SENCAR Mice Research Articles

Profiles of cytokine mRNAs in the skin and lymph nodes of SENCAR mice treated epicutaneously with dibenzo[a,l]pyrene or dimethylbenz[a]anthracene reveal a direct correlation between carcinogen-induced contact hypersensitivity and epidermal hyperplasia.

The potent carcinogenicity of dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DB[a,l]P) in mouse skin is associated with an inflammatory response and a striking epidermal hyperplasia. The mechanism of these tissue responses is not known. However, a recent study has shown DB[a,l]P to be a contact sensitizer. In view of the programmed expression of cytokines during induction of contact hypersensitivity (CHS) and elicitation of CHS reactions, we analyzed cytokine mRNAs in treated skin and draining lymph nodes of SENCAR mice, at selected times after a single, epicutaneous application of DB[a,l]P or dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), a substantially weaker carcinogen and a weaker contact sensitizer than DB[a,l]P. Cytokine mRNAs were quantified by first-strand DNA synthesis with reverse transcriptase (RT) and DNA amplification by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Histopathology of treated skin was determined in the same experiments. Time-response profiles of interferon (IFN) gamma and interleukin (IL) 2 in the DLN and IL1beta, IL10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha, and IL4 mRNAs in the skin of mice treated with 200 nmol of DB[a,l]P were in remarkable agreement with established profiles in mice treated with conventional contact sensitizers, e.g., oxazolone or dinitrochlorobenzene. Strong upregulation of DLN IFNgamma mRNA coupled with little change in IL 2 mRNA suggested a CD8(+) T-cell response characteristic of CHS induction. Coordinate expression of epidermal IL1beta, TNFalpha, and IL10 mRNAs, 24 h after DB[a,l]P treatment, was also characteristic of CHS induction. IL1beta and IL10 are upregulated by allergens and not by chemical irritants. Time-response profiles of epidermal IL1beta, TNFalpha, IL10, and IL4 mRNAs, 3-14 d after DB[a,l]P treatment, corresponded with expression of these cytokines during elicitation of CHS reactions. Epidermal IL4 is specifically upregulated during CHS reactions. Cytokine mRNA responses were dose-dependent (50, 100, and 200 nmol of DB[a,l]P) and markedly weaker in animals treated with 400 nmol of DMBA. Significantly, the intensity of epidermal hyperplasia correlated with the strength of the cytokine mRNA signals in DLN and skin. In conclusion, our data support carcinogen-specific CHS as a mechanism by which the very potent carcinogen DB[a,l]P induces epidermal hyperplasia, a requirement for tumor promotion in mouse skin.

Microsatellite DNA variants between the inbred SENCAR mouse strains.

The two-stage model, initiation with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and promotion with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, of mouse skin carcinogenesis has been the protocol of choice to study the genetic susceptibility to carcinogens, the outbred SENCAR mouse being the most widely used skin tumor-sensitive animal model. Squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) develop from many of the papillomas, making these mice a useful model for epithelial tumorigenesis and for the progression to malignant tumors. Nine different inbred strains derived from outbred SENCAR mice have been recently reported. Interestingly, these strains display different sensitivities to two-stage carcinogenesis, and, in particular, some of them show a dissociation between susceptibility to papilloma development and the malignant conversion of these into SCC. However, the utility of these SENCAR strains for genetic mapping is limited by the lack of information regarding DNA variant alleles among them. Therefore, we analyzed the nine inbred strains with microsatellite markers distributed along the 20 chromosomes and in this article report the variant alleles found. The information presented is likely to be helpful for linkage analysis and marker-assisted development of congenic strains between SENCAR-derived inbred strains.

Activators of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha partially inhibit mouse skin tumor promotion.

Several recent reports have suggested that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) may be involved in the development of neoplasias in different tissue types. The present study was undertaken to determine whether PPARs play a role in skin physiology and tumorigenesis. In an initiation-promotion study, SENCAR mice treated topically with the PPARalpha ligands conjugated linoleic acid and 4-chloro-6-(2,3-xylidino)-2-pyrimidinylthioacetic acid (Wy-14643) exhibited an approximately 30% lower skin tumor yield compared with mice treated with vehicle. The PPARgamma and PPARdelta activators troglitazone and bezafibrate, respectively, exerted little, if any, inhibitory activity. PPARalpha was detected in normal and hyperplastic skin and in papillomas and carcinomas by immunohistochemistry. In addition, PPARalpha, PPARdelta/PPARbeta, and PPARgamma protein levels were analyzed by immunoblotting in normal epidermis and papillomas. Surprisingly, the levels of all three isoforms were increased significantly in tumors as opposed to normal epidermis. In primary keratinocyte cultures, protein levels of PPARalpha and, to a lesser extent, PPARgamma were markedly increased when the cells were induced to differentiate with high-calcium (0.12 mM) conditions. In addition, we observed that Wy-14643 enhanced transcriptional activity of a peroxisome proliferator-response element-driven promoter in a mouse keratinocyte cell line. These results demonstrate that keratinocytes express functional PPARalpha, that PPARalpha may play a role in differentiation, and that ligands for PPARalpha are moderately protective against skin tumor promotion. We conclude that selective PPARalpha ligands may exert their protective role against skin tumor promotion by ligand activation of PPARalpha.

Increased expression of p50-NF-kappaB and constitutive activation of NF-kappaB transcription factors during mouse skin carcinogenesis.

To elucidate the possible role of NF-kappaB in mouse skin carcinogenesis we studied the expression of p50 (NF-kappaB1), p52 (NF-kappaB2), p65 (RelA) and IkappaB-alpha inhibitor as well as kappaB-binding activity in adult SENCAR mouse skin, skin papillomas, and squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) generated by a two-stage carcinogenesis protocol. We found that in normal epidermis all of the above proteins were mostly expressed in the cytoplasm of basal cells. Western blot analysis revealed a dramatic increase of p50 and p52 expression in mouse skin tumors starting from the middle stage of promotion. We also found that the level of IkappaB-alpha protein in many late papillomas and SCC was lower than in normal epidermis. Results of EMSA showed an increase in kappaB-binding activity in mouse skin tumors and suggested that p50 is the major component of constitutive kappaB-binding complexes in normal epidermis and in tumors. It has been shown that nuclear IkappaB protein Bcl-3 is able to increase p50/p50 homodimer binding to the different kappaB sites in mouse thymocytes. Our finding on Bcl-3 overexpression in late papillomas and SCC could explain the selective increase of p50-related kappaB-binding in mouse skin tumors. Thus, our results strongly suggest the important role of p50 in skin carcinogenesis.

Significant inhibition by the flavonoid antioxidant silymarin against 12‐O‐tetradecanoylphorbol 13‐acetate–caused modulation of antioxidant and inflammatory enzymes, and cyclooxygenase 2 and interleukin‐1α expression in SENCAR mouse epidermis: Implications in the prevention of stage I tumor promotion

The flavonoid antioxidant silymarin is used clinically in Europe and Asia for the treatment of liver diseases and is sold in the United States and Europe as a dietary supplement. Recently we showed that silymarin possesses exceptionally high cancer-preventive effects in different mouse skin carcinogenesis models and affords strong anticancer effects in human skin, cervical, prostate, and breast carcinoma cells. More recently, we showed that the anti–tumor-promoting effect of silymarin is primarily targeted against stage I tumor promotion in mouse skin (Cancer Res 1999;59:622–632). Based on this recent study, in this report, further investigations were made to identify and define the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of silymarin's effect during stage I tumor promotion in mouse skin. A single topical application of silymarin at 3-, 6-, and 9-mg doses onto SENCAR mouse skin followed 30 min later with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) at a 3-μg dose resulted in a 76–95% inhibition (P < 0.001) of TPA-caused skin edema. Similarly, these doses of silymarin also showed 39–90%, 29–85%, and 15–67% protection (P < 0.05 or 0.001), against TPA-caused depletion of epidermal superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activity, respectively. Pretreatment of mice with silymarin also produced highly significant inhibition of TPA-caused induction of epidermal lipid peroxidation (47–66% inhibition, P < 0.001) and myeloperoxidase activity (56–100% inhibition, P < 0.001). In additional studies assessing the effect of silymarin on arachidonic acid metabolism pathways involving lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase (COX), similar doses of silymarin showed highly significant inhibition of TPA-caused induction of epidermal lipoxygenase (49–77% inhibition, P < 0.001) and COX (35–64% inhibition, P < 0.01 or 0.001) activity. Western immunoblot analysis showed that the observed effect of silymarin on COX activity was due to inhibition of TPA-inducible COX-2 with no change in constitutive COX-1 protein levels. In other studies, silymarin also showed dose-dependent inhibition of TPA-caused induction of epidermal interleukin 1α (IL-1α) protein (39–72% inhibition, P < 0.005 or 0.001) and mRNA expression. Taken together, the results from these biochemical and molecular studies further substantiate our recent observation of silymarin's anti–tumor-promoting effects primarily at stage I tumor promotion. Furthermore, the observed inhibitory effects of silymarin on COX-2 and IL-1α should be further explored to develop preventive strategies against those cancers in which these molecular targets play one of the causative roles, such as non-melanoma skin, colon, and breast cancers in humans. Mol. Carcinog. 26:321–333, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Significant inhibition by the flavonoid antioxidant silymarin against 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate-caused modulation of antioxidant and inflammatory enzymes, and cyclooxygenase 2 and interleukin-1? expression in SENCAR mouse epidermis: Implications in the prevention of stage I tumor promotion

The flavonoid antioxidant silymarin is used clinically in Europe and Asia for the treatment of liver diseases and is sold in the United States and Europe as a dietary supplement. Recently we showed that silymarin possesses exceptionally high cancer-preventive effects in different mouse skin carcinogenesis models and affords strong anticancer effects in human skin, cervical, prostate, and breast carcinoma cells. More recently, we showed that the anti-tumor-promoting effect of silymarin is primarily targeted against stage I tumor promotion in mouse skin (Cancer Res 1999;59:622-632). Based on this recent study, in this report, further investigations were made to identify and define the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of silymarin's effect during stage I tumor promotion in mouse skin. A single topical application of silymarin at 3-, 6-, and 9-mg doses onto SENCAR mouse skin followed 30 min later with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) at a 3-microg dose resulted in a 76-95% inhibition (P < 0.001) of TPA-caused skin edema. Similarly, these doses of silymarin also showed 39-90%, 29-85%, and 15-67% protection (P < 0.05 or 0.001), against TPA-caused depletion of epidermal superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activity, respectively. Pretreatment of mice with silymarin also produced highly significant inhibition of TPA-caused induction of epidermal lipid peroxidation (47-66% inhibition, P < 0.001) and myeloperoxidase activity (56-100% inhibition, P < 0.001). In additional studies assessing the effect of silymarin on arachidonic acid metabolism pathways involving lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase (COX), similar doses of silymarin showed highly significant inhibition of TPA-caused induction of epidermal lipoxygenase (49-77% inhibition, P < 0.001) and COX (35-64% inhibition, P < 0.01 or 0.001) activity. Western immunoblot analysis showed that the observed effect of silymarin on COX activity was due to inhibition of TPA-inducible COX-2 with no change in constitutive COX-1 protein levels. In other studies, silymarin also showed dose-dependent inhibition of TPA-caused induction of epidermal interleukin 1alpha (IL-1alpha) protein (39-72% inhibition, P < 0.005 or 0.001) and mRNA expression. Taken together, the results from these biochemical and molecular studies further substantiate our recent observation of silymarin's anti-tumor-promoting effects primarily at stage I tumor promotion. Furthermore, the observed inhibitory effects of silymarin on COX-2 and IL-1alpha should be further explored to develop preventive strategies against those cancers in which these molecular targets play one of the causative roles, such as non-melanoma skin, colon, and breast cancers in humans.

Toxicologic evaluation of flavor ingredients added to cigarette tobacco: skin painting bioassay of cigarette smoke condensate in SENCAR mice

Four comparative two-stage SENCAR mouse skin painting bioassays were conducted with cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) preparations to evaluate the effect of common American cigarette flavoring ingredients on tumor promotion. Each independent study employed a unique flavoring combination applied to tobacco at exaggerated levels, and in total resulted in an evaluation of 150 ingredients. Groups of 30–50 female SENCAR mice each were initiated topically with 50 μg of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA), and promoted thrice weekly for 26 weeks with either 10 or 20 mg of CSC from test cigarettes containing ingredient mixtures. For comparison, separate groups of mice received concurrent treatment with CSC from reference cigarettes prepared without added ingredients. Negative and positive controls were treated with acetone or 12-0-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) as a promoter, respectively. CSC-only groups served as promotion controls. Tumors developed in >80% of the TPA-treated mice by study week 11, with a <3% background tumor formation in the acetone treated controls at termination. Tumor incidence in CSC-only promotion control groups was <20%, with no apparent difference between reference and test CSC groups. Approximately 70% of the DMBA-initiated mice promoted with 20 mg CSC developed tumors. Tumors first appeared around week 9, with about five tumors/tumor bearing animal. Tumor incidence, latency and multiplicity were CSC dose related, with a lower tumor incidence (approximately 50%), longer latency (12 weeks), and reduced tumor burden (four tumors/tumor bearing animal) at the 10 mg CSC dose level. While tumor incidence, latency and multiplicity data occasionally differed between test and comparative reference CSC groups, all effects appeared to be within normal variation for the model system. Furthermore, none of the changes appeared to be substantial enough to conclude that the tumor promotion capacity of CSC obtained from cigarettes containing tobacco with ingredients was discernibly different from the CSC obtained from reference cigarettes containing tobacco processed without ingredients.

Tissue distribution of silibinin, the major active constituent of silymarin, in mice and its association with enhancement of phase II enzymes: implications in cancer chemoprevention.

Polyphenolic antioxidants are being identified as cancer preventive agents. Recent studies in our laboratory have identified and defined the cancer preventive and anticarcinogenic potential of a polyphenolic flavonoid antioxidant, silymarin (isolated from milk thistle). More recent studies by us found that these effects of silymarin are due to the major active constituent, silibinin, present therein. Here, studies are done in mice to determine the distribution and conjugate formation of systemically administered silibinin in liver, lung, stomach, skin, prostate and pancreas. Additional studies were then performed to assess the effect of orally administered silibinin on phase II enzyme activity in liver, lung, stomach, skin and small bowel. For tissue distribution studies, SENCAR mice were starved for 24 h, orally fed with silibinin (50 mg/kg dose) and killed after 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8 h. The desired tissues were collected, homogenized and parts of the homogenates were extracted with butanol:methanol followed by HPLC analysis. The column eluates were detected by UV followed by electrochemical detection. The remaining homogenates were digested with sulfatase and beta-glucuronidase followed by analysis and quantification. Peak levels of free silibinin were observed at 0.5 h after administration in liver, lung, stomach and pancreas, accounting for 8.8 +/- 1.6, 4. 3 +/- 0.8, 123 +/- 21 and 5.8 +/- 1.1 (mean +/- SD) microg silibinin/g tissue, respectively. In the case of skin and prostate, the peak levels of silibinin were 1.4 +/- 0.5 and 2.5 +/- 0.4, respectively, and were achieved 1 h after administration. With regard to sulfate and beta-glucuronidate conjugates of silibinin, other than lung and stomach showing peak levels at 0.5 h, all other tissues showed peak levels at 1 h after silibinin administration. The levels of both free and conjugated silibinin declined after 0.5 or 1 h in an exponential fashion with an elimination half-life (t((1/2))) of 57-127 min for free and 45-94 min for conjugated silibinin in different tissues. In the studies examining the effect of silibinin on phase II enzymes, oral feeding of silibinin at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg/day showed a moderate to highly significant (P < 0.1-0.001, Student's t-test) increase in both glutathione S-transferase and quinone reductase activities in liver, lung, stomach, skin and small bowel in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Taken together, the results of the present study clearly demonstrate the bioavailability of and phase II enzyme induction by systemically administered silibinin in different tissues, including skin, where silymarin has been shown to be a strong cancer chemopreventive agent, and suggest further studies to assess the cancer preventive and anticarcinogenic effects of silibinin in different cancer models.

Increased expression of mutated Ha‐ras during premalignant progression in SENCAR mouse skin

Increased expression of mutated Ha‐ras during premalignant progression in SENCAR mouse skin

Increased expression of mutated Ha-ras during premalignant progression in SENCAR mouse skin

The ras proto-oncogene family products are membrane-associated, guanine nucleotide-binding proteins that serve as a molecular switch for signal transduction pathways in a diverse array of organisms. In the mouse skin two-stage carcinogenesis model, a specific point mutation in Ha-ras codon 61 is responsible for the initiation event. Here we investigated whether Ha-ras protein and mRNA expression change during premalignant progression. Also, we assessed the Ha-ras mutated allele after these changes. To those ends, we analysed the Ha-ras expression profiles in normal and hyperplastic skin, papillomas, and squamous cell carcinomas by western blotting, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and in situ hybridization. Increased levels of Ha-ras expression were observed at specific times during promotion. These changes were followed by an increase in the level of expression of the Ha-ras mutated allele. These results suggest that increased expression of Ha-ras mutated alleles may have an important role during premalignant progression.

Ovariectomy increases squamous metaplasia of the uterine horns and survival of SENCAR mice fed a vitamin A–deficient diet

Retinoic acid is necessary for the growth and differentiation of organisms and exerts its molecular actions by binding to specific nuclear receptors that belong to the thyroid-steroid hormone receptor superfamily. Steroids and retinoids control the differentiation of the female reproductive epithelia: estrogen maintains the squamous differentiation of vaginal and ectocervical epithelia, whereas retinoic acid maintains the simple columnar endocervical and uterine epithelia. These lining epithelia transform into a squamous metaplastic phenotype in vitamin A-deficient animals. Furthermore, mortality due to vitamin A deficiency is usually attributed to infection resulting in part from dysfunction of the protective epithelia. Our objective was to test the hypothesis that estrogen depletion might change the squamous metaplastic response to vitamin A deficiency and affect animal survival. We used female SENCAR mice maintained on a purified vitamin A-deficient diet containing either 0 or 3 microg retinoic acid/g diet. Mice were either ovariectomized or intact. Squamous cells arising in the normally simple columnar epithelium of the endocervix and uterine cavity were monitored by keratin 5 expression with immunohistochemistry. Ovariectomy did not change the time to onset of vitamin A deficiency. It increased the number of squamous metaplastic cells and prolonged survival in mice consuming a vitamin A-deficient diet by as much as 40%. Factors other than epithelial differentiation per se control survival outcome of vitamin A-deficient mice. The results also show a significant increase in longevity of vitamin A- deficient mice when ovariectomized.

Cancer initiation by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons results from formation of stable DNA adducts rather than apurinic sites.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants with high carcinogenic potencies that have been linked to the etiology of human cancers through their presence in cigarette smoke and environmental mixtures. They are metabolically activated in cells by cytochrome P450 enzymes and/or peroxidases to reactive intermediates that damage DNA. One pathway of activation forms dihydrodiol epoxides that covalently bind to exocyclic amino groups of purines in DNA to form stable adducts. Another pathway involves formation of radical cations that bind to the N7 or C8 of purines to form unstable adducts that depurinate to leave apurinic (AP) sites in DNA. In the present study the proportions of stable DNA adducts and AP sites formed by the carcinogenic PAHs dibenzo[a,l]-pyrene (DB[a,l]P), 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) have been investigated in a target tissue for carcinogenesis, mouse epidermis. After topical application of the PAHs on the skin of female SENCAR mice epidermal DNA was isolated and the formation of stable DNA adducts was measured by (33)P-postlabeling and HPLC analysis. AP sites in DNA were measured with an aldehyde reactive probe in a slot-blot assay. At both 4 and 24 h after exposure, DB[a,l]P formed significantly higher amounts of stable DNA adducts than DMBA, and B[a]P exhibited the lowest level of binding. In contrast, the number of AP sites present in mice treated with these PAHs was in the order: DMBA > B[a]P >> DB[a,l]P. The level of AP sites was significantly lower than the level of stable adducts for each PAH. The most potent carcinogen, DB[a,l]P, induced the highest level of stable adducts and the lowest level of AP sites in epidermal DNA. These results indicate that stable DNA adducts rather than AP sites are responsible for tumor initiation by carcinogenic PAHs.

Role of distinct subpopulations of peritoneal macrophages in the regulation of reactive oxygen species release

It has been reported in vitro that during the respiratory burst of phagocytic cells the superoxide anion production per cell shows a negative relation with the cell density. This proccess has been described as autoregulation. The aim of this work was to analyze the superoxide anion production in thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophage exudates to evaluate the importance of the peritoneal cavity environment in the autoregulation process. 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (PMA) was used to stimulate the respiratory burst and superoxide anion production was measured evaluating the intracellular formazan deposits that precipitate as a result of nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction. We have demonstrated a negative correlation between superoxide anion production and cell density in the peritoneal cavity in macrophages challenged with PMA. The response of individual cells was analyzed by means of an image analyzer, measuring the amount of formazan per cell and cell-size changes during the process of activation. The results revealed that the decrease in individual cell response as a function of higher cell densities were due to a significant increase in the amount of basal reaction macrophages. Concomitantly, the number of reactive cells remained unchanged irrespective of the cell density of the population. A direct correlation between cell size and superoxide anion production was observed. This phenomenon was demonstrated in SENCAR and Balb/c strains. However, macrophages from SENCAR mice showed greater superoxide anion production than those from Balb/c.The differences between strains could be associated to the increased sensitivity to PMA tumor promotion of SENCAR mice. Based on this property, macrophages from SENCAR mice were stimulated with opsonized zymosan, a particulate stimulus that reflects the interaction macrophage–microorganism during the phagocytic process. This data will contribute to the knowledge of infection control. We conclude that variations in basal reaction cells modulates the macrophage activation response when excess macrophages are recruited to the peritoneum. This is demonstrated using different stimuli, thus suggesting that this response may be applied to a wide variety of stimuli–macrophage interactions. The differences between strains may be associated to the increased sensitivity to PMA tumor promotion of SENCAR mice.

Protection against 12- O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate induced skin-hyperplasia and tumor promotion, in a two-stage carcinogenesis mouse model, by the 2,3-dimethyl-6(2-dimethylaminoethyl)-6H-indolo-[2,3-b]quinoxaline analogue of ellipticine

The effects of topical applications of 2,3-dimethyl-6(2-dimethylaminoethyl)-6H-indolo-[2,3-b]quinoxaline (B-220), on 12- O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) or benzoylperoxide (BPO) induced promotion of skin tumors and hyperplasia were studied in female SENCAR mice. Papillomas were induced by initiation with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), followed by promotion biweekly with TPA or BPO. Administration of B-220 1 h before TPA promotion resulted in a prolonged latency period of tumor appearance and a significantly reduced (up to 15% of positive controls) papilloma yield at 20 weeks. Moreover, if B-220 treatment was terminated after 20 weeks and TPA treatment continued, papilloma development resumed indicating that initiated tumor cells were still present but were unable to grow with B-220 present. If B-220 pretreatment was not given during the first 10 weeks of TPA promotion, incidence at 20 weeks was not reduced but tumor multiplicity was still decreased. In addition a marked reduction of the TPA induced sustained epidermal hyperplasia was observed in the long term experiment. Neither the inflammatory response nor the increase in the number of apoptotic cells seen in short term experiment after a single TPA treatment were inhibited by B-220. B-220 administration before BPO promotion had no effect on the appearance of BPO induced papillomas or epidermal hyperplasia, suggesting that TPA and BPO promote tumor formation via at least partially different mechanisms. In experiments where B-220 was applied topically 1 h before DMBA initiation, little or no effect was seen. No morphological changes in mouse skin due to long term exposure (two times/week, 39 weeks) to B-220 were found. In conclusion, we present evidence that B-220 is a potent inhibitor of mouse skin tumor promotion by TPA, but has little effect on the initiation step or the survival of initiated cells.

Upregulation of E2F transcription factors in chemically induced mouse skin tumors.

E2F family of transcription factors plays an important role in cell cycle regulation, oncogenesis and differentiation. E2Fs are a family of heterodimeric transcription factors composed of E2F-like and DP-like subunits. They regulate expression of specific genes controlling cellular proliferation by binding to specific sequences within the promoter regions of these target genes and affecting their transcription in a cell cycle dependent manner. Recent studies have suggested an essential role of Rb/E2F pathway in the passage of cells through the G1 phase of the cell cycle. To better understand the role of these transcription factors in epithelial tumorigenesis, we compared the expression of various proteins involved in the Rb/E2F pathway in epidermis and 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-initiated and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) promoted papillomas on SENCAR mouse skin. Western blot analysis data showed 3.0- to 7.6-fold upregulation of E2F-1, E2F-2, E2F-3, E2F-4 and E2F-5 in tumors compared to normal epidermis. In tumors, the protein expression of DP-1 did not show significant change whereas that of DP-2 showed a 2.2-fold increase. Compared to normal epidermis, a significant upregulation of pRb (6.3-fold) and p107 (13-fold) was also observed in tumors. The protein expression of p130 was not detectable either in normal epidermis or in tumors. These data suggest that the overexpression of E2F proteins may be involved in the G1-S phase dysregulation that occurs during mouse skin tumorigenesis.

Alternative pathways of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons activation: the formation of polar DNA adducts.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants, and some are potent carcinogens in rodents. Carcinogenic PAHs are activated in the cells to metabolites that react with DNA to form covalent adducts. For most PAHs the reactive, electrophilic species which bind to DNA, are bay-region diol-epoxides. Application of 32P-postlabeling to PAH-DNA adducts analysis revealed that for some PAHs the adduct profiles generated in model systems are more complex and include adducts which are more polar than those formed by classic bay-region diol-epoxides. This minireview summaries the information gained on typical representatives of polar PAH-DNA adducts. Formation of triol-epoxide-DNA adducts was proposed for chrysene and a non-alterant PAH, benzo[b]fluoranthene (B[b]F). 5-OH-B[b]F, the precursor of B[b]F triol-epoxide, was found to be a potent tumor initiator in mouse skin. For planar PAHs such as dibenzanthracenes the possibility of bis-diol epoxide-DNA adducts formation was suggested. The most comprehensive data were obtained for dibenz[a,j]anthracene (DB[a,j]A). This hydrocarbon when applied to SENCAR mouse skin forms up to 23 species of adducts, most of which are polar. Among these polar adducts seven were identified as derived from DB[aj]A-3,4-10,11-bis-diol. Analysis of tumor-initiating activity showed, however, that this proximate metabolite was inactive in this respect. In contrast, an excellent correlation was observed between levels of less polar DNA adducts (i.e. those derived from bay-region diolepoxides) and skin tumor initiating activity of DB[a,j]A. Thus, while triol-epoxides seems to be involved in tumor initiating activity of the parent compound, non alterant B[b]F, the significance of bis-diol epoxide-DNA adducts, at least those derived from DB[aj]A, is minor.

Inositol hexaphosphate reduces 12- O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced ornithine decarboxylase independent of protein kinase C isoform expression in keratinocytes

High-fiber diets have been shown to have beneficial effects on preventing tumorigenesis. Inositol hexaphosphate (InsP 6 or phytic acid) which is a fiber-associated component of cereals and legumes has been demonstrated to inhibit cell proliferation and enhance cell differentiation, indicating its potential for chemopreventive roles. In this study, we investigated the effect of InsP 6 on 12- O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity, an essential event in tumor promotion in HEL-30 cells, a murine keratinocyte cell line and SENCAR mouse skin. ODC activity was significantly reduced by 0.5 mM InsP 6 in keratinocytes ( P<0.01). Furthermore, when mouse skin was treated with 10 mM InsP 6, ODC induction was significantly inhibited ( P<0.05). In addition, the expression of TPA-induced c-myc mRNA was significantly inhibited by the same InsP 6 treatments in HEL-30 cells and CD-1 mouse skin ( P<0.01). No changes in protein kinase C (PKC) isoform expression and phorbol dibutyrate binding due to InsP 6 treatment were found in HEL-30 cells. These results indicate that InsP 6 reduces TPA-induced ODC activity independent of PKC isoform expression.

Lack of effect of a 60 Hz magnetic field on biomarkers of tumor promotion in the skin of SENCAR mice.

It has been proposed that extremely low frequency magnetic fields may enhance tumorigenesis through a co-promotional mechanism. This hypothesis has been further tested using the two-stage model of mouse skin carcinogenesis, i.e. 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced promotion of skin carcinogenesis in mice initiated by a single subcarcinogenic dose of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene. Experimentation utilized three different doses of TPA within its dose-response range (0.85, 1.70 or 3.40 nmol) and examined the following early biomarkers of tumor promotion after 1, 2 and 5 weeks of promotion: increases in epidermal thickness and the labeling index of epidermal cells, induction of epidermal ornithine decarboxylase activity and down-regulation of epidermal protein kinase C activity. Mice exposed to a 60 Hz magnetic field having a flux density of 2 mT for 6 h/day for 5 days/week were compared with mice exposed to an ambient magnetic field. Within the sensitivity limits of the biomarker methodology and the exposure parameters employed, no consistent, statistically significant effects indicative of promotion or co-promotion by the magnetic field were demonstrated.

Carcinogenicity of dermally administered 1,2-dihydro-2,2,4-trimethylquinoline monomer in F344 rats and B6C3F1 mice.

1,2-Dihydro-2,2,4-trimethylquinoline (TMQ) was evaluated in a 2-year study in which groups of 60 male or female F344 rats received 0, 36 or 60 mg kg(-1) (0, 0.022, or 0.037 mg cm(-2)) and groups of 60 male or female B6C3F1 mice received 0, 3.6 or 10 mg kg(-1) (0, 0.00136, 0.00435 mg cm(-2)) in acetone by topical administration. Survival of all treated groups was comparable to survival of controls. Mean body weights of female rats were lower than those of controls throughout the study but mean body weights of male rats and male and female mice were comparable to the mean body weights of controls. No neoplasms of the skin were observed in any group of rats or mice. Acanthosis at the site of application was increased in male and female rats that received 60 or 100 mg kg(-1) and hyperkeratosis was increased in female rats that received 60 mg kg(-1). The incidences of renal tubule adenoma and renal tubule adenoma or carcinoma were increased significantly in the 60 and 100 mg kg(-1) groups of male rats. There were no neoplastic or non-neoplastic lesions in mice associated with exposure to 1,2-dihydro-2,2,4-trimethylquinoline. In a 1-year initiation-promotion study, groups of 30 female SENCAR mice received an initiating dose of 50 mg kg(-1) 1,2-dihydro-2,2,4-trimethylquinoline followed by promotion with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), or an initiating dose of 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA) followed by promotion with 5, 10 or 25 mg kg(-1) 1,2-dihydro-2,2,4-trimethylquinoline. Other groups served as initiator control, promoter control, vehicle control and positive control (DMBA initiation, TPA promotion). In this system, 1,2-dihydro-2,2,4-trimethylquinoline-initiated skin was not promoted by TPA, and DMBA-initiated skin was not promoted by 1,2-dihydro-2,2,4-trimethylquinoline.

Studies of Strain Differences in the Spontaneous and Induced Frequencies of Cells Resistant to Calcium-Induced Terminal Differentiation

C3H mice were found to be much less responsive to tumor induction in an initiation/promotion protocol than CD-I mice. To explore the difference in strain sensitivity, the frequencies of cells resistant to calcium-induced terminal differentiation(calcium resistant cells, CRCs) were measured in C3H, CD-I, and SENCAR mice. The induced frequencies after 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene(DMBA) treatment were similar in all three strains, ranging from 0.70 to 0.83 × 10-6, and suggested that the differences in tumor outcome were more likely related to promotion than initiation. Spontaneous frequencies ranged from 0.73 to 3.75 CRCs per mouse or 0.07 to 0.22 CRC/106cells. The spontaneous frequency in the C3H mouse was significantly less than that in the other two strains. However, the spontaneous mutation rates were found to be similar in all three strains, ranging from 0.05 to 0.07 × 10-6and it was found that the keratinocytes, which were resistant to terminal differentiation, were independently distributed in C3H but not in CD-I and SENCAR mice. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that clonal expansion occurs in CD-I and SENCAR but not C3H mice. Conceivably the greater propensity for clonal expansion in CD-I and SENCAR than in C3H mice is related to the greater likelihood of tumor formation as well as the more rapid development of tumors in the former strains.