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Animal models for carcinogenesis of the oral cavity are limited, although this disease is often fatal or disfiguring and its incidence in the USA is approximately 30 000 cases/year. Short-term whole-animal models for this disease should prove valuable in the investigation of factors affecting oral carcinogenesis. In this study we observed that a group of oral carcinogens are clearly mutagenic in the lacZ transgenic mouse oral cavity. The carcinogens 4-nitroquinoline-N-oxide (4-NQO), benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), N-nitroso-N-methylurea (NMU), 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA) were all mutagenic in a mixture of pooled oral tissues (gingival, buccal, pharyngeal and sublingual) and in the tongue. All agents except DMBA (which was swabbed in the oral cavity) and B[a]P (by gavage) were given in drinking water for 2-4 weeks followed by a 2 week expression period before killing. With one exception, groups of 4-5 female mice were treated. The doses and mutant fractions (MF) in DNA isolated from pooled oral tissues (in mutants/10(5) p.f.u. +/- SD) were: 4-NQO (20-80 microg/ml, over 4 weeks) 78 +/- 16; B[a]P (five doses of 125 mg/ml) 33.2 +/- 10.9; NMU (20-80 microg/ml over 4 weeks) 7.8 +/- 2.6; NNK (0.1 mg/ml, weeks 1-2, 0.2 mg/ml, weeks 3-4) 9.1 +/- 3.0; NNN (same dose as NNK) 9.2 +/- 1.6 and DMBA (0.5 mg/ml in corn oil, 3 weeks) 7.1 +/- 2.7. The corresponding value for untreated controls was 3.2 +/- 1.8. Values for induced mutagenesis in tongue from the same animals were similar except for 4-NQO which was about twice as potent in tongue. Mutagenesis by several compounds was compared in other organs. B[a]P was assayed in lung and kidney and was about twice as mutagenic in oral tissues as in lung, but several times less mutagenic in kidney. Lung, but not kidney is a target organ for B[a]P-induced carcinogenesis in the mouse. NNK was somewhat more mutagenic in lung (MF of 15.0 +/- 5.5) than in oral tissues, corresponding with previous reports on carcinogenesis by NNK. Mutagenesis induced by NNN was also assayed in esophagus, a target organ in rodents, and was similar to that in oral tissue. In all cases the MF in untreated control group was about 3-4. These results suggest that: (i) the oral cavity has a significant capacity for metabolic activation of carcinogens; (ii) DNA damage in the oral cavity can be converted to mutations; and (iii) there is significant target organ specificity. The results also tend to support the concept that the anatomical components of the upper aerodigestive tract, in general, behave similarly with respect to genotoxicity. As carcinogenesis is believed to involve mutagenesis, this study demonstrates the utility of the lacZ mouse for investigations involving initiation of carcinogenesis of the oral cavity

Thus far, in vivo mutagenic assays have detected organ-specific effects of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) in a number of organs, but not in oral tissues and breast. Previous studies have shown that the mouse tongue is a target for tumorigenesis induced by B[a]P when incorporated into feed, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are carcinogens in mouse mammary tissue. In order to evaluate the capacity of the lacZ mouse in vivo mutagenesis assay to detect mutations in these target tissues, we have measured mutagenesis induced by B[a]P in breast and oral tissues. The oral tissue consisted of either tongue or a mixture of oral tissues from several sites in the oral cavity. B[a]P was more mutagenic in breast tissue than in most other organs tested (liver, lung and kidney) when administered at relatively high dose by gavage, and more mutagenic than in liver, but not lung, at low dose. When administered in an emulsion in drinking water, B[a]P was more mutagenic in oral tissues than in liver, and somewhat less mutagenic than in lung. Regardless of dose, the mutagenic activity was greatest in colon where it was much higher than in other organs. A reasonable correlation was observed between mutagenesis observed here and carcinogenesis in previous studies although some differences were noted. To our knowledge, this represents the first report of in vivo mutagenesis in non-tumor mammary and oral tissue, and the results indicate these organs can efficiently metabolize B[a]P to genotoxic products, although some transport of active metabolites from the liver cannot be ruled out. The lacZ mouse mutagenesis assay may represent a shorter term alternative to carcinogenesis assays for investigations of factors affecting initiation of carcinogenesis in mammary and oral tissues. However, it is less predictive of actual tumor formation.

The glycosyltransferase termed GlcNAc-TIII is dedicated to the transfer of a single N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) residue (the bisecting GlcNAc), to a subset of N-glycans in glycoproteins. The addition of this GlcNAc is differentially regulated during development and is induced in certain cancers, particularly in hepatic tumorigenesis. To investigate a functional role for the bisecting GlcNAc in the development of liver cancer, the Mgat3 gene that codes for GlcNAc-TIII, was inactivated by targeted gene disruption, and the susceptibility of Mgat3-/- mice to tumor induction was tested. After a single injection with diethylnitrosamine and subsequent treatment with phenobarbitol for 6 months, Mgat3+/+ and Mgat3+/- mice had grossly enlarged livers that contained numerous tumors. By stark contrast, Mgat3-/- mice had livers of normal size, and only 50% of mice had one to four small tumors. However, histological examination showed that Mgat3-/- livers had significant numbers of basophilic foci, and by 10-12 months after diethylnitrosamine injection, tumors had developed in Mgat3-/- mice. Therefore, initiation occurred in Mgat3-/- mice but progression was severely retarded. Assays for Mgat3 gene expression in tumor tissue gave an unexpected result. In contrast to the situation in the rat, hepatic tumor formation in the mouse was not accompanied by a dramatic increase of GlcNAc-TIII activity nor of glycoproteins with a bisecting GlcNAc, nor of Mgat3 gene expression in tumor tissue from wild-type mice. The data suggest that a glycoprotein factor with the bisecting GlcNAc facilitates tumor progression in liver. In the absence of the bisecting GlcNAc in Mgat3-/- mice, the factor is reduced in activity, and tumor progression is severely retarded.

Highly DNA-reactive alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes such as acrolein and crotonaldehyde are common environmental pollutants present in cigarette smoke and automobile exhaust and are also released endogenously by lipid peroxidation. Acrolein- and crotonaldehyde-derived 1,N2-propanodeoxyguanosine (AdG and CdG, respectively) have been detected in the tissues of carcinogen-treated rodents and as background lesions in DNA from humans and untreated rodents. To determine whether cigarette smoking increases the levels of AdG and CdG, gingival tissue DNA from 11 smokers (4 males and 7 females; 30-58 years old) and 12 nonsmokers (8 males and 4 females; 21-66 years old) was analyzed using a previously described 32P-postlabeling high-performance liquid chromatography method. The results showed that the mean AdG levels in smokers were significantly higher than those in nonsmokers (1.36 +/- 0.90 micromol/mol guanine in smokers versus 0.46 +/- 0.26 micromol/mol guanine in nonsmokers; P = 0.003). The mean CdG 1 levels in smokers and nonsmokers were 0.53 +/- 0.44 and 0.06 +/- 0.07 micromol/mol guanine, respectively, corresponding to an 8.8-fold increase for smokers (P = 0.0015). Similar to CdG 1, levels of CdG 2 were increased 5.5-fold in smokers as compared to nonsmokers, from 0.31 +/- 0.40 to 1.72 +/- 1.26 micromol/mol guanine (P = 0.0014). Furthermore, the total levels of cyclic adduct (AdG and CdG) in smokers were 4.4-fold greater than those in nonsmokers (P = 0.0003). This study shows the detection of the potentially promutagenic 1,N2-propanoguanine adducts in human oral tissues and demonstrates for the first time an increase of structurally identified adducts in oral tissue DNA by cigarette smoking.

Lijinsky and his colleagues have reported that the N',N'-dimethyl analogues of ENU and MNU [N',N'-dimethyl-N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (DMENU) and trimethylnitrosourea (TMNU), respectively] are carcinogenic to rats despite their extreme hydrolytic stability which would reduce or preclude generation of alkylating species analogous to those formed upon hydrolysis of ENU and MNU. Lijinsky and his colleagues were unable to rationalize those activities of DMENU and TMNU despite extensive experimentation. We therefore decided to study this problem further. Whichever mode is accepted for the generation of electrophilic/mutagenic/carcinogenic reactive species from ENU and MNU, blocking of the free-NH2 group with methyl groups (-NMe2) should ablate or abolish activity. Consistent with this DMENU and TMNU gave negative results in the NBP alkylation test while the parent compounds gave an instantaneous deep blue coloration. Studies of the rate of hydrolysis of these four compounds revealed ENU and MNU to have half-lives of 8 min, while the alkylated analogues (DMENU and TMNU) had half-lives of 25 and 41 days, respectively. Hydrolysis of ENU and MNU, to yield the alkylating species, proceeds either via proton abstraction from the -NH2 group or by attack by water on the carbon of the carbonyl group. Methylation will inhibit both of these pathways, the first absolutely (no -NH2 protons) and the second partially, via steric inhibition. The slow hydrolysis observed for DMENU and TMNU suggests that the latter route of hydrolysis is applicable. Studies with strain TA1535 of Salmonella typhimurium (without S9 mix) confirmed the potent mutagenic activity for ENU and MNU (approximately 300-fold increase in revertants at 2,000 micrograms/plate and approximately 180-fold increase in revertants at 150 micrograms/plate respectively). In contrast, the methylated analogues showed only weak mutagenic activity (approximately 3-fold) at approximately 100-fold higher dose-levels. Addition of S9 mix did not affect the mutagenicity of DMENU or TMNU. To this point, hypothesis and data coincide. ENU and MNU are potent micronucleus-inducing agents to the mouse bone marrow, and given the above data, it was expected that DMENU and TMNU would show weak or no activity in that assay. In fact, the methylated analogues were as effective as ENU and MNU as clastogens to the mouse bone marrow. Four possible reasons for this conflict of theory and data are explored. The speculative explanation we favour for these effects is that the net alkylation of bone marrow DNA is the same for all four chemicals. With ENU and MNU, most of the alkylating activity is dissipated by rapid hydrolysis. Thus, only a small fraction of the administered dose survives to alkylate the bone marrow. Due to the enhanced stability of the methyl analogues most of the delivered dose will reach the bone marrow. However, because of their lower intrinsic reactivity, only a small fraction of the target dose will alkylate the bone marrow DNA during the time window of the experiment. If these opposing influences happen to balance out, the essentially identical bone marrow genetic toxicity for the four chemicals could be explained.

Trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) is a product of lipid peroxidation. In the presence of t-butyl hydroperoxide the racemic HNE readily converts to its epoxide, 2,3-epoxy-4-hydroxynonanal (EH), as a pair of diastereomers. In this study, the potential roles of HNE and EH as tumor initiating agents were assessed. The mutagenicities of HNE and EH isomers in Salmonella strains TA100 and 104 were examined. In addition, the tumor initiating activities of HNE and EH were evaluated in bioassays involving either topical application in CD-1 mice or i.p. administration in newborn CD-1 mice. In the mutagenicity assays, EH isomers induced similar levels of revertants in both tester strains, although EG isomers were previously shown to react with bases in DNA with different specificity (Sodum, R.S. and Chung, F.-L., Cancer Res., 51, 137-143, 1991). The major isomer induced approximately 20,000 revertants/mumol in TA100 and 15,000 revertants/mumol in TA104, whereas, the minor isomer induced approximately 40,000 revertants/mumol in TA100 and 20,000 revertants/mumol in TA104. HNE was, however, not mutagenic under the assay conditions. In the tumor bioassays, EH was a weak tumorigen in CD-1 mice upon topical application followed by TPA promotion, yielding 0.55 tumors/mouse and 40% tumor incidence at a total dose of 128 mumol/mouse versus 0.02 tumors/mouse and 5% tumor incidence in the control group. Both HNE and EH induced liver tumors in male mice, but not in female mice. However, the incidences were not statistically significant. EH administered i.p. at a total dose of 200 nmol/mouse exacerbated the chronic spontaneous nephropathy in newborn CD-1 mice. Although the incidence of mild nephropathy was comparable in both EH-treated and control groups, the incidence of more severe lesions in mice treated with 200 nmol/mouse was 21%; while it was 0% in the control group. Furthermore, two mice at each dose level of EH showed a tubule profile with complex hyperplastic lining, suggestive of atypical hyperplasia. Again, HNE was not as active as EH in these bioassays. These results suggest a possible role of EH in tumorigenesis associated with lipid peroxidation.

The carcinogenic nitrosamines N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)-amine (BOP) and N-nitrosobis(2-hydroxypropyl)amine (BHP) were tested in excision-repair-deficient strains of hisG46 Salmonella mutants in the intrasanguinous host-mediated mutagenesis assay (HMA) in male Syrian hamsters. The major adducts produced by BOP in the hamster are methylguanines, while BHP leads to hydroxypropylguanines as well as methylguanines. Both nitrosamines were potent mutagens in bacteria recovered from the liver. On a comparison of administered dose, BOP was more potent, but when compared at doses producing similar levels of O6-methylguanine (O6-MeG) in host liver DNA, or at equitoxic doses in the hamster, BHP was more potent. BHP was approximately 10 times less mutagenic in an excision-repair-proficient strain of Salmonella, but the mutagenicity of BOP was not reduced. The effects of excision repair on in vitro mutagenesis induced by the direct-acting analogs N-(2-oxopropyl)-N-nitrosourea (OPNU), a methylating agent, and N-(2-hydroxypropyl)-N-nitrosourea (HPNU), a hydroxypropylating agent, were also examined. Mutagenesis by HPNU, but not OPNU was very sensitive to excision repair. Thus BOP appears to lead to mutagenesis via methylation, while mutagenesis by BHP apparently proceeds via hydroxypropylation. BOP, BHP, OPNU and HPNU were several times less mutagenic in hisG428 than hisG46 strains. In contrast to hisG46 strains, which are reverted mainly by base-pair substitutions at G:C base pairs, hisG428 strains are generally more sensitive to mutagenesis at A:T base pairs. Taken together the above results and observations that > 90% of the adducts from BOP and BHP were alkylguanines, suggest that the major premutagenic adducts produced from BOP and BHP are alkylguanines as opposed to other alkylated bases. BOP and BHP were weak mutagens in the Salmonella/S-9 mutagenesis assay using hamster liver S-9 fraction. When compared with results in the HMA, BOP and BHP were orders of magnitude less mutagenic in vitro. This observation suggests: (i) the pathways or enzymes involved in the activation of these carcinogens (although uncertain) may be different in vivo and in vitro; or (ii) the pathways for the in vitro and in vivo metabolism may be similar, but the conditions used for the in vitro activation of these nitrosamines are inadequate to generate significant levels of nitrosamine metabolites.