Carcinogen-DNA adduct formation in the lungs and livers of preweanling CD-1 male mice following administration of [3H]-6-nitrochrysene, [3H]-6-aminochrysene, and [3H]-1,6-dinitropyrene

• Published in: Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.) Vol. 47; no. 23; pp. 6272 - 6277
• Main Authors: DELCLOS, K. B, WALKER, R. P, DOOLEY, K. L, FU, P. P, KADLUBAR, F. F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA American Association for Cancer Research 01.12.1987
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Suckling; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinogenesis, carcinogens and anticarcinogens; Chemical agents; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Chrysenes - metabolism; DNA - metabolism; Liver - metabolism; Lung - metabolism; Male; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Phenanthrenes - metabolism; Pyrenes - metabolism; Tumors; Toxicity; Liver; Lung; Rodentia; Polycyclic aromatic compound; Carcinogen; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Mouse; Animal; DNA; Experimental tumor; Molecular adduct
• ISSN: 0008-5472; 1538-7445

6-Nitrochrysene (NC) and 6-aminochrysene (AC) have been shown to be potent lung and liver carcinogens when administered in multiple i.p. doses to preweanling mice. 1,6-Dinitropyrene has been shown to be a strong hepatocarcinogen but a weak lung carcinogen in this same bioassay. We have examined carcinogen-DNA adduct profiles in the target tissues of preweanling male CD-1 mice following administration of single or multiple doses of these compounds. Depending on the tissue and the dosing schedule, the total level of DNA modification in animals dosed with [3H]NC was 2- to 9-fold higher than in animals dosed with [3H]AC. Regardless of the dosing schedule, DNA isolated from the lungs and livers of both [3H]NC- and [3H]AC-treated preweanling male mice contained a single major and chromatographically identical adduct. This major adduct, which accounted for as much as 90% of the total carcinogen-DNA adducts in enzymatic hydrolysates from treated animals, was chromatographically distinct from the major C8-purine-substituted adducts formed from the reaction of N-hydroxy-AC with calf thymus DNA. In contrast to the results obtained with NC and AC, the major carcinogen-DNA adduct formed in the livers of mice treated with [3H]-1,6-dinitropyrene was found to cochromatograph with 1-N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)amino-6-nitropyrene, a product derived from N-hydroxy-1-amino-6-nitropyrene. Since NC and its nitro-reduced derivative, AC, yielded an identical carcinogen-DNA adduct in vivo and this adduct was not derived from N-hydroxy-AC, we conclude that the metabolic activation of NC in the neonatal mouse must involve some previously undescribed combination of ring-oxidation and nitro-reduction pathways. This activation pathway could be an important factor in determining the potency of NC and AC as carcinogens in this bioassay system.