Biomarkers of exposure to heterocyclic amines: approaches to improve the exposure assessment.

Various methods of exposure assessment, such as questionnaires, sometimes combined with pictures of cooked meat, have been employed in investigations on the relationship between heterocyclic amines (HA) and health effects. However, as the content of heterocyclic amines vary greatly with cooking conditions, it is difficult to obtain an accurate estimate of the exposure. To improve the exposure assessment, the use of biomarkers has been investigated. The metabolism of 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) and 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) is well characterised. In humans, the major part of the dose is excreted in urine within 24-48 h following a meal. A few percent is excreted as parent compounds, whereas the major part is metabolites. Urinary level of parent HA reflects only recent exposure. However, the pattern of excreted metabolites might indicate the capacity to activate or detoxify HAs. The excretion of glucuronide conjugates of N-hydroxy-PhIP and N-hydroxy-MeIQx could be a marker for the N-hydroxylation capacity and the dose of the proximate metabolites. Recently, we proposed 5-OH-PhIP as a marker for the ultimate reactive metabolite of PhIP, since it is formed from this compound as a by-product along with the formation of PhIP-DNA adducts. In a search for biomarkers reflecting exposure over some time, blood protein adducts with a longer lifespan have been investigated, and PhIP adducts of serum albumin and haemoglobin from meat-consuming humans were recently reported. Many compounds, like drugs, nicotine and narcotics, bind to melanin in hair and give information on exposure for longer time periods. In mice, PhIP is irreversibly incorporated in a dose-dependent manner into hair, and in humans exposed to an ordinary diet, it was found to vary from <50 to 5000 pg PhIP/g hair. The incorporation is also dependent on the content of eumelanin. The use of PhIP in hair as a biomarker of exposure is promising, but needs validation, using other methods of exposure assessment.

[Heterocyclic amines in cooked meat]. / Heterosykliske aminer i stekt kjøtt.

The age adjusted incidence of cancer has increased on average 1% annually since the beginning of this century, and cancer is now one of the most prevalent causes of death. Diet is suggested to be responsible for about 30-70% of all cancer cases. The heterocyclic amines (HCA) produced during processing of meats and fish at temperatures above 150 degrees C are candidate dietary causes. Amounts in food range from less than 1 ng/g in cooked meat or fish up to over 300 ng/g in well done flame grilled chicken breast meat. The most important parameters determining HCA amounts are cooking temperature and cooking time. 20 different HCAs are identified from cooked or grilled meats and fish. HCAs are causing cancer in various organs in mice, rats and cynomolgus monkeys. It is of interest to note that in rats, PhIP, the most abundant heterocyclic amine in cooked food, causes colon, prostate and mammary cancer, which are the most prevalent cancers in humans. Epidemiological studies show a correlation between intake of red meat and colon, mammary and prostate cancer. Based on the adverse effects of HCA, a reduced intake is recommended and practical advice on how this can be done is given.

Dietary polyamines promote the growth of azoxymethane-induced aberrant crypt foci in rat colon.

We have examined whether dietary polyamines influence the formation and initial growth of azoxymethane (AOM)-induced aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in rat colon. Effects of a combination of dietary polyamines at three dose levels (putrescine: 50, 280, 740 nmol/g; spermidine: 10, 261, 763 nmol/g; spermine: 1, 31, 91 nmol/g) in the polyamine-poor AIN-76A diet were studied in animals in two different experimental situations: animals treated with AOM alone and animals treated with AOM + difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), a specific inhibitor of endogenous polyamine synthesis. In both experimental situations, dietary polyamines enhanced the growth of ACF, expressed as the number of large ACF (foci with three or more aberrant crypts, ACF > or = 3), whereas the formation of ACF, expressed as the number of ACF, was apparently not altered. In animals treated with AOM alone, maximal growth enhancing effect on ACF was nearly obtained with the median level of dietary polyamine. In rats fed a low polyamine diet, basic AIN-76A, DFMO reduced the growth of AOM-induced ACF by 83%. This inhibitory effect of DFMO was counteracted by dietary polyamines in a dose-dependent manner, and it was abolished at the highest level of polyamines. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that dietary polyamines are able to enhance the growth of AOM-induced ACF. Further, dietary polyamines reversed the DFMO-caused inhibition of ACF growth, probably by compensating for the DFMO-reduced endogenous polyamine synthesis.

Binding of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) to protein- and low molecular weight thiols and its role in ring hydroxylation.

The N-oxidized species of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) have been shown to react with thiols. We have previously characterized a glutathione conjugate of PhIP linked via the C2 of PhIP with apparent loss of the amino group, in rat hepatocytes and PhIP exposed rats. This metabolite was possibly formed from 1-methyl-2-nitro-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (nitro-PhIP). Upon reacting nitro-PhIP with rat albumin, both in the presence and absence of a reducing system, four products were observed after enzymic proteolysis. One of them was markedly increased after 2-mercaptoethanol treatment of the protein. This adduct was linked to a cysteine-S via C2 of PhIP. Using N2-acetoxy-PhIP as a starting material, an unstable protein adduct was observed which degraded to 50% of the original concentration (t 1/2) after 3 days. This is compatible with the finding that serum PhIP adducts decline rapidly in PhIP exposed rats. Unstable adducts were also formed following the reaction of N2-acetoxy-PhIP with glutathione or cysteine. Based on mass spectroscopy and UV spectra analysis, the suggested structures were RS(-S-)-(H)N2-PhIP. In all cases a degradation product identified as 5-hydroxy-PhIP was formed as characterized by mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. 5-hydroxy-PhIP and its glucuronyl derivative were also observed in rat hepatocytes incubated in vitro with PhIP. In bile of PhIP-exposed rats, only the glucuronyl derivative was observed. Depletion of glutathione reduced the amount excreted in bile and experiments with microsomes indicate that hydroxylation directly at the 5 position is not mediated by cytochrome P-450 mono-oxygenase system. This indicates that 5-hydroxy-PhIP may be formed from N-acetoxy-PhIP via binding to thiols also in cells.

Heterocyclic aromatic amines in human urine following a fried meat meal.

In a search for suitable biomarkers for human dietary exposure to heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs), we have investigated the concentrations of three common fried food mutagens in food and urine after consumption of a fried meat meal. In this connection we developed a method for the determination of HAAs and have investigated the common fried red meat HAAs 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-beta]pyridine (PhIP), 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) and 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (DiMeIQx). Eight volunteers participated in the study, each consuming a meal of fried minced beef patties (295 g), boiled potatoes, and a green salad. Urine was collected for two 12-hr periods prior to and following the meal. HAAs were determined in cooked meat and in untreated and acid hydrolysed urine by a series of liquid/liquid extractions, followed by Blue cotton adsorption and finally by a novel derivatized technique for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The primary amino groups were derivatized by acylation with heptafluorobutyric acid anhydride, and the resulting amide methylated using diazomethane. Phenolic hydroxyl groups were also methylated by this procedure, making it possible to detect hydroxylated HAAs, possible metabolites or constituents of the fried meat. 4'-Hydroxy-PhIP ¿2-amino-1-methyl-6-(4-hydroxyphenyl)imidazo[4,5-beta]pyridine¿ (4'-OH-PhIP) was indeed found in meat as well as in urine. The contents of PhIP, MeIQx and DiMeIQx in meat were 4.0 +/- 2.6, 3.5 +/- 0.9 and 0.3 +/- 0.1 ng g-1 (mean +/- SD, n = 4), from which the mean amounts ingested were calculated to be 1180, 1030 and 90 ng, respectively. Total amounts of HAAs in the 0-24-hr post-meal untreated urine (and percent of ingested dose) were 6-23 ng PhIP (0.5-2%) and 10-63 ng MeIQx (1-6%). In hydrolysed urine, the levels of HAAs were higher, totalling 24-100 ng PhIP (2-8.5%) and 133-329 ng of MeIQx (13-32%). DiMeIQx was below detection limit in all urine samples. Judged from our study, there were rather large inter-individual variations in the amounts of excreted HAAs, possibly caused by variations in the activities of enzymes taking part in HAA metabolism.

DNA-binding and disposition of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b] pyridine (PhIP) in the rat.

Untreated and Aroclor 1254-pretreated male Wistar rats were given a single dose of 1.0 mg/kg body weight of randomly tritium-labelled 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b] pyridine (3H-PhIP) by oral intubation. Urine and faeces were collected at 24, 48 and 72 hours after dosing, and total radioactivity determined. At 2, 4, 6, 16, 26, 48 and 72 h, animals were killed and several organs, including liver, bladder, lungs, kidney, stomach, large and small intestines, heart, thigh muscles, spleen and blood were collected for DNA extraction and for determination of total radioactivity. Highest total radioactivity at 2 h was not unexpectedly observed in the stomach, small intestines and bladder, whereas radiolabels corresponding to approximately 2.5 nmol PhIP/g of kidney and liver showed the highest levels observed at 24 h. Several tissues, including blood, plasma, liver and muscles had a slightly bimodal time-distribution of radioactivity showing a second peak at 16-24 h. At 72 h after a single dose of PhIP, highest radioactivity was observed in the liver and the large intestine (0.4 nmol PhIP/g tissue), whereas most other organs, irrespective of pretreatment had levels at approximately 0.2 nmol/g of tissue. At earlier time points, Aroclor 1254-treated rats had lower amounts of radiolabel in all tissues. Radioactivity bound to DNA was determined by high sensitivity scintillation counting. In contrast to total radioactivity, DNA-associated radioactivity was generally higher in the Aroclor 1254-treated rats, most notably in the heart, but levels had decreased to approximately the same level in controls and in Aroclor 1254-treated rats at 72 h. DNA-binding was highest at 2-6 h after dosing, highest in the heart of Aroclor 1254-treated animals at 6 h (120 adducts/10(8) bases) followed by thigh muscle at 4-6 h (approximately 50 adducts/10(8) bases, irrespective of pretreatment). Levels were approximately 1.5-3 times lower in other organs at 2-6 h after dosing. At 72 h, radioactivity associated with DNA was again highest in the heart of Aroclor 1254-treated rats (20 adducts/10(8) bases) and 5-10 times lower in most other organs, approaching the detection limit. Total DNA was extracted from the livers of PhIP dosed rats at 4 ad 72 h. DNA was hydrolysed, affinity-concentrated, and analysed by liquid chromatography. A radiolabelled peak had identical retention time and UV-spectral characteristics as peaks isolated by affinity chromatography and HPLC of acid-hydrolysed synthetic PhIP-DNA and PhIP-deoxyguanosine adduct.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Metabolism of the food carcinogen 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) in the rat and other rodents.

2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) is the most abundant compound of the amino-imidazoazaarens (AIA) group of muta-/carcinogens isolated from the crust of fried meat. PhIP is principally activated via P450IA2 dependent N2-hydroxylation. A major metabolic pathway is N2-glucuronidation of the proximate 2-hydroxyamino-PhIP metabolite and excretion via bile to the intestine. After bacterial hydrolysis the proximate metabolite may be esterified by the intestinal cells and cause genetic damage. 2-Hydroxyamino-PhIP formed in vivo may be further oxidized presumably to 2-nitro-PhIP which reacts directly with glutathione through substitution of the nitro group. Detoxification is principally via P450IA1 dependent ring-hydroxylation followed by sulfation or glucuronidation. Direct glucuronidation also occurs. PhIP metabolism was examined in freshly isolated hepatocytes from rat, mouse, hamster and guinea pig. Activation was evaluated by the total level of covalent binding of PhIP to macromolecules. Rat hepatocytes had the lowest rate of metabolism, both to reactive and detoxified metabolites. The major products were 4'PhIP-sulfate, PhIP-glucuronide and 2-hydroxyamino-PhIP glucuronide, whereas in the mouse hepatocytes mainly 4'PhIP-sulfate was found. The level of covalent binding in the mouse hepatocytes exceeded those of the rat. An extensive metabolism was seen in guinea pig hepatocytes, the major products being 4'PhIP-sulfate, 4'-O-PhIP glucuronide, PhIP-glucuronide and 2-hydroxyamino-PhIP-glucuronide. The relative amount of PhIP covalently bound to macromolecules in guinea pig hepatocytes was low. Hamster hepatocytes had the highest level of covalently bound PhIP. The main metabolites were 4'PhIP-sulfate, 4'O-PhIP-glucuronide and PhIP-glucuronide. Minor amounts of 2-hydroxyamino-PhIP-glucuronide was produced in the hamster. Several unknown PhIP metabolites were formed in the hamster and guinea pig. Direct detoxification of PhIP and further metabolism of 2-hydroxyamino-PhIP to reactive and/or detoxified metabolites are important for the resulting covalent binding.

In vitro formation and degradation of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) protein adducts.

Adduct formation between the food mutagen 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) and rat serum albumin (RSA) was studied in vitro using hepatic microsomes isolated from polychlorinated biphenyl-induced rats. With 1-methyl-2-nitro-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (2-nitro-PhIP) as starting material, four main products were formed. Pretreatment of RSA with beta-mercaptoethanol markedly increased the yield of one of them. In this adduct, the C-2 of PhIP was linked to cysteine of RSA at position 34 in a C-S linkage. With N2-acetoxy-PhIP as starting material, unstable conjugates were formed with RSA as well as with glutathione (GSH) and cysteine. The suggested structures of the GSH and cysteine conjugates, GSH-S-N2-PhIP and cysteine-S-N2-PhIP respectively, are based on mass spectra and UV spectra. The degradation of the conjugates of GSH and cysteine as well as of the protein adduct were monitored. They all resulted in the same degradation product, identified as 2-amino-5-hydroxy-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (5-hydroxy-PhIP).

A polysaccharide produced by a mucoid strain of Moraxella nonliquefaciens with a 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-5-O-(3-deoxy-beta-D-manno-octulopyranosyl)-beta-D- galactopyranosyl repeating unit.

A capsular polysaccharide, isolated from the mucoid Moraxella nonliquefaciens strain 3828/60, has been investigated by component analyses, periodate oxidation, methylation analyses, mass spectrometry, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, and hydrolysis to give a disaccharide that was isolated and characterised. The results showed that the polysaccharide has the repeating unit-->3)-beta-D- GalpNAc-(1-->5)-beta-Kdo p-(2-->, with approximately 40% of O-8 of Kdo being acetylated.

Glycyrrhizic acid in liquorice--evaluation of health hazard.

Literature on case reports, clinical studies and biochemical mechanisms of the sweet-tasting compound glycyrrhizic acid in liquorice was critically reviewed to provide a safety assessment of its presence in liquorice sweets. A high intake of liquorice can cause hypermineralocorticoidism with sodium retention and potassium loss, oedema, increased blood pressure and depression of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. As a consequence, a number of other clinical symptoms have also been observed. Glycyrrhizic acid is hydrolysed in the intestine to the pharmacologically active compound glycyrrhetic acid, which inhibits the enzyme 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (in the direction of cortisol to cortisone) as well as some other enzymes involved in the metabolism of corticosteroids. Inhibition of 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase leads to increased cortisol levels in the kidneys and in other mineralocorticoid-selective tissues. Since cortisol, which occurs in much larger amounts than aldosterone, binds with the same affinity as aldosterone to the mineralocorticoid receptor, the result is a hypermineralocorticoid effect of cortisol. The inhibitory effect on 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase is reversible; however, the compensatory physiological mechanisms following hypermineralocorticoidism (e.g. depression of the renin-angiotensin system) may last several months. It is not possible, on the basis of existing data, to determine precisely the minimum level of glycyrrhizic acid required to produce the described symptoms. There is apparently a great individual variation in the susceptibility to glycyrrhizic acid. In the most sensitive individuals a regular daily intake of no more than about 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid, which corresponds to 50 g liquorice sweets (assuming a content of 0.2% glycyrrhizic acid), seems to be enough to produce adverse effects. Most individuals who consume 400 mg glycyrrhizic acid daily experience adverse effects. Considering that a regular intake of 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day is the lowest-observed-adverse-effect level and using a safety factor of 10, a daily intake of 10 mg glycyrrhizic acid would represent a safe dose for most healthy adults. A daily intake of 1-10 mg glycyrrhizic acid/person has been estimated for several countries. However, an uneven consumption pattern suggests that a considerable number of individuals who consume large amounts of liquorice sweets are exposed to the risk of developing adverse effects.

Amino sugar and amino acid constituents of the cell walls of the extremely halophilic cocci.

Cell wall hydrolysates of nine strains of extremely halophilic cocci all contained gylcine, glucosamine, galactosamine, and gulosaminuronic acid. Muramic acid was not present in any of the strains.