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P J Boogaard

Publications and source records attributed to P J Boogaard.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Comparison of the metabolism of ethylene glycol and glycolic acid in vitro by precision-cut tissue slices from female rat, rabbit and human liver.

1. The metabolism of [1,2-(14)C]-ethylene glycol and [1,2-(14)C]-glycolic acid was studied in vitro using precision-cut tissue slices prepared from the livers of female Sprague-Dawley rats, New Zealand white rabbits and humans. The time-course for production of metabolites formed from ethylene glycol at concentrations from 3 to 40 mM was determined to compare quantitatively the differences between species in the rates and amounts of formation of glycolic acid, the presumed developmental toxicant of ethylene glycol. The rates of metabolism of glycolic acid to glyoxylic acid at concentrations from 0.05 to 16 mM by liver tissue from the different species were also determined. The apparent V(max)/K(m) for the metabolic conversions of ethylene glycol to glycolic acid and for glycolic acid to glyoxylic acid in liver tissue from the different species were obtained. 2. There were qualitative differences in the metabolic profiles and quantitative differences in the formation of glycolic acid between the mammalian liver systems. There was an average of 10-fold less glycolic acid produced by liver slices from rabbits compared with rats. With the human liver, the formation of glycolic acid was not detectable using tissue from three of four human donors. A low level of glycolic acid was detected in one liver slice incubation from one of the four subjects, but only at one extended time point; glyoxylate was detected with liver slices from all four humans. 3. Liver slices prepared from female Sprague-Dawley rats, female New Zealand White rabbits and three female human subjects all metabolized glycolic acid to glyoxylic acid. Human liver tissue was the most effective at further metabolizing glycolic acid to glyoxylic acid. The ratios of V(max)/K(m), representing the relative clearance of glycolic acid from liver tissue, were approximately 14:9:1 for human, rat and rabbit liver, respectively. 4. Precision-cut liver slices maintained in dynamic organ culture are good predictors of metabolism by liver tissue in vivo. The results of the present study therefore indicate that levels of glycolic acid, if formed in vivo, following exposures to similar concentrations of ethylene glycol, would be lower in humans than in rabbits and rats.

Adult↗

Biomarkers for assessing occupational exposures to 1,3-butadiene.

The overall objective of this study was to evaluate a continuum of biomarkers in blood and urine for their sensitivities as indicators of low level occupational exposures to 1,3 butadiene (BD). The study design was largely cross-sectional, with biological samples collected within a short timeframe. Personal 8-h BD exposure measures were made on several occasions over a 60-day period for each potentially exposed worker in order provide maximum accuracy for this independent variable and to accommodate the different expression intervals of the several biomarkers. Co-exposures to styrene, toluene and benzene were also measured. The study included 24 BD monomer production workers (mean BD exposure=0.642 mg/m(3)), 34 polymerization workers (mean BD exposure=1.794 mg/m(3)) and 25 controls (mean BD exposure=0.023 mg/m(3)). The several biomarkers were measured by a consortium of investigators at different locations in the US and Europe. These biomarkers included: (1) metabolic genotypes (CYP2E1, EH, GST M1, GST T1, ADH2, ADH3), determined in Prague and Burlington, VT; (2) urinary M1 and M2 metabolites (1,2-dihydroxy-4-[N-acetylcysteinyl]-butane and 1-hydroxy-2-[N-acetylcysteinyl]-3-butene, respectively), determined in Albuquerque, NM and Leiden; (3) hemoglobin adducts (N-[2-dihydroxy-3-butenyl]valine=HBVal and N-[2,3,4-trihydroxybutyl]valine=THBVal), determined in Amsterdam and Chapel Hill, NC, respectively; (4) HPRT mutations determined by autoradiographic assay in Galveston, TX, with slides re-read in Burlington, VT; (6) hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) mutations determined by cloning assay in Leiden with mutational spectra characterized in Burlington, VT; (7) sister chromatid exchanges and chromosome aberrations determined by standard methods and FISH analysis in Prague. Urinary M1 and M2 metabolites and HBVal and THBVal hemoglobin adducts were all significantly correlated with BD exposure levels, with adducts being the most highly associated. No significant relationships were observed between BD exposures and HPRT mutations or any of the cytogenetic endpoints, regardless of method of assay.

Adult↗

A novel DNA adduct, originating from 1,2-epoxy-3,4-butanediol, is the major DNA adduct after exposure to [2,3-(14)C]-1,3-butadiene,[4-(14)C]-1,2-epoxy-3-butane.

1,3-Butadiene is a rodent carcinogen and its epoxide metabolites, 1,2-epoxy-3-butene (EB), 1,2-epoxy-3,4-butanediol (EBD), and 1,2:3,4-diepoxybutane (DEB) have been suggested as ultimate carcinogens. This study aimed at identification and quantification of DNA adducts in rats and mice following exposure to BD and its major metabolite EB to identify the reactive epoxide(s) in target tissues. Reaction of [4-(14)C]-EB with 2'-deoxyguanosine (dG) or DNA gave equal amounts of N7-(2-hydroxy-3-butenyl)guanine (G1) and N7-(1-(hydroxymethyl)-2-propenyl)guanine (G2). Reaction of DEB stereomers with dG yielded N7-(2,3,4-trihydroxybutyl)guanine (G3) as major adduct and novel, minor adduct (G4) that was tentatively identified as N7-(1-(hydroxymethyl)-2,3-dihydroxypropyl)guanine. For the stereomers of EBD, the opposite was found: reaction with dG led to G4 as major and G3 as minor adduct. 2D-Total correlation 1H-NMR spectroscopy of G4 indicated that the N7-alkyl group was in a virtually fixed conformational state and might interact with the O(6) of guanine, which might imply a higher degree of mutagenicity of G4, due to G-C mispairing, than of any other adducts observed in this study. At 48 h following exposure to [4-(14)C]-EB (1-50 mg/kg), DNA adduct profiles in rat and mouse were qualitatively similar, with G1 and G2 as main, and G4 as minor adduct. Following nose-only exposure to 200 ppm [2,3-(14)C]-BD for 6 h, G1 and G2 were minor adducts in liver (1.9 and 8.0 per 10(8) nucleotides) and lung (1.6 and 6.6 per 10(8) nucleotides, for rats and mice, respectively). G3 was absent in rats, but present in mouse liver and lung, at 20 and 12 adducts/10(8) nucleotides. The major adduct was G4 accounting for 13 and 90 (liver) and 11 and 139 (lung) adducts/10(8) nucleotides in rats and mice, respectively. Forty-two hours later, these adduct levels had only little changed. Our recent biomarker studies confirm that following exposure to BD, but not BDO, EBD is the major epoxide available for macromolecular binding in humans and rodents. Most probably because EBD is in contrast to EB and DEB, a poor substrate for epoxide hydrolases. In conclusion, the major DNA adduct following exposure to BD is G4, originating from EBD, and not from EB or BDE. It is concluded that EBD and G4 should be taken into account for human risk assessment for exposure to BD.

Animals↗

Urinary metabolites and haemoglobin adducts as biomarkers of exposure to 1,3-butadiene: a basis for 1,3-butadiene cancer risk assessment.

Since 1,3-butadiene (BD) is a suspected human carcinogen, exposure to BD should be minimised and controlled. This study aimed at comparing the suitability of biomarkers for low levels of exposure to BD, and at exploration of the relative pathways of human metabolism of BD for comparison with experimental animals. Potentially sensitive biomarkers for BD are its urinary metabolites 1,2-dihydroxybutyl mercapturic acid (DHBMA, also referred to as MI) and 1- and 2-monohydroxy-3-butenyl mercapturic acid (MHBMA, also referred to as MII) and its haemoglobin (Hb) adducts 1- and 2-hydroxy-3-butenyl valine (MHBVal). In two field studies in BD-workers, airborne BD, MHBMA, DHBMA and MHBVal were determined. MHBMA proved more sensitive than DHBMA for monitoring recent exposures to BD and could measure 8-h time weighted average exposures as low as 0.13 ppm (0.29 mg/m(3)). The sensitivity of DHBMA was restricted by relatively high natural background levels in urine, of which the origin is currently unknown. MHBVal proved a sensitive method for monitoring cumulative exposures to BD at or above 0.35 ppm (0.77 mg/m(3)). Statistically significant relationships were found between either MHBMA or DHBMA and 8-h airborne BD levels, and between MHBVal adducts and average airborne BD levels over 60 days. The data showed a much higher rate of hydrolytic metabolism of BD in humans compared to animals, which was reflected in a much higher DHBMA/(MHBMA+DHBMA) ratio, and in much lower levels of MHBVal in humans, confirming in vitro results. Assuming a genotoxic mechanism, the data of this study coupled with our recent data on DNA and Hb binding in rodents, suggest that the cancer risk for humans from exposure to BD will be less than for the rat, and much less than for the mouse.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗

Gas chromatography-electron capture determination of styrene-7,8-oxide enantiomers.

The enantiomers of styrene-7,8-oxide (phenyloxirane, SO) were determined using a method based on base catalysed hydrolysis with sodium methoxide. The oxirane ring opening resulted in formation, without racemisation, of the enantiomeric pairs of the two regional isomers, 2-methoxy-1-phenylethanol and 2-methoxy-2-phenylethanol. The structure of these regional isomers was confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR). To improve sensitivity of determination, the formed methoxy alcohols were subsequently derivatised with pentafluoropropionic anhydride enabling electron capture detection. This derivatization proceeded also without racemisation and the formed pentafluoropropionyl derivatives were separated on two serially coupled columns, a non-chiral AT 1705 and a chiral CP Chirasil-Dex-CB. As internal standard 2S,3S-(-)-2-methyl-3-phenyloxirane was used. The limit of quantitation of the method was 0.2 microM. The repeatability of the method was assessed at two concentration levels (2.5 and 25 microM) and ranged from 6 to 9% for both enantiomers. The method was applied to the determination of the rate and enantioselectivity of the cytochrome P-450 dependent oxidation of styrene to SO enantiomers in human liver microsomes.

Calibration↗

Formation of DNA adducts and induction of mutagenic effects in rats following 4 weeks inhalation exposure to ethylene oxide as a basis for cancer risk assessment.

Ethylene oxide (EO) is mutagenic in various in vitro and in vivo test systems and carcinogenic in rodents. EO forms different adducts upon reaction with DNA, N7-(2-hydroxyethyl)guanine (N7-HEG) being the main adduct. The major objectives of this study were: (a) to determine the formation and persistence of N7-HEG adducts in liver DNA of adult male rats exposed to 0, 50, 100 and 200 ppm by inhalation (4 weeks, 5 days/week, 6 h/day) and (b) to assess dose-response relationships for Hprt gene mutations and various types of chromosomal changes in splenic lymphocytes.N7-HEG adducts were measured 5, 21, 35 and 49 days after cessation of exposure. By extrapolation, the mean concentrations of N7-HEG immediately after cessation of exposure ('day 0') to 50, 100 and 200 ppm were calculated as 310, 558 and 1202 adducts/10(8) nucleotides, respectively, while the mean concentration in control rats was 2.6 adducts/10(8) nucleotides. At 49 days, N7-HEG values had returned close to background levels. The mean levels of N-(2-hydroxyethylvaline) adducts in haemoglobin were also determined and amounted 61.7, 114 and 247 nmol/g globin, respectively. Statistically significant linear relationships were found between mean N7-HEG levels ('day 0') and Hprt mutant frequencies at expression times 21/22 and 49/50 days and between mean N7-HEG ('day 0') and sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs) or high frequency cells (HFC) measured 5 days post-exposure. At day 21 post-exposure, SCEs and HFCs in-part persisted and were significantly correlated with persistent N7-HEG adducts. No statistically significant dose effect relationships were observed for induction of micronuclei, nor for chromosome breaks or translocations. In conclusion, this study indicates that following sub-chronic exposure, EO is only weakly mutagenic in adult rats. Using the data of this study to predict cancer risk in man resulting from low level EO exposures in conjunction with other published data, i.e., those on (a) genotoxic effects of EO in humans and rats, (b) DNA binding of other carcinogens, (c) natural background DNA binding and (d) genotoxic potency of low energy transfer (LET) radiation, it is not expected that long term occupational exposure to airborne concentrations of EO at or below 1 ppm EO produces an unacceptable increased risk in man.

Administration, Inhalation↗

Dermal penetration and metabolism of five glycidyl ethers in human, rat and mouse skin.

1. Glycidyl ethers (GE), an important class of industrial chemicals, are considered to be potentially mutagenic in vivo because some GE have been shown to be direct mutagens in short-term in vitro tests. 2. The percutaneous penetration and metabolism of representatives of different classes of GE was studied in the fresh, full-thickness C3H mouse, and dermatomed human and Fisher 344 rat skin to determine the apparent permeability constants, lag times and metabolic profiles. 3. Five different GE, the diglycidyl ethers of bisphenol A (BADGE), 4,4'-dihydroxy-3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbiphenyl (Epikote YX4000) and 1,6-hexanediol (HDDGE) and the GE of 1-dodecanol (C12GE) and o-cresol (o-CGE), were synthesized by reaction of their alcohols with epichlorohydrin. Their radiolabelled analogues were synthesized with a 14C-label using [U-14C]-epichlorohydrin. 4. There was a large variation (four orders of magnitude) in percutaneous penetration between the five GE. In general, penetration through full-thickness mouse skin was higher than through dermatomed rat skin, whereas dermatomed human skin was the least permeable. The permeability increased in the order YX4000 < BADGE < C12GE < o-CGE < HDDGE. 5. The relative skin permeability of the five GE could be explained for a significant part by the lipophilicity, expressed as log P(o/w), in combination with the molecular weight of the compounds. 6. During skin penetration, all GE were extensively metabolized to their corresponding (bis-)diols. Virtually no YX4000, and only very small amounts of C12GE and BADGE, penetrated the skin unchanged, but significant amounts of HDDGE and o-CGE penetrated the skin unchanged. For o-CGE, but none of the other GE, the percentage of the applied dose that penetrated the skin unchanged increased over time. 7. The large variation in response observed with the five selected GE indicates that GE should not be considered as a single class of compounds but rather on the basis of their individual properties.

Animals↗

Metabolic inactivation of five glycidyl ethers in lung and liver of humans, rats and mice in vitro.

1. Some glycidyl ethers (GE) have been shown to be direct mutagens in short-term in vitro tests and consequently GE are considered to be potentially mutagenic in vivo. However, GE may be metabolically inactivated in the body by two different enzymatic routes: conjugation of the epoxide moiety with the endogenous tripeptide glutathione (GSH) catalysed by glutathione S-transferase (GST) or hydrolysis of the epoxide moiety catalysed by epoxide hydrolase (EH). 2. The metabolic inactivation of five different GE, the diglycidyl ethers of bisphenol A (BADGE), 4,4'-dihydroxy-3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbiphenyl (Epikote YX4000) and 1,6-hexanediol (HDDGE) and the GE of 1-dodecanol (C12GE) and o-cresol (o-CGE), has been studied in subcellular fractions of human, C3H mouse and F344 rat liver and lung. 3. All GE were chemically very stable and resistant to aqueous hydrolysis, but were rapidly hydrolysed by EH in cytosolic and microsomal fractions of liver and lung. The aromatic GE were very good substrates for EH. In general, microsomal EH is more efficient than cytosolic EH in hydrolysis of GE, and human microsomes are more efficient than rodent microsomes. 4. The more water-soluble GE, o-CGE and HDDGE, were good substrates for GST whereas the more lipophilic GE, YX4000 and C12GE, were poor substrates for GST. In general, rodents are more efficient in GSH conjugation of GE than humans. 5. In general, the epoxide groups of YX4000 are the most and those of HDDGE the least efficiently inactivated of the five GE under study. For the other three GE no general trend was observed: the relative efficiency of inactivation varied with organ and species. 6. The large variation in metabolism observed with five representative GE indicate that GE have variable individual properties and should not be considered as a single, homogenous class of compounds.

Adolescent↗

Biomarkers of exposure to 1,3-butadiene as a basis for cancer risk assessment.

1,3-Butadiene (BD) is carcinogenic in mice and rats, with mice being considerably more sensitive than rats. Urine metabolites are 1, 2-dihydroxybutyl mercapturic acid (DHBMA) and a mixture of monohydroxy-3-butenyl mercapturic acids (MHBMA). The reactive metabolite 1,2-epoxy-3-butene forms 1- and 2-hydroxy-3-butenyl valine adducts in hemoglobin (MHBVal). The objectives of the study were (1) to compare the suitability of MHBMA, DHBMA, and MHBVal as biomarkers for low levels of exposure to BD, and (2) to explore relative pathways of metabolism of BD in humans for comparison with mice and rats, which is important in relation to cancer risk assessment in man. Analytical methods of measuring MHBMA, DHBMA, and MHBVal were modified and applied in 2 studies to workers engaged in the manufacture and use of BD. Airborne BD concentrations were assessed by personal air monitoring. MHBMA in urine was more sensitive for monitoring recent exposures to BD when compared to DHBMA and could measure 8-h time weighted average exposures as low as 0.13 ppm. Relatively high natural background levels in urine restricted the sensitivity of DHBMA. The origin of this background is currently unknown. The measurement of MHBVal adducts in hemoglobin was a sensitive method for monitoring cumulative exposures to BD at or above 0.35 ppm. Statistically significant relationships were found between urinary MHBMA and DHBMA concentrations, between either of these variables and 8-h airborne BD levels and between MHBVal adducts and average airborne BD levels over 60 days. The data on biomarkers demonstrated a much higher rate of hydrolytic metabolism of 1,2-epoxy-3-butene in humans compared to mice and rats, which was reflected in a much higher DHBMA/(DHBMA + MHBMA) ratio and in much lower levels of MHBVal in humans. Assuming a genotoxic mechanism, the data of this study, coupled with other published data on DNA and hemoglobin binding in mice and rats, suggest that the cancer risk for man from exposure to BD is expected to be less than for the rat and much less than for the mouse.

Acetylcysteine↗

Quantification of DNA adducts formed in liver, lungs, and isolated lung cells of rats and mice exposed to (14)C-styrene by nose-only inhalation.

Bronchiolo-alveolar tumors were observed in mice exposed chronically to 160 ppm styrene, whereas no tumors were seen in rats up to concentrations of 1000 ppm. Clara cells, which are predominant in the bronchiolo-alveolar region in mouse lungs but less numerous in rat and human lung, contain various cytochrome P450s, which may oxidize styrene to the rodent carcinogen styrene-7,8-oxide (SO) and other reactive metabolites. Reactive metabolites may form specific DNA adducts and induce the tumors observed in mice. To determine DNA adducts in specific tissues and cell types, rats and mice were exposed to 160 ppm [ring-U-(14)C]styrene by nose-only inhalation for 6 h in a recirculating exposure system. Liver and lungs were isolated 0 and 42 h after exposure. Fractions enriched in Type II cells and Clara cells were isolated from rat and mouse lung, respectively. DNA adduct profiles differed quantitatively and qualitatively in liver, total lung, and enriched lung cell fractions. At 0 and 42 h after exposure, the two isomeric N:7-guanine adducts of SO (measured together, HPEG) were present in liver at 3.0 +/- 0.2 and 1.9 +/- 0.3 (rat) and 1.2 +/- 0.2 and 3.2 +/- 0.5 (mouse) per 10(8) bases. Several other, unidentified adducts were present at two to three times higher concentrations in mouse, but not in rat liver. In both rat and mouse lung, HPEG was the major adduct at approximately 1 per 10(8) bases at 0 h, and these levels halved at 42 h. In both rat Type II and non-Type II cells, HPEG was the major adduct and was about three times higher in Type II cells than in total lung. For mice, DNA adduct levels in Clara cells and non-Clara cells were similar to total lung. The hepatic covalent binding index (CBI) at 0 and 42 h was 0.19 +/- 0.06 and 0.14 +/- 0.03 (rat) and 0. 25 +/- 0.11 and 0.44 +/- 0.23 (mouse), respectively. The pulmonary CBIs, based on tissues combined for 0 and 42 h, were 0.17 +/- 0.04 (rat) and 0.24 +/- 0.04 (mouse). Compared with CBIs for other genotoxicants, these values indicate that styrene has only very weak adduct-forming potency. The overall results of this study indicate that DNA adduct formation does not play an important role in styrene tumorigenicity in chronically exposed mice.

Animals↗

Disposition of [Ring-U-(14)C]styrene in rats and mice exposed by recirculating nose-only inhalation.

The disposition of styrene was studied in a group of 12 Sprague Dawley rats and two groups of 30 CD1 mice exposed separately to 160 ppm [ring-U-(14)C]styrene of high specific radioactivity of 1.92 TBq x mol(-1) (52 Ci x mol(-1)) for 6 h. A nose-only exposure system was successfully adapted to (1) recirculate a portion of the flow to limit the amount of (14)C-styrene required, and (2) avoid any polymerization of the compound. The mean uptake of styrene in rats was 113 +/- 7 micromol x kg(-1) x h(-1) and stable over time. The mean uptake in mice was higher, 189 +/- 53 and 183 +/- 76 micromol x kg(-1) x h(-1), for the first and second mouse inhalation experiment, but decreased steadily over time. Some of the mice, but none of the rats, showed signs of overt toxicity. The overall excretion of styrene and its metabolites was quantitatively similar in rats and mice. Urinary excretion was the primary route of excretion while fecal excretion accounted for only a very small part of the radioactivity. There was, however, a significant difference between mice and rats in the exhalation of (14)CO(2), which must have resulted from opening and subsequent breakdown of the aromatic ring. In mice the exhalation of (14)CO(2) accounted for 6.4 +/- 1.0 and 8. 0 +/- 0.5% of the styrene retained during the first and second mouse inhalation experiment. In rats, exhalation of (14)CO(2) accounted for only 2.0 +/- 0.7% of the retained styrene. Together with the results from the quantitative whole-body autoradiography (showing significantly higher binding in mouse lung and nasal passages compared to rat) the larger production of (14)CO(2) might be indicative of the formation of reactive ring-opened metabolites in the mouse lung, which, in turn, might be related to the observed development of bronchioalveolar tumors and nasal effects in mice exposed to styrene.

Administration, Inhalation↗

Personal air sampling and biological monitoring of occupational exposure to the soil fumigant cis-1,3-dichloropropene.

OBJECTIVES: To assess exposure of commercial application workers to the nematocide cis-1,3-dichloropropene (cis-DCP). METHODS: The study was conducted during the annual application season, August to 15 November, in the starch potato growing region in The Netherlands. 14 Application workers collected end of shift urine samples on each fumigation day (n=119). The mercapturic acid metabolite N-acetyl-S-(cis-3-chloro-2-propenyl)-L-cysteine (cis-DCP-MA) in urine was used for biological monitoring of the cis-DCP uptake. Inhalatory exposure was assessed by personal air sampling during a representative sample (n=37) of the fumigation days. Extensive information was collected on factors of possible relevance to the exposure and the application workers were observed for compliance with the statutory directions for use. The inhalatory exposure during all fumigation days was estimated from the relation between the personal air sampling data and the biological monitoring data. Exposure levels were correlated with the general work practice. The fumigation equipment and procedures were in accordance with the statutory directions of use, with the exception of the antidrip systems. Two antidrip systems were used: antidrip nozzles or a compressed air system. RESULTS: The geometric mean exposure of the application workers was 2.7 mg/m(3) (8 hour time weighted average); range 0.1-9.5 mg/m(3). On 25 days (21%) the exposure exceeded the Dutch occupational exposure limit (OEL) of 5 mg/m(3). This could mainly be explained by prolonged working days of more than 8 hours. The general work practice of the application workers was rated by the observers as good or poor. No difference in exposure to cis-DCP was found in the use of none, one, or two antidrip systems. Malfunctioning of the antidrip systems and lack of experience with the compressed air system were identified as possible causes for the lack of effectiveness of these antidrip systems. The use of personal protection was not always in accordance with the statutory directions of use. Dermal exposure to liquid cis-DCP was found four times during repair and maintenance, but the biological monitoring data did not suggest a significant increase in cis-DCP uptake. CONCLUSIONS: The application of cis-DCP in the potato growing industry can be performed at exposure concentrations below the Dutch OEL of 5 mg/m(3) if the working days are limited to 8 hours. An injector equipped with either kind of antidrip system which is in good working order, as well as the consistent use of personal protection in accordance with the statutory directions of use, may ensure exposure concentrations below the Dutch OEL.

Adult↗

Occupational exposure to cis-1,3-dichloropropene: biological effect monitoring of kidney and liver function.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the possible effects of occupational exposure to the nematocide cis-1,3-dichloropropene (cis-DCP) on function of the kidney and liver in the starch potato growing region in The Netherlands. METHODS: The study involved 13 commercial application workers exposed to cis-DCP for 117 days, and 22 matched control workers. The inhalatory exposure of the application workers was estimated from biological monitoring data. All workers collected urine and serum samples before, during, and after the fumigation season for monitoring of variables for kidney and liver function. Renal effect variables were alanine aminopeptidase (AAP), N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), retinol binding protein (RBP), and albumin (ALB) in urine, and beta(2)-microglobulin (beta(2)M-S) and creatinine in serum (Creat-S). Liver variables were alanine aminotransferase (ALAT), aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and total bilirubin (TBIL) in serum and the urinary ratio of 6-beta-hydroxycortisol to free cortisol (betaOHC/COR). RESULTS: The geometric mean exposure of the application workers was 2.7 mg/m(3) (8 hour time weighted average (8 hour TWA)); range 0.1-9.5 mg/m(3). No differences were found between the values of the renal effect variables or the liver variables of the exposed group and the control group, except a lower urinary ratio of betaOHC/COR in the exposed group. This was not considered to be related to the exposure to cis-DCP. No dose-effect relations were found between the exposure indices and the effect variables. CONCLUSIONS: The present study does not provide evidence that occupational exposure to cis-DCP in the starch potato growing region causes adverse effects on the kidney or liver at 8 hour TWA exposure concentrations below 9.5 mg/m(3) (2 ppm).

Adult↗

Biomonitoring of exposure to ethylene oxide and propylene oxide by determination of hemoglobin adducts: correlations between airborne exposure and adduct levels.

OBJECTIVES: Ethylene oxide (EO) and propylene oxide (PO) are important industrial chemicals. Exposure to these directly acting mutagens may be monitored by determination of their adducts to hemoglobin (Hb). This study establishes correlations between airborne concentrations of EO and PO and their Hb adducts in petrochemical workers. METHODS: In three different studies conducted during maintenance shutdown of petrochemical plants the external occupational exposure to EO and PO was assessed by personal air monitoring (PAM). The internal exposure to EO and PO was concomitantly assessed by determination of N-(2-hydroxyethyl)valine (HOEtVal) and N-(3-hydroxypropyl)valine (HOPrVal) in blood samples of the operators using the N-alkyl-Edman degradation method. RESULTS: In the first study, PAM was applied once a month at random over a period of 4 months. Blood samples for Hb-adduct determination were collected at the end of this period. No significant correlation was found between PAM and Hb-adduct data. In the next two studies, PAM was applied to the operators during the entire shift on every working day during the shutdown. Blood samples were collected before and immediately after the shutdown period. Highly significant correlations were found between the increment in the concentration of HOEtVal and HOPrVal over this period and the total exposure to EO and PO, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Time-integrated exposure to EO or PO can be readily and reliably assessed by measurement of the concentration of HOEtVal or HOPrVal in a small blood sample. In workers occupationally exposed to low concentrations of EO or PO, good correlations were found between these Hb adducts and the airborne concentrations of EO and PO. These correlations allow the calculation of tentative biological exposure limits (BELs) for EO and PO. At the current Dutch occupational exposure limit (OEL) for EO (0.84 mg m(-3), 8-h TWA) the BEL is 3.2 nmol HOEtVal/g globin. At the value of 10 mg m(-3) (8-h TWA), which is currently being investigated as the new Dutch OEL for PO, the corresponding BEL is 5.3 nmol HOPrVal/g globin.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗

Metabolic inactivation of 2-oxiranylmethyl 2-ethyl-2,5-dimethylhexanoate (C10GE) in skin, lung and liver of human, rat and mouse.

The inactivation of 2-oxiranylmethyl 2-ethyl-2,5-dimethylhexanoate (C10GE), one of the most abundant isomers of the epoxy-resin Carduras E-10 glycidyl ester, was studied in subcellular fractions of human, C3H mouse and F344 rat liver, lung and skin. C10GE is chemically very stable and resistant to aqueous hydrolysis, but it was rapidly metabolized in both cytosolic and microsomal fractions of all organs by epoxide hydrolase (EH)-catalysed hydrolysis of the epoxide moiety as well as carboxylesterase (CE)-catalysed hydrolysis of the ester bond. In cytosol the epoxide group was also efficiently conjugated with glutathione, catalysed by glutathione S-transferase (GST), but this conjugation was much less important than hydrolysis in human as well as rodent samples. Although CE-catalysed hydrolysis of C10GE would theoretically give rise to the formation of glycidol, a directly acting mutagen, it is highly unlikely that any significant level of glycidol would occur in vivo since reported rates of inactivation of glycidol exceed the total rate of hydrolysis of C10GE. The overall rates of inactivation in vitro decreased in the following order: mouse > rat > human. Scaling of the data in vitro to clearances in vivo suggests that the detoxifying capacity in the rodents is similar and about an order of magnitude greater than in human. Nevertheless, the rate of inactivation is 2-3 orders of magnitude greater than for simple epoxides such as butadiene monoxide and about one order of magnitude higher than for the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (BADGE). The transdermal penetration and metabolism of [14C]-C10GE was studied in fresh full-thickness mouse, and dermatomized human and rat skin. Of the total radioactivity applied on the skin, only 0.24+/-0.06 (SD), 1.8+/-0.2 and 6.8+/-0.6% penetrated through human, mouse and rat skin respectively. The corresponding apparent skin permeability constants were 0.81, 6.42 and 26.4 x 10(-6) cm/h. During transdermal penetration, [14C]-C10GE was extensively hydrolysed to the corresponding diol and the free acid. Only 0.01, 0.11 and 0.21]% of the applied dose was absorbed unchanged through the human, mouse and rat skin respectively.

Adult↗

Quantitative and qualitative differences in the metabolism of 14C-1,3-butadiene in rats and mice: relevance to cancer susceptibility.

1,3-Butadiene (butadiene) is a potent carcinogen in mice, but not in rats. Metabolic studies may provide an explanation of these species differences and their relevance to humans. Male Sprague-Dawley rats and B6C3F1 mice were exposed for 6 h to 200 ppm [2,3-14C]-butadiene (specific radioactivity [sa] 20 mCi/mmol) in a Cannon nose-only system. Radioactivity in urine, feces, exhaled volatiles and 14C-CO2 were measured during and up to 42 h after exposure. The total uptake of butadiene by rats and mice under these experimental conditions was 0.19 and 0.38 mmol (equivalent to 3.8 and 7.5 mCi) per kg body weight, respectively. In the rat, 40% of the recovered radioactivity was exhaled as 14C-CO2, 70% of which was trapped during the 6-h exposure period. In contrast, only 6% was exhaled as 14C-CO2 by mice, 3% during the 6-h exposure and 97% in the 42 h following cessation of exposure. The formation of 14C-CO2 from [2,3-14C]-labeled butadiene indicated a ready biodegradability of butadiene. Radioactivity excreted in urine accounted for 42% of the recovered radioactivity from rats and 71% from mice. Small amounts of radioactivity were recovered in feces, exhaled volatiles and carcasses. Although there was a large measure of commonality, the exposure to butadiene also led to the formation of different metabolites in rats and mice. These metabolites were not found after administration of [4-14C]-1,2-epoxy-3-butene to animals by i.p. injection. The results show that the species differences in the metabolism of butadiene are not simply confined to the quantitative formation of epoxides, but also reflect a species-dependent selection of metabolic pathways. No metabolites other than those formed via an epoxide intermediate were identified in the urine of rats or mice after exposure to 14C-butadiene. These findings may have relevance for the prediction of butadiene toxicity and provide a basis for a revision of the existing physiologically based pharmacokinetic models.

Administration, Inhalation↗

Identification of novel metabolites of butadiene monoepoxide in rats and mice.

Differences in the metabolism of 1,3-butadiene (Bd) in rats and mice may account for the observed species difference in carcinogenicity. Previous studies of the metabolic fate of Bd have identified epoxide formation as a key metabolic transformation which gives 1, 2-epoxy-3-butene (BMO), although some evidence of aldehyde metabolites is reported. In this study, male Sprague-Dawley rats and male B6C3F1 mice received single doses of [4-14C]BMO at 1, 5, 20, and 50 mg/kg of body weight (0.014, 0.071, 0.286, and 0.714 mmol/kg of body weight). Analysis of urinary metabolites indicated that both species preferentially metabolize BMO by direct reaction with GSH when given by ip administration. The excretion of (R)-2-(N-acetyl-L-cystein-S-yl)-1-hydroxybut-3-ene (IIa), 1-(N-acetyl-L-cystein-S-yl)-2-(S)-hydroxybut-3-ene (IIb), 1-(N-acetyl-L-cystein-S-yl)-2-(R)-hydroxybut-3-ene (IIc), and (S)-2-(N-acetyl-L-cystein-S-yl)-1-hydroxybut-3-ene (IId) accounted for 48-64% of urinary radioactivity in rats and 46-54% in mice. The metabolites originating from the R-stereoisomer of BMO (IIc and IId) predominated over those arising from the S-stereoisomer (IIa and IIb) in both species. IIc was formed preferentially in mice and IId in rats. The corresponding mercaptoacetic acids, S-(1-hydroxybut-3-en-2-yl)mercaptoacetic acid (IIf) and S-(2-hydroxybut-3-en-1-yl)mercaptoacetic acid (IIg), were identified only in mouse urine (ca. 20% of the recovered radioactivity). 4-(N-Acetyl-L-cystein-S-yl)-1,2-dihydroxybutane (Ia), a metabolite derived from hydrolysis of BMO, accounted for 10-17% of the radioactivity in rat and 6-10% in mouse urine. 4-(N-Acetyl-L-cystein-S-yl)-2-hydroxybutanoic acid (Ib), 3-(N-acetyl-L-cystein-S-yl)propan-1-ol (Ic), and 3-(N-acetyl-L-cystein-S-yl)propanoic acid (Id), also derived from the hydrolysis of BMO, were only present in the rat. Metabolites of 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane (DEB) were not detected after administration of BMO in rat or mouse urine. This study showed both quantitative and qualitative differences in the metabolism of BMO with varying doses and between species. The data aid in the safety evaluation of Bd and contribute to the interpretation of mathematical models developed for quantitative risk assessment and extrapolation of animals to humans.

Animals↗

Proposal for the assessment of quantitative dermal exposure limits in occupational environments: Part 1. Development of a concept to derive a quantitative dermal occupational exposure limit.

Dermal uptake of chemicals at the workplace may contribute considerably to the total internal exposure and so needs to be regulated. At present only qualitative warning signs--the "skin notations"--are available as instruments. An attempt was made to develop a quantitative dermal occupational exposure limit (DOEL) complementary to respiratory occupational exposure limits (OELs). The DOEL refers to the total dose deposited on the skin during a working shift. Based on available data and experience a theoretical procedure for the assessment of a DOEL was developed. A DOEL was derived for cyclophosphamide and 4,4-methylene dianiline (MDA) according to this procedure. The DOEL for MDA was tested for applicability in an actual occupational exposure scenario. An integrated approach is recommended for situations in which both dermal and respiratory exposures contribute considerably to the internal exposure of the worker. The starting point should be an internal health based occupational exposure limit--that is, the maximum dose to be absorbed without leading to adverse systemic effects. The proposed assessment of an external DOEL is then either based on absorption rate or absorption percentage. The estimation of skin penetration seems to be of crucial importance in this concept. If for a specific substance a maximal absorption rate can be estimated a maximal skin surface area to be exposed can be assessed which may then serve the purpose of a DOEL. As long as the actual skin surface exposed is smaller than this maximal skin surface area the internal OEL will not be exceeded, and therefore, no systemic health problems would be expected, independent of the dermal dose/unit area. If not, the DOEL may be interpreted as the product of dermal dose/unit area (mg/cm2) and exposed skin surface area (cm2). The proposed concept for a DOEL is relevant and can be made applicable for health surveillance in the occupational situation where dermal exposure contributes notably to the systemic exposure. Further research should show whether this concept is more generally applicable.

Humans↗