Induction of Intestinal Tumors and Lymphomas in C57BL/6N Mice by a Food-borne Carcinogen, 2-Amino-l-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine

2-Amino-l-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5- b ]pyridine (PhIP) is the most abundant heterocyclic amine contained in cooked meat and fish. Although PhIP has been demonstrated to induce various types of tumors in rats, lymphomas predominated in mice using the CDF1 strain. To investigate the carcinogenic activity of PhIP on other organs in mice with a different genetic background, PhIP was administered to C57BL/6N mice. After a 40-week administration of 300 ppm of PhIP in a high-fat diet followed by continuous feeding with a high fat diet, C57BL/6N mice developed adenomas and adenocarcinomas in the small intestine, the incidences being 52% in males and 68% in females at weeks 95 and 70, respectively. Lymphomas of B-cell origin also developed in both sexes as frequently as in the CDF1 strain, incidences being 48% in males and 32% in females. Although the incidence in PhIP-treated female mice did not differ from that in the control mice, lymphomas developed significantly earlier in the PhIP-treated mice. The present study demonstrated that the intestinal tract is another potential target of PhIP-induced carcinogenesis in mice, and that the carcinogenic activity of PhIP could be affected by the genetic background of the animals.     

Dose-dependent Induction of Mammary Carcinomas in Female Sprague-Dawley Rats with 2-Amino-l-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine

The dose-dependence of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5- b ]pyridine (PhIP) induction of mammary carcinomas was investigated in female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats given PhIP in the diet for 48 weeks at concentrations of 0, 25, 100 and 200 ppm in experiment 1, and 0, 12.5, 50 in experiment 2. Yields of ductular lesions, including intraductal papillomas and carcinomas, as well as papillo-tubular and solid-tubular carcinomas, showed dependence on the dose, with the respective total incidences being 0, 4.8, 25, 72.2 and 0, 10 and 35%. There was thus no apparent carcinogen exposure threshold. The present results confirmed the carcinogenicity demonstrated in a previous study using F344 rats and revealed the SD rat strain to be more susceptible.     

Induction of Aberrant Crypt Foci in the Large Intestine of F344 Rats by Oral Administration of 2-Amino-l-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine

Carcinogenicity of 2-amino-l-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5- b ]pyridine (PhIP) to rat colon was investigated using the appearance of colonic aberrant crypt (AC), a preneoplastic lesion, as a marker. The number of AC foci per colon at experimental week 4 was 1.3 ± 0.8; almost half the level of AC foci induced by 2-amino-6-methyIdipyrido[l,2- a :3',2'- d ]imidazole (Glu-P-1), which is a known colon carcinogen. No ACs were observed in rats of the control group. A repeat experiment showed that induction of AC foci by PhIP administration was reproducible and a significant increase in the number of AC foci, 3.0 ±0.0, was observed after 12 weeks of PhIP administration. The majority of ACs induced by PhIP were localized in the distal part of the colon. The distribution was similar to those induced by Glu-P-1 and 1,2-dimethylhydrazine. Those data suggested that PhIP is possibly carcinogenic to rat colon.     

DNA Modification by 2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine in Rats

2-Amino-l-methyl-6-pheny]imidazo[4,5- b ]pyridine (PhIP) is the most abundant mutagenic heterocyclic amine by weight in cooked foods. This mutagen was found to produce DNA adducts in all ten tested organs of rats using the ³²P-postlabeling method. The level of DNA adducts in the pancreas, kidney and liver increased dose-dependently and feeding tinie-dependently up to four weeks. When diet containing 0.05% PhIP was given to rats for four weeks, levels of PhIP-DNA adducts were relatively high in the lung, pancreas and heart, being around 20 per 10⁷ nucleotides, and lowest in the liver, being 2.20 per 10⁷ nucleotides. Thus, PhIP showed a unique feature in the formation of DNA adducts compared to other mutagenic and carcinogenic heterocyclic amines, which produce the highest level of DNA adducts in the liver.     

Efficient Method for Rapid Induction of Aberrant Crypt Foci in Rats with 2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine

2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5- b ]pyridine (PhIP) induces aberrant crypt foci (ACFs) as well as colon cancer in F344 male rats. Conditions allowing rapid development of ACFs over a short period were investigated. F344 male rats were fed 400 ppm of PhIP-HCl in a low-fat diet (LF) for 2 weeks and then given a PhIP-free, high-fat diet containing PRIMEX (HF-PR) or safflower oil, or PhIP-free LF for 4 or 12 weeks. Rats fed HF-PR for 4 weeks gave the highest number of ACFs/rat (3.3) and their size in terms of aberrant crypts/ACF(2.7) was much larger than that obtained with conventional continuous feeding of PhIP for 25 weeks in the CE-2 diet. Therefore, 2 weeks of dietary exposure to 400 ppm of PhIP-HCl, followed by HF-PR for 4 weeks, is a practical and convenient method for obtaining ACFs. This protocol should be useful for studies of the early phase of colon carcinogenesis.     

Inhibitory Effects of Diallyl Bisulfide or Aspirin on 2-Amino-l-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine-induced Mammary Carcinogenesis in Rats

Modifying effects of diallyl disulfide (DAD), aspirin or DL-α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) on 2-amino-l-methyl-6-phenyIimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhlP)-induced mammary carcinogenesis in SD rats were investigated. A total of 166 female rats, 6 weeks old, were divided into 8 groups. They were fed a high fat diet throughout the experiment. Starting at 7 weeks of age, groups 1–4 were given PhIP (85 rag/kg body weight in corn oil) by gavage 8 times in 10 days, and groups 58 were given corn oil alone. For the beginning 4 weeks, groups 2 and 5 were given DAD at 200 ppm in diet. Similarly groups 3 and 6, and groups 4 and 7 were given aspirin (400 ppm) and DFMO (400 ppm), respectively. Mammary carcinomas were only recognized in groups 1–4 at the termination (25 weeks after the start of experiment). Multiplicity (mean number/rat) of neoplasms in group 2 (PhIP+DAD, 0.90/rat) and group 3 (PhIP+aspirin, 1.37/rat) was significantly smaller than that in group 1 (PhIP alone, 2.457 rat) (P < 0.005 and P < 0.05, respectively). These results indicate that dietary intake of DAD or aspirin during the time corresponding to initiation phase has chemopreventive potential on PhlP-induced mammary carcinogenesis in rats.     

Adduct Formation at C-8 of Guanine on in vitro Reaction f the Ultimate Form of 2-Amino-l-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine with 2'-Deoxyguanosine and Its Phosphate Esters

We examined the reactivity of the N -hydroxyamino derivative of a carcinogenic heterocyclic amine, 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5- b ]pyridine (PhIP), after its O -acetylation with four 2'-deoxyribonucleoside 3'-monophosphates. ³²P-Postlabeling analysis demonstrated that the levels of adducts with 2'-deoxyguanosine 3'-moiiophosphate were much higher than those with the other three nucleotides. ¹H-NMR, mass spectral and UV absorption spectral analyses of the major adducts formed by N -acetoxy-PhIP with 2'-deoxyguanosine and with its phosphate esters indicated that PhIP bound at the C-8 position of guanine, as previously demonstrated with other heterocyclic amines.     

Induction of Intestinal Adenocarcinomas by 2-Amino-l-methyl-6-phenylimidazo-[4,5-b] pyridine in Nagase Analbuminemic Rats

2-Amino-l-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5- b ]pyridine (PhIP), the most abundant mutagenic heterocyclic amine in cooked foods, was examined for carcinogenic potential using Nagase analbuminemic rats (NARs), which are sensitive to various carcinogens. The concentration of PhIP in the diet was 0.04% at the beginning of the experiment, this being subsequently gradually reduced to 0.01% to avoid severe body weight loss. Ten of 13 treated NARs developed a total of 36 intestinal tumors within the 311-day experimental period. Among these, 22 were adenocarcinomas and 2 were adenomas of the small intestine, 4 were adenocarcinomas of the cecum and 8 were adenocarcinomas of the large intestine. The results suggest that PhIP could represent a significant risk to human populations exposed to foods containing heterocyclic amines.     

Species Difference among Experimental Rodents in Induction of P450IA Family Enzymes by 2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine

Rats, mice, hamsters and guinea pigs were given an i.p. injection of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenyl-imidazo[4,5- b ]pyridine (PhIP), a protein-derived pyrolysate component present in cooked foods, and inductions of cytochrome P450 (P450) in the liver and kidney of these animals were examined. The activity and amount of P450s corresponding to the rat P4S0IA1 and P450IA2 were assessed by means of a bacterial mutation test using 3 carcinogenic heterocyclic aromatic amines including PhIP as substrates and by Western blotting with a monoclonal antibody reactive with both P4S0IA1 and P450IA2. In rats, PhIP induced P450IA1, P450IA2 and a new but unspecified P450 isozyme in the liver, and induced P450IA1 in the kidney. However, PhIP induced none of these P450 isozymes in mice, hamsters and guinea pigs.     

DNA modification by 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine in rats

2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) is the most abundant mutagenic heterocyclic amine by weight in cooked foods. This mutagen was found to produce DNA adducts in all ten tested organs of rats using the 32P-postlabeling method. The level of DNA adducts in the pancreas, kidney and liver increased dose-dependently and feeding time-dependently up to four weeks. When diet containing 0.05% PhIP was given to rats for four weeks, levels of PhIP-DNA adducts were relatively high in the lung, pancreas and heart, being around 20 per 10(7) nucleotides, and lowest in the liver, being 2.20 per 10(7) nucleotides. Thus, PhIP showed a unique feature in the formation of DNA adducts compared to other mutagenic and carcinogenic heterocyclic amines, which produce the highest level of DNA adducts in the liver.     

Induction of lymphoma in CDF1 mice by the food mutagen, 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine

The mutagenic compound, 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), originally isolated from cooked beef, was tested for carcinogenicity in CDF1 mice of both sexes. When PhIP was given in the diet at a concentration of 0.04%, high incidences and early appearances of lymphomas were observed in both sexes during the 579-day experiment.     

Induction of intestinal adenocarcinomas by 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine in Nagase analbuminemic rats

2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), the most abundant mutagenic heterocyclic amine in cooked foods, was examined for carcinogenic potential using Nagase analbuminemic rats (NARs), which are sensitive to various carcinogens. The concentration of PhIP in the diet was 0.04% at the beginning of the experiment, this being subsequently gradually reduced to 0.01% to avoid severe body weight loss. Ten of 13 treated NARs developed a total of 36 intestinal tumors within the 311-day experimental period. Among these, 22 were adenocarcinomas and 2 were adenomas of the small intestine, 4 were adenocarcinomas of the cecum and 8 were adenocarcinomas of the large intestine. The results suggest that PhIP could represent a significant risk to human populations exposed to foods containing heterocyclic amines.     

Genetic polymorphisms and modulation of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP)-DNA adducts in human lymphocytes

2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) is the most abundant heterocyclic amine derived from food, possibly involved in human carcinogenesis. We evaluated the formation of PhIP-DNA adducts in lymphocytes from 76 incident colorectal cancer patients likely to be exposed to dietary PhIP. To address the role of the metabolic polymorphisms relevant to PhIP-DNA adduct formation, the patients were genotyped for common polymorphisms in the N-acetyltransferase (NAT1 and NAT2), sulfotransferase (SULT1A1) and glutathione S-transferase (GSTM1 and GSTA1) genes. PhIP released from adducted DNA after hydrolysis was quantitated by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Overall, adducts were 3.24 +/- 3.58/10(8) nucleotides (mean +/- SD); they were not related to sex, smoking habits or age, though levels were not significantly higher in smokers, young subjects and high meat consumers. High vegetable intake significantly reduced PhIP-DNA adducts (Mann-Whitney U, p = 0.044). Individuals with the GSTM1 null genotype showed colon cancer onset at earlier age (58.8 +/- 1.8 vs. 63.5 +/- 1.6 years; Mann-Whitney U, p = 0.047). None of the genetic polymorphisms studied significantly affected PhIP-DNA adducts. However, individuals carrying 2 mutated GSTA1 alleles and younger than the median age had higher adduct levels than homozygous wild-type and heterozygous ones (Kruskal-Wallis p = 0.0008). In conclusion, these preliminary data indicate that PhIP-DNA adducts are formed in people likely to be exposed to this carcinogen through the diet, suggesting this biomarker may be useful to detect human exposure and DNA damage. Overall, the genetic polymorphisms considered had limited effect on PhIP-DNA levels, but young people with lower detoxification capacity may form a subgroup particularly susceptible to dietary carcinogen.     

N-acetyltransferase-dependent activation of 2-hydroxyamino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine: formation of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-(5-hydroxy)phenylimidazo [4,5-b]pyridine, a possible biomarker for the reactive dose of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine

2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) is a mutagenic and carcinogenic heterocyclic amine formed during ordinary cooking. PhIP is metabolically activated to the ultimate mutagenic metabolite by CYP P450-mediated N-hydroxylation followed by phase II esterification. Incubation of N-hydroxy-PhIP (N-OH-PhIP) with cytosol, acetyl coenzyme A (AcCoA) and 2'-deoxyguanosine for 24 h resulted in the formation of three different adducts:N(2)-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-PhIP, N(2)-(guanosin-8-yl)-PhIP and PhIP-xanthine. One additional product, 5-hydroxy-PhIP (5-OH-PhIP), was also identified in the incubation mixtures. 5-hydroxy-PhIP is formed as a degradation product of conjugates formed from N-acetoxy-PhIP and protein, glutathione or buffer constituents. A similar spectrum of products was obtained using 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) instead of acetyl CoA. Addition of glutathione (3 mM) to the incubation mixture resulted in a 50% reduction in both adducts and 5-hydroxy-PhIP formation in liver cytosol. The main product detected was PhIP, suggesting glutathione-dependent reduction of the N-acetoxy-PhIP. Addition of glutathione to incubation mixtures from the other cytosolic preparations had less dramatic effects. In addition, increasing the amount of N-OH-PhIP in the incubation mixture resulted in proportional increased amounts of total adducts and 5-OH-PhIP. Incubation of rat and human S9 with PhIP resulted in the formation of only traces of 5-OH-PhIP. Fortification with AcCoA clearly increased the formation of 5-OH-PhIP. Addition of the CYP 450 1A2 inhibitor, furafylline, completely inhibited the formation of 5-OH-PhIP in incubations with human S9. These results indicate that both PhIP adducts and 5-OH-PhIP are formed by similar routes of activation of N-OH-PhIP. 5-OH-PhIP may therefore serve as a biomarker for the formation of the ultimate mutagenic metabolite of PhIP. A rat dosed orally with PhIP excreted 1% of the dose as 5-OH-PhIP in the urine at 24 h and 0.05 and 0.01% at 48 and 72 h, respectively. This shows that 5-OH-PhIP is also formed in vivo and indicates the possible use of 5-OH-PhIP as a urinary biomarker.     

Induction of aberrant crypt foci in DNA mismatch repair-deficient mice by the food-borne carcinogen 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo [4,5-b] pyridine (PhIP)

Disruption of the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) pathway results in elevated mutation rates, inappropriate survival of cells bearing DNA damage, and increased cancer risk. Relatively little is known about the impact of environmentally relevant carcinogens on cancer risk in individuals with MMR-deficiency. We evaluated the effect of MMR status (Mlh1(+/+) versus Mlh1(-/-)) on the carcinogenic potential of the cooked-meat mutagen, 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo [4,5-b] pyridine (PhIP) in mice. PhIP exposure did not obviously increase lymphoma or small intestinal tumorigenesis in either Mlh1-deficient or -proficient mice. In contrast, the frequency of aberrant crypt foci (ACF), a preneoplastic biomarker for colon tumorigenesis, was increased by PhIP, and the increase due to PhIP was significantly greater in Mlh1(-/-) versus wild-type littermates. This apparent heightened susceptibility to induction of ACF parallels the previously reported hypermutability of Mlh1-deficient mice to PhIP and is consistent with the hypothesis that MMR-deficiency would increase the likelihood of PhIP-induced carcinogenic mutations. Further evaluation of the risk that consumption of heterocyclic amines may impart to MMR-deficient individuals therefore is warranted.     

Chemoprevention by Nimesulide, a Selective Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibitor, of 2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP)-induced Mammary Gland Carcinogenesis in Rats

Breast cancer is common in women all over the world, and exploration of chemopreventive approaches to this cancer is very important. Nimesulide, a selective inhibitor of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), is a good candidate as a chemopreventive agent with low toxicity. We examined its effects on mammary tumor development in female Sprague-Dawley rats induced with the environmental carcinogen 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5- b ]pyridine (PhIP). Rats at 7 weeks of age received intragastric intubations of PhIP (85 mg/kg body weight) 4 times weekly for 2 weeks and were maintained on control diet (high fat diet) or experimental diet (high fat diet supplemented with 400 ppm nimesulide) throughout the experiment. COX-2 protein was over-expressed in epithelial cancer cells and stromal cells of the PhIP-induced mammary carcinomas, but was weak or not apparent in normal mammary gland cells. The development of mammary carcinomas was clearly suppressed by administration of nimesulide. The carcinoma incidence was 51% as compared to 71% for the control diet group. The average multiplicity of carcinomas in the experimental diet group was 1.2±0.2 ( P < 0.05), significantly smaller than the control diet group value (2.6±0.5). The size of carcinomas was also clearly decreased; 1.1±0.4 cm³/rat in experimental diet group ( P < 0.05), 4.1±1.3 cm³/rat in the control diet group. The results therefore provide evidence that the selective COX-2 inhibitor, nimesulide, possesses chemopreventive activity against PhIP-induced mammary carcinogenesis in rats.     

A food-born heterocyclic amine, 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), suppresses tumor necrosis factor-alpha expression in lipoteichoic acid-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells

2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), a heterocyclic amine with strong carcinogenic and mutagenic potential, is created abundantly in the overcooking of meat and fish. Carcinogenic toxicants are often implicated in immunosuppression, where cancer cells are not easily eliminated by the host immune system. Here, we investigated the effect of PhIP on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) expression by murine macrophage-like cells (RAW 264.7) stimulated with lipoteichoic acid (LTA), a major virulence factor of Gram-positive bacteria. Upon exposure to LTA purified from Staphylococcus aureus, TNF-alpha expression was substantially induced, whereas pretreatment with PhIP significantly inhibited LTA-induced TNF-alpha expression. LTA is known to activate Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and NF-kappaB, resulting in TNF-alpha expression. Interestingly, PhIP did not interfere with LTA-binding to TLR2, its stimulation of TLR2, or the DNA-binding activity of NF-kappaB. However, treatment with actinomycin D facilitated the PhIP-induced attenuation of TNF-alpha mRNA expression, implying that PhIP might decrease TNF-alpha mRNA stability rather than its biosynthesis. Furthermore, Western blot analysis demonstrated that PhIP reduced the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and JNK but not p38 kinase in LTA-stimulated cells. The addition of a protein kinase C (PKC) activator, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, rescued PhIP-inhibited TNF-alpha expression in LTA-stimulated cells. These results suggest that PhIP downregulates TNF-alpha expression in LTA-stimulated macrophages by decreasing TNF-alpha mRNA stability and signaling pathways related to PKC, ERK1/2, and JNK activation.     

Prostate mutations in rats induced by the suspected human carcinogen 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine

Male lacl transgenic rats were fed a diet containing 200 ppm of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), a heterocyclic amine present in cooked meats. PhIP was found to be a powerful prostate mutagen. After 61 days of treatment, the lacl mutant frequency was 71 x 10(-5), >20-fold higher than the spontaneous mutant frequency of 3.2 x 10(-5). The predominant PhIP-induced mutations were G:C->T:A transversions and deletions of G:C bp. The results directly link PhIP-induced mutations with the earlier observation of PhIP-induced prostate cancer in rats and suggest that exposure to dietary PhIP could be a risk factor in the incidence of human prostate cancer.     

Metabolism of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) in mice.

The metabolism of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]-pyridine (PhIP), a heterocyclic amine carcinogen detected in cooked meats, was investigated in mice. In 3-methylcholanthrene-induced mice administered 0.1, 1.0 and 10 mg/kg [14C]PhIP (i.p.), urinary and fecal excretion over 24 h accounted for 16% and 42-56% of the dose respectively. Urinary excretion of unchanged parent compound accounted for only 0.5-0.8% of the administered dose. At all doses, the major urinary metabolite was identified as 4'-(2-amino-1-methylimidazo[4,5-b]pyrid-6-yl)phenyl sulfate and this metabolite comprised approximately 5% of the dose. Uninduced mice excreted greater than 13% of a 10 mg/kg dose as the sulfate conjugate. Urinary excretion of both 2-amino-1-methyl-6-(4'-hydroxy)-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (4'-hydroxy-PhIP) and a glucuronide conjugate of 2-hydroxyamino-1-methyl-6-phenyl-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (N-hydroxy-PhIP) was also higher (4-fold) in uninduced versus induced mice. The decreased urinary excretion of P450-derived metabolites via induction contrasted with increased metabolite formation by hepatic microsomal preparations. 4'-Hydroxy-PhIP and N-hydroxy-PhIP were produced in amounts nearly 7- and 3-fold higher respectively by induced versus uninduced microsomal incubations at 50 microM [3H]PhIP. At concentrations less than 10 microM, PhIP was almost exclusively converted by the induced preparations to an unidentified metabolite that was not retained by the C18 column. This metabolite, which also was formed in incubations with either 4'-hydroxy-PhIP or N-hydroxy-PhIP, was produced by microsomes from uninduced animals at a much slower rate. Covalent binding to microsomal protein in incubations with [3H]PhIP was concentration-dependent and 2- to 4-fold higher in induced than uninduced preparations. Covalent binding in liver and kidney of induced mice administered [14C]PhIP was dose dependent. At 10 mg/kg PhIP, adducts were produced at 1.7-fold higher levels in livers of induced versus uninduced mice, but renal binding was higher in uninduced animals. These studies indicate the importance of cytochrome P450 and other xenobiotic enzymes in the metabolism, disposition and activation of PhIP.     

Intervention of human breast cell carcinogenesis chronically induced by 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine

More than 85% of breast cancers are sporadic and attributable to long-term exposure to environmental carcinogens, such as those in the diet, through a multistep disease process progressing from non-cancerous to premalignant and malignant stages. The chemical carcinogen 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) is one of the most abundant heterocyclic amines found in high-temperature cooked meats and is recognized as a mammary carcinogen. However, the PhIP's mechanism of action in breast cell carcinogenesis is not clear. Here, we demonstrated, for the first time, that cumulative exposures to PhIP at physiologically achievable, pico to nanomolar concentrations effectively induced progressive carcinogenesis of human breast epithelial MCF10A cells from a non-cancerous stage to premalignant and malignant stages in a dose- and exposure-dependent manner. Progressive carcinogenesis was measured by increasingly- acquired cancer-associated properties of reduced dependence on growth factors, anchorage-independent growth, acinar-conformational disruption, proliferation, migration, invasion, tumorigenicity with metastasis and increased stem-like cell populations. These biological changes were accompanied by biochemical and molecular changes, including upregulated H-Ras gene expression, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway activation, Nox-1 expression, reactive oxygen species (ROS) elevation, increased HIF-1α, Sp1, tumor necrosis factor-α, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, aldehyde dehydrogenase activity and reduced E-cadherin. The Ras-ERK-Nox-ROS pathway played an important role in not only initiation but also maintenance of cellular carcinogenesis induced by PhIP. Using biological, biochemical and molecular changes as targeted endpoints, we identified that the green tea catechin components epicatechin-3-gallate and epigallocatechin-3-gallate, at non-cytotoxic doses, were capable of suppressing PhIP-induced cellular carcinogenesis and tumorigenicity.