Stereochemical aspects of the conjugation of epoxide metabolites of butadiene with glutathione in rat liver cytosol and freshly isolated rat hepatocytes.

1,3-Butadiene (BD), a gas used widely in production and synthesis of rubber, plastics, and resins, is metabolized to three different epoxide metabolites: butadiene monoxide (BMO), butadiene bisoxide (BBO) and epoxybutanediol (ED). We have examined the role of stereochemistry in the chemical and enzyme-mediated conjugation of R- and S-BMO; RR-, SS-, and meso-BBO; and SR-, RS-, RR-, and SS-ED with glutathione (GSH) using liver cytosol and freshly isolated hepatocytes from male Sprague-Dawley rats. Chemical and enzyme-mediated reactivity of BD-epoxides (5 mM) with GSH (0.1 mM) was assessed by measuring remaining GSH in solution using dithiobisnitrobenzoic acid (DTNB). Chemical reactivity of BD epoxides with GSH was modest while addition of cytosol resulted in increased removal of GSH following exposure to each BD-epoxide. BBO stereoisomers resulted in the greatest cytosol-mediated removal of GSH (40-70%). BMO enantiomers removed 40-60% and ED stereoisomers removed 10-35% of GSH. Cytosol-mediated reactions with GSH were predictive of results observed in isolated hepatocytes where stereoselective depletion of GSH was observed following treatment with each class of epoxide metabolites. R-BMO depleted cellular GSH more rapidly and to a greater extent than S-BMO, SS- and meso-BBO were more potent than RR-BBO and SS- and SR-ED were more potent than RS- and RR-ED. These data demonstrate that enzyme-mediated reactions represent the primary mechanism of conjugation of BD-epoxides with GSH and that these reactions display marked stereoselectivity.

Oxidation of 1,3-butadiene to (R)- and (S)-butadiene monoxide by purified recombinant cytochrome P450 2E1 from rabbit, rat and human.

1,3-Butadiene (BD) is a gas used widely in the rubber and plastics industry as an intermediate in production processes and has been detected in automobile exhaust and cigarette smoke. BD requires metabolic activation to exert toxicity and has been shown to be carcinogenic in rodents. IARC has classified BD as a group 2A (probably carcinogenic to humans) carcinogen. The initial oxidation of BD to butadiene monoxide (BMO) occurs primarily via cytochrome P450 2E1 and two stereoisomers of BMO (R and S) can be formed. (R) and (S)-BMO are metabolized differently and demonstrate markedly different toxicities in isolated rat hepatocytes. This work examined the generation of (R) and (S)-BMO from BD by cytochrome P450 2E1 from rabbit, rat and human. BMO level was measured by GC-MS analysis and enantiomeric composition was determined by GC-FID. The greatest rate of formation of BMO from BD was obtained with rabbit cytochrome P4502E1 followed by human and then by rat. Enantiomeric distribution of R and S-BMO produced by the three species demonstrated no significant differences.

Stereochemical aspects of 1,3-butadiene metabolism and toxicity in rat and mouse liver microsomes and freshly isolated rat hepatocytes.

1,3-Butadiene (BD) is a gas used heavily in the rubber and plastics industry. BD and its epoxide metabolites have been shown to be carcinogenic and mutagenic in rodents, and BD has been classified by IARC as a group 2A carcinogen. We have examined the role of stereochemistry in species-dependent metabolism and toxicity of BD. Diastereo- and enantioselective synthetic routes to butadiene monoxide (BMO), butadiene bisoxide (BBO), and 3,4-epoxybutane-1,2-diol isomers have been developed. These routes have allowed the development of chiral gas chromatographic and GC/MS analytical procedures for quantitation of these metabolites in biological experiments. We have utilized hepatic microsomes from male B6C3F1 mice and hepatic microsomes and intact hepatocytes from male Sprague-Dawley rats as experimental systems. At 30 min, BMO production from BD was two times higher in mouse hepatic microsomes than in rats, and stereoselective analysis was used to determine the relative formation of (R)- and (S)-BMO. Formation of BBO from both (R)- and (S)-BMO was characterized in rat and mouse microsomal systems. As expected, more BBO was formed in mouse hepatic microsomes (3-4-fold) than in rat hepatic microsomes. No difference in total BBO formed from either isomer was observed in rat microsomes, but in mouse microsomes significantly more BBO was produced from (S)-BMO than from (R)-BMO. The cytotoxicity of each BMO and BBO enantiomer was examined in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes. (R)-BMO showed greater cytotoxicity than (S)-BMO. Stereospecific cytotoxicity was also observed using BBO enantiomers and (meso)-BBO was more cytotoxic than either the (R:R) or the (S:S)-BBO. The results show that stereochemistry plays an important role in BD metabolism and cytotoxicity and for the purposes of risk assessment needs to be compared across species.