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M Sorsa

Publications and source records attributed to M Sorsa.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

1,3-Butadiene working group report.

During the Workshop in North Carolina, the in vivo metabolism, adduct formation and genotoxicity data available from rodent and human exposure to 1,3-butadiente (BD) were reviewed and they are summarized in the present report. BD is metabolized by cytochrome P-450-dependent monoxygenases to the primary metabolite 1,2-epoxybutene-3 (epoxybutene, EB). EB is subjected to further metabolism: oxidation to 1,2:3,4-diepoxybutane (DEB), hydrolysis to 3-butene-1,2-diol and conjugation to glutathione. The first pathway seems to prevail in mice while the latter is characteristic for rats and possibly for humans. Species differences exist in adduct formation of the monoepoxide to hemoglobin, for which the following pattern has been found: mice > rats > humans. Genotoxity of BD was found in mice with all applied tests; however, negative results were obtained in rats. In exposed humans, the cytogenetic studies in peripheral blood lymphocytes did not show genotoxic effects, although one report described elevated hprt variant levels in peripheral blood lymphocytes of exposed workers. It was concluded that the presently available data are insufficient for the application of the parallelogram model to estimate genetic risk for humans. As an alternative approach, a tentative estimate of the doubling dose for induction of hprt mutations in somatic cells of mice and men was performed and the calculated values were surprisingly similar, i.e. 9000 ppmh. However, this estimate is burdened with a number of caveats which were discussed in detail. The working group identified a series of urgent research needs to provide the appropriate data for the application of the parallelogram model, such as identification of metabolic pathways in different rodent species and humans, metabolic studies in mice, rats and humans considering metabolic polymorphisms, studies of adducts to DNA and hemoglobin especially of DEB and other butadiene metabolites in rodents and humans, studies of mutational spectra (mutational fingerprinting) in somatic and germinal cells, confirmation of the human hprt mutation data, conformation of the rodent malformation data, dose-response studies in rodent germ cell tests and studies on repair kinetics of mono-adducts induced by EB as opposed to repair of cross-links produced by DEB. Finally, it was suggested that the original parallelogram consisting of data from somatic cell studies in rodents and humans plus studies of heritable effects in rodents to extrapolate to germ cell risk for humans should be supplemented with studies in sperm of experimental animals and exposed men.

Animals

Influence of GSTM1 genotype on sister chromatid exchange induction by styrene-7,8-oxide and 1,2-epoxy-3-butene in cultured human lymphocytes.

Glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1), catalyzing the conjugation of various reactive molecules with glutathione (GSH), shows genetic polymorphism in humans. Almost half of all Caucasians lack the GSTM1 gene, being theoretically at a higher risk from the toxic effects of substrates for GSTM1. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether the GSTM1 genotype of lymphocyte donors influences the in vitro induction of sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) by styrene-7,8-oxide (SO) and 1,2-epoxy-3-butene (MEB), the epoxide metabolites of styrene and butadiene respectively and potential substrates for GSTM1. SCEs induced after a 48 h treatment (started 24 h after culture initiation) by two different concentrations of SO (50 and 150 microM) and MEB (50 and 250 microM) were analyzed in cultured (72 h) lymphocytes of six GSTM1 null (gene deleted) and six GSTM1-positive (gene present) donors. Both SO and MEB were found to clearly increase SCEs. The GSTM1 genotype had no influence on SCE induction by SO. In contrast, MEB produced a higher level of SCEs among the GSTM1 null than GSTM1-positive samples. At 250 microM MEB, the GSTM1 null donors showed 31% more induced SCEs (on average seven more SCEs per cell) than the GSTM1-positive donors (P = 0.02, acetone treatment as the reference). Furthermore, the GSTM1 null genotype was associated with a slight decrease in mitotic index and replication index, regardless of the treatment. The results suggest that GSTM1-mediated GSH conjugation is an important detoxification pathway for MEB, but not for SO, in cultured human lymphocytes.

Adult

Role of GSTT1 and GSTM1 genotypes in determining individual sensitivity to sister chromatid exchange induction by diepoxybutane in cultured human lymphocytes.

The individual genotoxic response of cultured human lymphocytes to diepoxybutane (DEB), an epoxide metabolite of 1,3-butadiene, shows a bimodal distribution. Blood donors can be classified as either DEB-sensitive or DEB-resistant on the basis of the frequency of sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) induced by DEB in whole-blood lymphocyte cultures. The genetic basis of this phenomenon has thusfar been unknown. To investigate if differences in the ability of individuals to detoxify DEB could explain the bimodal response, sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) induced by a 48-h treatment with DEB (2 and 5 microM) were analyzed in whole-blood lymphocyte cultures of 20 human donors with known genotypes of two polymorphic glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), GSTT1 and GSTM1. Both polymorphisms include a homozygous null genotype lacking the respective GST gene and isozyme. The mean frequency of SCEs/cell was 1.6 times higher among GSTT1 null donors (n = 8) than GSTT1 positive donors (n = 12) at both 2 microM DEB (mean 67.3 versus 40.9) and 5 microM DEB (mean 123.2 versus 77.5), with no overlapping in DEB-induced individual SCE frequencies between the two genotypes. Thus, all DEB-sensitive individuals were of the GSTT1 null genotype, while all DEB-resistant persons had a detectable GSTT1 gene. A significant (P < 0.05) negative correlation (r = -0.65 at 5 microM, r = -0.56 at 2 microM) was obtained in the GSTT1 positive donors between DEB-induced individual SCE frequency and RBC GSTT1 activity, measured by formaldehyde formation from dichloromethane; the GSTT1 null individuals showed no GSTT1 activity. At 5 microM DEB, the lymphocyte cultures of the GSTT1 null donors also had a significantly decreased replication index, indicating an impact of GSTT1 genotype on the cytotoxicity of DEB. No influence on DEB-induced SCEs or cytotoxic effects was observed for GSTM1 genotype. It is concluded that sensitivity to in vitro SCE induction by DEB is explained by the lack of GSTT1.

Adult

Individual susceptibility and prevention of occupational diseases: scientific and ethical issues.

Genetic testing of employees is controversial; objections have been raised with regard to privacy, right to work, and the relevance of the tests. A study is being conducted on "the ethical, social, and scientific problems related to the application of genetic screening and genetic monitoring for employees in the context of a European approach to health and safety at work." A conceptual model is proposed of the complex interactions between exposure, acquired and inherited susceptibility, and risk for disease. The validity of tests for determining genotype and phenotype and their relevance for disease must be evaluated critically to provide an objective basis for ethical discussions. The acceptability of such tests is related to a number of issues, which are identified and discussed.

Disease Susceptibility

Age-associated micronuclei containing centromeres and the X chromosome in lymphocytes of women.

Chronological aging of women is clearly associated with an increase in both X-chromosome loss and micronuclei formation in peripheral lymphocytes. It has been suggested that micronucleus formation is an important mechanism of chromosome loss. In the present study, fluorescence in situ hybridization was used to study micronuclei content in two age groups (women below 30 and above 50 years old). A probe for centromeric alphoid consensus sequences (SO-alpha AllCen) and a cloned X-specific centromeric probe (pXBR) were separately used to detect the presence of any chromosomes and the X chromosome, respectively. The presence of centromere-positive micronuclei was significantly higher among the older donors (51.5%) than among the younger donors (34.3%). The X chromosome was highly overrepresented in the micronuclei, the older women showing a higher proportion of X-positive micronuclei (24.0%) than the younger women (14.0%). Assuming that the rest of the centromere-positive micronuclei contained autosomes, a significant age-dependent difference was also noted for micronuclei harboring autosomes (27.5% among the older women and 20.3% among the younger women). These findings suggest that both the X chromosome and autosomes are responsible for the age-dependent increase of micronuclei in women's peripheral lymphocytes.

Adult

Induction of micronuclei in peripheral blood and bone marrow erythrocytes of rats and mice exposed to 1,3-butadiene by inhalation.

Female CB6F1 mice and male Wistar rats were exposed to different concentrations of 1,3-butadiene (1,3-BD) by inhalation. Micronucleus tests using both peripheral blood erythrocytes and femoral marrow cells of these animals were performed. Cells were stained either using conventional acridine orange (AO) staining or supravitally using AO-coated slides. Dose-dependent increases in the frequency of micronuclei (MN) were observed both in blood and in bone marrow cells in mice. 1,3-BD did not, however, increase the frequency of MN in either blood or bone marrow cells of rats at any of the tested concentrations.

Administration, Inhalation

Human cytogenetic biomonitoring of occupational exposure to 1,3-butadiene.

The association of occupational exposure to 1,3-butadiene and chromosomal damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes was studied in 40 workers from two production facilities. Control persons, 30 in all, were chosen from other departments of the same plants, and they were roughly matched for age and smoking habits. The exposure levels to ambient butadiene were measured both by personal sampling using diffuse monitors and by stationary sampling at production and handling sites. Chromosome aberrations (CA), micronuclei (MN) and sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE) in peripheral lymphocytes were analyzed as markers of exposure. Smoking had a slight effect on the frequency of MN, and the mean frequency of SCEs was also higher in smokers than in non-smokers. No effect of smoking, however, was seen in relation to chromosomal aberrations. No exposure related effects were seen in any of the three cytogenetic endpoints in either of the butadiene production plants, representing typical low (below 3 ppm) exposure levels of the butadiene manufacturing industry.

Adult

Analysis of chromosomal aberrations, sister-chromatid exchanges and micronuclei in peripheral lymphocytes of pharmacists before and after working with cytostatic drugs.

The frequencies of chromosome aberrations, SCEs and micronuclei (cytokinesis-block method) in blood lymphocytes were compared among six nonsmoking female pharmacists before and after 1 year of working with cytostatic drugs. All possible precautions were taken to avoid exposure to cytostatics, including proper protective clothing and a monitored, negative-pressured working environment with vertical laminar flow cabinet. As referents, an age-matched group of six nonsmoking female hospital workers not dealing with cytostatics was simultaneously sampled twice with the same time interval. The pharmacists showed a marginally higher mean frequency of SCEs/cell (6.3; P = 0.049) after the working period than 1 year earlier (5.8). On the other hand, the referents, with no obvious exposure, had a higher mean number of cells with chromatid-type aberrations, gaps excluded, in the second sampling (2.0%; P = 0.048) than in the first one (0.5%). In addition, a slight (P = 0.055) trend towards a higher frequency of micronucleated binucleate cells was observed in the second sampling for both the exposed and control subjects. As such findings suggest technical variation in the cytogenetic parameters, the small difference observed in SCEs for the pharmacists between the two samplings was probably not related to the cytostatics exposure. No statistically significant differences were observed for any of the cytogenetic parameters in comparisons between the pharmacists and the referents. The findings suggest that caution should be exercised in comparing results obtained from two different samplings in prospective cytogenetic studies.

Adult

Maternal smoking induced cotinine levels and genotoxicity in second trimester amniotic fluid.

Cotinine concentrations in amniotic fluid samples from 22 smoking and 37 non-smoking pregnant women and induction of sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE) in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells by samples from 15 smokers and 15 non-smokers were studied as indicators of exposure to potential genotoxic activity during pregnancy. Analysis of cotinine revealed one individual in the non-smoking group with a high cotinine level apparently due to non-reported smoking. The mean cotinine concentration of smokers was 85 ng/ml whereas non-smokers had a concentration of 0.3 ng/ml. According to interview data 16 persons announced some passive exposure to tobacco smoke at home or at work; however this group did not differ from unexposed non-smokers in their amniotic fluid cotinine concentration. SCE inducing activity was tested with and without metabolic activation. The mean SCE frequency in CHO cells induced in the presence of exogenous metabolic activation by concentrated amniotic fluid of heavy smokers (> or = 10 cigarettes/day) was significantly higher (9.7 +/- 0.6 SCE/cell) than among non-smokers (8.9 +/- 0.6 SCE/cell) with metabolic activation. The results show that amniotic fluid cotinine measurements and induction of SCEs in CHO cells can be used to indicate fetal exposure by maternal smoking and support earlier studies suggesting a potential genotoxic hazard to the fetus of heavy smokers.

Adult

Genetic toxicity of 1,3-butadiene and styrene.

1,3-Butadiene and styrene (vinyl benzene) are indirect genotoxins, which require metabolic activation to an epoxide form in order to bind covalently to DNA. Styrene 7,8-oxide, the active metabolite of styrene, is a carcinogen in rodents and has been shown to be genotoxic in most in-vitro test systems and at various genetic endpoints. The few studies available on the genotoxicity of styrene 7,8-oxide in vivo have yielded negative or (in mice) weakly positive results. Styrene is not usually genotoxic in vitro in assays employing a microsomal preparation from rat liver for metabolic activation, but positive effects have been obtained when other sources of metabolic activation, such as human erythrocytes, were provided. In vivo, styrene has been found repeatedly to be weakly genotoxic in the assay for sister chromatid exchange, especially in mice. Cytogenetic damage (usually chromosomal aberrations) has been reported in many studies of workers, mainly from the reinforced plastics industry where ambient concentrations of styrene may be high (50-100 ppm), while most negative findings are associated with exposure to lower levels. Butadiene is metabolized to two reactive forms, 1,2-epoxy-3-butene and further to 1,2:3,4-diepoxybutane, both of which are genotoxic in various test systems in vitro. The lowest effective dose of the latter is 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than that of the respective monoepoxide. Butadiene itself has not been tested extensively for genotoxicity in vitro. A species-specific difference in the responses of mice and rats at various cytogenetic end-points is seen in vivo, the lowest effective concentrations in rats being clearly higher than those in mice.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals

Genotoxic effects and chemical compositions of four creosotes.

Four creosotes used in Finland for impregnating wood were tested in the Ames Salmonella test, the SCE test and the SOS chromotest. Compounds volatile at 37 degrees C were assayed using the taped plate testing protocol. The creosotes were fractionated according to their natural boiling ranges and the fractions were tested in the Ames Salmonella assay. Chemical compositions of creosotes and fractions were determined by high resolution gas chromatography/mass spectrophotometry techniques and by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography. Mutagenic activities were shown to reside in fractions having the highest boiling point ranges (greater than 290 degrees C). The concentrations of mutagenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in creosotes and in some of their corresponding distillation fractions, when compared with mutagenic activities, indicated synergistic or antagonistic interactions.

Animals

Metabolic cytochrome P450 genotypes and assessment of individual susceptibility to lung cancer.

Three polymorphic cytochrome P450 genes that have attracted interest for their potential role in human pulmonary carcinogenesis, i.e. CYP1A1, CYP2D6 and CYP2E1, were studied in a population consisting of 106 lung cancer patients and 122 healthy controls. Polymorphism of the CYP2D6 gene encoding for debrisoquine hydroxylase was determined using XbaI restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis together with a PCR based method. All of the three most common presently known defective alleles of CYP2D6 were detected by this application. Subjects having genotypes either homozygous or heterozygous for the CYP2D6 wild type alleles were classified as extensive metabolizers (EMs) of debrisoquine whereas poor metabolizers (PMs) had two defective alleles. The PM individuals are thought to be less prone to develop lung cancer. The CYP1A1 and CYP2E1 genes were studied by RFLP analyses using Msp I and Dra I restriction enzymes, respectively, giving rise to two different sized hybridizable fragments in Southern blot analyses. In these RFPL analyses genotypes homozygous to the mutated allele have been presented as potent determinants of individual lung cancer risk. In the present study no association between polymorphic CYP1A1 and CYP2E1 genotypes and susceptibility to lung cancer was found. However, CYP2D6 polymorphism studies of the 122 healthy controls revealed seven poor metabolizer genotypes (5.7%), which compares well with the previously observed phenotypic distribution in the Finnish population, whereas only one PM genotype (1/106) was found among the lung cancer patients. These results agree with the previous suggestions that PMs of debrisoquine are less susceptible to lung cancer than EMs.

Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1

Human cytogenetic damage as a predictor of cancer risk.

The human cytogenetic assays presently available for biomonitoring are still inadequate for use in routine surveillance procedures and they must be applied with care. Knowledge of the effects of the agents concerned in experimental systems is a prerequisite, and confounding factors should be assessed. Consequently, the methods are useful and informative under carefully selected conditions and can indicate agents and exposures that are capable of causing chromosomal damage in humans, hinting at possible human cancer risk. Established and potential human carcinogens have frequently been shown to induce chromosomal aberrations in humans in vivo. It is also well documented that chromosomal rearrangements play an important role in the development of neoplasia. These combined lines of evidence suggest that structural chromosomal aberration in vivo has advantages over other cytogenetic end-points in predicting potential human cancer risk. Preliminary findings in a prospective follow-up study suggest that subjects with a high percentage of structural chromosomal aberrations but not sister chromatid exchanges may be at elevated risk for cancer.

Chromosomes

Induction of micronuclei and anaphase aberrations by cytochalasin B in human lymphocyte cultures.

The frequency of micronucleated cells in isolated 72-h human lymphocyte cultures treated with cytochalasin B (Cyt-B; 1.5-6 micrograms/ml for the last 28 h) was 9-21 times higher (mean 14.6 times) among multinucleate than binucleate cells. At 3 micrograms/ml, the concentration of Cyt-B originally recommended for the human lymphocyte micronucleus assay, the frequency of micronucleated multinucleate cells was 8.5%, while 0.7% of the binucleate cells had a micronucleus. Although no dose-dependent induction of micronuclei could be observed for either of the cell types, increase in the concentration of Cyt-B was associated with a decrease in the ratio of multinucleate to binucleate cells. Treatment with Cyt-B (1.5-12 micrograms/ml) increased the frequency of anaphase cells with aberrations, especially lagging chromatids. This finding was explained by a dose-dependent increase in multipolar (greater than or equal to 3 poles) divisions which had a high frequency of anaphase aberrations (39-53%), irrespective of the concentration of Cyt-B. Bipolar anaphases did not show a significant increase in aberrant cells, although a suggestive dependence on the concentration of Cyt-B was observed. The findings indicate that the high frequency of micronuclei in multinucleate lymphocytes produced by Cyt-B is due to mitotic errors arising when bi- (and multi-) nuclear cells divide. To avoid possible artifactually high micronucleus frequencies due to inclusion of cells that have divided greater than or equal to 2 times in the presence of Cyt-B, it is recommended that, in the human lymphocyte micronucleus assay using the cytokinesis-block method, the cell culture time is reduced to minimize the frequency of such cells and that only good preparations and regularly shaped binucleates are included in the analysis.

Adult

1,3-Butadiene and its epoxides induce sister-chromatid exchanges in human lymphocytes in vitro.

Sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs) were induced in human lymphocytes by 1,3-butadiene and its epoxides 3,4-epoxy-1-butene and 1,2:3,4-diepoxybutane. After a pulse treatment of 2 h, 1,3-butadiene produced a weak but reproducible increase in SCEs both with and without S9 mix. The response was similar in cultures of whole blood and of isolated lymphocytes. The 2 epoxide metabolites of butadiene, studied in whole-blood lymphocyte cultures without exogenous metabolic activation, were highly active SCE inducers. The lowest effective concentrations of butadiene, monoepoxybutene, and diepoxybutane were 2000 microM, 25 microM and 0.5 microM, respectively. A slight but dose-dependent increase in SCEs was also observed without an exogenous metabolic system after a 48-h treatment with 1,3-butadiene. Already the lowest concentration tested (500 microM) was effective. Again, the response was similar in cultures of whole blood and isolated lymphocytes, suggesting that the lymphocytes are capable of metabolically activating 1,3-butadiene.

Butadienes