Effects of three epoxides--ethylene oxide, propylene oxide and epichlorohydrin--on cell cycle progression and cell death in human diploid fibroblasts

Ethylene oxide (EtO), propylene oxide (PO), and epichlorohydrin (ECH) strongly influenced the G1/S progression in human diploid fibroblasts, VH-10. However, these epoxides did not affect substantially the G2/M progression. It was found that G1 arrest is induced by these epoxides 6-18 h after the treatment at doses above 5, 3, and 0.5 mMh for EtO, PO, and ECH, respectively. An inhibitory effect on DNA synthesis was also demonstrated at the same doses within the same time interval. On the contrary, the epoxides transiently stimulated DNA synthesis 3-18 h after the treatment with the lower doses (below 5, 3, and 0.5 mMh for EtO, PO, and ECH, respectively). This effect was manifested both as an elevated rate of DNA synthesis and as an increase in the number of cells in S-phase. Among the three studied epoxides EtO was the most effective one: the increases of the rate of DNA synthesis and of cells in S-phase were 35 and 55%, respectively. All the epoxides tested induced significant decrease of intracellular level of reduced glutathione (GSH) shortly after cell exposure. While low and moderate doses induced a transient decrease in GSH level the high doses induced its irreversible depletion. The extensive GSH depletion was related to cell death. Morphological examination of cell nuclei indicated that epoxide-treated cells die via necrosis. This conclusion is supported by the lack of such features of the apoptosis as chromatin condensation and the occurrence of so called 'apoptotic bodies'. The absence of nucleosomal fragmentation of DNA and an increase of the permeability of the plasma membrane after the epoxide treatment also indicated a necrotic form of cell death. ECH is about ten times more toxic than the two other epoxides, and it causes almost 100% necrosis at dose of 3.0 mMh.     

Radioprotection of cultured mammalian cells by the aminothiols WR-1065 and WR-255591: correlation between protection against DNA double-strand breaks and cell killing after gamma radiation

We compared the effects of the radioprotective aminothiols WR-1065 and WR-255591 on the induction of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and on the survival of aerated Chinese hamster ovary cells exposed to 60Co gamma radiation. DSBs were measured using the pH 9.6 neutral elution method. In agreement with earlier studies, protection factors for both drugs measured using the end point of clonogenic cell survival were significantly greater than the protection factors for DSB induction when DSBs were measured after gamma-ray doses ranging from 20 to 90 Gy. However, when DSBs and cell survival measurements were made on the same cell populations after low radiation doses (between 3 and 30 Gy) using the replicate plating method, there appeared to be a close correlation between the modification of DSB induction and the modification of cell survival produced by both drugs. The major influence accounting for the differences between these and previously obtained results appears to be the range of radiation doses used, suggesting that protection against DSB induction is radiation-dose dependent.     

Genotoxic effects of ethylene oxide,propylene oxide and epichlorohydrin in humans: update review (1990-2001)

Ethylene oxide (EtO), propylene oxide (PO) and epichlorohydrin (ECH) are important industrial chemicals widely used as intermediates for various synthetic products. EtO and PO are also environmental pollutants. In this review we summarize data published during the period 1990-2001 concerning both the genotoxic and carcinogenic effects of these epoxides in humans. The use of DNA and hemoglobin adducts as biomarkers of exposure and the role of polymorphism, as well as confounding factors, are discussed. We have also included recent in vitro data comprising genotoxic effects induced by EtO, PO and ECH in mammalian cells. The uncertainties regarding cancer risk estimation still persist, in spite of the large database collected.     

Germanium oxide enhances the radiosensitivity of cells

We investigated here the combined effect of GeO(2) and radiation on cell viability. Cells were treated with 0 to 22 mM GeO(2) for 12 h followed by 1 Gy X irradiation. A synergistic cytotoxic effect was observed for the combined treatment with a dose-dependent reduction of cell viability. Complete survival curves showed a 2.3- and 2.75-fold increase in radiosensitivity for 50% cell death in the presence of 5 and 15 mM GeO(2), respectively. The increased radiosensitivity also occurred when GeO(2) was given either 4 h prior to irradiation or immediately after radiation exposure. GeO(2) did not affect the total soluble thiol content or the activities of catalase and glutathione S-transferase. Analysis of the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) revealed that the combined treatment dramatically increased the synthesis of ROS. Addition of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC, 20 mM) decreased the production of ROS in cells. NAC, however, increased cell viability only slightly after treatment with GeO(2) and radiation. Thus increased production of ROS makes little or no contribution to the observed death. The combination of GeO(2) and X radiation, however, significantly increased the frequency of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Notably, the presence of GeO(2) also reduced the efficiency of DNA repair. We conclude that treatment with GeO(2) followed by X irradiation increases DNA DSBs and cell death.     

Gamma-ray and hydrogen peroxide induction of gene amplification in hamster cells deficient in DNA double strand break repair

To investigate the role of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) and of their repair in gene amplification, we analyzed this process in the V3 Chinese hamster cell line and in the parental line AA8, after exposure to gamma-rays and to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). V3 is defective in DSB repair because of a mutation in the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) gene, a gene involved in the non-homologous end-joining pathway. As a measure of gene amplification we used the frequency of colonies resistant to N-(phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartate (PALA), since in rodent cells PALA resistance is mainly achieved through the amplification of the CAD (carbamyl-P-synthetase, aspartate transcarbamylase, dihydro-orotase) gene. After treatment with different doses of gamma-rays and of H2O2, we found a dose related increase in the frequency of gene amplification and of chromosome aberrations. When the same doses of damaging agents were used, these increments were higher in V3 than in AA8. These results indicate that DSBs that are not efficiently repaired can be responsible for the induction of gene amplification. H2O2 stimulates gene amplification as well as gamma-rays, however, at similar levels of amplification induction, chromosome damage was about 50% lower. This suggests that gene amplification can be induced by H2O2 through pathways alternative to a direct DNA damage. Stimulation of gene amplification by H2O2, which is one of the products of the aerobic metabolism, supports the hypothesis that cellular metabolic products themselves can be a source of genome instability.     

Inhalation exposure-rate of ethylene oxide affects the level of DNA breakage and unscheduled DNA synthesis in spermiogenic stages of the mouse

The effect of ethylene oxide (EtO) inhalation-exposure rate on the induction of DNA breakage in late spermatids and on unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) in early spermatids was studied. The exposures were 450 parts per million (ppm) for 4 h, 900 ppm for 2 h, and 1800 ppm for 1 h. Thus, the total exposure was always 1800 ppm-h. Both DNA breakage and UDS were found to increase by a factor of approximately 3 in going from the low to high EtO concentration, suggesting that the molecular dose of EtO to the testis had increased by a similar factor. Our results are consistent with the EtO exposure-rate effect found by Generoso et al. (1986) for induction of dominant-lethal mutations in late spermatids and early spermatozoa.     

Effects of ethylene oxide on soil microbial content and some soil chemical characteristics

The effects of ethylene oxide (EtO) on survival of soil microflora and on selected chemical properties of a sandy-loam soil were examined. Soil sterilization was achieved after 8 hours exposure to EtO. Ethylene oxide treatment increased soil pH and organic matter content. Extractable Mn and Fe slightly increased whereas P content decreased. Total N was not affected by the treatment.     

Toxicity potential of residual ethylene oxide on fresh or frozen embryos maintained in plastic straws

The toxic effects of residual ethylene oxide (EtO), a frequently used gas-sterilant, on embryos either frozen for long-term purposes or stored acutely for 30 min to 9 hr in a fresh condition in 0.25-ml straw containers were evaluated. In Experiment 1, fresh embryos were frozen (using conventional technology) in straws previously aerated for 0 hr to 8 mo after EtO sterilization. With the exception of the 8-mo group in which survival and quality ratings were depressed, embryo viability was not affected significantly by short-term prefreeze and post-thaw exposure to EtO residues. Experiment 2 was conducted to analyze the influence of prefreeze exposure to EtO residues on embryo development in vitro for embryos temporarily stored in previously sterilized straws aerated for different intervals. Compared to non-EtO-sterilized control straws, the development, quality, and viability of embryos exposed to EtO-treated straws were compromised (p < 0.05) as the aeration interval decreased and the exposure interval increased. The combined results of both experiments indicate that EtO-treated straws can be used to cryopreserve gametes efficiently, but only if the aeration interval is ≥72 hr and the prefreeze duration of exposure is ?3 hr.     

Mutation induction by tritiated water and effects of deuterium oxide in cultured mouse leukemia cells

Induction of mutation to 6-thioguanine resistance was studied in L5178Y mouse leukemia cells after exposure to low-dose-rate gamma rays or tritiated water at dose rates of approximately 0.025 to 0.4 Gy/hr for 20 hr in the presence or absence of 45% (v/v) deuterium oxide. The effect of acute gamma-ray exposure was also examined. A higher frequency of induced mutations was observed after tritium beta rays than after gamma rays, both at equivalent doses and cell survival. Deuterium oxide enhanced the mutation induced by gamma rays and tritium beta rays but did not affect the survival-mutation correlation of the two radiations.     

Genotoxic effects of inhaled ethylene oxide, propylene oxide and butylene oxide on germ cells: sensitivity of genetic endpoints in relation to dose and repair status

We report here results on forward mutation induction (recessive lethal mutations, RL) in Drosophila spermatozoa and spermatids by the three 1,2-alkyl-epoxides ethylene oxide (EO), propylene oxide (PO) and butylene oxide (BO), at doses ranging from 47 to 24,000 ppm h for EO, 375 to 48,000 ppm h for PO, and 24,000 to 91,200 ppm h for BO. The results indicate for EO mutation induction at doses 500-fold below the LD₅₀. In crosses of mutagenized NER⁺ males with NER⁺ females, the 500-fold increase in EO dose from 47 ppm h to 24,000 ppm h resulted in no more than a 17-fold enhanced mutant frequency in spermatozoa. This flat dose–response relationship is primarily the result of efficient repair of EO-induced DNA adducts in the fertilized egg, as was evident from the up to 40-fold or 240-fold increased mutant frequencies above NER⁻ or NER⁺ background levels, respectively, in crosses with NER⁻ females. With decreasing dose, / ratios decreased from 9 to 14 at high doses down to ≈1 at the two lowest doses, indicating that a small fraction of premutagenic lesions induced by EO cannot be repaired by the NER system of Drosophila. Linear extrapolation from high to low EO exposure led to an underestimation of the mutation frequency actually observed at low doses. The pattern of EO-induced ring chromosome loss (CL) differed in two respects from that observed for forward mutations: (a) an increase in CL frequencies was observed only at the two highest EO exposure levels, and (b) inactivation of the NER pathway by the mus201 mutant had no measurable effect on the occurrence of CL. The absence of a potentiating effect of mus201 on EO-induced clastogenicity suggests the formation of clastogenic DNA lesions not causing point mutations, and which are not repaired by NER. Consistent with an inversed correlation of reactivities towards N7-guanine and chain length of 1,2-alkyl-epoxides, the relative mutagenic efficiencies of EO:PO:BO are 100:7.2:1.8 for the NER⁺ groups, and 100:20:0.7 in the absence of NER. Although in Drosophila germ cells EO is also more effective as a clastogen than PO, the difference (EO:PO=100:58) is much smaller than for recessive mutations. These results provide another argument that DNA lesions generating base substitutions as opposed to those causing clastogenic damage may not be the same for these agents.     

The mechanism of action of low doses of gamma radiation connected with the development of human cell resistance to mutagens]

The human fibroblasts were gamma-irradiated with low doses (0.07-0.21 Gy). After a short time interval (3 h), a study was made of the postirradiation viability of cells (by the trypan blue dye exclusion method); post-N-methyl-N'-nitro-nitrosoguanidine-DNA synthesis (by 3H-thymidine incorporation immediately after the mutagen treatment) and postirradiation induction of DNA single-strand breaks (by alkaline elution of cells lysed on the membrane filters). The preirradiation of cells with low doses of gamma-rays was shown to render the cells resistance to induction of DNA breaks by the following exposure to gamma-radiation. The survival rate increased; DNA synthesis was resistant to alkylation damage in these cells, as compared to nonirradiated cells.     

Protective effect of low doses in mutagenesis with ethylene oxide in E. coli

The influence of pre-exposure to low doses of ethylene oxide (EtO) on the frequency of leu+ revertants in the E. coli strain, WU36-10, and its excision-repair-deficient mutant, WU36-10-89, after treatment with high doses of EtO, was studied. Low doses had an adaptive effect in both strains with respect to high doses of EtO which was manifested by a decreased number of revertants and lower lethality.     

Increased sensitivity to killing by restriction enzymes in the XR-1 DNA double-strand break repair-deficient mutant

Repair or misrepair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is critical in determining cellular survival after gamma-irradiation. In this report, we focus on the cellular and biochemical consequences of restriction enzyme induced DSBs in wild-type Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and the DNA DSB repair-defective mutant XR-1. We find that XR-1 possesses reduced cellular survival after the introduction of restriction enzymes that produce either cohesive or blunt ends. XR-1's sensitivity to killing by restriction enzymes strongly mimics its response to gamma-rays. Using pulsed field electrophoresis, we find that for each enzyme, similar numbers of DNA DSBs are being introduced in both cell lines. The simplest explanation for the increased sensitivity to restriction enzymes in the mutant is that the biochemical defect in XR-1 is not confined to the repair of ionizing radiation induced ends, but extends to DSBs that possess ligatable 3'-hydroxyl and 5'-phosphate ends as well.     

Measurement of DNA breakage in spermiogenic germ-cell stages of mice exposed to ethylene oxide, using an alkaline elution procedure

DNA breakage in spermiogenic stages of the mouse was studied after exposure to ethylene oxide (EtO), using an alkaline elution technique. At daily intervals over a 23-day period following i.p. injection of 100 mg EtO/kg, mature spermatozoa were recovered from treated ([3H]dThd-labeled) and control ([14C]dThd-labeled) animals, lysed together on polycarbonate filters, and the DNA was eluted with a high pH (12.2) buffer. Elution of germ-cell DNA from EtO-exposed animals increased (more DNA strand breaks) in stages sensitive to the genetic effects of EtO (late spermatids to early spermatozoa). The stage-related pattern of EtO-induced DNA breakage paralleled the pattern of sperm alkylation and protamine alkylation found to be produced by EtO in an earlier study (Sega and Owens, 1987). At 9 days posttreatment (sperm sampled were in late-spermatid stages at the time of EtO exposure) the amount of sperm DNA eluted did not change significantly over a pH range of 11.6-12.8, indicating that, at the time of assay, DNA breaks were already present in the sperm.     

Detection of complex DNA damage in gamma-irradiated acute lymphoblastic leukemia Pre-b NALM-6 cells

Bistranded complex DNA damage, i.e., double-strand breaks (DSBs) and non-DSB oxidative clustered DNA lesions, is hypothesized to challenge the repair mechanisms of the cell and consequently the genomic integrity. The oxidative clustered DNA lesions may be persistent and may accumulate in human cancer cells for long times after irradiation. To evaluate the detection and possible accumulation of oxidative clustered DNA lesions in leukemia cells exposed to doses equivalent to those used in radiotherapy, we measured the induction of DSBs and three different types of oxidative clustered DNA lesions in NALM-6 cells, a human acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) pre-B cell line, after exposure to (137)Cs gamma rays. For the detection and measurement of DSBs and oxidative clustered DNA lesions, we used an adaptation of the neutral comet assay (single-cell gel electrophoresis) using E. coli repair enzymes (Endo IV, Fpg and Endo III) as enzymatic probes. We found a linear dose response for the induction of DSBs and oxidative clustered DNA lesions. Clustered DNA lesions were more prevalent than prompt DSBs. For each DSB induced by radiation, approximately 2.5 oxidative clustered DNA lesions were detected. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate the detection and linear induction of oxidative clustered DNA lesions with radiation dose in an ALL cell line. These results point to the biological significance of clustered DNA lesions.     

Existence of a threshold-like dose for gamma-ray induction of thymic lymphomas and no susceptibility to radiation-induced solid tumors in SCID mice

Severe combined immune deficiency (SCID) mice exhibit limited repair of DNA double-strand breaks and are sensitive to ionizing radiation due to a mutation of the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit gene. To elucidate the effects of deficient DNA double-strand break repair on radiation-induced carcinogenesis, the dose-response relationship for the induction of all tumor types was examined in wild-type and SCID mice. In wild-type mice, the incidence of thymic lymphomas at gamma-ray doses up to 1 Gy was almost equal to the background level, increased gradually above 1 Gy, and reached a maximum of 12.5% at 5 Gy, which is indicative of a threshold dose of less than 1 Gy. SCID mice were extremely susceptible to the induction of spontaneous and radiation-induced thymic lymphomas. The incidence of thymic lymphomas in SCID mice irradiated with 0.1 Gy or less was similar to the background level; that is, it increased markedly from 31.7% at 0.1 Gy to 51.4% at 0.25 Gy, and reached a maximum of 80.6% at 2 Gy, suggesting the presence of a threshold-like dose at low gamma-ray doses, even in radiosensitive SCID mice. As the average latency for the induction of thymic lymphomas at 0.1 Gy was significantly shortened, the effect of 0.1 Gy gamma-rays on thymic lymphoma induction was marginal. The high susceptibility of SCID mice to develop thymic lymphomas indicates that thymic lymphomas are induced by a defect in DNA double-strand break repair or V(D)J recombination. Excessive development of tumors other than thymic and nonthymic lymphomas was not observed in SCID mice. Furthermore, our data suggest that the defective double-strand break repair in SCID mice is not a major determinant for the induction of nonlymphoid tumors.     

Induction and processing of complex DNA damage in human breast cancer cells MCF-7 and nonmalignant MCF-10A cells

Oxidatively induced stress and DNA damage have been associated with various human pathophysiological conditions, including cancer and aging. Complex DNA damage such as double-strand breaks (DSBs) and non-DSB bistranded oxidatively induced clustered DNA lesions (OCDL) (two or more DNA lesions within a short DNA fragment of 1-10 bp on opposing DNA strands) are hypothesized to be repair-resistant lesions challenging the repair mechanisms of the cell. To evaluate the induction and processing of complex DNA damage in breast cancer cells exposed to radiotherapy-relevant gamma-ray doses, we measured single-strand breaks (SSBs), DSBs, and OCDL in MCF-7 and HCC1937 malignant cells as well as MCF-10A nonmalignant human breast cells. For the detection and measurement of SSBs, DSBs, and OCDL, we used the alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis, gamma-H2AX assay, and an adaptation of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis with E. coli repair enzymes as DNA damage probes. Increased levels for most types of DNA damage were detected in MCF-7 cells while the processing of DSBs and OCDL was deficient in these cells compared to MCF-10A cells. Furthermore, the total antioxidant capacity of MCF-7 cells was lower compared to their nonmalignant counterparts. These findings point to the important role of complex DNA damage in breast cancer and its potential association with breast cancer development especially in the case of deficient BRCA1 expression.     

Chromosomal aberrations induced by (12)C6+ ions and 60Co gamma-rays in mouse immature oocytes

The ovaries of Kun-Ming strain mice (3 weeks) were irradiated with different doses of (12)C6+ ion or (60)Co gamma-ray. Chromosomal aberrations were analyzed in metaphase II oocytes at 7 weeks after irradiation. The relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of (12)C6+ ion was calculated with respect to 60Co gamma-ray for the induction of chromosomal aberrations. The (12)C6+ ion and 60Co gamma-ray dose-response relationships for chromosomal aberrations were plotted by linear quadratic models. The data showed that there was a dose-related increase in frequency of chromosomal aberrations in all the treated groups compared to controls. The RBE values for (12)C6+ ions relative to 60Co gamma-rays were 2.49, 2.29, 1.57, 1.42 or 1.32 for the doses of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 or 6.0 Gy, respectively. Moreover, a different distribution of the various types of aberrations has been found for (12)C6+ ion and 60Co gamma-ray irradiations. The dose-response relationships for (12)C6+ ion and 60Co gamma-ray exhibited positive correlations. The results from the present study may be helpful for assessing genetic damage following exposure of immature oocytes to ionizing radiation.     

Low-dose hyper-radiosensitivity is not caused by a failure to recognize DNA double-strand breaks

One of the earliest cellular responses to radiation-induced DNA damage is the phosphorylation of the histone variant H2AX (gamma-H2AX). gamma-H2AX facilitates the local concentration and focus formation of numerous repair-related proteins within the vicinity of DNA DSBs. Previously, we have shown that low-dose hyper-radiosensitivity (HRS), the excessive sensitivity of mammalian cells to very low doses of ionizing radiation, is a response specific to G(2)-phase cells and is attributed to evasion of an ATM-dependent G(2)-phase cell cycle checkpoint. To further define the mechanism of low-dose hyper-radiosensitivity, we investigated the relationship between the recognition of radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks as defined by gamma-H2AX staining and the incidence of HRS in three pairs of isogenic cell lines with known differences in radiosensitivity and DNA repair functionality (disparate RAS, ATM or DNA-PKcs status). Marked differences between the six cell lines in cell survival were observed after high-dose exposures (>1 Gy) reflective of the DNA repair capabilities of the individual six cell lines. In contrast, the absence of functional ATM or DNA-PK activity did not affect cell survival outcome below 0.2 Gy, supporting the concept that HRS is a measure of radiation sensitivity in the absence of fully functional repair. No relationship was evident between the initial numbers of DNA DSBs scored immediately after either low- or high-dose radiation exposure with cell survival for any of the cell lines, indicating that the prevalence of HRS is not related to recognition of DNA DSBs. However, residual DNA DSB damage as indicated by the persistence of gamma-H2AX foci 4 h after exposure was significantly correlated with cell survival after exposure to 2 Gy. This observation suggests that the persistence of gamma-H2AX foci could be adopted as a surrogate assay of cellular radiosensitivity to predict clinical radiation responsiveness.