Long-term persistence of DNA alkylation in hamster tissues after N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine

Analysis of proliferative activity in renal lesions induced by N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP) in male Syrian golden hamsters

Binding of a specific antibody to proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and staining of argyrophilic proteins associated with nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) were investigated in proliferative lesions induced by N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP) in the hamster kidney. Thirty male Syrian golden hamsters were given three weekly s.c. injections of BOP (10 mg/kg body wt.) and sacrificed for characterization of proliferative changes 30 weeks after the first BOP treatment. Morphologically, lesions of the tubular epithelia were classified either as tubular adenoma or dysplasia, the latter being further classified into small cluster, acidophilic cell, clear cell and cystic types. Immunohistochemistry for PCNA revealed significant increases of cell proliferation activity in adenomas and acidophilic cell types of dysplasia, along with significantly elevated mean numbers of AgNORs per nucleus. The results thus indicate that the acidophilic cell type of dysplasia may be of prime significance as the preneoplastic renal lesion induced by BOP.

Comparison of K-ras oncogene activation in pancreatic duct carcinomas and cholangiocarcinomas induced in hamsters by N-nitrosobis(2-hydroxypropyl)amine

The presence of K-ras point mutations in pancreatic duct carcinomas and cholangiocarcinomas induced by N-nitrosobis(2-hydroxypropyl)amine (BHP) in Syrian hamsters was investigated by single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis of polymerase chain reaction products from frozen fresh materials in order to clarify the K-ras mutation rates in those two carcinomas induced simultaneously by one carcinogen, BHP. In the examined pancreatic duct carcinomas, 10 out of 16 were positive for a mutation in codon 12 while 3 out of 12 cholangiocarcinomas demonstrated mutation of K-ras gene. G-to-A transition was detected in the second position of codon 12 in both pancreatic carcinomas and cholangiocarcinomas. These results suggest that the role of genetic alteration in carcinogenesis may differ with the target organ, even when initiation is with the same carcinogen.

DNA alkylation and mutagenicity of related hydroxypropylating and methylating agents in V79 cells

N-Nitrosobis (2-hydroxypropyl) amine (BHP) and N-nitrosobis (2-oxopropyl) amine (BOP) require metabolism to be carcinogenic and mutagenic. This metabolism produces hydroxypropylating and methylating alkylating species. To measure the effects of these species, we compared the action of direct-acting model compounds that are hydroxypropylating or methylating agents with those of BHP and BOP. Mutagenicity in V79 cells and the alkylation of V79 cell DNA were measured. The model compounds were ethyl-N-nitroso (2-oxopropyl) carbamate (NOPC), a methylating agent, and its 2-hydroxypropyl congener (NHPC), a hydroxypropylating agent. BHP and BOP were metabolized by hepatocytes from male Syrian hamsters. At the highest dose (2 mM) BOP produced 12 times more mutants than BHP but only 2.5 times more O6 methylguanine (O6MeG) than BHP. When a pancreas duct homogenate was used, 87 (BOP) and six (BHP) mutants/10(6) survivors were measured. When hepatocytes (not a homogenate) were used to metabolize BOP, 351 mumol O6MeG/mol guanine (G) and 39 mumol O6 (2-hydroxypropyl) G (O6HpG)/mole G were found in V79 DNA. When a pancreas duct homogenate was used BHP produced O6HpG (65 mumol/mol G) and BOP O6MeG (20 mumol/mol G). NOPC produced five times more mutants than NHPC, over the range of doses. At the highest dose (10 microM) it produced less (70%) O6alkylG than NHPC. These data show that methylation was a more mutagenic lesion than hydroxypropylation. There was no evidence of a correlation between mutagenicity and the formation of O6alkylG.

Immunosurveillance by T-lymphocytes in pretumoral stages of chemically induced pancreatic carcinogenesis

Cellular immune-response during pancreatic carcinogenesis induced by N-nitroso-bis(2-hydroxy-propyl)amine in Syrian Golden hamsters was studied using a mouse antiserum to hamster T-lymphocytes in indirect immunofluorescence. The chronology of lesions in this model is, acinar cell atypia, cystadenoma, ductal hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma. Lymphocyte infiltration began before microscopic lesions. Starting as an interstitial and interlobular migration, this earliest population was composed of various kind of mononuclear cells including T-cells. As pancreatic lesions proceeded, an abundant lymphocyte supply through newly formed capillaries (angiogenesis), gave rise to inter- and intralobular nodules composed almost exclusively of T-cells. Migrating from nodules, T-cells invaded and readily destroyed the exocrine tissue. Formation of hyperplasic ducts and of adenocarcinoma was accompanied by considerable accretion of the basal membrane (fibrosis). T-cells were located outside and around this basal membrane so that they never invaded the ductal epithelium. Our results suggest there is an effective immunosurveillance in the early stages of transformation that becomes ineffective at later stages as a consequence of T-cells' inability to pass through the basal membrane barrier surrounding the ductal epithelium in preneoplasic lesions (ductal hyperplasia) and in adenocarcinoma. Extending our observations to human pancreatic cancer could provide a new insight in cellular immunosurveillance and, as a consequence might, help cellular immunotherapeutic approaches for this almost fatal disease.

Radioimmunolocalization of the monoclonal antibody J28 in early transformation stages in N-nitrosobis(2-hydroxypropyl)amine-induced pancreatic tumors in the Syrian golden hamster

We describe the in vivo localization of radiolabeled mAb J28, a murine monoclonal antibody characterizing the oncodevelopmental human fetoacinar pancreatic (FAP) protein, at different stages of chemical induction of pancreatic tumors in the Syrian golden hamster. Before doing localization studies in this model, we looked at the cross-reactivity of mAb J28. Semiquantitative dot-blot analysis demonstrated that the antigen recognized in hamster pancreas has an oncodevelopmental expression pattern, while a molecular mass identical to that of human FAP was deduced from sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis/nitrocellulose immunoblot. 125I-labeled mAb J28 was administered through micro-osmotic pumps to hamsters treated with N-nitrosobis(2-hydroxypropyl)amine (BHP). This was done at three intervals that roughly correspond to the latent period, pretumoral stages, and terminal cancerogenesis in two independent groups of hamsters. Both studies allowed similar results: (a) mAb J28 accumulated almost specifically in the pancreas; (b) maximal accumulation was associated with pleomorphic alterations of the acinar cell tissue at pretumoral stages; (c) no accumulation was found in the case of adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. It is concluded that FAP behaves as a marker of preneoplastic lesions, and therefore that radioimmunoimaging with mAb J28 might help with early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Cholecystokinin inhibits DNA alkylation induced by N-nitrosobis (2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP) in hamster pancreas

Cholecystokinin (CCK) inhibits pancreatic cancer but not hepatic tumor induction by N-nitrosobis (2-oxopropyl) amine (BOP) in hamsters when administered with or shortly before BOP. In this study, we evaluated the capability of sulfated CCK-8 to inhibit DNA alkylation in the hamster pancreas. We examined the pattern of O6-methylguanine (G6-Me) and N7-methylguanine (G7-Me) in pancreatic ductal, acinar and liver tissues from Syrian hamsters treated with a single dose of BOP (20 mg/kg s.c.) and with five s.c. injections of CCK-8 (200 pM/kg, 30 min apart). The first CCK injection was given either 90 min before, or together, or 3 h after POP administration. The amount of G6-Me in liver DNA did not differ significantly. We observed a decrease of G7-Me in the liver of the group treated with CCK together with POP as compared to POP alone (P less than 0.005). Lower amounts of G6-Me were found in ductal preparations (P less than 0.01) of the animals treated with CCK before POP as compared to POP alone. CCK also modified the pattern of alkylation in the acinar tissue, but without a clear relationship with the timing of administration. The results suggest that the inhibitory effect of CCK-8 on pancreatic carcinogenicity of BOP could be related to its capability to modify DNA alkylation by yet unknown mechanisms.

Ki-ras activation in pancreatic carcinomas of Syrian hamsters induced by N-nitrosobis(2-hydroxypropyl)amine

Five pancreatic carcinomas induced by N-nitrosobis(2-hydroxypropyl)amine in Syrian golden hamsters were analyzed for activation of Ki-ras at codons 12 and 13, using the polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing. The Ki-ras gene was shown to be activated in four of the five carcinomas, and the results were further confirmed by subcloning and sequencing. All the mutations involved a G-to-A transition at the second position of codon 12, which resulted in a change at the amino acid level from glycine to aspartic acid. This mutation is identical with that reported for pancreatic tumors of Syrian hamsters induced by N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine.

Immunocytochemical analysis of in vivo DNA modification

In the past decades a large number of DNA adducts induced in the intact animal by alkylating agents have been identified. The formation and repair of these adducts are important determinants, not only of mutagenesis, tumor initiation and DNA-mediated toxicity but probably also of tumor progression. Most studies on in vivo DNA modification have been performed on isolated bulk DNA. More recently, methods have been developed to study the distribution of DNA adducts at the level of either the individual gene or the individual cell. This paper reviews immunocytochemical methods to study the formation and repair of DNA adducts and other DNA modifications at the level of the individual cell. DNA modifications induced by alkylating agents and a variety of other agents including ultraviolet radiation, aromatic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and platinum anti-cancer drugs will be discussed. Up to now, immunocytochemical analysis of in vivo modified DNA has largely concentrated on experimental animals. These studies have revealed striking heterogeneities with regard to formation and/or repair of DNA adducts in tissues from rat, hamster and mouse. Immunocytochemical adduct analysis can be used to identify in a convenient, fast and detailed way cell types, cell stages and sites in which biological effects of the adducts might be expressed. More recently, immunocytochemical analysis of DNA adducts also proved to be feasible on in situ exposed human samples. A number of existing and potential applications in the field of chemical carcinogenesis, experimental chemotherapy and molecular epidemiology are discussed.

Activation of N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine by liver and nasal mucosa tissue from intact and castrated male rats

Methylation of liver and nasal mucosal DNA at the O6 position of guanine (O6-MeG) was measured in intact and castrated male rats after a dose of N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP) (20 mg/kg; i.p.). There were no differences in O6-MeG persistence in liver DNA from either group. In the nasal mucosa more O6-MeG was detected in DNA from intact rats than in that from castrated rats. The maximum values were 61 (intact) and 35 (castrated) mumols/mol guanine. T/2 were 84 h (intact) and 24 h (castrated). These situations corresponded with changes in O6-MeG-DNAmethyl-transferase (MT) activity, which increased 6-fold in the nasal mucosa by castration resulting in less O6-MeG in the nasal mucosa. In the liver castration halved MT activity but did not produce a comparable change in O6-MeG levels. The mutagenicity of BOP in V79 cells increased almost 2-fold when a liver homogenate from castrated rats was used as the activating system. There was a comparable decline in mutagenicity when a nasal mucosa tissue homogenate from castrated rats was used.