3-amino-1-methyl-5h-pyrido(4-3-b)indole and norharman

Topics: Animals; Breast Neoplasms; Carbolines; Carcinogens, Environmental; Cattle; Colonic Neoplasms; Cooking; Food; Harmine; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Humans; Imidazoles; Male; Meat; Mutagens; Neoplasms; Nitrates; Nitrites; Nitrosamines; Prostatic Neoplasms

Carbolines, azaheterocyclic amines derived from indoleamines, have various biological activities, such as neurotoxicity of beta-carbolines and potent mutagenicity of gamma-carbolines. In this study, structural significance among these carbolines was investigated in relation to the types of cell death, apoptosis and necrosis, using human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. DNA damage was quantitatively analyzed by a single-cell gel electrophoresis assay. DNA damage was induced by both beta-carbolines, harman and norharman, and gamma-carbolines, 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-1) and 3-amino-4-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-2), in a dose dependent manner. Gamma-carbolines were more potent to damage DNA than beta-carbolines. Alkaline lysis of the cells prevented DNA damage induced by beta-carboline, and pre-treatment of the cells with cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis, reduced DNA damage caused by norharman. Morphological observation showed condensed and fragmented nuclei typical for apoptosis, in the cells treated with norharman. Thus, DNA damage induced by norharman was proved to be apoptotic. However, harman, which had a methyl substitution at the position 1, might induce necrosis in the cells. On the other hand, gamma-carbolines, Trp-P-1 and Trp-P-2, directly damaged DNA. Thus, the nitrogen atom at the gamma-position and/or an amino group in carboline structure would be required to induce the direct DNA cleavage.

Topics: Apoptosis; Carbolines; Central Nervous System; Comet Assay; Cycloheximide; DNA; DNA Fragmentation; Harmine; Humans; Mutagens; Neurons; Neurotoxins; Protein Synthesis Inhibitors; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Heat processing of muscle foods gives rise to the formation of mutagenic and carcinogenic heterocyclic amines, often at ng/g levels. A gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) technique was introduced for the analysis of nonpolar heterocyclic amines in common cooked meats, pan residues, and meat extracts after solid-phase extraction. The mutagenic heterocyclic amines 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-1), 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-2), 2-amino-9H-pyrido[2,3-b]indole (A alpha C) and 2-amino-3-methyl-9H-pyrido[2,3-b]indole (MeA alpha C) were identified in several samples in amounts up to 8 ng/g. Also the comutagenic substances 1-methyl-9H-pyrido [3,4-b]indole (harman) and 9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole (norharman) were detected in the samples in amounts up to almost 200 ng/g. The GC-MS method can be applied without derivatisation of the sample. The technique offers high chromatographic efficiency, yielding detection limits for pure references in the range 0.1-2 ng per injection.

Topics: Amines; Animals; Carbolines; Carcinogens; Cooking; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Harmine; Heterocyclic Compounds; Hot Temperature; Meat; Meat Products; Mutagens; Reindeer; Surface Properties; Swine

Various kinds of mutagenic and carcinogenic heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are produced by heating protein-rich foods, such as meat and fish. To evaluate the risk of these HCAs in terms of human cancer development, exposure levels must be measured. We therefore analyzed their amounts in various kinds of cooked foods and in urine samples of healthy volunteers living in Tokyo. Based on the obtained quantitative data, daily exposure levels to 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) and 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) were calculated to be 0.3-3.9 and 0.005-0.3 microgram per person, respectively. Moreover, human DNA samples were analyzed with the 32P-postlabeling method, and colon, rectum and kidney tissues were found to contain an adduct spot corresponding to the standard 5'-pdG-C8-MeIQx by TLC and HPLC, at levels of 14, 18 and 1.8 per 10(10) nucleotides, respectively. The beta-carboline compound, norharman, is produced by heating L-tryptophan, and is known to be present in cooked foods and in cigarette smoke at higher levels than mutagenic and carcinogenic HCAs. While norharman is not itself mutagenic to Salmonella, it does become mutagenic to S. typhimurium TA98 with S9 mix in the presence of non-mutagenic aromatic amines like aniline and o-toluidine. When we examined whether DNA adducts are formed in the DNA of S. typhimurium TA98 by treatment with norharman and aromatic amines using 32P-postlabeling analysis, DNA adduct formation by norharman with aromatic amines was found to be related to the appearance of mutagenicity by norharman with aromatic amines.

Topics: Aniline Compounds; Carbolines; Colon; Diet; DNA Adducts; Environmental Exposure; Female; Harmine; Humans; Imidazoles; Male; Meat; Mutagenicity Tests; Quinoxalines; Salmonella typhimurium; Toluidines

beta-Carbolines, harman (1-methyl-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole) and norharman (9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole) and gamma-carbolines, 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-1) and 3-amino-4-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-2), are present in cooked foods and cigarette smoke. We studied the effects of these heterocyclic amines on the activity of DNA topoisomerases. Trp-P-1 and Trp-P-2 inhibited topoisomerase I (topo I) activity with ED50 values of 1.48 and 1.55 micrograms/ml, respectively, in a relaxation assay. Harman and norharman inhibited topo I activity but with much higher ED50 values, 23.8 and 34.4 micrograms/ml, respectively. Trp-P-1 and Trp-P-2 also inhibited topoisomerase II (topo II) activity at about 50 micrograms/ml, in a decatenation assay. Harman and norharman showed a much lower inhibitory effect on topo II activity. None of these compounds stabilized the cleavable complex mediated by topo II. Trp-P-1 and Trp-P-2 intercalated into DNA at concentrations inhibitory to topoisomerases. We considered that the intercalation with DNA and the inhibition of DNA topoisomerases by heterocyclic amines might be partly related to their inhibition of DNA excision repair and their enhancing effect on UV- or chemically induced mutagenic activity.

Topics: Breast Neoplasms; Carbolines; Carcinoma, Small Cell; Cell Line; Enzyme Inhibitors; Female; Harmine; Humans; Kinetics; Mutagens; Topoisomerase I Inhibitors; Topoisomerase II Inhibitors; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Three recent topics related to possible exposure of humans to mutagenic and carcinogenic aromatic amines and related compounds in foods are reviewed. A food additive, AF-2,2-(2-furyl)-3-(5-nitro-2-furyl) acrylamide, was first demonstrated to be mutagenic in Escherichia coli WP-2 and then proved to be carcinogenic in experimental animals. This is an example of prediction of the carcinogenicity of a compound from results of short-term microbial tests. Pyrolysates of amino acids, proteins, and foods high in a protein contain many heterocyclic aromatic amine compounds. For example, a tryptophan pyrolysate contains two derivatives ofamino-gamma-carboline(pyridoindole), and a glutamicd acid pyrolysate contains two derivatives of djipyridoimidazole. These compounds are strong frameshift mutagens in Salmonella typhimurium. Some of them were carcinogenic in an in vitro transformation test and were also carcinogenic when injected sc into hamsters and rats and when given orally to mice. Carcinogenic aromatic amines, such as aniline, and o-toluidine and yellow OB were demonstrated to be mutagenic in the presence of the beta-carboline, norharman, with S-9 mix. Diphenylnitrosamine was also mutagenic in the presence of norharman, which is present in tobacco tar and broiled food. These mutagenicities of aniline, o-toluidine, yellow OB, and diphenylnitrosamine are discussed in relation to an evaluation of compounds as environmental carcinogens from the results of short-term microbial tests.

Topics: Animals; Azo Compounds; Carbolines; Carcinogens; Cooking; Drug Synergism; Food Additives; Furylfuramide; Harmine; Humans; Mutagenicity Tests; Mutagens; Nitrofurans; Nitrosamines