2-Aminofluorene metabolism and DNA adduct formation by mononuclear leukocytes from rapid and slow acetylator mouse strains

Abstract

Following exposure of mice to the arylamine carcinogen 2-aminofluorene, DNA-carcinogen adducts can be found in the target tissues liver and bladder, and also in circulating leukocytes. Evidence is presented here that mouse mononuclear leukocytes (MNL) are capable of metabolizing 2-aminofluorene to DNA-binding metabolites which give rise to the adducts found in the MNL. Both lymphocytes and monocytes were able to acetylate arylamines during 18 h of culture. The degree of acetylation was determined by the N-acetyltransferase genotype of the mice as shown through use of acetylator congenic strains which differ only in the Nat-2 gene. Cultured MNL from rapid acetylator mice (C57BL/6J and A.B6-Natr) produced about twice as much N-acetylaminofluorene from 2-aminofluorene and 6- to 8-fold as much N-acetyl-p-aminobenzoic acid from p-aminobenzoic acid as cells from slow acetylator mice (B6.A-Nat(s) and A/J). Other differences in arylamine metabolism by MNL in culture were observed and shown to be due to genetic factors, currently unidentified, other than N-acetyltransferase. DNA adduct formation following incubation of MNL with the arylamine carcinogen 2-aminofluorene was related to both acetylation capacity and to other genetic metabolic factors in the mouse genome. MNL from rapid acetylator mice with the C57BL/6J background (B6) had 3-fold the DNA adduct levels of cells from the corresponding slow acetylator congenic (B6.A-Nat(s)). Similarly, MNL from rapid acetylator mice with the A/J background (A.B6-Natr) had twice the DNA adduct levels of those from their corresponding slow congenic (A). Adduct levels in MNL from C57BL/6J were nearly the same as those of MNL from A/J, again indicating the involvement of loci other than acetylation in DNA adduct formation. The finding of genetically dependent arylamine carcinogen metabolism and DNA adduct formation in cultured MNL suggests the possibility of using cultured MNL for assessing individual susceptibility to arylamine-induced DNA damage.