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A G Braun

Publications and source records attributed to A G Braun.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

A high-yield sampler for toxicological characterization of complex mixtures in combustion effluents.

Combustion sampling for toxicological assessment often requires that large (greater than 100 mg) lots of complex organic mixtures of wide volatility range be rapidly recovered from high temperature gases without contamination. A new sampler, meeting these criteria for studies of public health interest, has been developed and demonstrated. The device provides high sampling rates and intimate contacting of the samples stream with large volumes of a well-cooled, liquid solvent, dichloromethane (DCM). This promotes rapid organics dissolution from carrier gas and particulates and prompt dilution and quenching of the resulting solution, resulting in high organics collection efficiencies with minimal DCM losses. Solvent separation then remits large quantities of concentrated organics for chemical analysis and toxicological testing. One- to seven-hour interrogations of in-flame, post-flame, and flue gas regions gave 50- to 250-mg yields of complex organic mixtures. In side-by-side sampling of combustion exhaust, the DCM sampler provided higher yields of DCM solubles (identified with complex organic mixtures) and of S. typhimuirim mutagens (active without exogenous metabolizing agents) than did a filter/polymeric sorbent bed sampling train. The new sampler also collects polar and high volatile hydrocarbons such as benzaheyde, pentadiyne, m- and p-diethynyl-benzene, and 1-hexen-3,5-diyne. Nitration of naphthalene and pyrene in DCM solution (1 mg/mL each) was less than 1 part in 10(7) after a 345-min exposure to a bubbling flow of moist N2/air mixture (1:1 v/v) containing 107 ppm NO and 1.5 ppm NO2, indicating that for these condition a DCM sampler should resist artifactual nitration of aromatics. However, because of the very high bacterial mutagenicity of some nitroaromatics and the wide range of sampling conditions of environmental interest, nitration and all artifacts must still be scrutinized when using the DCM sampler. The DCM sampler is expected to contribute to public health impact assessments by facilitating detailed determinations of the identities, compositions, concentrations, sources, formation mechanisms, and biological activity of environmental toxicants in gaseous atmospheres.

Atmospheric Pressure↗
PubMed1990

The chemotherapeutic potential of glycol alkyl ethers: structure-activity studies of nine compounds in a Fischer-rat leukemia transplant model.

Structure-activity studies with nine glycol alkyl ethers were conducted with a cellular leukemia transplant model in male Fischer rats. This in vivo assay measures the effects of chemical treatment on neoplastic progression in transplant recipients. Chemicals were given ad libitum in the drinking water simultaneously with the transplants and continued throughout the study. In all, 20 million leukemic cells were injected s.c. into syngeneic rats, which after 60 days resulted in a 10-fold increase in relative spleen weights, a 100-fold increase in white blood cell counts, and a 50% reduction in red blood cell (RBC) indices and platelet counts. At this interval, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (2-ME) given at a dose of 2.5 mg/ml in the drinking water completely eliminated all clinical, morphological, and histopathological evidence of leukemia, whereas the same dose of ethylene glycol monoethyl ether (2-EE) reduced these responses by about 50%. Seven of the glycol ethers were ineffective as anti-leukemic agents, including ethylene glycol, the monopropyl, monobutyl, and monophenyl ethylene glycol ethers, diethylene glycol, and the monomethyl and monoethyl diethylene glycol ethers. 2-ME more than doubled the latency period of leukemia expression and extended survival for at least 210 days. A minimal effective dose for a 50% reduction in the leukemic responses was 0.25 mg/ml 2-ME in the drinking water (15 mg/kg body weight), whereas a 10-fold higher dose of 2-EE was required for equivalent antileukemic activity. In addition, the in vitro exposure of a leukemic spleen mononuclear cell culture to 2-ME caused a dose- and time-dependent reduction in the number of leukemia cells after a single exposure to 1-100 microM concentrations, whereas the 2-ME metabolite, 2-methoxyacetic acid, was only half as effective. The two glycol alkyl ethers with demonstrable anti-leukemic activity, 2-ME and 2-EE, also exhibited a favorable efficacy-to-toxicity ratio and should be considered for further development as chemotherapeutic agents.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1990

The relationship between mutagenicity and chemical composition of polycyclic aromatic compounds from coal pyrolysis.

The polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAC) produced from the pyrolysis of a bituminous coal at temperatures of 1125 to 1425 degrees K prove to be mutagenic to S. typhimurium, both in the presence and in the absence of postmitochondrial supernatant (PMS) prepared from Aroclor 1254-induced rat liver. Mutagenicity of the PAC samples measured in the absence of PMS exhibits little dependence on pyrolysis temperature; that measured in its presence is higher at the higher pyrolysis temperatures. However, because of the decrease in PAC yield as the temperature is raised, mutagenicity per mass of coal consumed falls with an increase in temperature if measured without PMS (-PMS) and peaks at an intermediate temperature of 1378 degrees K if measured with PMS (+PMS). Using a new chromatographic technique, we have split each coal-derived PAC sample into two fractions: LC1, containing PAC with alkyl and O-containing substitutions and LC2, consisting of unsubstituted PAC. Substituted (LC1) fractions show no significant +PMS mutagenicity, indicating that, as a whole, the alkylated PAC in our coal pyrolysis products are not mutagenic. Only at the higher temperatures do the substituted fractions exhibit significant -PMS mutagenicity, attributed to PAC with carbonyl or etheric functionalities. The extremely low yields of the substituted PAC under the conditions where they show some activity, however, ensure that they contribute little to overall mutagenicity. In contrast to the substituted fractions, the unsubstituted (LC2) fractions display significant mutagenicity under all conditions and appear to be responsible for virtually all of the mutagenicity in these coal-derived PAC samples. In this fraction, -PMS activity is attributed to nitrogen-containing heterocyclic aromatics.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Commercial hickory-smoke flavouring is a human lymphoblast mutagen but does not induce lung adenomas in newborn mice.

Commercial aqueous wood-smoke flavouring induced significant increases in the 6-thioguanine resistance mutation frequency of TK6 human lymphoblasts at 0.1 microliter flavouring/ml of cell suspension. This corresponds to 6 micrograms/ml of dissolved 'solids' as determined by fully drying the aqueous flavouring in a vacuum desiccator. In AHH-1 human lymphoblasts, which contain a cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase system, mutations were induced at 0.3 microliter/ml, corresponding to 18 microliters/ml of dissolved 'solids'. The flavouring did not induce 8-azaguanine resistant mutations in Salmonella typhimurium at concentrations up to 1.5 microliter/ml. At higher concentrations the flavouring was toxic to bacteria. The flavouring did not induce lung adenomas or other tumours in newborn mice when injected ip with total doses of up to 26 microliters over a 3-wk period. Toxicity to the kidney, colon and rectum was observed in some mice at 15 wk of age.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1987

Generation of biologically active substances in a natural gas flame.

Samples of gaseous and solid species taken from the central axis of a 1 megawatt heat-input natural gas flame were tested in vitro for mutagenic activity and teratogenic potential. Mutagenicity was determined by a Salmonella typhimurium forward mutation assay. Potential teratogenicity was indicated by the ability of samples to interfere with the attachment of mammalian cells to a lectin coated surface. Both the mutagenic and anti-attachment activities were found to peak in samples originating from the flame regions where the total polyaromatic compound (PAC) species concentration reached a maximum, indicating a strong correlation between PAC presence in the samples and biological activity. Additional anti-attachment activity was found close to the injection nozzle. No biologically active material was detected beyond the luminous portion of the flame.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Organic emissions from coal pyrolysis: mutagenic effects.

Four different types of coal have been pyrolyzed in a laminar flow, drop tube furnace in order to establish a relationship between polycyclic aromatic compound (PAC) evolution and mutagenicity. Temperatures of 900K to 1700K and particle residence times up to 0.3 sec were chosen to best simulate conditions of rapid rate pyrolysis in pulverized (44-53 microns) coal combustion. The specific mutagenic activity (i.e., the activity per unit sample weight) of extracts from particulates and volatiles captured on XAD-2 resin varied with coal type according to the order: subbituminous greater than high volatile bituminous greater than lignite greater than anthracite. Total mutagenic activity (the activity per gram of coal pyrolyzed), however, varied with coal type according to the order: high volatile bituminous much greater than subbituminous = lignite much greater than anthracite, due primarily to high organic yield during high volatile bituminous coal pyrolysis. Specific mutagenic activity peaked in a temperature range of 1300K to 1500K and generally appeared at higher temperatures and longer residence times than peak PAC production.

Coal↗
PubMed1987

Chemical and toxicological characterization of residential oil burner emissions: II. Mutagenic, tumorigenic, and potential teratogenic activity.

Extracts of effluents from a modern residential oil burner have been evaluated in several toxicological assay systems. Bacterial mutagens were detected in extracts from both the particulate and vapor phase emissions. Effluents from continuous operation were an order of magnitude less mutagenic than those from cyclic (5 min on, 10 min off) operations. No difference in the yield of bacterial mutagens per gram of fuel burned was found between cyclic operation under low and moderate sooting conditions. On the basis of elution behavior from alumina it appeared that the bacterial mutagens collected from high sooting effluents were more polar than those from low sooting effluent. An extract that was mutagenic in bacteria did not induce a significant increase in mutation frequency to human lymphoblasts. No evidence of tumorigenicity was observed in a limited number of newborn mice after IP injection of effluent extract when compared to historical control data. Putative nonmutagenic teratogens were detected in effluent using an attachment inhibition assay. The level of these agents was reduced in effluents from continuous oil burner operation.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1986

Teratogen metabolism: thalidomide activation is mediated by cytochrome P-450.

A metabolite of thalidomide generated by hepatic microsomes inhibited the attachment of tumor cells to concanavalin A-coated polyethylene. Evidence that metabolite formation is mediated by microsomal cytochrome P-450 is presented. Microsomes incubated with thalidomide underwent a type I spectral shift. Metabolite formation was reduced or eliminated by carbon monoxide, SKF-525A, metyrapone, and N-octylamine. Superoxide dismutase treatment had no effect. Metabolite formation required microsomes and NADPH and was dependent on the length of 37 degrees C incubation. The metabolite could be isolated by successive hexane and chloroform extractions. It is likely the inhibitory thalidomide metabolite was generated by a minor cytochrome P-450 species. Whether this thalidomide metabolite is involved in the drug's teratogenic activity remains to be shown.

Amines↗
PubMed1986

An internal survival standard for Salmonella typhimurium forward mutation assays.

A novel S. typhimurium forward mutation assay which avoids plating density artifacts is described. The new method uses a pair of multiply drug-resistant substrains of TM677, a bacterial strain used in previous forward mutation studies. This technique permits the measurement of cell survival following mutagen treatment by plating the culture on specially supplemented plates at the same cell concentration used to measure mutant yield. Thus this method is both technically easier and theoretically superior to our previous method.

Azaguanine↗
PubMed1985

Teratogen metabolism: spontaneous decay products of thalidomide and thalidomide analogues are not bioactivated by liver microsomes.

Thalidomide and two analogues, EM87 and EM12, inhibited the attachment of tumor cells to concanavalin A-coated surfaces only if the drugs were first incubated with hepatic microsomes and cofactors. Most agents that inhibit attachment are demonstrated teratogens. Thalidomide undergoes spontaneous hydrolysis to at least 12 products in saline buffered to a pH of greater than 7. These hydrolysis products did not inhibit attachment nor could they be activated to inhibitory products with hepatic microsomes. Similarly EM12 and EM 87 hydrolysis products were neither inhibitory nor substrates for activation. If the three drugs were incubated in buffered saline, there was a progressive decline in their ability to act as substrates for activation to an inhibitory product. It was possible to remove microsomes from the incubation mixture following drug activation by centrifugation. This microsome-free mixture inhibited cell attachment. When mouse ovarian tumor (MOT) cells were added to the microsome-free mixture, attachment was inhibited. However, if the activated drugs were incubated in saline, there was a progressive decline in their ability to inhibit attachment. Decay rates differed for the three compounds. At a pH of 7.4, thalidomide, EM87, and EM12 required 3 h, 1h and 6h, respectively, to decay to control levels. These relative rates of decay are consistent with the relative teratogenicity of the three drugs.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Teratogenic drugs inhibit tumour cell attachment to lectin-coated surfaces.

Interactions between embryonic cells are generally thought to have a central role in the control of development. When these morphogenic interactions are interrupted by either physical intervention or genetic defects, normal development is impaired. In accord with these experiments, specific interactions between embryonic cells have been demonstrated in several in vitro systems. Many investigators have described homotypic aggregation of chick embryo cells, and heterotypic specificity has been described. Because of the importance of morphogenic cell-cell interactions in development it follows that agents that interfere with these interactions, regardless of the interference mechanism, are potential teratogens. Here we have used a simple in vitro cell to surface recognition system in an attempt to screen for potential teratogens. We have found a very high correlation between inhibitory activity in the in vitro assay and reported teratogenic activity in human or animal studies. This suggests that many teratogenic agents may act by interfering, in an as yet unknown way, in normal cell to cell interactions.

Animals↗