Mutagenicity of peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) in vivo: tests for somatic mutations and chromosomal aberrations

Micronucleus assay for mouse alveolar Type II and Clara cells

The objective of our study was to develop a micronucleus (MN) assay for detecting genotoxic damage after inhalation exposure in mouse alveolar Type II and Clara cells, potential target cells for lung carcinogens. Ten male C57BL/6J mice were exposed to ethylene oxide (630 mg/m(3)) for 4 hr via inhalation; 10 unexposed mice serving as controls. 72 hr after the exposure, Clara cells and alveolar Type II cells were isolated using two different methods. Method 1 included a 15-min trypsin lavage and a 2-hr incubation of cell suspension. Method 2 involved a 30-min trypsin lavage, Percoll gradient centrifugation, and a 48-hr incubation for cell attachment. Nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) -staining was applied to distinguish Clara cells. The frequency of micronuclei (MNi) was scored in NBT-negative cells (defined as Type II cells in Method 2) and NBT-positive cells (Clara cells). To detect possible differences between the techniques, MNi in Clara cells were analyzed from samples prepared by both methods. With Method 2, a clear increase in the mean frequency of micronucleated cells was seen in the exposed mice as compared with the controls, for both alveolar Type II and Clara cells. However, no significant increase in MN frequency was seen in Clara cells analyzed from samples prepared by Method 1. Based on our findings, mouse alveolar Type II and Clara cells seem to be suitable for MN analysis in studies aimed at identifying genotoxic lung carcinogens. Both alveolar Type II and Clara cells can be isolated using Method 2.

Mutagenicity in lung of big Blue((R)) mice and induction of tandem-base substitutions in Salmonella by the air pollutant peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN): predicted formation of intrastrand cross-links

Peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) is a ubiquitous air pollutant formed from NO(2) reacting with acetoxy radicals generated from ambient aldehydes in the presence of sunlight and ozone. It contributes to eye irritation associated with photochemical smog and is present in most urban air. PAN was generated in a chamber containing open petri dishes of Salmonella TA100 (gas-phase exposure). After subtraction of the background mutation spectrum, the spectrum of PAN-induced mutants selected at 3.1-fold above the background mutant yield was 59% GC-->TA, 29% GC-->AT, 2% GC-->CG, and 10% multiple mutations - primarily GG-->TT tandem-base substitutions. Using computational molecular modeling methods, a mechanism was developed for producing this unusual tandem-base substitution. The mechanism depends on the protonation of PAN near the polyanionic DNA to release NO(2)(+) resulting in intrastrand dimer formation. Insertion of AA opposite the dimerized GG would account for the tandem GG-->TT transversions. Nose-only exposure of Big Blue((R)) mice to PAN at 78ppm (near the MTD) was mutagenic at the lacI gene in the lung (mutant frequency +/-S.E. of 6.16+/-0.58/10(5) for controls versus 8.24+/-0.30/10(5) for PAN, P=0.016). No tandem-base mutations were detected among the 40 lacI mutants sequenced. Dosimetry with 3H-PAN showed that 24h after exposure, 3.9% of the radiolabel was in the nasal tissue, and only 0.3% was in the lung. However, based on the molecular modeling considerations, the labeled portion of the molecule would not have been expected to have been bound covalently to DNA. Our results indicate that PAN is weakly mutagenic in the lungs of mice and in Salmonella and that PAN produces a unique signature mutation (a tandem GG-->TT transversion) in Salmonella that is likely due to a GG intrastrand cross-link. Thus, PAN may pose a mutagenic and possible carcinogenic risk to humans, especially at the high concentrations at which it is present in some urban environments.

Nitration and hydroxylation of aromatic amino acid and guanine by the air pollutant peroxyacetyl nitrate

Peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) is a common gaseous photochemical compound in polluted air and cigarette smog. The toxicity of PAN has been found to depend on three pathways: (1) its oxidizing property that mimics peroxide or peroxynitrite; (2) its nitrating and hydroxylating properties similar to peroxynitrite; and (3) its acetylating property like acetic anhydride. The present investigations were intended to focus on the reactions of PAN with aromatic amino acids and guanine. When PAN interacted with tyrosine and guanine the major products were 3-nitrotyrosine, 3, 5-dinitrotyrosine, 8-hydroxyguanine and 8-nitroguanine. These compounds have been used as indicators for the presence of peroxynitrite in previous studies. When PAN interacted with phenylalanine, the products were 3-nitrotyrosine, 4-nitrophenylalanine, p-tyrosine, o-tyrosine and m-tyrosine. 5-Hydroxytryptophan is produced from the reaction of PAN with tryptophan. Furthermore, the formation of nitrated tyrosines was also found in the PAN-treated HL-60 cells. A high yield of dityrosine was formed when PAN and peroxynitrite were reacted with tyrosine, probably through free radical oxidation. We also found that peroxynitrite and PAN are similar in their oxidizing activity. From these findings, we suggest that peroxynitrite may be considered as the reactive intermediate of PAN.

Peroxyacetyl nitrate-induced apoptosis through generation of reactive oxygen species in HL-60 cells

Peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), an ubiquitous air pollutant, induced apoptosis in human leukemia HL-60, human chronic myelogenous leukemia K-562, and mouse monocyte-macrophage RAW 264.7 cell lines. In the HL 60 cells, characteristic apoptosis morphology could be observed 4 h after the cells were treated with 50 microM PAN. Exposure of HL-60 cells to increasing concentrations of PAN (from 1 microM to 100 microM) confirmed the concentration dependence of apoptosis as evidenced by DNA fragmentation in HL-60 cells, chromatin condensation by acridine-orange staining, and the appearance of the DNA apoptotic peak in flow cytometry. During apoptosis in HL-60 cells, 3-nitrotyrosine and 3,5-dinitrotyrosine were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-mass spectrometry. We hypothesized that PAN might induce cell death in human leukemia cells by releasing peroxynitrite and other reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide and hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, exogenous superoxide dismutase promoted PAN-induced apoptosis, and in contrast, a combination of superoxide dismutase and catalase suppressed this apoptosis. We also hypothesize that the generation of ROS during PAN-induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells could activate stress-activated protein kinase/jun N-terminal kinase activity. The formation of H2O2 produced from the dismutation of PAN-elicited superoxide anion contributed to the apoptotic mechanism in HL-60 cells through ROS pathways. These findings suggested that induction of apoptosis by the air pollutant PAN might occur as a result of the release of ROS.

Peroxyacetyl nitrate: review of toxicity

PAN is one of a class of common air pollutants formed by the action of sunlight on volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides. No toxicokinetic studies have been found in the available literature. The acute toxicity of PAN is less than that of ozone, similar to NO2 and higher than SO2. The LC30, in mice and rats were 718-743 mg/m3 (for 2 h) and 470 mg/m3 (for 4 h), respectively. Following acute exposure, severe lung lesions and, at the higher levels, damage to the epithelium of upper parts of the respiratory tract were found in animals. It seems that concentrations of 1.19-1.49 mg/m3 lie not far from the threshold required for pulmonary function effects in sensitive individuals. However, these PAN concentrations are well above the maximum ambient concentrations usually experienced within the USA and Canada (0.003-0.078 mg/m3). It appears unlikely that present ambient PAN concentrations would affect pulmonary functions responses to ambient ozone. In human, the lowest level causing eye irritations was 0.64 mg/m3 for 2 h. Concentrations of 0.99 and 4.95 mg/m3 were identified as no-observed-effect level (NOEL) and no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for pathological and histological changes in the respiratory system (nasal passages) of rats during subchronic exposures to PAN, but were not considered to be relevant to derivation of a RfC for chronic inhalation exposure. PAN is a weak point mutagen or clastogen. The data are not sufficient to evaluate its carcinogenicity. No study was found which could be used for the derivation of a RfC for acute or chronic inhalation exposure to PAN.

DNA damage in lung cells in vivo and in vitro by 1,3-butadiene and nitrogen dioxide and their photochemical reaction products

A UV-irradiated mixture of 1,3-butadiene and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) was tested for its potency to induce DNA damage measured as single-strand breaks (SSB) in lungs of mice. Both gases were also tested separately. After 16 h exposure a UV-irradiated mixture of 40 ppm butadiene + 20 ppm NO2, but not 20 ppm butadiene + 10 ppm NO2 + UV, induced a significant increase in SSB as measured by the alkaline unwinding technique. There was no increase in the level of SSB using the alkaline elution technique during the same testing conditions. However, after 5 h exposure to 60 ppm butadiene + 30 ppm NO2 + UV both methods demonstrated a significant increase in SSB. Mice were also exposed to butadiene at 80 and 200 ppm for 16 h and at 500 ppm for 5 h. DNA damage was demonstrated in both liver and lung after 5 and 16 h (only at 200 ppm) of exposure using the unwinding technique. Using the alkaline elution assay, a significant increase in the level of SSB in lung and liver was found only after 5 h of exposure. When mice were exposed to 30 ppm NO2 for 16 h or 50 ppm for 5 h, a significant increase in SSB was found with the unwinding technique. Alveolar macrophages from mice were also exposed in vitro to the gas mixture and to butadiene and NO2 separately. In these experiments, the DNA damage was studied with the unwinding technique. A significant effect was demonstrated with 40 ppm butadiene + 20 ppm NO2 + UV. NO2 itself contributed to some extent to the increase. Reasons for the discrepancies between the unwinding and the alkaline elution techniques are discussed.

Overview of mutation assays in transgenic mice for routine testing

There is scientific and regulatory interest in using mutation assays in transgenic mice in safety assessments for new chemicals and drugs. Currently these assays are in the process of being validated, and protocols for routine testing are being defined. Some of the issues and results to date with regard to assay validation include reproducibility of the assay results (they are qualitatively reproducible), relevance of the test system (the transgene closely approximates an endogenous mammalian gene as a mutational target for the limited number of compounds tested), and the predictivity of the assay for heritable effects (unknown at this time) or carcinogenicity (the assays show good positive predictivity for carcinogenicity; the negative predictivity of the assay requires further investigation). Definition of appropriate study protocols for routine testing requires that applicable statistical methods are available and that the experimental parameters that affect the detection of mutations are known. Progress made in identifying these parameters is discussed. A proposal is made for the custom design of routine safety studies, which is based on the anticipated use of each individual test agent. A working group has been formed to conduct some of the studies still required for validation of these assays.

Cytogenetic analyses of the in vitro and in vivo responses of murine cells to peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN)

Peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) is one of a class of common air pollutant formed by the action of sunlight on volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides. PAN has been shown to be a bacterial mutagen. To determine if PAN can cause DNA damage in mammalian cells, we exposed murine peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) to various volumes of PAN in vitro and analyzed the cells for chromosome aberrations (CAs), sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs), and DNA damage using the single cell gel (SCG) assay. At in vitro concentrations of PAN that were cytotoxic (inhibited cell division), an increase in DNA damage was noted in the SCG assay. At lower exposure levels that permitted cell division, no increases in SCEs, CAs, or DNA damage were evident. For in vivo studies, male mice were exposed nose-only by inhalation for 1 h to 0, 15, 39 or 78 ppm PAN, and their lung cells removed and cultured for the scoring of SCEs and CAs. In addition, PBLs and lung cells were analyzed by the SCG assay. No dose-related effects were found in any of the assays. These data indicate that PAN does not appear to be a potent clastogen or DNA damaging agent in mammalian cells in vivo or in vitro.

Sources of variability in data from a lacI transgenic mouse mutation assay

Experimental features of a transgenic mouse mutation assay based on a lacI target transgene from Escherichia coli are considered in detail. Sources of variability in the experimental protocol that can affect the statistical nature of the observations are examined with the goal of identifying sources of excess variation in the observed mutant fractions. The sources include plate-to-plate (within packages), package-to-package (within animals), and animal-to-animal (within study) variability. Data from two laboratories are evaluated, using various statistical methods to identify excess variability. Results suggest only scattered patterns of excess variability, except possibly in those cases where genomic DNA from test animals is stored for extended periods (e.g., > 90 days) after isolation from tissues. Further study is encouraged to examine the validity and implications of this time/storage-related effect.