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Biomedical subjects

H Bartsch

Publications and source records attributed to H Bartsch.

At least 379 records · Page 21Linked to original sources

Dose-response study of N-nitrosoproline formation in rats and a deduced kinetic model for predicting carcinogenic effects caused by endogenous nitrosation.

A dose-response study on the endogenous formation of N-nitrosoproline in rats was carried out by feeding various doses of L-proline in the diet and sodium nitrite in the drinking water. N-Nitrosoproline excreted in the urine and feces of individual rats was monitored as an index for endogenous nitrosation of proline. The logarithm of the amount of N-nitrosoproline formed was found to be proportional to the logarithm of the product of the proline dose and the square of the nitrite dose, in agreement with in vitro studies. On the basis of these results, a kinetic model was formulated. Calculations were carried out with this model using published data on nitrosation and carcinogenic potency of selected N-nitrosamines. This allowed the estimation of the daily precursor dose quantity, [amine][nitrite]2, required to give 50% tumor incidence in rats after 2 years of feeding.

Animals↗

Monitoring N-nitrosamino acids excreted in the urine and feces of rats as an index for endogenous nitrosation.

A simple and sensitive method for the quantitative estimation of endogenous N-nitrosation in rats has been developed. This approach is based on the findings that N-nitrosamino acids (e.g., nitrosoproline (NPRO), nitrosohydroxyproline (NHPRO) and nitrososarcosine (NSAR)) when administered orally to rats, are excreted unchanged almost quantitatively (88-96% of the dose) in the urine and feces. After sequential administration of a nitrosatable amino acid and sodium nitrite the nitrosamino acid excreted in the urine and feces was analyzed. The amount of NPRO excreted in the urine of rats was proportional to the dose of proline and to the square of the nitrite dose. Co-administration of ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol together with the precursors decreased the urinary NPRO whereas thiocyanate increased the yield. After feeding an amino acid precursor and nitrite, the yield of nitrosamino acids formed in vivo and excreted in the urine increased in the order: NPRO less than NSAR less than NHPRO. The same order was seen when the nitrosation rates of the amino acids in vitro were compared. Thus N-nitrosation in vivo in rats occurs via a similar mechanism as observed in vitro. Monitoring of N-nitrosamino acids excreted in the urine and feces thus appears to provide a valuable index for endogenous N-nitrosation.

Amino Acids↗

Mutagens produced by the pyrolysis of opium and its alkaloids as possible risk factors in cancer of the bladder and oesophagus.

Samples of opium pipe scrapings (opium dross, called sukhteh locally), but not of crude opium, collected in an area with a high incidence of oesophageal cancer in north-east Iran, were shown to contain pro-mutagens, producing mostly frameshift mutations in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA1538 and TA98 after metabolic activation. Pyrolysis of opium and of its major alkaloid, morphine, yielded smoke condensates with mutagenic activities 10 and 100 times higher, respectively, than that of the sukhteh samples tested. Heterocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and primary aromatic amines present at different concentrations in these three pyrolysates are considered to be the major active principles. Opium addiction has been implicated as a risk factor in bladder cancer in humans and the ingestion of opium pyrolysates, in conjunction with dietary deficiencies, may be related to the high incidence of oesophageal cancer in north-east Iran, although causality has not been established.

Alkaloids↗

Catalysis of nitrosation in vitro and in vivo in rats by catechin and resorcinol and inhibition by chlorogenic acid.

Measurements were made of the effects of phenolic compounds, some of which are present in the human diet, on the nitrosation of proline by nitrite to give N-nitrosoproline (NPRO). In vitro, resorcinol, catechin, p-nitrosophenol and phenol were catalysts and chlorogenic acid an inhibitor; guaiacol showed a marginal catalytic effect. Both the catalytic and the inhibiting effects were dependent on pH and on the concentration of phenolic compounds; catalysis by resorcinol and catechin was increased at optimal ratios of [nitrite]: [phenolic compound]. Endogenous nitrosation was examined in vivo by co-administration of nitrite, proline and a phenolic compound to rats and by monitoring the amount of NPRO excreted in the urine. Under similar experimental conditions, the catalytic effects observed in vivo decreased in the same order as those observed in vitro: resorcinol greater than p-nitroso-phenol greater than catechin greater than phenol greater than or equal to guaiacol; chlorogenic acid acted as an inhibitor. Catalysis and inhibition of N-nitrosation in rats in vivo appears to occur via mechanisms similar to those in vitro, although the effects in vivo were smaller. The implications of our findings for the endogenous formation of N-nitroso compounds and for variations in exposure due to different dietary constituents in humans are discussed.

Animals↗

Quantitative comparisons between carcinogenicity, mutagenicity and electrophilicity of direct-acting N-nitroso compounds and other alkylating agents.

The quantitative relationship between carcinogenicity in rodents and mutagenicity in S. typhimurium was examined using 10 monofunctional alkylating agents, including N-nitrosamides, alkylmethane sulfonates and epoxides. The compounds were assayed for mutagenicity in two S. typhimurium strains (TA1535, TA100) and in plate and liquid assays. Mutagenic activity was compared with alkylating activity, half-life (solvolysis constant) and carcinogenic activity in rodents (TD50). No correlations between these variables were found. However, there was a good positive relationship between the TD50 values of the carcinogens and the initial ratios of N-7-alkylguanine to 0(6)-alkylguanine formed after reaction with double-stranded DNA in vitro (r = 0.88, p less than 0.01; n = 9). From these results, it is concluded that the N-7/0(6)-alkylguanine ratio is quantitatively related to the carcinogenic activity for this class of compounds and it may therefore be used to predict the carcinogenic potency of new compounds within this class.

Alkylating Agents↗

Species-specific activation of phenacetin into bacterial mutagens by hamster liver enzymes and identification of N-hydroxyphenacetin O-glucuronide as a promutagen in the urine.

Phenacetin was mutagenic in Salmonella typhimurium TA100 in plate assays when liver fractions from Aroclor-treated hamsters, but not rats, were used. Its known or putative metabolites were synthesized; of these, N-hydroxyphenacetin and N-acetoxyphenacetin were found to be mutagenic in liquid and plate assays, both requiring activation by liver fractions from Aroclor-treated hamsters. 2-Hydroxyphenacetin and 2-acetoxyphenacetin were nonmutagenic. N-Hydroxyphenetidine (the deacetylated metabolite of phenacetin) and p-nitrosophenetole were the only products that were found to be mutagenic per se when assayed under N2 in either Salmonella TA100 and TA100 NR (nitroreductase-deficient) strains. Phenacetin was administered to male BDVI rats and Syrian golden hamsters, and its urinary metabolites were deconjugated with beta-glucuronidase:arylsulfatase. After reactivation by hamsters liver fractions, mutagenicity was demonstrated in S. typhimurium TA100 with urine from phenacetin-treated hamsters, but not with that from rats. After treatment with deconjugating enzymes, N-hydroxyphenacetin was isolated from hamster urine by high-performance liquid chromatography and identified by mass spectral analysis. The data support the conclusions that (a) N-hydroxyphenacetin is a proximate mutagenic metabolite of phenacetin which, after N-deacylation, is responsible for the mutagenicity observed in vitro and in the urine of hamsters and (b) the higher yield of N-hydroxyphenacetin that is formed in the liver of hamsters as compared to rats explains the pronounced species-specific activation of phenacetin into bacterial mutagens.

Animals↗

Mutagenic and alkylating activities of 3-methyl-1-phenyltriazenes and their possible role as carcinogenic metabolites of the parent dimethyl compounds.

3-Methyl-1-phenyltriazene and a series of ring-substituted derivatives (4-methylphenyl, 4-chlorophenyl, and 2,4,6-trichlorophenyl), structurally related benzenediazonium fluoborates and phenyl azides, as well as the recently isolated [1-methyl-3-(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)-2-triazeno]methyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside uronic acid, were studied for their mutagenic activity in Salmonella typhimurium strains. Of these compounds, the 3-methyl-1-phenyltriazene derivatives and 2,4,6-trichlorobenzenediazonium fluoborate were found to be direct-acting mutagens; the glucuronide was active in strain TA 1530 only after deconjugation with beta-glucuronidase. The half-lives of the monomethylphenyltriazenes in vitro were determined and compared with their methylating activity towards 4-(4-nitrobenzyl)pyridine and their mutagenicity. The results are discussed in relation to the possible mechanism of action of the N,N-dimethylphenyltriazenes and their monomethyl derivatives as mutagens and organ-specific carcinogens.

Alkylating Agents↗

Measurement of endogenous n-nitrosation in rats and humans by monitoring urinary and faecal excretion of N-nitrosamino acids.

N-Nitrosamino acids [N-nitrosoproline (NPRO), N-nitrosohydroxyproline and N-nitrososarcosine] given orally to rats were found to be excreted unchanged in the urine and faeces almost quantitatively. Fasted rats were gavaged with solutions of a nitrosatable amino acid, followed by nitrite or N-nitrosodiphenylamine (NDPhA). The N-nitrosamino acid excreted in the urine and faeces during 24 h was monitored as an index of endogenous N-nitrosation. The results obtained by applying this procedure to the study of endogenous N-nitrosation in rats were all in good agreement with those of in vitro experiments. Endogenous transnitrosation by NDPhA to proline was shown to occur in rats; thiocyanate catalysed this transnitrosation reaction in vivo. Formation of NPRO in a human was demonstrated by monitoring the excretion of NPRO in the urine of one male volunteer who had ingested vegetable juice, as a source of nitrate, and proline. The amounts of NPRO excreted in the 24-h urine appeared to be proportional to the proline dose and increased exponentially with the dose of nitrate ingested. The simultaneous intake of ascorbic acid or alpha-tocopherol inhibited NPRO formation in the human subject. Monitoring of urinary NPRO would appear to be useful for the estimation of the extent of endogenous N-nitrosation in high-risk populations or individuals, in which endogenously formed N-nitroso compounds have been associated with increased risk of cancers, such as those of the stomach and oesophagus.

Amino Acids↗

Catalytic role of some phenolic substances in endogenous formation of N-nitroso compounds.

N-nitrosation can be catalysed or inhibited in vivo by different naturally-occurring polyphenolic compounds. The catalytic effect is particularly affected by pH. Thus, individual dietary habits can be expected to have marked effects on endogenous formation of N-nitroso compounds because of catalysis by polyphenols in foodstuffs, in addition to individual differences in pH.

Animals↗

Studies on the miscoding properties of 1,N6-ethenoadenine and 3,N4-ethenocytosine, DNA reaction products of vinyl chloride metabolites, during in vitro DNA synthesis.

1,N6-Ethenoadenine (epsilon A) and 3,N4-ethenocytosine (epsilon C) are formed when electrophilic vinyl chloride (VC) metabolites, chloroethylene oxide (CEO) or chloroacetaldehyde (CAA) react with adenine and cytosine residues in DNA. They were assayed for their miscoding properties in an in vitro system using Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I and synthetic templates prepared by reaction of poly(dA) and poly(dC) with increasing concentrations of CEO or CAA. Following the introduction of etheno groups, an increasing inhibition of DNA synthesis was observed. dGMP was misincorporated on CAA- or CEO-treated poly(dA) templates and dTMP was misincorporated on CAA- or CEO-treated poly(dC) templates, suggesting that epsilon A and epsilon C may miscode. The error rates augmented with the extent of reaction of CEO or CAA with the templates. Base-pairing models are proposed for the epsilon A.G. and epsilon C.T pairs. The potentially miscoding properties of epsilon A and epsilon C may explain why metabolically-activated VC and its reactive metabolites specifically induce base-pair substitution mutations in Salmonella typhimurium. Promutagenic lesions may represent one of the initial steps in VC- or CEO-induced carcinogenesis.

Acetaldehyde↗

Effect of melatonin on experimental tumors under different photoperiods and times of administration.

The effects of melatonin on experimental tumors so far described in the literature are contradictory. This may partially be due to negligence of the importance of environmental photoperiodic conditions and to the time of day of administration. In order to test whether the effect of melatonin on day of administration. In order to test whether the effect of melatonin on tumor growth is dependent on the photoperiod and the time of day of administration, the present experiments were carried out. It appears that under long photoperiods melatonin shows opposite effects on fibrosarcoma ascites and Ehrlich solid tumors depending on the time of the day at which the compound was administered. Tumor are stimulated by melatonin injections in the morning and inhibited by late afternoon injections. Experiments under L:D=12:12 and L:D=8:16 do not show such pronounced antagonistic effects. These results support our hypothesis that the effect of melatonin on tumor growth is dependent on the photoperiod and the time of day of administration. Possible mechanisms involved in these effects are discussed.

Animals↗

Urinary melatonin levels in human breast cancer patients.

Urinary melatonin levels were measured in 10 postmenopausal Indian women suffering from advanced stages of breast cancer and in 9 well-matched women with non-endocrine complaints, mostly uterovaginal prolapse. Urines of each patient were collected over a period of 2-3 days in four 4-hourly intervals from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and one 8-hourly interval from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Serum LH, FSH, prolactin, estradiol and cortisol levels at 11 a.m. were determined as well as estrogen and progesterone receptors of the breast tumors. It was found that 24 hour urinary melatonin excretion in cancer patients was on the average 31% decreased as compared to the controls. This change was accompanied by a 33% increase in serum cortisol levels in the cancer patients. The melatonin excretion patterns of the cancer patients were not synchronized as compared to synchronized patterns of the controls. The number of tumors tested for steroid receptors does not yet allow to conclude if melatonin is different in patients with or without hormone-dependent tumors. The data suggest that pineal melatonin secretion may be modified in quantity as well as rhythmicity in breast cancer patients.

Aged↗

Effect of glutathione and uridine 5'-diphosphoglucuronic acid on mutagenesis by benzo[a]pyrene and aflatoxin B1 in the Salmonella/microsome assay.

In the Salmonella/microsome plate or liquid assay, the addition of glutathione (GSH) and uridine 5'-diphosphoglucuronic acid (UDPGA), both cofactors for GSH-S-transferases or UDPGA-transferases, altered the rat-liver microsome-mediated mutagenesis of benzo[a]pyrene (BP) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB). With either BP or AFB, an increased, unchanged or decreased number of revertant colonies of S. typhimurium was observed, depending on the substrate concentration, the source of rat-liver 9000 X g supernatant (S9), the time of incubation and the type of mutagenicity test (liquid or plate assay). Several factors responsible for quantitative changes in the pattern of BP and AFB metabolites under various assay conditions in vitro, which alter the overall mutagenic activity of the parent compound, are discussed.

Aflatoxins↗