The inhibition by methionine and choline of liver carcinoma formation in male C3H mice dosed with diethylnitrosamine and fed phenobarbital

Reduced hepatic global hydroxymethylation in mice treated with non-genotoxic carcinogens is transiently reversible with a methyl supplemented diet

Non-genotoxic carcinogens (NGCs) are known to cause perturbations in DNA methylation, which can be an early event leading to changes in gene expression and the onset of carcinogenicity. Phenobarbital (PB) has been shown to alter liver DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation patterns in mice in a time dependent manner. The goals of this study were to assess if clofibrate (CFB), a well-studied rodent NGC, would produce epigenetic changes in mice similar to PB, and if a methyl donor supplementation (MDS) would modulate epigenetic and gene expression changes induced by phenobarbital. CByB6F1 mice were treated with 0.5% clofibrate or 0.14% phenobarbital for 7 and 28 days. A subgroup of PB treated and control mice were also fed MDS diet. Liquid Chromatography-Ionization Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to quantify global liver 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) levels. Gene expression analysis was conducted using Affymetrix microarrays. A decrease in liver 5hmC but not 5mC levels was observed upon treatment with both CFB and PB with varying time of onset. We observed moderate increases in 5hmC levels in PB-treated mice when exposed to MDS diet and lower expression levels of several phenobarbital induced genes involved in cell proliferation, growth, and invasion, suggesting an early modulating effect of methyl donor supplementation. Overall, epigenetic profiling can aid in identifying early mechanism-based biomarkers of non-genotoxic carcinogenicity and increases the quality of cancer risk assessment for candidate drugs. Global DNA methylation assessment by LC-MS is an informative first step toward understanding the risk of carcinogenicity.

Nutritional Epigenetics and the Prevention of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Bioactive Food Constituents

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive and life-threatening disease often diagnosed at intermediate or advanced stages, which substantially limits therapeutic approaches to its successful treatment. This indicates that the prevention of HCC may be the most promising strategy in reducing its incidence and mortality. Emerging evidence indicates that numerous nutrients and nonnutrient dietary bioactive components can reduce the occurrence and/or delay the development of HCC through modifications of deregulated epigenetic mechanisms. This review examines the existing knowledge on the epigenetic mechanism-based studies in in vitro and in vivo models of HCC on the chemopreventive potential of epigenetic food components, including dietary methyl-group donors, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, sodium butyrate, resveratrol, curcumin, and sulforaphane, on liver carcinogenesis. Future direction and potential challenges in the effective use of bioactive food constituents in the prevention of HCC are highlighted and discussed.

Choline deprivation: an overview of the major hepatic metabolic response pathways

Choline (Ch) is an important nutrient that is involved in many physiological functions. Deprivation of Ch (CD) may lead to hepatocellular modifications and/or even hepatic tumorigenesis and it can be a frequent problem in clinical settings; it can accompany various common pathological (alcoholism and malnutrition) or physiological states (pregnancy and lactation). The aim of this review is to provide an up-to-date overview of the major metabolic pathways involved in the hepatic response toward the experimentally or clinically induced CD, and to shed more light on the implicated (and probably interrelated) mechanisms responsible for the observed hepatocellular modifications and/or carcinogenesis.

Constitutive active/androstane receptor promotes hepatocarcinogenesis in a mouse model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

The nuclear receptor constitutive active/androstane receptor (CAR) acts as a sensor of toxic byproducts derived from the endogenous metabolism and exogenous chemicals. We previously reported that CAR is responsible for exacerbating hepatic injury and fibrosis in a dietary model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) via upregulation of lipid peroxidation. In this study, we investigated the pathological roles of the CAR in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in NASH model. CAR+/+ and CAR-/- mice were fed methionine- and choline-deficient (MCD) diet after tumor initiation with a single dose of the genotoxic carcinogen diethylnitrosamine (DEN) at 2 weeks of age. Interestingly, the MCD diet dramatically promoted DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in CAR+/+ mice. However, the deletion of CAR leads to a significantly lower tumor incidence and smaller tumor diameter. Hepatocytes of MCD-treated-CAR+/+ mice showed a significantly higher staining frequency of Ki-67, a marker of cell proliferation, and exhibited a higher expression of c-Myc and FoxM1 transcripts compared with MCD-treated CAR-/- mice. Immunohistochemistry revealed the nuclear translocation of CAR thus suggesting that the activation of CAR signaling increased in the hepatocytes of CAR+/+ mice fed MCD diet. In addition, in vitro experiments using the CAR stably expressed cell line with TCPOBOP have suggested that CAR activation directly leads to cell proliferation. Survival was significantly lower in the CAR+/+ mice fed the MCD diet in comparison with the CAR-/- mice. Taken together, these results suggest that CAR may therefore play a critical role in the hepatocarcinogenesis of the murine NASH model via the upregulation of cell proliferation.

DNA hypomethylation induced by drinking water disinfection by-products in mouse and rat kidney

Bromodichloromethane (BDCM), chloroform, dibromoacetic acid (DBA), dichloroacetic acid (DCA), and trichloroacetic acid (TCA) are chlorine disinfection by-products (DBPs) found in drinking water that have indicated renal carcinogenic and/or tumor promoting activity. We have reported that the DBPs caused DNA hypomethylation in mouse liver, which correlated with their carcinogenic and tumor promoting activity. In this study, we determined their ability to cause renal DNA hypomethylation. B6C3F1 mice were administered DCA or TCA concurrently with/without chloroform in their drinking water for 7 days. In male, but not female mouse kidney, DCA, TCA, and to a lesser extent, chloroform decreased the methylation of DNA and the c-myc gene. Coadministering chloroform increased DCA but not TCA-induced DNA hypomethylation. DBA and BDCM caused renal DNA hypomethylation in both male B6C3F1 mice and Fischer 344 rats. We have reported that, in mouse liver, methionine prevented DCA- and TCA-induced hypomethylation of the c-myc gene. To determine whether it would also prevent hypomethylation in the kidneys, male mice were administered methionine in their diet concurrently with DCA or TCA in their drinking water. Methionine prevented both DCA- and TCA-induced hypomethylation of the c-myc gene. The ability of the DBPs to cause hypomethylation of DNA and of the c-myc gene correlated with their carcinogenic and tumor promoting activity in mouse and rat kidney, which should be taken into consideration as part of their risk assessment. That methionine prevents DCA- and TCA-induced hypomethylation of the c-myc gene would suggest it could prevent their carcinogenic activity in the kidney.

Diethanolamine induces hepatic choline deficiency in mice

The purpose of the present experiments was to test the hypothesis that diethanolamine (DEA), an alkanolamine shown to be hepatocarcinogenic in mice, induces hepatic choline deficiency and to determine whether altered choline homeostasis was causally related to the carcinogenic outcome. To examine this hypothesis, the biochemical and histopathological changes in male B6C3F1 mice made choline deficient by dietary deprivation were first determined. Phosphocholine (PCho), the intracellular storage form of choline was severely depleted, decreasing to about 20% of control values with 2 weeks of dietary choline deficiency. Other metabolites, including choline, glycerophosphocholine (GPC), and phosphatidylcholine (PC) also decreased. Hepatic concentrations of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) decreased, whereas levels of S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) increased. Despite these biochemical changes, fatty liver, which is often associated with choline deficiency, was not observed in the mice. The dose response, reversibility, and strain-dependence of the effects of DEA on choline metabolites were studied. B6C3F1 mice were dosed dermally with DEA (0, 10, 20, 40, 80, and 160 mg/kg) for 4 weeks (5 days/week). Control animals received either no treatment or dermal application of 95% ethanol (1.8 ml/kg). PCho was most sensitive to DEA treatment, decreasing at dosages of 20 mg/kg and higher and reaching a maximum 50% depletion at 160 mg/kg/day. GPC, choline, and PC also decreased in a dose-dependent manner. At 80 and 160 mg/kg/day, SAM levels decreased while SAH levels increased in liver. A no-observed effect level (NOEL) for DEA-induced changes in choline homeostasis was 10 mg/kg/day. Choline metabolites, SAM and SAH returned to control levels in mice dosed at 160 mg/kg for 4 weeks and allowed a 2-week recovery period prior to necropsy. In a manner similar to dietary choline deficiency, no fatty change was observed in the liver of DEA-treated mice. In C57BL/6 mice, DEA treatment (160 mg/kg) also decreased PCho concentrations, without affecting hepatic SAM levels, suggesting that strain-specific differences in intracellular methyl group regulation may influence carcinogenic outcome with DEA treatment. Finally, in addition to the direct effects of DEA on choline homeostasis, dermal application of 95% ethanol for 4 weeks decreased hepatic betaine levels, suggesting that the use of ethanol as a vehicle for dermal application of DEA may exacerbate or confound the biochemical actions of DEA alone. Collectively, the results demonstrate that DEA treatment causes a spectrum of biochemical changes consistent with choline deficiency in mice and demonstrate a clear dose concordance between DEA-induced choline deficiency and hepatocarcinogenic outcome.

Involvement of DNA methylation in human carcinogenesis

It is now generally accepted that the presence of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) in human DNA has both a genetic and an epigenetic effect on cellular development, differentiation and transformation. First, 5mC is more unstable than its unmethylated counterpart cytosine. Hydrolytic deamination of 5mC leads to a G/T mismatch and subsequently, if unrepaired, to a C-->T transition mutation. Sites of DNA methylation are mutational hotspots in many human tumors. Second, DNA methylation of promoter regions is often correlated with the down regulation of the corresponding gene. Both of these effects have fundamental consequences for basic functions of the cell like cellular differentiation, the development of cancer and possibly other diseases, and on the evolutionary process. Recent hypotheses also propose a role for methylation in the process of aging. In this review we will describe recent findings and hypotheses about the function of 5mC in DNA with the focus on its involvement in human carcinogenesis.

Thiopurine induced disturbance of DNA methylation in human malignant cells

The studies described indicate that me-t-IMP formation is an important pathway, contributing to cytotoxicity in Molt F4 cells, which exhibit a highly active de novo purine synthesis. On three levels cytotoxicity is induced during methylation of thiopurines. 1. Purine synthesis de novo is inhibited during formation of me-t-IMP. Inhibition of PDNS results in depletion of purine nucleotides, with subsequently diminishing DNA and RNA synthesis. 2. The increased PRPP levels, induced by me-T-IMP, induce increased pyrimidine biosynthesis and cause an imbalance in purine nucleotides. This imbalance may lead to inhibition of cell growth and after prolonged exposure, to cell death. 3. The observed depletion of SAM and the decrease of the SAM/SAH ratio may be an additional mechanism by which 6MP and me-MPR exert their effects on cell growth and cell viability. Changes in SAM/SAH ratio may directly influence methylation reactions. The significant decrease of DNA methylation by 6MP and me-t-IMP may influence gene regulation and tumor progression. Administration of SAM leads to chemoprevention of rat liver carcinogenesis, indicating a role of DNA methylation in tumor progression. Besides the effects on methylation of DNA, a decrease of SAM/SAH ratio may also affect other processes, such as methylation of RNA, proteins and phospholipids, thereby disturbing their functionality. In conclusion, decrease of the SAM/SAH ratio resulting from treatment with 6MP and me-MPR may exert many effects in these cells. This may open a new field of research, possibly contributing to a deeper understanding of the complex mechanisms by which 6MP provokes cytotoxicity.

Alkyltransferase transgenic mice: probes of chemical carcinogenesis

Transgenic mice expressing DNA-repair genes are an instructive model with which to study the protective role of DNA-repair pathways in both spontaneous and chemical carcinogenesis. Of particular interest in chemical carcinogenesis is the DNA-repair protein O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (alkyltransferase) which repairs O6-alkylguanine-DNA adducts. Transgenic mice carrying expression constructs for the alkyltransferase gene--either the human MGMT cDNA or the bacterial ada gene--express increased levels of alkyltransferase and have increased capacity to remove O6-methylguanine-DNA adducts. Protection from the DNA damaging effects of N-nitroso compounds occurs specifically in the cells and tissues in which the alkyltransferase transgene is expressed. For instance, mice carrying the PEPCKada construct have increased alkyltransferase in the liver and more rapid removal of O6methylguanine-DNA adducts. The protective effect is noted in hepatocytes, which express PEPCK-linked genes, not in nonparenchymal cells of the liver, which do not. Other tissues that express the transgene in the various models include the thymus, spleen, testes, muscle, stomach and brain. Mice expressing the human alkyltransferase in the thymus have a reduced incidence of thymic lymphomas following exposure to methyl nitrosourea (MNU), evidence of a role for this DNA-repair protein in protection from carcinogenesis due to N-nitroso compounds. Protection has also been observed in the induction of hepatic tumors by N-nitroso-dimethylamine (NDMA). These models will be used to identify whether overexpression of a single DNA-repair gene can block the carcinogenic process of N-nitroso compounds in many different tissues.