Tong-man Ong

Chlorophyllin: a potent antimutagen against environmental and dietary complex mixtures.

Chlorophyllin, the sodium and copper salt of chlorophyll, was tested for its ability to inhibit the mutagenic activity of a variety of complex mixtures--extracts of fried beef, fried shredded pork, red grape juice, red wine, cigarette smoke, tobacco snuff, chewing tobacco, airborne particles, coal dust and diesel emission particles--in strain TA98 of Salmonella typhimurium. Chlorophyllin was highly effective against the mutagenicity (90-100% inhibition) of 8 of these 10 mixtures. The mutagenicity of the other 2 mixtures was inhibited 75-80% at the highest concentration of chlorophyllin studied. Control and reconstruction experiments showed that chlorophyllin was not toxic to Salmonella at the concentrations used. The antimutagenic activity of chlorophyllin was heat-stable. The mechanism of the antimutagenicity of chlorophyllin in these experiments is not known; however, chlorophyllin is an antioxidant. Scavenging of radicals and/or interaction with the active group of mutagenic compounds may be responsible for its antimutagenic activity. The data reported here indicate that chlorophyllin is potentially useful as an antimutagenic agent.

Comparative antimutagenicity of 5 compounds against 5 mutagenic complex mixtures in Salmonella typhimurium strain TA98

Using the Ames Salmonella/microsome assay, we compared the antimutagenic activities of chlorophyllin, retinol, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E against solvent extracts of coal dust, diesel emission particles, airborne particles, fried beef, and tobacco snuff. The results show that chlorophyllin inhibited 69% of the mutagenic activity of tobacco snuff and over 90% of that of the other 4 complex mixtures. Retinol inhibited 29-48% of the mutagenic activity of all 5 complex mixtures. beta-Carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E inhibited, if any, less than 39% of the activity of the complex mixtures studied. Vitamin C enhanced the mutagenicity of airborne particles. These results indicate that for these dietary and environmental complex mixtures chlorophyllin is a more effective antimutagen than retinol, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E.

Detection of mineral-dust-induced DNA damage in two mammalian cell lines using the alkaline single cell gel/comet assay

It has been estimated that over three million workers in the USA are potentially exposed to silica or other mineral dusts. Results of epidemiological studies evaluating whether silica or glass fibers increase lung cancer risk to the exposed workers are inconclusive. Detection of DNA damage in cells exposed to genotoxic agents is being used to assess the carcinogenic potential of environmental agents. The alkaline (pH > 13) single cell gel/comet (SCG) assay was used to determine and compare DNA damage in cultured Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts (V79 cells) and human embryonic lung fibroblasts (Hel 299 cells) exposed to crystalline silica (Min-U-Sil 5), amorphous silica (Spherisorb), carbon black, and glass fibers (AAA-10). V79 or Hel 299 cells were exposed to these mineral dusts for 3 h at various concentrations. Min-U-Sil 5 and AAA-10, at almost all concentrations tested, caused a significant increase in DNA migration measured as tail length in both V79 and Hel 299 exposed cells. However, the increase was much higher in V79 then in Hel 299 cells for Min-U-Sil 5. Tail length was also increased relative to controls after amorphous silica treatment, but not to the same extent as that induced by crystalline silica. Exposure to carbon black did not induce DNA migration at any of the concentrations tested. These results indicate that silica and glass fibers, but not carbon black, can induce DNA damage in mammalian cells, and that crystalline silica has a higher DNA-damaging activity than amorphous silica. For glass fibers, induction of DNA damage in both V79 and Hel 299 cells was observed even at a concentration 10 times lower than silica and the response was similar in both cell lines. These results suggest that the SCG/comet assay is useful for the detection of DNA damage caused by occupationally related dusts/particles.

Results of the IPCS collaborative study on complex mixtures.

The International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) sponsored a collaborative study to examine the intra- and inter-laboratory variation associated with the preparation and bioassay of complex chemical mixtures. The mixtures selected were National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Standard Reference Materials (SRMs). 20 laboratories worldwide participated in the collaborative trial. The participating laboratories extracted the organic portion of two particulate samples--an air-particulate sample and a diesel-particulate sample--and bioassayed the extracts. The laboratories simultaneously bioassayed a NIST-prepared extract of coal tar and two control compounds (benzo[a]pyrene, and 1-nitropyrene). The bioassay method used was the Salmonella/mammalian microsome plate-incorporation test using strains TA98 and TA100. Study design also allowed for a comparison of sonication and Soxhlet extraction techniques. The mean extractable masses for the air particles and diesel particles were approximately 5% and 17.5%, respectively. The particulate samples were mutagenic in both strains with and without activation in all 20 laboratories. For TA100 the with and without activation slope values for the air particulate were 162 and 137 revertants per mg particles, respectively. For TA98 the respective diesel slope values were 268 and 269. The mutagenicity slope values for the diesel particles ranged from 3090 (TA98, +S9) to 6697 (TA100, +S9) revertants per mg particles. The coal tar solution was negative for both strains when exogenous activation was not used but was mutagenic in both strains with exogenous activation. The benzo[a]pyrene and 1-nitropyrene were used as positive controls and gave results consistent with the literature. This paper provides a complete summary of the data collected during the collaborative study. Companion papers provide further analysis and interpretation of the results.

Occupational exposure to genotoxic agents

Millions of workers in the United States are potentially exposed each year to hazardous chemicals, dusts, or fibers in occupational settings. Some of these agents are genotoxic and may cause genetic alterations in the somatic or germ cells of exposed workers. Such alterations, if they occur in proto-oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes, which are involved in controlling cell growth or differentiation, may lead to the development of cancer. Genetic alterations in germ cells may also lead to reproductive failure or genetic disorders in subsequent generations. It has been estimated that occupational exposure accounts for 4% of all human cancers and up to 30% of cancer among blue-collar workers. Approximately 20,000 cancer deaths each year are attributable to occupational exposure in the United States. Occupational cancer and reproductive abnormalities have been listed on the National Occupational Research Agenda master list of research priorities as major occupational diseases and injuries.

Validation of the SOS/Umu test with mutagenic complex mixtures

The SOS/Umu test, a rapid system for detecting genotoxic agents by monitoring SOS responses, was evaluated with the extracts of 8 mutagenic complex mixtures (airborne particles, coal dust, tobacco snuff, fried beef, fried shredded pork, airborne particles from polyurethane plants). In this system, the SOS function induced by genotoxicants is detected by a colorimetric measurement of beta-galactosidase in tester cells carrying a umuC-lacZ-fused gene on the plasmid. Results from the study show that a higher beta-galactosidase activity was found when the enzyme substrate and treated cells were added simultaneously into the enzyme reaction mixture and post-treatment dilution (10 X dilution with fresh medium) and incubation (for 2 h) were incorporated. The post-treatment dilution is necessary to reduce a possible false positive due to the color of test substances. The extracts of all mutagenic complex mixtures tested were found to induce dose-related SOS responses, indicating that the SOS/Umu test is potentially useful for the detection of mutagenic complex environmental mixtures.

Up-regulation of expression of translation factors – a novel molecular mechanism for cadmium carcinogenesis

The molecular mechanisms potentially responsible for cadmium carcinogenesis were investigated by differential gene expression analysis of Balb/c-3T3 cells morphologically transformed with cadmium chloride. Differential display analysis of gene expression revealed overexpression of mouse Translation Initiation Factor 3 (TIF3; GenBank Accession Number AF 271072) and Translation Elongation Factor-1δ (TEF-1δ; GenBank Accession Number AF 304351) in the transformed cells compared with the control cells. The full length cDNAs for TIF3 and TEF-1δ were cloned and sequenced. Transfection of mammalian cells with an expression vector containing either TIF3 or TEF-1δ cDNA resulted in overexpression of the encoded protein. Overexpression of the cDNA-encoded TIF3 and TEF-1δ proteins in NIH3T3 cells was oncogenic as evidenced by the appearance of transformed foci capable of anchorage-independent growth on soft agar and tumorigenesis in nude mouse. Blocking the translation of TIF3 and TEF-1δ proteins using the corresponding antisense mRNA resulted in a significant reversal of the oncogenic potential of cadmium transformed Balb/c-3T3 cells as evidenced from the suppression of anchorage-independent growth on soft agar and diminished tumorigenesis in nude mouse. These findings demonstrate that the up-regulation of expression of TIF3 and TEF-1δ is a novel molecular mechanism responsible, at least in part, for cadmium carcinogenesis.

Analysis of K-ras and p53 mutations in mesotheliomas from humans and rats exposed to asbestos

Malignant mesothelioma is known to be associated with asbestos exposure. However, the mechanism of mesothelial carcinogenesis in relation to the activation of proto-oncogenes or inactivation of tumor suppressor genes remains unclear. In this study, the PCR-Primer Introduced Restriction Site (PCR-PIRS) assay was employed to examine mutations in the K-ras proto-oncogene in mesothelioma tissues from workers exposed to asbestos and from rats treated with asbestos. Mutations in exons 5-8 of the p53 tumor suppressor gene were determined by direct DNA sequence analysis. Results of the PCR-PIRS analysis revealed no mutations in codons 12, 13 or 61 of the K-ras gene in any of the 17 human or 22 rat mesothelioma tissue samples. These results were confirmed by direct DNA sequence analysis. No mutations were found in exons 5-8 of the p53 gene in any of the mesothelioma tissue samples analyzed. These results and the results reported by others indicate that the K-ras proto-oncogene and p53 tumor suppressor gene may not play a critical role in the induction of mesothelioma by asbestos either in humans or in rats.

EFFECTS OF SIMULATED PULMONARY SURFACTANT ON THE CYTOTOXICITY AND DNA-DAMAGING ACTIVITY OF RESPIRABLE QUARTZ AND KAOLIN

Respirable-sized quartz and kaolin dusts were pretreated with simulated pulmonary surfactant dispersions of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) in saline to model the conditioning of particles depositing in alveolar regions of the lung. DPPC-treated and untreated dusts were used to challenge lavaged rat pulmonary alveolar macrophages in vitro. Cytotoxicity was determined over a 5-d period using both total and viable cell counts from a fluorescence-based viability assay. DNA damage, as an indication of genotoxicity, was determined over a 7-d period by the single-cell gel electrophoresis assay. Untreated quartz and kaolin both expressed a significant and potent cytotoxicity, which increased with concentration and time. DPPC-surfactant pretreatment delayed significant expression of this cytotoxicity until 3 to 5 d after challenge. Untreated quartz also caused DNA damage, which increased with concentration and time. DPPC-surfactant treatment of quartz delayed most DNA damage expression to 5 and 7 d. Untreated kaolin expressed weaker activity for DNA damage, significant at the highest concentration through 5 d, and at the higher concentrations on d 7. Surfactant treatment delayed most kaolin activity for DNA damage to 7 d after challenge.Respirable-sized quartz and kaolin dusts were pretreated with simulated pulmonary surfactant dispersions of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) in saline to model the conditioning of particles depositing in alveolar regions of the lung. DPPC-treated and untreated dusts were used to challenge lavaged rat pulmonary alveolar macrophages in vitro. Cytotoxicity was determined over a 5-d period using both total and viable cell counts from a fluorescence-based viability assay. DNA damage, as an indication of genotoxicity, was determined over a 7-d period by the single-cell gel electrophoresis assay. Untreated quartz and kaolin both expressed a significant and potent cytotoxicity, which increased with concentration and time. DPPC-surfactant pretreatment delayed significant expression of this cytotoxicity until 3 to 5 d after challenge. Untreated quartz also caused DNA damage, which increased with concentration and time. DPPC-surfactant treatment of quartz delayed most DNA damage expression to 5 and 7 d. Untreated kaolin expressed weaker activity for DNA damage, significant at the highest concentration through 5 d, and at the higher concentrations on d 7. Surfactant treatment delayed most kaolin activity for DNA damage to 7 d after challenge.

Micronucleus formation in V79 cells treated with respirable silica dispersed in medium and in simulated pulmonary surfactant.

Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts (V79 cells) were challenged with respirable silica particles using an in vitro genotoxicity assay. Two particle sizes of crystalline quartz and a non-crystalline silica were assayed for induction of micronuclei (MN) in V79 cells. Some of the silica dusts used were pretreated with simulated pulmonary surfactant to model in vivo exposure conditions. The results showed that both crystalline and non-crystalline silica dispersed in medium (MEM) induced MN formation in a dose-dependent manner. Crystalline silica was more active in this assay than non-crystalline silica on a mass basis. The results also show that the frequency of micronucleated cells in cultures treated with surfactant-coated silica was not significantly different from that of the non-treated control cultures. These results seem to indicate that silica can cause chromosomal aberrations and/or aneuploidies in V79 cells; however, pretreatment of silica particles with simulated pulmonary surfactant reduces or delays genotoxicity in this assay.