Inhibition of aflatoxin B1 binding to hepatic DNA by dehydroepiandrosterone in vivo

A physiological toxicokinetic model for inhaled propylene oxide in rat and human with special emphasis on the nose

Chronic exposure to high concentrations of PO induced inflammation in the respiratory nasal mucosa (RNM) of rodents and, for concentrations >or= 300 ppm, caused nasal tumors. Considering the nose to be the most relevant target organ for PO-induced tumorigenicity, we developed a physiological toxicokinetic model for PO in rats and humans. It includes compartments for arterial, venous, and pulmonary blood, liver, muscle, fat, richly perfused tissues, lung, and nose. It simulates inhalation of PO, its distribution into tissues by blood flow, and its elimination by exhalation and metabolism. In nose, lung, and liver of rats, PO conjugation with glutathione (GSH), PO-induced GSH depletion, and formation of PO adducts to DNA are described. Also modeled are PO adducts to hemoglobin of rats and humans. Required partition coefficients and metabolic parameters were derived experimentally or from publications. In rats, simulated PO concentrations in blood and GSH levels in tissues agreed with measured data. If compared with reported values, levels of adducts with hemoglobin were underpredicted up to a factor of about 2. Adducts with DNA differed up to a factor of 3. Hemoglobin adducts predicted for PO-exposed workers were 1.5-1.9 times higher than the reported ones. Considering identical conditions of PO exposure, similar PO concentrations in RNM were modeled for rats and humans. Also, PO concentrations in blood, about 1/30th of those in RNM, were similar in both species. Since the model was evaluated on all available data in rats and humans, we consider it to be useful for estimating the risk from inhalation exposure to PO.

Modulation of chemical carcinogen-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis by dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in the primary rat hepatocytes

Modulation of unscheduled DNA synthesis by dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) after exposure to various chemical carcinogens was investigated in the primary rat hepatocytes. Unscheduled DNA synthesis was induced by treatment of such direct acting carcinogens as methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) and ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) or procarcinogens including benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA). Unscheduled DNA synthesis was determined by measuring [methyl-3H]thymidine radioactivity incorporated into nuclear DNA of hepatocytes treated with carcinogens in the presence or absence of DHEA. Hydroxyurea (5x10(-3) M) was added to growth medium to selectively suppress normal replication. DHEA at concentrations ranging from 1x10(-6) M to 5x10(-4) M did not significantly inhibit unscheduled DNA synthesis induced by either MMS (1x10(-4) M) or EMS (1x10(-2) M). In contrast, DHEA significantly inhibited unscheduled DNA synthesis induced by BaP (6.5x10(-5) M) and DMBA (2x10(-5) M). DHEA-induced hepatotoxicity in rats was examined using lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release as an indicator of cytotoxicity. DHEA exhibit no significant increase in LDH release compared with the solvent control at 18 h. These data suggest that nontoxic concentration of DHEA does not affect the DNA excision repair process, but it probably influence the enzymatic system responsible for the metabolic activation of procarcinogens and thereby decreases the amount of the effective DNA adducts formed by the ultimate reactive carcinogenic species.

Aflatoxin B1 epoxidation catalysed by partially purified human liver lipoxygenase

(1) This study demonstrates for the first time the human liver lipoxygenase-mediated co-oxidation of aflatoxin B1 to the reactive metabolite, aflatoxin B1-8,9-epoxide, which rapidly hydrolyzes to dihydrodiol and preferentially binds to Tris. (2) The Tris-diol complex formed was quantitated fluorimetrically, based on its characteristic excitation at lambda ex = 395 nm and emission at lambda em = 435 nm. (3) The incubation of partially purified human liver lipoxygenase for 30 min under optimum assay conditions (3.5 mM linoleic acid and 50 microM aflatoxin B1 in Tris buffer at pH 7.2) resulted in the formation of 10.6 +/- 1.7 nmol Tris-diol/mg protein. (4) In addition to linoleic acid, other unsaturated fatty acids namely gamma-linolenic acid, cis-11, 14-eicosadienoic acid and arachidonic acid also supported the lipoxygenase mediated epoxidation of aflatoxin B1. (5) The enzymatic Tris-diol formation was significantly inhibited by all the lipoxygenase inhibitors tested in a concentration-dependent manner. (6) These results strongly suggest that lipoxygenase is capable of aflatoxin B1 metabolism and this may represent yet another pathway for the bioactivation of this hepatocarcinogen in the human liver.

Ethoxyquin-induced resistance to aflatoxin B1 in the rat is associated with the expression of a novel alpha-class glutathione S-transferase subunit, Yc2, which possesses high catalytic activity for aflatoxin B1-8,9-epoxide

A purification scheme has been devised for two ethoxyquin-inducible Alpha-class glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) which possess at least 25-fold greater activity towards aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-8,9-epoxide than that exhibited by the GSTs (i.e. F, L, B and AA) that have been described previously. These two enzymes are both heterodimers and both contain a subunit of Mr 25,800. This subunit has been isolated from both of the GST isoenzymes and, after cleavage with CNBr, it has been subjected to automated amino acid sequencing. The primary structure of the Mr 25,800 subunit revealed that it forms part of a subfamily of Alpha-class GSTs which possess closest identity (about 92%) with the Yc subunit of apparent Mr 27,500, which is encoded by the recombinant cDNA clone pGTB42 [Telakowski-Hopkins, Rodkey, Bennett, Lu & Pickett (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 5820-5825]. As these two GSTs possess less than 70% sequence identity with the Ya1 and Ya2 subunits, both of Mr 25,500, the constitutively expressed Yc subunit of Mr 27,500 has been renamed Yc1 and the ethoxyquin-inducible GST of Mr 25,800 has been designated Yc2. Using this nomenclature, the two GSTs with high activity for AFB1-8,9-epoxide are Ya1Yc2 and Yc1Yc2. Although evidence suggests that induction of Yc2 is responsible for the high detoxification capacity of livers from ethoxyquin-treated rats for AFB1-8,9-epoxide, resistance towards AFB1 may be multifactorial in this instance as dietary ethoxyquin also induces the Ya1, Ya2 and Yc1 subunits about 2.2-, 10.9- and 2.7-fold respectively. Besides the induction of GST by ethoxyquin, activity towards AFB1-8,9-epoxide is also elevated in the livers of neonatal rats and in livers that contain preneoplastic nodules. Western blotting experiments show that Yc2 is not present in hepatic cytosol from adult rats fed on normal diets but is expressed in neonatal rat livers and in the livers of adult rats that contain preneoplastic nodules that have arisen as a consequence of consuming diets contaminated with AFB1.

Contribution of the glutathione S-transferases to the mechanisms of resistance to aflatoxin B1

The harmful effects of Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) are a consequence of it being metabolized to AFB1-8,9-epoxide, a compound that serves as an alkylating agent and mutagen. The toxicity of AFB1 towards different cells varies substantially; sensitivity can change significantly during development, can be modulated by treatment with xenobiotics and is decreased markedly in preneoplastic lesions as well as in tumors. Three types of resistance, namely intrinsic, inducible and acquired, can be identified. The potential resistance mechanisms include low capacity to form AFB1-8,9-epoxide, high detoxification activity, increase in AFB1 efflux from cells and high DNA repair capacity. Circumstantial evidence exists that amongst these mechanisms the glutathione S-transferases, through their ability to detoxify AFB1-8,9-epoxide, play a major role in determining the sensitivity of cells to AFB1.