Shiro Mita

Effects of ascorbic acid on the nonenzymatic binding to DNA and the mutagenicity of N-hydroxylated metabolite of a tryptophan-pyrolysis product

Abstract Ascorbic acid enhanced the nonenzymatic binding of the mutagen 3-hydroxyamino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (N-OH-Trp-P-2) to DNA with a concomitant increase in the mutagenicity of N-OH-Trp-P-2. The covalent binding of N-OH-Trp-P-2 to DNA was higher at pH 7.4 than pH 6.2 or 5.0. Ascorbic acid increased the binding of N-OH-Trp-P-2 at all pH levels examined. These results indicate that ascorbic acid enhances the DNA damage caused by N-OH-Trp-P-2.

Metabolic activation of Trp-P-2, a tryptophan-pyrolysis mutagen by isolated rat hepatocytes

Metabolic activation of a tryptophan-pyrolysis product, 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-2), by isolated rat hepatocytes was studied. The substrate (Trp-P-2) disappearance by hepatocytes from untreated rats was slow, but enhanced by 3-methylcholanthrene (MC) pretreatment of rats. The covalent binding of Trp-P-2 to cellular macromolecules was detected in hepatocytes from untreated rats. The amount of covalent binding of Trp-P-2 to protein and RNA was greater than that to DNA. The covalent binding to Trp-P-2 to DNA, RNA and protein in hepatocytes from untreated rats was about 5-10 times less than that in hepatocytes from MC-pretreated rats. 7,8-Benzoflavone strongly inhibited the substrate disappearance and the binding of Trp-P-2 to DNA in hepatocytes from MC-pretreated rats. These results indicate that Trp-P-2 is metabolically activated by the P-448 type of cytochrome P-450 which is induced by MC. Diethylmaleate enhanced by about 50% the binding of Trp-P-2 to DNA in hepatocytes from MC-pretreated rats. On the other hand, cysteine inhibited the binding of Trp-P-2 to DNA with a concomitant reduction in the accumulation of the active metabolite, N-hydroxy-Trp-P-2 (N-OH-Trp-P-2). Sulfhydryl compounds seemed to play important roles in the detoxification of Trp-P-2.

Metabolic activation of a tryptophan pyrolysis product, 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole(Trp-P-2) by isolated rat liver nuclei

The metabolic activation of a tryptophan pyrolysis product, 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole(Trp-P-2), by rat liver nuclei was studied. Nuclei from the livers of rats treated with polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) or 3-methylcholanthrene (MC) showed high mutagenic activity with Trp-P-2 in the Ames test, but activities with nuclei of untreated or phenobarbital (PB)-treated rat livers were quite low. The formation of N-hydroxy-Trp-P-2 by nuclei of PCB- or MC-treated rat livers was greater than that by nuclei of untreated or PB-treated rat livers. Similar results were observed with microsomes, which suggests that Trp-P-2 is metabolized by the same type of monoxygenase system in nuclei as in microsomes.

DNA single-strand breaks by nitropyrenes and related compounds in Chinese hamster V79 cells

The DNA single-strand breaks (SSB) induced by nitropyrenes and related compounds were studied in Chinese hamster V79 cells. 1-Nitropyrene (1-NP), 1,6-dinitropyrene (1,6-DNP), 1,8-dinitropyrene (1,8-DNP), 1-nitrosopyrene (1-NOP) and 1-aminopyrene (1-AP) caused DNA-SSB in the cells. 1-NP induced SSB most effectively among the compounds tested, though the mutagenic activity of 1-NP towards mammalian cells has been reported to be negative or marginal. 1-NOP induced SSB less effectively than 1-NP, though 1-NOP is assumed to be the intermediate to the ultimate metabolite. From in vitro experiments, this result could be explained, at least partly, by the detoxicating function of reduced glutathione (GSH) or other sulfhydryl materials.

Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of human promyelocytic leukemia cell (HL-60) proteins by tumor promoter

Human promyelocytic leukemia cell line (HL-60) has been shown to be induced to the terminal differentiation into macrophage-like cells by a tumor promoter, 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA). The present studies describe the effects of TPA on the phosphorylation of HL-60 cell proteins. A rapid decrease in the phosphorylation of a 75 kD protein was observed within a few minutes after treatment with TPA. On the other hand, TPA treatment of HL-60 cells caused rapid increase in the phosphorylation of a 67 kD protein and other minor proteins. Phorbol and 4 alpha-phorbol-12,13-dodecanoate, both of which are biologically inactive derivatives of TPA, failed to cause any changes in protein phosphorylation in HL-60 cells. These results suggest that changes in protein phosphorylation are involved in mechanisms of the differentiation in HL-60 cells induced by TPA. Cell fractionation experiments revealed that 67K protein was located in cytosol. Though 75K protein also seemed to be located in cytosol, the phosphate moiety of 75K protein was almost lost during cell fractionation, suggesting that the phosphorylation of 75K protein was specifically regulated in HL-60 cells. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), retinoic acid (RA) and 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3, all of which induce the differentiation in HL-60 cells, did not cause any changes in protein phosphorylation. These results suggest that the changes in protein phosphorylation are specific for TPA. The possible mechanisms of changes in protein phosphorylation by TPA were discussed.