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Biomedical subjects

D Desai

Publications and source records attributed to D Desai.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

The spectrum of chronic autoimmune hepatitis.

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is characterised by the presence of periportal hepatitis coupled with the presence of autoantibodies in the serum. We report our experience with 10 cases (females--8, males--2) who presented to the rheumatology clinic with either articular or extra-articular manifestations. Three patients (1 SLE, 1 Sjogren's and 1 RA), satisfied the criteria for an underlying rheumatic disease (secondary AIH) while, others had primary AIH. Median duration of hepatic involvement was 6 months and the varied presentations were noted. Articular disease ranged from arthralgias, palindromic arthritis to persistent non-erosive/non-deforming arthritis (Jaccoud's arthritis). Autoimmune thrombocytopenia was seen in 2 and autoimmune hypo and hyperthyroidism were seen in 3 patients each. Anti-nuclear antibody was positive in 9/10 (6 with speckled pattern and 3 with homogenous pattern) and anti-mitochondrial antibodies were positive in three. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) markers were positive in 1, who probably had viral hepatitis with dominant autoimmune features. All have been started on steroids (5 patients--1 mg/kg dose, 1 patient--0.5 mg/kg dose and 3 patients--0.25 mg/kg dose). The HCV positive patient was on a low dose steroid (0.25 mg/kg) and interferron treatment was contemplated before she was lost to follow up. Four patients are also on azathioprine in the dose of 2 mg/kg/day. Of the 6 patients who are under regular follow up, the liver parameters have normalised in 5 and one showed hypoalbuminaemia with normal enzyme levels at the last follow up.

Adolescent↗

Effects of protein kinase C alpha overexpression on A7r5 smooth muscle cell proliferation and differentiation.

Smooth muscle cell differentiation and proliferation are increasingly seen to be intimately tied to the etiology of atherosclerosis and hypertension. To determine the role of PKC alpha in the regulation of smooth muscle cell differentiation and proliferation, the rat embryonic smooth muscle cell line A7r5 was transfected with an expression vector containing the full-length PKC alpha cDNA. Neomycin-resistant clones which exhibited increased PKC alpha levels compared to wild-type cells were selected. The A7r5 cells overexpressing PKC alpha had altered morphology and decreased growth rates compared to wild-type cells and cells transfected only with the neomycin resistance gene. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that nuclear extracts from overexpressing clones gave a different pattern of protein-DNA binding to an AP-1 consensus oligonucleotide compared to wild-type cells. In contrast to the growth characteristics of these clones, their levels of cell differentiation marker proteins such as vinculin and desmin were not affected by PKC alpha overexpression. Moreover, the smooth muscle-specific differentiation marker alpha-actin was markedly reduced, while beta-actin levels were found to remain unchanged. Northern blot analysis confirmed that alpha-actin downregulation occurred at the RNA level. Western blot analysis revealed that A7r5 cells have five different PKC isoforms and that these isoform protein levels were not changed by PKC alpha overexpression. These findings suggest that PKC alpha regulates growth and differentiation of A7r5 smooth muscle cells and that these changes might result from altered expression/function of AP-1 transcription factors.

Actins↗

Oxidative DNA damage in tissues of pregnant female mice and fetuses caused by the tobacco-specific nitrosamine, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK).

The tobacco-specific nitrosamine, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), induces the promutagenic oxidative-damage DNA lesion, 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG), in adult animals. To investigate whether this alteration occurs in DNA after transplacental exposure, pregnant Swiss mice were administered single or multiple doses of NNK. The 8-oxo-dG was quantified in placenta, and maternal and fetal tissues. In maternal lungs, single and multiple doses of NNK significantly increased levels of 8-oxo-dG by 23% and 32%, respectively. In maternal liver, a significant 38% increase was observed after multiple dose treatment. In the fetuses, a significant 45% increase in 8-oxo-dG levels was observed in liver after multiple doses of NNK. This is the first demonstration of oxidative DNA damage after transplacental exposure to NNK, and supports the concept of maternal smoking as a contributor to the development of childhood cancer.

Animals↗

Binding of type II nuclear receptors and estrogen receptor to full and half-site estrogen response elements in vitro.

The mechanism by which retinoids, thyroid hormone (T3) and estrogens modulate the growth of breast cancer cells is unclear. Since nuclear type II nuclear receptors, including retinoic acid receptor (RAR), retinoid X receptor (RXR) and thyroid hormone receptor (TR), bind direct repeats (DR) of the estrogen response elements (ERE) half-site (5'-AGGTCA-3'), we examined the ability of estrogen receptor (ER) versus type II nuclear receptors, i.e. RARalpha, beta and gamma, RXRbeta, TRalpha and TRbeta, to bind various EREs in vitro . ER bound a consensus ERE, containing a perfectly palindromic 17 bp inverted repeat (IR), as a homodimer. In contrast, ER did not bind to a single ERE half-site. Likewise, ER did not bind two tandem (38 bp apart) half-sites, but low ER binding was detected to three tandem copies of the same half-site. RARalpha,beta or gamma bound both ERE and half-site constructs as a homodimer. RXRbeta did not bind full or half-site EREs, nor did RXRbeta enhance RARalpha binding to a full ERE. However, RARalpha and RXRbeta bound a half-site ERE cooperatively forming a dimeric complex. The RARalpha-RXRbeta heterodimer bound the Xenopus vitellogenin B1 estrogen responsive unit, with two non-consensus EREs, with higher affinity than one or two copies of the full or half-site ERE. Both TRalpha and TRbeta bound the full and the half-site ERE as monomers and homodimers and cooperatively as heterodimers with RXRbeta. We suggest that the cellular concentrations of nuclear receptors and their ligands, and the nature of the ERE or half-site sequence and those of its flanking sequences determine the occupation of EREs in estrogen-regulated genes in vivo .

Animals↗

Relationship between negative symptoms in chronic schizophrenia and neuroleptic dose, plasma levels and side effects.

The negative symptoms of schizophrenia are often difficult to distinguish from the side effects of antipsychotic medication. In this study, we tried to clarify this issue by studying a group of patients in a clinic setting where a wide range of antipsychotic doses were being prescribed. Thirty-one patients meeting DSM-III-R criteria for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were studied. Clinical ratings were carried out to assess the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, parkinsonism, akathisia and tardive dyskinesia. Plasma levels were also measured for the majority of patients. Antipsychotic plasma levels were found to be highly correlated with dose. Antipsychotic dose and plasma levels were not correlated with the severity of negative symptoms, akathisia or parkinsonism. However, the severity of positive symptoms and tardive dyskinesia were positively correlated with both dose and plasma level. These findings do not support the hypothesis that higher doses of antipsychotic medication are associated with more severe negative symptoms.

Adult↗

Chemopreventive activity of thiol conjugates of isothiocyanates for lung tumorigenesis.

A series of L-cysteine (L-Cys), glutathione (GSH), and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) conjugates of phenethyl (PEITC), benzyl (BITC), and 6-phenylhexyl isothiocyanate (PHITC) were studied for their inhibitory activity toward metabolic activation of the tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) in mouse lung microsomes. Selected compounds, PEITC, PEITC-GSH, PEITC-NAC and PHITC-NAC, were also assayed for the potential chemopreventive activity toward NNK-induced lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice. Results showed that PEITC and its conjugates inhibited NNK metabolism with decreasing potency: PEITC < PEITC-GSH > PEITC-Cys > PEITC-NAC. PHITC and its GSH and NAC conjugates exhibited nearly 10 times higher inhibitory activity toward NNK metabolism than the PEITC counterparts. In the tumor bioassay, as expected, the conjugates exhibited inhibitory activity against lung tumorigenesis induced by NNK. PEITC-GSH was not inhibitory at 4 micromol/mouse, but it inhibited approximately 32% of lung tumor multiplicity at 8 micromol/mouse. PEITC-NAC at 5 and 20 micromol/mouse both inhibited approximately 30% tumor multiplicity. Among all the conjugates examined, PHITC-NAC was the most potent. At a 5-micromol dose, it completely inhibited tumor multiplicity and incidence to the background level observed in the control group. These results revealed that the structure-activity relationships of the conjugates are similar to those found with their parent isothiocyanates (ITCs), i.e., the potency increased with the increasing alkyl chain length from two to six carbons in arylalkyl ITCs, suggesting that a common active species is involved. The inhibitory activity of ITC conjugates and the expected low toxicity make thiol conjugates of ITC a promising new series of chemopreventive agents.

Animals↗

Evidence for endogenous formation of tobacco-specific nitrosamines in rats treated with tobacco alkaloids and sodium nitrite.

Carcinogenic tobacco-specific nitrosamines are present in tobacco products and are believed to play a significant role in human cancers associated with tobacco use. Additional amounts of tobacco-specific nitrosamines could be formed endogenously. We tested this hypothesis by treating rats with nicotine and sodium nitrite and analyzing their urine. Initially, we treated groups of rats with (S)-nicotine (60 micromol/kg) and NaNO2 (180 micromol/kg), (S)-nicotine alone, NaNO2 alone or 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK, 12 nmol/kg) by gavage twice daily for 4 days. We collected urine and analyzed for two metabolites of NNK; 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol and its glucuronide. We did not detect these metabolites in the urine of rats treated with nicotine alone or nicotine plus NaNO2, indicating that endogenous conversion of nicotine to NNK did not occur. However, the urine did contain N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), N'-nitrosoanabasine (NAB) and N'-nitrosoanatabine (NAT). Analysis of the (S)-nicotine used in this experiment demonstrated that it contained trace amounts of nornicotine, anabasine and anatabine. In a second experiment, we used an identical protocol to compare the endogenous nitrosation of this (S)-nicotine with that of synthetic (R,S)-nicotine, which did not contain detectable amounts of nornicotine, anabasine or anatabine. NNN (0.53 x 10(-3)% of nicotine dose), NAB (0.68%) and NAT (2.1%) were detected in the urine of the rats treated with the (S)-nicotine and NaNO2. NNN (0.47 x 10(-3)% of dose), but not NAB or NAT, was present in the urine of the rats treated with synthetic (R,S)-nicotine and NaNO2. NNN probably formed via nitrosation of metabolically formed nornicotine. These results demonstrate for the first time that endogenous formation of tobacco-specific nitrosamines occurs in rats treated with tobacco alkaloids and NaNO2. The potential significance of the results with respect to nitrosamine formation in people who use tobacco products or nicotine replacement therapy is discussed.

Alkaloids↗

The effect of training on the interpretation of 99Tcm-sestamibi myocardial perfusion SPET in patients with suspected coronary artery disease.

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of a period of concentrated training in nuclear cardiology on the accuracy of reporting 99Tcm-sestamibi (99Tcm-MIBI) single photon emission tomographic (SPET) images. Two visiting cardiologists, with no previous experience in nuclear cardiology, were asked to report blindly 60 99Tcm-MIBI SPET scans after 2 weeks of training in nuclear cardiology. One (observer 2) reported the same scans blindly after 2 months of further training. The results were compared with the assessment made by two experienced nuclear cardiologists and by using kappa statistics. Kappa values for the overall interpretation of the scan (normal or abnormal), segmental analysis (normal, ischaemic, fixed or mixed) and the three arterial territories were 0.7, 0.58 and 0.67 respectively. Following 2 months of further intensive training of observer 2, the kappa values were 0.857, 0.78 and 0.91 respectively. The difference between the two readings of observer 2 was significantly different for the segmental analysis (P < 0.001) and arterial territories (P = 0.006) but it did not reach statistical significance for the overall interpretation (P = 0.7). Thus, cardiologists without previous interpretation skills in nuclear cardiology required about 2 months of intensive training to achieve good accuracy in the interpretation of 99Tcm-MIBI SPET images. Accordingly, these techniques can be established in centres other than tertiary sites.

Adrenergic beta-Agonists↗

Herpes simplex hepatitis.

We report a 76-year-old man who presented with hepatitis. IgM antibodies to herpes simplex virus were positive and scraping from skin lesions showed presence of herpetic inclusion bodies. The patient died 4 days after the onset of illness.

Aged↗

Synthesis and bioassay of 4-ipomeanol analogs as potential chemopreventive agents against 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK)-induced tumorigenicity in A/J mice.

4-Ipomeanol (4-IPO) is an investigational drug with specific toxicity toward the lung. The tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is a potent lung carcinogen in several laboratory animals. Both IPO and NNK are toxic upon metabolic activation by cytochrome P450 enzyme(s) present in Clara cells of the lung. IPO and NNK are similar in structure and thus non-toxic analog of IPO could be competitive inhibitors of NNK metabolism in lung. 4-Hydroxyl-phenyl-1-pentanone (HPP), a non-toxic analog of IPO is a potent inhibitor of metabolic activation and tumorigenicity in A/J mouse lung. To extend these studies, we have synthesized 12 analogs of HPP, altering the terminal alkyl group in 6 of them. In another 2 analogs we have substituted electron-donating or electron-withdrawing groups in the benzene ring. Finally, we have altered the oxidation states of 1 and/or 4 position of HPP in the remaining 4 analogs. We have already examined the effect of in vitro inhibition of NNK metabolism by these 12 IPO analogs. In the present study, we have examined 4 IPO analogs that are potent inhibitors of in vitro NNK metabolism namely; 4-hydroxy-1-phenyl-1-octanone (4-HPO), 1,4-diphenyl-4-hydroxy-1-butanone (DPHB), 4-hydroxy-1-phenylpentane (HPPentane), and amyl benzene and tested their inhibitory effects toward the NNK-induced lung tumorigenicity in A/J mice.

Animals↗

Inhibition of retinoic acid receptor function and retinoic acid-regulated gene expression in mouse melanoma cells by calreticulin. A potential pathway for cyclic AMP regulation of retinoid action.

Calcium is a second messenger that controls a wide variety of cellular functions. Because of its multiple actions, there is a stringent requirement for calcium homeostasis, and this is achieved in part by a system of transport and storage proteins such as calreticulin located in the endoplasmic reticulum. Calreticulin is also found in the nucleus, suggesting that it may have a role in transcriptional regulation. It has been reported that calreticulin can inhibit steroid-regulated gene transcription by preventing receptor binding to DNA. Here we report that overexpression of the calreticulin gene in B16 mouse melanoma cells resulted in a decrease in retinoic acid (RA)-stimulated reporter gene expression. Gel shift analysis showed that purified calreticulin inhibited the binding of endogenous RAR to a beta-RA response element oligonucleotide, only if added prior to the addition of the oligonucleotide. Co-immunoprecipitation studies suggest a physical interaction between RAR and calreticulin. Transfection of the calreticulin gene into B16 cells inhibited the RA induction of protein kinase Calpha, a marker of RA-induced differentiation. We also found that cyclic AMP increased the expression of calreticulin. Cyclic AMP may act to antagonize RA action by both decreasing RAR expression (Y. Xiao, D. Desai, T. Quick, and R. M. Niles, J. Cell Physiol., in press) and stimulating calreticulin levels.

8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate↗

Control of retinoic acid receptor expression in mouse melanoma cells by cyclic AMP.

Retinoic acid receptor (RAR) alpha and gamma mRNAs were constitutively expressed in B16 melanoma cells with or without retinoic acid (RA) treatment. RAR beta mRNA, however, was significantly expressed only after exposure to RA. Induction of RAR beta by RA occurred within 1 h and was not inhibited by cycloheximide (i.e., did not require new protein synthesis). All three RAR mRNA levels were dramatically decreased with 8-bromo-cyclic AMP treatment and could not be rescued by addition of RA. Analysis of RAR gamma revealed that this decrease occurred within 1 h of exposure to 8-bromo-cyclic AMP and was not blocked by simultaneous treatment with cycloheximide. The stability of RAR gamma mRNA was not altered by cyclic AMP treatment. Nuclear extracts from 8-bromo-cyclic AMP-treated cells showed a large decrease in protein binding to a retinoic acid response element (RARE) oligonucleotide compared to control cells. This correlated with a marked reduction of RA-stimulated RARE-reporter gene activity in transfected cells which were treated with cyclic AMP. Pretreatment of B16 cells with cyclic AMP prior to RA addition dramatically reduced induction of PKC alpha, an early marker of RA-induced cell differentiation. Thus, cyclic AMP can antagonize the action of RA most likely via its ability to inhibit RAR expression.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗

Effects of dietary fat content on the metabolism of NNK and on DNA methylation induced by NNK.

The available data support the concept that high-fat diets increase cytochrome P-450 activities in the liver, leading to increased rates of carcinogen metabolism and, in some instances, DNA adduct formation. Therefore we investigated whether a high-fat diet can also influence DNA methylation by the tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) in the lungs of rats. Male F344 rats were fed a regular AIN-76A low-fat (5% corn oil) or AIN-76A high-fat (23.5% corn oil) diet. After three weeks on this dietary regimen, the animals were injected subcutaneously once daily for four days with NNK at 0.39 mmol/kg body wt. Groups of rats were sacrificed 4 and 24 hours after the last NNK administration; livers and lungs were excised for DNA isolation. We found that the high-fat diet significantly enhanced the formation of O6-methylguanine (O6-mGua) in the rat lung four hours (p < 0.01) after the last carcinogen administration. This may, in part, account for our previous finding in regard to the enhancing effect of the high-fat diet on NNK-induced lung carcinogenesis. There was no effect on O6-mGua or 7-mGua in the rat liver at either time point. To further elucidate the enhancing effect of the high-fat diet on DNA methylation by NNK in the lung, we determined its effect on the in vitro and in vivo metabolism of NNK. The in vitro data indicated that dietary fat has no measurable effect on liver and lung microsomal mixed-function oxidase in catalyzing the metabolic activation of NNK. The results of the metabolism study of NNK in vivo appear to be consistent with the in vitro finding, in that fat had no effect on the excretion pattern of NNK or on the distribution pattern of its urinary metabolites. It is apparent that the enhancing effect of the high-fat diet on O6-mGua in the lung of rats that was measured four hours after NNK injection requires future investigations.

Animals↗

Effects of dietary 1,4-phenylenebis(methylene)selenocyanate on 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone-induced DNA adduct formation in lung and liver of A/J mice and F344 rats.

1,4-Phenylenebis(methylene)selenocyanate (p-XSC) was tested for its ability to inhibit DNA adduct formation induced by the tobacco-specific N-nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) in the liver and lung of A/J mice and F344 rats. Dietary p-XSC, providing a dose of 5 p.p.m. selenium, significantly inhibited the formation of 7-methylguanine (7-mGua) induced by a single i.p. injection of 10 mumol of NNK(12.8% inhibition at 4 h and 19.9% at 96 h) and O6-methylguanine (O6-mGua) (16.5% at 4 h and 34.8% at 96 h) in the liver of A/J mice. Dietary supplements of p-XSC providing 15 p.p.m. of selenium reduced the levels of 7-mGua by 17.3% (4 h) and 33.6% (96 h). The formation of O6-mGua was inhibited by 69.5% (4th) and 73.8 (96h). In A/J mouse lung DNA the most significant reduction was observed in levels of O6-mGua. Dietary p-XSC at 5 p.p.m. as selenium inhibited the formation of this adduct by 73.1% (4 h). Ninety-six hours after NNK injection, and at both time points with p-XSC providing 15 p.p.m. selenium, O6-mGua was not detected. Although levels of 7- mGua in mouse lung DNA were also reduced, this was significant only 4 h after carcinogen administration. In general, selenite at a5 p.p.m. as selenium had no significant effect on the levels of these lesions; however, it inhibited O6-mGua in the liver only 4 h after NNK administration. These effects may explain why there is chemopreventive activity for p-XSC, but not for selenite, in NNK-induced lung carcinogenesis in A/J mice. Moreover, these findings raised our interest in determining the potential chemopreventive activity of p-XSC against NNK-induced lung adenocarcinomas in male F344 rats by first determining its effects on NNK-induced DNA methylation in the lungs of rats. Diet supplemented with 10 p.p.m. selenium as p-XSC did indeed inhibit the formation of adducts in pulmonary DNA of F344 rats treated with four consecutive injections of 81 mg/kg of NNK. Statistically significant inhibition of O6-mGua formation was observed 4 h after carcinogen treatment in both pulmonary (49.1% inhibition) and hepatic (39.8%) DNA. Statistically significant inhibition of 7-mGua formation was also measured in lung DNA isolated 24 h after the last NNK injection (45.0%) and in liver DNA 4 h after carcinogen treatment (31.8%). These results suggest that p-XSC would also inhibit induction of lung adenocarcinoma in male F344 rats by NNK.

Adenocarcinoma↗

The essential role of the functional group in alkyl isothiocyanates for inhibition of tobacco nitrosamine-induced lung tumorigenesis.

The importance of the isothiocyanate group in alkyl isothiocyanate for inhibition of tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3- pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK)-induce lung tumorigenesis was examined in A/J mice. Our previous structure-activity relationship study of isothiocyanates showed that 1-dodecyl isothiocyanate [CH3(CH2)11NCS], a simple alkyl isothiocyanate, is a potent inhibitor of NNK-induced lung tumorigenesis. It was chosen for this study due to its structural features and potency. A single dose of 1-dodecyl isothiocyanate given by gavage at 1 micromol/mouse 2 h prior to NNK administration completely inhibited lung tumorigenesis, while removal of the isothiocyanate group or replacing it with a hydroxyl group abolished the inhibitory activity. These results demonstrate that the isothiocyanate functional group is critical for the inhibitory activity of isothiocyanates in NNK-induced lung tumorigenesis. To gain more insights into the relationship of in vivo inhibition of tumorigenesis with the cytochrome P-450 enzyme inhibitory activity, the effects of these compounds on metabolism of NNK in mouse lung microsomes were studied. 1-Dodecyl isothiocyanate inhibited all three known oxidative pathways of NNK metabolism, with a stronger inhibitory activity toward NNK N-oxidation (IC50 430 nM) and keto alcohol formation (IC50 500 nM) than keto aldehyde formation (IC50 13,000 nM). 1-Dodecanol had a similar selectivity in inhibition of these metabolic pathways, but was less potent than 1-dodecyl isothiocyanate. Dodecane showed little or no inhibitory activity in the same concentration range. These results indicate that the isothiocyanate group of 1-dodecyl isothiocyanate is important for inhibition of NNK-induced lung tumorigenesis and also for effective inhibition of cytochrome P-450 enzymes involved in NNK oxidation.

Adenoma↗

Inhibitory effects of 6-phenylhexyl isothiocyanate on 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone metabolic activation and lung tumorigenesis in rats.

This study examined the effects of 6-phenylhexyl isothiocyanate (PHITC) on lung tumorigenesis in F344 rats induced by the tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). Two biomarkers of NNK metabolism, 4-hydroxy-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (HPB)-releasing hemoglobin adducts and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) and its glucuronide (NNAL-Gluc) in urine, were also quantified during the course of the tumor induction experiment. Rats were divided into groups as follows: (1) NNK, 2 p.p.m. in drinking water, 60 rats; (2) NNK, 2 p.p.m. in drinking water and PHITC, 1 micromol/g NIH-07 diet, 60 rats; (3) PHITC, 1 micromol/g NIH-07 diet, 20 rats; (4) control, 20 rats. PHITC was added to the diet for 1 week prior to and during 111 weeks of NNK treatment. There were no effects of PHITC on body weight, mortality, blood chemistry or hematology. Seventy percent of the rats treated with NNK had adenoma or adenocarcinoma of the lung. In the rats treated with NNK plus PHITC, the total percent incidence of lung tumors was 26% (P < 0.01 compared with NNK). PHITC had no effect on the total incidence of exocrine pancreatic tumors induced by NNK. The rats treated with PHITC and NNK had significantly lower levels of HPB-releasing hemoglobin adducts throughout the course of the bioassay than did those treated with NNK alone and significantly higher levels of NNAL plus NNAL-Gluc excreted in urine at two time points during the bioassay. These results demonstrate that near lifetime administration of PHITC to rats strongly inhibits the metabolic activation and lung tumorigenicity of NNK.

Animals↗

Synthesis of tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines and their metabolites and results of related bioassays.

Tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines (TSNA) are the most abundant, strong carcinogens in tobacco smoke. Seven TSNA have been identified in tobacco products: N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), N'-nitrosoanabasine (NAB), N'-nitrosoanatabine (NAT), 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL), 4-(methylnitrosamino)-4-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (iso-NNAL), and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-4-3-pyridyl)butyric acid (iso-NNAC). The syntheses of these compounds are reviewed. The syntheses of 14C- and 3H-labeled NNK as well as metabolites of NNK and NNN are also discussed. Comparative assays for lung tumorigenesis in female A/J mice were carried out for six of the TSNA and for two related compounds, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR). They yielded the following ranking of potency: NDMA > NNK > NNAL > NPYR > NNN > NAB. Iso-NNAL and iso-NNAC were inactive. These results are also compared with previous assays of TSNA carcinogenicity in rats and hamsters.

Adenoma↗