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Three related forms of phenol sulfotransferase (PSULT), thermostable ST1A2 (SULT1A2hum) and ST1A3 (SULT1A1hum) and a thermolabile TL-PST (SULT1A3hum), are known to exist in human livers. Thermostable forms, whose activities are polymorphically distributed, have been shown to mediate the bioactivation of carcinogenic N-hydroxy arylamines and heterocyclic amines. To clarify the nature of the sulfation polymorphism, the study compared the expressed levels of ST1A2, ST1A3 and TL-PST mRNAs in human livers by the method of reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), utilizing HindIII, BamHI and SnaBI sites which were unique to the above PSULT cDNAs, respectively. Of the PCR products derived from human liver (n = 26), 43-89, < 1-29 and < 1-21% showed the restriction pattern characteristic for ST1A3, ST1A2 and TL-PST cDNAs, respectively, thus indicating that ST1A3 mRNA is the major transcript. Hepatic p-nitrophenol and dopamine sulfation rates ranged from 440-2670 and < 5-460 pmol/min per mg protein in the 26 individuals, respectively. The observed differences in the ST1A3 and TL-PST mRNA levels were consistent with the differences in p-nitrophenol and dopamine sulfations. Relative levels of hepatic ST1A3 mRNA were non-normally distributed and correlated significantly with p-nitrophenol sulfation. In addition, variant forms of ST1A3 mRNA encoding Arg213His and Met223Val were detected in human livers. With regard to Arg213His, 28 individuals who had homozygous 213Arg alleles, 15 individuals who were heterozygotes and nine homozygous 213His individuals were found by a newly established genotyping method among 52 human liver samples. Frequency of 223Val allele was apparently lower than that of 213His allele, as no homozygous 223Val individual and only three individuals who were heterozygotes (223Met/Val) were observed among 52 individuals. These results suggest that regulation of p-nitrophenol sulfation occurs at the level of gene transcription of ST1A3 which is the major transcript of the three PSULT mRNAs and that a polygenic basis for the apparent genetic polymorphism of sulfation was likely because of the existence of ST1A3 variants.

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DG) has been used to study the changes induced in dog plasma polypeptides by the known urinary bladder carcinogens, 4-aminobiphenyl (4-ABP) and 2-naphthylamine (2-NA). Treatment with 3-aminobiphenyl (3-ABP) and 1-naphthylamine (1-NA), both considered to be non-carcinogenic, were used as controls. The purpose of this study was: (1) to determine whether or not changes that occurred in the plasma protein patterns were specific to 4-ABP and/or other related carcinogenic arylamines; (2) to measure the time course in the changes of the major polypeptides during dosing and their resynthesis during a recovery period; and (3) to determine, by microsequencing, the biochemical identity of the affected proteins. The results indicate that only the most potent carcinogen, 4-ABP, had the effect of suppressing the expression of some proteins, while the other aromatic amines caused no discernible change in the 2DG patterns during a 12-week dosing period. The 4-ABP caused dramatic suppression of two sets of proteins. One set of three spots had an apparent molecular weight of 32.5 kDa, and a pI of 5.8-6.0. The major component in this group was identified as the beta-chain of haptoglobin. Expression of this protein decreased markedly during the first 2 weeks of treatment and recovered slowly after dosing stopped. Since haptoglobin functions to bind with free hemoglobin and facilitates its elimination from the blood stream, these results can be rationalized as a consequence of 4-ABP binding to hemoglobin in the erythrocyte, resulting in cell death and hemolysis. The 4-ABP modified hemoglobin then binds to haptoglobin and this tertiary complex is purged from the blood stream, resulting in the disappearance of free haptoglobin. A second set of spots (mol. wt., 65 kDa; pI, 6.5-6.6) disappeared much faster than the haptoglobin, and recovered more quickly. The major protein is about one-fifth the intensity of haptoglobin and appeared to be N-terminally blocked. Internal microsequencing of four fragments obtained from tryptic cleavage of the major spot of this group showed significant similarity to the serum albumin sequence of several species. This spot group is not the major serum albumin spot, however, since the latter is readily identified as the most abundant spot on the plasma map. During the course of this study, several other polypeptides in the 2DG map of dog plasma were identified and are presented here.

The 32P-postlabeling technique was used to investigate the efficiency of phosphorylation reaction by T4 polynucleotide kinase using seven synthetic adducted deoxyguanosine 3'-monophosphates. The adducts included cyclic N1,N2 derivatives and the C8 adduct of 4-aminobiphenyl. The adducted substrates were detected at a subfemtomole sensitivity except for one of the diastereomeric propanoguanine derivatives. In general, the recommended conditions were found to be proper for an efficient phosphorylation of the adducts studied. Sensitivity of the adducts to the 3'-dephosphorylation reaction of nuclease P1 was also tested. All the complex cyclic adducts were resistant towards P1. However, the ethenoguanine and 4-aminobiphenyl adducts were relatively sensitive towards P1. No differences were noted between diastereomers.

N-Methyl-4-aminoazobenzene (MAB) is believed to be metabolized in the liver to an electrophilic N-sulfonyloxy ester which binds covalently to cellular macromolecules, resulting in the induction of hepatic neoplasia. Previous in vivo studies in the rat detected only two hepatic MAB-DNA adducts, 3-(deoxyguanosin-N2-yl)-MAB(N2-dG) and N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-MAB(C8-dG), which respectively accounted for 25% and 70% of the total MAB bound to DNA at 8 h after a single dose of the carcinogen. Subsequently, the C8-dG adduct was shown to be rapidly lost from the DNA while the N2-dG adduct was a persistent lesion. Since a single dose of MAB is not sufficient for complete carcinogenic activity, we sought to identify the MAB-DNA adducts present in rat liver after multiple oral doses of [3H]MAB. The MAB was administered by intubation at a level of 0.2 mmol/kg for 1, 3 or 4 doses and animals were sacrificed at 8 h after the last dose. Hepatic DNA was isolated by extraction and hydroxylapatite chromatography and was enzymatically hydrolyzed to MAB-mononucleoside adducts, which were quantitated by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). After 3 doses, N2-dG, C8-dG, and an unknown adduct were detected. By 4 doses, these accounted for 51%, 25% and 23% of the total adducts. This data is consistent with rapid removal of the C8-dG derivative and the relative persistence of the N2-dG and the unknown adduct. The latter was shown to exhibit chromatographic and pH-dependent solvent partitioning properties that were identical to a product also present in DNA treated with the synthetic ultimate carcinogen, N-benzoyloxy-MAB. Analysis of this adduct by field desorption mass spectrometry (M+ = 460) and, after perdeuteromethylation, by electron impact mass spectrometry (M+ = 528; M-N(CH3)(CD3) = 481) indicated the structure to be a deoxyadenosin-N6-yl derivative substituted through an aromatic ring of MAB. Further analysis by 270 MHz 1H-NMR spectroscopy allowed complete assignment of the MAB and adenyl resonances and was uniquely consistent with a 3-(deoxyadenosin-N6-yl)-MAB structure. Since this persistent adduct is potentially mutagenic due to possible tautomeric equilibria between the N6-amino and N6-imino structures, it may represent an initiating lesion in MAB hepatocarcinogenesis.

Since the susceptibility of specific tissues to tumor formation has been correlated with the persistence of DNA-carcinogen adducts, the identity and persistence of DNA adducts formed from the hepatocarcinogen N-methyl-4-aminoazobenzene (MAB) has been determined. The synthetic ultimate carcinogen N-benzoyloxy-N-methyl-4-aminoazobenzene (N-BxO-MAB) was reacted in vitro with either calf thymus or rat liver DNA to yield approx. 1 bound residue per 1000 nucleotides. After enzymatic hydrolysis of the DNA and high pressure liquid chromatographic analysis, at least six MAB adducts were detected. Two of the products cochromatographed with MAB-DNA adducts formed in rat liver in vivo following oral administration of the precarcinogen MAB. These two adducts were identified by mass, UV and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy as N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)- and 3-(deoxyguanosin-N2-yl)-MAB. The former adduct was initially the predominant product in vivo, but it could not be detected 7 days following treatment. The latter adduct remained at a constant level for 14 days and therefore appears to be a persistent lesion.

N-Benzoyloxy-N-methyl-4-aminoazobenzene (N-BzO-MAB) is believed to be an analogue of the ultimate carcinogenic form of N,N-dimethyl-4-aminoazobenzene (DAB). The reaction of N-BzO-MAB with glutathione in vitro yielded one major and two minor aminoazo dye-glutathione adducts. After purification by ion exchange chromatography and high pressure liquid chromatography, analysis of chemical properties, and the measurement of ultraviolet, visible, proton magnetic resonance, and mass spectra, the major and one minor adduct were identified as 3-(glutathion-S-yl)-N-methyl-4-aminoazobenzene (3-GS-MAB) and 2'-(glutathion-S-yl)-N-methyl-4-aminoazobenzene (2'-GS-MAB) respectively. The other minor adduct was tentatively identified as 4'-(glutathion-S-yl)-N-methyl-4-aminoazobenzene (4'-GS-MAB). Fractionation and analyses of biliary metabolites from rats given DAB revealed the presence of two aminoazo dye-glutathione adducts. One of these was identical to 3-GS-MAB in its chromatographic and chemical properties and its visible and ultraviolet spectra. The other adduct was partially characterized and judged to be a 4-aminoazobenzene-glutathione adduct. The role of glutathione in the detoxification of carcinogenic aminoazo dyes is discussed.

On the administration of 3'-methyl-N,N-dimethyl-4-aminoazobenzene to rats pure aminoazo dye-bound alcohol dehydrogenase accounting for 45% of the total soluble protein bound aminoazo dye is isolated from the liver soluble supernatant. Tryptic digestion of that purified aminoazo dye-bound enzyme yields an aminoazo dye-bound nonapeptide which has a sequence identical to amino acids 301-309 in the known sequence of alcohol dehydrogenase (H. Jornvall and O. Markovic, Eur. J. Biochem., 29 (1972) 167-174) with the exception of methionine 306 which is replaced by an aminoazo dye modified amino acid. The nature of the aminoazo dye adduct was determined by studying the structure of the related tetrapeptide obtained by Pronase B digestion and shown by proton NMR spectroscopy and fast atom bombardment mass spectroscopy to have the structure 3-(Val. Asn. Pro. Homocystein-S-yl)-4-methylamino-3'-methylazobenzene. This carcinogen-protein adduct is assumed to arise from attack of the ultimate carcinogenic metabolite, N-sulphonyloxy-4-methylamino-3'-methylazobenzene (FF. Kadlubar, J.A. Miller and E.C. Miller, Cancer Res., 36 (1976) 2350-2359) at the sulphur of methionine 306 followed by spontaneous S-demethylation. This highly specific reaction of carcinogen with alcohol dehydrogenase lowers its Vmax and increases its Km with cyclohexanone thereby reducing its catalytic efficiency for this substrate. This highly specific reaction of the carcinogen with alcohol dehydrogenase may be regarded as a major detoxication reaction.

Several carcinogenic aromatic amines and polycyclic hydrocarbons react covalently with the exocyclic amino group (N2) of guanine in DNA. In this study, space-filling molecular models of DNA containing N2-guanyl adducts of 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) or benzo[a]pyrene (BP) were constructued. From these models and from available physico-chemical data, it is suggested that the N2 adducts may be easily converted from the normal anti to a syn conformation (base/deoxyribose). This confuguration causes minimal distortion of the DNA model with only a 2--3 A shift in the helical axis of symmetry. Such an alteration may account for the persistence of these adducts in DNA and for the frameshift mutations induced by these carcinogens. Additionally, the syn N2-guanyl configuration places the N-7 and O6 atoms of the modified syn guanine in the base pairing region such that, duration replication, mispairing with N-1 and N2 of an opposite guanine may occur. This would then represent a carcinogen-induced transversion mutation and may lead to neoplastic transformation.

The reaction of glutathione (GSH) with metabolically-formed N-methyl-4-aminoazobenzene-N-sulfate (MAB-N-sulfate), a presumed ultimate carcinogenic metabolite of N,N-dimethyl-4-aminoazobenzene (DAB), was investigated using a hepatic sulfotransferase incubation mixture containing GSH and the proximate carcinogen, N-hydroxy-N-methyl-4-aminoazobenzene (N-HO-MAB). Under these conditions, 6--16% of the MAB-N-sulfate formed could be trapped as an aminoazo dye-GSH adduct. Upon subsequent purification, the adduct was shown to be chromatographically and spectrally identical to 3-(glutathion-S-yl)-N-methyl-4-aminoazobenzene (3-GS-MAB), a known biliary metabolite of DAB and a product of the reaction of the synthetic ultimate carcinogen, N-benzoyloxy-N-methyl-4-aminoazobenzene(N-BzO-MAB), with GSH. Neither 2'- nor 4'-GS-MAB, both products of the latter reaction, were detected in the sulfotransferase incubation mixture. GSH-S-transferases did not appear to be involved in the reaction of MAB-N-sulfate of N-BzO-MAB with GSH. The addition of triethyltin, a potent GSH-S-transferase inhibitor, had no effect on the yield of 3-GS-MAB in (N-HO-MAB sulfotransferase)-GSH incubations; and the addition of cytosol or purified GSH transferases A and B to a (N-BzO-MAB)-GSH reaction mixture did not increase the amount of 3-GS-MAB formed.

A major biliary metabolite of the hepatocarcinogen, N,N-dimethyl-4-aminoazobenzene (DAB), in the rat was identified as N-(glutathion-S-methylene)-4-aminoazobenzene (GS-CH2-AB). This conjugate was prepared synthetically by a Mannich condensation of 4-aminoazobenzene (AB), formaldehyde (CH2O) and glutathione (GSH) and has been characterized by chemical analysis and by ultraviolet, visible and 13C-NMR spectroscopy. The same conjugate was also formed in vitro by incubating N-methyl-4-aminoazobenzene (MAB), NADPH, NADH and GSH with rat hepatic microsomes. Evidence is presented that GSH reacted with an intermediate resulting from a cytochrome P-450-dependent oxidation of the N-methyl substituent. This reactive intermediate is presumed to be either an N-methylol or a methimine derivative of AB. The significance of this detoxification mechanism is discussed. The presence of an additional major aminoazo-dye GSH conjugate is also noted.

The hepatic metabolism of arylamine bladder carcinogens to N-hydroxy arylamine N-glucuronides, their excretion in the urine, and their subsequent acidic hydrolysis to highly carcinogenic and reactive N-hydroxy arylamines have been proposed as essential steps in arylamine-induced urinary bladder carcinogenesis. In this study, alteration of urinary pH, inhibition of metabolic sulfation, and blockage of biliary disposition were shown to profoundly affect the urinary excretion of the probable ultimate bladder carcinogen, N-hydroxy-2-naphthylamine (N-HO-2-NA) and its N-glucuronide conjugate. The normal pH of rat urine (6.7) was altered to 5.7 or 7.7 by administration of NH4Cl or NaHCO3 in the drinking water. Subsequent treatment with either 2-naphthylamine (2-NA) or 2-nitronaphthalene (2-NN) resulted in increased urinary levels of free N-HO-2-NA (relative to its N-glucuronide) in acidic urines and decreased relative amounts of free N-HO-2-NA in alkaline urines. In addition, 2-NN yielded 5--10-fold greater levels of urinary N-HO-2-NA and its N-glucuronide than rats given 2-NA; and 2-NA was not detected as a urinary metabolite of 2-NN. Some 12 additional metabolites of 2-NA and 2-NN were also found. Of these, 2-amino-1-naphthol and its sulfate and glucuronide conjugates were quantitated. From these data, 2-NA and 2-NN appear to share common metabolic pathways which yield free N-HO-2-NA as a putative ultimate urinary bladder carcinogen. Pentachlorophenol, a known inhibitor of hepatic sulfotransferases, was shown to cause a 2--3-fold increase in the urinary levels of N-HO-2-NA N-glucuronide and N-HO-2-NA from 2-NA-treated rats. Similarly, inhibition of the biliary excretion of 2-NA by bile duct ligation resulted in a 6-fold increase in total urinary N-HO-2-NfA. Furthermore, analyses of bile revealed that substantial amounts of N-HO-2-NA N-glucuronide, but not free N-HO-2-NA, were present. The role of urinary versus biliary excretion of N-hydroxy arylamines in relation to bladder and colon carcinogenesis is discussed.

2-Nitrosofluorene (NOF) and N-hydroxy-2-aminofluorene (N-HO-AF) are potent direct-acting mutagens, derived from metabolic activation of the carcinogen, N-acetyl-2-aminofluorene (AAF). To assess the ability of cellular glutathione (GSH) to detoxify these electrophilic derivatives, we examined the reaction of NOF and N-HO-AF with GSH in vitro. Two reaction products were isolated and identified as glutathionyl derivatives of 2-aminofluorene (AF) containing an N-S linkage. Amino acid analysis, infrared and NMR (500 MHz) spectroscopy, fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry and analysis of reaction characteristics and hydrolysis products established their structures as N-(glutathion-S-yl)-2-aminofluorene S-oxide (GS-AFI) and N-(glutathion-S-yl)-2-aminofluorene (GS-AFII). Ascorbic acid, which reduces NOF to N-HO-AF, was used to modify reaction yields. These results indicated that GS-AFI was derived from reaction with NOF and that GS-AFII could be formed from both NOF and N-HO-AF. A reaction scheme is proposed in which NOF reacts with GSH to form an intermediate addition product that can rearrange either to GS-AFI or be reduced to GS-AFII. The latter could also be formed by direct reaction with N-HO-AF.