1-nitropyrene-4-5-oxide and 1-nitropyrene

DNA adduct formation in the liver of B6C3F1 mice after administration of 1-nitropyrene (1-NP) was shown by the 32P-postlabeling technique. The major adduct was not N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-1-aminopyrene, which was easily formed in in vitro nitroreduction of 1-NP in the presence of DNA, but the major spots migrated to the same position as the in vitro DNA adduct spots of K-region epoxides of 1-NP (1-NP 4,5- and 9,10-oxide). 1-NP oxides formed by the oxidative activation of 1-NP in the liver were excreted into the bile as detoxified glutathione conjugates which were changed to cysteine conjugates in the upper intestinal tract. The cysteine conjugates were degraded by cysteine conjugate beta-lyase (beta-lyase) of intestinal microflora in the lower intestinal tract. The mutagenicity of cysteine conjugates of 1-NP oxides for Salmonella typhimurium was enhanced by addition of beta-lyase and was decreased by addition of aminooxyacetic acid, a beta-lyase inhibitor. The in vitro binding of the cysteine conjugates to calf thymus DNA was increased by addition of beta-lyase and xanthine oxidase. We administered glutathione conjugates of 1-NP oxides to two groups of mice that had been treated with antibiotics or saline by gavage and analyzed the DNA adducts in the lower intestinal mucosa. The specific DNA adducts were detected in the saline-treated group but not in the antibiotics-treated group. These results suggest that intestinal microflora play an important role in activation of glutathione conjugates of 1-NP oxides.

Topics: Animals; Bacteria; DNA; Glutathione; Intestines; Liver; Lyases; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Pyrenes

[4,5,9,10-(3)H]1-Nitropyrene was incubated with liver microsomes prepared from guinea pigs treated with Aroclor 1254 and the products were examined by h.p.l.c. The previously reported metabolites, 1-nitropyrene trans-4,5-dihydrodiol, 1-nitropyrene trans-9,10-dihydrodiol, and 3-, 6-, and 8-hydroxy-1-nitropyrene were detected. In addition, h.p.l.c., nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectral analyses indicated the presence of 1-nitropyrene 4,5-oxide and 1-nitropyrene 9,10-oxide. The epoxide hydrase inhibitor, 1,2-epoxy-3,3,3-trichloropropane, decreased the concentration of the 4,5- and 9,10-dihydrodiols in the microsomal incubations and increased the concentration of their corresponding oxides. Reaction of 1-nitropyrene with m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid gave a mixture of 1-nitropyrene 4,5-oxide and 1-nitropyrene 9,10-oxide, which was separated by chromatography. The mutagenicity of the oxides was determined in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, TA98NR, and TA98/1,8-DNP6, both with and without exogenous activation by a rat liver homogenate fraction (S9). In the absence of S9, both oxides showed maximum activity in TA98, slightly decreased mutagenicity in the acetylase-deficient strain TA98/1,8-DNP6, and much reduced activity in the nitroreductase-deficient strain, TA98NR. When assayed in the presence of S9, 1-nitropyrene 4,5-oxide had maximum mutagenicity in TA98, and was 50 and 95% less mutagenic in TA98NR and TA98/1,8-DNP6, respectively. 1-Nitropyrene 9,10-oxide had a similar strain sensitivity, except that its total mutagenicity was lower. Since 1-nitropyrene is metabolized by oxidative pathways in vivo, these K-region oxides may contribute to the toxicities elicited by this compound.

Topics: Animals; Biotransformation; Epoxide Hydrolases; Guinea Pigs; In Vitro Techniques; Male; Microsomes, Liver; Mutagenicity Tests; Mutagens; Pyrenes; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Salmonella typhimurium; Spectrum Analysis; Trichloroepoxypropane