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Importance: Suicide risk is a global public health crisis, with suicide ranking as a consistent leading cause of death among adults in the US. Autistic individuals and transgender or gender-nonconforming (TGNC) individuals represent populations with notably elevated rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs)., Objective: To characterize suicidal thoughts and behaviors among TGNC and autistic individuals, using a large, nationally representative sample., Design, Setting, and Participants: This study is a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from students at colleges and universities throughout the US who participated in the American College Health Association National College Health Assessment from 2019 to 2023., Exposures: Autistic and TGNC identities were self-reported by participants., Main Outcomes and Measures: The frequency of intersectionality of autism and TGNC identities and whether those who had intersectional marginalized identities had increased likelihood of STBs were examined. STBs were self-reported by participants. A series of moderated regression analyses were performed to examine how the interaction between autism and possessing a marginalized gender identity (ie, TGNC status) was associated with STBs., Results: The sample included 41 507 college students with a mean (SD) age of 23.35 (6.83) years. A total of 2410 participants (5.81%) identified as being TGNC. Overall, 326 TGNC participants (13.53%) also identified as autistic, whereas 625 of those who identified as cisgender (1.58%) also identified as autistic. Gender identity and autism were associated with greater odds of STBs. For suicidal ideation, gender identity had an odds ratio (OR) of 3.34 (95% CI, 2.99-3.73), and autism had an OR of 2.06 (95% CI, 1.76-2.42). For suicide attempts, gender identity had an OR of 2.74 (95% CI, 2.13-3.52), and autism had an OR of 2.39 (95% CI, 1.62-3.52). A significant interaction existed for attempts (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.27-0.97); nonautistic cisgender individuals had the lowest attempt rate., Conclusions and Relevance: This cross-sectional study addresses the dearth of information on how intersectionality in gender and autism status impacts the risk of STBs, and the results confirm the elevated risk of STBs among TGNC and autistic populations. Interventions are needed to support college students with these identities.

Aims: Drug disposition in children may vary from adults due to age-related variation in drug metabolism. Microdose studies present an innovation to study pharmacokinetics (PK) in paediatrics; however, they should be used only when the PK is dose linear. We aimed to assess dose linearity of a [ 14 C]midazolam microdose, by comparing the PK of an intravenous (IV) microtracer (a microdose given simultaneously with a therapeutic midazolam dose), with the PK of a single isolated microdose., Methods: Preterm to 2-year-old infants admitted to the intensive care unit received [ 14 C]midazolam IV as a microtracer or microdose, followed by dense blood sampling up to 36 hours. Plasma concentrations of [ 14 C]midazolam and [ 14 C]1-hydroxy-midazolam were determined by accelerator mass spectrometry. Noncompartmental PK analysis was performed and a population PK model was developed., Results: Of 15 infants (median gestational age 39.4 [range 23.9-41.4] weeks, postnatal age 11.4 [0.6-49.1] weeks), 6 received a microtracer and 9 a microdose of [ 14 C]midazolam (111 Bq kg -1 ; 37.6 ng kg -1 ). In a 2-compartment PK model, bodyweight was the most significant covariate for volume of distribution. There was no statistically significant difference in any PK parameter between the microdose and microtracer, nor in the area under curve ratio [ 14 C]1-OH-midazolam/[ 14 C]midazolam, showing the PK of midazolam to be linear within the range of the therapeutic and microdoses., Conclusion: Our data support the dose linearity of the PK of an IV [ 14 C]midazolam microdose in children. Hence, a [ 14 C]midazolam microdosing approach may be used as an alternative to a therapeutic dose of midazolam to study developmental changes in hepatic CYP3A activity in young children., (© 2019 The Authors. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Pharmacological Society.)

The Prestwick library was screened for antibacterial activity or "antibiotic resistance breaker" (ARB) potential against four species of Gram-negative pathogens. Discounting known antibacterials, the screen identified very few ARB hits, which were strain/drug specific. These ARB hits included antimetabolites (zidovudine, floxuridine, didanosine, and gemcitabine), anthracyclines (daunorubicin, mitoxantrone, and epirubicin), and psychoactive drugs (gabapentin, fluspirilene, and oxethazaine). These findings suggest that there are few approved drugs that could be directly repositioned as adjunct antibacterials, and these will need robust testing to validate efficacy., (© Crown copyright 2019.)

Aims: To evaluate the pharmacokinetics (PK) of five H(1) receptor antagonists in human volunteers after a single oral and intravenous (i.v.) microdose (0.1 mg)., Methods: Five H(1) receptor antagonists, namely NBI-1, NBI-2, NBI-3, NBI-4 and diphenhydramine, were administered to human volunteers as a single 0.1-mg oral and i.v. dose. Blood samples were collected up to 48 h, and the parent compound in the plasma extract was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography and accelerator mass spectroscopy., Results: The median clearance (CL), apparent volume of distribution (V(d)) and apparent terminal elimination half-life (t(1/2)) of diphenhydramine after an i.v. microdose were 24.7 l h(-1), 302 l and 9.3 h, and the oral C(max) and AUC(0-infinity) were 0.195 ng ml(-1) and 1.52 ng h ml(-1), respectively. These data were consistent with previously published diphenhydramine data at 500 times the microdose. The rank order of oral bioavailability of the five compounds was as follows: NBI-2 > NBI-1 > NBI-3 > diphenhydramine > NBI-4, whereas the rank order for CL was NBI-4 > diphenhydramine > NBI-1 > NBI-3 > NBI-2., Conclusions: Human microdosing provided estimates of clinical PK of four structurally related compounds, which were deemed useful for compound selection.

The levels of aflatoxin B(1)-DNA and aflatoxin B(1)-albumin adducts were investigated by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) in humans and rats following exposure to a known, dietary relevant amount of carbon-14 labeled aflatoxin B(1) ([(14)C]AFB(1)). The aims of the study were to: (a) investigate the dose-dependent formation of DNA and protein adducts at very low doses of AFB(1) (0.16 ng/kg-12.3 microg/kg) in the rat; (b) measure the levels of AFB(1)-albumin and AFB(1)-DNA adducts at known, relevant exposures in humans (c) study rat to human extrapolations of AFB(1)-albumin and DNA adduct levels. The results in the rat showed that both AFB(1)-albumin adduct and AFB(1)-DNA adduct formation were linear over this wide dose range. The order of adduct formation within the tissues studied was liver>kidney>colon>lung=spleen. Consenting volunteers received 1 microg ( approximately 15 ng/kg) of [(14)C]AFB(1) in a capsule approximately approximately 3.5-7 h prior to undergoing colon surgery. The mean level of human AFB(1)-albumin adducts was 38.8+/-19.55 pg [(14)C]AFB(1)/mg albumin/microg AFB(1)/kg body weight (b.w.), which was not statistically different to the equivalent dose in the rat (15 ng/kg) 42.29+/-7.13 pg [(14)C]AFB(1)/mg albumin/microg AFB(1)/kg b.w. There was evidence to suggest the formation of AFB(1)-DNA adducts in the human colon at very low doses. Comparison of the linear regressions of hepatic AFB(1)-DNA adduct and AFB(1)-albumin adduct levels in rat found them to be statistically similar suggesting that the level of AFB(1)-albumin adducts are useful biomarkers for AFB(1) dosimetry and may reflect the DNA adduct levels in the target tissue. [(14)C]AFB(1)-DNA and [(14)C]AFB(1)-albumin adducts were hydrolysed and analysed by HPLC to confirm that the [(14)C] measured by AMS was derived from the expected [(14)C]AFB(1) adducts.

Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) is an extremely sensitive nuclear physics technique developed in the mid-70's for radiocarbon dating of historical artefacts. The technique centres round the use of a tandem Van de Graaff accelerator to generate the potential energy to permit separation of elemental isotopes at the single atom level. AMS was first used in the early 90's for the analysis of biological samples containing enriched 14C for toxicology and cancer research. Since that time biomedical AMS has been used in the study of (1) metabolism of xenobiotics in animals and humans (2) pathways of drug metabolism (3) biomarkers (4) metabolism of endogenous molecules including vitamins (5) DNA and protein binding studies and (6) clinical diagnosis. A new drug development concept which relies on the ultrasensitivity of AMS known as human microdosing (Phase 0) is being used to obtain early human metabolism information of candidate drugs arising out of discovery. These various aspects of AMS are reviewed in this article and a perspective on future applications of AMS provided.

This study was aimed to establish whether tamoxifen binds irreversibly to uterine DNA when given to women. Patients were given a single therapeutic dose of [(14)C]tamoxifen citrate orally (20 mg, 0.37 or 1.85 MBq) approximately 18 h prior to hysterectomy or breast surgery. Nonmalignant uterine tissue was separated into myometrium and endometrium. DNA and protein were isolated and bound radiolabel determined by the sensitive technique of accelerator mass spectrometry. Levels of irreversible DNA binding of tamoxifen in the endometrium of treated patients were 237 +/- 77 adducts/10(12) nucleotides (mean +/- SE, n = 10). In myometrial tissues, a similar extent of DNA binding was detected (492 +/- 112 adducts/10(12) nucleotides). Binding of tamoxifen to endometrial and myometrial proteins was 10 +/- 3 and 20 +/- 4 fmol/mg, respectively. In breast tissue, sufficient DNA could not be extracted but protein binding was an order of magnitude higher than that seen with endometrial proteins (358 +/- 81 fmol/mg). These results demonstrate that after oral administration, tamoxifen forms adducts in human uterine DNA but at low numbers relative to those previously reported in women after long-term tamoxifen treatment where levels, when detected, ranged from 15000 to 130000 adducts/10(12) nucleotides. Our findings support the hypothesis that the low level of DNA adducts in human uterus is unlikely to be involved with endometrial cancer development.

The formation of DNA adducts in human HepG2 cells and human hepatocytes exposed to 14C-labelled 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) was examined using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS). PhIP generated DNA adducts in a linear dose-dependent manner between 100 pM and 20 micro M. Co-treatment with the dietary isothiocyanate, sulforaphane (SFN, 1-10 micro M), or the flavonoid, quercetin (5-20 micro M), significantly reduced the level of PhIP-DNA adducts in a dose-dependent manner. The degree of protection was dependent on PhIP concentration, i.e. after 100 pM PhIP exposure, SFN or quercetin reduced adduct levels to below the limit of detection (0.15 amol PhIP/ micro g DNA) but at higher PhIP exposure (10 nM and 1 micro M), the protection was 60 and 10%, respectively. The involvement of phase I, phase II and DNA repair enzymes in this protection against PhIP-DNA adduct formation was investigated using real-time RT-PCR and enzyme activity assays. In intact HepG2 cells, quercetin inhibited cytochrome P450 (CYP)1A2, the main phase I enzyme responsible for PhIP bioactivation. In contrast, SFN induced phase II detoxification enzymes, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 and glutathione S-transferase A1 mRNA expression. SFN and quercetin showed no effect on DNA repair, neither in terms of the level of PhIP-DNA adducts, when cells were treated with phytochemicals after the carcinogen exposure, nor the regulation of mRNA expression of two DNA repair enzymes, apurinic endonuclease and DNA polymerase beta. This study indicates that dietary isothiocyanates and flavonoids modulate phase I and phase II enzyme expression, hence increasing the rate of detoxification of the dietary carcinogen PhIP in human HepG2 cells but do not affect the rate of PhIP-DNA adduct repair. The formation of PhIP-DNA adducts in human hepatocytes was also dose-dependent with PhIP-concentration and the levels of protection by SFN or quercetin were up to 60% after 10 nM PhIP treatment, but showed large inter-individual variation with no observed protection in some individuals.

Fast N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) acetylators may be at increased risk of colorectal cancer through the activation of carcinogenic heterocyclic amines (HA), which are produced by meat cooked at high temperatures and are found in cigarette smoke. A study of 500 incident colorectal cancer cases and population controls, matched for age, sex and general practitioner, was conducted in the UK to investigate this hypothesis. Usual meat intake and lifetime smoking habits were estimated using a detailed questionnaire administered by interview. Subjects also indicated how well cooked they ate their meat. Subjects were classified as fast or slow NAT2 acetylators on the basis of NAT2 genotype. Complete genotype data were available on 433 matched pairs. The risk of colorectal cancer showed a steady increase with meat intake, rising to an odds ratio of 1.51 [95% confidence interval (1.03, 2.23)] for the highest versus the lowest quartile, after adjustment for total energy intake, and this was even more pronounced for red meat [odds ratio 1.97 (1.30, 2.98)]. However, this effect was not influenced by the preference for well-done meat. Smoking was also associated with an increased risk [odds ratio 1.47 (1.10, 1.98) for ever- versus never-smokers]. In both cases and controls approximately 40% of subjects were classified as fast acetylators, and the risks associated with (red) meat intake and smoking did not vary with NAT2 status. This study provides no support for the hypothesis that fast NAT2 acetylators are at increased risk of colorectal cancer, even if exposed to high levels of HA from well-cooked meat or smoking.

Aims: Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the cytochrome P450 enzyme 1A2 gene (CYP1A2) have been reported. Here, frequencies, linkage disequilibrium and phenotypic consequences of six SNPs are described., Methods: From genomic DNA, 114 British Caucasians (49 colorectal cancer cases and 65 controls) were genotyped for the CYP1A2 polymorphisms -3858G-->A (allele CYP1A2*1C), -2464T-->delT (CYP1A2*1D), -740T-->G (CYP1A2*1E and *1G), -164A-->C (CYP1A2*1F), 63C-->G (CYP1A2*2), and 1545T-->C (alleles CYP1A2*1B, *1G, *1H and *3), using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assays. All patients and controls were phenotyped for CYP1A2 by h.p.l.c. analysis of urinary caffeine metabolites., Results: In 114 samples, the most frequent CYP1A2 SNPs were 1545T-->C (38.2% of tested chromosomes), -164A-->C (CYP1A2*1F, 33.3%) and -2464T-->delT (CYP1A2*1D, 4.82%). The SNPs were in linkage disequilibrium: the most frequent constellations were found to be -3858G/-2464T/-740T/-164A/63C/1545T (61.8%), -3858G/-2464T/-740T/-164C/63C/1545C (33.3%), and -3858G/-2464delT/-740T/-164A/63C/1545C (3.51%), with no significant frequency differences between cases and controls. In the phenotype analysis, lower caffeine metabolic ratios were detected in cases than in controls. This was significant in smokers (n = 14, P = 0.020), and in a subgroup of 15 matched case-control pairs (P = 0.007), but it was not significant in nonsmokers (n = 100, P = 0.39). There was no detectable association between CYP1A2 genotype and caffeine phenotype., Conclusions: (i) CYP1A2 polymorphisms are in linkage disequilibrium. Therefore, only -164A-->C (CYP1A2*1F) and -2464T-->delT (CYP1A2*1D) need to be analysed in the routine assessment of CYP1A2 genotype; (ii) in vivo CYP1A2 activity is lower in colorectal cancer patients than in controls, and (iii) CYP1A2 genotype had no effect on phenotype (based on the caffeine metabolite ratio). However, this remains to be confirmed in a larger study.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most significant causes of cancer death. A genetic model for colorectal cancer has been proposed in which the sequential accumulation of mutations in specific genes, including adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), Kirsten-ras (K-ras), and p53, drives the transition from healthy colonic epithelia through increasingly dysplastic adenoma to colorectal cancer. We have characterized tumor mutation spectra in a large cohort of colorectal cancer patients. In marked contrast to the predictions of the sequential model of mutation accumulation, only 6.6% of tumors were found to contain mutations in APC, K-ras, and p53, with 38.7% of tumors containing mutations in only one of these genes. The most common combination of mutations was p53 and APC (27.1%), whereas mutations in both p53 and K-ras were extremely rare. Statistical analysis (two-sided Fisher's exact test) confirmed that mutations in K-ras and p53 co-occurred less frequently than expected by chance (P < 0.01, Fisher's exact test). This finding suggests that these mutations lie on alternate pathways of colorectal tumor development. The heterogeneous pattern of tumor mutations in our patient cohort suggests that multiple alternative genetic pathways to colorectal cancer exist and that the widely accepted genetic model of cancer development is not representative of the majority of colorectal tumors.

Twenty-eight transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder, grade 2 or 3, were analyzed for the presence of p53 mutations. Thirteen tumors were found to contain 14 mutations. These were all base substitution mutations, of which nine were GC-->AT transitions (three at CpG sites). The remaining five mutations were transversions (three GC-->CG, one GC-->TA, and one AT-->TA). Four of the mutations were found at codon 280. A comparison with other studies of bladder tumors reveals that a region encompassing codons 280 and 285 represents a hot spot for p53 mutation in bladder cancer. The 280/285 hot spot lies within two purine-rich sequences that may provide some clues to the identity of potential bladder carcinogens. A comparison of mutations from bladder tumors of smokers and nonsmokers reveals no significant differences.

To investigate the use of UvrB-binding to detect DNA damage, mobility shift gel electrophoresis was used to detect binding of UvrB protein to a 136 bp DNA fragment that was randomly adducted with aflatoxin B1 8,9-epoxide and end-labelled with 32P. After polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the shifted band that contained DNA bound by UvrB was quantified as a percentage of total radioactive substrate DNA. This method was applied to analyse plasmid DNA that was adducted with various DNA modifying agents in vitro. These adducts competed for UvrB-binding to the labelled substrate. By competing for UvrB-binding with 10 ng of plasmid DNA that was adducted with known levels of aflatoxin B1, 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline, or benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide, UvrB competition could be quantified for DNA adducted with between one adduct in 10(2) and one adduct in 10(5) normal nucleotides. However, plasmid DNA exposed to N-methyl-N-nitrosourea or methylene blue + visible light, did not compete for UvrB-binding, even though the presence of UvrABC sensitive sites were confirmed on this DNA by a UvrABC incision assay. Mono-adducted 96-bp DNA substrates, which contained an internal 32P-label and either a single apurinic site, aflatoxin B1-guanine adduct, O6-methylguanine, 8-oxo-deoxyguanosine or non-adducted guanine, were also used as substrates for UvrA- and UvrB-binding to examine the stability of UvrB-DNA complexes with specific adducts. Under similar conditions used for the competition assay, significant UvrB-binding was seen only for the aflatoxin adducted substrate. These results suggest that stability of UvrB-binding varies greatly between bulky and non-bulky adducts. It was also found that rat liver DNA from untreated rats inhibited UvrB-binding to the substrate DNA in the competition assay, to a degree that was equivalent to competition with plasmid adducted at one adduct in 10(3) normal nucleotides.

Thirteen of 28 patients (46%) with grade 2-3 multifocal transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder were found to have p53 mutations using DNA sequence analysis. These were subsequently utilized as tumor-specific biomarkers. Analysis of 17 episodes of recurrence from five of the patients revealed that all but one carried the identical mutation to the primary tumor. Thirty urine samples were collected, at initial diagnosis and during follow-up screening, from eight patients with mutations over a period of 24 months. Sequence analysis of PCR products generated from DNA extracted from the urine sediments was carried out. The p53 mutation seen in the primary tumors was detectable in 24 of 30 urine samples. The remaining six cases coincided with a negative cystoscopic examination. Interestingly, 6 of the 24 urine samples in which mutations were detectable also coincided with negative cystoscopy. The results are consistent with: (a) monoclonality of multifocal TCC; (b) the spread of TCC through a seeding mechanism; and (c) the long-term persistence of tumor cell clones (up to 97 months) within the bladder, even in the absence of obvious tumor growth.

In contrast to acute or chronic dosing experiments with a single chemical in animals, man is exposed to thousands of chemicals during a lifetime. Each of these may act alone, additively, synergistically or antagonistically in terms of biological effects, but most current risk assessment procedures fail to recognize such interactions. In carcinogenesis, a mutational process that is thought to occur through DNA damage by endogenous and/or exogenous agents, a wide variety of host factors is involved in disease outcome. These include absorption of chemicals, their distribution, metabolism and excretion. In addition, once metabolic activation has occurred, there is an array of protective mechanisms that cells have evolved to maintain DNA integrity, such as DNA repair, genetic redundancy and programmed cell death. One approach to risk assessment is to regard all DNA-damaging events as potentially leading to cancer and to measure DNA damage as the biologically relevant endpoint. The main method, if not the only method, presently available to assay a wide range of DNA adducts is 32P-postlabelling. This method has high sensitivity (limit of detection > 1 adduct per 10(10) nucleotides) and is capable of visualizing many different DNA adducts in a single analysis. Postlabelling is best suited for detecting hydrophobic adducts--low molecular weight adducts usually need a preliminary separation procedure prior to being postlabelled. This chromatographic procedure has been used to study DNA samples from human tissues of cigarette smokers, occupationally exposed groups and individuals living in polluted environments. Correlations have been found between the severity of exposure and the level of DNA adducts detected for human samples. However, most studies are single-time point studies, whereas for risk assessment purposes it may be better to use more quantitative and representative measures of long-term exposure, for example the number of adducts formed per annum. This article reviews methods of DNA adduct measurement, with particular reference to the 32P-postlabelling technique, which has been used to determine DNA adduct levels in populations exposed to complex mixtures.

Whilst p53 aberrations have been documented in numerous malignancies, reports of alterations to the deleted in colorectal cancer (dcc) gene are infrequent, and studies investigating the status of both genes in the same colon tumour are rare. In this study we have analysed a panel of 35 pairs of normal and neoplastic human colorectal tissues for abnormalities in these tumour-suppressor genes. In contrast to previous studies we have found only a low incidence of mutations and deletions. p53 point mutations were identified in 8/35 tumours (22%). All were G.C to A.T transitions, with 7/8 occurring at CpG dinucleotides. p53 allelic loss was detected in 4/11 informative cases (36%). Although not quite attaining statistical significance, p53 alteration correlated with the adenoma/carcinoma transition. Gross dcc alterations were identified by Southern blotting in 7/35 (20%) tumours. Microsatellite analysis using two markers, one within and one proximal to the dcc gene, detected a low frequency of deletion overall (41% informative cases). 18q/dcc aberrations were associated with the progression of early to late carcinoma, rather than with increasing adenoma size, as has been previously reported. Both p53 alterations and dcc deletions were detected at a higher frequency in distal tumours than in proximal malignancies. Two tumours exhibiting microsatellite instability in both markers were each of proximal origin.

This study analysed gastric mucosal DNA by 32P-postlabelling in a series of patients who have had previous vagotomy for benign peptic ulcer disease. DNA adduct levels were found to be significantly higher in patients who had had previous truncal vagotomy than in those who had had previous highly selective vagotomy (p < 0.001). Intragastric bile concentrations were also considerably higher in patients after truncal vagotomy but there was no correlation between intragastric bile concentrations and DNA adduct levels. These results suggest that, although duodenogastric reflux may be a cause of gastric mucosal DNA damage in the stomach after vagotomy, measurement of total intragastric bile does not accurately reflect genotoxic insult.

Although the aflatoxins were discovered more than 30 years ago, there is still considerable controversy surrounding their human health effects. Most countries have introduced legislation to control the level of aflatoxins in food, but it is not known if these permitted levels still pose a significant cancer risk. Furthermore, it is unlikely that all the sources of human aflatoxin exposure have been discovered, nor if the liver is the only, or indeed, major target organ for aflatoxin-induced cancer in man. In our laboratory we have used both immunological and HPLC methods to examine human DNA from a variety of tissues and organs to identify and quantify aflatoxin DNA-adducts. We have already detected aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-DNA adducts in formalin-fixed tissue from an acute poisoning incident in Southeast Asia. Here we have examined human colon and rectum DNA from normal and tumorous tissue obtained from cancer patients and colon, liver, pancreas, breast, and cervix DNA from autopsy specimens. AFB1-DNA adducts were detected in all tissue types examined and ranged from 0-60 adducts/10(6) nucleotides. Where sample size allowed, the adduct levels were confirmed by HPLC analysis. Tumor tissues tended to have higher adduct levels than normal tissue from the same individual, and levels generally increased with patient age. In samples analyzed by HPLC, the adducts present had the chromatographic properties of [8,9-dihydro-8-(N5-formyl)-2',5',6'-triamino-4'-oxo-(N5-pyramidyl) -9- hydroxy-aflatoxin B1, the ring-opened form of the AFB1-guanine adduct.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Administration of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) orally at either 0.5 g or 1 g/kg daily for 14 days to rats did not produce any DNA adducts in the forestomach as measured by the 32P-postlabeling method using (1) limiting concentrations of 32P-ATP; (2) nuclease P1 enhancement; or (3) butanol extraction. Experiments were conducted to establish the effects of BHA administration on aristolochic acid (AA) DNA adduct formation in the forestomach and liver, when BHA was administered prior to, together with or after AA administration. Adduct levels per 10(9) nucleotides in the liver after oral dosing daily for 5 days with 1 mg/kg AA and BHA (1 g/kg) or corn oil (5 ml/kg) for 7 days were as follows: (a) BHA and AA given simultaneously; 235 +/- 71, (b) AA + corn oil; 63 +/- 39, (c) AA followed by BHA; 57 +/- 13, (d) AA followed by corn oil; 91 +/- 38, (e) BHA followed by AA; 90 +/- 12, (f) corn oil followed by AA; 83 +/- 24. For the forestomach the values were: (a) 236 +/- 86, (b) 77 +/- 25, (c) 367 +/- 97, (d) 296 +/- 47, (e) 217 +/- 81, (f) 70 +/- 64. These data suggest that BHA could have an enhancing effect on AA-induced lesions in the forestomach if dosed together with, or prior to, AA as adduct levels are significantly higher than in controls.

The ability of 51 compounds, of known carcinogenic potential, to induce "unscheduled DNA synthesis" in HeLa cells has been tested in the presence or absence of a rat liver mixed-function oxidase preparation. Chemicals tested included those giving erroneous results in bacterial mutagenicity assays as well as representative compounds from various classes of chemical carcinogens including nitrosamines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aromatic amines, and mycotoxins. Of the compounds assayed, all noncarcinogens failed to induce DNA repair; of 38 compounds of demonstrated carcinogenicity, 34 were active; safrole, N-propyl-N-nitrosourea, aflatoxin B2 and N-butyl-N-nitrosourea were, however, inactive. Six compounds for which carcinogenicity data are incomplete were active, namely, 4-nitro-o-phenylenediamine, 2-nitro-p-phenylenediamine, formaldehyde, 2,2'-dichlorobenzidine, 3,3',5,5'-tetrafluorobenzidine, and 3,3',5,5'-tetrachlorobenzidine. Three carcinogens that are weakly active or inactive in bacterial mutagenicity assays, i.e., urethan, N-dimethyl-p-aminoazobenzene, and diethylstilbestrol were active in our assay. The bacterial mutagens sodium azide and 9-aminoacridine were both inactive. The use of this assay in a tier scheme for the short-term testing of potential chemical carcinogens is discussed.

The major adduct formed on acid hydrolysis of calf thymus DNA which has been reacted with 8,9-dichloro-8,9-dihydroaflatoxin B1, a chemical model of the ultimate carcinogen 8,9-dihydro-8,9-epoxyaflatoxin B1 (AFB1-epoxide), has been characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance and fast atom bombardment mass spectroscopy. This adduct has been identified as an N7-substituted guanine adduct analogous to that formed on reaction of AFB1-8,9-epoxide with DNA in vivo and in vitro, namely trans-8,9-dihydro-8-(7-guanyl)-9-hydroxy AFB1. This 8,9-dichloro-8,9-dihydroaflatoxin B1 adduct in DNA, like its equivalent B1 adduct in DNA, like its equivalent AFB1-epoxide adduct, is prone to quantitative imidazole ring opening of the substituted guanine in mildly alkaline conditions and to substantial depurination under mildly acidic conditions.

Rat hepatic cytosolic proteins which sediment at 4-5 S on sucrose gradients exhibit high-affinity saturable binding for the carcinogen 3-methylcholanthrene. A rat liver protein of Stokes' radius 3 nm, Mr by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis of 39,000 and with specific 3-methylcholanthrene-binding activity sedimenting at 4.5 S, has been purified 315-fold to apparent homogeneity by using affinity chromatography on a column of 1-hydroxy-3-methylcholanthrene coupled to epoxy-activated Sepharose 6B, in conjunction with two gel-filtration steps. The protein purified by this technique was shown to be associated with the observed specific 3-methylcholanthrene-binding activity by photoaffinity labelling with 1-oxo-3-methylcholanthrene.

Human colon and bronchus tissue explants were incubated with either [3H]benzo(a)pyrene ([3H]BP) or [3H]-6-nitrobenzo(a)pyrene ([3H]-6-NBP). The total percentage of metabolism of BP and 6-NBP was, respectively, 8-59% and 18-41% in bronchus and 11-23% and 36-50% in colon. A product tentatively identified as 3-hydroxy-6-NBP was isolated from the 6-NBP incubation medium. BP and 6-NBP when incubated at equivalent concentrations were found to bind covalently to the DNA of human bronchi from 15 cases at means of 42 and 50.9 pmol/10 mg DNA, respectively, and to the DNA of human colon from 6 cases at means of 66.5 and 35 pmol/10 mg DNA, respectively. The range among individuals was within one order of magnitude. High pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) of enzymic hydrolysates of human bronchus explant DNA revealed one adduct from the BP-incubated bronchus which cochromatographed with (+/-)-7,8-dihydroxy-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9, 10-tetrahydrobenzo(a)pyrene-deoxyguanosine and a possible two adducts from the 6-NBP-incubated bronchus which eluted earlier than did the BP adduct. DNA obtained from the lung or liver of rats given 2.0-mg/kg doses of either [3H]BP or [3H]-6-NBP by i.p. injection was also enzymically hydrolyzed and analyzed on HPLC. Three DNA adducts were observed in liver and two were observed in lung DNA hydrolysates from rats given injections of [3H]BP. One adduct from each organ cochromatographed with (+/-)-7,8-dihydroxy-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo(a)pyrene- deoxyguanosine; however, the major adduct in each case eluted earlier. Only one adduct was detected in liver and lung DNA hydrolysates from rats given [3H]-6-NBP, and this had the same retention time as did the major adduct isolated from human bronchus that had been incubated previously with [3H]-6-NBP. Salmonella typhimurium TA98 was incubated with [3H]-6-NBP and Aroclor-induced rat liver S9. Enzymically hydrolyzed DNA analyzed by HPLC revealed three adducts, two of which cochromatographed with the two DNA adducts isolated from human bronchus DNA adduct which had the same retention time as did the major liver and lung DNA adduct from rats given i.p. injections of [3H]-6-NBP. In each case the major adduct from DNA hydrolysates of rat liver and lung, human bronchus, and S. typhimurium, all treated with [3H]-6-NBP, cochromatographed with the major DNA adduct isolated from liver and lung DNA of rats given [3H]BP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

A comparison between [14C]aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and [14C]aflatoxin G1 (AFG1) binding to rat liver and kidney cellular macromolecules has shown AFG1-DNA and-ribosomal RNA binding to be lower in both organs. For both mycotoxins more was bound to nucleic acids than to protein. Two hours after intraperitoneal injection (60 microgram/100 g) of [14C] AFB1, 40 ng, 151 ng/mg. Loss of radioactivity bound to liver DNA for both [14C]AFB1 and protein respectively and for [14C]AFG1 the respective figures were 10, 7 and 1 ng/mg. Loss of liver bound radioactivity to DNA for both [14C]AFG1 and [14C]AFG1 appeared to be biphasic indicating that an enzymic DNA repair process may be operating. In vitro binding studies also showed less AFG1 was bound to exogenous DNA after microsomal activation than AFB1. This difference was not a result of differences in the chemical reactivity of the "ultimate" electrophilic species, the respective expoxides, since chemical activation studies using 3-chloroperbenzoic acid showed similar amounts of AFG1 and AFB1 to be converted to the epoxides and to bind to DNA. Studies on the distribution coefficients of the two mycotoxins showed AFB1 to be more lipophilic than AFG1 and this may be an important factor in determining the weaker carcinogenicity of the latter compound. Characterisation of the major AFG1-DNA adduct formed in vitro, in vivo and after peracid oxidation showed it to have the structure trans-9,10-dihydro-9-(7-guanyl)-10-hydroxy-aflatoxin G1. This adduct is similar to that obtained from AFB1 by activation in vivo, in vitro and after peracid oxidation.

The uptake and binding of ring-labelled [-14C]aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) by rat and hamster liver and kidney has been studied, the former species being extremely sensitive to the carcinogenic action of AFB, whereas the latter is resistant. In contrast to an earlier report (Lijinsky et al, Cancer Res., 30 (1970) 2280-2283, binding of the carcinogen to nucleic acids was far greater than that to protein. Rat liver DNA bound ten times and rRNA twenty times more carcinogen than protein. There were also differences in the amount of carcinogen bound to rat liver nucleic acids compared to those of the hamster, the latter species binding lower amounts of the carcinogen. Rat liver DNA bound four times and rRNA ten times as much AFB1 6 h after carcinogen administration whereas liver protein bound AFB1 was similar for the two species. Not only was there a difference in the amount of AFB1 bound but whereas in the rat, liver nucleic acid bound carcinogen decayed with time, no such fall was seen in the hamster, this remaining at a low level throughout the 48-h time period studied. In contrast, reaction of the carcinogen with kidney macromolecules was similar for the two species. The much higher binding of AFB1 to nucleic acids than to protein might account for the potent carcinogenicity of this compound in the rat, particularly since liver protein binding does not differ between a susceptible and a resistant species. A further important factor in determining carcinogenic sensitivity may be the removal of nucleic acid bound radioactivity with time, a possible repair process.

Lung cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United Kingdom and the second most common in women, accounting for between 25 and 40% of all cancer deaths. Cigarette smoking is widely accepted as the major cause of lung cancer and linear relationships have been established between the number of cigarettes smoked and lung cancer risk. Although approximately 50 carcinogenic chemicals have been identified in cigarette smoke, a causal link between specific compounds and lung cancer has yet to be made. Studies on cigarette smokers' urine, blood and placenta have provided indications of carcinogen exposure, and although the presence of covalently-bound adducts in human DNA provides evidence of exposure to carcinogens, there have been no reports of systematic studies on the levels of DNA adducts in human lung. We report here, using the 32P-post-labelling technique, that cigarette smokers have higher adduct levels than non-smokers, that there is a linear relationship between adduct levels and daily or lifetime cigarette consumption, and that people who have given up smoking for at least five years have adduct levels similar to those of non-smokers.

Certain strains of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli, particularly those which are very sensitive to u.v. light, are killed when incubated with rat liver mixed function oxidases and aflatoxin B(1). UvrA or recA strains of E. coli are more susceptible than the wild-type strain, while the double mutant uvrA recA is the most sensitive strain yet tested. The aflatoxin B(1) metabolite is also able to induce reverse mutations in 2 histidine auxotrophic strains of S. typhimurium, one strain of which is reverted specifically by frame shift mutagens and the other by agents inducing base pair substitutions.Pretreatment of rats with either 3-methylcholanthrene or benzo(a)pyrene, both inducers of liver microsomal mixed function oxidases, did not alter the amount of lethal aflatoxin B(1) metabolite formed, whereas an increase was observed after phenobarbitone pretreatment. Addition of the nucleophiles methionine, cysteine, glutathione, sodium thiosulphate or sodium sulphide, or the epoxide hydrase inhibitor, cyclohexene oxide to the toxicity assay medium did not alter bacterial killing by the aflatoxin B(1) metabolite. 2,3-Dimercaptopropanol had some protective action.Toxic metabolites were also formed when 5-methoxysterigmatocystin, O-methylsterigmatocystin, parasiticol or versicolorin A, but not vericolorin B, were incubated with mixed function oxidases. The relationship between the metabolite of aflatoxin B(1) lethal to bacteria and that which initiates liver cancer is discussed.