Lymphocyte Hprt Research Articles

Sensitivity of the Pig-a assay for detecting gene mutation in rats exposed acutely to strong clastogens

Clastogens are potential human carcinogens whose detection by genotoxicity assays is important for safety assessment. Although some endogenous genes are sensitive to the mutagenicity of clastogens, many genes that are used as reporters for in vivo mutation (e.g. transgenes) are not. In this study, we have compared responses in the erythrocyte Pig-a gene mutation assay with responses in a gene mutation assay that is relatively sensitive to clastogens, the lymphocyte Hprt assay, and in the reticulocyte micronucleus (MN) assay, which provides a direct measurement of clastogenicity. Male F344 rats were treated acutely with X-rays, cyclophosphamide (CP) and Cis-platin (Cis-Pt), and the frequency of micronucleated reticulocytes (MN RETs) in peripheral blood was measured 1 or 2 days later. The frequencies of CD59-deficient Pig-a mutant erythrocytes and 6-thioguanine-resistant Hprt mutant T-lymphocytes were measured at several times up to 16 weeks after the exposure. All three clastogens induced strong increases in the frequency of MN RETs, with X-rays and Cis-Pt producing near linear dose responses. The three agents also were positive in the two gene mutation assays although the assays detected them with different efficiencies. The Pig-a assay was more efficient in detecting the effect of Cis-Pt treatment, whereas the Hprt assay was more efficient for X-rays and CP. The results indicate that the erythrocyte Pig-a assay can detect the in vivo mutagenicity of clastogens although its sensitivity is variable in comparison with the lymphocyte Hprt assay.

Evaluating the weak in vivo micronucleus response of a genotoxic carcinogen, Aristolochic acids

Aristolochic acids (AAs) are carcinogenic plant toxins that are relatively strong gene mutagens, both in vitro and in vivo, but weak inducers of micronuclei in vivo. In order to clarify the reasons for these disparate responses, we evaluated the genotoxicity of AAs in F344 rats using several assays that respond to DNA damage in bone marrow. Groups of 7- to 8-week-old male rats (n=6) were gavaged with 0, 2.75, 5.5, and 11mg/kg AAs for 28 days or with 0, 11, 22, and 30mg/kg AAs for 3 days. Day 1 being the first day of treatment, Pig-a mutant frequencies (MFs) were assayed in peripheral blood erythrocytes up to Day 56 for the 28-day treatment or Day 42 for the 3-day treatment; micronuclei were assayed in peripheral blood reticulocytes on Day 4 (both treatment protocols) and on Day 29 of the 28-day treatment protocol; and at the final sampling times (Day 59 or Day 42), the animals were sacrificed and Hprt mutant lymphocytes were measured. In a separate study, the Comet assay was performed on liver, kidney, and bone marrow of animals gavaged with 0, 11, 22, and 30mg/kg AAs for 4 days and sacrificed 3h after the last treatment. While only weak increases in micronucleated reticulocyte frequency were observed in treated animals, Pig-a MFs increased in a dose- and time-dependent manner with both treatment schedules. Lymphocyte Hprt mutant frequencies also increased dose dependently in treated animals, and the Comet assay detected elevated levels of DNA damage in all the tissues evaluated. These findings indicate that the DNA damage produced by AAs in rat bone marrow is a weak inducer of micronuclei but a relatively strong inducer of gene mutation.

Genotoxicity of furan in Big Blue rats

Furan is a multispecies liver carcinogen whose cancer mode of action (MOA) is unclear. A major metabolite of furan is a direct acting mutagen; however, it is not known if genotoxicity is a key step in the tumors that result from exposure to furan. In order to address this question, transgenic Big Blue rats were treated by gavage five times a week for 8 weeks with two concentrations of furan used in cancer bioassays (2 and 8 mg/kg), and with two higher concentrations (16 and 30 mg/kg). Peripheral blood samples taken 24 h after the 5th dose (1 week of dosing) were used to assay for micronucleus (MN) frequency in normochromatic erythrocytes (NCEs) and reticulocytes (RETs), and Pig-a gene mutation in total red blood cells (RBCs). 24 h after the last dose of the 8-week treatment schedule, the rats were euthanized, and their tissues were used to perform NCE and RET MN assays, the Pig-a RBC assay, Pig-a and Hprt lymphocyte gene mutation assays, the liver cII transgene mutation assay, and the liver Comet assay. The responses in the MN assays conducted at both sampling times, and all the gene mutation assays, were uniformly negative; however, the Comet assay was positive for the induction of liver DNA damage. As the positive responses in the Comet assay were seen only with doses in excess of the cancer bioassay doses, and at least one of these doses (30 mg/kg) produced toxicity in the liver, the overall findings from the study are consistent with furan having a predominantly nongenotoxic MOA for cancer.

The Genotoxicity of Acrylamide and Glycidamide in Big Blue Rats

Acrylamide (AA), a mutagen and rodent carcinogen, recently has been detected in fried and baked starchy foods, a finding that has prompted renewed interest in its potential for toxicity in humans. In the present study, we exposed Big Blue rats to the equivalent of approximately 5 and 10 mg/kg body weight/day of AA or its epoxide metabolite glycidamide (GA) via the drinking water, an AA treatment regimen comparable to those used to produce cancer in rats. After 2 months of dosing, the rats were euthanized and blood was taken for the micronucleus assay; spleens for the lymphocyte Hprt mutant assay; and liver, thyroid, bone marrow, testis (from males), and mammary gland (females) for the cII mutant assay. Neither AA nor GA increased the frequency of micronucleated reticulocytes. In contrast, both compounds produced small (approximately twofold to threefold above background) but significant increases in lymphocyte Hprt mutant frequency (MF, p < 0.05), with the increases having dose-related linear trends (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). Neither compound increased the cII MF in testis, mammary gland (tumor target tissues), or liver (nontarget tissue), while both compounds induced weak positive increases in bone marrow (nontarget tissue) and thyroid (target tissue). Although the genotoxicity in tumor target tissue was weak, in combination with the responses in surrogate tissues, the results are consistent with AA being a gene mutagen in the rat via metabolism to GA.

Pharmacokinetics, dose‐range, and mutagenicity studies of methylphenidate hydrochloride in B6C3F1 mice

Methylphenidate hydrochloride (MPH) is one of the most frequently prescribed pediatric drugs for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In a recent study, increased hepatic adenomas were observed in B6C3F1 mice treated with MPH in their diet. To evaluate the reactive metabolite, ritalinic acid (RA) of MPH and its mode of action in mice, we conducted extensive investigations on the pharmacokinetics (PK) and genotoxicity of the drug in B6C3F1 mice. For the PK study, male B6C3F1 mice were gavaged once with 3 mg/kg body weight (BW) of MPH and groups of mice were sacrificed at various time points (0.25-24 hr) for serum analysis of MPH and RA concentrations. Groups of male B6C3F1 mice were fed diets containing 0, 250, 500, 1,000, 2,000, or 4,000 ppm of MPH for 28 days to determine the appropriate doses for 24-week transgenic mutation studies. Also, the micronucleus frequencies (MN-RETs and MN-NCEs), and the lymphocyte Hprt mutants were determined in peripheral blood and splenic lymphocytes, respectively. Mice fed 4,000 ppm of MPH lost significant BW compared to control mice (P < 0.01). There was a significant increase in the average liver weights whereas kidneys, seminal vesicle, testes, thymus, and urinary bladder weights of mice fed higher doses of MPH were significantly lower than the control group (P < or = 0.05). There was no significant increase in either the Hprt mutant frequency or the micronucleus frequency in the treated animals. These results indicated that although MPH induced liver hypertrophy in mice, no genotoxicity was observed.

Effect of chronic azathioprine treatment on germ‐line transmission of Hprt mutation in mice

Azathioprine (Aza), a prodrug of 6-mercaptopurine, is used in human medicine to prevent transplant rejection and for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Extremely high HPRT lymphocyte mutant frequencies (MFs) are found in humans and mice chronically treated with Aza, and these elevated MFs appear to be caused by selection and amplification of pre-existing HPRT mutant lymphocytes. In the present study, we investigated if in vivo selection by Aza also promotes the germ-line transmission of Hprt mutants. Fifty-five male C57BL/6 mice were treated with 10 mg/kg Aza three times/week for 24 weeks; 10 control mice were treated with the vehicle. Each of these males then was bred to unexposed females for a total of 8 weeks. Analysis of the Aza-treated males after the breeding period indicated that 12 had highly elevated Hprt lymphocyte MFs (1 x 10(-4)-2.5 x 10(-1) vs. normal MFs of <1 x 10(-5)), indicating that the Aza treatment successfully selected somatic cell mutants. The female offspring from the breeding were sacrificed at 28 days of age and Hprt MFs were measured in spleen lymphocytes. Most of the 364 female offspring (332 from Aza-treated fathers) had Hprt MFs of 0-6 x 10(-6), but seven of the offspring had moderately elevated MFs of 16 x 10(-6)-55 x 10(-6). Since one of these mice was fathered by a control male, these relatively high MFs appear to be part of the normal variation in lymphocyte Hprt MF. The present results provide no evidence that long-term Aza treatment promotes high levels of germ-line Hprt mutation transmission in mice.

Frequency and types of spontaneous Hprt lymphocyte mutations in Pms2-deficient mice

Deficiencies in DNA mismatch repair (MMR) result in predisposition to neoplasia in both rodents and humans. Pms2 is one of the several proteins involved in the eukaryotic MMR system. In order to determine the effect of Pms2-deficiency on mutation, we measured mutant frequencies in the endogenous Hprt gene of lymphocytes from male Pms2 −/− , Pms2 +/− , and Pms2 +/+ mice. Spleens were removed from mice of various ages and lymphocytes isolated from spleens were cultured to determine the frequency of 6-thioguanine-resistant mutants. Mean mutant frequencies in Pms2 −/− mice at 6, 10, 18, and 34 weeks of age [42.6 × 10 −6 ( n = 6), 38.5 × 10 −6 ( n = 6), 58.2 × 10 −6 ( n = 9), and 49.1 × 10 −6 ( n = 5), respectively] were significantly higher than those of comparably aged Pms2 +/+ and Pms2 +/− mice (all less than 3 × 10 −6). Mutant clones from the mice were expanded, RNA extracted, and Hprt cDNA amplified by RT-PCR. DNA sequencing analysis of 221 mutant cDNAs from the three different Pms2 genotypes identified 182 clones with independent mutations, including five clones that contained multiple mutations. When compared to the mutational spectrum observed in Pms2 +/+ and Pms2 +/− mice, the mutational spectrum for Pms2 −/− mice was significantly different. The Pms2 −/− mutational analysis indicated that loss of the Pms2 protein causes increases in the frequencies of strand-slippage-type frameshift mutations and of A:T → G:C transitions in the Hprt gene. The absolute frequencies of A:T → G:C transitions in MMR-deficient mice suggest increases in this mutation may be a common feature of MMR-deficient mice, not just of Pms2-deficient mice, and may be related to the cancer predisposition that results from loss of MMR function.

Lymphocyte Hprt mutant frequency and sperm toxicity in C57BL/6 mice treated chronically with Azathioprine

Many patients undergoing chronic therapy with the purine analogue Azathioprine (Aza) have highly elevated HPRT lymphocyte mutant frequencies (MFs), and it is likely that these increases are due to selection of pre-existing HPRT mutant lymphocytes. A similar selection in germ cells might result in an increased frequency of the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. In this study, a mouse model for Aza mutant selection was developed and Aza toxicity was evaluated in the germ cells of treated mice. Groups of 20 male C57BL/6 mice were treated by gavage three times/week with 0, 5, 10, 25, 50, or 100 mg/kg Aza, and three to eight mice from each group were sacrificed at various times for up to 23 weeks. Mice treated with 25–100 mg/kg Aza were all dead by 14 weeks of treatment. Hprt lymphocyte MF assays indicated that the treated mice had reduced numbers of spleen lymphocytes. Most treated mice had Hprt MFs similar to those of control mice (2.1 ± 1.6 × 10 −6), however, highly elevated MFs were detected in one out of three mice given 5 mg/kg for 10 weeks, one out of three mice given 10 mg/kg for 10 weeks, and one out of eight mice given 10 mg/kg for 23 weeks (e.g., 233 × 10 −6 after 10 weeks of 5 mg/kg). Sequence analysis of Hprt cDNA indicated that all mutant clones from one of these mice had a T → A transversion in the initiation codon. Multiplex-PCR on mutant clones from the other two mice indicated that all the clones from one had a deletion of Hprt exons 2 and 3, while most of the mutants from the other had lost all of the Hprt exons. Measurements of testicular weight, and of sperm count, viability, morphology, and motility found that Aza produced low levels of toxicity in sperm, with the most consistent effect being a reduction in the testicular weight. The data suggest that mice chronically treated with 5 and 10 mg/kg Aza (doses similar to those used in humans) have elevated Hprt MFs due to clonal amplification of selected Hprt mutants. The results also suggest that mice treated with these doses of Aza retain reasonable fertility, and will be useful for breeding experiments to examine the possibility of increasing the germ-line transmission of Hprt mutations.

Genotoxicity of acrylamide and its metabolite glycidamide administered in drinking water to male and female Big Blue mice

The recent discovery of acrylamide (AA), a probable human carcinogen, in a variety of fried and baked starchy foods has drawn attention to its genotoxicity and carcinogenicity. Evidence suggests that glycidamide (GA), the epoxide metabolite of AA, is responsible for the genotoxic effects of AA. To investigate the in vivo genotoxicity of AA, groups of male and female Big Blue (BB) mice were administered 0, 100, or 500 mg/l of AA or equimolar doses of GA, in drinking water, for 3-4 weeks. Micronucleated reticulocytes (MN-RETs) were assessed in peripheral blood within 24 hr of the last treatment, and lymphocyte Hprt and liver cII mutagenesis assays were conducted 21 days following the last treatment. Further, the types of cII mutations induced by AA and GA in the liver were determined by sequence analysis. The frequency of MN-RETs was increased 1.7-3.3-fold in males treated with the high doses of AA and GA (P < or = 0.05; control frequency = 0.28%). Both doses of AA and GA produced increased lymphocyte Hprt mutant frequencies (MFs), with the high doses producing responses 16-25-fold higher than that of the respective control (P < or = 0.01; control MFs = 1.5 +/- 0.3 x 10(-6) and 2.2 +/- 0.5 x 10(-6) in females and males, respectively). Also, the high doses of AA and GA produced significant 2-2.5-fold increases in liver cII MFs (P < or = 0.05; control MFs = 26.5 +/- 3.1 x 10(-6) and 28.4 +/- 4.5 x 10(-6)). Molecular analysis of the mutants indicated that AA and GA produced similar mutation spectra and that these spectra were significantly different from that of control mutants (P < or = 0.001). The predominant types of mutations in the liver cII gene from AA- and GA-treated mice were G:C-->T:A transversions and -1/+1 frameshifts in a homopolymeric run of Gs. The results indicate that both AA and GA are genotoxic in mice. The MFs and types of mutations induced by AA and GA in the liver are consistent with AA exerting its genotoxicity in BB mice via metabolism to GA.

Frequency of Tk and Hprt lymphocyte mutants and bone marrow micronuclei in mice treated neonatally with zidovudine and didanosine.

The nucleoside analog zidovudine (3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine, AZT), by itself or in combination with other anti- retroviral drugs, is used perinatally to prevent mother to child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1. AZT is mutagenic in vitro and mutagenic and carcinogenic when administered to neonatal mice. A previous study indicated that the anti-retroviral agent didanosine (2',3'-dideoxyinosine, ddI) potentiated the mutagenicity of AZT in the thymidine kinase (TK) gene of cultured human TK6 lymphoblastoid cells. We have evaluated whether or not ddI affects the in vivo genotoxicity of AZT by breeding C57Bl/6N/Tk+/- female mice with C3H/HeNMTV male mice and treating the offspring daily on postnatal days 1-8 with 200 mg/kg ddI alone or in combination with 200 mg/kg AZT. One day after the last dose, bone marrow polychromatic erythrocytes (PCEs) were obtained to assess the induction of micronuclei; 3 weeks following treatment, the induction of mutants was determined in the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (Hprt) and Tk genes of splenic T lymphocytes from B6C3F1/Tk+/- mice. The mixture of AZT and ddI, but not ddI alone, caused a significant increase in micronucleated PCEs. When assessed 3 weeks after dosing, ddI did not induce mutations in the Hprt or Tk genes. The mixture of AZT and ddI also did not induce mutations in the Hprt gene, but did induce a significant increase in Tk mutants, similar to that observed previously with AZT alone. The induction of mutations in the Tk gene by the mixture of AZT and ddI was associated with loss of the wild-type Tk+ allele. These data indicate that, under the conditions of this experiment, ddI is not mutagenic in neonatal B6C3F1/Tk+/- mice and that it does not potentiate the mutagenicity of AZT.

Genotoxicity of malachite green and leucomalachite green in female Big Blue B6C3F 1 mice

Malachite green, a triphenylmethane dye used in aquaculture as an antifungal agent, is rapidly reduced in vivo to leucomalachite green. Previous studies in which female B6C3F 1 mice were fed malachite green produced relatively high levels of liver DNA adducts after 28 days, but no significant induction of liver tumors was detected in a 2-year feeding study. Comparable experiments conducted with leucomalachite green resulted in relatively low levels of liver DNA adducts but a dose-responsive induction of liver tumors. In the present study, we fed transgenic female Big Blue B6C3F 1 mice with 450 ppm malachite green and 204 and 408 ppm leucomalachite green (the high doses used in the tumor bioassays) and evaluated genotoxicity after 4 and 16 weeks of treatment. Neither malachite green nor leucomalachite green increased the peripheral blood micronucleus frequency or Hprt lymphocyte mutant frequency at either time point; however, the 16-week treatment with 408 ppm leucomalachite green did increase the liver cII mutant frequency. Similar increases in liver cII mutant frequency were not seen in the mice treated for 16 weeks with malachite green or in female Big Blue rats treated with a comparable dose of leucomalachite green for 16 weeks in a previous study [Mutat. Res. 547 (2004) 5]. These results indicate that leucomalachite green is an in vivo mutagen in transgenic female mouse liver and that the mutagenicities of malachite green and leucomalachite green correlate with their tumorigenicities in mice and rats. The lack of increased micronucleus frequencies and lymphocyte Hprt mutants in female mice treated with leucomalachite green suggests that its genotoxicity is targeted to the tissue at risk for tumor induction.

Analysis of mutations and bone marrow micronuclei in Big Blue ® rats fed leucomalachite green

Leucomalachite green (LMG) is the major metabolite of malachite green (MG), a triphenylmethane dye that has been used widely as an antifungal agent in the fish industry. Concern over MG and LMG is due to the potential for consumer exposure, suggestive evidence of tumor promotion in rodent liver, and suspicion of carcinogenicity based on structure–activity relationships. In order to evaluate the risks associated with exposure to LMG, female Big Blue rats were fed up to 543 ppm LMG; groups of these rats were killed after 4, 16, or 32 weeks of exposure and evaluated for genotoxicity. We previously reported that this treatment resulted in a dose-dependent induction of liver DNA adducts, and that the liver lacI mutant frequency (MF) was increased, but only in rats fed 543 ppm LMG for 16 weeks [Mutation Res. 506/507 (2002) 55–63]. In the present study, we report the results from lymphocyte Hprt mutant assays and bone marrow micronucleus assays performed on these same rats. In addition, we have determined the types of lacI mutations induced in the rats fed 543 ppm LMG for 16 weeks and the rats fed control diet. No significant increases in the frequency of micronuclei or Hprt mutants were observed for any of the doses or time points assayed. Molecular analysis of 80 liver lacI mutants from rats fed 543 ppm LMG for 16 weeks revealed that 21% (17/80) were clonal in origin and that most (55/63) of the independent mutations were base pair substitutions. The predominant type of mutation was G:C→A:T transition (31/63) and the majority (68%) of these involved CpG sites. When corrected for clonality, the 16-week lacI mutation frequency ((36±10)×10 −6) in treated rats was not significantly different from the clonally corrected control frequency ((17±9)×10 −6; P=0.06). Furthermore, the lacI mutational spectrum in treated rats was not significantly different from that found for control rats ( P=0.09). Taken together, these data indicate that the DNA adducts produced by LMG in female rats do not result in detectable levels of genotoxicity, and that the increase in lacI MF observed previously in the liver of treated rats may be due to the disproportionate expansion of spontaneous lacI mutations.

Effect of caloric restriction on Hprt lymphocyte mutation in aging rats

Caloric restriction (CR) reduces tumor incidence and retards aging in laboratory animals, including non-human primates. Because of the relationships among mutation, disease susceptibility, and aging, we investigated whether or not CR affects the accumulation of somatic cell mutations in aging animals. Starting at approximately 2 months of age, male CD rats (Harlan Sprague–Dawley-derived) were placed on different levels of dietary intake: ad libitum (AL) feeding, and 90% (10% CR), 75% (25% CR) and 60% (40% CR) of the total calories consumed by AL animals. At 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after the beginning of CR, Hprt mutant frequencies (MFs) were determined. The MFs measured in spleen lymphocytes from AL and CR rats sacrificed at 3 months of dietary restriction were similar for all dietary groups. However, the MFs at 6, 12, and 24 months of CR were significantly higher in AL-fed rats compared with animals on 40% CR: (4.5±0.4)×10 −6 versus (3.3±0.3)×10 −6 ( P=0.032) in 6 months CR rats; (10.3±2.3)×10 −6 versus (7.3±1.2)×10 −6 in 12 months CR rats ( P=0.04), and (18.3±3.2)×10 −6 versus (7.8±1.0)×10 −6 ( P=0.001) in 24 months CR rats. In addition, rats receiving 25% CR for 24 months had a MF, (10.7±2.0)×10 −6, between the 40% CR and AL rats. Multiplex PCR of the Hprt gene in mutant clones from 12 and 24 months 40% CR rats and the corresponding AL rats detected deletions in 42% of CR mutants and 19% of AL mutants. Because of the difference in Hprt MF in the two groups, the estimated MF associated with deletions in CR rats was similar to the deletion MF in AL rats. This observation implies that the lower MF in CR rats is due to a reduction in smaller Hprt mutations (i.e. base substitutions and frameshifts). The pattern of smaller Hprt mutations from AL rats suggests that many were produced by reactive oxygen species (ROS). The results indicate that CR reduces the accumulation of spontaneous somatic cell mutation in aging rats, especially those caused by base substitutions and frameshifts.

Frequency of Tk and Hprt lymphocyte mutants and bone marrow micronuclei in B6C3F(1)/Tk+/- mice treated neonatally with zidovudine and lamivudine.

Mother-to-child transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus is substantially reduced by prenatal and postnatal treatment with anti-retroviral nucleoside analogues; however, the long-term consequences of these drug interventions are not known. The nucleoside analogue zidovudine (3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine; AZT) is carcinogenic in mice when administered transplacentally or neonatally, and this may be due to a genotoxic mechanism. Since single-drug treatment with AZT is being superseded by multidrug combinations, we have investigated the induction of mutations and micronuclei in mice treated neonatally with AZT, lamivudine (3'-thia-2',3'-dideoxycytidine; 3TC), or a combination of the two drugs. B6C3F(1)/Tk+/- mice were treated daily from days 1-8 of age with 200 mg AZT/kg/day, 200 mg 3TC/kg/day, or a mixture of 200 mg AZT + 200 mg 3TC/kg/day (AZT/3TC). One and 2 days after the last dose, bone marrow was collected to assess the induction of micronuclei in polychromatic erythrocytes; 3 weeks following treatment, the induction of mutants was determined in the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (Hprt) and thymidine kinase (Tk) genes of spleen lymphocytes. AZT and AZT/3TC, but not 3TC, caused a significant increase in micronuclei, with the response being greatest one day after the last dose. None of the drugs induced mutations in the Hprt gene, while AZT and AZT/3TC, but not 3TC, caused a significant increase in the Tk mutant frequency. The increase in Tk mutants by AZT and AZT/3TC was associated with loss of the wild-type (Tk+) allele (loss of heterozygosity). These data suggest that AZT, but not 3TC, is genotoxic in neonatal mice, and that 3TC does not alter significantly the responses observed with AZT alone.

Influence of dietary antioxidants on the mutagenicity of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and bleomycin in female rats

Studies on agents that modulate carcinogen-induced genotoxic effects in experimental animals provide end points that can be used for assessing the antimutagenic or anticarcinogenic properties of putative chemopreventive compounds and for predicting their protective efficacy in humans. In this study, we investigated the ability of the dietary antioxidant Vitamins C, E, β-carotene and the mineral selenium to inhibit the mutant frequency (MF) induced by treatment of rats with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), a mammary carcinogen and bleomycin (BLM), an anti-tumor agent that can damage DNA by free radical mechanisms. Both chemicals have been previously shown to be mutagenic in the rat lymphocyte Hprt assay. Adult female Fischer 344 rats were given the antioxidants singly or in a combination 2 weeks prior to mutagen treatment. Antioxidant intake continued for an additional 4 weeks post-mutagen treatment. At sacrifice, spleens were aseptically removed for the isolation of lymphocytes to conduct the mutagenesis assay at the Hprt locus. The DMBA and BLM treatment induced a marked increase in MF, 52.8×10 −6 and 19.2×10 −6, respectively, over the controls. The MFs seen in the individual antioxidants alone (single or mixture) were relatively similar to the controls, with the exception of Vitamins C and E, that had 1.7- and 1.5-fold increase, respectively. The degree of inhibitory response was dependent on the type of mutagen and the particular antioxidant. BLM/antioxidant combination had inhibitions ranging from 44 to 80%, while DMBA/antioxidant system ranged from 60 to 93%, with Vitamins C and E achieving the highest inhibition in both systems. The mixture displayed low inhibitory responses, 44.6% for BLM/mix and 47% DMBA/mix. On the whole, the results indicate that the dietary constituents tested are antimutagenic; however, because of the gradations seen with the responses, the protective efficacy of these antioxidants may depend on the type of mutagen/carcinogen they encounter. Pending molecular analysis of mitochondrial DNA mutations will also indicate whether there is a shift in the mutational spectra produced by the carcinogens in the presence of antioxidants.

Markers for carcinogenicity among butadiene-polymer workers in China

We examined a spectrum of genotoxic and other outcomes in 41 butadiene-polymer production workers and 38 nonexposed controls, in China, to explore the role of butadiene in human carcinogenesis. Among butadiene-exposed workers, median air exposure was 2 ppm (6-h TWA), due largely to intermittent high-level exposures. Compared to unexposed subjects, butadiene-exposed workers had greater levels of hemoglobin N-(2,3,4-trihydroxybutyl)valine (THBVal) adducts ( P<0.0001), and adduct levels tended to correlate, among butadiene-exposed workers, with air measures ( P=0.03). Butadiene-exposed workers did not differ, however, from unexposed workers with respect to frequency of uninduced or diepoxybutane-induced sister chromatid exchanges, aneuploidy as measured by fluorescence in situ hybridization of chromosomes 1, 7, 8 and 12, glycophorin A variants or lymphocyte hprt somatic mutation. Also among the exposed, greater THBVal levels were not associated with increases in uninduced sister chromatid exchanges, aneuploidy, glycophorin A, or hprt mutations. Butadiene-exposed workers had greater lymphocyte ( P=0.002) and platelet counts ( P=0.07) and lymphocytes as a percent of white blood cells were moderately correlated with greater THBVal levels (Spearman's ρ=0.32, P=0.07). Among butadiene-exposed workers, several serum cytokines correlated with THBVal adduct levels. Overall, the study demonstrated exposure to butadiene in these workers, by a variety of short-term and long-term measures, but did not show specific genotoxic effects, at the chromosomal or gene levels, related to that exposure.

Genotoxic markers among butadiene polymer workers in China

While 1,3-butadiene is carcinogenic in rodents, cancer causation in humans is less certain. We examined a spectrum of genotoxic outcomes in 41 butadiene polymer production workers and 38 non-exposed controls, in China, to explore the role of butadiene in human carcinogenesis. Because in vitro studies suggest that genetic polymorphisms in glutathione S-transferase enzymes influence genotoxic effects of butadiene, we also related genotoxicity to genetic polymorphisms in GSTT1 and GSTM1. Among butadiene-exposed workers, median air exposure was 2 p.p.m. (6 h time-weighted average), due largely to intermittent high level exposures. Compared with unexposed subjects, butadiene-exposed workers had greater levels of hemoglobin N-(2,3,4-trihydroxybutyl)valine (THBVal) adducts (P < 0.0001) and adduct levels tended to correlate, among butadiene-exposed workers, with air measures (P = 0.03). Butadiene-exposed workers did not differ, however, from unexposed workers with respect to frequency of uninduced or diepoxybutane-induced sister chromatid exchanges, aneuploidy as measured by fluorescence in situ hybridization of chromosomes 1, 7, 8 and 12, glycophorin A variants or lymphocyte hprt somatic mutation. Also among the exposed, greater THBVal levels were not associated with increases in uninduced sister chromatid exchanges, aneuploidy, glycophorin A or hprt mutations. Butadiene-exposed workers had greater lymphocyte (P = 0.002) and platelet counts (P = 0.07) and lymphocytes as a percentage of white blood cells were moderately correlated with greater THBVal levels (Spearman's phi = 0.32, P = 0.07). Among butadiene-exposed workers, neither GSTM1 nor GSTT1 genotype status predicted urinary mercapturic acid butanediol formation, THBVal adducts, uninduced sister chromatid exchanges, aneuploidy or mutations in the glycophorin A or hprt genes. Overall, the study demonstrated exposure to butadiene in these workers, by a variety of short-term and long-term measures, but did not show specific genotoxic effects, at the chromosomal or gene levels, related to that exposure.

Sequence specificity of Hprt lymphocyte mutation in rats fed the hepatocarcinogen 2-acetylaminofluorene

Rats fed the hepatocarcinogen 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) have a low, but significantly increased, frequency of lymphocyte Hprt mutants. In this study, mutants from 2-AAF-fed and control F344 rats were examined for mutations in the Hprt gene in order to determine if the 2-AAF treatment resulted in an agent-specific mutation profile. The most common mutation from 2-AAF-treated rats was G:C→T:A transversion (32% of all mutations) followed by 1-basepair (bp) deletion (19%); there were very few (5%) G:C→A:T transitions. Among mutations from control rats, G:C→A:T transition was the most common (43%), and there were very few G:C→T:A transversions (5%) and no 1-bp deletions. The profile of mutations from 2-AAF-fed rats was significantly different from control rats ( P=0.003) and was consistent with the types of mutations produced by 2-AAF in vitro. The results of this study indicate that even weak mutational responses in the lymphocyte Hprt assay are capable of producing mutation profiles that reflect the DNA damage inducing them.

Hprt lymphocyte mutant frequency in relation to DNA adduct formation in rats fed the hepatocarcinogen 2-acetylaminofluorene

The lymphocyte hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase ( Hprt) assay is frequently used as a biomarker for the exposure of both humans and laboratory animals to potentially carcinogenic agents. To obtain information concerning the sensitivity of the rat Hprt lymphocyte assay toward aromatic amine carcinogens, male F344 rats were fed 0.02% 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) for 1 month and then returned to control diet for 2 months. At 4, 27, 48, 62, and 90 days after the initiation of 2-AAF-feeding, the frequency of mutants in the Hprt gene was determined. In addition, DNA was isolated from liver nuclei, spleen lymphocytes, bone marrow, and thymus, and DNA adducts were analyzed by 32P-postlabeling. 2-AAF feeding resulted in a significant induction of 6-thioguanine-resistant T-lymphocytes and the mutant frequency continued to increase after the 2-AAF feeding was stopped. The same major DNA adduct, N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-aminofluorene, was detected in liver, spleen lymphocytes, bone marrow, and thymus. DNA adduct levels were greatest in the tumor target tissue (liver) but occurred in all T-lymphocyte compartments, being highest in spleen lymphocytes. The DNA adduct levels were highest at the end of the 1-month 2-AAF feeding period and decreased rapidly in all tissues. The data indicate that the Hprt lymphocyte mutagenesis assay detects arylamine carcinogens, but with relatively low sensitivity.

Hprt mutant frequency and molecular analysis of Hprt mutations in Fischer 344 rats treated with thiotepa.

Thiotepa is a bifunctional alkylating anticancer drug that is a rodent carcinogen and a suspected human carcinogen. In order to determine the sensitivity of mutant induction in the Hprt lymphocyte assay for detecting tumorigenic doses of thiotepa, Fischer 344 rats were treated for 4 weeks with thiotepa using a procedure adapted from a carcinogenesis protocol. At various times after beginning the treatment regimen, rats were killed and the lymphocyte Hprt assay was performed on splenic lymphocytes isolated from the animals. The 6-thioguanine-resistant T lymphocyte mutant frequency increased with time during the period of thiotepa exposure and declined slightly thereafter. Significant dose-dependent increases in mutant frequency were found using concentrations of thiotepa that eventually result in lymphoproliferative tumors. Hprt mRNA from mutant lymphocytes was reverse transcribed to cDNA, amplified by PCR and examined for mutations by DNA sequencing. This analysis indicated that the major type of point mutation was G:C-->T:A transversion and that 33% of the mutants contained simple or complex frameshifts. Also, a multiplex PCR performed on DNA from mutant clones that were expanded in vitro indicated that 34% of the clones had deletions in the Hprt gene. These results indicate that the induction of lymphocyte Hprt mutants is a sensitive biomarker for the carcinogenicity of thiotepa and that the types of mutations found in the lymphocyte Hprt gene reflect the kinds of DNA damage produced by thiotepa.