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B Myhr

Publications and source records attributed to B Myhr.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

Mouse lymphoma thymidine kinase locus gene mutation assay: International Workshop on Genotoxicity Test Procedures Workgroup Report.

The Mouse Lymphoma Assay (MLA) Workgroup addressed and reached consensus on a number of issues. Discussion focused on five areas: (1) acceptable assay versions; (2) cytotoxicity measure; (3) 24-hr treatment; (4) microwell colony counting and sizing; and (5) data acceptability/statistical analysis. Although the International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) indicated a preference for the microwell over the soft agar method, all of the workgroup members agreed that both versions of the MLA are equally acceptable. The workgroup agreed that it is desirable for both assay versions to use the same measure of cytotoxicity to define the acceptable and required concentration range. Currently, laboratories using the microwell version use the relative survival (RS) determined by cloning immediately after the treatment. Laboratories using the soft agar method do not obtain an RS but use the relative total growth (RTG), a combination of the relative suspension growth (RSG) during the expression period and the relative cloning efficiency determined at the time of mutant selection. The workgroup agreed to investigate the RSG, the RS, and the RTG and to develop further guidance. In the interim, the workgroup reached consensus that the RTG be used as the standard measure of cytotoxicity. The ICH recommended a 24-hr treatment in the absence of S9 when negative results are obtained with short (3-4 hr) treatments. The workgroup agreed to retain this requirement but acknowledged that more data are needed prior to making final recommendations concerning the need for and the specific protocol for the 24-hr treatment. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 35:185-190, 2000 Published 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Animals↗

Transgenic mouse mutation assay systems can play an important role in regulatory mutagenicity testing in vivo for the detection of site-of-contact mutagens.

Transgenic mouse mutation assays, such as MutaMouse (lacZ, CD2F1) and Big Blue (lacI, B6C3F1), afford the opportunity to evaluate the mutagenic potential of chemicals in any target organ in vivo. This paper discusses published data collected from the analysis of the skin, stomach and lung DNA after topical, oral and inhalation exposure, respectively. These data indicate that both MutaMouse and Big Blue should play an important part in the evaluation of genotoxicity in vivo, particularly where the endpoint or target tissue available in the more conventional tests is inappropriate. It is concluded that there is a distinct role for this type of assay in genetic toxicology testing. For substances applied to the skin or dosed orally or by inhalation and which are unlikely to reach either the bone marrow or the liver, then data derived from these assays may be more relevant to an assessment of possible risk to man than the currently used unscheduled DNA synthesis in liver and cytogenetics assays in bone marrow or peripheral blood.

Animals↗

A preliminary assessment of the toxic and mutagenic potential of steroidal alkaloids in transgenic mice.

Impregnated CD2 transgenic mice, which contain multiple copies of a lambda gt10lacZ construct integrated into the genome of each cell, were given a predetermined estimated maximum tolerated dose of several steroidal alkaloids: Solanum glycoalkaloids from potato, alpha-chaconine and alpha-solanine; aglycones, solanidine and solasodine, and a Veratrum alkaloid, jervine. Observations were made of dams and foetuses for indications of toxicity and/or terata; some dam livers and foetuses were assayed for mutagenicity using the lacZ gene. Other dams were gavaged with a single dose of 75 mg all-trans-retinol/kg to serve as a reference teratogen. Unexpectedly, this level of retinol was not clearly teratogenic. The results of both positive and non-positive selection systems showed that the mutation frequencies in the livers of the dams dosed with alpha-chaconine, alpha-solanine and solanidine were three to four times higher than historically normal in the livers of this transgenic mouse strain.

Alkaloids↗

Mammalian genotoxicity assessment of methylene blue in plasma: implications for virus inactivation.

BACKGROUND: The risk of adverse consequences of virus-inactivation procedures for plasma and cellular blood components must be less than the risk of transfusion-associated viral disease. Previous studies demonstrated that methylene blue, which is currently used in Europe for virus inactivation in fresh-frozen plasma, can elicit mutations in bacterial test systems. This study investigates the potential for methylene blue genotoxicity in two mammalian test systems. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Different concentrations of methylene blue were prepared in plasma (heat-treated at 56 degrees C for 1 hour to reduce cytotoxicity) and used, without illumination, in an in vitro mouse lymphoma cell assay designed to detect forward mutations in the gene encoding thymidine kinase. The assay was performed in the presence or absence of rat liver S9 microsomal fraction. Similarly prepared samples of methylene blue in heat-treated plasma were used in an in vivo mouse micronucleus assay. Each system included a negative vehicle control (heat-treated plasma without methylene blue) and a positive control consisting of a known genotoxic agent. RESULTS: Intravenous administration to mice of 62 mg per kg of methylene blue did not increase the frequency of micronuclei in polychromatic red cells harvested from bone marrow. However, methylene blue concentrations of 10 micrograms per mL (with S9 activation) and 30 micrograms per mL (without S9 activation) significantly increased the thymidine kinase mutation frequency of mouse lymphoma cells to approximately 110 x 10(-6), from a spontaneous frequency of 28 x 10(-6). CONCLUSION: Methylene blue is mutagenic in cultured mammalian cells. In contrast, results from the mouse micronucleus assay suggest that the genotoxicity is not expressed in vivo. Considerably more investigation will be required to assess the genotoxic potential of intravenously administered methylene blue used in virus-inactivation procedures, because of the likelihood of the formation of methylene blue photoproducts or the impact of metabolic conversion of methylene blue to leukomethylene blue in vivo.

Animals↗

The LacZ transgene in MutaMouse maps to chromosome 3.

Transgenic mouse models are being used with increasing frequency for mutational and toxicological studies. One such system. MutaMouse, contains a stably integrated lambda-gt10LacZ shuttle vector in the mouse genome. We describe the use of dual color fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with Mus musculus whole chromosome paints and lambda DNA to map the integration site of the lambda transgene to band C on mouse chromosome 3.

Animals↗

Measurement of gene mutation in vivo using Muta Mouse and positive selection for lacZ- phage.

The use of transgenic animals for in vivo mutagenicity studies following rescue of the bacterial lacZ transgene has been hindered by the sheer scale of the experimental work involved. We describe here a new positive selection protocol which is based upon a modified E. coli bacterial host. This new system is potentially capable of generating mutation data much faster and more cheaply than previous methods.

Animals↗

Determination of mutagenicity in tissues of transgenic mice following exposure to 1,3-butadiene and N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea.

1,3-Butadiene (BD) is carcinogenic in the B6C3F1 mouse in multiple organs, including lung and liver. We conducted a study to measure the frequency of BD mutations in mouse tissues using a transgenic mouse (Muta mouse; MM). MM is a BALB/c x DBA/2 (CD2F1) mouse that has a bacteriophage lambda shuttle vector with the target gene lacZ integrated into the mouse genome. Mice were exposed by inhalation to 625 ppm BD (6 hr/day) for 5 days and the lacZ- mutant frequency (mf) was determined in lung, bone marrow, and liver. The lacZ- mf in lung increased twofold above air-exposed control animals, but the bone marrow and liver samples did not exhibit an increase above background. N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (250 mg/kg ip) was mutagenic in all three tissues examined. Studies on the biotransformation of BD using MM liver microsomes showed that the ratio between the rates of BD bioactivation to BD monoepoxide (BMO) and hydrolysis of BMO by epoxide hydrolases was approximately 40% less than this ratio using B6C3F1 mouse liver microsomes. Quantitation of adducts of BMO to N-terminal valine in hemoglobin (Hb) in the MM revealed an adduct level of 3.7 pmol/mg globin. Using this value, the predicted Hb adduct level in MM would be approximately one-half of that measured in the B6C3F1 mouse following similar exposures. These results indicate that BD induces mutations in vivo in a known murine target tissue, but strain differences in the biotransformation of BD should be considered in comparing the susceptibility of transgenic mouse strains to mutation.

Animals↗

L5178Y mouse lymphoma cell mutation assay results with 41 compounds.

Forty-one chemicals were tested for their abilities to induce trifluorothymidine resistance in L5178Y mouse lymphoma (MOLY) cells. These chemicals were included in the National Toxicology Program's evaluation of four in vitro short-term toxicity assays for predicting carcinogenicity in the rodent bioassay. Of the 41 chemicals examined for this report, 8 were equivocal in the rodent bioassay, and 7 were questionable in- the MOLY assay. If these chemicals are eliminated from an analysis of concordance, the remaining 26 chemicals lead to a concordance of 69% with a sensitivity of 71%. The specificity could not be determined because only two non-carcinogens were detected.

Animals↗

Genetic toxicology evaluation of commercial beers. I. Development of procedures for the preparation of extracts from commercial beer products.

Commercial beer was subjected to an investigation in order to establish standard conditions for preparing organic solvent extracts to be used in short-term genetic screening assays. Test samples for use in the evaluation were prepared by mixing several brands of commercially available beer into a composite pool which was then spiked with the mutagen, 2-nitrofluorene. The composite sample was then concentrated using varying ratios of beer to XAD-2 resin in a 1.5 cm X 30 cm column. Dry-weight analyses indicated that significant amounts of residue could be trapped by XAD-2 resin. Columns were sequentially eluted by methylene chloride, acetone and methanol followed by evaporation of the solvents under nitrogen gas. Residues from commercial products were not mutagenic, but mutagenic activity could be detected in residues from spiked beer, yielding nearly 90% of the expected biological activity in S. typhimurium TA98. A standard method amenable to processing large volumes of beer products was devised for application to other projects.

Beer↗

Genetic toxicology evaluation of commercial beers. II. Mutagenic activity of commercial beer products in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, TA100 and TA102.

5 concentrated extracts of commercial beers were prepared using XAD-2 resin. The residues were subjected to evaluation for mutagenic activity in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, TA100 and TA102. The tests were conducted using preincubation protocols including provisions for S9 metabolic activation. Although the extracts did produce moderate toxicity to the Salmonella organisms used in the assays, none of the residues were found to induce mutation up to their maximum testable concentrations.

Beer↗

Effect of pH shifts on the mutant frequency at the thymidine kinase locus in mouse lymphoma L5178Y TK+/- cells.

Evidence has been accumulating that conditions of nonphysiological pH may affect the results of in vitro genetic tests by mechanisms unrelated to the chemical being tested. Medium was pH-adjusted with HCl, NaOH or with organic buffers (Good's zwitterions). In the absence of S9 mix, no changes in mutant frequency were observed over a pH range of 6.4-9.2; a small, 1.9-fold increase was observed for a moderately toxic treatment (24% relative growth) at pH 6.3. However, in the presence of S9 mix, the mutant frequency increased sharply for pH values below 6.8. At pH 6.4, a 4-fold increase was induced, and pH 6.0 resulted in a 10-fold increase in mutant frequency. Basic pH shifts in the presence of S9 mix caused no changes in mutant frequency up to pH 8.0; treatment with pH 8.8 was highly toxic (5.3% relative growth) and caused a 3-fold increase in mutant frequency. Thirteen mutant clones induced at pH 6.0 with S9 mix were challenged with trifluorothymidine after their expansion in nonselective medium and all retained their resistance; another 14 clones were tested for thymidine utilization and all incorporated only 0.1-5.5% of the 14C-labeled thymidine used by the parental line. The induced mutants were primarily of the small-colony phenotype, which indicated clastogenic activity. This was confirmed with chromosome studies which showed a large increase in cells with aberrations consisting of chromatid breaks and complex rearrangements. The results show that the combination of weak acidity (pH 6-6.8) and S9 mix is mutagenic and clastogenic to L5178Y TK+/- cells.

Animals↗

Mutagenic activity of fluorides in mouse lymphoma cells.

The L5178Y mouse lymphoma cell forward-mutation assay was used to test for the mutagenic activity of sodium and potassium fluoride at the thymidine kinase locus. Mutants were detected by colony formation in soft agar in the presence of trifluorothymidine. Mutagenic and toxic responses were observed in the concentration range of 300-600 micrograms/ml with both sodium and potassium fluoride. Approximately 3-fold increases in mutant frequency were observed for concentrations in the 500-700 micrograms/ml range that reduced the relative total growth to approximately 10% in the absence or presence of a rat-liver S9 activation system. A sample of 30% sodium fluoride-70% sodium bifluoride (NaHF2) induced a similar mutagenic response but was more toxic with respect to the fluoride concentration. A specificity for fluoride ions in causing mutagenesis was indicated by the fast that much higher concentrations of sodium or potassium chloride were necessary to cause toxicity and increases in the mutant frequency. The possible involvement of chromosomal changes was signaled by the predominant increase in the small colony class of mutants.

Animals↗

Results of in vitro and in vivo genetic toxicity tests on methyl isocyanate.

Methyl isocyanate (MIC) was tested for genetic toxicity in a variety of in vitro and in vivo assays. Negative results were obtained in the Salmonella/mammalian microsome assay using five bacterial strains in a preincubation protocol. The Drosophila sex-linked recessive lethal test also gave negative results in studies that involved three routes of administration: inhalation, feeding, and injection. Positive results were obtained for three endpoints in cultured mammalian cells. Reproducible, dose-related increases in trifluorothymidine-resistant clones were induced in L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells, and the frequencies of both SCE and chromosomal aberrations increased in Chinese hamster ovary cells. These effects were independent of exogenous metabolism. In mice exposed to methyl isocyanate by inhalation, cytogenetic analyses were carried out on bone marrow, blood, and lung cells. A single, 2-hr exposure to concentrations of 0, 3, 10, and 30 ppm MIC produced no evidence of chromosomal effects in the bone marrow, although significant cell cycle delay was observed. In four experiments involving exposures on 4 consecutive days to 0, 1, 3, or 6 ppm, delays in bone marrow cell cycle were again observed. Increases in SCE and chromosomal aberrations were observed in bone marrow cells, and a dose-related increase in SCE occurred in lung cells but not in peripheral blood lymphocytes. A significant increase in micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes in the peripheral blood was observed in male mice in one experiment. From these results, it appears that methyl isocyanate has the capacity to affect chromosome structure but not to induce gene mutations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Genotoxicity of theobromine in a series of short-term assays.

Theobromine (3,7-dimethylxanthine) was evaluated for genotoxic activity in a series of in vitro assays. Theobromine was not mutagenic in the Ames assay up to a maximum concentration of 5000 micrograms/plate either with or without S9 activation. The compound also failed to induce significant levels of chromosome aberrations in CHO cells (with and without S9 activation) or transformation in Balb/c-3T3 cells. At the maximum tolerated concentration theobromine increased the frequency of TK-/- mutants in mouse lymphoma L5178Y cells. Increased frequencies were observed both with and without S9 activation and they were reproducible in 2 independent experiments. Statistically significant increases in SCEs were obtained in human lymphocytes and in CHO cells under nonactivation test conditions. The spectrum of results in this battery of tests indicate that theobromine treatment results in the expression of genotoxic potential in some assays and the observed activity appears qualitatively and quantitatively similar to that of caffeine, a closely related methylxanthine.

Animals↗

Genotoxicity of cocoa in a series of short-term assays.

Cocoa powder was evaluated for genotoxic activity and found to be inactive in the Ames assay, the mouse lymphoma assay, cytogenetic assays measuring chromosome breakage and SCE, and a cell transformation assay using Balb/c-3T3 cells. Although pure theobromine has been shown to be active in some of these test procedures, the levels of this methylxanthine present in cocoa powder were insufficient to elicit responses in this battery of tests.

Animals↗

Mutagenicity of methylisocyanate and its reaction products to cultured mammalian cells.

Methylisocyanate (MIC) induced mutagenic responses in the absence of exogenous activation in the mouse lymphoma cell forward mutation assay at concentrations as low as 8-24 microM. MIC produced predominantly small mutant colonies, suggesting the possibility of clastogenic activity. The intermediate hydrolysis product, methylamine, was also mutagenic without exogenous activation but required several hundred-fold higher concentrations (ca. 3 mM). N,N'-Dimethylurea, the final product in the reaction of methylisocyanate and water, was totally refractory in either the presence or absence of S9 for concentrations up to 57 mM (5 mg/ml). The ethyl ester of N-methylcarbamic acid was also tested since it was the only available analogue to the highly reactive N-methylcarbamic acid intermediate. This compound was mutagenic only in the presence of S9 at doses exceeding 5-40 microM, which suggested the possibility that the free acid, produced by enzymatic hydrolysis, is also mutagenic. The mutagenic activity of the ester resulted solely in the production of small mutant colonies.

Animals↗

Mutagenic evaluations of four rubber accelerators in a battery of in vitro mutagenic assays.

The mutagenic/carcinogenic potential of four commercial accelerators were evaluated using a battery of in vitro assays. All of these compounds were mutagenic in one or more assays. Positive responses were noted in the Escherichia coli pol A+/pol A- DNA repair, mouse lymphoma L5178Y TK+/- forward mutation, BALB/3T3 cell transformation, and CHO cell chromosome aberration assays. In contrast to previous studies of accelerators, no mutagenic response was observed in the E coli WP2 uvrA- assay or in any of the Salmonella typhimurium strains tested. These studies have indicated that rubber accelerators should be regarded as potential human health hazards and that further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed to assess the potential genetic hazards of this large class of chemicals.

Benzothiazoles↗