Inhibition of irritation and contact hypersensitivity by phenoxyacetic acid methyl ester in mice

New anti-irritant treatments are required to prevent irritation and sensitization reactions to consumer medicines and dermatological drugs. We report here that phenoxyacetic acid methyl ester (PAME) is an effective agent to prevent and treat irritant and allergic contact dermatitis. Balb/c mice skin-treated with 1% PAME do not lose weight relative to vehicle-treated mice, nor is it irritating to mouse skin. Topical PAME prevents skin irritation to a wide variety of irritants including: arachidonic acid, capsaicin, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), disodium laureth sulfosuccinate and tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. Histological studies showed that 1% PAME greatly diminished dermal neutrophilic infiltration and dermal capillary vessel dilation, and prevented epidermal hyperproliferation and hyperkeratosis that accompanies detergent (SLS)-induced skin irritation. Topical PAME inhibited ear swelling following ear challenge during the elicitation phase of contact hypersensitivity in mice sensitized with 1-chloro-2, 4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB), oxazolone and the hair coloring dye rho-phenylenediamine (PPD). Finally, topical administration of 1% PAME prior to PPD or DNCB sensitization prevented the induction phase of contact hypersensitivity. These results indicate that PAME represents a potential new category of potent topical anti-inflammatory agents.

Comparison of the mutagenic specificity induced by four nitro-group-containing aromatic amines in Salmonella typhimurium his genes

Four nitrated aromatic amines (2-nitro-p-phenylenediamine [2NPD], 3-nitro-o-phenylenediamine [3NPD], 4-nitro-o-phenylenediamine [4NPD] and 4,4'-dinitro-2-biphenylamine [DNBA]) are direct-acting mutagens in Salmonella typhimurium strain TA100. These compounds were tested further using the Xenometrix strains of S. typhimurium: TA7001, TA7002, TA7003, TA7004, TA7005, and TA7006, with and without S9 mix in the plate incorporation assay. The direct-acting mutagenicity of 2NPD, 4NPD, and DNBA was detected with TA7002, TA7004 and TA7005. 2NPD and DNBA showed some activity in TA7006; DNBA also showed some activity in TA7003. Mutagenicity was generally decreased in these strains when S9 was added. 3NPD was mutagenic in TA7004 without S9 and in TA7005 with and without S9. These data suggest that 2NPD, 4NPD and DNBA induced TA-->AT and CG-->AT transversions as well as GC-->AT transitions in the his gene. 3NPD induced CG-->AT transversions and GC-->AT transitions. 2NPD and DNBA also induced a small portion of CG-->GC transversions.

Local lymph node assay responses to paraphenylenediamine: intra- and inter-laboratory evaluations

The murine local lymph node assay (LLNA) is a method for the prospective identification of skin sensitizing chemicals. Proliferative responses induced in lymph nodes draining the site of topical application of the test chemical are measured and those chemicals that induce a stimulation index of three or more compared with concurrent vehicle-treated controls are considered to have the potential to cause skin sensitization. Dose-response data from the LLNA may be used to derive an estimate of relative skin sensitizing potency, based upon derivation of the concentration of chemical required to cause a stimulation index of 3 (EC3 value) as calculated by linear interpolation. The purpose of the present investigations was to examine the stability of LLNA responses and the consistency of derived EC3 values induced by the contact allergen paraphenylenediamine (PPD). Analyses were conducted once a month over a 4-month period in each of two independent laboratories. In all assays, and in both laboratories, PPD elicited a positive response. Although some minor differences in responses between and within laboratories were observed, the derived EC3 values were generally very consistent. In Laboratory 1, EC3 values varied between 0.06 and 0.09% PPD, whereas in Laboratory 2 the range was 0.09-0.20%. These EC3 values are consistent with clinical experience of this material insofar as it is a common and relatively potent cause of allergic contact dermatitis in humans. Taken together, these data confirm the stability of LLNA responses both with time and between laboratories and provide additional support for the use of derived EC3 values in the assessment of relative skin sensitizing potency.

Monitoring the genotoxicity of soil extracts from two heavily polluted sites in Prague using the Tradescantia stamen hair and micronucleus (MNC) assays

We have taken soil samples from two sites in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, that are heavily polluted by motor vehicles. As a negative control, soil samples from a recreational site in Prague with no motor vehicle traffic were used. Soil samples from these sites were extracted with water or 5% dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) for 24 h and cuttings of Tradescantia clone 4430 were immersed for 12 h at 25 degrees C in the extraction solutions. As a positive control Tradescantia plants have been treated with the promutagenic arylamine o-phenylenediamine at the same treatment conditions. None of the tested soil extractions significantly increased the frequency of somatic mutations in the stamen hair assay. By contrast, a 5% DMSO soil extract from one of the tested sites (entrance of the Letná tunnel) significantly increased the frequency of micronuclei (MNC) in the pollen mother tetrad cells. A repetition of the treatment 14 days later also resulted in an increase in the frequency of MNC, however the increase was not statistically significant. This study was conducted for the International Programme on Plant Bioassays.

Muscle necrosis in rats induced by 2-methoxy-p-phenylenediamine

p-Phenylenediamine, together with several of its amino and alkyl derivatives, are known to be myotoxic in animals and man. In the present study, it was found that 2-methoxy-p-phenylenediamine, a component of oxidative hair dyes, similarly causes necrosis of skeletal muscle (gastrocnemius, diaphragm and tongue) in rats. The myotoxicity of 2-methoxy-p-phenylenediamine was much greater than that of p-phenylenediamine itself. This observation is consistent with the relative efficacy of these substances in disrupting mitochondrial metabolism, an effect which is believed to be responsible for the selective toxicity of p-phenylenediamine derivatives to muscle.

Immunotoxicity of the anticancer drug CI-994 in rats: effects on lymphoid tissue

CI-994 (acetyldinaline) is an investigative oral anticancer drug currently in clinical trials. To characterize the effects of CI-994 on lymphoid tissue, male rats were administered single oral doses at 0 (vehicle control), 10, 23, and 45 mg/kg and killed up to 7 days after dosing for evaluation of white blood cell differentials, bone marrow differentials, lymphoid tissue weights, and selected histopathology of lymphoid tissue. Statistically significant dose-related reductions in blood lymphocytes (CD-3+, CD-4+, CD-8+, CD-20+), monocytes, neutrophils, and bone marrow lymphoid cells were observed in all drug-treated groups on days 1 and/or 3. Statistically significant reductions in bone marrow myeloid cells were also observed on days 1 and 3 at 23 and 45 mg/kg. Complete or partial reversal of most parameters was evident on day 7. Spleen and/or thymus weights were significantly decreased in the groups administered 23 and 45 mg/kg on days 1, 3, and/or 7. Minor reductions in lymphoid organ weights were noted at 10 mg/kg. Minimal to moderate lymphoid depletion of the spleen and thymus was noted on day 3 in animals dosed at 23 mg/kg. In vitro, CI-994 inhibited mitogen-stimulated blood lymphocyte proliferation with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 3 microM. The results demonstrate that CI-994 can effect lymphoid tissue in rats within 1 day of a single oral dose, that effects are generally reversible within 7 days, and that inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation is a sensitive indicator of CI-994 immunotoxicity in vitro.

Comparison of the phenylenediamine isomers bioactivation by the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The correlation between the chemical structure of arylamines meta-, orto-, para-phenylenediamine (m-PDA, o-PDA, p-PDA), and their mutagenic activity is known. It is accepted that these promutagenic compounds are metabolized to ultimate mutagens in mammals and higher plants. In our previous work, we used the alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as the activating organism and the bacteria Salmonella typhimurium and yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as the genetic indicators for m-PDA activation. In the present work, we used the same activation system for o-PDA and p-PDA activation. Different responses of the yeast and algal wild-type strain and of the repair-deficient strains to the toxic and mutagenic effects of o-PDA and p -PDA were observed. p-PDA had the most toxic effect on both intact yeast and algal cells and in the algal cell/microbe coincubation assays. Concerning repair-deficient algal strains, the recombination-deficient strain was the most sensitive to both compounds tested, indicating that the recombination process played an important role in the DNA repair of arylamines. The rank order of the PDA isomers mutagenicity (including m-PDA) was o-PDA > m-PDA > p-PDA for revertants in intact yeast and forward mutants in algae; m-PDA > o-PDA > p-PDA in the algal cell/S. typhimurium long-term coincubation assay, the algal cell/S. cerevisiae coincubation assay, and the intact S. cerevisiae assay for gene convertants as well.

Correlations between DNA and cytogenetic damage induced after chemical treatment and radiation

The induction of damage in human lymphocytes has been compared after treatment in vitro with two different agents, the chemical o-phenylenediamine (o-PDA) and gamma irradiation, in the alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis (Comet) assay, and after cytogenetic analysis. The chemical treatment caused dose-related increases in DNA damage in the Comet assay and cytogenetic damage in the first and second metaphases. The results revealed a very strong association between the two types of damage. Correlation coefficients were from 0.95 to 0.97. From previous studies, high correlation coefficients of 0.99 and 0.97 in the same assays were also evaluated for X-rays and fast neutrons, respectively. On the basis of such results, we suggest that the Comet assay responses provide a good prediction of cytogenetic damage. Thus, because of its simplicity and rapidity, the Comet assay would appear to be a very useful tool for determining the genotoxicity of environmental agents.

DNA damage induced by m-phenylenediamine and its derivative in the presence of copper ion

To clarify the mechanism of carcinogenesis by hair dyes, we compared the extent of DNA damage induced by mutagenic m-phenylenediamine and 4-methoxy-m-phenylenediamine, using 32P-5'-end-labeled DNA fragments obtained from the human c-Ha-ras-1 protooncogene and the p53 tumor suppressor gene. Carcinogenic 4-methoxy-m-phenylenediamine caused DNA damage at thymine and cytosine residues in the presence of Cu(II). Catalase and bathocuproine, a Cu(I)-specific chelator, inhibited 4-methoxy-m-phenylenediamine-induced DNA damage, suggesting the involvement of H2O2 and Cu(I). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) enhanced the DNA damage. Formation of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) was induced by 4-methoxy-m-phenylenediamine in the presence of Cu(II). UV-visible spectroscopic studies have shown that Cu(II) mediated autoxidation of 4-methoxy-m-phenylenediamine and SOD accelerated the autoxidation. On the other hand, non-carcinogenic m-phenylenediamine did not cause clear DNA damage and significant autoxidation even in the presence of Cu(II). These results suggest that carcinogenicity of m-phenylenediamines is associated with ability to cause oxidative DNA damage rather than bacterial mutagenicity.

4-Chloro-o-phenylenediamine: a 26-week oral (in feed) mutagenicity study in Big Blue mice

4-Chloro-o-phenylenediamine (4-C-o-PDA) is a liver carcinogen in mice and was found to be weakly mutagenic in the liver of female Big Blue mice after short term treatment. In the present study the test compound was given subchronically in the diet for 26 weeks at doses of 0, 5000 and 10,000 ppm. The corresponding average test substance intake was 2166 mg kg-1 day-1 (males: 1794 mg kg-1 day-1; females: 2539 mg kg-1 day-1) and 4610 mg kg-1 day-1 (males: 3926 mg kg-1 day-1; females 5925 mg kg-1 day-1) at the low and high dose, respectively. After sacrifice, tissues were flash frozen in liquid nitrogen. The lacI mutant frequency in the liver was determined from three male and three female mice per dose group. The genomically integrated transgene was recovered by packaging into lambda phage using Transpack packaging extract (Stratagene, La Jolla, USA) followed by infection of Escherichia coli strain SCS-8. Blue mutant plaques were scored against a background of clear non-mutant plaques. Food consumption decreased initially at 10,000 ppm, while no treatment related effect on food intake was observed at 5000 ppm. Body weight gain was found to be decreased in all treated animals. Absolute and relative liver weight increased in a dose-related manner, but only the latter effect was statistically significant. A clear dose dependent increase in lacI mutant frequencies was observed in the liver of both sexes. The following mutant frequencies (x10(-5)) were observed: 2.73+/-1.01 (males, untreated), 7.24+/-1.50 (females, untreated), 18.91+/-5.30 (5000 ppm, males), 24.91+/-7.58 (5000 ppm, females), 20.47+/-6.68 (10,000 ppm, males) and 36.17+/-14.98 (10,000 ppm, females). It is therefore concluded that 4-C-o-PDA is a strong mutagen in the liver of mice treated subchronically for 26 weeks.

Preclinical toxicity of a new oral anticancer drug, CI-994 (acetyldinaline), in rats and dogs

CI-994 (acetyldinaline) is an orally active anticancer drug currently in Phase 1 clinical trials. To assess its preclinical toxicity, CI-994 was administered orally as suspensions to Wistar rats (10/sex/dose) and in capsules to beagle dogs (3/sex/dose) once daily for two weeks. Doses were 1.5, 5, and 15 mg/kg for rats (9, 30, and 90 mg/m2, respectively), and 0.5, 2, and 5 mg/kg for dogs (10, 40, and 100 mg/m2, respectively). Systemic exposure was dose-proportional based on toxicokinetic analysis in dogs. Severe clinical signs and mortality occurred at the highest dose in both species beginning on Day 10. Neutropenia, lymphocytopenia, thrombocytopenia, lymphoid depletion, bone marrow hypocellularity, and testicular degeneration were observed in both species, primarily at the mid- and high-doses. Despite continued treatment, neutrophil counts in dogs returned to control levels in Week 2. Other microscopic findings in rats included splenic hematopoietic depletion at all doses and epithelial cell necrosis in various tissues at 15 mg/kg. Additional bone marrow changes in dogs involved myeloid and megakaryocyte hyperplasia at 2 mg/kg and abnormal myeloid and megakaryocyte maturation at 2 and 5 mg/kg. Except for the testicular effects in both species, all changes were reversible within a 4-week (rat) or 9-week (dog) recovery period. The results of these studies show that target organ effects of CI-994 principally involve tissues with rapidly dividing cell populations and that bone marrow suppression is the dose-limiting toxicity. CI-994 also seems to interfere with the release and/or maturation of cells in the bone marrow.

Mutagenic interactions between X-rays and two promutagens, o-phenylenediamine and N-nitrosodimethylamine, in the stamen hairs of Tradescantia clone BNL 4430

Mutagenic interactions between X-rays and two promutagens, o-phenylenediamine (PDA) and N-nitrosodimethylamine (DMN), were studied in the stamen hairs of Tradescantia clone BNL 4430, a blue/pink heterozygote. The young inflorescence-bearing shoots with roots of this clone cultivated in a nutrient solution circulating growth chamber were used as tester plants. After determining dose-response curves for X-rays. PDA and DMN, combined treatments with PDA or DMN and X-rays were conducted, exposing acutely to X-rays 20 h before starting, at the midpoint of, or 20 h after completing the PDA or DMN treatments for 4 h. Clear synergistic effects in inducing somatic pink mutations were detected when X-rays were irradiated before the PDA or DMN treatments, resembling those confirmed earlier between maleic hydrazide (MH) and X-rays. On the contrary, clear antagonistic effects were observed when X-rays were given after the PDA or DMN treatments, also resembling those between MH and X-rays. When X-rayed at the midpoint of the PDA or DMN treatments, merely additive and synergistic effects were observed, respectively, differing from the antagonistic effects between MH and X-rays. The mutagenic synergisms detected were considered to be the results of interactions between DNA strand breaks (and the resultant chromosome breaks) induced by X-rays and those by PDA or DMN, whereas the mutagenic antagonisms observed were presumed to be due to X-ray-caused inhibition of the activation of PDA and DMN in the stamen-hair cells. The time periods required for penetrations into floral tissues and/or activations into mutagens seem different among PDA, DMN and MH.

The guinea-pig skin sensitization test revisited: an evaluation formula to predict possible sensitization levels for eight chemicals used in household products

In predicting human skin sensitization due to possible risky chemicals, it is not sufficient to evaluate solely the minimum induction dose (MID) or the standard challenge dose (SCD) in the Guinea Pig Maximization Test (GPMT). Nakamura et al. (1994) (Nakamura, A., Momma, J., Sekiguchi, H., Noda, T., Yamano, T., Kaniwa, M., Kojima, S., Tsuda, M., Kurokawa, Y., 1994. A new protocol and criteria for quantitative determination of sensitization potencies of chemicals by guinea pig maximization test. Contact Dermatitis 31, 72-85) previously measured the residual dose of chemicals in the products implicated in human allergic accidents, and stated that '... the level of chemical in the products (direct exposure-dose = DED) was similar to or higher than value of sensitization potency.' However, several of the chemicals listed in their article, show an even lower value of sensitization potency than the DED, although a potential correlation between results of the GPMT and the DED was seemed to be evident; a key question about the essential rule of those parameters therefore remains open. Using the data of Nakamura et al. (1994), we analyzed the functional rules of the three independent parameters, the MID, the SCD, and the DED on which the GPMT is based. Calculations of the degree of allergic reactions elicited in humans provided a range of discrimination constants (D) using the formula; D = DED/(MID*SCD). Possible human allergic accidents may be predicted when the dose of a candidate chemical in a chemical product (equal to DED) exceeds the value; D*(MID*SCD), following the correct evaluation of the MID as well as the SCD.

Assessing the predictiveness of the Syrian hamster embryo cell transformation assay for determining the rodent carcinogenic potential of single ring aromatic/nitroaromatic amine compounds

The pH 6.7 Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) cell transformation assay was used to test the morphological transformation potential of 5 rodent carcinogenic single ring aromatic/nitroaromatic amine compounds: 2-amino-4-nitrotoluene, 2,4-diaminotoluene, 2,4-dinitrotoluene, o-anisidine hydrochloride, and o-toluidine; and 5 noncarcinogenic single ring aromatic/nitroaromatic amine compounds: 2,6-diaminotoluene, 2,4-dimethoxyaniline hydrochloride, 4-nitro-o-phenylenediamine, p-phenylenediamine dihydrochloride, and HC Blue No. 2. All 5 rodent carcinogens produced significant morphological transformation in a dose-responsive manner. None of the 5 noncarcinogens yielded significant transformation at any of the doses tested. Therefore, the concordance between the pH 6.7 SHE cell transformation assay and rodent carcinogenicity for these 10 single ring aromatic/nitroaromatic amine compounds is 100%. In contrast, the concordance between the standard SHE cell transformation assay and rodent carcinogenicity for 13 single ring aromatic/nitroaromatic amine compounds was 62%. For 5 aromatic/nitroaromatic amine compounds which were tested in both standard and pH 6.7 SHE cell transformation assays (i.e., a subset of the above two databases), the concordance between the standard SHE cell transformation assay and the rodent bioassay was 40%, while the concordance between the pH 6.7 SHE cell transformation assay and the rodent bioassay was 100%. This relatively high concordance between the pH 6.7 SHE cell transformation assay and rodent bioassay results demonstrates the utility of the pH 6.7 SHE cell transformation assay for predicting the rodent carcinogenic potential of single ring aromatic/nitroaromatic amine compounds.

Base-pair mutation caused by four nitro-group containing aromatic amines in Salmonella typhimurium TA100, TA104, TA4001 and TA4006

Among p-phenylenediamine, benzidine and the analogues we previously tested, only the nitro-group containing 2-nitro-p-phenylenediamine, 3-nitro-o-phenylenediamine, 4-nitro-o-phenylenediamine and 4,4'-dinitro-2-biphenylamine caused base-pair reversion in the histidine locus of Salmonella typhimurium TA100. In order to determine the types of mutations involved, such as transversion or transition, these four nitro-group containing compounds were tested with S. typhimurium strains TA100, TA104, TA4001 and TA4006. Dose-mutagenicity relationships occurred with TA100 and TA104. However, the majority of revertants from TA100 and TA104 were insensitive to inhibition by histidine analogue, DL-1,2,4-triazole-3-alanine. These results suggested that the occurrence of histidine revertants was predominantly induced by base-pair (point) mutations and not by suppressor gene mutations. The CG-TA transition and CG-AT transversion are the major types of mutation induced by all these compounds in TA100. The TA-AT transversion also contributed to the mutagenicity of 4-nitro-o-phenylenediamine and 4,4'-dinitro-2-biphenylamine in TA104. These nitro-group containing compounds showed no mutagenicity in TA4001, but induced CG-GC transversion in TA4006.

Preclinical pharmacokinetic, antitumor and toxicity studies with CI-994 (correction of CL-994) (N-acetyldinaline)

CI-994, a substituted benzamide derivative, is a compound that showed solid tumor selectivity for a variety of solid tumor models compared to L1210 leukemia. Due to its lack of aqueous solubility, it requires oral administration. Female B6D2F1 mice were treated with CI-994 once daily by oral administration of 50 mg/kg for 14 days. Following treatment mice were evaluated for pharmacodynamic effects as well as the pharmacokinetic behavior of CI-994 and the de-acetylated derivative dinaline. Mice samples (plasma, urine, feces) were analyzed using solid phase extraction, reverse phase HPLC and ultraviolet detection. The plasma distribution and elimination half-lives for CI-994 were 51 minutes and 9.4 hours, respectively, on D-1; 31 minutes and 3.4 hours, respectively on D-14. The apparent plasma distribution and elimination half-lives for dinaline were 27 minutes and 2.4 hours, respectively, on D-1; 40 minutes and 7.3 hours, respectively on D-14. The CI-994 AUC on D-1 and D-14 were 2879 and 2407 micrograms/ml x minutes, respectively; while the dinaline AUC on D-1 and D-14 were 87 and 92 micrograms/ml x minutes, respectively. Urinary excretion for CI-994 and dinaline was higher on D-14, while the fecal excretion was the same on both days. The Colon #38 tumor growth in treated mice was reduced to 22% of that observed in the controls by D-19. The levels of all blood cells were reduced in the treated mice when compared to controls and the total WBC was the most affected (median 38%). Recovery to pretreatment levels occurred quickly following treatment cessation. Phase I evaluation of chronic oral administration of CI-994 is currently ongoing.

Assessment of chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity in rats of Wingstay 100, a rubber antioxidant/antiozonant

The chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity of Wingstay 100 (W 100), a rubber antioxidant/antiozonant, were studied in Fischer 344 (F 344) rats in two chronic studies. Earlier genetic studies indicated that the product had weak activity in a bacterial mutation assay, but lacked activity in chromosomal aberration assays. In an one year study, both genders of F 344 rats were exposed to 53, 310 or 1900 ppm in NIH-07 diet for 52 weeks, and sacrifices were made at 38, 52 and 64 weeks. No test substance related deaths occurred, although the high dose of 1900 ppm caused a decrease in body weight gain and food consumption in both genders. Red blood cell mean corpuscular volume was significantly increased at 38 weeks, accompanied by a significant decrease in mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration. At 52 weeks, the red blood cell count and hemoglobin values were also significantly decreased in high dose animals of both genders. Total bilirubin and cholesterol were increased in high dose animals of 38 and 52-week sacrifices. During the 3 month recovery, hematology parameters, bilirubin and cholesterol returned to control values. Total protein was reduced in high dose animals of both genders, throughout the entire exposure and recovery periods. W 100 also produced increases in relative liver, spleen, heart and kidney weights in high dose animals. Both genders of all W 100 groups exhibited significant increases in urothelial cell proliferation (measured by PCNA) and adaptive hyperplasia. No regenerative hyperplasia, preneoplasia, or neoplasia were present. There was microscopic evidence of extramedullary erythropoiesis in the spleen and liver of high dose animals in both genders, otherwise no other pertinent microscopic finding was evident. In parallel, an accelerated bioassay (ABA) was conducted, which is a mechanistic initiation/promotion carcinogenicity study designed to assess tumor induction and promotion potential of a test substance in major organs of carcinogenesis. The present study was conducted in male F 344 rats for 38 weeks. The target sites chosen for the ABA were liver and urinary bladder and the dose for W 100 was 1900 ppm previously established to be a toxic dose. The liver tumor initiator was diethylnitrosamine (DEN), and the urinary bladder initiator was N-butyl N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine (BBN). The initiators were administered during the first 14 weeks followed by the promoters. The promoters, phenobarbital (PB) for the liver and nitrilotriacetate (NTA) for the urinary bladder, were administered during the last 24 weeks of the study after the test substance. The study had 11 test groups including a negative control. The critical comparisons for initiating activity were conducted between groups 3 (PB) and 6 (W 100 + PB) for the liver and groups 8 (NTA) and 11 (W 100 + NTA) for the urinary bladder. The critical comparisons for promoting activity were conducted between groups 2 (DEN) and 5 (DEN + W 100) for the liver and groups 7 (BBN) and 10 (BBN + W 100) for the urinary bladder. There were 26 and 38-week sacrifices. In this study, most body weight reductions were due to DEN. At 26 weeks, significant increases in liver weights were present in all PB-exposed groups. Significant increases in renal weights occurred in all NTA, BBN and DEN groups. A similar organ weight pattern was present at 38 weeks. At 26 weeks, there were hepatocellular (33%) and urothelial (67%) tumors present in positive control groups (DEN/DEN + PB/BBN/BBN + NTA). In contrast, in the DEN + W 100 (5) and the BBN + W 100 (10) groups no tumors were present indicating absence of promotion. In addition, no tumors were present in groups 6 (W 100 + PB) or 11 (W 100 + NTA) indicating absence of initiation. At 38 weeks, the incidences of hepatocellular adenomas and carcinomas in positive control group (DEN) was 44%. The incidence of urothelial adenomas and carcinomas was 67% in group 7 (BBN). In contrast, groups 5 (DEN + W 100) or group 10 (BBN + W 100) had

Metabolic activation of meta-phenylenediamine by the alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Promutagens/procarcinogens arylamines are widely distributed in the environment. While it is accepted that these compounds can be metabolized to ultimate mutagens in mammals and higher plants, in aquatic plants they have not yet been explored. Intact wild-type and repair-deficient strains of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae D7 strain were assayed for their ability to activate meta-phenylenediamine (m-PDA) to an ultimate mutagen. The different responses of the algal wild-type strain and repair-deficient strains to the toxic and mutagenic effects of m-PDA were observed. Recombination repair played an important role in repair of damage induced to C. reinhardtii DNA by this arylamine. The examined isomer of phenylenediamine induced mutations in both algal and yeast cells. m-PDA was activated in the algal cell/microbe coincubation assay in which algal cells were used as an activating system and bacteria Salmonella typhimurium and yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as the genetic indicator organisms. This new assay is, in addition to the animal microsome metabolizing system and the plant cell/microbe coincubation assay, suitable for the detection of environmental promutagens and their conversion to mutagens mainly in aquatic environments.

Detection of rodent liver carcinogen genotoxicity by the alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (Comet) assay in multiple mouse organs (liver, lung, spleen, kidney, and bone marrow)

We have recently designed a simple method for applying the alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCG) assay to mouse organs. With this method, each organ is minced, suspended in chilled homogenizing buffer containing NaCl and Na2EDTA, gently homogenized using a Potter-type homogenizer set in ice, and then centrifuged nuclei are used for the alkaline SCG assay. In the present study, we used the method to assess the genotoxicity of 8 rodent hepatic carcinogens in 5 mouse organs (liver, lung, kidney, spleen, and bone marrow). The carcinogens we studied were p-aminoazobenzene, auramine, 2,4-diaminotoluene, p-dichlorobenzene, ethylene thiourea (ETU), styrene-7,8-oxide, phenobarbital sodium, and benzene-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexachloride (BHC); except for p-aminoazobenzene, they do not induce micronuclei in mouse bone marrow cells. Mice were sacrificed 3 and 24 h after the administration of each carcinogen. p-Aminoazobenzene, ETU, and styrene-7,8-oxide induced alkaline labile DNA lesions in all of the organs studied. Auramine, 2,4-diaminotoluene, p-dichlorobenzene, and phenobarbital sodium also produced lesions, but their effect was greatest in the liver. BHC, which is not genotoxic in in vitro tests, did not show any effects. We suggest that it may be possible to use the alkaline SCG assay to detect in vivo activity of chemicals whose genotoxicity is not expressed in bone marrow cells.

Phenylenediamine induced hepatocyte cytotoxicity redox. Cycling mediated oxidative stress without oxygen activation

Muscle necrosis induced by various phenylenediamine derivatives has been correlated with their autoxidation rate. However, a more detailed investigation of the cytotoxic mechanism using a model system of isolated hepatocytes and 2,3,5,6-tetramethylphenylenediamine (DD) shows little oxygen activation as indicated by the absence of cyanide resistant respiration, lipid peroxidation and lack of cytoprotection by iron chelators, superoxide dismutase mimics and xanthine oxidase inhibitors. Cytotoxicity was however attributed to oxidative stress as GSH was not only rapidly oxidized to GSSG but mixed protein disulfide formation also occurred. Furthermore, the disulfide reductant dithiothreitol added some time after DD restored protein thiols and prevented further cytotoxicity. This oxidative stress was attributed to a futile two electron redox cycle involving oxidation of DD to the corresponding diimine by the mitochondrial electron transport chain and rereduction by DT diaphorase. Evidence suggesting this was that both diimine accumulation and the ensuing cytotoxicity were markedly increased by inactivating hepatocyte DT diaphorase but were prevented by a subtoxic concentration of the mitochondrial respiratory inhibitor cyanide. Furthermore, addition of NADH generating substrates such as lactate, sorbitol, xylitol or ethanol prevented DD induced GSH oxidation and cytotoxicity. This suggests that DD undergoes intracellular redox cycling without oxygen activation until the hepatocyte is unable to maintain redox homeostasis and mixed protein disulfide cytotoxicity ensues.

Metabolic and genotoxic interactions of 2-aminofluorene and 2,4-diaminotoluene

We have reported previously that the rodent carcinogen 2,4-diaminotoluene (2,4-DAT) is not activated as a mutagen to the standard Ames S. typhimurium tester strains when oxidized by prostaglandin H synthase (PHS). 2,4-DAT does, however, enhance the bacterial mutagenicity of the potent mutagen 2-aminofluorene (2-AF) when both compounds are incubated with the PHS activating system. Enhancement of activation of 2-AF would provide a plausible mechanism for the observed co-mutagenicity of 2,4-DAT. Co-incubation with 100 microM 2,4-DAT, however, inhibited the total metabolism of 25 microM 2-AF by 60% in both the PHS/H2O2 system and PHS/arachidonic acid system. The inhibition included a 75% decrease in the formation of water-soluble and protein-bound metabolites and about a 35% decrease in production of the peroxidative metabolites 2-nitrofluorene (NF) and 2-aminodifluorenylamine (ADFA). Azofluorene (AzF) production was the most sensitive to the effects of 2,4-DAT, exhibiting an 80% decrease in both PHS-catalyzed systems. No new 2-AF derived products were observed in the presence of 2,4-DAT. This pronounced inhibition of 2-AF metabolism by 2,4-DAT also was observed in incubations of the aromatic amines with PHS in the presence of S. typhimurium strain TA98. Bacterial N-acetylation of 2-AF did not appear to be an important reaction in any of these incubations. 2,4-DAT not only inhibited 2-AF metabolism by PHS, but also decreased the level of 2-AF covalent binding to the bacterial DNA by as much as 81%. This stands in sharp contrast to the enhancement of the mutagenicity of 2-AF elicited by 2,4-DAT in these same incubations. This clear dissociation between the extent of peroxidative activation, and resultant covalent modification of bacterial DNA, by 2-AF and the subsequent mutagenic response indicates that a metabolic interaction is not involved in the co-mutagenicity of 2,4-DAT.

Mutagenic synergy between paraoxon and mammalian or plant-activated aromatic amines

Paraoxon (diethyl-p-nitrophenylphosphate) is the toxic, but non-mutagenic metabolite of the organophosphorus ester (OP) insecticide parathion. Although this agent has been used as a deacetylase inhibitor in many studies, we discovered a mutagenic synergy with paraoxon and plant-activated m-phenylenediamine or with direct-acting 2-acetoxyacetylaminofluorene in Salmonella typhimurium cells [Gichner T et al. (1996): Environ Mol Mutagen 27; 59-66]. In the present study, mammalian-activated m-phenylenediamine, o-phenylenediamine, p-phenylenediamine, benzidine, 2,3-diaminophenazine or 2-aminofluorene, as well as plant-activated benzidine or 2-aminofluorene expressed an elevated mutagenic potency when assayed with S. typhimurium strain YG1024 in the presence of paraoxon. Under non-toxic conditions, paraoxon amplified the S. typhimurium mutant yield induced by these aromatic amines between 1.9-fold and 8.4-fold. Spectrophotometric analysis demonstrated that the rate of degradation of 2-acetoxyacetylaminofluorene was not significantly different in phosphate buffer with or without paraoxon or with S. typhimurium cytosol with or without paraoxon. Also paraoxon-mediated mutagenic synergy does not appear to be due to a direct reaction with aromatic amines. Mutagenic synergy between aromatic amines and OP oxon products may be a cause of concern because people are chronically exposed to environmental and dietary aromatic amines, and a significant segment of the U.S. population tested positive for OP insecticide residues.

Mechanism of antimutagenic action of (+)-catechin against the plant-activated aromatic amine 4-nitro-o-phenylenediamine

Aromatic amines are activated into mutagens by both animal and plant systems. For plant-activated aromatic amines an important step in this process involves peroxidase enzymes. 4-nitro-o-phenylenediamine (NOP) is a well known direct-acting mutagen that can be enhanced in mutagenic potency by intact plant cells and also by isolated peroxidase enzymes. This activation process is inhibited by several different chemical agents including potassium cyanide (KCn), a known peroxidase inhibitor, and (+)-catechin. In our laboratory both KCn and (+)-catechin inhibited peroxidase-mediated NOP activation into a Salmonella mutagen. However, while KCn demonstrated strong peroxidase enzyme inhibition (as measured biochemically), (+)-catechin showed only minimal inhibition of peroxidase. Experiments comparing NOP direct and plant-activated mutagenic activity to different Salmonella strains (in the presence and absence of (+)-catechin) suggest that (+)-catechin may inhibit the mutagenic process by limiting O-acetyltransferase (OAT) activity in Salmonella. OAT activity in Salmonella is a required process for mutations to be induced following treatment with NOP and other aromatic amines.