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The time-dependent dose-response relationships for the induction of DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) assessed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and for viability (evaluated by the MTT cytotoxicity test) were investigated in order to discriminate between genotoxic and cytotoxic mechanisms of DNA fragmentation. Cultured human lung epithelial cells (A549) were treated (i) with the aldehydes formaldehyde or glutaraldehyde and (ii) with the DNA-DNA interstrand crosslinkers melphalan, diepoxybutane or diepoxyoctane. Induction of DSB by formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde was seen only after cell viability was reduced to less than about 60% of the control values, indicating that DSB were the consequence of extragenomic damage and viability loss. Melphalan, diepoxybutane and diepoxyoctane induced DSB by a genotoxic mode with concentrations that did not affect cell survival: 8 h after treatment initiation both heat-labile crosslinks and DSB could be detected. Cells were not able to repair the crosslinks induced by diepoxybutane, the crosslinker with the shortest chain length. In contrast, with melphalan and diepoxyoctane, which have a longer crosslinking property considerable repair of crosslinks was observed. The molecular size distribution of the produced DNA fragments supported this mechanistic distinction. The DNA fragments generated by diepoxides were initially large, their concentration decreasing monotonously from 7 Mbp to less than 1 Mbp and were converted to smaller fragments by 72 h in the course of cell death. In contrast, DNA fragments induced by formaldehyde peaked below 1 Mbp, implicating activation of DNA-degrading enzymes. Copyright (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V.

Alterations of the renal function in the isolated perfused rat kidney system after application of two bacterial RNases, Bacillus intermedius RNase (binase) and ribonuclease produced by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (barnase), were investigated with two different treatment regimens in comparison with catalytically inactive derivatives of the enzymes, photooxidated at the active site His101 binase and inactive mutant His102Gln barnase. For the in vitro approach the test enzymes were dissolved in the perfusion media and applied to the kidney after removal from the animal. Alternatively, the test ribonucleases were administered to rats in vivo and the renal effects were assessed in the isolated perfused rat kidney 1 and 6 h after treatment. In the in vitro regimen both active enzymes induced time-and concentration-dependent nephrotoxicity reflected in enhancement of urinary protein excretion, decline of glucose reabsorption, increase of γ-glutamyltranspeptidase and alkaline phosphatase activities in urine. In vivo administration of active binase induced functional impairment of the isolated perfused organ in a similar way. None of the inactive RNases in both regimens and at all concentrations tested altered any renal parameter. The results suggest that RNA degradation may be involved in the nephrotoxic effects of bacillar RNases.