Development and application of an LC-MS/MS method for the detection of the vinyl chloride-induced DNA adduct N(2),3-ethenoguanine in tissues of adult and weanling rats following exposure to [(13)C(2)]-VC

Isotope Labeling Mass Spectrometry to Quantify Endogenous and Exogenous DNA Adducts and Metabolites of 1,3-Butadiene In Vivo

Human exposure to known carcinogen 1,3-butadiene (BD) is common due to its high concentrations in automobile exhaust, cigarette smoke, and forest fires, as well as its widespread use in the polymer industry. The adverse health effects of BD are mediated by epoxide metabolites such as 3,4-epoxy-1-butene (EB), which reacts with DNA to form 1-hydroxyl-3-buten-1-yl adducts on DNA nucleobases. EB-derived mercapturic acids (1- and 2-(N-acetyl-l-cysteine-S-yl)-1-hydroxybut-3-ene (MHBMA) and N-acetyl-S-(3,4-dihydroxybutyl)-l-cysteine (DHBMA)) and urinary N7-(1-hydroxyl-3-buten-1-yl) guanine DNA adducts (EB-GII) have been used as biomarkers of BD exposure and cancer risk in smokers and occupationally exposed workers. However, low but significant levels of MHBMA, DHBMA, and EB-GII have been reported in unexposed cultured cells, animals, and humans, suggesting that these metabolites and adducts may form endogenously and complicate risk assessment of butadiene exposure. In the present work, stable isotope labeling in combination with high-resolution mass spectrometry was employed to accurately quantify endogenous and exogenous butadiene metabolites and DNA adducts in vivo. Laboratory rats were exposed to 0.3, 0.5, or 3 ppm of BD-d6 by inhalation, and the amounts of endogenous (d0) and exogenous (d6) DNA adducts and metabolites were quantified in tissues and urine by isotope dilution capillary liquid chromatography/high resolution electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (capLC-ESI-HRMS/MS). Our results reveal that EB-GII adducts and MHBMA originate exclusively from exogenous exposure to BD, while substantial amounts of DHBMA are formed endogenously. Urinary EB-GII concentrations were associated with genomic EB-GII levels in tissues of the same animals. Our findings confirm that EB-GII and MHBMA are specific biomarkers of exposure to BD, while endogenous DHBMA predominates at sub-ppm exposures to BD.

DNA Product Formation in Female Sprague-Dawley Rats Following Polyhalogenated Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PHAH) Exposure

DNA oxidation damage has been regarded as one of the possible mechanisms for the hepatic carcinogenesis of dioxin-like compounds (DLCs). In this study, we evaluated the toxic equivalency factor (TEF) from the standpoint of induced DNA oxidation products and their relationship to toxicity and carcinogenicity. Nine DNA oxidation products were analyzed in the liver of female Sprague–Dawley rats exposed to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-pdioxin (TCDD) alone or the tertiary mixture of TCDD, 3,3′,4,4′,5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 126), and 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran (PeCDF) by gavage for 14, 31, and 53 weeks (5 days/week) by LC–MS/MS: 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dGuo); 1,N⁶-etheno-2′-deoxyadenosine (1,N⁶-εdAdo); N²,3-ethenoguanine (N²,3-εG); 7-(2-oxoethly)guanine (7-OEG); 1,N²-etheno-2′-deoxyguanosine (1,N²-εdGuo); malondialdehyde (M₁dGuo); acrolein (AcrdGuo); crotonaldehyde (CrdGuo); and 4-hydroxynonenal (HNEdGuo) derived 2′-deoxyguanosine adducts. Exposure to TCDD (100 ng/kg/day) significantly induced 1,N⁶-εdAdo at 31 and 53 weeks, while no increase of 8-oxo-dGuo was observed. Significant increases were observed for 8-oxo-dGuo and 1,N⁶-εdAdo at all time points following exposure to the tertiary mixture (TEQ 100 ng/kg/day). Exposure to TCDD for 53 weeks only significantly increased 1,N⁶-εdAdo, while increases of N²,3-εG and 7-OEG were only found in the highest dose group (100 ng/kg/day). Exposure to the tertiary mixture for 53 weeks had no effect on N²,3-εG in any exposure group (TEQ 0, 22, 46, or 100 ng/kg/day), while significant increases were observed for 1,N⁶-εdAdo (all dose groups), 8-oxo-dGuo (46 and 100 ng/kg/day), and 7-OEG (100 ng/kg/day). While no significant increase was observed at 53 weeks for 1,N²-εdGuo, M₁dGuo, AcrdGuo, or CrdGuo following exposure to TCDD (100 ng/kg/day), all of them were significantly induced in animals exposed to the tertiary mixture (TEQ 100 ng/kg/day). This oxidation DNA product data suggest that the simple TEF methodology cannot be applied to evaluate the diverse patterns of toxic effects induced by DLCs.

Polychlorinated Biphenyls Induce Oxidative DNA Adducts in Female Sprague-Dawley Rats

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are organic chemicals that were traditionally produced and widely used in industry as mixtures and are presently formed as byproducts of pigment and dye manufacturing. They are known to persist and bioaccumulate in the environment. Some have been shown to induce liver cancer in rodents. Although the mechanism of the toxicity of PCBs is unknown, it has been shown that they increase oxidative stress, including lipid peroxidation. We hypothesized that oxidative stress-induced DNA damage could be a contributor for PCB carcinogenesis and analyzed several DNA adducts in female Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 126), 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB 153), and a binary mixture (PCB 126 + 153) for 14, 31, and 53 wks. Eight adducts were measured to profile oxidative DNA lesions, including 8-oxo-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG), 1,N(6)-ethenodeoxyadenosine (1,N(6)-εdA), N(2),3-ethenoguanine (N(2),3-εG), 1,N(2)-ethenodeoxyguanosine (1,N(2)-εdG), as well as malondialdehyde (M1dG), acrolein (AcrdG), crotonaldehyde (CrdG), and 4-hydroxynonenal-derived dG adducts (HNEdG) by LC-MS/MS analysis. Statistically significant increases were observed for 8-oxo-dG and 1,N(6)-εdA concentrations in hepatic DNA of female rats exposed to the binary mixture (1000 ng/kg/day + 1000 μg/kg/day) but not in rats exposed to PCB 126 (1000 ng/kg/day) or PCB 153 (1000 μg/kg/day) for 14 and 31 wks. However, exposure to PCB 126 (1000 ng/kg/day) for 53 wks significantly increased 8-oxo-dG, 1,N(6)-εdA, AcrdG, and M1dG. Exposure to PCB 153 (1000 μg/kg/day) for 53 wks increased 8-oxo-dG, and 1,N(6)-εdA. Exposure to the binary mixture for 53 wks increased 8-oxo-dG, 1,N(6)-εdA, AcrdG, 1,N(2)-εdG, and N(2),3-εG significantly above control groups. Increased hepatic oxidative DNA adducts following exposure to PCB 126, PCB 153, or the binary mixture shows that an increase in DNA damage may play an important role in hepatic toxicity and carcinogenesis in female Sprague-Dawley rats.

Next-generation sequencing reveals the biological significance of the N(2),3-ethenoguanine lesion in vivo

Etheno DNA adducts are a prevalent type of DNA damage caused by vinyl chloride (VC) exposure and oxidative stress. Etheno adducts are mutagenic and may contribute to the initiation of several pathologies; thus, elucidating the pathways by which they induce cellular transformation is critical. Although N(2),3-ethenoguanine (N(2),3-εG) is the most abundant etheno adduct, its biological consequences have not been well characterized in cells due to its labile glycosidic bond. Here, a stabilized 2'-fluoro-2'-deoxyribose analog of N(2),3-εG was used to quantify directly its genotoxicity and mutagenicity. A multiplex method involving next-generation sequencing enabled a large-scale in vivo analysis, in which both N(2),3-εG and its isomer 1,N(2)-ethenoguanine (1,N(2)-εG) were evaluated in various repair and replication backgrounds. We found that N(2),3-εG potently induces G to A transitions, the same mutation previously observed in VC-associated tumors. By contrast, 1,N(2)-εG induces various substitutions and frameshifts. We also found that N(2),3-εG is the only etheno lesion that cannot be repaired by AlkB, which partially explains its persistence. Both εG lesions are strong replication blocks and DinB, a translesion polymerase, facilitates the mutagenic bypass of both lesions. Collectively, our results indicate that N(2),3-εG is a biologically important lesion and may have a functional role in VC-induced or inflammation-driven carcinogenesis.

A comparative study of the toxicological aspects of vanadium pentoxide and vanadium oxide nanoparticles

Indiscriminate use of vanadium oxide nanoparticles (NPs) in steel industries and their release during combustion of fossil fuels makes it essential to study their toxic potential. Herein, we assessed the toxicological effects of two types of in-house synthesized vanadium oxide NPs in Wistar rats exposed to NPs through inhalation route. V2O5 and VO2 NPs exhibited rod and spherical symmetry, respectively with a mean diameter of 50±20 and 30±10 nm. Assessment of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid parameters demonstrated that VO2 NP-exposed animals had higher levels of lactate dehydrogenase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and alkaline phosphatase as compared to V2O5 NP-exposed animals. The levels of oxidative stress markers malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione also indicated higher toxic potential of VO2 NPs. Moreover, after 7-day recovery, the levels of the above parameters were closer to normal levels only in V2O5-exposed animals. Interestingly, histopathological and immune-histopathology analysis (TNF-α) of lung tissue showed higher damage and inflammatory response in VO2 NP-exposed animals, which persisted even after 7 days of recovery period. Surprisingly, the carcinogenic potential of vanadium oxide NPs came into light which was indicated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling assay as well as the decreased levels of p53 and Bax, in lung tissue of NP-exposed animals. Notably, the physiochemical characterization of NPs, especially the shape and the size, play a central role in shaping the toxicity of these NPs and thus should be extensively evaluated for outlining the regulatory guidelines.

The endogenous exposome

The concept of the Exposome is a compilation of diseases and one's lifetime exposure to chemicals, whether the exposure comes from environmental, dietary, or occupational exposures; or endogenous chemicals that are formed from normal metabolism, inflammation, oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, infections, and other natural metabolic processes such as alteration of the gut microbiome. In this review, we have focused on the endogenous exposome, the DNA damage that arises from the production of endogenous electrophilic molecules in our cells. It provides quantitative data on endogenous DNA damage and its relationship to mutagenesis, with emphasis on when exogenous chemical exposures that produce identical DNA adducts to those arising from normal metabolism cause significant increases in total identical DNA adducts. We have utilized stable isotope labeled chemical exposures of animals and cells, so that accurate relationships between endogenous and exogenous exposures can be determined. Advances in mass spectrometry have vastly increased both the sensitivity and accuracy of such studies. Furthermore, we have clear evidence of which sources of exposure drive low dose biology that results in mutations and disease. These data provide much needed information to impact quantitative risk assessments, in the hope of moving towards the use of science, rather than default assumptions.

Recent developments in DNA adduct analysis by mass spectrometry: a tool for exposure biomonitoring and identification of hazard for environmental pollutants

DNA adducts represent an important category of biomarkers for detection and exposure surveillance of potential carcinogenic and genotoxic chemicals in the environment. Sensitive and specific analytical methods are required to detect and differentiate low levels of adducts from native DNA from in vivo exposure. In addition to biomonitoring of environmental pollutants, analytical methods have been developed for structural identification of adducts which provides fundamental information for determining the toxic pathway of hazardous chemicals. In order to achieve the required sensitivity, mass spectrometry has been increasingly utilized to quantify adducts at low levels as well as to obtain structural information. Furthermore, separation techniques such as chromatography and capillary electrophoresis can be coupled to mass spectrometry to increase the selectivity. This review will provide an overview of advances in detection of adducted and modified DNA by mass spectrometry with a focus on the analysis of nucleosides since 2007. Instrument advances, sample and instrument considerations, and recent applications will be summarized in the context of hazard assessment. Finally, advances in biomonitoring applying mass spectrometry will be highlighted. Most importantly, the usefulness of DNA adducts measurement and detection will be comprehensively discussed as a tool for assessment of in vitro and in vivo exposure to environmental pollutants.

Pulmonary fibrotic response to inhalation of ZnO nanoparticles and toluene co-exposure through directed flow nose only exposure chamber

The increasing use of Zinc Oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) in paint industry is not supplemented with adequate toxicology data. This report focuses on the fibrogenic toxicity caused due to co-exposure of ZnONPs and toluene in male Wistar rats, exposed for 28 days, through directed flow nose only exposure chamber. The rats were grouped as air control, toluene control (200 ppm), zinc oxide control (10 mg/m(3)), low dose co-exposed (5 mg/m(3) ZnO and 200 ppm of toluene) and high dose co-exposed (10 mg/m(3) of ZnO and 200 ppm of toluene). Our study demonstrates that co-exposure of ZnONPs and toluene (as in paint industry), even at their respective permissible exposure level (5 mg/m(3) for ZnO and 200 ppm for toluene) have the potential to produce a progressive inflammatory and fibrotic response in the alveolar tissues of the lungs. We observed a significant increase in inflammatory markers in BAL fluid and elevated malondialdehyde (MDA) levels with lower levels of intracellular reduced glutathione (GSH) in lungs of rats of co-exposed group. Significant increase in the levels of pro-inflammatory mediators (IL-6, Ikβα, Cox-II, p-NF-κB) in lung tissues also indicated pulmonary damage. To best of our knowledge this is the first study which highlights the toxicity of co-exposed ZnO NPs and toluene.

Quantitation of DNA adducts by stable isotope dilution mass spectrometry

Exposure to endogenous and exogenous chemicals can lead to the formation of structurally modified DNA bases (DNA adducts). If not repaired, these nucleobase lesions can cause polymerase errors during DNA replication, leading to heritable mutations and potentially contributing to the development of cancer. Because of their critical role in cancer initiation, DNA adducts represent mechanism-based biomarkers of carcinogen exposure, and their quantitation is particularly useful for cancer risk assessment. DNA adducts are also valuable in mechanistic studies linking tumorigenic effects of environmental and industrial carcinogens to specific electrophilic species generated from their metabolism. While multiple experimental methodologies have been developed for DNA adduct analysis in biological samples, including immunoassay, HPLC, and ³²P-postlabeling, isotope dilution high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS) generally has superior selectivity, sensitivity, accuracy, and reproducibility. As typical DNA adduct concentrations in biological samples are between 0.01-10 adducts per 10⁸ normal nucleotides, ultrasensitive HPLC-ESI-MS/MS methodologies are required for their analysis. Recent developments in analytical separations and biological mass spectrometry, especially nanoflow HPLC, nanospray ionization MS, chip-MS, and high resolution MS, have pushed the limits of analytical HPLC-ESI-MS/MS methodologies for DNA adducts, allowing researchers to accurately measure their concentrations in biological samples from patients treated with DNA alkylating drugs and in populations exposed to carcinogens from urban air, drinking water, cooked food, alcohol, and cigarette smoke.

Quantitative changes in endogenous DNA adducts correlate with conazole in vivo mutagenicity and tumorigenicity

The mouse liver tumorigenic conazole fungicides triadimefon and propiconazole have previously been shown to be in vivo mouse liver mutagens in the Big Blue™ transgenic mutation assay when administered in feed at tumorigenic doses, whereas the nontumorigenic conazole myclobutanil was not mutagenic. DNA sequencing of the mutants recovered from each treatment group as well as from animals receiving control diet revealed that propiconazole- and triadimefon-induced mutations do not represent general clonal expansion of background mutations, and support the hypothesis that they arise from the accumulation of endogenous reactive metabolic intermediates within the liver in vivo. We therefore measured the spectra of endogenous DNA adducts in the livers of mice from these studies to determine if there were quantitative or qualitative differences between mice receiving tumorigenic or nontumorigenic conazoles compared to concurrent control animals. We resolved and quantitated 16 individual adduct spots by (32)P postlabelling and thin layer chromatography using three solvent systems. Qualitatively, we observed the same DNA adducts in control mice as in mice receiving conazoles. However, the 13 adducts with the highest chromatographic mobility were, as a group, present at significantly higher amounts in the livers of mice treated with propiconazole and triadimefon than in their concurrent controls, whereas this same group of DNA adducts in the myclobutanil-treated mice was not different from controls. This same group of endogenous adducts were significantly correlated with mutant frequency across all treatment groups (P = 0.002), as were total endogenous DNA adduct levels (P = 0.005). We hypothesise that this treatment-related increase in endogenous DNA adducts, together with concomitant increases in cell proliferation previously reported to be induced by conazoles, explain the observed increased in vivo mutation frequencies previously reported to be induced by treatment with propiconazole and triadimefon.

A new LC-MS/MS method for the quantification of endogenous and vinyl chloride-induced 7-(2-Oxoethyl)guanine in sprague-dawley rats

Vinyl chloride (VC) is an industrial chemical that is known to be carcinogenic to animals and humans. VC primarily induces hepatic angiosarcomas following high exposures (≥50 ppm). VC is also found in Superfund sites at ppb concentrations as a result of microbial metabolism of trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene. Here, we report a new sensitive LC-MS/MS method to analyze the major DNA adduct formed by VC, 7-(2-oxoethylguanine) (7-OEG). We used this method to analyze tissue DNA from both adult and weanling rats exposed to 1100 ppm [(13)C(2)]-VC for 5 days. After neutral thermal hydrolysis, 7-OEG was derivatized with O-t-butyl hydroxylamine to an oxime adduct, followed by LC-MS/MS analysis. The limit of detection was 1 fmol, and the limit of quantitation was 1.5 fmol on the column. The use of stable isotope VC allowed us to demonstrate for the first time that endogenous 7-OEG was present in tissue DNA. We hypothesized that endogenous 7-OEG was formed from lipid peroxidation and demonstrated the formation of [(13)C(2)]-7-OEG from the reaction of calf thymus DNA with [(13)C(18)]-ethyl linoleate (EtLa) under peroxidizing conditions. The concentrations of endogenous 7-OEG in liver, lung, kidney, spleen, testis, and brain DNA from adult and weanling rats typically ranged from 1.0 to 10.0 adducts per 10(6) guanine. The exogenous 7-OEG in liver DNA from adult rats exposed to 1100 ppm [(13)C(2)]-VC for 5 days was 104.0 ± 23.0 adducts per 10(6) guanine (n = 4), while concentrations in other tissues ranged from 1.0 to 39.0 adducts per 10(6) guanine (n = 4). Although endogenous concentrations of 7-OEG in tissues in weanling rats were similar to those of adult rats, exogenous [(13)C(2)]-7-OEG concentrations were higher in weanlings, averaging 300 adducts per 10(6) guanine in liver. Studies on the persistence of [(13)C(2)]-7-OEG in adult rats sacrificed 2, 4, and 8 weeks postexposure to [(13)C(2)]-VC demonstrated a half-life of 7-OEG of 4 days in both liver and lung.

Endogenous versus exogenous DNA adducts: their role in carcinogenesis, epidemiology, and risk assessment

There is a strong need for science-based risk assessment that utilizes known data from diverse sources to arrive at accurate assessments of human health risk. Such assessments will protect the public health without mandating unreasonable regulation. This paper utilizes 30 years of research on three "known human carcinogens": formaldehyde, vinyl chloride (VC), and ethylene oxide (EO), each of which forms DNA adducts identical to endogenous DNA adducts in all individuals. It outlines quantitative data on endogenous adducts, mutagenicity, and relationships between endogenous and exogenous adducts. Formaldehyde has the richest data set, with quantitative data on endogenous and exogenous DNA adducts from the same samples. The review elaborates on how such data can be used to inform the current risk assessment on formaldehyde, including both the biological plausibility and accuracy of projected risks. Finally, it extends the thought process to VC, EO, and additional areas of potential research, pointing out needs, nuances, and potential paths forward to improved understanding that will lead to strong science-based risk assessment.