HPLC-accelerator MS measurement of atrazine metabolites in human urine after dermal exposure.

Metabolites of atrazine were measured in human urine after dermal exposure using HPLC to separate and identify metabolites and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) to quantify them. Ring-labeled [14C]atrazine was applied for 24 h with a dermal patch to human volunteers at low (0.167 mg, 6.45 muCi) and high (1.98 mg, 24.7 muCi) doses. Urine was collected for 7 days. The urine was centrifuged to remove solids, and the supernatant was measured by liquid scintillation counting prior to injection on the HPLC to ensure that < 0.17 Bq (4.5 pCi) was injected on the column. A reversed-phase gradient of 0.1% acetic acid in water and 0.1% acetic acid in acetonitrile became less polar with increasing time and separated the parent compound and major atrazine metabolites over 31 min on an octadecylsilane column. Peaks were identified by coelution with known standards. Elution fractions were collected in 1-min increments; half of each fraction was analyzed by AMS to obtain limits of quantitation of 14 amol. Mercapturate metabolites of atrazine and dealkylated atrazine dominated the early metabolic time points, accounting for approximately 90% of the 14C in the urine. No parent compound was detected. The excreted atrazine metabolites became more polar with increasing time, and an unidentified polar metabolite that was present in all samples became as prevalent as any of the known ring metabolites several days after the dose was delivered. Knowledge of metabolite dynamics is crucial to developing useful assays for monitoring atrazine exposure in agricultural workers.

Heterogeneous DNA adduct formation in vitro by the acetylated food mutagen 2-(acetoxyamino)-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine: a fluorescence spectroscopic study.

The food mutagen 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) forms adducts to DNA guanine bases at the C-8 position. No other DNA adduction site has been verified for PhIP, nor has any experimental data been collected on the conformation of the PhIP-DNA covalent complex. To determine if multiple PhIP-DNA adduct species exist, or if PhIP-DNA adducts assume multiple conformations, 2-(acetoxyamino)-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]-pyridine (N-acetoxy-PhIP) was reacted with calf thymus DNA, followed by an evaluation of the resulting adduct complexes by fluorescence spectroscopy. Approximately 20% of the N-acetoxy-PhIP formed covalent complexes with DNA. Two major and several minor spots were observed by 32P-postlabeling, suggesting a minimum of two major adduct species. UV/vis spectra of the PhIP-modified DNA also showed heterogeneous formation of PhIP-DNA adducts. Fluorescence excitation and emission spectroscopy with or without fluorescence quenching (silver ion and acrylamide) was used to evaluate the number of adducts formed, and the low-resolution conformation of each adduct. Four adduct fluorophores were observed and assigned the nomenclature PAi, where "PA" denotes PhIP Adduct and i = 1-4 in order of fluorescence emission band energies, with 1 the highest and 4 the lowest energy, respectively. Excitation maxima for the adduct fluorophores ranged from 340 to 370 nm, and emission maxima ranged from 390 to 420 nm. The fluorescence from adduct PA1 was quenched by silver but not acrylamide, suggesting a helix-internal configuration. Adduct PA2 fluorescence was strongly enhanced upon silver binding but was not affected by acrylamide, also indicating that this adduct was internal. The fluorescence from adducts PA3 and PA4 was quenched by acrylamide but not silver; thus PA2 and PA3 were tentatively assigned as solvent-accessible. These data are the first suggesting heterogeneous formation of PhIP adducts to intact DNA, but we cannot as yet determine how many chemical species of adduct are formed or if a given species exists in multiple conformations.

Dose-response studies of MeIQx in rat liver and liver DNA at low doses.

2-Amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) is a heterocyclic amine mutagen found in cooked meats and is carcinogenic in mice and rats at high doses (mg/kg body wt). Humans, however, are exposed to low amounts (p.p.b.) in the diet, and the effects caused by exposure to human equivalent doses of MeIQx have been difficult to determine accurately. We report on the effect of MeIQx exposure on liver bioavailability, hepatic DNA binding and MeIQx persistence in both liver tissue and liver DNA after acute (24 h), and subchronic (7 day and 42 day) exposures in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered [2-14C]MeIQx either by gavage or in the diet for 1, 7 or 42 days (1 x 10(-6) mg/kg day up to 3.4 x 10(-2) mg/kg day dose) and the [2-14C]MeIQx was measured by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Assessment of the kinetics of hepatic MeIQx DNA adduct formation over 42 days (1.1 x 10(-4) mg [2-14C]MeIQx kg daily dose) shows that steady-state [2-14C]MeIQx tissue concentrations of 138 +/- 15 pg/g liver and DNA adduct levels of 113 +/- 10 ag adduct/micrograms DNA were reached at 14-28 days and 28 days respectively. The relationship between administered dose and either hepatic MeIQx DNA adduct levels or MeIQx tissue levels are linear for the 24 h, 7 day and 42 day exposures. Furthermore, MeIQx adducts persist for at least 14 days after exposure ceases. These data suggest that bioavailability and DNA adduction by MeIQx increase linearly with increasing dose for both acute and subchronic exposures. These data also show that MeIQx DNA adducts are useful in predicting daily exposure and support a linear extrapolation in the risk assessment of MeIQx. However, the quantitative relationship between DNA adducts and tumor formation will also depend on the specific tissue and the subsequent steps needed for tumor progression.

Effect of microwave pretreatment on heterocyclic aromatic amine mutagens/carcinogens in fried beef patties.

To investigate a method to reduce the amount of mutagenic/carcinogenic heterocyclic aromatic amines formed during frying of ground beef, the mutagenic activity in Salmonella strain TA98 was assessed and the amount of known heterocyclic amines was determined by solid-phase extraction and HPLC. The beef patties received microwave treatment for various times before frying. Microwave pretreatment for 0, 1, 1.5, 2 or 3 min before frying at either 200 degrees C or 250 degrees C for 6 min per side reduced heterocyclic aromatic amine precursors (creatine, creatinine, amino acids, glucose), water, and fat up to 30%, in the patties and resulted in a decrease in mutagenic activity up to 95%. The sum of the four heterocyclic aromatic amines shown to be present--2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]-quinoxaline (MeIQx), 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ), 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo-[4,5-f]quinoxaline (DiMeIQx) and 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP)--decreased three- to nine-fold compared with control, non-microwaved beef patties fried under identical conditions.

Studies on DNA adduction with heterocyclic amines by accelerator mass spectrometry: a new technique for tracing isotope-labelled DNA adduction.

DNA adduction in rodents at doses equivalent to human dietary exposure (10(4)-10(6)-fold lower than laboratory studies) is being studied using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). AMS is a nuclear physics technique for detection of cosmogenic isotopes and has been used for specifically selecting and counting 14C. Using AMS, DNA adducts are detectable at levels of 1-10 adducts/10(12) nucleotides following acute and chronic dosing regimes with 14C-labelled carcinogens. The adduct detection limit has been imposed by the natural abundance of 14C in the samples and animal-to-animal variation. AMS is also being coupled to HPLC, multidimensional TLC and radio-immunoassay. In addition, AMS's great sensitivity makes it useful for demonstrating that drugs and chemicals do not bind to DNA. The use of AMS, however, is limited to situations where radiolabelled agents can be used. The data suggest that AMS is extremely useful in obtaining quantitative data on the effects of carcinogens on DNA at the low doses common for actual human exposures and may be useful in human studies.

DNA adducts in model systems and humans.

The etiology of chemically induced cancer is thought to involve the covalent binding of carcinogens to DNA (adducts) leading to mutations in oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes, and ultimately to tumors. Thus, the DNA-carcinogen adduct has been used as a measurable biochemical endpoint in laboratory studies designed to assess carcinogen exposure, carcinogen metabolism, mutagenesis, and tumorigenesis. Unfortunately, the significance of adducts in the etiology of human cancer is still unclear. This is partially due to the difficulty detecting adducts at carcinogen exposures relevant to humans, which are often orders of magnitude lower than animal model exposures. The relationship between adducts and higher biological effects is also not known at low doses. We have been assessing the DNA damage caused by exposure to heterocyclic amine carcinogens in the diet. Using the technique of 32P-postlabeling in combination with accelerator mass spectrometry, we have determined that DNA adduction in rodents decreases linearly with decreasing dose from the high doses used in typical cancer bioassays to the low doses relevant to human exposures. For a given tissue, adduct levels are correlated with dose, but the level of DNA modification by carcinogens is tissue-specific and does not completely correlate with tumor site. This lack of correlation may be due to differences in adduct formation and repair rates among tissues. Comparison of carcinogen metabolism routes between rodents and humans also indicates that species differences could influence the amount and type of damage resulting from exposure to these carcinogens. The use of model systems to study dosimetry, species differences in adduction, and role of adducts in mutation will ultimately lead to a better understanding of the significance of adducts in human disease. This should eventually allow the use of adducts as biomarkers for estimating carcinogen exposure and individual susceptibility.

Chemical analysis, prevention, and low-level dosimetry of heterocyclic amines from cooked food.

Potent mutagenic and carcinogenic heterocyclic amines are produced from heated food derived from muscle. These compounds are present at part-per-billion levels and consist primarily of the amino-imidazoazaarene class of chemicals. Additional mutagens present in the meat are not as clearly characterized. Commercial fried-beef patties (hamburgers) have low levels of 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) and 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (4,8-DiMeIQx), 0.1-0.68 ng/g meat for MeIQx and slightly lower for 4,8-DiMeIQx. The formation of these heterocyclic amines can be reduced by microwave pretreatment of meat, with the resulting liquid being poured off before frying. The Ames/Salmonella mutagenic activity was reduced to 5-10% of that of non-microwave-treated samples. MeIQx and DiMeIQx concentrations were reduced to 12% and 50% of levels in the non-microwave-treated samples, respectively. MeIQx adducts, as measured by accelerator mass spectrometry, were found to be linear with doses from 5 mg/kg to 500 ng/kg. Linear DNA binding at low doses is important for assuming linear risk estimation from the high animal-feeding doses causing cancer to the low human-dietary exposures. Extrapolating from the rodent TD50 dose to humans gives a maximum credible risk from consumption of heterocyclic amines of approximately 1/1000 exposed individuals.

Mutagen formation in a model beef supernatant fraction. IV. Properties of the system.

To identify the precursors and elucidate the reaction conditions that yield heterocyclic amine mutagens in cooked meat products and fish, we have used a supernatant 2 (S2) fraction prepared from H2O-homogenized lean round steak. Compounds (MW less than 500) in S2 are the sources of the microsomal-dependent, Salmonella TA 1538 mutagenic activity in open boiled (aqueous), 200 degrees C pressure-heated (aqueous), or 200 to 300 degrees C oven-baked (freeze-dried) homogenates. Combined incorporation-HPLC experiments show that they are also the precursors for frameshift mutagen formation in the outer surfaces of 200 degrees C griddle-fried ground beef. Maximal stimulations of boiled S2 mutagenic activity are given by 10 mM Trp, 2.5 mM creatine phosphate (CP), and synergistically by 10 mM Trp + 2.5 mM CP + 1.0 mM FeSO4 (a mixture abbreviated as S2*). Boiling S2 for 30 hr at the acidic optimum pH of 4.0----600 TA 1538 revertants (no additions) and 1,400 revertants (+CP), while S2*----24,000 revertants/10(8) bacteria/g of dry beef. By the criteria of HPLC, paper electrophoresis, and resistance of the active HPLC fractions to acid-nitrite inactivation, boiled S2 contains 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ), 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-2) and a minor amount of 2-amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (MeIQ). Boiling S2 with CP doubles the IQ, halves the Trp-P-2, produced traces of MeIQ, and generates an unknown nitrite-resistant mutagen. Boiled S2* contains these same four mutagens, but both the IQ and Trp-P-2 are increased and large amounts of Trp-P-1 also are generated. The identities of IQ, Trp-P-2, and Trp-P-1 were verified by purification and by light-absorption and mass spectra. Their increments in stimulated S2 indicate that Trp (or its degradation products) and CP (or its degradation products) are the beef juice precursors for the indole ring in Trp-P type mutagens and the NH2-imidazole ring in IQ-type mutagens, respectively. Aqueous (pressure) heating or oven-baking S2 for 2 hr at 200 degrees C greatly elevates its TA 1538 activity----45,000 revertants/10(8) bacteria/g of dry beef; dry heating at 300 degrees C----approximately 180,000 revertants/g of dry beef. Along with the increases in total TA 1538 activity at 200 to 300 degrees C, the number of mutagens formed from the less than 500 MW S2 precursors also multiplies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)