Ultrastructural interactions and genotoxicity assay of cerium dioxide nanoparticles on mouse oocytes.

Cerium dioxide nanoparticles (C(e)O2 ENPs) are on the priority list of nanomaterials requiring evaluation. We performed in vitro assays on mature mouse oocytes incubated with C(e)O2 ENPs to study (1) physicochemical biotransformation of ENPs in culture medium; (2) ultrastructural interactions with follicular cells and oocytes using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM); (3) genotoxicity of C(e)O2 ENPs on follicular cells and oocytes using a comet assay. DNA damage was quantified as Olive Tail Moment. We show that ENPs aggregated, but their crystal structure remained stable in culture medium. TEM showed endocytosis of C(e)O2 ENP aggregates in follicular cells. In oocytes, C(e)O2 ENP aggregates were only observed around the zona pellucida (ZP). The comet assay revealed significant DNA damage in follicular cells. In oocytes, the comet assay showed a dose-related increase in DNA damage and a significant increase only at the highest concentrations. DNA damage decreased significantly both in follicular cells and in oocytes when an anti-oxidant agent was added in the culture medium. We hypothesise that at low concentrations of C(e)O2 ENPs oocytes could be protected against indirect oxidative stress due to a double defence system composed of follicular cells and ZP.

Environmental nitration processes enhance the mutagenic potency of aromatic compounds.

This work is an attempt to establish if aromatic nitration processes are always associated with an increase of genotoxicity. We determined the mutagenic and genotoxic effects of Benzene (B), Nitrobenzene (NB), Phenol (P), 2-Nitrophenol (2-NP), 2,4-Dinitrophenol (2,4-DNP), Pyrene (Py), 1-Nitropyrene (1-NPy), 1,3-Dinitropyrene (1,3-DNPy), 1,6-Dinitropyrene (1,6-DNPy), and 1,8-Dinitropyrene (1,8-DNPy). The mutagenic activities were evaluated with umuC test in presence and in absence of metabolic activation with S9 mix. Then, we used both cytokinesis-blocked micronucleus (CBMN) assay, in combination with fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) of human pan-centromeric DNA probes on human lymphocytes in order to evaluate the genotoxic effects. Analysis of all results shows that nitro polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are definitely environmental genotoxic/mutagenic hazards and confirms that environmental aromatic nitration reactions lead to an increase in genotoxicity and mutagenicity properties. Particularly 1-NPy and 1,8-DNPy can be considered as human potential carcinogens. They seem to be significant markers of the genotoxicity, mutagenicity, and potential carcinogenicity of complex PAHs mixtures present in traffic emission and industrial environment. In prevention of environmental carcinogenic risk 1-NPy and 1,8-DNPy must therefore be systematically analyzed in environmental complex mixtures in association with combined umuC test, CBMN assay, and FISH on cultured human lymphocytes. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2012.

Secondary oxidation of cyclic 1,N2-propano and 1,N2-etheno-2'-deoxyguanosine DNA adducts. Consequences in oxidative stress biomarker development.

This work is an attempt to investigate the chemical stability of 1,N2-propano-2'-deoxyguanosine (pdG-HNE) and 1,N2-etheno-2'-deoxyguanosine (epsilondG) DNA adducts against hydrolysis and upon oxidation reactions. It includes both kinetic issues together with proposed degradation pathways. While both chemicals are stable in the 3.5-9 pH range, the results suggest that pdG-HNE adduct is less prone to in vitro oxidative transformation than epsilondG adduct. EpsilondG and pdG-HNE behave differently upon hydroxyl radical and one electron oxidation reactions. The exocyclic ring of epsilondG is mainly affected by oxidative processes leading to the regeneration of 2'-deoxyguanosine (dG) while the integrity of the exocyclic ring is preserved for pdG-HNE. Consequently, pdG-HNE might be a better biomarker than epsilondG for monitoring oxidative stress during environmental or occupational exposures to chemicals. Understanding the in vitro routes of etheno and propano DNA adduct degradation would probably help to guide the development of analytical methodologies for the reliable detection of these endogenous adducts.