Cancer risk estimation of genotoxic chemicals based on target dose and a multiplicative model.

A mechanistic model and associated procedures are proposed for cancer risk assessment of genotoxic chemicals. As previously shown for ionizing radiation, a linear multiplicative model was found to be compatible with published experimental data for ethylene oxide, acrylamide, and butadiene. The validity of this model was anticipated in view of the multiplicative interaction of mutation with inherited and acquired growth-promoting conditions. Concurrent analysis led to rejection of an additive model (i.e. the model commonly applied for cancer risk assessment). A reanalysis of data for radiogenic cancer in mouse, dog and man shows that the relative risk coefficient is approximately the same (0.4 to 0.5 percent per rad) for tumours induced in the three species. Doses in vivo, defined as the time-integrated concentrations of ultimate mutagens, expressed in millimol x kg-1 x h (mMh) are, like radiation doses given in Gy or rad, proportional to frequencies of potentially mutagenic events. The radiation dose equivalents of chemical doses are, calculated by multiplying chemical doses (in mMh) with the relative genotoxic potencies (in rad x mMh-1) determined in vitro. In this way the relative cancer incidence increments in rats and mice exposed to ethylene oxide were shown to be about 0.4 percent per rad-equivalent, in agreement with the data for radiogenic cancer. Our analyses suggest that values of the relative risk coefficients for genotoxic chemicals are independent of species and that relative cancer risks determined in animal tests apply also to humans. If reliable animal test data are not available, cancer risks may be estimated by the relative potency. In both cases exposure dose/target dose relationships, the latter via macromolecule adducts, should be determined.

Formation of DNA adducts in human buccal epithelial cells exposed to acetaldehyde and methylglyoxal in vitro.

Acetaldehyde (AA) and methylglyoxal (MG) are reactive, ubiquitous aldehydes, present in the environment and endogenously formed in animals and humans. They have both been shown to readily form DNA adducts under simulated physiological conditions. We report here on the use of cultured normal and SV40T antigen-immortalized human buccal epithelial cells as model systems for aldehyde exposure of the oral epithelium, occurring through the ingestion of alcoholic beverages and brewed coffee, as well as by inhalation of tobacco smoke and automobile exhaust. By the application of recently developed 32P-postlabeling methods, the presence of both endogenous and induced AA and MG DNA adducts was demonstrated in cultured human epithelial cells. Furthermore, these DNA adducts were formed in a dose-dependent manner at aldehyde concentrations that were relatively nontoxic to the cells.

High dietary omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids drastically increase the formation of etheno-DNA base adducts in white blood cells of female subjects.

Lipid peroxidation generates reactive aldehydes such as trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal and malonaldehyde, which form promutagenic exocyclic DNA adducts in human cells and may contribute to diet-related cancers. Using ultrasensitive detection methods, analysis of WBC DNA from volunteers in a dietary study revealed that high intake of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids increased malonaldehyde-derived adducts in male and female subjects. In contrast, etheno adducts (1,N6-ethenodeoxyadenosine; 3,N4-ethenodeoxycytidine) were not elevated in males but were, on average, 40 times higher in females, displaying a huge intersubject variation in lipid peroxidation-derived DNA damage. Exocyclic DNA adducts are promising biomarkers for examining the hypothesis of possible links between increased intake of dietary omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, DNA damage, and elevated cancer risk for breast, colon, and prostate.

Detection of DNA adducts of acetaldehyde in peripheral white blood cells of alcohol abusers.

The effect of alcohol drinking on the formation of DNA adducts of acetaldehyde, the primary oxidative metabolite of ethanol, was investigated in humans. DNA was isolated from granulocytes and lymphocytes from 24 alcoholic patients and 12 control subjects. DNA adduct levels were measured by 32P-postlabelling using reversed-phase HPLC with on-line detection of radioactivity. A large interindividual variation in adduct levels was observed. The average adduct levels in granulocyte and lymphocyte DNA from alcoholic patients were 3.4 +/- 3.8 and 2.1 +/- 0.8 adducts/10(7) nucleotides (n = 24), respectively. These levels were 13- and 7-fold higher than the corresponding levels in control subjects (P<0.001). The average adduct level in granulocyte DNA from alcoholic patients was 60% higher than in lymphocyte DNA (P<0.01). Our results, in conjunction with the genotoxicity of acetaldehyde, thus suggest the formation of DNA adducts of acetaldehyde as a plausible mechanism explaining the involvement of alcohol drinking in carcinogenesis.

Determination of DNA adducts of malonaldehyde in humans: effects of dietary fatty acid composition.

The effects of dietary fatty acid composition on the endogenous formation of DNA adducts of malonaldehyde (MA), the major product of lipid peroxidation, were investigated in humans. A group of 59 healthy individuals of both sexes and different ages was initially fed a milk fat-based diet rich in saturated fatty acids for 14 days. Following this initial period, after which the group was considered homogeneous with respect to diet, 30 randomly chosen subjects were given a sunflower oil-based (rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids) (SO) diet and the remaining 29 individuals a low erucic acid rapeseed oil-based (rich in monounsaturated fatty acids) (RO) diet for 25 days. The fatty acid composition of plasma lipid fractions and the level of DNA adducts of MA in total white blood cells were then determined at the end of the SO and RO dietary periods. DNA adduct levels were measured by 32p-postlabelling using reversed-phase HPLC with on-line detection of radioactivity. Higher concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids in plasma triglycerides and higher levels of DNA adducts of MA were found in the subjects on the SO diet when compared with those in the RO dietary group. A large inter-individual variation in adduct levels was observed. The average adduct level in the SO diet group was 7.4 +/- 8.7 adducts/10(7) nucleotides (n = 23). This level was 3.6-fold higher than that found in individuals in the RO diet group (P < 0.001). Our results, in conjunction with the mutagenic and carcinogenic properties of MA, thus suggest the interaction of lipid peroxidation products such as MA with DNA as one plausible mechanism explaining the involvement of dietary fat in carcinogenesis.

Studies of the reaction of acetaldehyde with deoxynucleosides.

The reaction of acetaldehyde with deoxynucleosides was studied in buffered solutions at room temperature (22-24 degrees C) and neutral pH. Reaction products were obtained with all deoxynucleosides with the exception of thymidine, as shown by reversed-phase HPLC analysis. The order of reactivity was dGuo > dAdo > dCyd, for which three, two and one reaction products, respectively, were obtained. We report here data on the kinetics of the reactions, the stability of the adducts at physiological pH, product yields, UV-spectroscopic data at different pH values, and describe the synthesis, isolation and structural characterization by FAB/MS and NMR of the stable adducts of acetaldehyde with dGuo. Furthermore, the formation of adducts with dGuo by the cooperative reaction of Aa with ethanol was studied.

Development of a 32P-postlabelling method for the analysis of adducts arising through the reaction of acetaldehyde with 2'-deoxyguanosine-3'-monophosphate and DNA.

A 32P-postlabelling assay was developed for the analysis of adducts arising from the reaction of 2'-deoxyguanosine-3'-monophosphate with acetaldehyde, the primary oxidative metabolite of ethanol. The 32P-postlabelling reaction was optimized by testing various parameters such as the kinetics of phosphorylation by T4 polynucleotide kinase, substrate-concentration-dependent labelling efficiency and the concentration of the various ingredients of the phosphorylation reaction. The sensitivity to 3'-monophosphate dephosphorylation activity of nuclease P1 was also studied. Three stable adducts were separated by reversed-phase HPLC. The major stable adduct was structurally characterized and identified as N2-ethyl-2'-deoxyguanosine and could be detected, after reduction with NaBH4 or a mixture of ascorbic acid and GSH, in calf thymus DNA samples that had been reacted in vitro with acetaldehyde. DNA adducts were isolated after enzymatic digestion to mononucleotides followed by nuclease P1 digestion of normal nucleotides. The average levels of acetaldehyde-DNA adducts detected in these samples were 12.1 +/- 2.3 (n = 17) and 4.9 +/- 0.9 (n = 9) adducts/10(7) nucleotides after reduction with NaBH4, or ascorbic acid and GSH respectively. The 32P-postlabelling method was further validated by the detection of acetaldehyde adducts in liver DNA from mice treated with ethanol. The average concentration of the adducts detected in these animals was 1.5 +/- 0.8 (n = 7) adducts/10(8) nucleotides, as analyzed by reversed-phase HPLC with online detection of radioactivity.

32P-postlabelling determination of DNA adducts of malonaldehyde in humans: total white blood cells and breast tissue.

DNA adducts of malonaldehyde (MA) were measured in total white blood cells (TWBC) of healthy individuals from both sexes and different ages, as well as in breast tissue (BT) samples obtained from healthy females undergoing reduction mammaplasty. A large interindividual variation in adduct levels was observed. The average adduct level found in TWBC, considering both sexes and all ages was 2.6 +/- 1.2 adducts/10(7) nucleotides (n = 26). A similar average DNA adduct concentration was found in BT and amounted to 3.0 +/- 1.3 (n = 7) adducts/10(7) nucleotides. Our results show that DNA adducts of MA can be measured in humans using 32P-postlabelling in combination with nuclease P1 and reversed-phase HPLC as adduct enrichment procedures, and further validate these adducts as suitable biomarkers for the measurement of DNA damage inflicted by endogenously induced oxidative processes such as lipid peroxidation.

Adrenal insufficiency occurring during septic shock: incidence, outcome, and relationship to peripheral cytokine levels.

PURPOSE: In patients with septic shock, to (1) determine the incidence of adrenal insufficiency (AI), (2) observe the effects of glucocorticoid therapy on outcome in those with impaired adrenal function, and (3) investigate a possible correlation between adrenal function and peripheral cytokine levels. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-one patients admitted to the medical and surgical intensive care unit with septic shock and 11 healthy volunteers were studied. Cortisol, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were measured before and after infusion of low (1 microgram) and standard doses (250 micrograms) of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) within 24 hours of the diagnosis of septic shock. Patients with subnormal adrenal responses to ACTH were treated with stress doses of steroids. Hormone, cytokine, and survival data in patients with normal response were compared to those with subnormal adrenal function. RESULTS: Five patients (23.8%) exhibited AI by ACTH stimulation testing. Three of them received steroid supplementation with rapid improvement in hemodynamic parameters. Autopsies of 2 patients with AI revealed intact adrenal cortices. Sixteen patients had adequate adrenal responses (AAR) to the standard-dose ACTH infusion. TNF-alpha levels were inversely correlated with mean arterial pressure (MAP) (r = -.52, P = 0.038) in AAR but not AI. There was no difference in mean peripheral TNF-alpha levels between AAR and AI. There was no correlation between TNF-alpha levels and mortality or adrenal function in those with septic shock. A trend toward lower IL-6 levels in AI suggests a link between reduced IL-6 levels and understimulation of the pituitary-adrenal axis in this group. Mortality in patients with AI was 80% at 4 weeks as compared with 43.8% in the group with normal adrenal response. CONCLUSIONS: Adrenal hyporesponsiveness is a feature of septic shock in some patients. Its etiology is probably complex. Steroid supplementation appeared to improve short-term survival when AI occurred, although these patients' overall mortality was worse than that of patients with septic shock and AAR. The standard-dose (250 micrograms) rapid ACTH infusion test was adequate for detecting AI. Adrenal insufficiency should be suspected in patients with septic shock who do not respond to conventional treatment. Performing the ACTH infusion test and initiating a trial of stress doses of glucocorticoids pending the results is a reasonable strategy in this situation.

Methylglyoxal induces hprt mutation and DNA adducts in human T-lymphocytes in vitro.

Methylglyoxal (MG) is a mutagen present in several foodstuffs, including coffee. We have used the 32P-postlabelling method to measure MG-deoxyguanosine adduct levels, and the T-cell cloning technique, to study the frequency of hprt (hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase) mutant cells after treatment of human lymphocytes with MG in vitro. The mutant induction by single (18 hr) high-dose (1.0-1.5 mM) treatment was comparable to that induced by repeated (3 x 48 hr) low-dose (0.1-0.4 mM) treatment. The latter also correlated with the adduct levels measured in the same experiment. The relative cell survival measured by direct cloning after the final treatment agreed well with the growth curves monitored during the expression phase. Our results show that MG is capable of inducing hprt mutations as well as DNA adducts in human lymphocytes at doses with low cytotoxicity. However, significant adduct formation (two- to threefold) could be obtained only after the first exposure in cells subjected to a repeated treatment protocol, and the induced mutant frequency was low (two- to fourfold over background). Thus, MG seems to be a comparatively weak mutagen in this system.

Synthesis of fluorescent derivatives of 7-methylguanine through reaction with 2-aryl-substituted malondialdehydes: analysis by HPLC with fluorescence detection.

Fluorescent derivatives of 7-methylguanine were prepared through reaction with 2-aryl-substituted-malondialdehydes and analysed by reversed-phase HPLC with fluorescence detection. Reaction of carbons 1 and 3 of the malondialdehyde molecule at the N1 and N2 positions of 7-methylguanine yielded fluorescent tricyclic structures. Two novel fluorescent derivatives of 7-MeG were obtained, namely, 7-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-10-oxo-1-methyl-9,10-dihydropyrimido[1,2- alpha]purine (yield 15-34%) and 7-(1-naphthyl)-10-oxo-1-methyl-9,10- dihydropyrimido[1,2-alpha]purine (yield 56-70%) after reaction with 3,4-dimethoxyphenylmalondialdehyde and 1-naphthylmalondialdehyde, respectively which were characterized by IR, NMR, MS and UV and fluorescence spectroscopy. The fluorescence intensity of the derivatives was found to be 10-20-fold higher than the intrinsic fluorescence of 7-methylguanine. Concentration versus fluorescence intensity curves exhibit linearity in the picomole to nanomole range. The 2-aryl-substituted malondialdehydes were used to analyse the concentration of 7-methylguanine in neutral hydrolysates obtained from calf thymus DNA samples alkylated with dimethyl sulfate. The results obtained indicate their potential as reagents for the analysis of alkylated guanines in biological samples. Molecular modeling calculations were carried out to generate lowest energy spatial configurations. The results obtained indicated that the aryl-substituents on the malondialdehyde moiety do not lie in the same plane as the tricyclic moiety of the fluorescent derivatives with implications for their fluorescence properties.

Development of a 32P-postlabelling method for the analysis of 2'-deoxyguanosine-3'-monophosphate and DNA adducts of methylglyoxal.

A 32P-postlabelling assay was developed for the analysis of adducts arising from the reaction of 2'-deoxyguanosine-3'-monophosphate with the 1,2-dicarbonyl compound methylglyoxal, a major mutagen in several foodstuffs, in particular, instant and brewed coffee. The 32P-postlabelling reaction was optimized by testing various parameters such as the kinetics of phosphorylation by T4 polynucleotide kinase, substrate concentration-dependent labelling efficiency and the concentration of the various ingredients of the phosphorylation reaction. The sensitivity to the 3'-monophosphate dephosphorylation activity of nuclease P1 was also studied. Four isomeric reaction products were separated by HPLC, structurally characterized and identified as 3-(2'-deoxy-beta-D-erythro-pentafuranosyl)-6,7-dihydro-6,7-dihydro xy-6- methylimidazo[2,3-b]purine-9(8H)one. The same adducts could be detected from calf thymus DNA that had been reacted in vitro with methylglyoxal. DNA adducts were isolated after enzymatic digestion to mononucleotides followed by nuclease P1 digestion of normal nucleotides. The total level of methylglyoxal-DNA adducts obtained was 5.7 +/- 1.7 (n = 15) adducts/10(6) nucleotides. The 32P-postlabelling method was further validated by the detection of adducts of methylglyoxal in DNA from freshly isolated and stimulated human lymphocytes exposed in vitro. The concentrations of the adducts detected in these samples were 8.2 +/- 0.9 (n = 3) adducts/10(7) nucleotides and 1.5 +/- 0.1 (n = 3) adducts/10(6) nucleotides after treatment with 1.5 and 3.0 mM methylglyoxal respectively.

Studies on the relationship between hemoglobin and DNA adducts of malonaldehyde and their stability in vivo.

The stability of the adducts of malonaldehyde (MA) to N-terminal valine in hemoglobin (Hb) and to guanine at N1,N2 in liver DNA was determined in vivo. Mice were injected with radiolabeled or unlabeled MA and the decay of the levels of Hb and DNA adducts was determined using the N-alkyl Edman method and the 32P-postlabeling assay respectively. The rate of adduct formation was much higher towards valine in Hb than towards guanine in DNA. The highest level of adducts to valine was observed 4 h after the treatment, whereas the corresponding level for guanine was after approximately 120 h. The adduct to guanine in DNA was significantly more stable. The estimated half-lives of the adduct to N-terminal valine in Hb and for the adduct to guanine in DNA were approximately 6 and approximately 12.5 days respectively. The persistence of DNA adducts from MA in liver indicates that this type of adduct is poorly recognized by DNA repair enzymes and thus may accumulate during chronic exposure.

Some quantitative considerations about DNA adduct enrichment procedures for 32P-postlabelling.

The concentrations of 2'-deoxyribonucleoside-3'-monophosphates remaining in calf-thymus DNA digests after nuclease P1 digestion or extraction into 1-butanol, the most commonly used adduct enrichment procedures prior to the application of the 32P-postlabelling assay, were measured using HPLC and 32P-postlabelling methods. When 10 micrograms of DNA digested to mononucleotides was used, the total amount of nucleotides remaining in the samples were approximately 4 and approximately 14 pmol after nuclease P1 treatment or 1-butanol extraction respectively. The influence of various concentrations of normal nucleotides on the labelling efficiency of a 2'-deoxyguanosine-3'-monophosphate adduct of benzo[a]pyrene diol-epoxide was also studied and found to depend upon the ratio of normal nucleotides/adducted nucleotides present in the sample. Also, the ATP/normal nucleotides ratio in the phosphorylation reaction may affect the quantitation of the adducts and thus deserves due consideration.

Determination of malonaldehyde-modified 2'-deoxyguanosine-3'-monophosphate and DNA by 32P-postlabelling.

The 32P-postlabelling assay was used to determine adducts arising upon the reaction of malonaldehyde with 2'-deoxyguanosine-3'-monophosphate. The adducts formed were isolated, structurally characterized and identified as 3-(2-deoxy-beta-D-erythro-pentafuranosyl)pyrimido[1,2-alpha] purin-10(3H)-one. The kinetics of phosphorylation by T4 polynucleotide kinase was studied using 500 fmol of the synthesized standard and found to reach its maximum after 1 h of incubation. A 60% labelling efficiency was obtained at low concentrations of substrate. The adducted substrate was detected at the sub-femtomolar level. Sensitivity of the adducts towards nuclease P1 3'-dephosphorylation was also tested. The same adduct could be detected from calf thymus DNA that had been reacted in vitro with malonaldehyde, and in DNA isolated from mice treated with [14C]malonaldehyde. DNA adducts formed in vitro were isolated after enzymatic digestion to mononucleotides followed by HPLC fractionation or nuclease P1 digestion of normal nucleotides. A combination of the two procedures proved to be the method of choice for the isolation of the malonaldehyde-DNA adducts formed in vivo prior to applying the 32P-postlabelling assay.

In vivo hemoglobin dosimetry of malonaldehyde and ethene in mice after induction of lipid peroxidation. Effects of membrane lipid fatty acid composition.

Hemoglobin (Hb) adduct determination by the N-alkyl Edman method was used for in vivo dosimetry of endogenously formed malonaldehyde (MA) and ethene in mice fed diets with different fatty acid composition and induced for lipid peroxidation with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). In order to amplify lipid peroxidation animals were pretreated with phenobarbital (PB) and the glutathione-depleting agent DL-buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine (BSO). Non-treated animals raised on different diets were used as controls. Lipid peroxidation products in liver were measured as 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive compounds (TBA-C). Livers from control mice fed a soya oil based diet (rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, diet S) showed approximately 6.5-fold higher levels of TBA-C than those from animals raised on a coconut oil based diet (mostly saturated fatty acids, diet C). The level of adducts of MA to Hb, determined as N-(3-hydroxypropyl)valine, was approximately 1.5-fold higher in animals from diet S than in animals raised on diet C. The highest increases in the levels of TBA-C and MA adducts were obtained after a simultaneous treatment of the animals with PB, BSO and CCl4. The increases of TBA-C were 1.3-fold (diet C) and 1.7-fold (diet S). The corresponding increases of MA-Hb adduct levels were 1.3- and 1.6-fold respectively, indicating an increased susceptibility of mice fed diet S to lipid peroxidation. The level of adducts from ethene, determined as N-(2-hydroxyethyl)valine, was also higher in mice from diet S than in animals fed diet C, when all treatment groups were considered. The difference was, however, only slightly significant (P less than 0.02). No difference between control and CCl4-treated animals, with regard to the ethene-Hb adduct, was found. Our results validate the use of Hb dosimetry for monitoring the effects of factors known to influence lipid peroxidation induced in vivo.

Nuclear membrane lipid peroxidation products bind to nuclear macromolecules.

Ascorbate-Fe2+-driven lipid peroxidation processes in isolated rat liver nuclei give rise to products that bind to DNA and total nuclear proteins. This has been demonstrated by integrating [3H]arachidonic acid into the nuclear membranes. Lipid peroxidation was estimated from the formation of 2-thiobarbituric acid chromophore, and from the relative distribution of 3H-peroxidation products between the lipidic fraction and the nonlipidic fraction of the nuclear suspensions during incubation. The amount of 3H-peroxidation products associated with DNA and total nuclear proteins increased about threefold, when compared to control experiments (no ascorbate-Fe2+), after 180 min of incubation. In contrast, the radioactivity associated with the histone fraction was observed to decrease during incubation. The positive correlation obtained between the formation of thiobarbituric acid chromophore and the association of radioactivity with DNA and nuclear proteins indicates that the binding processes were dependent on peroxidation of the nuclear membrane lipids.

Interaction of lipid peroxidation products with nuclear macromolecules.

The interaction of lipid peroxidation products with nuclear macromolecules was investigated in rat liver nuclei labelled with [3H]arachidonic acid. Lipid peroxidation reactions were driven both non-enzymatically and enzymatically by the addition of ascorbate-Fe2+ or NADPH-ADP-Fe3+, respectively, to the incubation mixtures. The extent of peroxidation was evaluated by the formation of thiobarbituric acid chromophore and of radioactive hydrophilic peroxidation products. The results obtained show that: (1) nuclear membrane lipid peroxidation products formed during incubation interact with DNA and total nuclear proteins; (2) non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation processes induced a 40% larger association of peroxidation products to DNA compared to processes driven enzymatically, whereas the corresponding interaction with total nuclear proteins was similar in both peroxidation systems; (3) the radioactivity associated with histones decreased during incubation in the presence of ascorbate-Fe2+ or NADPH-ADP-Fe3+, and increased in control samples (no additions); (4) inhibition of lipid peroxidation by the iron chelator Desferrioxamine B prevented the association of peroxidation products to nuclear macromolecules; (5) the levels of radioactivity found in DNA after 180 min of incubation would represent the formation of 0.6-1.0 adducts per 10(6) DNA bases. The results obtained provide evidence for an interaction between lipid peroxidation products and chromatin in the interior of the cell nucleus.

Studies on lipid peroxidation in rat liver nuclei and isolated nuclear membranes.

Non-enzymatic and enzymatically-driven lipid peroxidation processes were studied in rat liver nuclei and isolated nuclear membranes, by evaluating the formation of thiobarbituric acid-chromophore, free malondialdehyde, lipofuscin-like pigments, and the degradation of polyunsaturated fatty acids of the nuclear membrane lipids. The results obtained show that: (1) both non-enzymatic and enzymatically driven lipid peroxidation processes are operative in cell nuclei and isolated nuclear membranes; (2) only for isolated nuclear membranes, a good qualitative and up to a great extent quantitative correlation between malondialdehyde and lipofuscin-like pigment formation was obtained; (3) there is a qualitative but not quantitative correlation between malondialdehyde formation and polyunsaturated fatty acid degradation; (4) lipid peroxidation processes in isolated nuclear membranes and intact nuclei have an essentially identical kinetic behaviour. No statistical differences in the relative increases in the concentrations of malondialdehyde and lipofuscin-like pigments or in the degradation of polyunsaturated fatty acids were obtained, when the two systems were compared, except in the presence of NADPH-ADP-Fe3+, which induced a significantly larger degradation of polyunsaturated fatty acids in isolated nuclear membranes than in intact nuclei, and (5) no malondialdehyde-DNA fluorescent adduct formation was observed in any of the experimental groups studied, as inferred from the characteristics of the fluorescent spectra of lipofuscin-like pigments extracted from incubated nuclear preparations.