A strong genotoxic effect in mouse skin of a single painting of coal tar in hairless mice and in MutaMouse.

The dorsal skin of C3H/Tif/hr hairless mice was painted with coal tar, pharmacological grade. Epidermal cells and hepatocytes were isolated after 4, 24, 48 and 96 h and DNA strand breaks were determined as tail moment by the alkaline comet assay. The tail moment of epidermal cells was significantly greater at the time points 4, 24, 48 and 96 h after exposure compared to the controls, with the most DNA strand breaks at 24 h. The DNA strand breaks in epidermal cells increased linearly with the dose of coal tar. In hepatocytes, no difference in DNA strand breaks was found between exposed animals and controls. DNA adducts were determined by the 32P-postlabeling assay. For epidermal cells, the mean DNA adduct level was 12-fold greater in coal tar painted mice after 24 h than in controls. Again, a linear dose/response relationship was seen 24 h after painting. For liver DNA, the mean DNA adduct level was 3-fold greater than for controls. The mutation frequency in epidermal and liver cells was examined in lambdalacZ transgenic mice (MutaMouse). Thirty-two days after painting, the mutation frequency in epidermal cells was 16-fold greater in coal tar treated mice compared to controls. No effect was detected in hepatocytes. We found that a single painting of coal tar resulted in strong genotoxic effects in the murine epidermis, evidenced by induction of DNA strand breaks and DNA adducts in hairless mice and lambdalacZ mutations in the MutaMouse. This demonstrates that it is possible to detect genotoxic effects of mixtures with high sensitivity in mouse skin by these end-points.

Nitrogen mustard-mediated mutagenesis in human T-lymphocytes in vitro.

The cytotoxic and mutagenic effect of the bifunctional alkylating agent nitrogen mustard (HN2) was examined. Primary human lymphocytes were exposed to graded doses of HN2 in vitro and relative survival was determined. Mutation induction at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (hprt) locus was measured by cloning the exposed T-cells in microtitre plates in the presence and absence of 6-thioguanine (TG). The IC50-value determined for 30 min exposure to HN2 was 1.34 microM. The mutant frequencies (MF) in exposed T-cell cultures were 10-fold (2 microM HN2) to 32-fold (4 microM HN2) higher than those of unexposed cultures (median values). Nitrogen mustard-mediated mutagenesis is discussed in terms of the current ideas about DNA damage and repair.

Pitfalls in characterization of protein interactions using radioiodinated crosslinking reagents. Preparation and testing of a novel photochemical 125I-label transfer reagent.

Much attention has been focused on the study of protein interactions with radioiodinated photo-crosslinking reagents, and pitfalls in using this methodology are discussed. A new photochemical and cleavable heterobifunctional crosslinking reagent, succinimidyl N-14-(2-hydroxybenzoyl)-N-11-(4-azidobenzoyl)-9-oxo-8,11,14-triaza -4,5- dithiatetradecanoate (SHAD) was prepared, and its potential as a label transfer reagent was tested in model systems. SHAD was radioiodinated, and the labeled reagent (125I-SHAD) was converted to an amide (125I-HADM, as a mimicry of conjugation to protein 1) and photolyzed. When compared to the widely used SASD reagent (sulfosuccinimidyl 2-[[(4-azidosalicyl)-amino]ethyl]-1,3- dithiopropionate, Pierce), SHAD has a number of decisive advantages. The amide of 125I-SASD (125I-ASDM) was generated and photolyzed, and it was found that at least 50% of the radioactivity is released from 125I-ASDM after 3 min of irradiation, whereas only approximately 10% is liberated from 125I-HADM under similar conditions. Furthermore, 125I-HADM was photolyzed in the presence of excess amine (mimicry of crosslinking to protein 2), and the product was cleaved by reduction (mimicry of label transfer). The transformations in the course of photolysis were monitored by UV spectroscopy and TLC analysis, and a high degree of reagent cleavage upon reduction was demonstrated. 125I-SHAD was used to crosslink Lys78-plasminogen and fibrin. 125I-SHAD was conjugated to Lys78-plasminogen in the dark. Fibrinogen and thrombin were added, and Lys78-plasminogen was crosslinked to the fibrin clot by exposure to light.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Interactions of plasminogen with polymerizing fibrin and its derivatives, monitored with a photoaffinity cross-linker and electron microscopy.

Localization of the plasminogen binding sites on fibrin has been difficult since these interactions occur on polymerizing fibrin, and studies with fragments can be misleading because of multiple carboxyl-terminal lysines that may bind to plasminogen. A hetero-functional photoaffinity cross-linker was used to study these interactions. Following attachment of the cross-linker to plasminogen in the dark, a clot was formed by addition of fibrinogen or fragment X and thrombin, and then the plasminogen was cross-linked to adjacent parts of fibrin by exposure to light. There was more Glu1-plasminogen bound to fibrin than to fibrinogen and more to fragment X polymer than to fibrin. Electron microscopy of rotary shadowed individual molecules reveals that Glu1-plasminogen appears to be more compact than Lys78-plasminogen or Glu1-plasminogen with 6-aminohexanoic acid. Cross-linked complexes from the dissolved clot observed by electron microscopy reveal plasminogen bound to the end of fibrin or bridging the ends of two fibrin molecules; larger complexes were also observed. Analysis of changes in the appearance of negatively contrasted fibers with plasminogen bound also indicates the probable locations of binding sites, yielding results consistent with the cross-linking studies. The photoaffinity probe was also used to study interactions between plasminogen and fibrin or its derivatives in the course of tissue plasminogen activator-mediated fibrinolysis. Samples cross-linked at various times indicate that complexes with fragment X are particularly dominant during the rapid phase of plasminogen activation. In conclusion, these studies indicate that plasminogen binds to the pocket at the end-to-end junction between two fibrin or fragment X molecules in the protofibril; from this position, it can reach all of the sites that are cleaved during fibrinolysis.

Quantitative liver functions after administration of allyl alcohol to rats.

In rats a single dose of allyl alcohol (100 microliter per kg body weight) was given to produce periportal liver damage. Prothrombin index was reduced to a minimum after 12 hours and reestablished after 24 hours. The galactose elimination capacity was not changed. Hepatic glutathione content was unchanged for the first 24 hours but was then elevated twofold. Microsomal p-nitro-anisole demethylation showed a slight initial increase and a subsequent reduction. The pattern of these changes is similar to that seen after centrilobular liver damage from acetaminophen overdose (Poulsen et al. 1981 a; Poulsen et al., unpublished results), with the exception that the latter causes glutathione depletion. This indicates that in chemical liver damage ribosomal function, e.g. protein synthesis and drug hydroxylation, is more vulnerable than cytosolic phosphorylation of carbohydrate.