Genotypic and phenotypic determination of polymorphic glutathione transferase T1 in a Swedish population.
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Because of important roles of cytochromes P450 in the metabolic activation of many precarcinogens, extensive research in the past has focused on the relationship between the distribution of polymorphic variants of different isozymes of P450 and cancer susceptibility. In this respect three isozymes in particular have been studied, CYP1A1, CYP2D6, and CYP2E1. Both CYP1A1 and CYP2E1 participate in the metabolism of many suspected as well as established carcinogens, whereas essentially only one carcinogenic substrate has been identified for CYP2D6. Polymorphic sites for the three CYP genes have been identified both in the open reading frame as well as in introns and the regulatory 5' region. In the present contribution we summarize the molecular epidemiological research relating CYP polymorphism to cancer susceptibility and in some cases to toxicity. An interesting polymorphism has been described on the phenotypic level for the inducibility of CYP1A1, a polymorphism that in some studies has been related to a mutation in the 3' flanking region of the CYP1A1 gene. However, the genetic basis for this polymorphism might be inherited in the genes coding for proteins responsible for the induction of CYP1A1, ie, the Ah receptor or the ARNT protein. Data on lung cancer and CYP1A1 gene polymorphism indicate that carriers of genotypes associated with CYP1A1 inducibility are at higher risk for cancer, but that, at least for Caucasians, the recognized mutations probably identify only a fraction of the inducible individuals. The amount of DNA adducts correlates well in some studies to the individual activity registered for CYP1A1. CYP2D6 phenotype and genotype have mainly been related to the incidence of lung cancer, but results from 13 different studies now show an absence of any significant correlation between these parameters. In the case of CYP2E1, some studies indicate a relationship between lung cancer and the occurrence of a rare allele, although future research is needed in order to establish a significant relationship. It is concluded that, at the present stage, none of the polymorphic sites determined in the CYP genes can yet be used as markers for increased lung cancer risk. Future research in this field might be focused on the establishment of new polymorphic sites in the CYP genes, affecting inducibility or function, and on the molecular basis for the interesting differences in CYP1A1 inducibility.
A number of epidemiological studies have indicated association between exposure to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields and a variety of cancers, including leukaemia and brain tumours among residentially exposed children and among occupationally exposed adults. In order to test if intermittent magnetic fields (MF) act as a tumour promoter, a long-term skin carcinogenicity study of 50 Hz sinusoidal MF with flux densities of 50 muT and 0.5 mT, continuous as well as with an intermittence of 15 s on/off, was performed. Female SENCAR mice were divided into eight groups of 50 animals in each and treated according to an initiation- promotion scheme. 7,12-dimethylbenz[a] anthracene (DMBA) in acetone was applied to the dorsal skin at a subcarcinogenic dose, as an initiator and exposure to MF was performed for 19-21 h/day during 104 weeks starting 1 week after the initiator treatment. The phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) was used as a positive control for skin tumour promoting activity. Two animals from each group were assigned for skin hyperplasia analysis at 2, 6, 12, 18 and 21 months. The animals were observed daily. The appearance of skin lesions and neoplasms were carefully followed and histopathological diagnosis was made for all neoplasms present at death. The experiment was terminated after 105 weeks. DMBA-treatment alone yielded altogether two skin tumours in two tumour-bearing animals and the animals exposed to acetone alone had one skin tumour. The animals exposed to continuous fields showed no skin tumour. Five animals exposed to 0.5 mT on/off had a total of 13 skin tumours and in the group exposed to 50 microT on/off four animals had a total of four skin tumours. The on/off exposed groups differed significantly from the continuously exposed groups (P = 0.014) but the difference between the on/off exposure groups and the DMBA group was not statistically significant when tumour-bearing animals and cumulated skin tumours were compared. There was a statistically significant dose trend (P = 0.045) with flux density and Tesla-h for intermittent MF exposure for cumulated skin tumours per tumour-bearing animals. The epithelial thickness of DMBA + MF-treated animals was of the same magnitude as for DMBA-treated animals indicating that, in the case of a promoting effect being present, another mechanism than one involving sustained hyperplasia may be involved.
Aromatic DNA adducts in total white blood cells, cytochrome P450 (CYP) class 1A1 and glutathione transferase (GST1) class mu genotypes and micronuclei in T- and B-lymphocytes were studied in 69 full-time chimney sweeps and 35 controls, all male subjects. The sweeps had a higher (22%) but statistically non-significant increase in the level of DNA adducts as compared to the controls when all individuals independent of genotype were compared. The non-inducible CYP1A1 genotype, m1/m1, lacking a MspI restriction site at the 3' end of the gene, was associated with significantly higher adduct levels in the sweeps. Among the 26 sweeps with the combined genotype m1/m1 and GST1(-), a statistically significant 60% increase in median adduct levels was observed as compared with those 14 control subjects with the corresponding genotype. Smoking also showed a significant effect on the level of adducts. The effect on DNA adducts by sweeping, smoking and genotype appeared to be additive and independent of each other. DNA adducts in sweeps were moderately but statistically significantly correlated with micronuclei in both T- and B-lymphocytes. The correlation between adduct levels and micronuclei was most marked in T-lymphocytes of individuals lacking the GST1 gene.
Genetically based differences in metabolism, related to MspI restriction site and Ile-Val polymorphisms of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1 gene and the null genotype of glutathione transferase class mu (GSTM1), have been reported to be associated with lung cancer susceptibility. The present study was set up to establish the frequencies of the polymorphic genotypes of CYP1A1 and GSTM1 in Sweden, to evaluate a possible increased incidence of the genotypes associated with higher lung cancer risks among Swedish lung cancer patients and to try to make a combined risk estimate for carriers of multiple risk alleles. In a healthy control group, all under 66 years of age, 53% (174/329) of the subjects were of the GSTM1(-) genotype, while in a hospital control group 49% (39/79) carried the GSTM1(-) genotype. In the investigated lung cancer patients this genotype was found in 56% (165/296) and among those patients diagnosed before 66 years of age the deficient genotype was found in 60% (78/131). The highest proportion of the GSTM1(-) genotype was found in patients diagnosed with adenocarcinoma (63%, 29/46) and small cell carcinoma (72%, 21/29) before 66 years of age and among female squamous cell carcinoma patients (79%, 15/19). The allelic variants in CYP1A1 were equally distributed in lung cancer patients and controls. The m1/m2 and m2/m2 genotypes of the MspI site and the Ile/Val genotype were, however, slightly over-represented in squamous cell carcinoma patients. Among patients with squamous cell carcinoma diagnosed before 66 years of age the m1/m2 genotype was found in 28% (10/36), whereas the same genotype was observed in 16% (52/329) of healthy control subjects. A combined risk of squamous cell carcinoma was indicated for patients, diagnosed before 66 years of age, carrying both GSTM1(-) and m2 alleles (OR = 3.0, 95% CI = 1.2-7.2).
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether a lack of glutathione-S-transferase mu (GSTM1) activity was related to an increased risk for adverse outcome after asbestos exposure. METHODS: A study was made of 78 male former asbestos cement workers, with retrospective cohort data on exposure, radiographical findings, and lung function. Venous blood samples were obtained for the analysis of GSTM1 polymorphism by the polymerase chain reaction technique. Chest x ray films were classified according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) 1980 classification. Vital capacity (VC) and forced expiratory volume during 1 s (FEV1) were determined. Individual estimates of asbestos exposure were calculated, and expressed as duration of exposure, average exposure intensity, and cumulative dose. Data on smoking were obtained from interviews. RESULTS: The lung function in the study group was reduced, compared with reference equations. 23% of the workers had small opacities > or = 1/0, 29% circumscribed pleural thickenings, 14% diffuse thickenings, and 12% obliterated costophrenic angles. 54% of the workers were GSTM1 deficient. They were comparable with the other workers in age, follow up time (median 30 years), and duration of exposure (median 18 years), but had a slightly higher cumulated dose (median 18 v 10 fibre-years) than the others. Neither in radiographical changes nor lung function variables were there any differences between the different GSTM1 groups. The findings were similar when smoking habits and estimated asbestos exposure were taken into account. CONCLUSIONS: We could not show that lack of GSTM1 activity was related to an increased risk for radiographical or lung function changes in a group of asbestos cement workers, followed up for a long period after the end of exposure.
Interindividual variation in the in vitro conjugation of methyl chloride with glutathione by erythrocyte glutathione transferase was investigated in 208 healthy males and females from the southern and central parts of Sweden. It was found that 11.1% of the individuals lacked this activity, whereas 46.2% had intermediate activity and 42.8% had high activity. This distribution of three phenotypes is compatible with the presence of one functional allele with a gene frequency of 0.659 and one defect allele with a gene frequency of 0.341. The proportion of non-conjugators in this Swedish material was considerably smaller than that previously found in Germany (Peter et al., Arch Toxicol 1989: 63, 351-355). The polymorphic distribution of another glutathione transferase, GST mu, was determined in the same individuals with a PCR method. No connection between the genotype for GST mu (GSTM1) and the glutatione conjugation with methyl chloride in erythrocytes was found.
Genetic polymorphism of CYP2E1 was investigated among 195 Swedish patients with lung cancer and 206 controls. Three different polymorphic sites were found, all in introns, using RFLP and the restriction enzymes DraI, RsaI and TaqI. The frequencies of the rare alleles were 0.08-0.18 and much lower than previously described among Japanese. No significant difference in distribution of the polymorphic alleles between controls and lung cancer patients was evident, in contrast to results of a previous Japanese study. However, examination of a polymorphic site in the 5'-flanking region, within a putative binding motif for the hepatic transcription factor HNF-1, revealed a significantly less frequent distribution of the mutated allele (c2) among the lung cancer patients as compared to controls. It is concluded that major interethnic differences exist in the genetic polymorphism of CYP2E1 and that people carrying the c2 allele might be at lower risk for developing lung cancer.
A study was performed to investigate possible interactions by magnetic fields (MF) with the processes of initiation and promotion of chemically induced preneoplastic lesions in rat liver. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a 70% partial hepatectomy followed after 24 h by i.p. injection of diethylnitrosamine (DENA) as a tumour initiator. Starting one week after the DENA-treatment phenobarbital (PB) was given to promote growth of enzymatically altered foci of liver cells. MF was applied immediately after the partial hepatectomy and continued until sacrifice after 12 weeks of PB exposure. Homogenous horizontal AC magnetic fields with a frequency of 50 Hz and flux densities of 0.5 mu T or 0.5 mT were used. The rats coexposed with MF and DENA plus PB did not gain weight as much as the rats exposed to the chemical agents only. The MF-exposure also resulted in a slight reduction in size and numbers of the focal lesions. The results suggest an interaction of MF with the processes of chemical carcinogenesis either as a result of stress or depending on effects on the proliferation of preneoplastic cells.
To investigate the possible tumor-promoting effect of magnetic fields (MF), we have performed two liver foci bioassays in rats which were exposed to MF at four flux density levels (0.5 microT, 5 microT, 0.05 mT, and 0.5 mT). The MF were generated in exposure equipment consisting of copper coils surrounding racks with animal cages and giving homogenous horizontal 50-Hz magnetic fields. Rats previously submitted to partial hepatectomy and diethylnitrosamine treatment were exposed to MF for 12 weeks. Exposed and control rats were kept in separate rooms. As a positive control phenobarbital (PB) was administered for 12 weeks. The number, area, and volume of foci expressing gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and glutathione S-transferase (GST-p) were evaluated. The body weight gains and relative liver weights of MF-exposed rats were not different as compared to control rats. There was a slight increase in GGT-staining foci, but not in GST-p-staining foci, in the groups exposed to flux densities of 0.5 microT and 0.05 mT compared to the control group in the first experiment. The number of both GGT- and GST-p-staining foci in the livers of all MF-exposed groups were, however, within the control range when the results of the two experiments were considered together.
Epidemiological studies have shown an increased incidence of lung cancer, bladder cancer, and esophageal cancer in chimney sweeps, probably due to their exposure to PAH in soot. The work environment for sweeps has, however, improved during the last decades. It was thus important to assess whether the present exposure still may cause genotoxic effects. A further objective was to assess whether genetic polymorphisms in metabolic enzyme activities could explain some of the variation in the parameters of genotoxicity. Venous blood samples were drawn from 71 chimney sweeps and 59 control subjects. Micronuclei were analyzed in activated peripheral B- and T-lymphocytes with preserved cytoplasm. Polymorphisms for CYP1A1 and GST1 in the sweeps were analyzed by a PCR technique. The sweeps did not have higher frequencies of micronuclei in B- or T-lymphocytes than the control subjects, when allowance was made for age and smoking in a multiple regression analysis. Further, there was no association between years of active work as a sweep and any of the two micronucleus parameters. None of the sweeps had the rare CYP1A1 genotype val/val and only one individual had the m2/m2 genotype. The presence of at least one GST1 allele (GST1+) was observed in 36 subjects (51.4%). Thirteen individuals (18.6%) were of the m1/m2 or m2/m2 genotype. And among those only seven had the combined GST1- and m1/m2 genotype. No difference was observed in B- or T-lymphocyte micronucleus frequencies between sweeps with the rare CYP1A1 genotypes m1/m2, m2/m2 or ile/val compared to individuals with the m1/m1 and ile/ile genotypes. Moreover, the GST1 deficient sweeps (GST1-) did not show any altered micronucleus frequency compared to the GST1 positive sweeps. A possible reason for the lack of genotoxic effect in sweeps is the improved hygienic conditions and change in fuels, which has decreased the exposure levels for PAH. Host polymorphisms for metabolizing enzymes did not influence the micronucleus frequencies. As the sweeps did not differ from the control subjects, with respect to micronucleus frequencies, no conclusion on the importance of host polymorphisms for genotoxic risk can be drawn.
In order to test the possibility that magnetic fields (MF) act as a tumour promoter, a long-term skin carcinogenicity study of 50 Hz sinusoidal MF with flux densities of 50 microT and 0.5 mT was performed in female NMRI mice. 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) in acetone was applied to the dorsal skin, as an initiator, and exposure to MF was performed for 19 (weekdays) or 21 h/day (weekends and holidays) for 103 weeks starting one week after the initiator treatment. The phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) was used as a positive control for skin tumour promoting activity. MF was also evaluated for complete carcinogenic action in groups of mice that were treated with acetone only. Six animals from each group were taken for skin hyperplasia analysis and were killed after 9, 26 and 52 weeks. The appearance of skin lesions were carefully followed and histopathological diagnosis was made for all neoplasms present at death. The statistical analyses on occurrence of skin tumour bearing animals and cumulated skin tumours, with corrections for survival did not reveal a difference between the controls and the MF exposed groups. The epithelial thickness of DMBA + MF-treated animals was of the same magnitude as for DMBA-treated animals. Leukaemia was a little more frequent among animals exposed to 0.5 mT MF compared to the control animals. However this difference was not statistically significant.
Two photoproducts, derived from UV-irradiation of the amino acid L-tryptophan and with high Ah (TCDD) receptor binding affinity, were tested for genotoxic and antimutagenic effects. The two indolo[3,2-b]carbazole derivatives, with the molecular weights of 284 and 312, respectively, were tested in Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain D7 for mitotic gene conversion and reverse mutation and in strain RS112 for sister chromatid conversion and gene conversion. No significant (P > 0.05) genotoxic effects were found in strain D7, while strain RS112 showed a small but significant increase in the frequency of sister chromatid conversions. In Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells the two compounds induced a statistically significant but less than twofold increase in the frequency of sister chromatid exchanges (SCE). No mutations were detected when the compounds were tested in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100. However, both 284 and 312 acted as antimutagens on strain TA100 + S9 in the presence of benzo(a)pyrene. The decrease in mutagenicity by the most potent compound 284 was 20 revertants/nmol. This effect could be explained by an inhibitory effect on the cytochrome P450-dependent ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activity as seen in rat hepatocytes. The two compounds were also tested with hamster cells expressing rat cytochrome P-450IA1. The results support the conclusion that this cytochrome P-450 isozyme is inhibited by the tryptophan photoproducts. Similar results were also seen with two other high affinity Ah receptor ligands the quinazolinocarboline alkaloids rutaecarpine and dehydrorutaecarpine.
The Computer-Automated Structure Evaluation (CASE) Program, an expert system that automatically selects relevant descriptors for structure-activity relationships, has been used to analyze the binding of various ligands to the tetrachloro-dibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) receptor or Ah receptor. Two databases were analyzed. One database contained 136 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), substituted dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans and biphenyls whose binding affinities were measured by a sucrose density gradient technique. The other 87 compound database contained PAH, nitro-PAH, halo-PAH and N-heterocycles. Their binding affinities were measured by the electrofocusing assay. Within each training set significant correlations between the affinity for the TCDD receptor and relevant molecular fragments identified by the CASE program were observed. Among the halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, fragments containing lateral halogens and a longitudinal hydrogen appeared important for TCDD receptor binding. The fragments of PAH and heterocyclic compounds that were most activating with respect to TCDD receptor binding were found to contain the classical 'bay' region and were in fact identical to the fragments found previously to be related to carcinogenicity. It was found that the activating fragments from PAH and heterocyclic compounds were different from those found within the halogenated compounds such as dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans and biphenyls. One interpretation of the data is that two different recognition sites may be involved in Ah receptor binding.
This study evaluated the results of several biological methods used simultaneously to monitor coke-oven work. Blood samples from 44 male coke-oven workers and 48 male referents, matched for age and smoking/snuff consumption, were examined for cytogenetic damage in lymphocytes. Urinary thioether excretion was determined for 62, and urine mutagenicity for 31, of the subjects, who followed a standardized diet during the urine sampling. Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons varied with work task, the ambient air levels of benzo[a]pyrene sometimes exceeding 5 micrograms/m3. Cytogenetic damage, urine mutagenicity, and thioether excretion did not differ between the groups. The smokers, however, had significantly higher sister chromatid exchange frequencies, urine mutagenicity, and thioether excretion than the nonsmokers. The absence of biological indications of genotoxic exposure was unexpected and indicates that the studied methods are not adequate to assess the carcinogenic risks of Swedish coke-oven workers.
Hydroquinone (HQ) may activate oxygen via redox cycles in biological systems and may also deplete glutathione (GSH). Both these reactions are potentially harmful, and we have studied their possible involvement in hydroquinone-induced development of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT)-positive enzyme-altered foci in rat liver. The effect of HQ was compared to the effect of duroquinone, catechol, resorcinol and phenol. The dose was 100 mg/kg per day and the test substances were administered for 7-12 weeks in these foci experiments. HQ gave an increased number of foci and increased the foci volume, while none of the other compounds had any significant effect on these parameters. HQ, duroquinone and resorcinol were also tested at a higher dose level (200 mg/kg per day), but this dose gave a lower number of foci than the 100-mg dose. HQ, duroquinone and catechol induced single-strand breaks in hepatic DNA. Single doses of HQ (200 mg/kg) increased malondialdehyde excretion in urine, indicating in vivo lipid peroxidation. Duroquinone, phenol and resorcinol were negative with respect to malondialdehyde excretion. Catechol could not be properly tested as the 200-mg dose killed several animals. HQ and catechol induced hepatic ornithine decarboxylase activity. This effect was correlated to GSH depletion. An in vitro model for toxicity studies with hepatocytes from carcinogen-treated rats was also used. In this model HQ could be shown to be selectively toxic to GGT-negative cells in the presence of extracellular GSH. The toxicity was preceded by a rapid depletion of GSH. Catechol also depleted GSH and could be shown to be selectively toxic, but higher concentrations than those used for HQ had to be used. Duroquinone, phenol and resorcinol were not selectively toxic to GGT-negative cells. As duroquinone can be regarded as a more potent inducer of redox cycles than HQ, it can be concluded that the foci data provide no evidence for an involvement of redox cycles in HQ induced development of enzyme-altered foci. They suggest that GSH depletion may act to develop enzyme-altered foci, and the in vitro data indicate a mechanism by which GSH depletion and toxicity may induce this effect.
Tar particulates from cigarette smoke contain compounds with affinity for the Ah receptor. The sidestream activity is larger than that of the mainstream with a ratio of about 5. The compounds causing the affinity appear in the neutral fraction after chemical fractionation excluding basic and acidic components as major contributors to the affinity. The affinity cannot be explained by benzo[a]pyrene and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons but it might be caused by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and related compounds and by oxidized tryptophan derivatives.
The aim of the present study was to optimize the procedures for urinary mutagenicity testing in order to lower the baseline variation in mutagenic activity found in urine from unexposed subjects and to increase the sensitivity of the method. This was accomplished by using urine from nonsmokers and smokers as well as chemically spiked nonsmokers' urine. Diet was standardized. The number of mutants per ml of urine calculated from the linear portion of the dose-response curve was used as a measure of mutagenicity. The parameters investigated were (i) the total volume of urine per resin volume, (ii) the flow rate, (iii) the pH, (iv) the ionic strength of the urine, and (v) elimination of histidine. XAD-2 and C18 Sep-Pak resins recovered mutagens in smokers' urine and in chemically spiked urine with the same efficiency when an optimized procedure was adopted. The optimized procedure using a maximum volume of 50 ml acidified urine per Sep-Pak cartridge, or equal amount of XAD-2 resin, gave well over ten times greater recovery of mutagens from smokers' urine than in earlier reports. Histidine was effectively eliminated, and the background variation was also lowered.