Toxicological interactions between nickel and radiation on chromosome damage and repair

Assays to determine DNA repair ability

DNA repair is crucial to the integrity of the human genome since mammalian cells are continuously exposed to different chemical and physical genotoxic agents. To counteract the lesions induced by these agents, organisms have developed a number of highly conserved repair mechanisms involving numerous protein complexes grouped in several different repair pathways. The importance of studying the individual capacity to repair DNA damage lies in the observation that deficient repair mechanisms of the genome have been linked to the presence of large number of diseases and cancer, and alterations in these mechanisms may also alter the susceptibility of individuals exposed to a particular mutagen. This review focused on the current knowledge of different assays developed to evaluate DNA repair capacity (DRC). These assays, which are grouped into five major categories, have been successfully applied in (1) in vitro studies, (2) epidemiological studies in patients with cancer or other different pathologies, and (3) environmentally or occupationally exposed populations. Nevertheless, some of the limitations include high interlaboratory variability and difficulty to implement the assays on a large scale. The selection of an adequate DRC assay needs to be made on the basis of the objective raised for its application and taking into account a number of determining factors, namely, (1) speed and cost, (2) type of DNA repair to be evaluated, and (3) sample availability.

Occupational exposure to mercury vapour on genotoxicity and DNA repair

We have conducted a population study to investigate whether current occupational exposure to mercury can cause genotoxicity and can affect DNA repair efficiency. Blood samples from 25 exposed workers and 50 matched controls were investigated for the expression of genotoxicity. The data indicate that mercury exposure did not cause any significant differences between the workers and controls in the baseline levels of DNA strand breaks (as measured by the alkaline version of the single cell gel electrophoresis [SCGE] assay) or sister chromatid exchanges (SCE). However, the exposure produced elevated average DNA tails length in the SCGE assay and frequency of chromosome aberrations. In the studies, isolated lymphocytes were exposed to 6J/m2 UV-C light or 2 Gy dose of X-rays in a challenge assay and repair of the induced DNA damage was evaluated using the SCGE assay. Results from the UV-light challenge assay showed no difference between the workers and controls in the expression of DNA strand breaks after exposure followed by incubation in the absence or presence of the cellular mitogen (phytohemagglutinin, PHA). No difference in DNA strand breaks between the workers and controls was seen immediately after the X-ray challenge, either. However, significant differences were observed in cells that were incubated for 2h with and without phytohemagglutinin. Data from the X-rays challenge assay were further used to calculate indices that indicate DNA repair efficiency. Results show that the repair efficiencies for the workers (69.7% and 83.9% in un-stimulated and stimulated lymphocytes, respectively) were significantly lower than that of matched controls (85.7% and 90.4%, respectively). In addition, the repair efficiency showed a consistent and significant decrease with the duration of occupational exposure to mercury (from 75.7% for <10 years employment, to 65.1% for 11-20 years and to 64.1% for 21-35 years) associated with increase of cytogenetic damage. Our study suggests that the occupational exposure to mercury did not cause a direct genotoxicity but caused significant deficiency in DNA repair. Our observations are consistent with previous studies using the standard chromosome aberration assay to show that exposure to hazardous environmental agents can cause deficiency in DNA repair. Therefore, these affected individuals may have exposure-related increase of health risk from continued exposure and in combination with exposure to other genotoxic agents.

In vivo genotoxic effect of nickel chloride in mice leukocytes using comet assay

DNA damage induced by nickel chloride (NiCl2) in leucocytes of Swiss albino mice has been studied in vivo. The comet assay or the alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay was used to measure the DNA damage. The mice were administered orally with acute doses of 3.4, 6.8, 13.6, 27.2, 54.4 and 108.8 mg/kg body weight (b.wt.) NiCl2. Samples of whole blood were collected at 24, 48 and 72 h, first week and second week post-treatment for alkaline SCGE assay to study single/double strand breaks in DNA. A significant increase in mean comet tail length indicating DNA damage was observed with NiCl2 at 24, 48 and 72 h post-treatment (P<0.05). A gradual decrease in the mean tail length was observed at 72 h post-treatment indicating repair of the damaged DNA. The mean tail length showed a dose-related increase and time dependent decrease after treatment with NiCl2 when compared to controls. The study also confirms that the comet assay is a sensitive and rapid method to detect DNA damage caused by heavy metals like nickel (Ni).

Life style factors and acquired susceptibility to environmental disease

Multifactorial risk factors are responsible for many diseases. They can be broadly categorized as environmental, genetic and life style factors. Much attention has been focused on the first two categories, e.g. the identification of environmental toxicants/carcinogens and the elucidation of genetic susceptibility to disease. Life style risk factors such as aging, poor nutrition, infection and exposure to toxicants can also increase susceptibility to illnesses. These life style factors can therefore be considered to cause acquired susceptibility for increased risk for environmental disease. Among Egyptians, infection with the parasite, Schistosoma, is the primary risk factor for bladder cancer and the risk is enhanced by exposure to mutagenic chemicals. We have shown that inheritance of susceptible metabolizing genes that can increase body burden of mutagenic chemicals enhances the risk. We have also hypothesized that chronic exposure to mutagenic chemicals causes cellular abnormalities that can reduce the capacity of cells to repair DNA damage and thus increase the risk for environmental disease. We have used a challenge assay to show that cells from cigarette smokers and from populations exposed to uranium, butadiene and pesticides have abnormal DNA repair responses compared to matched controls. On the other hand, the response is normal in workers exposed to very low concentrations of butadiene and benzene, and in mothers who had children with birth defects. This suggests that exposure to high enough concentrations of certain mutagens can cause acquired susceptibility in human populations. The acquired susceptibility is expected to interact with environmental factors and with genetic susceptibility to increase risk for environmental disease.

An application of the challenge assay in boat builders exposed to low levels of styrene--a feasibility study of a possible biomarker for acquired susceptibility

Sensitivity to carcinogens and susceptibility for malignant diseases may be related to genetic predisposition, e.g. polymorphisms in toxicant-metabolizing enzymes or DNA repair deficiencies. The latter may also be acquired by exposure to substances that interfere with DNA repair processes. Application of the challenge assay to an exposed population may allow scientists to study the interference of DNA repair as an acquired susceptibility phenomenon. The assay was therefore used in a feasibility study to evaluate its application. A group of 14 workers exposed to low levels of styrene (mean < 100 mg/m3 styrene in air; 35 micrograms/l styrene in blood) and a reference of seven controls were investigated for structural chromosomal aberrations using FISH. The rate of exchange-type aberrations per 100 metaphases was 0.14 (95% CI, 0.05-0.31) in controls and 0.22 (95% CI, 0.13-0.36) in exposed workers. The difference is not statistically significant. Interaction with DNA repair was measured in the 14 workers and 2 historical controls using the challenge assay. Exchange-type aberrations per 100 metaphases after X-ray challenge of 1.66 Gy were 13.26 (10.53-16.50) and 16.19 (15.00-17.40) for the controls and exposed, respectively. The difference is statistically significant (p < 0.038). Among the exposed group, the challenge response was also significantly correlated with the cumulative lifetime exposure to styrene (R2 = 0.3996; p < 0.015) but not with the current exposure as measured in blood (R2 = 0.0226; p = 0.700). The challenge responses in the short-term and long-term exposed subgroups were 15.55 (14.23-16.96) and 17.90 (15.64-20.39), respectively, based on sample sizes of 5 and 9, respectively. The difference was not significant. Hence, data from our study are consistent with the hypothesis that long-term exposure to styrene can interfere with DNA repair activities. The lack of statistically significant differences in some of the data may be due to the small sample size and a possible confounding by age in our investigation. Additional data from our ongoing study should clarify this uncertainty.

Inhibition of repair of radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks by nickel and arsenite

The effect of arsenite or nickel on the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) was studied in gamma-irradiated Chinese hamster ovary cells using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. After treatment with nickel chloride or arsenite for 2 h, cells were irradiated with gamma rays at a dose of 40 Gy, and the numbers of DNA DSBs were measured immediately after irradiation as well as at 30 min postirradiation. Both arsenite and nickel(II) inhibited repair of DNA DSBs in a concentration-dependent manner; 0.08 mM arsenite significantly inhibited the rejoining of DSBs, while 76 mM nickel was necessary to observe a clear inhibition. The mean lethal concentrations for the arsenite and nickel(II) treatments were approximately 0.12 and 13 mM, respectively. This indicates that the inhibition of repair by arsenite occurred at a concentration at which appreciable cell survival occurred, but that nickel(II) inhibited repair only at cytotoxic concentrations at which the cells lost their proliferative ability. These novel observations provide insight into the mechanisms underlying the effects of combined exposure to arsenite and ionizing radiation in our environment.

Evaluation of nickel-zinc interactions by means of bioassays with amphibian embryos

The nickel hazard was evaluated by means of a 7-day toxicity test with Bufo arenarum embryos. The LC(50) values for this metal from 24 to 168 h diminished from about 26 to 1.8 mg Ni(2+)/L, respectively, but from 96 h onward, the LC(50) varied very slightly. Although a noticeable difference among the LC(50) and LC(10) or LC(90) was observed at 24 h of exposure, these parameters tended to a similar value at 168 h of exposure while the confidence intervals of LC(50) overlapped all other confidence interval values. These results, plotted as toxicity profile curves, are useful for determining time and concentration thresholds for Ni. Nickel-zinc interactions on B. arenarum embryos were evaluated by means of simultaneous treatments with both cations (Ni: 5-35 mg Ni(2+)/L; Zn: 0.5-130 mg Zn(2+)/L). As a general pattern, low Zn concentrations (0.5 mg Zn(2+)/L) did not have a clear-cut effect on Ni toxicity, higher Zn concentrations (2-20 mg Zn(2+)/L) enhanced Ni toxicity, and concentrations of 30 mg Zn(2+)/L and higher had a beneficial effect in most cases. The metal interaction studies provide a scientific basis for the establishment of water quality criteria for wildlife protection purposes.

Contribution to the validation of the anaphase-telophase test: aneugenic and clastogenic effects of cadmium sulfate, potassium dichromate and nickel chloride in Chinese hamster ovary cells

There is increasing evidence that aneuploidy during mitosis may be a factor in the etiology of somatic malignancy. The analysis of alterations in anaphase-telophase of mitosis is a useful test for evaluating the aneuploidogenic and clastogenic ability of chemicals. Several metals have been found to be carcinogenic to humans and animals. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study the aneugenic and clastogenic abilities of cadmium sulfate, potassium dichromate and nickel chloride were analyzed using the anaphase-telophase test. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells cultured for two cycles were treated with the desired compound for 8 h before cell harvesting. The frequency of cells with chromatin bridges, lagging chromosomes and lagging chromosomal fragments was scored. The mitotic index was determined by counting the number of mitotic cells per 1,000 cells on each coverslip and was expressed as a percentage of the number of mitotic plates. Statistical comparisons were done using the "G" method. Correlation and regression analyses were performed to evaluate variations of the mitotic index. Chromium and cadmium were clastogenic and aneugenic and increased the frequencies of the three types of aberrations scored; nickel had only aneugenic activity because it increased the frequency of lagging chromosomes. These results indicate that the anaphase-telophase test is sufficiently sensitive to detect dose-response relationships that can distinguish clastogenic and/or aneugenic activities and that the results obtained using the anaphase-telophase test were similar to those obtained by chromosome counting.

The chromosome-based challenge assay using fluorescence in situ hybridization: a possible test for increased cancer susceptibility

The challenge assay is a cytogenetic approach to measure the repair competence of cells. For in vitro studies, human lymphocytes are exposed to different substances and are irradiated simultaneously. To investigate subjects exposed occupationally or environmentally, untreated blood samples are directly irradiated without any further treatment. Certain substances like heavy metals reveal carcinogenic potential without well defined mechanism of action. While they are not mutagenic they may have an effect on DNA repair capacity. The challenge assay was successfully applied in vitro experiments with cadmium to detect an interaction of this heavy metal with the repair of X-ray-induced chromosome breaks. CdCl(2) alone had no effect on the formation of chromosome aberrations (CA), not even in the cytotoxic concentration (50 microM). However, cadmium showed an effect on the number of chromosomal rearrangements (CR) after X-ray challenge. For 0.5 microM CdCl(2), CA frequencies were significantly elevated compared to the rates for X-rays alone. For the two higher concentrations the rates showed a slight additional increase. Hence, the challenge assay appears suitable to test for chromosomal sensitivity induced by toxicants. Subsequently, a study of styrene exposed workers was initiated to address the question whether styrene exposure has an influence on the DNA repair. In addition, we investigated whether a polymorphism of genes coding for phase II detoxifying enzymes glutathione-S-transferases GSTM1 and GSTT1 had an influence on chromosomal sensitivity. First and preliminary data are presented. While there is a correlation of the rate of CR with cumulative lifetime exposure of styrene, the most recent styrene exposure had no effect. 'At risk' genotypes with higher incidence of CA could not be identified at this stage of the ongoing study.

CONCLUSION

the challenge assay is able to detect enhanced susceptibility for CR caused by genetic predisposition for DNA repair deficiency. Our data indicate that environmental or occupational exposure to certain substances can interfere with DNA repair processes. As the process of induction of CR is associated with carcinogenesis, the challenge assay may provide a valuable biomarker for cancer epidemiology studies.

Nickel subsulfide is similar to potassium dichromate in protecting normal human fibroblasts from the mutagenic effects of benzo[a]pyrene diolepoxide

The cellular response to multiple carcinogen treatment has not been extensively studied, even though the effect of individual carcinogens is, in many cases, well known. We have previously shown that potassium dichromate can protect normal human fibroblasts from the mutagenic effects of benzo[a]pyrene diolepoxide (BPDE), and that this effect may be via an oxidative stress mechanism [Tesfai et al. (1998) Mutat Res 416:159-168]. Here, we extend our previous work by showing that nickel subsulfide can produce the some effect. Normal human fibroblasts, preincubated with nickel subsulfide for 46 hr followed by a coincubation of nickel subsulfide and BPDE for 2 hr, showed a dramatic reduction in the mutant frequency of the hypoxanthine (guanine)phosphoribosyl-transferase (HPRT) gene when compared to cells treated only with BPDE. The preincubation period with nickel subsulfide was necessary to see the antagonistic effect, since it was not observed if the cells were simply incubated with both carcinogens for 2 hr. The extent of the antagonistic effect was nickel subsulfide dose-dependent and also appeared to be species-specific, since the effect was not observed when Chinese hamster fibroblasts were tested. Finally, the antagonistic effect of the nickel subsulfide was eliminated by vitamin E, suggesting that production of reactive oxygen species by the nickel may be required. This data, along with our previous work, suggest that the antagonistic effect we observe is not chromium-specific, and that it could be species-specific.

Chromium can reduce the mutagenic effects of benzo[a]pyrene diolepoxide in normal human fibroblasts via an oxidative stress mechanism

The interaction of multiple carcinogens on human cells has not been extensively examined. This study reports the results of experiments in which normal human fibroblasts were exposed to both benzo[a]pyrene diolepoxide (BPDE) and potassium dichromate. The effect of four different treatment protocols on the cloning ability of the cells and the mutant frequency of the HPRT gene was determined. The combined treatment of both carcinogens caused a slightly greater than additive decrease in the cloning ability of the cells when compared to cells treated with the individual carcinogens. The result was the same regardless of the treatment protocol used in the experiment. The results of the mutant frequency experiments, however, varied dramatically with the protocol employed. The mutant frequency in cells which were simultaneously treated with both carcinogens was dramatically reduced from the mutant frequency found when cells were treated with BPDE alone. This antagonistic effect was not present when cells were either pretreated with potassium dichromate prior to BPDE or incubated with potassium dichromate following BPDE treatment. The observed antagonistic effect was the result of oxidative stress produced by chromium since it was completely or nearly completely reversed by the addition of either vitamin E or catalase to the cultures.