no effect on host resistance assays. Thus, DMBA, a more potent carcinogen than B[a]P, produces a more extensive B-cell suppression than B[a]P as well as alters host resistance to tumor and bacterial challenge.

Carcinogenicity of inhaled benzene in CBA mice.

This study investigated benzene-induced neoplasia in CBA/Ca mice, with special emphasis on hematopoietic tissues. Ten-week-old male CBA/Ca mice were exposed to 300 ppm benzene via inhalation for 6 hr/day, 5 days/week, for 16 weeks and held 18 months after the last exposure. There were 125 benzene-exposed and 125 sham-exposed mice. Malignant lymphoma was a statistically significant cause of early mortality in the benzene-exposed mice. Fourteen benzene-exposed mice developed lymphoma (lymphoblastic, lymphocytic, or mixed) as compared to only 2 sham-exposed mice. Benzene-exposed mice also developed preputial gland squamous cell carcinomas (60% in benzene-exposed vs 0% in sham-exposed) and had an increased incidence of lung adenomas (36% vs 14%). Moderate to marked granulocytic hyperplasia was present in benzene-exposed animals, with a 36% incidence in the bone marrow and 6% in the spleen, as compared to the sham-exposed with 8 and 0%, respectively. Interpretation of the granulocytic response as a direct effect of benzene was complicated by the presence of inflammation in the mice. Although inhaled benzene was clearly carcinogenic in CBA mice, it did not induce granulocytic leukemia.

Immunotoxicity in C57BL6 mice exposed to benzene and Aroclor 1254

Abstract Benzene-induced hematotoxicity is believed to result from the reaction of benzene metabolites with hemopoietic cells. The effect of acute benzene exposure on splenic lymphocyte function in mice was examined before and after induction of hepatic metabolism with Aroclor 1254. Mice were given single, ip injections of benzene (44–660 mg/kg) for 3 consecutive days. Spleen cells were harvested on the fourth day and evaluated for their ability to proliferate after mitogen stimulation and to mature into antibody-producing cells. Mice also were pretreated 4 days prior to benzene administration with 550 mg/kg Aroclor 1254 to induce hepatic metabolism. The results showed that benzene inhibited T- and B-lymphocyte mitogenesis and inhibited the ability of antigen-reactive precursors to produce plaque-forming cells (PFC) against sheep red cells. Aroclor pretreatment ameliorated benzene-induced leukopenia and suppression of mitogenesis, but did not prevent the reduction in PFC. Aroclor alone caused a dose-dependent reduction in PFC frequency. These results indicate that Aroclor 1254 can preferentially inhibit the generation of antibody-producing cells and also suggest that hepatic metabolism of benzene results in toxicity to lymphocyte function.

Relationship between benzene toxicity and the disposition of 14C-labelled benzene metabolites in the rat

The distribution of radioactivity associated with three 14C-labelled benzene metabolites was studied using whole body autoradiography (WBAR). Male Fischer-344 rats were given an intravenous dose of 0.6 mg/kg (60 microCi phenol, 1.2 mg/kg (100 microCi) catechol, or 1.3 mg/kg (100 microCi) hydroquinone. The rats were killed after 2 h and autoradiograms were prepared from whole body sagittal sections. The relative organ uptake of radioactivity associated with each compound was assessed by comparing tissue/blood optical density (O.D.) ratios from X-ray films. Bone marrow, thymus and the white pulp of the spleen concentrated radioactivity associated with hydroquinone or catechol. Radioactivity associated with phenol concentrated in the red pulp of the spleen, but not in the other lymphoid tissues. Radioactivity associated with all three metabolites was found in the lungs, kidneys and small intestines, whereas greater accumulation of radioactivity was observed in subcutaneous tissues, sebaceous glands and the white matter of the brain and spinal cord in rats given hydroquinone or catechol than in animals given phenol. Rats pretreated with a single dose of Aroclor 1254 (250 mg/kg, i.p.), a regimen which was found to protect against benzene-induced lymphocytopenia, were given hydroquinone (100 microCi; 1.3 mg/kg) or catechol (100 microCi; 1.4 mg/kg). For hydroquinone the tissue/blood O.D. ratios for bone marrow and thymus were approx. 60% lower in Aroclor-pretreated than in untreated rats. A 25% reduction in the tissue/blood O.D. ratios for these organs was observed in pretreated rats given catechol. These findings indicate that the uptake and concentration of radioactivity associated with hydroquinone and catechol by bone marrow and lymphoid organs (1) can occur independently of the metabolism of benzene in these tissues and (2) is reduced under conditions in which the animal is less susceptible to benzene toxicity.