3-amino-1-4-dimethyl-5h-pyrido(4-3-b)indole and Liver-Neoplasms

In order to study the mutagenic effects of heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) in cells of human origin, five compounds, namely 2-amino-3-methyl-imidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ), 2-amino-3, 4-dimethyl-imidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (MeIQ), 2-amino-3, 8-dimethyl-imidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx), the pyridoimidazo derivative 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) and 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-1), were tested in micronucleus (MN) assays with a human derived hepatoma (HepG2) cell line. All HAAs caused significant, dose-dependent effects. The activities of IQ, MeIQ, MeIQx and PhIP were similar (lowest effective concentrations 25-50 microM), whereas Trp-P-1 was effective at a dose of >/=2.1 microM. In addition, the HAAs were tested in MN assays with Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and in Salmonella strain YG1024 using HepG2 cell homogenates as an activation mix. In the CHO experiments, positive results were obtained with Trp-P-1 and PhIP, whereas the other compounds were devoid of activity under all experimental conditions. The discrepancy in the responsivity of the two cell lines is probably due to differences in their acetylation capacity: enzyme measurements with 2-aminofluorene as a substrate revealed that the cytosolic acetyltransferase activity in the HepG2 cells is approximately 40-fold higher than that of the CHO cells. In the bacterial assays all five HAAs gave positive results but the ranking order was completely different from that seen in the HepG2/MN experiments (IQ > MeIQ > Trp-P-1 >/= MeIQx >> PhIP) and the mutagenic potencies of the various compounds varied over several orders of magnitude. The order obtained in bacterial tests with rat liver S9 mix was more or less identical to that seen in the tests with HepG2 cell homogenates but the concentrations of the amines required to give positive results were in general substantially lower (10(-5)-10(-1) microM). Overall, the results of the present study indicate that MN/HepG2 tests might reflect the mutagenic effects of HAAs more adequately than other in vitro mammalian cell systems due to the presence of enzymes involved in the metabolic conversion of the amines.

Topics: Amines; Animals; Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase; Carbolines; Carcinogens; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Cell Line; Cell Survival; CHO Cells; Cricetinae; Heterocyclic Compounds; Humans; Imidazoles; Liver Neoplasms; Mutagenicity Tests; Mutagens; Quinolines; Quinoxalines; Rats; Salmonella; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Potential synergism between five heterocyclic amines at low doses was evaluated in a medium-term liver bioassay system for carcinogens. F344 male rats were given a single i.p. injection of diethylnitrosamine (DEN, 200 mg/kg) and then received test compound(s) in their diet for 6 weeks beginning 2 weeks later. Control groups received DEN or test compound(s) alone. All rats were subjected to two-thirds partial hepatectomy at week 3 and killed at week 8. Compounds tested and reported positive were 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-1, 150 p.p.m.), 2-aminodipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'-d]imidazole (Glu-P-2, 500 p.p.m), 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (MeIQ, 300 p.p.m.), 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx, 400 p.p.m.). Groups were given each chemical at the carcinogenic dose, or 1/5 or 1/25 of this. Other groups received the five chemicals in combination, each at the 1/5 or 1/25 levels. Enhancing activity was assessed by quantitative analysis of glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P) positive foci, the numbers being significantly increased with all chemicals at the highest dose. Trp-P-1, IQ and MeIQ also exerted positive influence even at the 1/5 dose level. Similar results were obtained regarding areas of foci at the highest dose levels, with the exception of Glu-P-2. An increase was also observed for MeIQ at the 1/5 dose. Additive or synergistic effects between the chemicals were evident in the groups given the five chemicals together at both the 1/5 and 1/25 dose levels, development of GST-P positive foic being increased over the sum totals of individual data for the 1/5 or 1/25 dose groups. Thus, carcinogenicity was predicted for all five heterocyclic amines tested in dose-dependent manner in the present system of 8 weeks duration, synergistic effects being apparent especially at the low dose level.

Topics: Animals; Body Weight; Carbolines; Carcinogens; Drug Synergism; Enzyme Induction; Glutathione Transferase; Imidazoles; Immunohistochemistry; Liver; Liver Neoplasms; Male; Organ Size; Quinolines; Quinoxalines; Rats; Rats, Inbred F344