Effects Of MNNG Research Articles

Gedunin induces apoptosis and inhibits HMBG1/PI3K/AKT signaling pathways in a rat model of gastric carcinogenesis induced by methylnitronitrosoguanidine.

This study aimed to evaluate the anti-cancer effects of gedunin, a natural compound, in a rat model of gastric carcinogenesis induced by MNNG. Fifty-four rats were randomly assigned to six groups for a 60-day study on the effects of MNNG and gedunin. Groups 1-4 received 200 mg/kg MNNG (1, 10, or 100 mg/kg), and group 5 had only 100 mg/kg gedunin. Gedunin at low doses exhibited anti-cancer and protective properties against MNNG-induced damage, including reduced inflammation, and apoptosis. Gedunin demonstrates a U-shaped dose-response, with low doses offering protection and high doses promoting tumor growth.

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1-induced NAD+ depletion promotes nuclear factor-κB transcriptional activity by preventing p65 de-acetylation

NF-κB is a transcription factor that integrates pro-inflammatory and pro-survival responses in diverse cell types. The activity of NF-κB is regulated in part by acetylation of its p65 subunit at lysine 310, which is required for transcription complex formation. De-acetylation at this site is performed by sirtuin 1(SIRT1) and possibly other sirtuins in an NAD+ dependent manner, such that SIRT1 inhibition promotes NF-κB transcriptional activity. It is unknown, however, whether changes in NAD+ levels can influence p65 acetylation and cellular inflammatory responses. Poly(ADP-ribose)-1 (PARP-1) is an abundant nuclear enzyme that consumes NAD+ in the process of forming (ADP-ribose)polymers on target proteins, and extensive PARP-1 activation can reduce intracellular NAD+ concentrations. Here we tested the idea that PARP-1 activation can regulate NF-κB transcriptional activity by reducing NAD+ concentrations and thereby inhibiting de-acetylation of p65. Primary astrocyte cultures were treated with the alkylating agent N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) to induce PARP-1 activation. This resulted in sustained acetylation of p65 and increased NF-κB transcriptional activity as monitored by a κB-driven eGFP reporter gene. These effects of MNNG were negated by a PARP-1 inhibitor, in PARP-1−/− cells, and in PARP-1−/− cells transfected with a catalytically inactive PARP-1 construct, thus confirming that these effects are mediated by PARP-1 catalytic activity. The effects of PARP-1 activation were replicated by a SIRT1 inhibitor, EX-527, and were reversed by exogenous NAD+. These findings demonstrate that PARP-1-induced changes in NAD+ levels can modulate NF-κB transcriptional activity through effects on p65 acetylation.

Immunostimulation exacerbates the biological effects of chemical carcinogens

The reciprocal relation between the high regenerative ability of various animal species and the low incidence of haphazard or experimentally induced malignant tumours in these animal species is well documented. Equally well documented is the repeated observation that the decline in regenerative potential coincides with an increase in the incidence of cancers, a fact which, on an evolutionary scale, parallels with the development of a sophisticated immune system. The combination of the above observations led to the hypothesis that at least parts of an immune reaction might promote tumour development, and indeed, many experiments specifically designed to answer this question support this prediction. However, this "immunostimulation theory of tumour development" is neither explained in a satisfactory fashion nor universally adopted. The aim of the present investigation was to approach this issue by exploiting the dual, spectacular ability of urodele amphibians to regenerate a lot of organs and to make a stand to carcinogenesis. To this end, urodele amphibians of the species Triturus cristatus were immunologically challenged by intra-abdominal injections of sheep serum, they had then both their hind limbs amputated, and crystals of MNNG (N-Methyl-N"-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine) were implanted into the stumps. The results show that the effects of MNNG on the immunostimulated animals display significant quantitative augmentation with respect to non-immunized controls. This augmentation consists in higher animal mortality, extension of the dedifferentiating stump tissue and concomitant retardation of limb restoration, and increase in the incidence of abnormal regenerates.

Chemical Carcinogen, N-methyl-N’-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, is Specific Activator of Oncogenic Ras

N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) is a well-known chemical carcinogen that is widely used for animal carcinogenesis model. Treatment of MNNG, through drinking-water, can evoke multiple tumors in gastro-intestinal tract. In addition, MNNG shows the synergic effect with infection such as H. pylori on gastric cancer formation. Although tumorigenic ability of MNNG is known to be related with DNA alkylation, however, recent reports suggested that MNNG-induced tumors do not show the difference in DNA methylation, and genetic mutation profile is quite different from similar DNA alkylating agent, MNU-inducing cancer. Otherwise, genetic mutation of Ras is frequently detected in MNNG-induced tumors. Considering them, tumorigenic property of MNNG would be related with Ras. So we checked the effect of MNNG on Ras pathway. In this study, we demonstrated that MNNG could activate Ras-MAPK pathway as oncogenic Ras dependent manner. Activation of Erk by MNNG could not suppressed by cycloheximide and ALLN. In addition, Inhibition of PI3K, p38/HOG1, Raf, and CDK could not block the MNNG-induced p-Erk activation, whereas U0126 and PD98059 abolished it. Moreover, MNNG could reduce the expression of E-cadherin and promote dissociation of β-catenin from E-cadherin through oncogenic-Ras-MAPK pathway. These results strongly suggested that oncogenic Ras would be direct target of MNNG and provided new insight that carcinogen also possesses it specific target.

Induction of apoptosis and inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 expression by N-methyl-N???-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine in human leukemia cells

Previous studies have demonstrated that N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), a well-known DNA alkylating agent, induces G2/M arrest and apoptotic cell death in several human cancer cell lines. In the present study, we investigated the effects of MNNG on the growth of a U937 human leukemia cell model. The effects of this compound were also tested on cyclooxygenase (COX) activity. Treatment of U937 cells with MNNG resulted in the inhibition of viability and the induction of apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner, which was associated with a dose-dependent upregulation in pro-apoptotic Bax protein, downregulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL proteins, and proteolytic activation of caspase-3 protease. Furthermore, MNNG decreased the levels of COX-2 mRNA and protein expression without significant changes in the levels of COX-1, which was correlated with inactivation of the reporter construct of a COX-2 promoter and decrease in prostaglandin E2 synthesis. Taken together, these findings provide important new insights into the possible molecular mechanisms of the anti-cancer activity of MNNG.

Vitamin C and quercetin modulate DNA-damaging effect of MNNG in human gastric mucosal cells

Vitamin C and quercetin modulate DNA-damaging effect of MNNG in human gastric mucosal cells

Preculturing of Chinese hamster V79 cells with sublethal concentration of theophylline sensitizes cells to cytotoxic effects of MNNG.

In our previous work concerning the biologic effects of theophylline, we found that cells incubated during 48 h at low concentrations of theophylline (0.3 mg/ml of medium) manifested short-term deviations in the rate of DNA replication; however, this short-term inhibition of DNA replication did not reduce either the growth rate or the colony-forming ability of cells. In the present study, we concentrated on cytotoxic and DNA-damaging effects of MNNG on V79 cells precultured with sublethal concentration of methylxanthine theophylline. Cytotoxicity was evaluated on the basis of growth rate of treated cells as well as by colony-forming ability (plating efficiency) test and by trypan blue exclusion test. The level of DNA lesions (strand breaks) induced by MNNG was measured by alkaline DNA unwinding and by the comet assay. In an effort to explain higher cytotoxic effects of MNNG on precultured cells, we studied rejoining of damaged parental DNA after 4 h incubation post-MNNG-treatment as well. We found differences as against the controls in theophylline-precultured cells after treatment with the mutagen and carcinogen MNNG. The higher cytotoxic effect of MNNG in precultured cells was accompanied by a higher level of ss breaks of DNA and by more unrepaired lesions which remained after 4 h in parental DNA. Our results demonstrate that theophylline belongs to the group of agents inhibiting repair of potentially lethal DNA lesions.

A human cell line proficient in O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase and hypersensitive to alkylating agents.

The involvement of O6-methylguanine (O6-meGua) in mutagenesis is well established, while the toxic effect of these residues is still controversial. In this study, we compare the cytotoxicity of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) and N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) on three cell lines of different origin, which have different abilities to repair O6-meGua residues (Mer phenotype): a human hepatoma cell line (LICH cells, Mer+), a rat hepatoma cell line (H4 cells, Mer+) and a Chinese hamster cell line (CHO cells, Mer- phenotype). LICH and CHO cells show the same sensitivity to the killing effect of MNNG and MNU and are approximately 5-fold more sensitive than H4 cells. However, LICH and H4 cells share similar sensitivities to the toxic effect of 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea. O6-meGua residues are removed at the same rate from the DNA of [3H]MNU-treated LICH and H4 cells, which also do not differ in the rate of removal of N3-methyladenine residues nor in overall DNA repair synthesis. The results suggest that MNNG and MNU produce a lethal lesion that is repaired by a process that does not involve the alkyltransferase.

Expression of the E.coli ada gene in yeast protects against the toxic and mutagenic effects of N-methyl-N′ -nitro- N -nitrosoguanidine

The E.coli ada gene protein coding region has been ligated into an extrachromosomally replicating yeast expression vector downstream of the yeast alcohol dehydrogenase gene promoter region to produce pADH06C. The yeast strains SX46A, 7799-4B and VV-6 are deficient in endogenous O6-alkylguanine-DNA-alkyltransferase and transformation of these strains with this shuttle vector resulted in the expression of 1730, 1260 and 374 fmoles ada-encoded ATase/mg protein in stationary phase yeast: transformation with the parent vector had no effect on endogenous ATase activity which remained less than 2 fm/mg. In comparison with parent vector transformed yeast, all of the pADH06C-transformed strains showed an increase in the resistance to the toxic effects of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). In addition, 7799-4B and VV-6 were more resistant to the mutagenic effects of this agent. These results indicate that the toxic and mutagenic effects of MNNG in yeast are mediated, at least in part, by DNA lesions than can be repaired by the E.coli ada gene product.

Increased O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase activity and reduced mutability in 1-(4-amino-2-methyl-5-pyrimidinyl)methyl-3-(2- chloroethyl)-3-nitrosourea-resistant HeLa S3 cells.

To clarify the involvement of O6-methylguanine (O6-MeG) in mutagenesis, we have been trying to isolate Mer+ cells from a HeLa S3 Mer- cell line, and to compare the mutation frequencies between the cell lines. We previously isolated the N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG)-resistant cells, MR10-1, from HeLa S3 Mer- cells. However, the MR10-1 cells still had only a little O6-MeG-DNA methyltransferase (MT) activity. In the present study, we have isolated two 1-(4-amino-2-methyl-5-pyrimidinyl)methyl-3-(2-chloroethyl)-3-nitrosourea (ACNU)-resistant cells, ACr41 and ACr42, from the MR10-1 cells. The two ACr cells had increased MT activities. The ACr cells were also significantly more resistant to 1-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea and slightly more resistant to MNNG than the MR10-1 cells. When the mutation frequencies were tested at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase and ouabain loci in these cell lines, the two ACr cells were more resistant to the mutagenic effect of MNNG than the MR10-1 cells. These results show the linkage between the resistance to the cytotoxic effect of nitrosourea compounds and MT activity, and strongly support the hypothesis that O6-MeG is the main pre-mutagenic lesion induced by MNNG.

Inhibition of steroid-inducible tyrosine aminotransferase gene expression by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine in a rat hepatoma cell line.

Treatment of rat hepatoma cells (the Fao clone of Reuber H35 cells) with a 500 ng/ml concentration of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) caused a marked inhibition of steroid-inducible tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) gene expression. Following a 1-h treatment period with MNNG, addition of 1 microM dexamethasone (DEX) for 6 and 24 h resulted in, respectively, 78 and 51% less induction of TAT enzyme activity in MNNG-treated than in solvent-treated cells. MNNG had little effect on the basal level of TAT activity 6 h after treatment with the carcinogen, but the uninduced level of TAT activity declined to 36% of the control value 24 h following MNNG treatment. MNNG-treated cells concurrently exhibited 75% less total steroid-induced TAT RNA following addition of 1 microM of DEX for 4 h, but showed little or no change in the basal level of total TAT RNA or in the level of total alpha-tubulin RNA. In addition, MNNG treatment resulted in 45% less induction of TAT enzyme activity following a 4-h treatment period with 0.5 mM N6,O2'-dibutyryl-adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate. The concentration of MNNG used in these experiments caused only a 14% decline in cell number 24 h following carcinogen treatment and had no effect on cell viability as determined by trypan blue exclusion. The data indicate that the inhibitory effects of MNNG appear to be mediated at a pre-translational step. MNNG inhibits the accumulation of total DEX-inducible TAT RNA either by preventing the steroid-mediated increase of the rate of TAT RNA transcription or decreasing total TAT RNA stability, or both.

Analysis of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG)-induced DNA damage in tumor cell strains from Japanese patients and demonstration of MNNG hypersensitivity of Mer xenografts in athymic nude mice.

Among 15 human tumor cell strains from Japanese patients, one strain derived from a patient with thyroid cancer showed inability to support the growth of adenovirus 5 treated with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). When plated on this Mer- strain, adenovirus 5 showed 3-4 times higher sensitivity to MNNG-induced killing than when plated on any of the other 14 Mer+ tumor cell strains. Biochemical analysis showed that the Mer- strain was defective in demethylation repair of O6-methylguanine produced by MNNG treatment. The sensitivities of 12 of the 15 human tumor strains, including the Mer- strain, to MNNG were compared by measuring their colony-forming abilities. All the strains tested showed the Rem- phenotype (having higher sensitivity to MNNG-produced cell killing than normal fibroblasts). The differential killing effects of MNNG on Mer- and Mer+ tumor cells under in vivo conditions were tested using the Mer+ HeLa S3 strain and its Mer- variant. Mer+ cells and Mer- cells were implanted subcutaneously into the left and right flanks, respectively, of 10 nude mice and the next day, MNNG solution (0.25 ml at 1 mg/ml) was injected into the implantation sites of eight mice. Mer- tumor cells in six of eight treated mice showed no growth and those in the other two mice did grow, but regressed after approximately 3 weeks. In contrast, Mer+ tumor cells continued to grow in all the eight mice treated, indicating that Mer- tumor cells may be selectively inactivated by suitable therapeutic regimens with appropriate methylating drugs.

The adaptive response of E. coli to low levels of alkylating agent: The role of polA in killing adaptation

In an attempt to characterise which gene products may be involved in the repair system induced in E. coli by growth on low levels of alkylating agent (the adaptive response) we have analysed mutants deficient in other known pathways of DNA repair for the ability to adapt to MNNG. Adaptive resistance to the killing effects of MNNG seems to require a functional DNA polymerase I whereas resistance to the mutagenic effects can occur in polymerase I deficient strains; similarly killing adaptation could not be observed in a dam3 mutant, which was nonetheless able to show mutational adaptation. These results suggest that these two parts of the adaptive response must, at least to some extent, be separable. Both adaptive responses can be seen in the absence of uvrD + uvrE +-dependent mismatch repair, DNA polymerase II activity, or recF-mediated recombination and they are not affected by decreased levels of adenyl cyclase. The data presented support our earlier conclusion that adaptive resistance to the killing and mutagenic effect of MNNG is the result of previously uncharacterised repair pathways.

DNA repair after drugs and radiation

The current status of DNA repair capabilities in mammalian cells is reviewed as well as the possible parameters that may interfere with the repair process. The problems associated with drug-radiation or drug-drug combination treatment are considered with special emphasis on the temporal pattern of repair following the first agent. The effect of MNNG is considered in detail as an example. Mechanical stress alone such as low speed centrifugation is also shown to induce repair synthesis.

Activation of the guanylate cyclase-guanosine 3'5' monophosphate system of colonic mucosa by n-methyl-n'-nitro-n-nitrosoguanidine.

The effects of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) on the guanylate cyclase (GC)-guanosine 3'5' monophosphate (cGMP) system of rat colonic mucosa were studied. MNNG (1 mM) increased colonic mucosal cGMP from 1.8 +/- 0.2 to 22.5 +/- 2.7 pmol/mg protein in 5 minutes. Increases in response to MNNG occurred in the presence or absence of extracellular Ca2+, whereas the two-fold increase in mucosal cGMP mediated by carbamylcholine was abolished by exclusion of Ca2+. Although GC activity of mucosal homogenates was found predominantly (90%) in the 100,000 g particulate fraction, the effects of MNNG on mucosal cGMP correlated with stimulation of 100,000 g soluble GC by this agonist. MNNG increased soluble GC 13-fold over the corresponding basal with 4 mM Mn2+, and 48-fold with 4 mM Mg2+ as the sole available divalent cation. Compared with unstimulated GC, the MNNG-activated soluble enzyme was less dependent upon Mn2+ availability and effectively utilized Mg2+ as metal co-factor. N-ethylmaleimide, a sulfhydryl group alkylator, inhibited MNNG stimulation of GC and cGMP. Thus, expression of these MNNG actions may involve drug interaction with tissue thiol groups. Prior incubation of MNNG with thiol antioxidants or ascorbate also suppressed MNNG stimulation of GC, possibly through direct drug reactions involving nucleophilic and electrophilic reactants. The ability of MNNG to stimulate the colonic mucosal GC-cGMP system could be linked to its carcinogenic action.

Carcinogen-induced immunoreactivity to antinucleoside antibodies in HeLa cells

Immunoreactivity to fluorescein-labelled antinucleoside antibodies was induced in HeLa cell nuclei by the carcinogen N-methyl- N′-nitro- N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). DNA strand breaks induced by MNNG were detected by measuring the influence of MNNG on the sedimentation in alkaline sucrose gradients of a fast sedimenting DNA-Containing complex. Dissociation of the complex and induction of immunoreactivity both proved to be sensitive, dose-dependent indicators of MNNG action in HeLa cells. Since antibodies directed against nucleosides react only with denatured or single-stranded DNA, it appears likely that MNNG-induced immunoreactivity results from exposure of single-stranded regions of DNA, providing a means for the rapid identification of carcinogen action by immunofluorescent techniques. N-Acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene also induced immunoreactivity and led to the dissociation of the DNA complex in HeLa cells. Seven other chemicals with known carcinogenic properties also induced immunoreactivity in this test. Immunoreactivity and dissociation of the complex were not induced by inhibitors of DNA synthesis such as hydroxyurea and cytosine arabinoside. Protein synthesis inhibitors such as cycloheximide induced immunoreactivity but did not dissociate the complex. Cycloheximide-induced immunoreactivity was rapidly and completely reversible following removal of the drug; the effects of MNNG were not reversible in our experiments. This novel application of immunofluorescent techniques provides a rapid quantitative means for detecting and studying the action of carcinogens in animal cells.

Effect of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine on immune response in rats in stomach carcinogenesis.

Subcutaneous injections of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) at the dose of 50 mg/kg body weight for 10 days showed depressed production of hemolysin against sheep red blood cells (SRNC) in Wistar rats. On the other hand, oral administration at the dose of approximately 35 mg/kg body weight for 30 weeks scarcely suppressed antibody preduction to heterologous RBC and cell-mediated immune response to Walker-256 carcinosarcoma in Wistar rats during the experimental period of 55 weeks. The daily administration by way of oral route proved to be efficient for the induction of stomach cancer. The difference in immunosuppressive effect of MNNG by these two routes will be discussed in relation to the susceptibility of in vivo degradation of the carcinogen.

Lack of direct correlation among repair, oncogenesis, and lethality in cultured synchronized mouse fibroblasts treated with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine.

The repair of single-strand breaks induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) in mouse embryo fibroblast DNA was studied using an alkaline sucrose sedimentation procedure with cells synchronized by arginine deprivation. Parallel studies in synchronized cells examined the effects of MNNG on malignant transformation and cell death. Cells in late G1 were maximally transformed, while cells in S-phase were maximally killed; by contrast, the repair capacity in both cases was similarly rapid. Arginine-deprived cells showed a low level of DNA repair, but the extent of cell death and transformation was comparable to that in rapidly repairing cells in G1 and S, respectively. Thus, in this system there is no direct correlation among DNA repair, cell transformation, and lethality.

Properties of N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and its action on [formula omitted] transforming DNA

The stability of N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) was measured by a spectrophotometric assay as a function of pH, temperature, and buffer. The effect of MNNG was then tested on Bacillus subtilis transforming deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Conditions which lead to MNNG decomposition cause inactivation of transforming DNA. However, transforming DNA is not inactivated under conditions of MNNG stability, e.g. 0.05 M Tris-maleate buffer (pH 6).