Index of Suspicion. Case 1. Rhabdomyolysis.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to S Amin.
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Cell cycle analysis indicates that retinoic acid (RA) inhibition of MCF-7 cell growth occurs through induction of G1 arrest with a concomitant reduction in the proportion of cells in S and G2 + M phases. RA did not affect cyclins D1, A, and E and cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) expression, but significantly reduced cyclin D3 and CDK4 expression after 24 h. RA also inhibited cyclin B1 and CDC2 expression, possibly responsible for the reduction of the proportion of cells in G2 + M and S phases. RA did not induce p16 and p27 expression, but obviously reduced p21 level in MCF-7 cells. The retinoid markedly reduced pRB protein level and abrogated pRB phosphorylation after 48 h; it also reduced transcription factor E2F1 expression at both the mRNA and protein levels. E2F1 promoter activity was reduced by 60%, which is probably responsible, at least in part, for the reduction of E2F1 expression in RA-treated MCF-7 cells. These observations demonstrate a marked effect of RA on some of the key cell cycle regulatory proteins in MCF-7 cells. Cyclin D3 and CDK4 are likely the early targets of RA, followed by reduced pRB expression and phosphorylation, as well as by the inhibition of the E2F1 transcription factor which controls progression from G1 to S phase. Most of these events precede the observed reduction in MCF-7 cell growth, which begins at Day 3 of RA treatment.
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.
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The environmental contaminant benzo[c]phenanthrene (B[c]Ph) has weak carcinogenic activity in rodent bioassays; however, the fjord region diol epoxides of B[c]Ph, B[c]Ph-3,4-diol 1,2-epoxides (B[c]PhDE), are potent carcinogens. To determine the role of cytochrome P450 isozymes in the activation of B[c]Ph in MCF-7 cells and the low activation of B[c]Ph in mouse skin, cells of the MCF-7 and the human hepatoma HepG2 cell lines were treated with the potent Ah receptor agonist 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) prior to exposure to B[c]Ph for 24 h. Mice were treated topically with 1 microg of TCDD or vehicle (control) for 73 h and then with 2 micromol of B[c]Ph for 24 h. In MCF-7 cells, TCDD exposure increased B[c]PhDE-DNA adduct levels more than 3-fold with a 10-fold increase in the (-)-B[c]PhDE-2-dA(t) adduct. Treatment of HepG2 cells with TCDD prior to B[c]Ph application did not increase B[c]PhDE-DNA binding. Total B[c]PhDE-DNA adducts increased 3-fold in TCDD-treated mouse epidermis: the majority of the increase resulted from (+)-B[c]PhDE-1-dA adducts. Analysis of P450 enzymes by Western blotting detected a large increase of P4501B1 but almost no increase in P4501A1 in MCF-7 cells exposed to 10 microM B[c]Ph for 24 or 48 h. In HepG2 cells, there were no detectable levels of P4501A1 or P4501B1 after treatment with 10 microM B[c]Ph for 24 h. In contrast, topical application of 2 micromol of B[c]Ph to mouse skin for 48 or 72 h increased P4501A1, but no P4501B1 was detected. As a measure of P450 activity, the metabolism of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) was analyzed in microsomes prepared from MCF-7 and HepG2 cells exposed to 0.1% DMSO, 10 microM B[c]Ph, or 10 nM TCDD for 24 or 48 h and from mouse epidermis treated with 1 microg of TCDD, or vehicle control for 72 h, or 2 micromol of B[c]Ph for 48 h. The levels of DMBA metabolites were low or undetectable in microsomes from B[c]Ph-treated MCF-7 and HepG2 cells, but a metabolite pattern consistent with P4501A1 metabolism of DMBA was present in B[c]Ph-exposed mouse epidermal microsomes. TCDD-treated MCF-7 cells, HepG2 cells, and mouse epidermis had DMBA metabolism patterns characteristic of P4501A1 activity. Microsomes from TCDD-treated human cells formed a higher proportion of the proximate carcinogenic metabolite DMBA-3,4-dihydrodiol (16% of total identified metabolites) than TCDD-treated mouse epidermis (2%). In mouse epidermis, the weak ability of B[c]Ph to increase hydrocarbon-metabolizing activity and the increase in mainly P4501A1, leading to formation of the less carcinogenic stereoisomer B[c]PhDE-1, may explain the low carcinogenic activity of B[c]Ph. In a human mammary carcinoma cell line, treatment with B[c]Ph increases mainly P4501B1 and results in formation of a higher proportion of the more carcinogenic B[c]PhDE-2. This indicates that cells in which B[c]Ph treatment increases P4501B1 levels effectively activate B[c]Ph to potent carcinogenic metabolites.
The DNA adducts formed from the racemic syn and anti dihydrodiol epoxides of 5,6-dimethylchrysene were characterized through various spectroscopic methods. Substantial reaction with the amino groups of both deoxyadenosine and deoxyguanosine residues were detected with both the syn and anti derivatives. The chemical shifts and coupling constants for the cis and trans opened adducts from the syn dihydrodiol epoxide were distinctly different, whereas for the anti dihydrodiol epoxide these properties were fairly similar for cis and trans adducts. In the latter case, assignment of trans and cis configurations was less obvious, and the finding that trans adducts have always predominated over cis adducts for all dihydrodiol epoxides studied to date was helpful in making these assignments. The preferential formation of cis adducts in DNA by the syn dihydrodiol epoxide is more like the chemistry of the dihydrodiol epoxide of benzo[c]phenanthrene than of benzo[g]chrysene, although both of these, like 5,6-dimethylchrysene, are non-planar compounds.
Covalent adducts between serum albumin and low molecular weight organic electrophiles are formed with a high degree of regioselectivity mostly for nucleophilic amino acid residues located in subdomains IIA and IIIA. Previous studies have indicated that diol epoxide metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) may target residues in a different subdomain. The regioselectivity of PAH epoxide and diol epoxide binding was examined in this study by reaction of human serum albumin in vitro with the racemic trans,anti-isomers of 7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol 9,10-epoxide (1), 2,3-dihydrofluoranthene-2,3-diol 1,10b-epoxide (2), 1,2-dihydrochrysene-1,2-diol 3,4-epoxide (5), 6-methyl-1,2-dihydrochrysene-1,2-diol 3,4-epoxide (6), 5-methyl-1,2-dihydrochrysene-1,2-diol 3,4-epoxide (7), 3,4-dihydrobenzo[c]phenanthrene-3,4-diol 1,2-epoxide (8), 11,12-dihydrobenzo[g]chrysene-11,12-diol 13,14-epoxide (9), and 11,12-dihydrodibenzo[a,l]pyrene-11,12-diol 13,14-epoxide (10) and the racemic epoxides cyclopenta[cd]pyrene 3,4-epoxide (3) and benzo[a]pyrene 4,5-epoxide (4) followed by determination of the linkage site. Adducted albumin was digested enzymatically, and digests were chromatographed by reversed-phase HPLC to purify peptide adducts, which were analyzed by electrospray ionization collision-induced dissociation (CID) tandem mass spectrometry. Product ion spectra revealed that adducts fragmented predominantly by cleavage of the peptide-PAH bond with retention of charge by the peptide as well as by the hydrocarbon. Peptide sequences were determined by MS/MS analysis of the peptide ions formed by in-source CID to cleave the adduct bond. Longer peptide sequences established site selectivity by virtue of their uniqueness, while shorter sequences revealed the reactant amino acid within the site. Epoxide 4 and diol epoxides 1, 2, 5, and 6 reacted predominantly with His146; epoxide 3 and diol epoxides 7-9 reacted predominantly with Lys137. Both residues are situated in subdomain IB. The binding site for 10 could not be determined uniquely, but one of the several possibilities was Lys159, which is also located in subdomain IB. The results, taken together with previous findings, demonstrate that the reaction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon epoxides with human serum albumin is highly selective for a small number of residues in subdomain IB.
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.
We reported earlier that continuous feeding of 1,4-phenylenebis(methylene)selenocyanate (p-XSC) inhibited lung tumor induction by the tobacco-specific nitrosamine, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) in the A/J mouse (El-Bayoumy et al., Carcinogenesis, 14, 1111-1113, 1993). The present investigation was designed to determine whether p-XSC inhibits pulmonary neoplasia induced by NNK in female A/J mice during the initiation phase of carcinogenesis or during the post-initiation phase. The naturally occurring selenomethionine was also included in this study. Doses higher than 4 p.p.m. of selenomethionine can induce toxic effects, therefore, dietary supplementation of this compound was selected at a dose level of 3.75 p.p.m. However, we were able to give p-XSC at selenium levels of 7.5 and 15 p.p.m., as mice can tolerate such doses in this form without any adverse effects. NNK was given by a single i.p. injection at dose of 10 micromol in 0.1 ml of saline. Selenomethionine did not show chemopreventive activity when administered in either phase of tumorigenesis. In contrast, p-XSC significantly reduced lung tumor multiplicity regardless of whether it was given during the initiation phase of tumorigenesis (P = 0.0009 at both levels of selenium) or post-initiation (P = 0.0009 at 15 p.p.m. and P = 0.036 for 7.5 p.p.m.). This is the first report describing that the synthetic organoselenium compound, p-XSC, can effectively block and suppress chemically (NNK)-induced lung tumor development in mice.
The effect of topical aspirin and its model vehicle dichloromethane on itch experimentally induced with histamine was studied in 16 subjects, using a visual analogue scale and computerized aspirin, but not its vehicle, significantly reduced itch duration (p = 0.001) and decreased itch magnitude as measured with a visual analogue scale (p < 0.04). Histamine injection caused elevation of warmth sensation threshold (p = 10(-8)) but did not affect cold and heat pain thresholds. Aspirin and vehicle application did not affect thermal and pain thresholds during histamine-induced itch. The current data suggest that topical application of aspirin may be beneficial for the treatment of histamine-mediated itch. Its therapeutic role in the management of clinical itch remains to be determined.
We compared the metabolism in human hepatic microsomes of three tobacco smoke carcinogens believed to be involved in the induction of cancer in humans: benzo[a]pyrene (BaP),4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), and N'-nitrosonomicotine (NNN). The metabolism of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL), a major metabolite of NNK, was also investigated. Although the metabolism of some of these compounds by human enzymes or tissue preparations has been previously examined in some studies, they have never been compared in the same human hepatic samples. Moreover, there have been no previous reports of NNAL metabolism by human tissues or enzymes. The tritium-labeled carcinogens (3 microM) were incubated with 10 different human hepatic microsomal preparations and cofactors for 10-20 min, and the products were analyzed by radioflow HPLC. NNN was the best substrate for oxidative metabolism, with the 5'-hydroxylation pathway being the predominant one observed (mean +/- SD = 31 +/- 17 pmol/min/mg protein). alpha-Hydroxylation of NNK by the methylene and methyl hydroxylation metabolic activation pathways was the next fastest reaction, with rates of 3.1 +/- 1.9 and 3.3 +/- 1.1 pmol/min/mg protein, respectively. Metabolism of BaP resulted in the formation of dihydrodiols and phenols; trans-7,8-dihydro-7,8-dihydroxy-BaP, its major proximate carcinogen, was formed at a rate of 1.1 +/- 0.61 pmol/min/mg protein. alpha-Hydroxylation of NNAL proceeded at a rate of 0.53 +/- 0.26 pmol/min/mg protein. The results of this study demonstrate that human hepatic microsomes metabolize all of these tobacco carcinogens resulting in a substantial stream of electrophilic intermediates capable of binding to DNA. The relative rates of oxidative metabolism to electrophiles or their precursors were NNN > NNK > BaP > NNAL. Correlation studies indicated involvement of cytochrome P4502A6 in the 5'-hydroxylation of NNN and cytochrome P4503A4 in the alpha-methylene hydroxylation and pyridine-N-oxidation of NNK and NNAL. The results of this study provide the first data on the comparative metabolism of these important carcinogens in human hepatic microsomes.
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We cloned JAK3, the most recently described member of the JAK family of intracellular tyrosine kinases, from normal human CD34+ RNA. JAK3 is involved in the signal transduction pathways of the IL-2, IL-4, IL7, IL-9, and IL-15 receptors by association with their common gamma-chain (gamma[c]). JAK3 is critical to lymphoid development, as recently established by the linking of mutations in JAK3 to a subgroup of patients with SCID and the generation of JAK3-null mice with severe disruptions in normal lymphocytic development. However, JAK3 expression is not restricted to the lymphocytic compartment of bone marrow but is found in a wide range of tissues of both hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic origin. Northern blot analysis indicates that JAK3 is also expressed in adult placenta, lung, liver, kidney, pancreas, spleen, thymus, ovary, and small intestine. RNAse protection assays and RT-PCR indicate that JAK3 is expressed in a variety of leukemic-derived hematopoietic cell lines with myeloid and/or lymphoid phenotypes. In normal human bone marrow, JAK3 is expressed in the CD34+/lineage- fraction, which is highly enriched in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. In addition, we found a splice variant of JAK3 which is formed by the splicing of JAK3 with exon II of the leydig insulin-like (LEY I-L) hormone. RT-PCR and RNAse protection assay analyses indicate that this variant (termed I-JAK3) is normally expressed in almost all hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic tissues shown to express JAK3. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization we have localized JAK3 to 19p12-13.1, the same region of chromosome 19 to which the LEY I-L hormone maps (19p12-13.2).
We have used a site-specific approach to investigate the mutagenic potential of (+)- and (-)-trans-anti-benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE) DNA adducts. Oligodeoxyribonucleotides (5'TCCTCCTG1G2-CCTCTC), modified at the exocyclic amino groups of G1 or G2, were incorporated into a single-stranded shuttle vector and introduced into Escherichia coli or simian kidney (COS) cells. This experimental system permits translesional synthesis to proceed in the absence of DNA repair. The presence of (+)- or (-)-BPDE-N2-dG adducts strongly inhibited translesional synthesis in E. coli; induction of cellular SOS functions reduced this blocking effect. Vectors containing (+)-BPDE adducts at G1 or G2 generated mutation frequencies of 19% and 3%, respectively; these values were not altered significantly by induction of SOS functions. In COS cells, (+)-BPDE-modified vectors generated mutation frequencies of 13% at G1 and 45% at G2. In E. coli, the (-)-BPDE adduct generated mutation frequencies of < or = 2% at G1 and G2 and, in COS cells, 13% at G1 and 21% at G2. The predominant mutations in E. coli and COS cells were G-->T transversions targeted to the site of the lesion; however, when G2 was modified, a significant number of targeted G-->A and G-->C mutations were observed in COS cells. We conclude from this study that (+)-and (-)-BPDE-N2-dG adducts pair preferentially to dCMP and dAMP during translesional synthesis in a process that is strongly influenced by the stereochemistry of the adduct, by the bases flanking the lesion, and by host cell factors.
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.
2-Chloro-4-methylthiobutanoic acid (CMBA, a mutagen from Japanese salted fish) at 15-500 mg/kg body weight induced several-fold increase in replicative DNA synthesis (RDS) (P < 0.05) after 80 min and 17 h, equivocal unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) after 80 min and necrosis 80 min after its administration in the stomach pyloric mucosa of F344 and ACI male rats. A positive control, N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG, 50 mg/kg body weight), induced RDS, UDS and erosion. However, the negative control L-methionine (500 mg/kg body weight) did not display any effect. The results suggest possible tumor-initiating and -promoting activity of CMBA but at a lower potency than that of MNNG.
The mammary carcinogenicity of two diol epoxide metabolites of the commonly occurring environmental carcinogen benzo[j]fluoranthene (BjF) was investigated by direct application to the tissue beneath the mammary glands of female CD rats. The compounds tested were trans-4,5-dihydroxy-anti-6,6a.epoxy-4,5,6,6a-tetrahydroBjF (BjF-4,5-DE) and trans-9,10-dihydroxy-anti-11, 12-epoxy-9,10,11,12-tetrahydroBjF (BjF-9,10-DE). The positive control was trans-3,4-dihydroxy-anti-1,2-epoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrobenzo[c]phenanthren e (BcPDE). Groups of 20 female CD rats were maintained on AIN-76A-based high fat diet (23.5% corn oil) and at age 30 days were given three injections of 0.2 mumol of each compound in 0.1 ml dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), or DMSO alone, in the tissue underlying each of the three left thoracic nipples. The three right nipple areas were injected with DMSO alone. On the next day, each rat received three injections of 0.2 mumol of each compound in 0.1 ml DMSO, or DMSO alone, under each of the three left inguinal nipples, and DMSO alone under the three right nipples. The experiment was terminated after 44 weeks. BjF-9,10-DE, mean latent period 21.0 +/- 8.8 weeks, was more active than BjF-4,5-DE, mean latent period 36.2 +/- 8.0 weeks. BjF-9,10-DE induced tumors in 70% of the rats; a total of 38 fibroadenomas and eight adenocarcinomas was observed. BjF-4,5-DE induced tumors in 55% of the rats. These included 17 fibroadenomas, seven dysplastic fibroadenomas, and two adenocarcinomas. BcPDE induced tumors rapidly, with a mean latent period of 9.7 +/- 4.0 weeks. All BcPDE-treated rats had mammary tumors. A total of 46 adenocarcinomas, as well as other tumors, were observed. In the DMSO-treated rats, mammary tumor incidence was 15%. The results of this study demonstrate that BjF-9,10-DE is more carcinogenic in the rat mammary gland than BjF-4,5-DE and that low doses of both diol epoxide metabolites of BjF are effective mammary tumorigens in female CD rats maintained on a high fat diet.