equilin and 4-hydroxy-equilin

Estrogen-DNA adducts are potential biomarkers for assessing the risk and development of estrogen-associated cancers. 4-Hydroxyequilenin (4-OHEN) and 4-hydroxyequilin (4-OHEQ), the metabolites of equine estrogens present in common hormone replacement therapy (HRT) formulations, are capable of producing bulky 4-OHEN-DNA adducts. Although the formation of 4-OHEN-DNA adducts has been reported, their quantitative detection in mammalian cells has not been done. To quantify such DNA adducts, we generated a novel monoclonal antibody (4OHEN-1) specific for 4-OHEN-DNA adducts. The primary epitope recognized is one type of stereoisomers of 4-OHEN-dA adducts and of 4-OHEN-dC adducts in DNA. An immunoassay with 4OHEN-1 revealed a linear dose-response between known amounts of 4-OHEN-DNA adducts and the antibody binding to those adducts, with a detection limit of approximately five adducts/10(8) bases in 1 microg DNA sample. In human breast cancer cells, the quantitative immunoassay revealed that 4-OHEN produces five times more 4-OHEN-DNA adducts than does 4-OHEQ. Moreover, in a mouse model for HRT, oral administration of Premarin increased the levels of 4-OHEN-DNA adducts in various tissues, including the uterus and ovaries, in a time-dependent manner. Thus, we succeeded in establishing a novel immunoassay for quantitative detection of 4-OHEN-DNA adducts in mammalian cells.

Topics: Aging; Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Antibody Specificity; Cell Line, Tumor; DNA Adducts; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Equilenin; Equilin; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP); Female; Humans; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C

Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), composed of equilenin, is associated with increased risk of breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancers. Several diastereoisomers of unique dC and dA DNA adducts were derived from 4-hydroxyequilenin (4-OHEN), a metabolite of equilenin, and have been detected in women receiving ERT. To explore the miscoding property of 4-OHEN-dC adduct, site-specifically modified oligodeoxynucleotides (Pk-1, Pk-2, Pk-3, and Pk-4) containing a single diastereoisomer of 4-OHEN-dC were prepared by a postsynthetic method. Among them, major 4-OHEN-dC-modified oligodeoxynucleotides (Pk-3 and Pk-4) were used to prepare the templates for primer extension reactions catalyzed by DNA polymerase (pol) alpha, pol eta, and pol kappa. Primer extension was retarded one base prior to the lesion and opposite the lesion; stronger blockage was observed with pol alpha, while with human pol eta or pol kappa, a fraction of the primers was extended past the lesion. Steady-state kinetic studies showed that both pol kappa and pol eta inserted dCMP and dAMP opposite the 4-OHEN-dC and extended past the lesion. Never or less-frequently, dGMP, the correct base, was inserted opposite the lesion. The relative bypass frequency past the 4-OHEN-dC lesion with pol eta was at least 3 orders of magnitude higher than that for pol kappa, as observed for primer extension reactions. The bypass frequency past the dA.4-OHEN-dC adduct in Pk-4 was 2 orders of magnitude more efficient than that past the adduct in Pk-3. Thus, 4-OHEN-dC is a highly miscoding lesion capable of generating C --> T transitions and C --> G transversions. The miscoding frequency and specificity of 4-OHEN-dC were strikingly influenced by the adduct stereochemistry and DNA polymerase used.

Topics: Animals; Base Pair Mismatch; Deoxycytidine; DNA; DNA Adducts; DNA Damage; DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; Equilenin; Equilin; Horses; Humans; Kinetics; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; Stereoisomerism; Templates, Genetic

Increased incidence of breast, ovarian and endometrial cancers are observed in women receiving estrogen replacement therapy (ERT). Equilin and equilenin are the major components of the widely prescribed drug used for ERT. These equine estrogens are metabolized primarily to 4-hydroxyequilin (4-OHEQ) and 4-hydroxyequilenin, respectively, which are autoxidized to react with DNA, resulting in the various DNA damages. To explore the mutagenic potential of equine estrogen metabolites, a double-stranded pMY189 shuttle vector carrying a bacteria suppressor tRNA gene, supF, was exposed to 4-OHEQ and transfected into human fibroblast. Plasmids containing mutations in the supF gene were detected with indicator bacteria and mutated colonies obtained were analyzed by automatic DNA sequencing. The proportion of plasmids with the mutated supF gene was increased dose-dependently. The majority of the 4-OHEQ-induced mutations were base substitutions (78%); another 22% were deletions and insertions. Among the base substitutions, 56% were single base substitutions and 19% were multiple base substitutions. The majority (86%) of the 4-OHEQ-induced single base substitutions occurred at the C:G site. C:G --> G:C and C:G --> A:T mutations were detected preferentially with lesser numbers of C:G --> T:A transitions. Sixty-two percent of base substitutions were observed particularly at C:G pairs in (5')-TC/AG-(5') sequences. Using (32)P-post-labeling/gel electrophoresis analysis, 4-OHEN-dC was a major adduct, followed by lesser amounts of 4-OHEN-dA adduct. Mutations observed at C:G pairs may result from 4-OHEN-dC adduct. These results indicated that 4-OHEQ is mutagenic, generating mutations primarily at C:G pairs in (5')-TC/AG-(5') sequences.

Topics: Base Sequence; DNA Adducts; DNA Replication; Equilin; Escherichia coli; Estradiol Congeners; Fibroblasts; Genes, Suppressor; Genetic Vectors; Humans; Molecular Sequence Data; Molecular Structure; Mutagenicity Tests; Mutation; Plasmids; RNA, Transfer; Suppression, Genetic; Transfection

The risk factors for women developing breast and endometrial cancers are all associated with a lifetime of estrogen exposure. Estrogen replacement therapy in particular has been correlated with a slight increased cancer risk. Previously, we showed that equilenin, a minor component of Premarin (Wyeth-Ayerst), was metabolized to highly cytotoxic quinoids which caused oxidative stress and alkylation of DNA in vitro [Bolton, J. L., Pisha, E., Zhang, F., and Qiu, S. (1998) Chem. Res. Toxicol. 11, 1113-1127]. In this study, we have compared the chemistry of the major catechol metabolite of equilin (4-hydroxyequilin), which is found in several estrogen replacement formulations, to the equilenin catechol (4-hydroxyequilenin). Unlike endogenous catechol estrogens, both equilin and equilenin were primarily converted by rat liver microsomes to 4-hydroxylated rather than 2-hydroxylated o-quinone GSH conjugates. With equilin, a small amount of 2-hydroxyequilin GSH quinoids were detected (4-hydroxyequilin:2-hydroxyequilin ratio of 6:1); however, no peaks corresponding to 2-hydroxyequilenin were observed in incubations with equilenin. These data suggest that unsaturation in the B ring alters the regiochemistry of P450-catalyzed hydroxylation from primarily 2-hydroxylation for endogenous estrogens to 4-hydroxylation for equine estrogens. 4-Hydroxyequilenin-o-quinone reacts with GSH to give two mono-GSH conjugates and one di-adduct. The behavior of 4-hydroxyequilin was found to be more complex than 4-hydroxyequilenin as conjugates resulting from 4-hydroxyequilenin were detected in addition to the 4-hydroxyequilin-GSH adducts. The mechanism of decomposition of 4-hydroxyequilin likely involves isomerization to a quinone methide which readily aromatizes to 4-hydroxyequilenin followed by autoxidation to 4-hydroxyequilenin-o-quinone. Similar results were obtained with 2-hydroxyequilin, although, in contrast to 4-hydroxyequilenin, 2-hydroxyequilenin does not autoxidize and the reaction stops at the catechol. Since 4-hydroxyequilin is converted to 4-hydroxyequilenin and 4-hydroxyequilenin-o-quinone, similar effects were observed for this equine catechol, including consumption of NAD(P)H likely by the 4-hydroxyequilenin-o-quinone, depletion of molecular oxygen by 4-hydroxyequilenin or its semiquinone radical, and alkylation of deoxynucleosides and DNA by 4-hydroxyequilenin quinoids. Finally, preliminary studies conducted with the human breast tumor cell line MCF-7 demonstrated th

Topics: Animals; Breast Neoplasms; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; Equilenin; Equilin; Estradiol Congeners; Estrone; Female; Humans; Microsomes, Liver; Oxidation-Reduction; Quinones; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Stereoisomerism; Tumor Cells, Cultured

The risk factors for women developing breast and endometrium cancers are all associated with a lifetime of estrogen exposure. Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) in particular has been correlated with a slight increased cancer risk, although the numerous benefits of ERT may negate this harmful side effect. Equilenin and equilin are equine estrogens which make up between 30% and 45% of the most widely prescribed estrogen replacement formulation, Premarin (Wyeth-Ayerst). In this study we have synthesized the catechol metabolites of equilenin [4-hydroxyequilenin (4-OHEN)] and equilin [4-hydroxyequilin (4-OHEQ)] and examined how changing unsaturation in the B ring affects the formation of o-quinone GSH conjugates and the ability of the o-quinones and/or GSH conjugates to inhibit glutathione S-transferase (GST). Interestingly, both 4-OHEN and 4-OHEQ autoxidized to o-quinones without the need of oxidative enzyme catalysis. 4-OHEN-o-quinone reacts with GSH to give two mono-GSH conjugates and one diadduct. The behavior of 4-OHEQ was found to be more complex than 4-OHEN as conjugates resulting from 4-OHEN were detected in addition to the 4-OHEQ GSH adducts. Both 4-OHEN and 4-OHEQ were found to be potent inhibitors of GST-catalyzed conjugation of GSH with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. In contrast, the endogenous catechol estrogens, 4-hydroxyestrone (4-OHE) and 2-hydroxyestrone (2-OHE), were without effect unless tyrosinase was present to convert the catechols to o-quinones. Scavengers of reactive oxygen species and metal chelators had no effect on GST inhibition by catechol estrogens with the exception of the catalase which protected GST activity. Kinetic studies showed that 4-OHEN was a potent irreversible inactivator of GST. Preincubation of the enzyme with 4-OHEN showed a time-dependent increase in inhibitory effect, and gel filtration did not restore GST activity confirming the irreversible nature of the enzyme inactivation. Analysis of the Kitz-Wilson plot gave a dissociation constant of the reversible enzyme-inhibitor complex (Ki = 620 microM) and a rate constant of conversion of the reversible enzyme-inhibitor complex to the irreversibly inhibited enzyme (k2 = 7.3 x 10(-)3 s-1). These data suggest that 4-OHEN is an irreversible inactivator with relatively low affinity for GST; however, once formed the 4-OHEN enzyme complex is rapidly converted to the irreversibly inhibited enzyme. The inhibition mechanism likely involves oxidation of the catechol estrogens to

Topics: Animals; Biotransformation; Catechols; Chromatography, Gel; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Dinitrochlorobenzene; Equilenin; Equilin; Estradiol Congeners; Glutathione; Glutathione Transferase; Horses; Kinetics; Oxidation-Reduction; Reactive Oxygen Species; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet

4-Hydroxyequilin, 4-hydroxyequilenin, and 16 alpha-hydroxyequilenin were synthesized as authentic specimens for the metabolic studies of equine estrogens. The synthetic route leading to the 4-hydroxylated compounds was started from o-vanillin, which was transformed into the beta-ketosulfoxide (2b) by sequential multistep reactions. This was converted to the alpha,beta-unsaturated ketone (3) as Michael acceptor. Condensation of 3 with 2-methylcyclopentane-1,3-dione, followed by ring closure with methanesulfonic acid provided the cyclized estrapentaene (5). Several oxidoreduction reactions were then performed to give the desired compounds. Preparation of 16 alpha-hydroxyequilenin was attained by reductive cleavage of the 16 alpha,17 alpha-epoxide formed from equilenin.

Topics: 17-Ketosteroids; Benzaldehydes; Chemical Phenomena; Chemistry; Equilenin; Equilin; Hydroxylation; Molecular Structure; Oxidation-Reduction