Carcinogenicity of aromatic hydrocarbons directly applied to rat mammary gland

Summary To obtain some initial evidence on the mechanism(s) of activation of PAH in rat mammary gland, we studied the carcinogenicity of a series of PAH directly applied to this tissue. A series of PAH which are or are not expected to be activated by one-electron oxidation because of their low or high ionization potential (IP), respectively, were tested. The compounds were dispersed as fine powders on an exposed mammary gland of female Sprague-Dawley rats. 5-Methylchrysene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene and benz[a]anthracene, which have relatively high IP, were inactive. In contrast, three PAH with relatively low IP, 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene, benzo[a]pyrene (BP), and 3-methylcholanthrene (MC), were potent carcinogens. 6-MethylBP, with low IP, and 7-methylbenz[a]anthracene, with borderline IP, elicited only mesenchymal tumors, whereas BP 7,8-dihydrodiol and cyclopenta[cd]pyrene were inactive. A series of MC derivatives substituted at C-1 or C-2 was tested. Substituents at C-1, the position of activation in the one-electron oxidation pathway, generally suppressed carcinogenic activity. Substitution at C-2 did not eliminate carcinogenic activity, w9th the exception of MC-2-one. These results provide initial information suggesting that one-electron oxidation may be a mechanism of activation for PAH in the mammary gland.Abbreviations used BP benzo[a]pyrene - BP 7,8-dihydrodiol 7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene - DMBA 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene - 1-hydroxyMC 1-hydroxy-3-methylcholanthrene - 2-hydroxyMC 2-hydroxy-3-methylcholanthrene - IP Ionization potential(s) - MC 3-methylcholanthrene - MC-1-one 3-methylcholanthrene-1-one - MC-2-one 3-methylcholanthrene-2-one - MCL 3-methylcholanthrylene - 1-methylMC 1,3-dimethylcholanthrene - 2-methylMC 2,3-dimethylcholanthrene - 6-methylBP 6-methylbenzo[a]pyrene - PAH polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(s) Supported by Public Health Service contract NO1 CP05620 and grants 1RO1 CA32376 and Laboratory Cancer Research Center Core Grant CA36727 from the National Cancer Institute     

Tumorigenicity of 6-halogenated derivatives of benzo[a]pyrene in mouse skin and rat mammary gland

Summary Studies of the tumorigenicity of 6-halogenated derivatives of benzo[a]pyrene (BP) can provide evidence about the role of the 6 position in the carcinogenic activation of BP. Female Swiss and A-strain mice were treated on the skin with BP, 6-fluorobenzo[a]pyrene (6-FBP), 6-chlorobenzo[a]pyrene (6-C1BP), 6-bromobenzo[a]pyrene (6-BrBP) and 6-iodobenzo[a]pyrene (6-IBP) by repeated application, and in some cases by initiation-promotion. While BP was more potent than 6-FBP, only these two compounds exhibites tumor-initiating and carcinogenic activity in mouse skin. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with BP, 6-FBP, 6-C1BP, and 6-BrBP by intramammillary injection. BP and 6-FBP induced high levels of mammary epithelial tumors and fibrosarcomas. 6-C1BP elicited only a high percentage of fibrosarcomas, whereas 6-BrBP induced a few adenocarcinomas. These results indicate that chloro or bromo substitution at C-6 in BP reduces or eliminates carcinogenic activity. Conversely, 6-FBP, from which the fluoro substituent has been chemically and metabolically removed by one-electron oxidation, displays a moderate carcinogenic acitivity which is consistent with activation by either one-electron oxidation or monooxygenation.Abbreviations used BP benzo[a]pyrene - 6-BrBP 6-bromobenzo[a]pyrene - 6-C1BP 6-chlorobenzo[a]pyrene - 6-FBP 6-fluorobenzo[a]pyrene - 6-IBP 6-iodobenzo[a]pyrene - 6-OAcBP 6-acetoxybenzo[a]pyrene - PAH polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Supported by Public Health Service contract NO1 CPO5620 and grants 1 RO1 CA32376 and Laboratory Cancer Research Center Core Grant CA36727 from the National Cancer Institute     

Metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene: conversion of (+/-)-trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene to highly mutagenic 7,8-diol-9,10-epoxides.

Metabolites of (+/-)-trans 7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene formed by a rat liver microsomes and by a highly purified monoxygenase system were analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Four stereoisomeric tetraols of 7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene, known solvolysis products of the two highly mutagenic stereoisomers of the 9,10-epoxide of the 7,8-dihydrodiol, were identified as products. The ratio of the two highly unstable diol epoxides formed (7 beta,8alpha-dihydroxy-9beta,10beta-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene, diol epoxide 1; 7beta,8alpha-dihydroxy-9alpha,10alpha-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene, diol epoxide 2) ranged from about 1.7 to 0.4. The diol epoxides are sufficiently reactive to alkylate phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) at 37 degrees. Microsomes, particularly those from control animals, formed a substantial amount of an additional metabolite that appears to be phenolic. In analogy to benzo[a]pyrene, the metabolism of the 7,8-dihydrodiol shows similar induction after pretreatment of rats with phenobarbital or 3-methylcholanthrene. Neither diol epoxide appears to be a substrate for epoxide hydrase based on the ratis of tetraols formed in the presence or absence of epoxide hydrase. In view of the known carcinogenicity of benzo[a]pyrene 7,8-oxide and 7,8-dihydrodiol and of the marked mutagenicity of the stereoisomeric diol epoxides, both of these diol epoxides qualify for consideration as "ultimate carcinogen(s)" of benzo[a]pyrene.     

Carcinogenicity of benzo[a]pyrene 4,5-, 7,8-, and 9,10-oxides on mouse skin.

Benzo[a]pyrene and three arene oxides of benzo[a]pyrene (benzo[a]pyrene 4,5-, 7,8-, and 9,10-oxides) have been tested for carcinogenicity in mice by topical application of each compound (0.1 or 0.4 mumol) once every 2 weeks for 60 weeks. At the high dose, benzo[a]pyrene and the 7,8-oxide were highly carcinogenic, whereas the 4,5-oxide (K-region oxide) was weakly active and the 9,10-oxide was inactive. At the low dose, only benzo[a]pyrene was highly carcinogenic. The carcinogenic activities of the three arene oxides of benzo[a]pyrene were not correlated with their stabilities or mutagenic activities.     

(+/-)-trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo (a)pyrene: a potent skin carcinogen when applied topically to mice.

(+/-)-trans-7,8-Dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]-pyrene, a known metabolite of benzo [a]pyrene, has been tested for carcinogenic activity on mouse skin by topical application of 0.15 or 0.30 mumol every 2 weeks for 60 weeks. At the low dose (0.15 mumol), the compound was equipotent to the parent hydrocarbon, benzo[a]pyrene, and considerably more potent than its metabolic precursor, benzo[a]pyrene 7,8-oxide, in eliciting tumors, as determined by both the onset of tumors and the total number of animals developing carcinomas. Application of 7,8-epoxy-,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (0.30 mumol every 2 weeks), a compound related to the carcinogenic benzo[a]pyrene 7,8-oxide but with the double bond removed from the 9,10-position of the molecule, did not elicit any tumors. The above results indicate that the (+/-)-trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene is a more proximate carcinogen than benzo[a]pyrene 7,8-oxide and that the carcinogenicity of benzo[a]pyrene 7,8-oxide and (+/-)trans-7,8-digydrobenzo[a]pyrene may be due to metabolic conversion of these compounds to the highly reactive and mutagenic stereoisomers of 7,8-digydroxy-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene.     

Specificity of chemiluminescence in the metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene to its carcinogenic diol epoxide.

The metabolism of 7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene results primarily in the ultimate carcinogenic metabolite of benzo[a]pyrene, 7,8-dihydroxy-9,10-oxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene and to a lesser extent 7,8-dihydroxy-9,10-dioxetane-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene, from which chemiluminescence is observed. This specific microsomal chemiluminescence has been used to establish that the rate-limiting reaction in the metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene to the bay region diol epoxide is the production of the 7,8-diol. The microsome-mediated chemiluminescence of the parent benzo[a]pyrene is therefore an indicator of the activity of the specific sequence of metabolic reactions leading to the ultimate carcinogenic metabolite.     

Oxidant-dependent metabolic activation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by phorbol ester-stimulated human polymorphonuclear leukocytes: possible link between inflammation and cancer.

Oxidants, such as those generated by metabolically activated phagocytes in inflammation, have been implicated in the metabolic activation of carcinogens, and in this study we demonstrate that the interaction of (+/-)-trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BP 7,8-dihydrodiol) with phorbol ester-stimulated polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) results in the generation of both a chemiluminescent intermediate and one that covalently binds to DNA. Cu(II)(3,5-diisopropylsalicylic acid)2 (CuDIPS), a biomimetic superoxide dismutase, and azide, a myeloperoxidase inhibitor, inhibited both of these reactions, indicating a dependency on oxygen-derived oxidants in these hydrocarbon-activation processes. Concordant with the formation of a carcinogen-DNA adduct, the admixture of BP 7,8-dihydrodiol and phorbol ester-stimulated PMNs elicited mutagenesis in Salmonella typhimurium strain TA100. 7,8-Dihydro-BP and BP cis-7,8-dihydrodiol were also mutagenic, whereas derivatives lacking a double bond at the 9,10 position were not. These results demonstrate that oxidants generated by metabolically stimulated PMNs can activate penultimate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to a genotoxic metabolite and further defines a role for inflammation in carcinogenesis.     

Elucidation of hydrocarbon structure in an enzyme-catalyzed benzo[a]pyrene-poly (G) covalent complex.

The carcinogen, benzo[a]pyrene, was covalently attached to poly (G) by liver microsomes from rats pretreated with 3-methylcholanthrene. The complex was hydrolyzed with enzymes or base and products were isolated by Sephadex chromatography. Absorbance and fluorescence spectra of the products fit that of red-shifted pyrene aromatic system and suggest that metabolism has occurred at the 7-, 8-, 9-, and 10-positions of the hydrocarbon. Benzanthracene or chrysene fluorescence were not observed in these preparations. Benzo[a]pyrene derivatives were synthesized and purified by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Dehydration of 7,8-dihydroxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene resulted in the formation of small amounts of 7-oxo-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzoa[a]pyrene. A 7-keto species was also observed after similar treatment of the hydrocarbon-poly(G) hydrolysis products. Evidence of dehydration at the 9,10-positions was not observed. The hydrocarbon covalently bound to poly(G) is, therefore, a derivative of 7,8-dihydroxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzol[a]pyrene with nucleic acid substitution at C-10 or 9.     

Evidence for the aldo-keto reductase pathway of polycyclic aromatic trans-dihydrodiol activation in human lung A549 cells

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are tobacco carcinogens implicated in the causation of human lung cancer. Metabolic activation is a key prerequisite for PAHs to cause their deleterious effects. Using human lung adenocarcinoma (A549) cells, we provide evidence for the metabolic activation of (+/-)-trans-7,8dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P-7,8-trans-dihydrodiol) by aldo-keto reductases (AKRs) to yield benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dione (B[a]P-7,8-dione), a redox-active o-quinone. We show that B[a]P-7,8-trans-dihydrodiol (AKR substrate) and B[a]P-7,8-dione (AKR product) lead to the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) (measured as an increase in dichlorofluorescin diacetate fluores-cence) and that similar changes were not observed with the regioisomer (+/-)-trans-4,5-dihydroxy-4,5-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene or the diol-epoxide, (+/-)-anti-7,8-dihydroxy-9alpha,10beta-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-B[a]P. B[a]P-7,8-trans-dihydrodiol and B[a]P-7,8-dione also caused a decrease in glutathione levels and an increase in NADP(+)/NADPH ratios, with a concomitant increase in single-strand breaks (as measured by the comet assay) and 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dGuo). The specificity of the comet assay was validated by coupling it to human 8-oxo-guanine glycosylase (hOGG1), which excises 8-oxo-Gua to yield single-strand breaks. The levels of 8-oxo-dGuo observed were confirmed by an immunoaffinity purification stable isotope dilution ([(15)N(5)]-8-oxo-dGuo) liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization/multiple reaction monitoring/mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/MRM/MS) assay. B[a]P-7,8-trans-dihydrodiol produced DNA strand breaks in the hOGG1-coupled comet assay as well as 8-oxo-dGuo (as measured by LC-ESI/MRM/MS) and was enhanced by a catechol O-methyl transferase (COMT) inhibitor, suggesting that COMT protects against o-quinone-mediated redox cycling. We conclude that activation of PAH-trans-dihydrodiols by AKRs in lung cells leads to ROS-mediated genotoxicity and contributes to lung carcinogenesis.     

Chemical carcinogens produce mutations to ouabain resistance in transformable C3H/10T1/2 Cl 8 mouse fibroblasts.

Chemical carcinogens induce mutations to ouabain resistance in the transformable mouse fibroblast cell line C3H/10T1/2 Cl 8. The mutant phenotype is stable and heritable in the absence of selective agent, and dose--response curves for mutant frequency were obtained with N-menthyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, 3-methylcholanthrene, benzo[a]-pyrene, N-acetoxy-N-2-acetylaminofluorene, and the anti-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide of benzo[a]pyrene. The ratio of the malignant transformation frequency to the mutation frequency was 12 for benzo[a]pyrene and 21 for N-acetoxy-N-2-acetylaminofluorene. The development of the mutational assay reported here allows the use of this permanent cell line for comparison of mutation and transfomration frequencies and as a screening system for xenobiotics that pose mutagenic or carcinogenic hazards to mammalian cells.     

Tumorigenicity of the optical enantiomers of the diastereomeric benzo[a]pyrene 7,8-diol-9,10-epoxides in newborn mice: exceptional activity of (+)-7beta,8alpha-dihydroxy-9alpha,10alpha-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene.

The tumorigenicities of benzo[a]pyrene and each optical enantiomer of the diastereomeric benzo[a]pyrene 7,8-diol-9,10-epoxides derived from trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzol[a]pyrene were tested by sequential intraperitoneal injection of mice with 1,2, and 4 nmol, or with 2, 4, and 8 nmol of each compound on the 1st, 8th, and 15th day of life, respectively. The experiment was terminated when the animals were 34--37 weeks old. (+)-7beta, 8alpha-dihydroxy-9alpha,10alpha-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzol[a]pyrene [(+)-BP-7beta,8alpha-diol-9alpha,10alpha-epoxide 2] had exceptional tumorigenicity, whereas benzo[a]-pyrene and the other three optically pure isomers of the benzo[a]pyrene 7,8-diol,9,10-epoxides had little or no activity. These results demonstrate differences in the carcinogenic activities of optically active isomers of a polycyclic hydrocarbon diol epoxide. Eleven percent of control mice had pulmonary tumors, whereas 71% and 100% of the mice treated with a total dose of 7 or 14 nmol of (+)-BP-7beta,8alpha-diol-9alpha,10alpha-epoxide 2, respectively, had pulmonary tumors. Control mice had an average of 0.12 pulmonary tumors per mouse, whereas mice treated with a total dose of 7 or 14 nmol of (+)-BP-7beta,8alpha-diol-9alpha,10alpha-epoxide 2 had 1.72 and 7.67 pulmonary tumors per mouse, respectively. Mice treated with 14 nmol of (-)-BP-7alpha,8beta-diol-9beta,10beta-epoxide 2, (-)-BP-7beta,8alpha-diol-9beta,10beta-epoxide 1, or (+)-BP-7alpha,8beta-diol-9alpha,10alpha-epoxide 1 had 0.13, 0.25, and 0.34 pulmonary tumors per animal, respectively.     

Tumor-initiating activity in mouse skin and carcinogenicity in rat mammary gland of dibenzo[a]pyrenes: the very potent environmental carcinogen dibenzo[a,l]pyrene

Summary Comparative studies of tumor-initiating activity in mouse skin and carcinogenicity in rat mammary gland were conducted with several dibenzo[a]-pyrenes (DBPs). SENCAR mice were initiated with DB[a,e]P, DB[a,h]P, DB[a,i]P, DB[a,l]P and anthanthrene, and promoted with tetradecanoyl-phorbol acetate. The same compounds were tested by intramammillary injection in female Sprague-Dawley rats. Anthanthrene was inactive in both mouse skin and rat mammary gland. DB[a,e]P was a very weak tumor-initiator in mouse skin and was inactive in rat mammary gland. DB[a,h]P induced twice as many papillomas in mouse skin as DB[a,i]P, although both compounds exhibited similar tumor latencies and percentages of tumor-bearing mice. These two compounds induced similar numbers of mammary tumors, but treatment of the rats with DB[a,i]P resulted in a significantly larger number of adenocarcinomas. DB[a,l]P was toxic to both the mice and rats. Treatment of mouse skin with this compound led to an erythema, which delayed the beginning of promotion until the 3rd week after initiation. Despite this delay, papillomas began appearing 5 weeks after initiation with DB[a,l]P and the number of tumors increased rapidly. The compound was so toxic in the rats that half of the animals died in the first 9 weeks and the remaining animals were sacrificed after 15 weeks. Nonetheless, DB[a,l]P was the strongest carcinogen tested, inducing seven tumors per rat within 10 weeks. These results demonstrate that DB[a,l]P, which is present in tobacco smoke, is an extremely potent carcinogenic aromatic hydrocarbon. Furthermore, some of these compounds can serve as useful models for elucidating their mechanisms of activation.Abbreviations DBP dibenzo[a]pyrene This research was supported by Public Health Service grants CA32376 and CA25176 from the National Cancer Institute and by institutional grants CA36727 from the National Cancer Institute and ACS SIG-16 from the American Cancer Society     

Benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide adducts in DNA are potent suppressors of a normal topoisomerase I cleavage site and powerful inducers of other topoisomerase I cleavages

The catalytic intermediates of DNA topoisomerase I (top1) are cleavage complexes that can relax DNA supercoiling (intramolecular reaction) or mediate recombinations (intermolecular religation). We report here that DNA adducts formed from benzo[a]pyrene bay-region diol epoxides can markedly affect top1 activity. Four oligonucleotide 22-mers of the same sequence were synthesized, each of which contained a stereoisomerically unique benzo[a]pyrene 7, 8-diol 9,10-epoxide adduct at the 2-amino group of a central 2'-deoxyguanosine residue. These four adducts correspond to either cis or trans opening at C-10 of the (+)-(7R, 8S, 9S, 10R)- or (-)-(7S, 8R, 9R, 10S)-7,8-diol 9,10-epoxides. Their solution conformations in duplex DNA (intercalated and minor-groove bound for the cis and trans opened adducts respectively) can be deduced from previous NMR studies. All four adducts completely suppress top1 cleavage activity at the alkylation site and induce the formation of new top1cleavage complexes on both strands of the DNA 3-6 bases away from the alkylation site. The trans opened adduct from the highly carcinogenic (+)-diol epoxide is the most active in inducing top1 cleavage independently of camptothecin, demonstrating that minor groove alkylation can efficiently poison top1. We also found that this isomer of the diol epoxide induces the formation of top1-DNA complexes in mammalian cells, which suggests a possible relationship between induction of top1 cleavage complexes and carcinogenic activity of benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxides.     

Regio- and stereoselectivity of various forms of purified cytochrome P-450 in the metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene and (-) trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene as shown by product formation and binding to DNA

Highly purified cytochromes P-450(LM2) and P-450(LM4) and partially purified P-450(LM1), P-450(LM3b), and P-450(LM7) from rabbit liver microsomes exhibit different catalytic activities in the metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene (BzP) and (-)-trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene [(-)trans-7,8-diol] in a reconstituted enzyme system. The two highly purified cytochromes also exhibit differences in the activation of BzP and (-)trans-7,8-diol to intermediates that bind to DNA, as well as in the stereoselective conversion of (-)trans-7,8-diol to the highly mutagenic and carcinogenic diol-epoxides r-7,t-8-dihydroxy-t-9,10-oxy-7,8,9,10- tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (diol-epoxide I) and r - 7,t - 8 - dihydroxy - c - 9,10 - oxy - 7,8,9,10 - tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (diol-epoxide II). P-450(LM2) is more active than P-450(LM4) in the metabolism of BzP and in its conversion to products that bind to DNA. In contrast, P-450(LM4) is more active than P-450(LM2) in the metabolism of (-)trans-7,8-diol and in its conversion to products that bind to DNA. The ratio of activity (percent substrate metabolized) with BzP relative to that with (-)trans-7,8-diol is 21 for P-450(LM2) and 0.3 for P-450(LM4); P-450(LM1), P-450(LM3b), and P-450(LM7) gave intermediate ratios. Marked stereoselectivity in the oxygenation of the (-)trans-7,8-diol to the highly mutagenic and putatively carcinogenic diol-epoxides I and II was observed with P-450(LM4), whereas the other preparations showed less selectivity. The ratio of diolepoxide I to diol-epoxide II ranges from 0.3 for P-450(LM7) to 11 for P-450(LM4). The substrate specificity and regio- and stereo-selectivity of the different forms of cytochrome P-450 may regulate the balance between activation and detoxification pathways of BzP and therefore determine the susceptibility of individual tissues, strains, and species to the carcinogenic action of BzP.     

Identification of mutagenic metabolites of benzo(a)pyrene in mammalian cells.

The mutagenicity of benzo[a]pyrene and 15 of its derivatives, which included phenols, the benzo[a]yrene-4,5-epoxide (the K-region epoxide), dihydrodiols, two isomeric 7,8-diol-9,10-epoxides, a 6-methyl derivative, and a 6-hydroxymethyl derivative, were tested with Chinese hamster V79 cells in order to identify the mutagenic metabolites of benzo[a]pyrene. Mutations were characterized by resistance to ouabain or 8-azaguanine. Since V79 cells do not metabolize polycyclic hydrocarbons, mutagenesis was tested both in the presence and absence of benzo[a]pyrene-metabolizing normal golden hamster cells. All the tested phenols, 4,5-diols, trans-9,10-diol, 6-methyl, and 6-hydroxymethyl derivatives of benzo[a]pyrene showed little or no mutagenicity for both genetic markers. The (+/-)7alpha,8beta-dihydroxy-9alpha,10alpha-epoxy-7,8;9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene and K-region 4,5-epoxide exhibited similar and moderate mutagenicity in the absence of benzo[a]pyrene-metabolizing cells, but the (+/-)7alpha,8beta-dihydroxy-9beta,10beta-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]-pyrene showed a 2000- and 270-fold higher mutation frequency for ouabain and 8-azaguanine resistance, respectively, than did the K-region 4,5-epoxide. The trans-7,8-diol which was not mutagenic in the absence of benzo[a]pyrene-metabolizing cells was more mutagenic than benzo[a]pyrene after metabolism and mutagenesis by trans-7,8-diol in these cells was inhibited by 7,8-benzoflavone, an inhibitor of mixed-function oxidases. Metabolically formed trans-7,8-diol was isolated and incubated with rat liver microsomes in the presence of co-factors. High-pressure liquid chromatography analysis indicated that the major metabolite of trans-7,8-diol is 7alpha,8beta-dihydroxy-9beta,10beta-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene. The results indicate that the latter compound is metabolically formed and the major mutagenic intermediate of benzo[a]yrene metabolism.     

Role of diaxial versus diequatorial hydroxyl groups in the tumorigenic activity of a benzo[a]pyrene bay-region diol epoxide.

Tumorigenic activities of the (7R,8S,9S,10R)-7,8-dihydroxy-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydro derivatives of benzo[a]pyrene [(+)-B[a]P diol epoxide-2] and 6-fluorobenzo[a]pyrene (6-FB[a]P diol epoxide-2) were evaluated in newborn CD-1 mice. A total dose of 14 nmol of either diol epoxide was administered to preweanling mice, and tumorigenic activity was determined when the mice were 32 to 36 weeks old. At the termination of the study, 13% of solvent-treated control mice had developed lung tumors with an average of 0.19 tumor per mouse. No other tumors were observed in control animals. (+)-B[a]P diol epoxide-2 induced pulmonary tumors in 60% of the mice with an average of 1.9 tumors per mouse, and 14% of the male mice developed hepatic tumors with an average of 0.18 tumor per mouse. In contrast, 6-FB[a]P diol epoxide-2 had no significant tumorigenic activity at the 14-nmol dose. Although both bay-region diol epoxides have the same absolute configuration, (7R,8S,9S,10R), the hydroxyl groups of (+)-B[a]P diol epoxide-2 prefer the pseudoequatorial conformation whereas the hydroxyl groups of 6-FB[a]P diol epoxide-2 prefer the pseudoaxial conformation. The tumorigenicity results reported here are the first direct demonstration that conformation of the hydroxyl groups in a bay-region diol epoxide, in addition to the documented effect of absolute configuration, is an important determinant in the tumorigenic activity of these ultimate carcinogens.     

Mutagenic and cytotoxic activity of benzol[a]pyrene 4,5-, 7,8-, and 9,10-oxides and the six corresponding phenols.

The benzo[a]pyrene 4,5-, 7,8-, and 9,10-oxides and the six corresponding phenols (4-, 5-, 7-, 8-, 9-, and 10-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene) have been tested for mutagenic and cytotoxic activity in bacteria and in a mammalian cell culture system. Benzo[a]pyrene 4,5-oxide (K-region) was highly mutagenic in two histidine-dependent strains (TA1537 and TA1538) of Salmonella typhimurium which detect frameshift mutagens. In contrast, benzo[a]pyrene 7,8- and 9,10-oxides were less than 1% as mutagenic as the 4,5-oxide. Benzo[a]pyrene 7,8- and 9,10-oxides were unstable in aqueous media, whereas the 4,5-oxide was stable for several hours. This difference in stability could not account for the different mutagenic activities of the three arene oxides. The benzo[a]pyrene oxides were inactive in a strain (TA1535) that is reverted by base pair mutagens such as N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine or in a strain (TA1536) that detects framshift mutagens similar to the acridine half-mustard ICR-191. Benzo-[a]-pyrene and the six phenols were all stable in aqueous media, but they had little or no mutagenic activity in any of the four Salmonella strains. Conversion of 8-azaguanine-sensitive Chinese hamster V79 cells to 8-azaguanine-resistant variants was increased by benzo[a]pyrene 4,5-oxide, whereas the 9,10-oxide was considerably less active. Benzo[a]pyrene and the other derivatives had little or no effect. Benzo[a]yrene 4,5-oxide was more cytotoxic to the Chinese hamster V79 cells than the 7,8- and 9,10-oxides, while 8-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene was the most cytotoxic of the six phenols.     

Inhibition of the mutagenicity of bay-region diol epoxides of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by naturally occurring plant phenols: Exceptional activity of ellagic acid

Ferulic, caffeic, chlorogenic, and ellagic acids, four naturally occurring plant phenols, inhibit the mutagenicity and cytotoxicity of (±)-7β,8α-dihydroxy-9α, 10α-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P 7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide-2), the only known ultimate carcinogenic metabolite of benzo[a]pyrene. The mutagenicity of 0.05 nmol of B[a]P 7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide-2 in strain TA100 of Salmonella typhimurium is inhibited 50% by incubation of the bacteria and the diol epoxide with 150 nmol of ferulic acid, 75 nmol of caffeic acid, 50 nmol of chlorogenic acid or, most strikingly, 1 nmol of ellagic acid in the 0.5-ml incubation mixture. A 3-nmol dose of ellagic acid inhibits mutation induction by 90%. Ellagic acid is also a potent antagonist of B[a]P 7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide-2 in Chinese hamster V79 cells. Mutations to 8-azaguanine resistance induced by 0.2 μM diol epoxide are reduced by 50% when tissue culture media also contains 2 μM ellagic acid. Similar to results obtained with the bacteria, ferulic, caffeic, and chlorogenic acids are approximately two orders of magnitude less active than ellagic acid in the mammalian cell assay. The antimutagenic effects of the plant phenols result from their direct interaction with B[a]P 7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide-2, because a concentration-dependent increase in the rate of diol epoxide disappearance in cell-free solutions of 1:9 dioxane/water, pH 7.0, is observed with all four phenols. In parallel with the mutagenicity studies, ellagic acid is 80-300 times more effective than the other phenols in accelerating the disappearance of B[a]P 7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide-2. Ellagic acid at 10 μM increases the disappearance of B[a]P 7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide-2 by approximately 20-fold relative to the spontaneous and hydronium ion-catalyzed hydrolysis of the diol epoxide at pH 7.0. Ellagic acid is a highly potent inhibitor of the mutagenic activity of bay-region diol epoxides of benzo[a]pyrene, dibenzo[a,h]pyrene, and dibenzo[a,i]pyrene, but higher concentrations of ellagic acid are needed to inhibit the mutagenic activity of the chemically less reactive bay-region diol epoxides of benz[a]anthracene, chrysene, and benzo[c]phenanthrene. These studies demonstrate that ellagic acid is a potent antagonist of the adverse biological effects of the ultimate carcinogenic metabolites of several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and suggest that this naturally occurring plant phenol, normally ingested by humans, may inhibit the carcinogenicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.     

Fungal oxidation of (+/-)-9,10-dihydroxy-9,10-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene: formation of diastereomeric benzo[a]pyrene 9,10-diol 7,8-epoxides.

The filamentous fungus Cunninghamella elegans oxidized (+/-) trans-9,10-dihydroxy-9,10-dihydrobenzo[a]-pyrene to a complex mixture of metabolites which were detected by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Two of the metabolites were identified as (+/-)7 beta, 8 alpha, 9 alpha, 10 beta-tetrahydroxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene and (+/-)-7 beta,8 alpha,9 beta,10 alpha-tetrahydroxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene. A third product gave absorption and mass spectra consistent with a diol-epoxide structure. Hydrolysis of this compound gave (+/-)-7 beta, 8 alpha, 9 beta, 10 alpha-tetrahydroxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene as the major identifiable product with a minor unidentified tetraol. Synthetic (+/-)-9 alpha, 10 beta-dihydroxy-7 beta, 8 beta-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene gave the same hydrolysis products and had the same retention time on high-pressure liquid chromatography as did the fungal metabolite. The trans-9,10-dihydroxy-9,10-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene recovered at the end of the experiment showed no optical activity, indicating that both enantiomers were metabolized by the fungus. the results suggest that C. elegans oxidizes (+/-)-trans-9,10-dihydroxy-9,10-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene to diastereomeric benzo[a]pyrene 9,10-diol 7,8-epoxides.     

Induction of cytochrome CYPIA1 and formation of toxic metabolites of benzo[a]pyrene by rat aorta: a possible role in atherogenesis.

Cigarette smoking is a leading risk factor for atherosclerosis. Endothelial injury may be the initial event in this process. The carcinogenic metabolites of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons found in cigarette smoke tars could cause this injury. We tested this model by examining the effect of 3-methylcholanthrene administration on aortic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism. Immunoblotting with a monoclonal antibody (mAb 1-7-1) specific for cytochromes CYPIA1 and CYPIA2 showed that aortic microsomes from treated, but not from control, animals contained CYPIA1; the CYPIA1 was primarily in the endothelium. Aortic microsomes from induced animals metabolized benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) to the 7R,8S,9,10-tetrahydrotetrol-, 7,8-dihydrodiol-, 1,6 quinone-, 3,6 quinone-, 6,12 quinone-, 3-hydroxy-, and 9-hydroxy-BaP. mAb 1-7-1 inhibited the formation of the tetrahydrotetrol, the dihydrodiol-BaP, and the 3-hydroxy-BaP but did not inhibit the quinones or the 9-hydroxy-BaP. Arachidonic acid did not affect metabolism. These data suggest that the aortas of induced animals metabolize the BaP in cigarette smoke to carcinogenic and toxic products and that this metabolism may initiate vessel injury and lead to the accelerated atherosclerosis seen in cigarette smokers.