Trans- and cis-DNA adduct concentration in epidermis from mouse and rat skin treated ex vivo with benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide and its corresponding chlorohydrin

Use of the in vivo skin comet assay to evaluate the DNA-damaging potential of chemicals applied to the skin

The aim of the present study was to evaluate both sensitivity and specificity of an in vivo skin comet assay using chemically treated, hairless mouse dorsal skin as a model. N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG, 0.0125-0.2%), 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO, 0.01-0.25%), mitomycin C (MMC, 0.0125-0.05%), benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P, 0.25-2%), and 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA, 0.25-1%) were each applied once to the dorsal skin of hairless male mice; after 3h, epidermal skin cells were isolated, and the alkaline comet assay was performed. The assay was performed after 24h for only the B[a]P and DMBA. Furthermore, B[a]P and DMBA were evaluated by alkaline comet assay using liver cells after both 3 and 24h. The mean percent of DNA (%DNA) in tail in the 0.05-0.2% MNNG and 0.1-0.25% 4NQO treatment groups was markedly higher than in the control group at 3h post-application. Although the mean %DNA values in the tail in the B[a]P and DMBA groups were the same as the controls at 3h post-application, the 2% B[a]P and 1% DMBA groups showed significantly higher values versus controls 24h after application. No significant increases in the mean %DNA in the tail were observed in the MMC group. No clear increases in %DNA in the tail were observed in the B[a]P and DMBA groups at 3 or 24h after application in the liver. These results suggest that the in vivo skin comet assay is able to accurately identify DNA-damaging potential with a skin-specific response and is a useful method to detect the DNA-damaging potential of genotoxic chemicals on the skin.

A structural gap in Dpo4 supports mutagenic bypass of a major benzo[a]pyrene dG adduct in DNA through template misalignment

Erroneous replication of lesions in DNA by DNA polymerases leads to elevated mutagenesis. To understand the molecular basis of DNA damage-induced mutagenesis, we have determined the x-ray structures of the Y-family polymerase, Dpo4, in complex with a DNA substrate containing a bulky DNA lesion and incoming nucleotides. The DNA lesion is derived from an environmentally widespread carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, benzo[a]pyrene (BP). The potent carcinogen BP is metabolized to diol epoxides that form covalent adducts with cellular DNA. In the present study, the major BP diol epoxide adduct in DNA, BP-N(2)-deoxyguanosine (BP-dG), was placed at a template-primer junction. Three ternary complexes reveal replication blockage, extension past a mismatched lesion, and a -1 frameshift mutation. In the productive structures, the bulky adduct is flipped/looped out of the DNA helix into a structural gap between the little finger and core domains. Sequestering of the hydrophobic BP adduct in this new substrate-binding site permits the DNA to exhibit normal geometry for primer extension. Extrusion of the lesion by template misalignment allows the base 5' to the adduct to serve as the template, resulting in a -1 frameshift. Subsequent strand realignment produces a mismatched base opposite the lesion. These structural observations, in combination with replication and mutagenesis data, suggest a model in which the additional substrate-binding site stabilizes the extrahelical nucleotide for lesion bypass and generation of base substitutions and -1 frameshift mutations.

3'-H-phosphonate synthesis of chiral benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide adducts at N(2) of deoxyguanosine in oligonucleotides

A synthetic route to oligonucleotides containing N(2)-deoxyguanosine adducts at C-10 of the enantiomeric 7,8-diol 9,10-epoxides of 7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene in which the epoxide oxygen and the 7-hydroxyl group are trans is described. The present adducts result from the trans addition of N(2) of deoxyguanosine to the epoxide at C-10. Our synthesis proceeds via preparation of the 3'-H-phosphonate of a suitably protected deoxyguanosine N(2)-adduct. The blocking groups consisted of O(6)-allyl on the deoxyguanosine, acetates on the 7-, 8-, and 9-hydroxyl groups of the hydrocarbon moiety, and dimethoxytrityl on the 5'-hydroxyl group of the sugar. These blocking groups are well suited to oligonucleotide synthesis on solid supports. The free 3'-hydroxyl group of this nucleoside adduct was readily converted to its 3'-H-phosphonate with diphenyl phosphite in pyridine in high yield for both the 10R and 10S isomers. For synthesis of oligonucleotides, the first several nucleotides were incorporated onto the solid support with an automated synthesizer using standard phosphoramidite chemistry. The adducted deoxyguanilic acid residue was introduced as the H-phosphonate in a manual step (80% yield), followed by completion of the sequence on the synthesizer. Although a 10-fold excess of the 3'-H-phosphonate was used in the manual coupling step, as much as 70% of the reactant could be recovered. The 3'-H-phosphonate of the protected 10S nucleoside adduct was converted to the unblocked nucleotide adduct, various salts of which failed to form crystals suitable for X-ray analysis. Although submilligram quantities of this compound have been formed as mixed diastereomers by direct reaction of deoxyguanylic acid with racemic diol epoxide, the present study represents the first actual synthesis of the major DNA adduct formed from benzo[a]pyrene in mammals as its 3'-phosphate.

Benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide forms covalent adducts with deoxycytidylic acid by alkylation at both exocyclic amino N(4) and ring imino N-3 positions

The carcinogen 7r,8t-dihydroxy-9t,10t-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (anti-BPDE) alkylates DNA at dGuo, dAdo, and dCyd. dCyd adducts, formed in small amounts, elute near the more abundant dGuo adducts. We isolated the dCyd adducts formed with dCMP. Each BPDE enantiomer forms three major adducts with dCMP, two cis and one trans. The trans adduct and one of the cis adducts form by alkylation at exocyclic N(4), while the second cis adduct is a dUrd adduct formed by alkylation at ring N-3 followed by deamination. Epoxide ring-opening geometries were assigned on the basis of halide and temperature effects on adduct yield, the sign of the major CD band, and benzo ring proton NMR coupling constants. One of each set of cis adducts is fluorescent (FL), and the other is nonfluorescent (NF). The trans and FL cis adducts have fluorescence quantum yields 40-50% of that of the BPDE hydrolysis product. The long wavelength UV maxima of the FL and NF cis adducts are red-shifted 1 and 3 nm relative to the trans adduct. (1)H NMR deuterium exchange experiments indicate that in the trans and FL cis adducts N(4)-H is coupled to C10-H. Adduct formation experiments with methyl-protected Cyd derivatives show that NF cis adducts result from alkylation at N-3. MS results, pK(a) measurements, and dUrd alkylation experiments indicate that the N-3 dCyd adducts spontaneously deaminate to dUrd adducts. NMR coupling constants show that in the NF cis adduct the C7 and C8 substituents are quasi equatorial and the C9 substituent is quasi axial, unlike in other cis BPDE adducts. (1)H NOESY spectra of the (-)-BPDE NF cis adduct reveal that it exists in two conformers. Molecular modeling shows that the conformers result from two low-energy conformations of very similar energies with the pyrimidine in opposite orientations, separated by significant barriers to rotation of the uracil moiety.

Resveratrol, a red wine constituent polyphenol, protects from ischemia-reperfusion damage of the ovaries

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of resveratrol on histopathological changes, antioxidant status and lipid peroxidation, in torsion-detorsion injury in rat ovaries.

METHOD

To determine whether ischemia followed by reperfusion can induce ovarian oxidative damage, we created a model of adnexal ischemia-reperfusion by using rats. Ischemia was induced by unilateral occlusion of the tubo-ovarian vessels for 3 h. Reperfusion was achieved by releasing the occlusion and restoring the circulation for 3 h. Thirty-two adult female albino rats were divided equally into 4 groups: sham operation, torsion, saline/detorsion and resveratrol/detorsion. Rats in the torsion group were killed after 360 degrees clockwise adnexal torsion for 3 h. Resveratrol was injected intraperitoneally 30 min before detorsion in the resveratrol/detorsion group, and saline was administered in the saline/detorsion group. After 3 h of adnexal detorsion in both of these groups, the rats were killed and adnexa were removed. The tissue levels of malondialdehyde, reduced glutathione and xanthine oxidase activity were measured.

RESULTS

Malondialdehyde and xanthine oxidase levels in the saline/detorsion group were increased significantly when compared to the torsion and sham operation groups (p < 0.001). Malondialdehyde levels in the resveratrol group were lower than in the saline/detorsion group, and differences between the two groups were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Xanthine oxidase levels in the resveratrol group were lower than in the saline/detorsion and torsion groups, and differences between these groups were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Reduced glutathione levels in the saline/detorsion group were decreased significantly when compared to the torsion and sham operation groups. Reduced glutathione levels in the resveratrol group were significantly higher than in the saline/detorsion group (p < 0.006). Histological examination showed a significant improvement in ovarian morphology in the resveratrol-treated rats compared with the ischemia and ischemia-reperfusion groups.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrated that intraperitoneal resveratrol administration reduced the lipid peroxidation products of ischemic rats and ovarian damage was reduced as indicated by histological examination.