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Ryoichi Kizu

Publications and source records attributed to Ryoichi Kizu.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

An environmental quinoid polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, acenaphthenequinone, modulates cyclooxygenase-2 expression through reactive oxygen species generation and nuclear factor kappa B activation in A549 cells.

Diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) contain oxygen-containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) called quinoid PAHs. Some quinoid PAHs generate free radicals as they undergo enzymatic and nonenzymatic redox cycling with their corresponding semiquinone radicals. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by these reactions can cause severe oxidative stress connected with inflammatory processing. Although humans and animals are continuously exposed to these chemicals in the environment, little is known about which quinoid PAHs are active. In this study, we estimated the intracellular ROS production and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) translocation in A549 cells exposed to isomers of quinoid PAHs having two to four rings. We found that both acenaphthenequinone (AcQ) and 9,10-phenanthrenequinone (PQ) enhanced ROS generation and that AcQ translocated NF-kappaB from the cytosol to the nucleus. However, PQ, which has been reported to induce apoptosis, did not influence NF-kappaB activation. In addition, AcQ induced cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression which is a key enzyme in the inflammatory processing involved in the activation of NF-kappaB. Upregulation of NF-kappaB and COX-2 expression by AcQ treatment was suppressed by the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC). These results provide that AcQ might play an important role in human lung inflammatory diseases as an air pollutant.

Acenaphthenes↗

Decreased responsiveness of naturally occurring mutants of human estrogen receptor alpha to estrogens and antiestrogens.

Estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) is a ligand-inducible transcription factor that mediates the biological effects of estrogens and antiestrogens. Many point mutations in the human ERalpha gene have been reported to be associated with breast cancer, endometrial cancer, and psychiatric diseases. However, functional analyses for most mutants with amino acid changes are still lacking. In the present study, to investigate the effects of point mutations on the function, gel-shift assays and luciferase assays were performed for eight kinds of mutated ERalpha proteins, including a single nucleotide change of C207G (N69K), G478T (G160C), T887C (L296P), A908G (K303R), C926T (S309F), A1058T (E353V), A1186G (M396V), and G1231deletion (411fsX7). The mutated ERalpha expression plasmids were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis. With gel-shift assays using in vitro translated ERalpha proteins, binding to the consensus estrogen response element (ERE) was observed for the mutated ERalpha proteins except ERalpha (G160C) and ERalpha (411fsX7), the binding of which was comparable with that of the wild type. Western blot analyses showed that ERalpha (G160C) could not be efficiently translated with the in vitro transcription/translation system and that ERalpha (411fsX7) produced a truncated protein. To investigate the transactivation potency, wild-type or mutated ERalpha expression plasmids were co-transfected with pGL3-3EREc38 reporter plasmid into human breast adenocarcinoma MDA-MB-435 cells. The concentration-response curves (10pM-100nM E2) of the mutant ERalpha proteins except ERalpha (E353V) and ERalpha (411fsX7) were similar to that of wild-type ERalpha. However, at a low level of E2 (100pM), the mutants ERalpha (N69K), ERalpha (L296P), ERalpha (S309F), and ERalpha (M396V) showed a significant decrease of transactivation compared with that of the wild-type ERalpha. The mutants ERalpha (E353V) and ERalpha (411fsX7) did not show responsiveness to E2 and antiestrogens, 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4OHT) and ICI 182,780. The mutant ERalpha (S309F) showed decreased responsiveness for the antiestrogenicity of 4OHT. In conclusion, we found that some of the naturally occurring human ERalpha mutants with amino acid changes may have an altered responsiveness to estrogen and antiestrogens.

Amino Acid Substitution↗

Damage to and recovery of coastlines polluted with C-heavy oil spilled from the Nakhodka.

The damage to and recovery of the Japanese coastline from Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture to Mikuni, Fukui Prefecture was investigated visually over three years after a C-heavy oil spill from the Russian tanker "Nakhodka" in the Japan Sea on January 2, 1997. The beached C-heavy oil tended to remain for a long time on coasts of bedrock and boulder/cobble/pebble but it was removed rapidly from coasts of gravel/sand and man-made structures such as concrete tetrapods. On the coasts of the latter type, wave energy appeared to be the main force removing the oil. One year after the spill, C-heavy oil tended to remain strongly on the sheltered coasts of bedrock and boulder/cobble/pebble. Even on coasts of this type, the contamination was remarkably absent by 2 years after the spill. The concentration levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in oil lumps, sand and seawater were monitored during 3 years following the spill. The concentrations of PAHs having 2 or 3 rings decreased more quickly than did those of PAHs having 4 or more rings, suggesting that volatilization was the main cause of the decrease. On the other hand, the concentrations of PAHs having 4 to 6 rings did not start to decrease until 7 months after the spill. The main cause of the decrease seemed to be photolysis. The concentration of BaP in seawater off the polluted coasts was high 1 month after the spill and then decreased. Three years after the spill, the level fell to the sub ng/L level, which was as low as the level in seawater along unpolluted clean coasts in Japan. The concentration of BaP in greenling was higher than the normal level only during the first two months after the spill. These results suggest that the coastlines in Ishikawa and Fukui Prefectures that were polluted with C-heavy oil recovered in 3 years.

Animals↗

Homologue and isomer distribution of dioxins observed in water samples collected from Kahokugata Lagoon and inflowing rivers, Japan.

Water samples were collected at 17 sites in Kahokugata Water Basin, a closed water basin in central Japan. We determined the concentration of dioxins of the water samples. Linear relationships between toxic equivalent (TEQ) concentrations of dioxin and concentrations of suspended solid (SS) were obtained at sites in Kahokugata Lagoon and in the rivers flowing into the lagoon. Homologue composition of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) indicated that all the water samples were still strongly influenced by chlorinated herbicides, such as chloronitrofen (CNP) and pentachlorophenol (PCP) that had been widely used in rice fields. The main isomer distributions of the PCDD homologues were not significantly different among the sampling sites, while the main isomer distributions of the PCDF homologues were considerably different among the sampling sites. At a few sampling points in the downstream part of one of the rivers, high concentrations of 1,3,6,7,8-pentachloro dibenzofuran (1,3,6,7,8-PeCDF) and its related isomers (1,3,6,8-chlorine-substituted PCDFs) were traced to a dye manufacturing plant. These non-toxic isomers are usually only minor constituents in environmental water samples and are not indicators of any known dioxin sources. The dyeing discharge was found to make a contribution only in the water samples collected near the plant and the seasonal variation of the contribution might depend on the flow rate of the river.

Dioxins↗

Amino acids C-terminal to the 14-3-3 binding motif in CDC25B affect the efficiency of 14-3-3 binding.

The phospho-site adapter protein 14-3-3 binds to target proteins at amino acid sequences matching the consensus motif Arg-X-X-Ser/Thr-X-Pro, where the serine or threonine residue is phosphorylated and X is any amino acid. The dual-specificity phosphatase CDC25B, which is involved in cell cycle regulation, contains five 14-3-3 binding motifs, but 14-3-3 preferentially binds to the motif at Ser309 in CDC25B1 (or Ser323 in CDC25B3). In the present study, we demonstrate that amino acid residues C-terminal to the 14-3-3 binding motif strongly affect the efficiency of 14-3-3 binding. Alanine substitutions at residues downstream of the Ser309 motif dramatically reduced 14-3-3 binding, although phosphorylation of Ser309 was unaffected. We also observed that binding of endogenous 14-3-3 to mutant CDC25B occurred less efficiently than to the wild type. Mutants to which 14-3-3 cannot bind efficiently tend to be located in the nucleus, although not as specifically as the alanine substitution mutant of Ser309. These results indicate that amino acid sequences C-terminal to the consensus binding site have an important role in the efficient binding of 14-3-3 to at least CDC25B, which may partly explain why some consensus sequences are inactive as 14-3-3 binding sites.

14-3-3 Proteins↗

Direct-acting mutagenicity of extracts of coal burning-derived particulates and contribution of nitropolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Benzene-ethanol extracts from particulates produced by coal burning were separated into four fractions by silica-gel column chromatography using n-hexane (240 ml), n-hexane-dichloromethane (3:1, v/v) (200 ml), dichloromethane (200 ml) and methanol (450 ml), as the corresponding eluents. The mutagenicity of each fraction was assayed by the Ames test using the Salmonellatyphimurium YG1024 strain. The nitropolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) of each fraction were assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography with chemiluminescence detection. The highest activity was observed in the n-hexane-dichloromethane fraction (Fr. 2). The mutagenic contribution of this fraction was 69.9% of the total of the four fractions. Ten of 11 NPAHs detected were in Fr. 2 and one (1-nitropyrene) was most concentrated in Fr. 3. Among the NPAHs examined, 3-nitrobenzanthrone made the largest mutagenic contribution. This is the first report of detection of 3-nitrobenzanthrone in coal burning-derived particulates.

Air Pollutants↗

Preparation of antitumor oxaliplatin/cisplatin docking dinuclear platinum complex.

A new dinuclear docking Pt(II) complex, (cis-diammine) (l-1,2-cyclohexanediamine)(mu-dichloro)-diplatinum(II) oxalate was synthesized by reacting oxaliplatin(l-OHP, [Pt(oxalato)(L-dach)]), L-dach = 1R, 2R-cyclohexanediamine), with cisplatin (CDDP). Elemental analysis of the compound indicated that it was 1:1 molar ratio complex of oxaliplatin and cisplatin. A plausible chemical structure has been proposed as Cl(-) bridged dinuclear complex, judged from its yellow coloration and NMR spectral analysis. This complex can be denoted as, i.e. [Pt(2)Cl(2)(NH(3))(2)(L-dach)](COO)(2) (L-OHP/CDDP). The complex showed higher cytotoxicity against L1210 than the parent complexes and low cross-resistance against L1210/CDDP and L1210/DACH. Its antitumor activity was also tested in vivo against murine leukemia L1210 cell lines. The complex showed much higher activity than the mixture(1:1 molar ratio) of oxaliplatin and cisplatin. The antitumor effect against L1210/CDDP was very high, showing collateral sensitivity, being similar to that of oxaliplatin, and against L1210/DACH it showed no cross-resistance.

Animals↗

Evaluation of estrogenic activities of hydroxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in cigarette smoke condensate.

Estrogenic activities of cigarette smoke condensates obtained from the extraction of particulate matters from mainstream and sidestream cigarette smoke with benzene/ethanol were evaluated by using a yeast two-hybrid assay system expressing human estrogen receptor alpha (hERalpha). To identify the constituents of the cigarette smoke condensate which are responsible for the estrogenic activity, the condensate was fractionated into eleven fractions by liquid-liquid extractions. Among these fractions, the neutral fractions of mainstream and sidestream smoke showed the strongest estrogen receptor-mediated activity by the yeast two-hybrid assay. Then the neutral fractions were fractionated by medium-pressure liquid chromatography with silica gel column. In the fractions that showed strong estrogenic activity, 2-hydroxyfluorene (2-OHFle), 2- and 3-hydroxyphenanthrene (2- and 3-OHPhe), 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHPyr) and n-propyl-p-hydroxybenzoate (n-PHB) were identified by LC- and GC-MS and HPLC with fluorescence detection. 2-OHFle, 2-OHPhe and n-PHB exhibited estrogenic activity, whereas weak activity was observed with 3-OHPhe and 1-OHPyr. Several other hydroxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons having no activity were also identified. This is a first study to identify estrogenic hydroxylated PAHs in cigarette smoke condensate. The present findings points out the necessity for detailed investigation of exposure to aerosols containing apparently estrogenic compounds.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

Antiandrogenic activity of extracts of diesel exhaust particles emitted from diesel-engine truck under different engine loads and speeds.

To clarify the alteration of androgenic and antiandrogenic activities by diesel engine conditions, we collected diesel exhaust particles (DEP) samples emitted from a diesel-engine truck under different conditions of engine loads and vehicle speeds, and DEP extract (DEPE) samples were prepared from each. The androgenic and antiandrogenic activities of the DEPE samples were examined using a prostate specific antigen (PSA) promoter-luciferase reporter gene assay in PC3/AR human prostate cancer cells. While all DEPE samples did not exhibit androgenic effects, the antiandrogenic effects were enhanced by higher engine load but not by higher vehicle speed. In this study, significant correlations between antiandrogenic and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonistic activities were demonstrated in PC3/AR cells by 16 polycyclic aromatic compounds and beta-naphthoflavone. Yeast two-hybrid assay and cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1 promoter-luciferase reporter gene assay showed that the antiandrogenic constituents acting as androgen receptor (AR) antagonists and AhR agonists were increased by only the higher engine load. In conclusion, the antiandrogenic effects of DEPE samples were enhanced by a higher engine load which resulted in DEPC samples with elevated AhR agonistic and AR antagonistic activities.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Hair analysis of nicotine and cotinine for evaluating tobacco smoke exposure by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A simple liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) method for the determination of nicotine and cotinine in human hair was established. In the procedure, a hair sample (10 mg) was washed with dichloromethane and digested in 2.5 M sodium hydroxide. The digest was extracted with dichloromethane and then 25 mM hydrochloric acid in methanol was added to the extract, to prevent loss of analytes. The solution was evaporated and redissolved in the mobile phase, methanol/10 mM ammonium acetate (30/70, v/v). A 20 microL aliquot of redissolved solution was subjected to analysis. Nicotine and cotinine in human hair were quantified by using deuterated analytes as internal standards. The quantification limits were 8 microg/L for nicotine and 0.9 microg/L for cotinine. The proposed method was applied to measure the concentrations of nicotine and cotinine in hair of smokers and non-smokers to evaluate their self-reported smoking and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. In both cases, the method provided good selectivity, accuracy and precision.

Chromatography, Liquid↗

Girolline, an antitumor compound isolated from a sponge, induces G2/M cell cycle arrest and accumulation of polyubiquitinated p53.

Girolline, an antitumor compound isolated from a sponge, has been reported to inhibit the termination step of protein synthesis in vivo. In this study, we found that girolline induced G2/M cell cycle arrest in several tumor cell lines. Immunochemical analysis revealed that polyubiquitinated p53 was accumulated in girolline-treated cells, while other polyubiquitinated cellular proteins were not accumulated, indicating that the effect of girolline is specific for p53. On the other hand, girolline did not inhibit proteasome activity in vitro, and accumulation of polyubiquitinated p53 was scarcely detected in the presence of leptomycin B, an inhibitor of nuclear export. Based on the above findings, we propose that girolline affects the step of recruitment of polyubiquitinated p53 to the proteasome.

Animals↗

Metal elution and content of fused slags produced from incinerated ash.

In recent years, trials to reuse fused slags, obtained through the further treatment of incinerated ash produced in the process of the disposal of garbage or sewer sludge, such as for building materials including bricks, have drawn attention. To establish the safety of using such substances, elution tests for metals and metal contents were investigated in this study. As the result of examining 13 slags, which were made by different methods, little elution of toxic metals was found in the elution tests when water was used as a solvent. However when acid was used, there was a tendency for the elution of many kinds of metals to become greater. On other hand, the results of content measurements showed that arsenic and selenium, which were not seen to be eluted from any of the slags tested, were detected; and that aluminum and manganese existed in the slags in high concentrations.

Air Pollutants↗

[Physical properties and metal elutions of the thirteen molten slags produced from incinerated ash].

In recent years, there have been many attempts to reuse molten slag. Molten slag is obtained through further treatment of incinerated ash produced in the disposal process of garbage or sewage sludge and is used in building materials, such as brick. To establish the safety of such slag, its physical properties and metal contents were investigated in this study. After examining the physical and chemical characteristics of 13 forms of slag made using different methods, no differences were observed and it was judged that reuse is possible. There was little elution of toxic metals in the elution test when water was used as a solvent. On the other hand, when acid and alkali were used, the elution of toxic metals tended to become greater.

Chemical Phenomena↗

Determination of atmospheric nitrobenzanthrones by high-performance liquid chromatography with chemiluminescence detection.

A method using high-performance liquid chromatography with chemiluminescence detection was developed for analyzing mutagenic nitrobenzanthrone (NBA) isomers in airborne particulates. The method was a modification of our previously described method for analyzing nitropolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs). The pretreatment and reducing conditions for 1-, 2-, 3- and 10-NBAs were the same as those for NPAHs. In order to separate these NBA isomers, we used a polymeric-type ODS column (Cosmosil 5C-18MS); a mixture of 40% acetonitrile and 60% 10 mM imidazole-HClO4 buffer was employed as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The isomers of 1-, 2-, 3- and 10-NBA were determined in chemiluminescence with linear calibration graphs from 0.1 to 4 pmol, from 200 to 4000 pmol, from 1 to 50 pmol and from 10 to 400 pmol, respectively. The detection limits (S/N = 3) of 1-, 2-, 3- and 10-NBA isomers were 0.02 pmol, 35 pmol, 0.3 pmol and 3 pmol, respectively. The method was used to analyze airborne particulates at a heavy traffic site in Kanazawa. 2- and 3-NBAs were detected in the extracts of the particulates, while 1-NBA and 10-NBA were not detected. The atmospheric concentrations of 2- and 3-NBAs were 1.83 pmol/m3 and 24.7 fmol/m3, respectively.

Journal Article↗

A new luciferase reporter gene assay for the detection of androgenic and antiandrogenic effects based on a human prostate specific antigen promoter and PC3/AR human prostate cancer cells.

We developed a new mammalian cell-based luciferase reporter gene assay for androgenic and antiandrogenic activities of chemicals and environmental samples. Environmental samples usually have a complex matrix that may contain the constituents acting as androgen receptor (AR) agonists, AR antagonists or aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists. AhR agonists are known to elicit the antiandrogenic effect through cross-talk between AR and AhR signal transduction pathways. In this study, PC3/AR human prostate carcinoma cells were transiently transfected with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) promoter-driven luciferase expression plasmid. The cells were treated with a test compound or an environmental sample for 24 h at 37 degrees C and then measured for luciferase activity. The luciferase activity was induced by dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in a concentration-dependent manner in a concentration range from 10 fM to 1 nM. R1881, a synthetic androgen receptor agonist, induced luciferase activity and its inductive effects was additive to that of DHT. The luciferase activity was not induced by cortisol, a glucocorticoid, progesterone, a progestin, and 17beta-estradiol, an estrogen in a concentration range of up to 1 microM. DHT-induced luciferase activity was reduced by bicalutamide and cyproterone acetate, AR antagonists, and also by benzo[a]pyrene, an aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist, through AhR-mediated pathways. All of these findings indicate that the present assay system correctly responds to AR agonists, AR antagonists and AhR agonist and, therefore, it is a powerful tool for the sensitive and selective screening of chemicals and environmental samples for their androgenic and antiandrogenic activities. We developed the first assay system, in which the expression of luciferase was driven by the promoter of a prostate-specific antigen gene, a typical human androgen-regulated gene.

Androgen Antagonists↗

Antiandrogenic activities of diesel exhaust particle extracts in PC3/AR human prostate carcinoma cells.

We collected diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) emitted from three diesel-engine vehicles--a car, a bus, and a truck--in daily use, and prepared DEP extracts (DEPEs), designated as EC, EB, or ET, respectively. The androgenic and antiandrogenic effects of the DEPE samples were examined by a luciferase reporter assay in human prostate carcinoma PC3/AR cells transiently transfected with a prostate specific antigen gene promoter-driven luciferase expression vector pGLPSA5.8. PC3/AR is a subline of human prostate carcinoma PC3 transformed to stably express wild-type human androgen receptor (AR). While DEPE samples did not exhibit any androgenic effect, they exerted antiandrogenic effect, inhibiting dihydrotestosterone (10 pM) -induced luciferase activity by 24 to 52% at an extract concentration of 10 microg/ml. The antiandrogenic effect was greater in the following order: ET > EB > EC. Co-treatment of PC3/AR cells with SKF-525A, a nonselective inhibitor of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, enhanced the antiandrogenic effect, indicating that the antiandrogenic effect is caused by intact species of DEPE constituents. The antiandrogenic effect of DEPE samples was reversed by alpha-naphthoflavone, an aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) antagonist. The antiandrogenic activity of a DEPE sample correlated with its AhR agonist activity assayed in PC3/AR cells transiently transfected with CYP1A1 gene promoter-driven luciferase expression vector pLUC1A1. Equimolar mixtures of ten polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) having four or more rings, structures found in the DEPEs, showed significant antiandrogenic effects and AhR agonist activity at concentrations equivalent to those found in DEPE samples. Further, DEPE samples elicited only antiandrogenic effects in recombinant yeast cells, which express beta-galactosidase in response to androgen. A competitive AR binding assay showed that AR-binding constituents exist in DEPE samples, indicating that greater part of AR-binding constituents in DEPEs are AR antagonists. All these findings show that DEPE samples exhibit significant antiandrogenic effect in cell-based transcription assay and that this effect is due in part to the constituents with AhR agonist activity including PAHs and to the constituents with AR antagonist activity.

Adenocarcinoma↗

A role of aryl hydrocarbon receptor in the antiandrogenic effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in LNCaP human prostate carcinoma cells.

The role of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) on the antiandrogenic effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was studied in LNCaP cells. The PAHs used in this study were chrysene (Chr), benzo[ k]fluoranthene (BkF), benzo[ a]pyrene (BaP), anthracene (Ant) and pyrene (Pyr). Chr, BkF and BaP acted as AhR agonists in LNCaP cells, while Ant and Pyr did not. The antiandrogenic effects of the PAHs were evaluated on the basis of regulation of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) mRNA and protein levels by 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Chr, BkF and BaP exhibited an antiandrogenic effect, but Ant and Pyr did not. alpha-Naphthoflavone (alpha-NF), an AhR antagonist, reversed the antiandrogen action of Chr, BkF and BaP, suggesting a requirement for activated AhR. The antiandrogenic PAHs did not significantly decrease androgen receptor (AR) levels or cellular DHT concentrations. Gel mobility shift assays revealed that Chr, BkF and BaP inhibited the binding of AR in nuclear extracts to oligonucleotide probes containing the AR-responsive element (ARE), whereas Ant and Pyr had no effect. The antiandrogenic PAHs elevated mRNA levels of c-fos and c-jun. Since activator protein-1 (AP-1), a heterodimer of c-jun and c-fos proteins, is known to inhibit binding of AR to ARE by protein-protein interaction with AR, the findings in the present study suggest a possible involvement of AP-1 in the antiandrogenic effects of PAHs acting as AhR agonists. These results suggest that AhR can stimulate AP-1 expression resulting in inhibition of the binding of AR to ARE in the transcription regulatory region of target genes such as PSA.

Androgen Antagonists↗

Method for determining monohydroxybenzo[a]pyrene isomers using column-switching high-performance liquid chromatography.

A method for determining monohydroxybenzo[a]pyrene (OHBaP) isomers using column-switching high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection was developed. Eleven of 12 isomers of OHBaP (all except 6-OHBaP) were separated on an alkylamide-type reversed-phase column and, via column-switching, on a beta-cyclodextrin-bonded silica gel column. The detection limits for the OHBaPs were in the range 0.3-8 pg/injection (S/N=3). By using this method, 1-, 3-, and 9-OHBaPs were identified as major metabolites of benzo[a]pyrene in vitro by human recombinant p450 1A1. The method was used to determine OHBaPs in the urine of a nonsmoker subject. After enzymatic hydrolysis of the conjugated metabolites by beta-glucuronidase/aryl sulfatase, the analytes were selectively adsorbed on blue rayon (a cellulose-supported copper phthalocyanine) from the urine matrix. Methanol as the eluting solvent from the rayon gave the best recoveries of OHBaPs and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) in the range of 91-103%, which was superior to that of the solid-phase extraction method. 1-OHP, a well-known biomarker of the exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, was simultaneously analyzed. Intra- and interday accuracy values for the determination of 3-OHBaP in 200 ml of urine were 95.5 and 100.9%, and those for 1-OHP were 96.4 and 103.6%, respectively. The intra- and interday precision values were 3.9 and 2.4% for 3-OHBaP and 2.4 and 3.2% for 1-OHP, respectively. In 11 kinds of isomers, only 3-OHBaP was detected in the human urine. Urinary concentration of 3-OHBaP was quantified at 0.5 ng/g creatinine concentration and the 3-OHBaP/1-OHP ratio was approximately 1/130.

Benzo(a)pyrene↗