Development And In Vitro Characterization Of Bladder Tumor Cell Targeted Lipid-Coated Polyplex For Dual Delivery Of Plasmids And Small Molecules

BACKGROUND

Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men and eleventh most common in women. Combination therapy using a gene and chemotherapeutic drug is a potentially useful strategy for treating bladder cancer in cases where a synergistic benefit can be achieved successfully. This approach relies on developing drug combinations using carrier systems that can load both hydrophilic genes and hydrophobic drugs. Ideally, the formulation for carrier system should be free of traditional high shear techniques such as sonication and extrusion to reduce shear-induced nucleic acid strand breakage. Moreover, the system should be able to protect the nucleic acid from enzymatic attack and deliver it specifically to the tumor site.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A dual payload carrier system that was formulated using a simple flow mixing technique to complex anionic plasmid (EGFP-NLS) using a cationic polymer (CD-PEI2.5kD) followed by coating of the polyplex using lipid membranes. The resulting lipid-coated polyplex (LCP) formulations are targeted to bladder cancer cells by employing a bacterial adhesive peptide sequence, RWFV, that targets the LCP to the tumor stroma for efficiently delivering reporter plasmid, EGFP-NLS and a model small molecule drug, pyrene, to the cancer cells.

RESULTS

Encapsulation efficiency of the peptide targeted carrier for the plasmid was 50% ± 0.4% and for pyrene it was 16% ± 0.4%. The ability of the targeted LCP to transfect murine bladder cancer cells was 4-fold higher than LCP bearing a scrambled peptide sequence. Fluorescence of cells due to pyrene delivery was highest after 4 hrs using targeted LCP. Finally, we loaded the peptide targeted LCP with anti-cancer agent, curcumin. The targeted formulation of curcumin resulted in only 45% viable cancer cells at a concentration of 5 µg/mL, whereas the empty and non-targeted formulations did not result any significant cell death.

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrate the specificity of the targeting peptide sequence in engaging tumor cells and the utility of the developed carrier platform to deliver a dual payload to bladder tumor cells.

A new class of biological materials: Cell membrane-derived hydrogel scaffolds

Biological materials are superior to synthetic biomaterials in biocompatibility and active interactions with cells. Here, a new class of biological materials, cell membrane-derived hydrogel scaffolds are reported for harnessing these advantages. To form macroporous scaffolds, vesicles derived from red blood cell membranes (RBCMs) are chemically crosslinked via cryogelation. The RBCM scaffolds with a pore size of around 70 μm are soft and injectable. Highly biocompatible scaffolds are typically made of superhydrophilic polymers and lack the ability to encapsulate and release hydrophobic drugs in a controlled manner. However, hydrophobic molecules can be efficiently encapsulated inside RBCM scaffolds and be sustainedly released. RBCM scaffolds show low neutrophil infiltration after subcutaneous injection in mice, and a significantly higher number of infiltrated macrophages than methacrylate alginate (MA-alginate) scaffolds. According to gene expression and surface markers, these macrophages have an M2-like phenotype, which is anti-inflammatory and immune suppressive. There are also higher percentages of macrophages presenting immunosuppressive PD-L1 in RBCM-scaffolds than in MA-alginate scaffolds. Interestingly, the concentrations of anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10 in both types of scaffolds are higher than those in normal organ tissues. This study sheds light on cell membrane-derived hydrogels, which can actively modulate cells in unique ways unavailable to existing hydrogel scaffolds.

Molecular detection and extraction of pyrene in plasma and tissues of Sprague-Dawley rats

In this paper, an efficient method for determination of total pyrene concentration in the biological samples including plasma, liver, spleen, lung and kidney of Sprague-Dawley rats were investigated and established using steady-state fluorescence method. Equilibrium dialysis method was applied to determine plasma protein binding rate of pyrene. The results illustrated that the protein binding rate depends on the concentration of pyrene in plasma. Extraction of pyrene in plasma was studied by using biomedical nanopartical which was prepared from synthesized associating polymer poly(ethylene glycol) end-capped by hexadecane. The Critical Micelle Concentration (CMC) of the polymeric micelle in aqueous solution was determined to equal 0.0063 mg/mL using 1-pyrenemethanol as a fluorescent probe. The distribution of free pyrene and pyrene loaded nanoparticals in blood were determined. The results showed that over 95% of the free pyrene was distributed into the erythrocyte, and the pyrene-loaded nanoparticles were less distributed in to the erythrocyte than free pyrene, but it was higher than 60%. This study provides an efficient method to detect pyrene in different tissues as well as an extraction method at the molecular level, which might contribute to the development of modern molecular diagnosis and identification in vivo.

Incorporation of pyrene in polypyrrole/polystyrene magnetic beads

Pyrene, a fluorescent dye, was incorporated into polystyrene particles coated with polypyrrole. The incorporation was achieved by treating the polypyrrole/polystyrene (PPy/PS) beads in a tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution of the pyrene fluorophore followed by rinsing with methanol. The polystyrene cores of the beads swell in THF, allowing penetration of pyrene molecules into the polystyrene structure. The addition of methanol causes contraction of the swollen polystyrene, which encapsulates the dye molecules inside the beads. It is shown that the polypyrrole coating is permeable with respect to both the dye and the solvent, allowing the transport of molecules between the polystyrene cores and the contacting solution. The polypyrrole adlayer can be used as a matrix for the incorporation of magnetic nanoparticles. Embedded particles provide magnetic functionality to the PPy/PS beads. It is demonstrated that the pyrene-loaded beads can be manipulated with an external magnetic field.

Effects of pyrene exposure and temperature on early development of two co-existing Arctic copepods

Oil exploration is expected to increase in the near future in Western Greenland. At present, effects of exposure to oil compounds on early life-stages of the ecologically important Calanus spp. are unknown. We investigated the effects of the oil compound pyrene, on egg hatching and naupliar development of the calanoid copepods Calanus glacialis and C. finmarchicus, two key species in the Disko Bay, Western Greenland. At low temperature the nauplii of C. glacialis experienced reduced growth when exposed to pyrene, and survival in both species decreased. Naupliar mortality increased with temperature at high pyrene concentration in C. finmarchicus. Both Calanus species were affected by pyrene exposure but C. finmarchicus was more sensitive compared to C. glacialis. Lowered growth rate and increased mortality of the naupliar stages entail reduced recruitment to copepod populations. Exposure to pyrene from an oil spill may reduce the standing stock of Calanus, which can lead to less energy available to higher trophic levels in the Arctic marine food web.

A study to evaluate the effect on Mouth Level Exposure and biomarkers of exposure estimates of cigarette smoke exposure following a forced switch to a lower ISO tar yield cigarette

A forced switch to a lower ISO tar yield cigarette was used in a clinical study, conducted in Germany, that compared two methods of estimating exposure to cigarette smoke. Pre- and post-switch estimates of Mouth Level Exposure (MLE) to nicotine, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), pyrene and acrolein were obtained by chemical analysis of spent cigarette filters for nicotine content. Similarly, pre- and post-switch estimates of uptake of these smoke constituents were achieved by analysis of corresponding urinary biomarkers of exposure (BoE): total nicotine equivalents; total 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL); total 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), and 3-hydroxypropyl-mercapturic acid (3-HPMA), plus the nicotine metabolite cotinine, in plasma and saliva. Three hundred healthy volunteers were recruited comprising 100 smokers of each of 9-10 and 4-6 mg ISO tar yield cigarettes and 50 smokers of 1-2mg ISO tar yield cigarettes and 50 non-smokers. Fifty smokers of each of the 9-10 and 4-6 mg ISO tar yield cigarettes took part in the switching aspects of this study whilst the remaining smokers formed non-switching control groups who smoked their usual ISO tar yield cigarette throughout the study. After 5 days, all subjects were admitted into a clinic where baseline measures of MLE and BoE were obtained. The 10mg switching group was then switched to the 4 mg ISO tar yield cigarette and the 4 mg ISO tar yield switching group switched to the 1mg cigarette. Subjects returned home for 12 days, continuing to smoke the supplied cigarettes before being readmitted into the clinic where samples were collected for MLE and BoE analysis. Changes in daily exposure estimates were determined on a group and individual basis for both methods. The pre- to post-switch directional changes in MLEs and their corresponding BoEs were generally consistent and the MLE/BoE relationship maintained. Switching to a lower yield cigarette generally resulted in reductions in exposure with the resultant exposure level being similar to that seen in regular smokers of the lower yield cigarette.

Estimation and correlation of cigarette smoke exposure in Canadian smokers as determined by filter analysis and biomarkers of exposure

A clinical study conducted in Canada compared two methods of estimating exposure to cigarette smoke in 192 volunteer subjects: 43 smokers of 4-6 mg, 49 of 8-12 mg and 50 of 14-15 mg ISO tar yield cigarettes and 50 non-smokers. Estimates of mouth level exposure (MLE) to nicotine, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), pyrene and acrolein were obtained by chemical analysis of spent cigarette filters. Estimates of smoke constituent uptake were achieved by analysis of urinary biomarkers for total nicotine equivalents (nicotine, cotinine, trans-3'-hydroxycotinine plus their glucuronide conjugates), NNK (total 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) plus glucuronide), pyrene (1-hydroxy pyrene plus glucuronide) and acrolein (3-hydroxylpropyl-mercapturic acid) plus the nicotine metabolite cotinine in plasma and saliva. The objective of our study was to confirm the correlations between measures of human exposure obtained by filter analysis and biomarkers. Significant correlations (p<0.001) were found between MLE and the relevant biomarker for each smoke constituent. The adjusted values of the Pearson correlation coefficients (r) were 0.80 (nicotine), 0.77 (acrolein) and 0.44 (pyrene). NNK correlations could not be obtained because of the low NNK yield of Canadian cigarettes. Unexpectedly high levels of acrolein biomarker found in non-smokers urine on one of the two days sampled emphasised the need for more than one sampling occasion per period and an awareness of non-tobacco sources of smoke constituents under investigation. No consistent dose response, in line with ISO tar yield smoked, of MLE estimates was found for nicotine, pyrene and acrolein and respective biomarkers. The influence of demographics on our results has also been examined.

1-Nitropyrene efficiently induces mitotic recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Nitropyrene, a mutagenic and carcinogenic component of diesel exhaust, has been shown to be a potent bacterial and mammalian mutagen. There is, however, some controversy regarding the genotoxic effects of 1-nitropyrene towards yeast. To obtain insights into the mechanisms of 1-nitropyrene-induced mutations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we have attempted to characterize the genetic alterations that inactivate the endogenous CAN1 gene either in haploid cells or in heterozygous diploid cells. 1-Nitropyrene, without any activation treatment, showed a substantial toxic effect until 500 microM. The mutation frequency in haploid cells treated with 500 microM of 1-nitropyrene was 1.59 x 10(-5), which is 15-fold higher than the control value. Sequencing of mutants indicated that both frameshifts and base substitutions were increased. In diploid cells treated with 500 microM of 1-nitropyrene, the frequency with which can1Delta::LEU2/can1Delta::LEU2 was converted from CAN1/can1Delta::LEU2, a phenotypic change from a canavanine-sensitive to canavanine-resistant form, was 8.59 x 10(-4), which is 9.15-fold higher than the spontaneous level. More than 99% of the 1-nitropyrene-induced mutations in canavanine-resistant diploid cells constituted a gene conversion or crossover. Chromosome loss was not increased after treatment with 1-nitropyrene. These results suggest that 1-nitropyrene is an agent that efficiently induces point mutations, gene conversion, and crossover, but not chromosome loss, in S. cerevisiae.

Comparison of the urinary excretion time courses of pyrene-1,6-dione, pyrene-1,8-dione and 1-hydroxypyrene in rats intravenously exposed to pyrene

The urinary excretion time courses of pyrene-1,6-dione (P16D), pyrene-1,8-dione (P18D) and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) were compared in Sprague-Dawley and Wistar rats. Groups of five male rats, of about 200 g of body weight, were injected intravenously with 0.05, 0.5, 5 and 50 micromol pyrene kg-1 of body weight. Urine was collected at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 18, 24, 30, 42 and 48 h post-dosing. Pyrene metabolites were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)/fluorescence after enzymatic hydrolysis of the glucurono- and sulfo-conjugates, extraction on Sep-Pak C18 cartridges and, for the analysis of dione metabolites, derivatization to stable diacetoxypyrene molecules. Over the 48-h sampling period, on average 17.4-25.6% of the injected pyrene was excreted overall as P16D, 6.4-8.8% as P18D and 0.6-0.8% as 1-OHP in the urine of Sprague-Dawley rats. By comparison, on average 10.3-14.7% of the intravenous pyrene dose was recovered as P16D, 4.8-6.4% as P18D and 0.3-0.4% as 1-OHP in the urine of Wistar rats. In both strains of rats there was no clear effect of the dose on the 0-48-h cumulative urinary excretion of P18D and 1-OHP over the entire dose range, while the percentage of dose recovered overall as P16D in urine at the highest dose (50 micromol kg-1) was statistically lower than at the other doses. The 0-48-h cumulative percentage of pyrene dose excreted as metabolites in the urine of Sprague-Dawley rats was also significantly higher than in Wistar rats (p<0.01) exposed under identical conditions. As for the urinary excretion-time courses of the different metabolites, for a given dose and strain of rats, excretion curves of P16D, P18D and 1-OHP generally evolved in parallel. There was also no clear effect of the dose on the excretion rate, thus half-life, of pyrene metabolites, except for P16D in Sprague-Dawley rats at the highest dose where elimination tended to be slower compared with the other doses (p<0.01). The average first-order elimination half-life of P16D, P18D and 1-OHP was 4.0, 5.7 and 4.1 h, respectively, in Sprague-Dawley rats, and 5.1, 6.1 and 5.1 h, respectively, in Wistar rats (all doses combined but excluding the highest dose for P16D). This study showed the relative importance of metabolic pathways leading to diones compared with 1-OHP. These dioxygenated metabolites appear to be interesting biomarkers of pyrene exposure at environmentally and occupationally relevant doses. Their adequacy as biomarkers of human exposure has yet to be confirmed.

Reaction of nitroso derivatives of dinitropyrenes with sulfhydryl groups of peptides and hemoglobinin vitroand in rats

Diesel engine emissions have been classified as a potential human carcinogen and may cause a variety of other health effects. Human exposure to diesel engine emissions is highly variable within the population. Therefore, specific methods for the biomonitoring of human exposure to diesel engine emissions are required for exposure assessment within epidemiological studies. Haemoglobin adducts of dinitropyrenes may serve as biomarkers for human exposures to diesel engine emissions.To characterize structures of dinitropyrene reaction products with sulfhydryl groups, glutathione was used to trap electrophilic nitroso intermediates formed from dinitropyrenes and glutathione S-conjugates were identified and characterized by Qtrap techniques using (HPLC-MS/MS) high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Nitrosonitropyrene-derived sulfinamides, sulfenamides and glutathione thioethers bound to carbon atoms in the aromatic ring, presumably formed by a rearrangement of intermediate sulfenamide cations, were formed in low yields. In haemoglobin from rats orally administered dinitropyrenes, mild alkaline hydrolysis of haemoglobin released aminonitropyrenes, which were identified by HPLC-MS/MS. The results demonstrate that dinitropyrenes undergo nitroreduction in rats and that the intermediate nitrosonitropyrenes bind to heamoglobin. The haemoglobin adducts formed from dinitropyrenes seem, in contrast to previous studies, to be hydrolysable and thus represent sulfen- and sulfinamides derived from the intermediate nitrosonitropyrenes. The developed Qtrap methods to detect and characterize glutathione S-conjugates rapidly may have wide applications in attempts to characterize reactive intermediates formed in complex mixtures in low concentrations.

1-Hydroxypyrene in milk and urine as a bioindicator of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure of ruminants

Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OH-pyrene) is now largely considered to be a valuable biomarker of exposure of man and animals to pyrene and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, from a practical and agronomic standpoint, the question remains whether such biomarking capability still holds when 1-OH-pyrene is analyzed in milk produced by ruminants. To assess this hypothesis, four goats were daily submitted to three different amounts of pyrene oral ingestion, together with phenanthrene and benzo(a)pyrene (1, 7, and 49 mg/day during 1 week each). An HPLC-fluorometric analysis of 1-OH-pyrene in milk revealed a perfect correlation between pyrene doses and 1-OH-pyrene detected in milk, thus fully confirming the biomarking capability of 1-OH-pyrene and providing information on its transfer coefficient toward milk. Transfer equations such as the ones found in the present study could be used as a valuable and practical risk assessment tool in (i) the accurate monitoring of exposure of ruminants to pyrene and (ii) the evaluation of occupational and environmental exposure of ruminants to PAH mixtures.

Pyrene-induced CYP1A2 and SULT1A1 may be regulated by CAR and not by AhR

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) plays important roles in the regulation and induction of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes including the cytochromes P450 1 family (CYP1) and UDP-glucuronosyltransferases 1A (UGT1As) by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as well as chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons. To determine whether pyrene-induced xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes are regulated by AhR, male AhR (+/+) and (-/-) mice were used. Both genotyped mice were exposed to 0, 205, 300 or 410 mg/(kgday pyrene), once daily, for four consecutive days by gavage. Exposure to pyrene did not influence hepatic CYP1A1-mRNA in mice of both genotypes, whereas it induced hepatic CYP1A2 protein and mRNA expression and associated 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase and pyrene 1-hydroxylation activities in both AhR (+/+) and (-/-) mice. Similar effects were also found with sulfotransferase 1A1 expression and the associated 1-hydroxypyrene sulfation activity. In contrast, pyrene exposure increased expression of the UGT1A1 and 1A6, and glucuronidation activities associated with 1-hydroxypyrene and 1-naphthol in the liver only in AhR (-/-) mice, although pyrene treatment dose-dependently decreased the latter activity. Pyrene exposure did not increase AhR-mRNA expression in AhR (+/+) mice. In contrast, pyrene-induced expression of the hepatic constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) and one of its target genes, CYP2B10, in both AhR (+/+) and (-/-) mice. These results strongly suggest that pyrene-induced CYP1A2 and SULT1A1 are regulated by CAR, not by AhR. However, the mechanisms of UGT1A1 and 1A6 induction by pyrene were not elucidated in this study.

Inhalation and dietary exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and urinary 1-hydroxypyrene in non-smoking university students

OBJECTIVE

To examine which exposure pathway, dietary or inhalation, contribute more to the exposure to, and/or internal dose of, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of non-smoking Japanese.

METHODS

Duplicated diet, personal air samples and 24-h urine were collected from 14 non-smoking male university students without occupational exposure and the concentrations of PAHs in diet and air and that of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) in urine were measured with HPLC-fluorescence detector.

RESULTS

Daily dietary exposure contributed more than 90% of the total (diet + inhalation) daily exposure level for pyrene (diet/inhalation: 757/1.2 ng/day), benzo[k]fluoranthene (25/1.7 ng/day) and benzo[a]pyrene (91/2.1 ng/day). Urinary excretion of 1-OHP (median: 37 ng/day) was statistically significantly correlated only with dietary PAHs exposure level but not with inhalation.

CONCLUSION

Countermeasures to lower PAHs levels in atmosphere has been successful in Japan and more attention should be directed to dietary exposure to PAHs for reducing cancer risk in general population.

[In vivo mutagenicity of the carcinogenic 1-nitropyrene. A model of a potential asbestos exposure]

The environmental carcinogen 1-nitropyrene was orally and intraperitoneally administered to rats in a single dose of 30 mmol/kg. Mutagenicity of excreted urine was tested in Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 and 100 strains. The mutagenic pattern of urine in case of oral exposure proved to be completely different as compared to the intraperitoneal administration. Frame-shift mutagen(s) was/were detected only after enzymatic deconjugation of sulphate or glucuronide metabolites within the first 24 h. Base-pair substitution-type mutagenicity was only detected in the urine samples collected after intraperitoneal treatment. Since environmental asbestos exposure involves carcinogenic effects of adsorbed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, this animal model provides a useful tool for testing fiber-associated nitroarenes, in both mechanistic and risk assessment studies.

Nanoparticles from polylactide and polyether block copolymers: formation, properties, encapsulation, and release of pyrene--fluorescent model of hydrophobic drug

Polylactide-b-polyglycidol-b-poly(ethylene oxide) terpolymers and their derivatives with carboxyl and 4-(phenylazo)phenyl labels in polyglycidol blocks were used for formation of nanoparticles. Nanoparticles were produced by self assembly of terpolymer macromolecules in water above the critical aggregation concentration and by dialysis of terpolymer solutions in 1,4-dioxane against water. For terpolymers with 4-(phenylazo)phenyl labels critical aggregation concentrations increased after irradiation with UV light (300 < lambda < 400 nm) inducing conformational change of the label from trans- to cis-conformation. Diameters of nanoparticles obtained by self-assembly of macromolecules ranged from 20 to 44 nm. Dialysis yielded nanoparticles with bimodal diameter distribution. One fraction had diameters below 35 nm and diameters of the second fraction were in a range from 350 to 2300 nm, depending on terpolymer structure. Mixtures of terpolymers with poly(L,L-lactide) and poly(D,D-lactide) blocks yielded nanoparticles with diameters from 350 to 440 nm. Pyrene was incorporated into nanoparticles by partition between solution and nanoparticles or directly during particle formation by dialysis. Monitoring of pyrene release from nanoparticles suggests that a fraction of this compound was entrapped into the polylactide core whereas the remaining one was located in the polyether rich shell. The release from shells is faster for nanoparticles made from copolymers with carboxyl labels in polyglycidol blocks.

The influence of single and multiple applications of pyrene on the evolution of pyrene catabolism in soil

The influence of pyrene added in a single application (0, 50, 100 and 200 mg kg(-1)) was investigated in multiple applications (1 x 50, 2 x 50 and 4 x 50 mg kg(-1)) on the evolution of catabolic activity in a pristine pasture soil. The microbial community's ability to degrade pyrene was assessed at 0, 4, 8 and 12 weeks by the mineralization of added 14C-pyrene. Significant mineralization (>5%) of added 14C-pyrene only occurred after 4 weeks soil-pyrene contact time in most of the pyrene-amended soils. Pyrene-amended soils showed statistically significantly shorter (P<0.05) lag times compared to the control soil after 8 and 12 weeks soil-pyrene contact time. Further, the rates of degradation increased in the presence of pyrene, peaking at 8 weeks. In terms of the overall extents of pyrene mineralization, there were statistically significant increases (P<0.05) between 4 and 8 weeks, with little difference between 8 and 12 weeks, with the general trend that an increase in pyrene concentration resulted in higher levels of mineralization. Increasing the concentration and number of pyrene additions can have a significant impact on the adaptation of the soil microflora to degrade pyrene over time.

Effect of exposure to soil-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on milk contaminations of parent compounds and their monohydroxylated metabolites

The aim of this study was to determine the transfer kinetics of soil-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to milk in lactating cows. Soil (500 g/day) fortified with fluorene (104 microg/g dry soil), phenanthrene (82 microg/g), pyrene (78 microg/g), and benzo[a]pyrene (33 microg/g) was administered to three dairy cows via a rumen cannulas for 28 consecutive days. Parent compounds and their major metabolites in milk were measured using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Secretion of parent compounds in milk did not increase significantly (P > 0.05) over the control values measured before supply. Target monohydroxylated metabolites were not detected in control samples, but 2-hydroxy fluorene, 3-hydroxy phenanthrene, and 1-hydroxy pyrene were present in milk by the second day of dosing. The highest concentrations of metabolites in milk (31-39 ng/mL) were for 1-hydroxy pyrene at days 7 and 14 of dosing. The observed plateaus for 3-hydroxy phenanthrene and 2-hydroxy fluorene were lower (respectively, 0.69 and 2.79 ng/mL) but significantly increased in comparison to the control samples. Contrarily, 3-hydroxy benzo[a]pyrene was not detected in milk at any sampling time. These results suggested a notable metabolism of the parent compounds after their extraction from soil during the digestive transfer. Thus, the metabolization of fluorene and pyrene can lead to higher concentrations of metabolites than of parent compounds in milk. Despite the absence of a significant transfer of parent PAHs to milk, the appearance of metabolites raises the questions of their impact on human health.

Dietary fibers reduce the urinary excretion of 1-hydroxypyrene following intravenous administration of pyrene

During biological monitoring of exposure to a chemical, a possible source of interindividual variability in the measurement of a urinary metabolite that undergoes enterohepatic cycling is the presence of dietary fiber in the gastrointestinal tract. This study examined the effect of diets containing either the insoluble fiber Alphacel (nonnutritive bulk cellulose) or the soluble pectin (from citrus fruit, MW 20,000-40,000). Five groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats received one of the following diets: poor (5% w/w) or rich (15% w/w) in Alphacel, poor (5% w/w) or rich (15% w/w) in pectin, or no fiber (NF). Five micromol/kg of pyrene was administered by iv injection immediately after feeding the animals with their respective diet, and urine and feces collections started for the determination of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), a metabolite of pyrene. The type of fiber had no influence on the results. The rats receiving diets both poor and rich in fiber excreted less 1-OHP (18 +/- 8 and 15 +/- 7 pmol per g of rat, respectively) in the 24-h urine samples than the NF group (28 +/- 6 pmol/g). There was a nonstatistically significant trend towards increased fecal and total (urinary + fecal) 1-OHP excretion with increasing amount of fiber in the diet. An in vitro experiment showed an inverse correlation (r(2) = 0.98) between the amount of Alphacel in suspension in a 1-OHP aqueous solution and the recovery of 1-OHP from the soluble fraction. The reduction in urinary output of the metabolite due to fiber reaching approximately 40% may contribute to its interindividual variability observed in occupational and environmental studies.

Defining the Molecular Requirements for the Selective Delivery of Polyamine Conjugates into Cells Containing Active Polyamine Transporters

Several N(1)-substituted polyamines containing various spacer units between nitrogen centers were synthesized as their respective HCl salts. The N(1)-substituents included benzyl, naphthalen-1-ylmethyl, anthracen-9-ylmethyl, and pyren-1-ylmethyl. The polyamine spacer units ranged from generic (4,4-triamine, 4,3-triamine, and diaminooctane) spacers to more exotic [2-(ethoxy)ethanoxy-containing diamine, hydroxylated 4,3-triamine, and cyclohexylene-containing triamine] spacers. Two control compounds were also evaluated: N-(anthracen-9-ylmethyl)-butylamine and N-(anthracen-9-ylmethyl)-butanediamine. Biological activities in L1210 (murine leukemia), alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO)-treated L1210, and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) and its polyamine transport-deficient mutant (CHO-MG) cell lines were investigated via IC(50) cytotoxicity determinations. K(i) values for spermidine uptake were also determined in L1210 cells. Of the series studied, the N(1)-benzyl-4,4-triamine system 6 had significantly higher IC(50) values (lower cytotoxicity) in the L1210, CHO, and CHO-MG cell lines. A cellular debenzylation process was observed in L1210 cells with 6 and generated "free" homospermidine. The size of the N(1)-arylmethyl substituent had direct bearing on the observed cytotoxicity in CHO-MG cells. The N(1)-naphthalenylmethyl, N(1)-anthracenylmethyl, and N(1)-pyrenylmethyl 4,4-triamines had similar toxicity (IC(50)s: approximately 0.5 microM) in CHO cells, which have an active polyamine transporter (PAT). However, this series had IC(50) values of >100 microM, 66.7 microM, and 15.5 microM, respectively, in CHO-MG cells, which are PAT-deficient. The observed lower cytotoxicity in the PAT-deficient CHO-MG cell line supported the premise that the conjugates use PAT for cellular entry. In general, moderate affinities for the polyamine transporter were observed for the N-arylmethyl 4,4-triamine series with their L1210 K(i) values all near 3 microM. In summary, the 4,4-triamine motif was shown to facilitate entry of polyamine conjugates into cells containing active polyamine transporters.

Alterations of motor nerve functions in animals exposed to motorcycle exhaust

The effect of motorcycle exhaust (ME) on the motor nerve was studied using animals exposed to the exhaust by inhalation, intratracheal, or intraperitoneal administration of ME particulate (MEP). A 4-wk ME inhalation and intratracheal instillation of MEP for 1 d in rats or intraperitoneal administration of MEP (0.5 g/kg/d for 1 d and 0.1 g/kg/d for 2 d) in mice significantly decreased both rota-rod performance and motor nerve conduction velocity. The effect of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on the motor nerve was also investigated. Treatment with benzo[a]pyrene (0.05 and 0.1 g/kg/d for 3 d), but not pyrene (0.1 g/kg/d for 3 d), resulted in significant decrease of motor nerve conduction velocity in mice. Moreover, the Na(+),K(+)-ATPase activities of sciatic nerves isolated from ME-, MEP-, or benzo[a]pyrene-exposed animals were decreased. Treatment with pyrene did not markedly affect the Na(+),K(+)-ATPase activity of sciatic nerve. The rats exposed to ME for 4 wk showed increases in blood and sciatic nerve manganese levels. Results indicate that motorcycle exhaust produces adverse effects on the motor nerve, which is associated with a fall in nerve Na(+),K(+)-ATPase activity.

The toxicokinetics of pyrene and its metabolites in rats

Five experiments were conducted in male Sprague-Dawley rats regarding the kinetic of urinary excretion of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) following i.v., oral and dermal exposure to 0.5-50 micromol/kg pyrene either as a single substance or as mixture of various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Frequent urine collections over 48 h after exposure and a tissue versus time distribution experiment using [14C]pyrene allowed to define the kinetic profile of both pyrene and 1-OHP. For all exposure routes, there is a linear relationship over two orders of magnitude between the dose of pyrene and the urinary excretion of 1-OHP. Differences in biliary/urinary 1-OHP excretion ratio in canulated rats (3) versus faecal/urinary 1-OHP excretion ratio in non-canulated rats (0.6) indicate major enterohepatic recirculation of the metabolite. Half-lives of both pyrene and 1-OHP in all measured tissues were all comprised between 3.1 and 5.4 h, and 5.2-6.7 h, respectively, so that no long term accumulation would be predicted from these values for any tissue. Binary and ternary mixtures involving naphthalene and benzo(a)pyrene in addition to pyrene has no influence on the urinary excretion profile of 1-OHP. All these observations led to the proposal of a dynamic compartment model of pyrene and metabolite flows indicating that following rapid initial distribution to fatty tissues, pyrene is rapidly biotransformed into various metabolites and undergoes major enterohepatic recycling. Part of the initially formed and part of the recirculated 1-OHP eventually undergoes urinary excretion such that close to 60% of pyrene is eliminated as metabolites in urine by 24 h after injection while 20% is excreted in the faeces over the same period.

Additive toxicity of binary mixtures of phototoxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to the oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus

Toxicity of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can increase by an order of magnitude, or more, in the presence of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation. In the environment, PAHs exist as complex mixtures, which generally would include multiple PAHs that could cause photoinduced toxicity. Hence, to accurately predict the potential ecological risk of phototoxic PAHs, it is critical to understand their joint toxicity. In this study, we exposed the oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus to the phototoxic PAHs anthracene, fluoranthene, and pyrene, both singly and as binary mixtures for 96 h. Following this, the animals were exposed to UV light for an additional 96 h, during which periodic observations of mortality were made. Time-dependent phototoxicity of the binary PAH mixtures, expressed as a function of the product of UV light intensity and PAH dose (in the tissue of the animals), was adequately described using a concentration addition model. Given the probability that the PAHs examined acted via a common mechanism of action, this result was consistent with expectations. These data highlight the need to consider the combined photoactivation potential of PAH mixtures and provide the technical basis for a modeling approach to predict their ecological risk.

Biological fate of [14C]-1-nitropyrene in rats following intragastric administration

1-Nitropyrene (1-NP), a weak carcinogen associated with diesel exhaust particles, has previously been detected in workplace atmospheres with in-use diesel engines and in the general environment. In order to gain insight in its biological fate, a single dose of [14C]-1-NP (27.6 microCi, 750 mg/kg body weight, b.w.) was administered intragastrically to rats and the presence of metabolites in blood and tissue homogenates, and radioactivity associated with blood proteins and tissue DNA, were studied. Early peak levels of radioactivity observed in blood and tissue homogenates indicated a rapid absorption of [14C]-1-NP from the gastrointestinal tract. Metabolite patterns observed in plasma, liver and kidney homogenates strongly suggested an important role of the intestinal microflora in the enterohepatic recirculation, but not in nitroreduction of 1-NP prior to absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. This might explain the low levels of radioactivity associated with blood proteins, since 1-nitrosopyrene, a product of nitroreduction of 1-NP, is likely to be involved in protein binding. Levels of radioactivity associated with plasma proteins were approximately four times higher than the levels of radioactivity associated with hemoglobin (401.0 and 84.1 pmol/g protein per micromol 1-NP kg b.w., respectively, at 24 h). Maximal 25% of the associated radioactivity was released following mild alkaline hydrolysis of either hemoglobin or plasma proteins. 1-Aminopyrene was the only released compound after hydrolysis of hemoglobin. In addition to 1-aminopyrene, two more polar unidentified metabolites were detected following hydrolysis of plasma proteins. Association of radioactivity with DNA was highest in the liver at the first moments of observation (7.4 pmol 14C Eq./mg DNA per micromol 1-NP kg b.w.), but decreased rapidly to levels lower than observed for kidney DNA (max. 3.0 pmol 14C Eq./mg DNA per micromol 1-NP kg b.w. at 24 h). In lungs 8-50 times less radioactivity was associated with DNA than observed in the liver and kidneys. The results of this study show, that 1-NP undergoes an extensive and complex biotransformation in vivo, resulting in a variety of metabolites present in blood and tissue homogenates and a diversity of blood protein adducts. Concentrations of plasma metabolites, blood protein adducts and DNA adducts were rather low. In addition, previous studies also showed relatively low concentrations of metabolites present in urine. Therefore, sensitive and selective methods will be needed in order to evaluate the biological fate of 1-NP, associated with diesel exhaust particles, in humans.

Kinetics of tissue distribution and elimination of pyrene and 1-hydroxypyrene following intravenous administration of [14C]pyrene in rats

The tissue distribution and elimination of pyrene and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) were evaluated in male Sprague-Dawley rats (210-240 g) following an intravenous injection of 50 micromol/kg of [14C]pyrene. Blood and tissues were removed and urine and feces were collected at 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 24 h postdosing. [14C]Pyrene equivalents were measured by liquid scintillation counting, and beta-glucuronidase/arylsulfatase-treated blood, tissues, and excreta were analyzed for pyrene and 1-OHP by HPLC/fluorescence. At 1 h, the largest fraction of the dose was found in adipose tissue, essentially as pyrene, and its elimination followed first-order monophasic kinetics with a half-life (t(1/2)) of 4.9 h. In blood, liver, kidney, lung, muscle, and gastrointestinal (GI) tract, kinetics of [14C]pyrene equivalents were biphasic and average t(1/2) values for the terminal elimination phase (8 to 24 h) ranged between 6.2 and 8.7 h. Elimination of pyrene in blood and these tissues except the GI tract followed first-order biphasic kinetics with average t(1/2) values of the terminal phase ranging between 3.6 and 5.4 h. In the GI tract, a monophasic elimination kinetics of pyrene was observed with mean t(1/2) value of 3.1 h. Kinetics of 1-OHP in blood and liver showed a monophasic elimination with mean t(1/2) values of 6.7 and 6.2 h, respectively. Kinetics of 1-OHP in the other tissues were biphasic with average t(1/2) values of the terminal elimination phase ranging between 5.2 and 6.2 h. At 24 h, on average, 81.7% of the dose was recovered in the urine (57.2%), feces (18.3%), and GI tract (6.2%) as [14C]pyrene equivalents with 2.7 and 1.9% of dose excreted as total 1-OHP in urine and feces, respectively. At all time points, 1-OHP in urine represented a constant fraction of total 14C in urine and feces. These results indicate that (i) [14C]pyrene was rapidly distributed, metabolized, and eliminated from the body, and (ii) although 1-OHP represents a small percentage of total pyrene eliminated from the body, it remains a reliable indicator of systemic exposure to, and overall elimination of the 14C associated with, this polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon.

Urinary and biliary excretion kinetics of 1-hydroxypyrene following intravenous and oral administration of pyrene in rats

The urinary and biliary excretion kinetics of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) were compared in male Sprague-Dawley rats exposed intravenously and orally to 1.5, 5, 15, 50 and 100 micromol/kg pyrene. Urine and bile samples were collected at 6-h intervals for up to 24 h. Results showed that the kinetics of 1-OHP were similar for both biliary and urinary excretion whatever the administered dose or exposure route. Furthermore, the time course of 1-OHP excretion in either bile or urine following intravenous dosing resembled that observed after oral administration. In addition, the exposure route and dose had no significant effect on the fraction of dose recovered in urine and bile as 1-OHP after 6, 12, 18 and 24 h post-dosing. Following intravenous injection of 1.5, 5, 15, 50 and 100 micromol/kg pyrene, the mean cumulative percent of dose excreted as 1-OHP in urine over 24 h ranged from 1.7 to 3.2%, while biliary values ranged from 6.5 to 9.5%. Correspondingly, after oral administration, on average, 2.6-3.3% of dose was excreted as 1-OHP in urine and 7.9-10.9% was recovered in bile. Overall, the linear dose-excretion relationship following either exposure routes supports the usefulness of 1-OHP in urine as a bioindicator of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure. Results further suggest that tissue uptake and distribution of intravenously and orally administered pyrene proceeds similarly. By comparing these data with predicted values from a previously published physiologically based pharmacokinetic model for pyrene in the rat, it also appears that a small fraction of pyrene dose (12%) remains in the body after 24 h and that metabolites other than 1-OHP as measured in the current study are present in significant proportions in urine and feces.

Local metabolism in lung airways increases the uncertainty of pyrene as a biomarker of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure

While inhaled polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have long been suspected to induce lung cancer in humans, their dosimetry has not been fully elucidated. A key question is whether the critical exposure occurs during absorption in the lungs, or if toxicants in the systemic circulation contribute significantly to lung cancer risk. In particular, data are needed to determine how the physical properties of inhalants affect local dosimetry in the respiratory tract. Pyrene, a tobacco smoke component, was selected for study because it has physical properties between those of highly lipophilic benzo[a]pyrene and water-soluble nitrosamines. Aliquots of 5 ng of pyrene dissolved in a phospholipid/ saline suspension were instilled as a single-spray bolus in the posterior trachea of the dog just anterior to the carina. For 3 h after instillation, blood was repeatedly sampled from the azygous vein, which drains the mucosa around the point of instillation, and from both sides of the systemic circulation. At 3 h post-instillation, tissue samples were taken. Autoradiography was used to determine the depth distribution of pyrene in the tracheal mucosa. The concentration of pyrene-equivalent radioactivity in the azygous vein peaked 9 min after the instillation. At approximately 30 min after instillation, a rapid early clearance phase shifted into a distinctly slower second clearance phase. Rates of rapid clearance were, however, sufficiently slow to indicate diffusion-limited absorption of pyrene in the trachea. This finding was corroborated by high concentrations of pyrene in the epithelium as determined by autoradiography. High epithelial concentration of pyrene combined with a slow penetration into the circulating blood allowed substantial first-pass metabolic conversion of pyrene in the tracheal mucosa. A total of 13% of the instilled pyrene was retained in the tracheal mucosa 3.2 h after instillation; of this, 29% was parent compound, 52% was organic-extractable metabolites, 14% was water-soluble metabolites and 6% (approximately 1% of the instilled amount) was covalently bound to tracheal tissues. Results support the inference that lipophilic protoxicants, because of slow, diffusion-limited absorption, are more likely than water-soluble protoxicants to be bioactivated in the lining epithelium and, in turn, induce first-pass toxicity at the site of entry. In addition, limitations were identified in the use of systemically distributed biomarkers of PAHs, such as urinary hydroxypyrene levels, as indicators of the biologically effective dose in airway target cells.

Adjuvant activity of diesel exhaust particulates (DEP) in production of anti-IgE and anti-IgG1 antibodies to mite allergen in mice

The present study indicates that diesel exhaust particulates (DEP) and pyrene contained in DEP have an adjuvant activity on IgE and IgG1 antibody productions in mice immunized intranasally with a mite allergen. The effect of pyrene on IgE and IgG1 antibody productions in mice was investigated to clarify the relation between mite allergy and adjuvancy of the chemical compounds in DEP. Der f II, one of the major allergens of house dust mite (Dermatophagoides farinae), was used as a mite allergen. Mice were grouped, and immunized with 5 micrograms of Der f II alone, 5 micrograms of Der f II plus 200 micrograms of pyrene and 5 micrograms of Der f II plus 100 micrograms of DEP intranasally seven times at two week intervals. The separate groups of mice were also immunized with 10 micrograms of Der f II plus the same dose of adjuvants in the same way. The IgE antibody responses to Der f II in mice immunized with Der f II plus pyrene or Der f II plus DEP were markedly enhanced compared with those immunized Der f II alone. The anti-Der f II IgE antibody production increased with increasing the dose of Der f II from 5 micrograms to 10 micrograms in mice immunized with Der f II plus the same dose of adjuvants. The IgG1 antibody responses to Der f II in mice immunized with 10 micrograms of Der f II plus 200 micrograms of pyrene or 10 micrograms of Der f II plus 100 micrograms of DEP were extremely higher than those immunized with 10 micrograms of Der f II alone. In addition, when the peritoneal macrophages obtained from normal mice were incubated with pyrene or DEP in vitro, an enhanced interleukin-1 alpha production of the macrophages was observed. When the spleen lymphocytes obtained from the mice immunized with 10 micrograms of Der f II plus 100 micrograms of DEP or 10 micrograms Der f II plus 200 micrograms of pyrene were stimulated with 10 micrograms of Der f II in vitro, an enhanced IL-4 production of the lymphocytes was also observed compared with those immunized with Der f II alone. These results suggest that the adjuvancy of DEP and pyrene on the production of IgE and IgG1 antibodies to Der f II may be one of the factors responsible for an incidence of asthma caused by house dust mite.

Urinary excretion kinetics of pyrene and benzo(a)pyrene metabolites following intravenous administration of the parent compounds or the metabolites

The detailed urinary excretion profiles of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) metabolites were studied following acute intravenous administration of pyrene and BaP, respectively, or after injection of the metabolites themselves. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 4 mumol 1-OHP/kg or 15 mumol pyrene/kg. Other rats were exposed to 2 mumol/kg of a mixture of four BaP metabolites (3-hydroxyBaP (3-OHBaP), 9-hydroxyBaP (9-OHBaP), trans-4,5-dihydrodiolBaP (4,5-diolBaP), and trans-9,10-dihydrodiol (9,10-diolBaP)) or 40 mumol BaP/kg. Urine samples were collected at frequent intervals over 48 or 96 hr. Injection of both pyrene and 1-OHP produced similar biphasic excretion profiles. An apparent first order half life of 6.9 and 6.6 hr, respectively, could be calculated for the second phase of elimination. Comparable 3-OHBaP excretion profiles were obtained after injection of BaP or a mixture of BaP metabolites. Elimination kinetics showed at least two steps, the second step having a first order apparent half life of 8.1 and 7.6 hr following BaP and BaP metabolites injection, respectively. Time profiles of 4,5-diolBaP excretion following administration of BaP or a mixture of BaP metabolites were almost identical. Elimination was linear and a first order apparent half life of 3.1 and 3.6 hr could be calculated. Elimination of 4,5-diolBaP was much more rapid than that of 3-OHBaP and complete within 24 hr postdosing. Therefore, results suggest that (1) phase I biotransformation is not the rate-limiting step in the excretion of 1-OHP, and 3-OHBaP and 4,5-diolBaP following injection of pyrene and BaP, respectively and (2) similarities in the first order apparent half life of 3-OHBaP and 1-OHP for the late phase of excretion suggest that 1-OHP could be a good surrogate for 3-OHBaP.

Quantitative analysis of multiple phenotype enzyme-altered foci in rat hepatocarcinogenesis experiments: the multipath/multistage model

The promotional effect of phenobarbital and 1-hydroxymethyl-pyren on enzyme altered lesions in the rat liver were quantified within the framework of two separate multipath/multistage models. The experiment analyzed followed an initiation-promotion protocol in which female Wistar rats were initiated with a single dose of diethylnitrosamine at 0.15 mumol/g body wt followed by a 3 week treatment-free period. A promotor, 1-hydroxymethyl-pyren or phenobarbital was then administered continuously in the diet for 120 days. All animals were sacrificed 3 weeks after treatment and their livers were examined for enzyme histological changes. Focal lesions were classified into three phenotype categories: adenosine triphosphatase altered (ATPase), sulfotransferase altered (ST) and jointly altered lesions (ATPase and ST). Quantitative methods were used to analyze the data, which consisted of the number and sizes of these enzyme-altered lesions. Both multipath/multistage models fitted to the data clearly demonstrate that phenobarbital promotion produced more observable and larger foci than promotion via 1-hydroxymethyl-pyren and that the growth kinetics of the jointly altered lesions were elevated relative to the lesions expressing a single marker. It was not possible with these data to determine if there was a predominant sequence in the formation of jointly altered lesions.

DNA adduct formation and T-lymphocyte mutation induction in F344 rats implanted with tumorigenic doses of 1,6-dinitropyrene

Diesel emissions are known to induce tumors in experimental animals and are suspected of being carcinogenic in humans. Of the compounds associated with diesel exhaust, 1,6-dinitropyrene is a particularly potent mutagen and carcinogen. In these experiments, we have investigated the use of DNA adducts and T-lymphocyte mutations of 1,6-dinitropyrene as biomarkers for exposure to diesel emissions. 1,6-Dinitropyrene (0-150 micrograms) was applied directly to the lungs of male F344 rats according to a protocol known to induce lung tumors. In target (lung) and surrogate (liver, WBC, and spleen lymphocytes) tissues, one major DNA adduct, N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-1-amino-6-nitropyrene, was detected by HPLC and/or 32P-postlabeling analyses. The levels of this adduct reached a maximum 1-7 days following treatment and decreased to 13-50% of the peak values by 28 days after dosing. In the lung, a 2-fold increase in dose resulted in a 2-fold increase in DNA binding up to the 30-micrograms dose; in the liver the same relationship was observed up to 10 micrograms 1,6-dinitropyrene. At higher doses, the extent of adduct formation still increased, but the rate was much lower than that occurring at lower doses. A limiting dilution clonal assay was used to measure mutation induction at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltranferase locus in spleen T lymphocytes. Following treatment, the mutant frequency increased until 21 weeks, remained constant until week 40, and then began to decrease. Mutant induction was dose related, with the increase in mutant frequency being significant at doses > or = 1 microgram 1,6-dinitropyrene. These data indicate that 1,6-dinitropyrene, a constituent of diesel emissions, is metabolically activated by nitroreduction to give DNA adducts in target and surrogate tissues. They further suggest that T-lymphocyte mutations may be a more sensitive and longer-lived biomarker than DNA adducts for assessing previous exposures to nitropolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Metabolism of 1-nitropyrene in mice: transport across the placenta and mammary tissues

The distribution and metabolism of the environmental pollutant 1-nitropyrene was studied in C57B1/6N mice following oral or intraperitoneal dosing. When administered by gavage, 1-nitropyrene and its metabolites demonstrated biphasic elimination kinetics from the blood, with half-lives of 0.3 and 1.8 days and a distribution volume of 74 ml. Intraperitoneal administration resulted in similar biphasic elimination, with half-lives of 0.5 and 3 days and a distribution volume of 98 ml. Treating pregnant C57B1/6N (C3H sire) mice by gavage resulted in similar absorption and elimination kinetics of 1-nitropyrene and metabolites, except that the distribution volume increased to 123 ml. 1-Nitropyrene and/or its metabolites (0.7% of the administered dose) crossed the placenta and accumulated in the fetuses and amniotic fluid, with both C-oxidized and nitroreduced metabolites being detected. Suckling neonates accumulated 1-nitropyrene and its metabolites when their dams were administered 1-nitropyrene by gavage. Each neonate received approximately 0.1% of the administered dose and demonstrated the presence of both C-oxidized and nitroreduced metabolites. These results demonstrate that this environmental pollutant is capable of crossing the placenta or mammary tissues to expose the offspring to a potentially genotoxic compound.

Urinary excretion kinetics of 1-hydroxypyrene in volunteers exposed to pyrene by the oral and dermal route

Two well-informed human volunteers were exposed to 500 micrograms pyrene by ingestion and by dermal application, in two separate experiments. Urinary measurements of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) were performed on all micturitions taken at intervals of 0.5-4 h for a total period of 48 h after dosing. Following the absorption phase, 1-OHP is excreted with a first order apparent half-life of approximately 12 h for both volunteers and both exposure routes. These results compare well with other previously published studies. A more refined analysis of the data was performed using a two-compartment toxicokinetic model for 'pyrene' (its fraction eventually excreted as 1-OHP). As it was found that a classical first-order system did not adequately fit the data, a non-linear term was introduced in the model for the elimination of urinary 1-OHP. Computer iteration performed on the oral absorption data allowed an estimation of various toxicokinetic parameter values. The mean intercompartmental exchange (k12 and k21) and elimination coefficients were 0.010, 0.006 and 0.012 min-1, respectively. The first two values compare well with those previously published for the rat, whereas the latter is smaller in humans. These values were used to satisfactorily simulate the experimental data for both routes of exposure, adjusting only for kabs which was estimated at 0.014 and 0.0029 min-1 for the oral and dermal exposure, respectively. The proposed model generates new hypotheses on the metabolism of pyrene. The information collected will contribute to the validation of the utilisation of 1-OHP as a biological indicator of exposure to pyrene.

Patterns of 1-hydroxypyrene excretion in volunteers exposed to pyrene by the dermal route

The urinary excretion profiles following exposure to pyrene were established in one psoriasic patient under treatment with a coal tar-based shampoo and in two other volunteers exposed to a single dose of 100 microliters creosote and, in a separate experiment, to five consecutive daily dermal applications of 500 micrograms pyrene on 200 cm2 of the inner face of the forearms. Timed micturitions were collected for up to 48 h following exposure. Both in the psoriasic patient and in the volunteers exposed to creosote, the excretion peaks between 10 and 15 h after application and first-order apparent half lives of 11.5-15 h can be calculated for the elimination phase. Compatible with these observations, repeated exposure to pyrene in the volunteers causes an increase in peak and trough urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) values for the first few days following the first exposure. These results suggest that the difference between beginning-of-shift/beginning of work week and beginning-of-shift/end of work week 1-OHP excretions should reflect the average exposure of the week in workers having a constant exposure to pyrene. The difference between the beginning- and end-of-shift excretion values of a given day should reflect the exposure of that day but the maximum excretion would be attained a few hours after termination of exposure.

Comparative tumorigenicity of benzo[a]pyrene, 1-nitropyrene and 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine administered by gavage to female CD rats

Agents that are ubiquitous in the environment and are known inducers of mammary cancer in rodents can be regarded as potential causes of human cancer and need to be evaluated more completely. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine under identical conditions the relative carcinogenic potency in the mammary glands of rats of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), 1-nitropyrene (1-NP) and 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP). Thirty-day-old female CD rats were gavaged once weekly for 8 weeks with B[a]P, 1-NP or PhIP. Each compound was given at 50 mumol/rat/week in 0.5 ml trioctanoin for a total dose of 400 mumol/rat. Forty-one weeks after the last carcinogen administration, rats were killed. In the 1-NP-treated rats, treatment elicited primarily benign tumors. In contrast, the B[a]P- and PhIP-treated rats developed both malignant and benign tumors. The incidence of adenocarcinomas in rats treated with B[a]P or PhIP was comparable and significantly higher than that in animals receiving trioctanoin only. The incidence of benign tumors (fibroadenomas, desmoplastic adenomas and adenomas) observed in animals treated with B[a]P or 1-NP was comparable and significantly higher than that in animals given PhIP or trioctanoin. This is the first report describing the carcinogenic activity of PhIP, given by gavage, in the mammary gland of CD rats and ranking the carcinogenic potency observed under identical conditions, of three agents (B[a]P congruent to PhIP > 1-NP) that are prevalent in the human environment.

Pharmacokinetics of inhaled pyrene in rats

Male Wistar rats were exposed to micronized aerosol concentrations of a 14C-labeled model polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (pyrene) at 200, 500, and 800 mg/m3 for a period of 95 min. Both the 14C label and free pyrene were monitored in the blood, urine, and feces. At the termination of the blood sampling, three of the six rats per dose group were killed and the distribution of [14C]pyrene to eight major tissues was analyzed. The analysis of blood concentration data using a one-compartment pharmacokinetic model revealed that the uptake and elimination kinetic parameters were dose dependent, for both total radioactivity (pyrene plus metabolites) and for pyrene per se, over the range of exposures used in this study. The ratio of the percent excreted via the urinary and fecal routes, collected over a 5-d period postexposure was about 1.0 at each exposure level.

Distribution of benzo[a]pyrene in pregnant rats following inhalation exposure and a comparison with similar data obtained with pyrene

Eight pregnant rats were exposed, on the 17th day of gestation, for 95 min to a microcondensation aerosol of benzo[a]pyrene at five different atmospheric concentrations between 200 and 800 mg m-3 in a 'head-only' inhalation chamber. Five rats were killed immediately following the exposure and three were killed at 6 h post-dosing. Concentrations of the radiolabel and 'free' benzo[a]pyrene were measured in the individual fetuses and in the maternal blood, fat, kidney, liver and lung. Distribution to the fetus did not appear to be related to its position on the uterine horn and the uptake of benzo[a]pyrene was non-linear with increasing exposure concentrations, which was similar to the observations previously reported for pyrene. The levels of benzo[a]pyrene were much higher in the fetus and, especially, the lung than those observed in the pyrene study; so also were the levels of total metabolites in these tissues, which might, in part, account for the carcinogenic potency of benzo[a] pyrene.

Genotoxic activity of 1-chloromethylpyrene in stomach epithelium in vivo: insensitivity of the stomach scintillation UDS assay

An acknowledged weakness of current testing programmes for genotoxic hazard has been the potential insensitivity of the established mouse bone marrow micronucleus test and rat liver unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) assays to direct-acting or short-lived mutagens, which may be consumed at the site of initial contact. In such cases, in vivo test systems sampling tissues such as the skin or the stomach would provide valuable data. To test these principles a stomach UDS assay was evaluated using the potent locally active mutagen 1-chloromethylpyrene (1-CMP). Contrary to expectations, no UDS response was observed 16 h following 1-CMP dosage by oral gavage. To confirm the integrity of the 1-CMP used for the stomach UDS assay, a sample of the stored chemical was re-evaluated in vitro and shown to be still strongly positive in the Ames assay and to have alkylating activity at least 15 min after incubation at stomach acid pH. No UDS response was observed when test dose levels were reduced or when earlier sampling times were used. Other genotoxic endpoints were examined in stomach. 32P-Postlabelling analysis revealed high levels of adduct formation in gastric DNA. An assay utilizing electrophoresis of DNA (the comet assay) showed the occurrence of DNA damage following dosing with 1-CMP in vivo. These positive results confirmed that 1-CMP should be regarded as a potential in vivo genotoxin. The failure to detect a UDS response to 1-CMP in stomach was investigated; a strong UDS response was observed in an in vitro hepatocyte UDS assay of 1-CMP indicating that the rat was capable of repairing 1-CMP-derived DNA adducts. Pretreatment of rats with hydroxyurea depressed the level of incorporation of thymidine into DNA both in negative and positive [methyl-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG)] controls. The results of these studies indicated that the protease digestion method employed did not selectively or efficiently sample those cells with any UDS response to 1-CMP or MNNG, and the activity seen for the latter was most likely due to the presence of S phase cells within the digests. As a result of the finding that UDS responses were not demonstrated for the potent direct-acting mutagens 1-CMP and MNNG, the protease digestion/scintillation method for stomach UDS does not appear to have general value in a screening programme for locally active genotoxic agents.

Percutaneous absorption and metabolism of pyrene, benzo[a]pyrene, and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate: comparison of in vitro and in vivo results in the hairless guinea pig

The in vitro and in vivo absorption and metabolism of pyrene, benzo[a]pyrene, and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were investigated in the hairless guinea pig. The in vitro method, which involved the use of flow-through diffusion cells and Hepes-buffered Hanks' balanced salt solution containing 4% bovine serum albumin as perfusate, was demonstrated to be a suitable system for predicting in vivo absorption of the above lipophilic compounds. The successful application of the in vitro technique for these compounds is significant because no satisfactory in vitro method has hitherto been developed to predict in vivo absorption of highly lipophilic chemicals. Quantification of parent compounds and metabolites that permeated into perfusates and those that remained in skin discs provided insight into the process by which the chemicals penetrated through the skin. Pyrene was absorbed primarily by a passive diffusion process, although a small fraction of the administered dose was biotransformed into metabolites in the skin and partitioned into the receptor fluid. Absorption of benzo[a]pyrene was mediated by biotransformation processes. A metabolite derived from the ultimate carcinogen of this compound, benzo[a]pyrene r-7, t-8,9,10-tetrahydrotetrol, was identified in the receptor fluid. Most of the administered DEHP remained in the skin and only a very small fraction of the dose partitioned into the receptor fluid in either viable or nonviable skin. Data from the present study led to the conclusion that the in vitro method can be utilized to predict in vivo absorption for compounds of high lipophilicity and that dermal metabolism facilitates partitioning of metabolites into the receptor fluid and hence may affect the biological activities of dermally applied compounds.

Distribution to the fetus and major organs of the rat following inhalation exposure to pyrene

Concentrations of pyrene and total metabolites were determined for individual fetuses and selected maternal organs and tissues immediately and 6 h following a 95-min head-only exposure of pregnant Wistar rats, on gestation day 17, to five levels of pyrene over the range 200-800 mg m-3 as a microcondensation aerosol. The influence of uterine horn, side and position, on distribution to the fetus was assessed. The concentration of both pyrene and its metabolites increased more over the exposure range (eightfold) than did those in the fetus. Concentrations of pyrene or its metabolites in fetal tissues were not found to be related to its position on the uterine horn. There was an unexplained and significant (P less than 0.01) higher concentration of pyrene in fetuses on the right side relative to the left side of the uterine horn for the animals killed immediately following exposure. A comparison of the levels in maternal tissues measured immediately following the exposure and 6 h later showed that there was some redistribution of pyrene and its metabolites to the fat tissues, i.e. levels in the fat increased over the 6 h period following the exposure. Levels in the other tissues diminished during this period. In general, concentrations of pyrene and its metabolites were lowest in the fetal tissues relative to those in the sampled maternal organs and tissues.

Inhibition of dinitropyrene mutagenicity in vitro and in vivo using Salmonella typhimurium and the intrasanguinous host-mediated assay

Dinitropyrenes (DNP), present in polluted air, are potent direct-acting mutagens in Salmonella typhimurium TA98. This mutagenicity is markedly reduced in the presence of rat-liver S9 or microsomes. This has now been confirmed using mouse hepatic fractions. Since most in vitro test systems do not adequately simulate conditions encountered in the intact animal, we have investigated dinitropyrene mutagenicity to Salmonella in the host-mediated assay. 1,8-Dinitropyrene (1,8-DNP) given p.o. to BALB/c mice induced a weak mutagenic effect in S. typhimurium TA98 recovered from the liver 1 h after i.v. administration (optimum time). Over the entire dose range tested no toxicity to bacterial cells was detected. Mutation induction in vivo was dose-related with maximum response at 1 mg DNP/kg body weight. This optimum dose, however, was non-mutagenic to strains TA98/1,8-DNP6 (O-transacetylase-deficient) or TA98NR/1,8-DNP6 (nitroreductase- and O-transacetylase-deficient). 1,3-Dinitropyrene and 1,6-dinitropyrene were weakly mutagenic to TA98 at doses similar to 1,8-DNP. Studies with [14C]1,8-DNP showed that 1 h after oral dosing (1 mg/kg), over 100 ng of 1,8-DNP equivalents were present in the liver (= 0.73% dose). However, only about 5.5 ng were present in the bacterial pellet, suggesting that hepatic components in vivo, as in vitro, bind to DNP, thus interfering with its interaction with Salmonella.

Mutagenicity of urine from rats after 1-nitropyrene and 2-nitrofluorene administration using new sensitive Salmonella typhimurium strains YG1012 and YG1024

1-Nitropyrene (1-NP) and 2-nitrofluorene (2-NF), two of the most abundant nitro-substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nitro-PAH) present in combustion products such as diesel engine exhaust, were administered intraperitoneally to rats at a dose of 5 mg per animal. Urine samples, 1-NP and 2-NF were tested in the Ames assay using the newly developed Salmonella typhimurium strains YG1012 and YG1024 (overproducing O-acetyltransferase) and their parent strains TA1538 and TA98. In urine, collected over 3 periods of 24 h after administration, most of the mutagens appeared during the first 24 h. The mutagenicity was found to be a factor 2-30 higher in the YG strains when compared to the TA strains. Addition of S9 mix and rat liver cytosol both with and without beta-glucuronidase increased the mutagenicity of urine samples from 1-NP-treated rats. Addition of beta-glucuronidase revealed that a considerable part of the mutagenic metabolites of 1-NP and 2-NF were excreted as glucuronide conjugates. The increase in mutagenicity of urine samples from 2-NF-treated rats after the addition of rat liver cytosol referred to N,O-acyl transfer as a step in activating 2-NF to strong mutagens. The high sensitivity of the YG tester strains indicated that these strains might be used to explore environments where people are exposed to nitro-PAH, such as work places with diesel emission sources.

Carcinogenicity of dinitropyrenes in the weanling female CD rat

The carcinogenicities of 1-nitropyrene and 1,3-, 1,6- and 1,8-dinitropyrene were assessed in weanling female CD rats. The animals were administered one of the compounds at 10 mumol/kg body wt through intraperitoneal or intragastric administration three times a week for 4 weeks. The total cumulative dose averaged 16 mumol/animal. The experiment was ended 78 weeks following the first administration. The average survival period for the animals in the 1,6- and 1,8-dinitropyrene i.p. treated groups, due to the occurrence of life-threatening peritoneal malignant fibrous histiocytomas (MFHs) in nearly all of the animals, were 19 and 38 weeks respectively. 1,3-Dinitropyrene induced only a few MFHs. 1,8-Dinitropyrene also induced a significant incidence of leukemia. A significant increase of the incidence of mammary tumors was observed in the groups of rats treated i.p. with 1-nitropyrene, or 1,3- or 1,8-dinitropyrene, and those treated i.g. with 1,8-dinitropyrene. These results demonstrate that nitropyrenes are capable of inducing MFH, mammary tumors and leukemia in the rat.

Comparative carcinogenicities of 1-, 2-, and 4-nitropyrene and structurally related compounds in the female CD rat

The comparative carcinogenicities of N-hydroxy-N-acetyl-1-aminopyrene, N-acetyl-1-aminopyrene, and 1-, 2-, and 4-nitropyrene were determined following i.p. injection into weaning female CD rats (67 mumol/kg body weight in dimethyl sulfoxide; 3 times/week for 4 weeks). At sacrifice 61 weeks after the first injection the incidences of malignant mammary tumors were increased significantly to 45 and 24% in the 4-nitropyrene- and N-hydroxy-N-acetyl-2-aminofluorene-treated groups, respectively. Cellular altered foci in the liver were increased significantly in the N-acetyl-1-aminopyrene-, N-hydroxy-N-acetyl-1-aminopyrene-, and N-hydroxy-N-acetyl-2-aminofluorene- treated groups; the latter two compounds also led to significantly increased formation of hyperplastic nodules in this organ. Significant increases in leukemia induction were observed in animals treated with 2-nitropyrene or N-hydroxy-N-acetyl-2-aminofluorene. In an experiment designed to compare the influence of the route of administration on the carcinogenic potential of this agent, 1-nitropyrene was injected i.p. or s.c. into weanling female CD rats (100 mumol/kg body weight; once a week for 4 weeks). The animals were sacrificed at 87 to 90 weeks after the first treatment. The incidences of mammary gland tumors in animals receiving injections of 1-nitropyrene by either route (59%) were significantly higher than in solvent-injected controls (37%). The incidences of adenocarcinoma in the i.p. 1-nitropyrene group (28%) and fibroadenoma in the s.c. 1-nitropyrene group (52%) were significantly higher than in the control animals (7 and 27%, respectively). These data suggest that the demonstration of the weak carcinogenicity of 1-nitropyrene is probably more a function of the length of the observation period than of the routes of administration used here. A further exploration of the effect of the route of administration involved treatment of weanling female CD rats by direct injection of 1-, 2-, or 4-nitropyrene into the mammary fat pads. A total of 2.04 mumol of the nitrocompound in dimethyl sulfoxide was injected into the mammary glands under each of the 6 left nipples. The right mammary glands were treated with the solvent only. Injections of the thoracic nipple areas were carried out on day 1; inguinal areas were treated on day 2. The animals were sacrificed after 77 weeks. The number of mammary tumor-bearing animals (23 of 28), the number with fibroadenoma (15 of 28), and the number with adenocarcinoma (19 of 28) were significantly increased in the 4-nitropyrene-treated group as compared with animals treated with only dimethyl sulfoxide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of pyrene in the rat

Groups of 6 male Wistar rats, of about 400 g body weight, were dosed with 14C-labeled pyrene, dissolved in an Emulphor/water solvent vehicle, at 5 different dose levels by the intravenous or oral routes. Appropriate mathematical models were fitted to blood concentration-time data for [14C]pyrene and pyrene per se and dose-trend analyses were carried out. Areas under these curves were used to assess the bioavailability of the orally administered doses. Tissue concentrations, measured at the termination of the blood sampling period, gave a quantitative measure of the distribution of the administered dose. Attempts to repeat these studies with similar doses of tritium-labeled benzo[a]pyrene were frustrated by the lack of meaningful blood-level data. Dose trends for the derived pharmacokinetic parameters for pyrene revealed that the kinetics were nonlinear and strongly suggestive of enterohepatic recycling. Biliary excretion, measured in a separate experiment, gave support to this hypothesis. The bioavailability of the orally administered doses was between 50 and 60%. Over a 6-d period postdosing, some 45 and 40% of the administered dose was excreted via the urine and feces, respectively, irrespective of the route of administration. Distribution to the tissues of the 14C-label was highest in the perirenal fat, intermediate in the liver, kidneys, and lungs, and lowest in the heart, testes, spleen, and brain.

Inhibition of the binding of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and benzo[a]pyrene to DNA in mouse skin epidermis by 1-ethynylpyrene

The effects of 1-ethynylpyrene (EP), 1-vinylpyrene (VP) and 2-ethynlnaphthalene (EN) on the covalent binding of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) and of benzo[a]-pyrene (B[a]P) to the epidermal DNA in mouse skin were investigated. When applied topically, 5 min before an initiating dose of 10 nmol DMBA or of 200 nmol B[a]P, EP was an effective inhibitor of the formation of the covalent complexes of these procarcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with the epidermal DNA. VP, applied under the same conditions, was a significantly less effective inhibitor of the binding of DMBA to DNA and showed even weaker inhibition of the binding of B[a]P. EN was ineffective as an inhibitor of the binding of either DMBA or B[a]P. These results establish that both the pyrene nucleus and the ethynyl substituent of EP contribute to the effective inhibition of the binding of DMBA and B[a]P to the epidermal DNA of mouse skin. No significant changes in the ratios of the anti- to the syndiol epoxide-DNA adducts of DMBA or of B[a]P were produced by doses of EP that produced inhibitions of the binding to DNA. At doses of VP that inhibited covalent binding of both DMBA and B[a]P, no changes in DMBA-DNA adduct distributions were observed but changes in the relative proportions of several B[a]P-DNA adducts were noted. These data are discussed in terms of the potential of aryl acetylenes to act as suicide inhibitors (mechanism-based inactivators) of cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase isozymes.

Formation and persistence of DNA adducts in rats following intraperitoneal administration of 1,8-dinitropyrene

DNA adduct formation was examined in rat tissues following a single i.p. injection with 1,8-dinitropyrene (1,8-DNP). A single common adduct was observed in mammary, mesentery, bladder, lung, kidney and liver tissue using the 32P-postlabelling technique. Adduct levels were highest in mammary and mesentery tissue. The mammary gland and soft tissues of the peritoneal cavity are primary tumour sites in rats injected i.p. with 1,8-DNP. Adducts were not detected in the small intestine, heart or reproductive tissue. Pretreatment of rats with Aroclor 1254, an inducer of hepatic oxidative enzymes, did not alter qualitative or quantitative aspects of adduct formation. Over a 2 week period the relative adduct labelling values declined in all tissues. The loss of DNA adducts was biphasic, with an initial rapid decrease followed by a slower rate of adduct removal.

Distribution and excretion of 1,8-dinitro[14C]pyrene in the mouse

The disposition of the environmental pollutant and potent mutagen and carcinogen, 1,8-dinitropyrene (DNP) in female BALB/c mice was investigated. In the first 48 h after oral administration of 1,8-dinitro[4,5,9,10-14C]pyrene ([14C]DNP), 42% of the dose was eliminated in the faeces and 12% in the urine. Faeces was the major pathway of excretion with 45% of the dose being eliminated by this route in 9 days. Distribution of DNP in various tissues (blood, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, stomach, small and large intestine) was studied over 9 days. There was a linear increase in the concentration of radioactive material in the blood, liver and kidneys up to 6 h after [14C]DNP administration, representing 0.27, 2.9 and 0.21% of the radioactive dose, respectively. The corresponding figures after 24 h decreased to 0.1, 1.6 and 0.12%, respectively. In comparison, radioactivity present in the spleen and lungs was low and did not significantly change with time. In studies with ligated sections of the gastrointestinal tract, DNP absorption was from the small and large intestine and there was none from the stomach. The rate of absorption of DNP from the small intestine was greater than that from the large intestine, although overall uptake of the compound was poor (more than 80% of the original dose was recovered from the ligated small intestine after 120 min). The data from these studies suggest that although absorption of orally administered DNP is slow, the compound or its metabolites persist in the body for long periods and the liver should be considered as the major target organ.

Respiratory carcinogenesis of nitroaromatics

The carcinogenic potential of 1-nitropyrene, a major mutagenic constituent of diesel-exhaust particles, was investigated using a hamster respiratory-carcinogenesis model. The specific aims of the investigation were to assess the activity of 1-nitropyrene as a complete carcinogen (Study 1) and as a cocarcinogen (Study 2) when administered in combination with the known environmental carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene. Preparations of 1-nitropyrene and benzo[a]pyrene adsorbed onto an equal mass of carbon carrier particles (Stokes diameter 2 to 5 microns, greater than 70 percent) were used for the intratracheal administration. Evaluation of 1-nitropyrene as a complete carcinogen involved exposing male Syrian golden hamsters to 1 or 2 mg of 1-nitropyrene either once or twice each week. A once-per-week instillation of 2 mg of benzo[a]pyrene served as a positive control. Two groups of animals received sterile saline only (saline controls) or carbon particles suspended in saline (particle controls). In addition, a group of untreated hamsters served as shelf controls. Evaluation of 1-nitropyrene as a cocarcinogen involved treating animals once each week with either 1 or 2 mg of 1-nitropyrene with or without concomitant exposure to 0.25 mg of benzo[a]pyrene. The studies were terminated after 92 weeks of treatment. In both studies, hamsters receiving 1-nitropyrene showed a dose-related decrease in survival and body-weight gain. In general, animals in Study 2 showed better survival than those in Study 1. A high intercurrent mortality was observed in the control groups of Study 1. In order to adjust for intercurrent mortality, tumor incidences were analyzed after modeling (using Cox regression) the effect of treatment in all animals for the period they were alive. A broad spectrum of neoplastic and nonneoplastic lesions was observed in the lungs and tracheas of all hamsters except shelf controls. Because of the histologic complexity of these lesions, the slides were coded, and the tissues were evaluated by an unbiased pathologist. The tumor types included papillomas, adenomas, adenocarcinomas, and squamous cell carcinomas, the latter being the most prevalent type in benzo[a]pyrene-treated animals. In view of the low incidence of tumors in 1-nitropyrene-treated hamsters, the tumor incidences in various experimental groups were compared regardless of the tumor type, location, and multiplicity. A small, but significant, increase in tumor incidence, with a dose-response trend, was observed only in Study 2 hamsters receiving 1-nitropyrene once weekly. In contrast, treatment with benzo[a]pyrene adsorbed onto carbon particles induced benign and malignant tumors virtually in all animals that survived more than 50 weeks of treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)