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Urban dust particulate matter alters PAH-induced carcinogenesis by inhibition of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1.

The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DB[a,l]P) are well-studied environmental carcinogens, however, their potency within a complex mixture is uncertain. We investigated the influence of urban dust particulate matter (UDPM) on the bioactivation and tumor initiation of B[a]P and DB[a,l]P in an initiation-promotion tumorigenesis model. SENCAR mice were treated topically with UDPM or in combination with B[a]P or DB[a,l]P, followed by weekly application of the promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13 acetate. UDPM exhibited weak tumor-initiating activity but significantly delayed the onset of B[a]P-induced tumor initiation by two-fold. When cotreated with UDPM, DB[a,l]P-treated animals displayed no significant difference in tumor-initiating activity, compared with DB[a,l]P alone. Tumor initiation correlated with PAH-DNA adducts, as detected by (33)P-postlabeling and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Induction of cytochrome P450 (CYP)1A1 and 1B1 proteins was also detected following UDPM treatment or cotreatment with B[a]P or DB[a,l]P, indicating PAH bioactivation. Further genotoxicity analyses by the comet assay revealed that cotreatment of UDPM plus B[a]P or DB[a,l]P resulted in increased DNA strand breaks, compared with PAH treatment alone. The metabolizing activities of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1, as measured by the 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylation (EROD) assay, revealed that UDPM noncompetitively inhibited CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 EROD activity in a dose-dependent manner. Overall, these data suggest that components within complex mixtures can alter PAH-induced carcinogenesis by inhibiting CYP bioactivation and influence other genotoxic effects, such as oxidative DNA damage. These data further suggest that in addition to the levels of potent PAH, the effects of other mixture components must be considered when predicting human cancer risk.

Animals↗

Preliminary comparison of precursor scans and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry on a hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer.

Recent mass spectrometry instrumentation developments include the appearance of novel hybrid tandem instrumentation, Q-TOF, consisting of a quadrupole mass analyzer (MS1) and a time-of-flight (TOF) analyzer. The TOF analyzer is not scanned, but collects all fragment ions entering the analyzer at a given time. Thus, the typical precursor scan experiment cannot be performed. Instead, a full MS-MS spectrum can be acquired for each mass passed by MS1. Appropriate data manipulation, i.e. extracted ion current chromatograms, can correlate specific fragment ion formation to the parent ion. Precursor scanning and LC-MS-MS are compared on a Q-TOF instrument for the determination of protein modifications, including acetylation and phosphorylation. Model peptides used for phosphopeptide detection were generated from a mixture of beta-casein. Model acetylated peptides were generated from a mixture of acetylated substance P1-9 and substance P1-11. The results were then applied to a more complex mixture, a digest of HIV-p24. Results indicate that precursor scanning is useful for screening, but that LC-MS-MS has a sensitivity advantage and is less susceptible to suppression effects. LC-MS-MS, therefore, appears to be better for the detection of trace components in complex mixtures.

Acetylation↗

Encoding social signals in the mouse main olfactory bulb.

Mammalian urine releases complex mixtures of volatile compounds that are used in reproduction, territoriality and conspecific recognition. To understand how such complex mixtures are represented in the main olfactory bulb, we analysed the electrophysiological responses of individual mitral cells to volatile compounds in mouse urine. In both males and females, urine volatile compounds evoke robust responses in a small subset of mitral cells. Fractionation of the volatile compounds using gas chromatography showed that out of the hundreds of compounds present, mitral cells are activated by single compounds. One cohort of mitral cells responded exclusively to male urine; these neurons were activated by (methylthio)methanethiol, a potent, previously unknown semiochemical present only in male urine. When added to urine, synthetic (methylthio)methanethiol significantly enhances urine attractiveness to female mice. We conclude that mitral cells represent natural odorant stimuli by acting as selective feature detectors, and that their activation is largely independent of the presence of other components in the olfactory stimulus.

Animals↗

Direct immunoprecipitation of antigen with phage displaying immunoglobulin fragment.

Phage libraries may display hormones, receptors, antibody fragments, etc., by fusion to phage envelope proteins. This report describes the direct precipitation of phage-Fab-antigen complexes by polyethylene glycol precipitation, resulting in highly selective and efficient recovery of antigen from complex mixtures without nonspecific protein contamination. The method demonstrates efficiency and specific recovery of phage-Fab-antigen complexes from a background of a complex mixture of unrelated proteins as may occur in the analysis of biological specimens. This simple, fast, and effective method allows isolation and characterization of target antigens, with no need to further process Fab or sFv, and may reasonably be extended to isolate any interacting partner molecule for any displayed protein.

Animals↗

A review of the toxicology of air pollutants: toxicology of chemical mixtures.

On a temporal basis, air has immense capacity for moving a large mass of pollutants. Mammals and birds are exposed to pollutants in air by the inhalation (nose and mouth), cutaneous or ocular routes. Most laboratory studies on air pollutants have been limited to single air pollutants and very little research has been done on the complex mixture of compounds that exist in ambient air. Complex mixtures are further complicated by dynamic chemical reactions that occur after the emissions leave point sources. Exposure parameters are also important in the toxicity of air pollutants. Intermittent exposure of monkeys to ozone increased the adverse pulmonary effects. Superimposing spikes of 0.8 ppm nitrogen dioxide on a baseline of 0.2 ppm, as occurs on a calm winter day, increased the susceptibility of mice to bacteria-induced pneumonia. Sulfur dioxide at concentrations of 5 ppm increased pulmonary resistance by 39%. Sulfuric acid is the predominate acid particle in the atmosphere. Exposure for 1 h to > 200 micrograms sulfuric acid/m3 depressed bronchomucociliary clearance. Concentrations of 100 micrograms/m3 of photochemical products caused headaches and 510 micrograms/m3 produced cough and chest pain. For chemical interactions in dose response, nitrogen dioxide is synergistic with ozone and ammonium sulfate. When all 3 chemicals are used in mixture, the response was 340%. Atmospheric conditions, such as fog, can alter the toxicity of air pollutants. The dose response to a single chemical can be altered by chemical mixtures and pre-existing disease conditions. Understanding these relationships is important for establishing no observable adverse effect levels. Mechanisms for multiple chemical interactions are multifaceted. One chemical may interfere with the metabolism or detoxification of another. Others may interact at cell receptors. To understand the effects of multiple chemical interactions of air pollutants, there is a need for a blend of epidemiological, laboratory and field studies. Studies are expensive. In the rural agricultural settings, the economic and environmental health risks are high. Should field observations and chemical problems be used as "red flags" for action?

Air Pollutants↗

Biomedically relevant chemical and physical properties of coal combustion products.

The evaluation of the potential public and occupational health hazards of developing and existing combustion processes requires a detailed understanding of the physical and chemical properties of effluents available for human and environmental exposures. These processes produce complex mixtures of gases and aerosols which may interact synergistically or antagonistically with biological systems. Because of the physicochemical complexity of the effluents, the biomedically relevant properties of these materials must be carefully assessed. Subsequent to release from combustion sources, environmental interactions further complicate assessment of the toxicity of combustion products. This report provides an overview of the biomedically relevant physical and chemical properties of coal fly ash. Coal fly ash is presented as a model complex mixture for health and safety evaluation of combustion processes.

Air Pollutants↗

Effect of artificial mixtures of environmental polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons present in coal tar, urban dust, and diesel exhaust particulates on MCF-7 cells in culture.

Human exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) occurs through complex mixtures. The National Institute of Standards and Technology has established standard reference materials (SRMs) for selected PAH mixtures that are composed of carcinogenic, noncarcinogenic, and weakly carcinogenic compounds, such as those derived from coal tar (SRM 1597), atmospheric particulate matter (SRM 1649), and diesel particulate matter (SRM 1650). To study the effects of PAHs with different carcinogenic potential in complex mixtures, and to investigate the metabolic activation of noncarcinogenic and weakly carcinogenic PAHs to DNA-binding derivatives, artificial mixtures (1597H, 1649H, and 1650H) were prepared in the laboratory. These artificial mixtures contained the same relative ratios of noncarcinogenic and weakly carcinogenic PAHs present in SRM 1597, SRM 1649, and SRM 1650. The human mammary carcinoma-derived cell line MCF-7 was treated with these artificial mixtures and analyzed for PAH-DNA adduct formation and the induction of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. We found that the artificial mixtures formed lower but detectable levels of DNA adducts 24 and 48 hr after treatment than benzo[a]pyrene. Induction of CYP enzyme activity was measured by the ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase assay, and the expression of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 was confirmed by immunoblots. Both noncarcinogenic and weakly carcinogenic PAHs present in the artificial mixtures have the ability to induce CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 in MCF-7 cells and contribute to DNA binding. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account the noncarcinogenic and weakly carcinogenic PAHs present in environmental mixtures in assessing the potential risk associated with human exposure.

Cell Line, Tumor↗

The application of reporter gene assays for the determination of the toxic potency of diffuse air pollution.

Diffuse air pollution consists of a mixture of numerous compounds. It is emitted by many distributed sources and is omnipresent due to atmospheric transport. Risk assessment of the complex mixture of air pollutants on the basis of the toxicity of the individual compounds is not yet possible because the chemical identity and/or toxicity of the constituencies of a substantial fraction is unknown. In addition, no adequate procedures are available to integrate toxicity data of such complex mixtures, so that an individual risk assessment of the constituents of air pollution disregards possible combination effects. In the present study, an approach has been developed to assess the toxic potency by using in vitro bio-assay techniques. Genotoxicity was assessed in the umu-assay, a reporter gene assay using a strain of Salmonella typhimurium stably transfected with a plasmid (pSK1002) carrying the SOS-gene umuC fused to the reporter gene lacZ. Arylhydrocarbon-receptor activation was assessed in the DR-CALUX-assay, using a stably transfected H4IIE hepatoma cell line containing a plasmid for the luciferase gene under transcriptional control of dioxin-responsive elements. Samples of airborne particulate matter (APM) were collected with a high volume sampler next to a highway and in a natural conservation area. Both assays proved to be applicable to quantify genotoxicity and the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in small extracts from air-filter samples. Results indicate that PAHs from traffic exhausts seem to be largely responsible for an increased genotoxic activity of APM collected down-wind from the highway (western wind). APM collected at eastern wind directions seems to have a different composition of compounds, with a higher genotoxic activity that is less related to highway-emitted PAH-like compounds. At northern wind directions, APM is relatively less genotoxic and contains less PAHs than at other wind directions. Dioxin-like compounds contribute negligibly to the Ah-receptor agonistic potency of APM. Airborne pollutants with genotoxic and/or PAH-like characteristics form an undesired mutagenic risk, which will be evaluated in further in vivo studies.

Air Pollutants↗

In vitro genotoxicity assay of sidestream smoke using a human bronchial epithelial cell line.

Genotoxic effects of air contaminants, such as gaseous or particulate compounds, have been difficult to investigate due to inefficient methods for exposing cell cultures directly to these substances. New cultivation and exposure techniques enable treatment of epithelial cells with sample atmospheres with subsequent in vitro assays, as demonstrated by a new system called CULTEX (CULTEX: patent No. DE 19801763; PCT/EP99/00295), which uses a transwell membrane technique for direct exposure of complex mixtures, for example sidestream cigarette smoke, at the air/liquid interface. The sensitivity and susceptibility of human bronchial epithelial cells to this complex mixture have already been shown for cytotoxic endpoints. In this study, genotoxic effects of sidestream cigarette smoke at different concentrations were assessed using the alkaline comet assay. HFBE 21 cells were exposed for 1 h to clean air, nitrogen dioxide or sidestream smoke. Exposure of the cells to sidestream cigarette smoke induced DNA strand breaks in a dose-dependent manner. The combination of gas phase exposure and the comet assay provides a realistic and efficient model for sensitive detection of DNA strand breaks induced by airborne and inhalable compounds.

Bronchi↗

Coupling ion mobility separations, collisional activation techniques, and multiple stages of MS for analysis of complex peptide mixtures.

An ion trap/ion mobility/quadrupole/collision cell/time-of-flight mass spectrometer that incorporates a differentially pumped orifice-skimmer cone region at the back of the drift tube has been developed for the analysis of peptide mixtures. The combined approach allows a variety of strategies to be employed for collisionally activating ions, and fragments can be monitored by subsequent stages of mass spectrometry in a parallel fashion, as described previously (Anal. Chem. 2000, 72, 2737). Here, we describe the overall experimental approach in detail. Applications involving different aspects of the initial mobility separation and various collisional activation and parallel sequencing strategies are illustrated by examining several simple peptide mixtures and a mixture of tryptic peptides from beta-casein. Detection limits associated with various experimental configurations and the utility for analysis of complex systems are discussed.

Algorithms↗

Application of headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC x GC) for the chemical profiling of volatile oils in complex herbal mixtures.

The coupling of headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC x GC) was shown to be a powerful technique for the rapid sampling and analysis of volatile oils in complex herbal materials. When compared to one-dimensional (1-D) GC, the improved analytical capabilities of GC x GC in terms of increased detection sensitivity and separation power were demonstrated by using HS-SPME/GC x GC for the chemical profiling (fingerprinting) of essential/volatile oils contained in herbal materials of increasing analytical complexity. More than 20 marker compounds belonging to Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng) can be observed within the 2-D contour plots of ginseng itself, a mixture of ginseng and another important herb (P. quinquefolius/Radix angelicae sinensis), as well as a mixture of ginseng and three other herbs (P. quinquefolius /R. angelicae sinensis/R. astragali/R. rehmanniae preparata). Such analytical capabilities should be important towards the authentication and quality control of herbal products, which are receiving increasing attention as alternative medicines worldwide. In particular, the presence of Panax in the herb formulation could be readily identified through its specific peak pattern in the 2-D GC x GC plot.

Chromatography, Gas↗

Nuclear magnetic resonance chromatography: applications of pulse field gradient diffusion NMR to mixture analysis and ligand-receptor interactions.

Pulse field gradient (PFG) diffusion NMR spectroscopy is a non-invasive method for the spectroscopic separation and identification of compounds of interest from a mixture. Because it relies on differences in translational diffusion rates to resolve NMR signals from individual components, pulse field gradient NMR is a unique method for analyzing complex mixtures and for detecting intermolecular interactions. A number of multidimensional pulse field gradient NMR experiments have been developed to alleviate the overlap of NMR signals arising from a complex mixture and facilitate component identification. The applications of pulse field gradient NMR for mixture analysis and for the direct identification of high affinity ligands are reviewed.

Base Sequence↗

Resolution of complex monosaccharide mixtures from plant cell wall isolates by high pH anion exchange chromatography.

The use of high pH anion exchange chromatography combined with pulsed amperometric detection has been established as an effective and sensitive method for the separation, detection and quantification of monosaccharides from a wide range of sources. However, careful examination of the separation conditions required is necessary to ensure that a complete monosaccharide profile can be determined from structures such as the plant cell wall which is a complex network of both neutral and charged polysaccharides. This study has investigated the optimal conditions required for the analysis of such a challenging mixture, including both the stationary and mobile phase minimising co-elution and reducing method complexity. The preferred methods have been used to successfully identify and quantify the monosaccharide components of a selected extract from the plant cell wall of the primitive higher plant Equisetum arvense.

Anion Exchange Resins↗

Quantitative gas chromatography-mass spectrometry isomer-specific measurement of hydroxy fatty acids in biological samples and food as a marker of lipid peroxidation.

We have developed a capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method for the quantitative analysis of individual positional isomers of monohydroxy fatty acids derived from linoleic, arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic, or docosahexaenoic acid. Peroxidation of a particular polyunsaturated fatty acid results already in a complex mixture of positional isomers of hydroperoxy and hydroxy fatty acids. Catalytic hydrogenation of lipid extracts produces stable saturated hydroxy lipids from the complex mixtures typical of oxidized biological samples, simultaneously simplifying the analytical problem and eliminating oxidation artifacts. After saponification and methylation, monohydroxy fatty acid methyl esters are purified by solid-phase extraction and partially resolved using a CP Sil 19 column following on-column derivatization of the hydroxy groups with tetramethylammonium hydroxide. The resulting methoxy fatty acid methyl esters are subjected to electron impact mass spectroscopy. Two characteristic ions are produced for each positional isomer. Quantitative measurements were achieved by using odd chain C17 and C19 monohydroxy fatty acids as internal standards. The limit of detection of individual hydroxy fatty acid isomers is dependent on the total number of ions monitored. Monitoring 11 pairs of ions simultaneously gives limits of detection of 10 ng. Sensitivity is much higher by monitoring fewer ions and as little as 0.2 ng of a single isomer can be detected. The method has been applied for the quantitative analysis of hydroxy (plus hydroperoxy) fatty acids in plasma, adipose tissue, oils, and foods. To date over 1000 samples have been analyzed using the method described in this paper.

Dietary Fats, Unsaturated↗

Nuclear magnetic resonance in pathology: I. Principles and general aspects.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has become established as a powerful diagnostic imaging technique in medicine. The power of NMR as a tool for characterizing molecular structure and for quantitative analysis of complex mixtures in the clinical laboratory or even in vivo is beginning to be exploited. In the clinical laboratory, NMR can analyze the complex mixtures of bodily fluids, intact cells, tissues, and their extracts. Phosphorus-31 or 1H NMR spectroscopy in vivo can provide a noninvasive probe of high-energy compounds, amino acids, and compounds of phospholipid metabolism. The basic principles of NMR spectroscopy are presented here, with emphasis on the various NMR parameters and the information they provide. A companion article presents a survey of applications in pathology.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging↗

Identification and quantitation of species in complex DNA mixtures by real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Six TaqMan real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) systems using minor groove binding (MGB) probes have been developed for the detection quantitation of bovine, porcine, lamb, chicken, turkey, and ostrich DNA in complex samples. Species-specific amplification was achieved by combining only two fluorogenic probes and 10 oligonucleotide primers targeting mitochondrial sequences, decreasing the cost of the assay significantly. The limits of detection ranged from 0.03 to 0.80 pg of template DNA. Analysis of experimental mixtures containing two to four different species showed the suitability of the assay for detection of more than 1% of pork, chicken, or turkey and of more than 5% of cattle or lamb. The quantitation accuracy in samples containing 10-100% of beef or pork DNA was close to 90%. The system is complemented with one additional TaqMan MGB detector based on consensus sequence segments of the nuclear 18S ribosomal RNA gene. A method to evaluate the presence of unknown eukaryotic DNA in a mixture, where data derived from the species-specific detection are compared with the experimental values obtained from the general 18S detector, is presented. This method allows the validation of the quantitative measurements, providing an internal control of the total content of PCR-amplifiable DNA in the sample. The system was tested on DNA mixtures containing different shares of up to four different species and on DNA extracted from processed commercial food samples.

Animals↗

High-efficiency capillary isoelectric focusing of peptides.

Several approaches are presently being developed for global proteome characterization that are based upon the analysis of polypeptide mixtures resulting from digestion of (often complex) mixtures of proteins. Improved methods for peptide analysis are needed that provide for sample concentration, higher resolution separations, and direct compatibility with mass spectrometry. In this work, methods for the high-efficiency capillary isoelectric focusing (CIEF) separation of peptides have been developed that provide for simultaneous sample concentration and separation according to peptide isoelectric point. Under typical nondenaturing CIEF conditions, peptides are concentrated approximately 500-fold, and peptides present at < 1 ng/ microL were detectable using conventional UV detection. CIEF separations of peptides provided much faster measurements of isoelectric points compared with conventional isoelectric focusing in gels. Very small differences in peptide isoelectric points (deltapI approximately 0.01) could be resolved, High-efficiency CIEF separations for complex peptide mixtures from tryptic digestion of yeast cytosol fractions were obtained and showed significant improvement over those obtained using capillary zone electrophoresis and packed capillary reversed-phase liquid chromatography.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Identification and assessment of endocrine disruptors: limitations of in vivo and in vitro assays.

It has been suggested that chemicals and complex mixtures capable of modulating the endocrine system may contribute to adverse health, reproduction, and developmental effects in humans and wildlife. These effects include increased incidence of hormone-dependent cancers, compromised reproductive fitness, and abnormal reproductive system development. In response to public concern, regulatory agencies in North America and Europe are formulating potential strategies to systematically test chemicals and complex mixtures for their endocrine-disrupting activities. Because of the complexity of the endocrine system and the number of potential endocrine disruptor targets, a tiered approach involving a complementary battery of short- and long-term in vivo and in vitro assays that assesses both receptor and nonreceptor-mediated mechanisms of action is being considered. However, the available established assays use a limited number of end points, and significant information gaps exist for other potential targets in the endocrine system. In addition to discussing the merits and limitations of the assays that may be adopted, this paper also highlights potential problems associated with the use of a tiered testing strategy.

Animals↗