Mutagenicity-enhancing effect of quercetin on the active metabolites of 2-acetylaminofluorene with mammalian metabolic activation systems

The effects of quercetin on the mutagenicity of 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) and its 3 active metabolites, N-hydroxy-AAF (N-OH-AAF), aminofluorene (AF) and N-acetoxy-AAF(N-OAc-AAF) were investigated. The mutagenicity assays were carried out with Salmonella typhimurium TA98, and S9, microsomes and cytosol were used as metabolic activation systems. In the presence of S9, quercetin enhanced the mutagenicity of AAF, N-OH-AAF, AF and N-OAc-AAF by 6.9-, 4.3-, 3.6- and 3.9-fold, respectively. Quercetin enhanced the mutagenicity of these substrates with microsomes, whereas it depressed the mutagenicity of these substrates with cytosol. From these results, it seemed probable that quercetin promotes the N-hydroxylation and deacetylation in the microsomes, whereas it inhibits the deacetylation in the cytosol. It was shown that in the metabolism of AAF and its metabolites, quercetin modulates the balance between the mutagenicity activation and inactivation processes, which is catalysed by the enzymes in the microsomes and cytosol, and causes enhancement of the mutagenicity of AAF.     

The effect of quercetin on the mutagenicity of 2-acetylaminofluorene and benzo[alpha]pyrene in Salmonella typhimurium strains

The comutagenic and desmutagenic effect of quercetin on the mutagenicity of typical mutagens e.g. 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF), 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO) and benzo[alpha]pyrene (B[a]P), in Salmonella typhimurium TA98, TA100 and TA98/1,8 DNP6 were examined. In the mixed application of AAF with quercetin in the presence of mammalian metabolic activation system (S9 mix), the numbers of revertants in TA98 increased by as much 2.2-5.0-fold compared with the sum of those in the separate applications of AAF and quercetin. A 1.4-2.7-fold increase was observed in TA100. Quercetin did not affect the mutagenicity of 4NQO, and depressed that of B[a]P. Dose-response curves for mutagenicity of quercetin with or without AAF (5 micrograms/plate) were examined. The results suggest that quercetin, present in a molarity of up to 1.5 times that of AAF, is apparently effective in enhancing the mutagenicity of AAF, because a linear dose-response curve was observed in the range of 0-5 micrograms/plate quercetin with AAF although quercetin alone was not mutagenic in the same range. Dose-response curves for mutagenicity of quercetin with or without 5 micrograms/plate B[a]P did not increase compared with that for quercetin alone. The mutagenicity of the mixed application of B[a]P with quercetin was reduced to about 60% of the sum of separate application at doses ranging from 25 to 100 micrograms/plate of quercetin. Since enhancement and depression of mutagenicity by quercetin were observed for indirect mutagens, AAF and B[a]P, respectively, in the presence of S9 mix, quercetin may affect the metabolic pathway of these mutagens.     

Main pathway for mutagenic activation of 2-acetylaminofluorene by guinea pig liver homogenates.

The activation pathway of 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) to N-hydroxy-2-amino-fluorene (N-OH-AF), a potent mutagen to $\text{Salmonella}$, by guinea pig liver postmitochondrial supernatant fraction (S-9 fraction) was studied. 2-Aminofluorene (AF), as well as N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-OH-AAF, Takeishi et al., Mutation Res. in press), was detected as a metabolite of AAF. The mutagenicities of AF and N-OH-AAF comparable to that of AAF were inhibited by antiserum against NADPH-cytochrome $\text{c}$ reductase and by paraoxon, respectively. These data indicate that in the mutagenic activation of AAF, N-OH-AF can be produced by both N-hydroxylation of AF and deacetylation of N-OH-AAF. Furthermore, the data on the relative contribution of paraoxon-sensitive activation pathway to mutagenicities of AAF and N-OH-AAF led to a conclusion that deacetylation of AAF followed by N-hydroxylation to produce N-OH-AF is the main pathway for the mutagenic activation of AAF by guinea pig liver S-9 fraction.     

Inhibitory Effect of Coffee Extract against Some Mutagens

The effects of coffee extracts on mutagenicity were studied using the Salmonella typhimurium system. Coffee extracts showed inhibitory effects on the mutagenicity of such mutagens as 3-amino-l-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3–b]indole (Trp-p-2), 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF), and benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P), whose mutagenicity require metabolic activation by rat liver microsomal fraction, S-9 mix. The inhibition of mutagenicity increased in proportion to the level of roasting or to the darkness in color of the coffee extracts. When the coffee extracts were applied to a Sephadex G-50 column, two color pigment peaks were observed, the second peak showing the inhibitory activity towards mutagenicity. The inhibitory substance towards the mutagenicity was formed only in a heat-treated mixture of sucrose with either chlorogenic or caffeic acid, among various heat-treated combinations of components in raw coffee beans. The decrease of mutagenicity by coffee extracts was due to inhibiting the metabolic activation by S-9 mix.     

The importance of 2-aminofluorene in the mutagenic activation of 2-acetylaminofluorene

The mutagenic activation of 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) and its derivatives N-hydroxy-AAF and 2-aminofluorene (AF) by pulmonary and hepatic microsomal fractions from untreated rabbits was investigated using Salmonella strain TA98. The mutagenicity of AAF in the presence of hepatic microsomes followed typical saturation kinetics. However, in the presence of pulmonary microsomes, the mutagenic activity increased linearly with increasing substrate concentration and approximated that obtained with low concentrations of AF. N-Hydroxy-AAF was 1/10th as mutagenic as AF in the presence of pulmonary microsomes, but 2-2.5 times more mutagenic than AF in the presence of hepatic microsomes. The activation of AAF by both fractions was completely inhibited by the deacetylase inhibitor paraoxon. Although AAF does not appear to be a substrate for cytochrome P450 form 5, antibodies to this form inhibited the activation of AAF by pulmonary and hepatic microsomes by 90% and 60%, respectively. These results indicate that the mutagenic activation of AAF by these fractions primarily involves deacetylation to AF, followed by cytochrome P450 form 5-mediated activation of AF.     

Mutational spectrum induced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by the carcinogen N-2-acetylaminofluorene

The spectrum of mutations induced by the carcinogen N-2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) was analysed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using a forward mutation assay, namely the inactivation of the URA3 gene. The URA3 gene, carried on a yeast/bacterial shuttle vector, was randomly modified in vitro using N-acetoxy-N-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-AcO-AAF) as a model reactive metabolite of the carcinogen AAF. The binding spectrum of AAF to the URA3 gene was determined and found to be essentially random, as all guanine residues reacted about equally well with N-AcO-AAF. Independent Ura^? mutants were selected in vivo after transformation of the modified plasmid into a ura3Δ yeast strain. Plasmid survival decreased as a function of AAF modification, leading to one lethal hit (37% relative survival) for an average of ≈ 50 AAF adducts per plasmid molecule. At this level of modification the mutation frequency was equal to ≈ 70 × 10^?4, i.e. ≈ 50-fold above the background mutation frequency. UV irradiation of the yeast cells did not further stimulate the mutagenic response, indicating the lack of an SOS-like mutagenic response in yeast. Sequence analysis of the URA3 mutants revealed ≈ 48% frameshifts, 44% base substitutions and ≈ 8 % complex events. While most base substitutions (74%) were found to be targeted at G residues where AAF is known to form covalent C8 adducts, frameshift mutations were observed at GC base pairs in only≈ 24% of cases. Indeed, more than 60% of frameshift events occurred at sequences such as 5′-(A/T)_nG-3′ where a short (n = 2 or 3) monotonous run of As or Ts is located on the 5' side of a guanine residue. We refer to these mutations as semi-targeted events and present a potential mechanism that explains their occurrence.     

Ellipticines and human liver microsomes: Spectral interaction with cytochrome P-450 and hydroxylation. Inhibition of aryl hydrocarbon metabolism and mutagenicity

Some pharmacological properties of ellipticine (E) and its derivatives linked to their interaction with cytochrome P-450 have been investigated with human liver microsomes. 9-Hydroxyellipticine (9-OHE) interacts with human liver cytochrome P-450 exhibiting a type II spectrum (λ_max: 428 nm, K_s = 1.1 μM). After incubation with human liver microsomes the E was converted to 9-OHE; 7-hydroxyellipticine was not produced. The cytotoxic effect of this biotransformation has been evaluated on leukemic L1210 cells, in vitro, and found to be equal to those elicited by liver microsomes of control or phenobarbital (PB) pretreated rats. Moreover, 9-OHE and 9-fluoroellipticine (9-FE) strongly inhibit the benzo[a]pyrene hydroxylase (AHH) activity of human liver microsomes (I₅₀ = 2.6 μM and 1.6 μM, respectively) as well as the mutagenesis induced by the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF); 1 μg/plate of each of these compounds is able to inhibit by more than 50% the mutagenicity of 5 μg/plate AAF.     

Non-random binding of N-acetoxy-N-2-acetylaminofluorene to chromatin subunits as visualized by immunoelectron microscopy

The influence of chromatin structure on the accessibility of DNA to the model ultimate carcinogen N-acetoxy-N-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-Aco-AAF) was investigated by means of an immunoelectron microscopic technique developed recently. An homogeneous population of core particles or trinucleosomes from chicken erythrocytes, was submitted to electrophilic attack by N-Aco-AAF. After DNA isolation, N-2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) binding sites were mapped upon the DNA fragments using specific antibodies as a probe. Our results indicate a non-random binding of AAF along the DNA. Our data support the results of previous studies showing a preferential binding on the linker region.     

Enhancement of the mutagenicity of 2-acetylaminofluorene by flavonoids and the structural requirements

The enhancing effects of 12 kinds of flavonoids on the mutagenicity of 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 were investigated. In the mixed applications of AAF (22.4 nmoles/plate) with flavonoids (31.4-45.0 nmoles/plate) in the presence of a mammalian metabolic activation system (S9 mix), morin, galangin, flavonol, kaempferol, quercetin and myricetin enhanced the mutagenicity of AAF by 3.3-10.2-fold. The potency of the mutagenicity enhancing effects increased in the described order. For the mutagenicity-enhancing effects of the flavonoids on AAF, the flavonol structure, including the free 3-hydroxyl group and the 2,3-double bond, were essential. In the quercetin analogues, the 5-hydroxyl group was also essential. Further, the numbers of the hydroxyl groups substituted at the 3', 4' and 5'-positions in the B-ring contributed to an increase of the enhancing effect, whereas the substitution of a hydroxyl group at the 2'-position depressed the potency of the effect.     

Mutational spectrum induced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by the carcinogen N-2-acetylaminofluorene

The spectrum of mutations induced by the carcinogen N-2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) was analysed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using a forward mutation assay, namely the inactivation of the URA3 gene. The URA3 gene, carried on a yeast/bacterial shuttle vector, was randomly modified in vitro using N-acetoxy-N-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-AcO-AAF) as a model reactive metabolite of the carcinogen AAF. The binding spectrum of AAF to the URA3 gene was determined and found to be essentially random, as all guanine residues reacted about equally well with N-AcO-AAF. Independent Ura^– mutants were selected in vivo after transformation of the modified plasmid into a ura3 yeast strain. Plasmid survival decreased as a function of AAF modification, leading to one lethal hit (37% relative survival) for an average of 50 AAF adducts per plasmid molecule. At this level of modification the mutation frequency was equal to 70 × 10^–4, i.e. 50-fold above the background mutation frequency. UV irradiation of the yeast cells did not further stimulate the mutagenic response, indicating the lack of an SOS-like mutagenic response in yeast. Sequence analysis of the URA3 mutants revealed 48% frameshifts, 44% base substitutions and 8 % complex events. While most base substitutions (74%) were found to be targeted at G residues where AAF is known to form covalent C8 adducts, frameshift mutations were observed at GC base pairs in only 24% of cases. Indeed, more than 60% of frameshift events occurred at sequences such as 5-(A/T)_nG-3 where a short (n = 2 or 3) monotonous run of As or Ts is located on the 5' side of a guanine residue. We refer to these mutations as semi-targeted events and present a potential mechanism that explains their occurrence.     

Mutagenicity of amino acid and glutathione S-conjugates in the Ames test

The mutagenicity of the glutathione S-conjugate S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)glutathione (DCVG), the cysteine conjugates S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-L-cysteine (DCVC) and S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-DL-alpha-methylcysteine (DCVMC), and the homocysteine conjugates S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-L-homocysteine (DCVHC) and S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-DL-alpha-methylhomocysteine (DCVMHC) was investigated in Salmonella typhimurium strain TA2638 with the preincubation assay. DCVC was a strong, direct-acting mutagen; the cysteine conjugate beta-lyase inhibitor aminooxyacetic acid decreased significantly the number of revertants induced by DCVC; rat renal mitochondria (11,000 X g pellet) and cytosol (105,000 X g supernatant) with high beta-lyase activity increased DCVC mutagenicity at high DCVC concentrations. DCVG was also mutagenic without the addition of mammalian activating enzymes; the presence of low gamma-glutamyltransferase activity in bacteria, the reduction of DCVG mutagenicity by aminooxyacetic acid, and the potentiation of DCVG mutagenicity by rat kidney mitochondria and microsomes (105,000 X g pellet) with high gamma-glutamyltransferase activity indicate that gamma-glutamyltransferase and beta-lyase participate in the metabolism of DCVG to mutagenic intermediates. The homocysteine conjugate DCVHC was only weakly mutagenic in the presence of rat renal cytosol, which exhibits considerable gamma-lyase activity, this mutagenic effect was also inhibited by aminooxyacetic acid. The conjugates DCVMC and DCVMHC, which are not metabolized to reactive intermediates, were not mutagenic at concentrations up to 1 mumole/plate. The results demonstrate that gamma-glutamyltransferase and beta-lyase are the key enzymes in the biotransformation of cysteine and glutathione conjugates to reactive intermediates that interact with DNA and thereby cause mutagenicity.     

Metabolism of 2-acetylaminofluorene by clara cells,type II cells and alveolar macrophages isolated from rabbit lung,and use of a new chamber incubation mutagenicity test system

Clara cells, alveolar type II cells and pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAM) were isolated in high yield from rabbit lung. The purity of the cell fractions was 80–90%, 98% and above 99%, respectively. Cytochrome P-450 total content was determined in microsomes from freshly prepared cells. The Clara cells contained significantly more cytochrome P-450 than was found in whole lung microsomes. Furthermore, the cytochrome content of the Clara cells was 2 -fold higher than in the type II cells and 4 -fold higher than in the macrophages. 2-aminofluorene (AF) was the major metabolite in all preparations when intact cells were incubated with 2-acetylaminofuorene (AAF). The PAMs produced AF in the highest rates, while the Clara cells showed the largest rates of cytochrome P-450-dependent, ring hydroxylation of AAF. Mutagenic activation of AAF by isolated lung cells was assayed with a chamber-incubation method. The Clara cells were far more active than the type II cells in this respect, while the macrophages were inactive.Abbreviations AAF 2-acetylaminofluorene - AF 2-aminofluorene - DMSO dimethyl sulfoxide - NBT nitro blue tetrazolium - 7-OH-AAF 7-hydroxy-AAF - 9-OH-AAF 9-hydroxy-AAF     

Catechin inhibition of mutagenesis and alteration of DNA binding of 2-acetyl-aminofluorene in rat hepatocytes

Bioflavonoids are naturally occurring plant products that have demonstrated inhibitory effects on chemically induced carcinogenesis or mutagenesis. The chemoprotective effects are either direct scavenging of reactive molecules or indirect effects, such as enzyme activity alteration. Exposure of cultures of isolated rat hepatocytes to catechin (0.01-1.0 mM), a plant phenolic flavonoid, and subsequent addition of 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) resulted in an enhanced binding of AAF metabolites to hepatocellular DNA. Incubations of hepatocytes with catechin and S. typhimurium demonstrated no mutagenicity of catechin. At 1.0 and 5.0 mM concentrations of catechin with AAF and 30-min incubation with hepatocytes prior to plating there was inhibition of AAF-induced mutagenicity. However, at 0.5 mM of catechin there was a significant enhancement in mutagenicity. The increase in DNA binding of AAF in the cultures of hepatocytes is due to the alteration of metabolism by exposure to catechin. Catechin increases both N-hydroxylation and deacetylation pathways in the hepatocytes producing increases in N-hydroxy-AAF and aminofluorene. Both of these metabolites are important in AAF intermediates binding with DNA. The short-term incubation of catechin, AAF, hepatocytes, and S. typhimurium in the mutagenesis assay is not sufficient for induction of metabolic pathways. However, previously reported inhibition of detoxification pathways and/or scavenging of the proximate carcinogen can occur to alter mutagenesis in a dose-dependent manner.     

Studies on liver mitochondrial 5′-endonuclease activity in rats fed carcinogenic amines and on their binding to mitochondrial proteins

Mitochondrial 5′-endonuclease activity has been determined at regular time intervals in the livers of rats fed a diet containing 0.09% 2-aminofluorene (AF), 0.09% 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) or 0.06% N,N-dimethyl-4-aminoazobenzene (DAB). The results obtained indicate that the 5'-endonuclease activity was not affected significantly.The quantity of AF, AAF or DAB bound to liver homogenate and mitochondrial fraction proteins has also been measured at regular time intervals. The amount of AF and AAF bound to homogenate proteins after 4 weeks of carcinogen feeding is about 60-fold higher than that of DAB. The binding of the AF compounds to the mitochondrial fraction proteins is comparatively more important, reaching a level 300-fold higher than that of DAB. The amount of AF residues bound per mg of mitochondrial fraction proteins is higher than that of the homogenate while that of rats fed DAB is smaller. The present results suggest that no relation can be established between the total amount of these carcinogens bound to liver cellular proteins in vivo and their potential carcinogenic effect.     

V79 Chinese hamster cells deacetylate Trans-N-acetoxy-4-acetylaminostilbene and Trans-N-hydroxy-4-acetylaminostilbene to mutagenic and cytotoxic metabolites

The N-acetoxy and N-hydroxy derivatives of trans-4-acetylamino-stilbene (AAS) were demonstrated to induce gene mutations at the hgprt locus and to be cytotoxic in V79 cells. These cells deacetylated AAS. Paraoxon inhibited the deacetylation of AAS by more than 99% and reduced the mutagenicicity and cytotoxicity of N-hydroxy-ASS and N-acetoxy-AAS to about one-tenth. Hence, deacetylated metabolites, formed by the target cells, were important for the observed biological effects.Abbreviations AAF 2-acetylaminofluorene - AAS trans-4-acetylaminostilbene - AS trans-4-aminostilbene     

Reconstituted hamster liver microsomal enzyme system for N-hydroxylation of the carcinogen 2-acetylaminofluorene

A procedure is described for the isolation of cytochrome P-450 fraction from hamster liver microsomes. It involves removal of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity by treatment with bacterial protease before solubilization with Triton X-100 and precipitation with ammonium sulfate. Reconstitution studies indicate that 2-acetylaminofluorene $\text{N}$-and ring-hydroxylation require both cytochrome P-450 fraction and the reductase fraction. $\text{N}$-hydroxylation activity of cytochrome P-450 fraction from 3-methylcholanthrene pretreated hamsters is different and severalfold greater than that of cytochrome P-450 fraction from controls. These results demonstrate for the first time an activation of a chemical carcinogen by a reconstituted cytochrome P-450 enzyme system.     

An improved high-pressure liquid chromatographic assay for 2-acetylaminofluorene and eight of its metabolites

A high-pressure liquid chromatography method utilizing desferal mesylate as a solvent additive was developed for the simultaneous separation of 2-acetylaminofluorene, N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene, 9-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene, 7-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene, 5-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene, 3-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene, 1-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene, 2-aminofluorene, and 2-acetylaminofluorene-9-one. The method was used to quantitate these metabolites formed when 2-acetylaminofluorene was incubated with freshly isolated rat liver cells, with rat liver microsomes or with microsomes prepared from isolated hepatocytes.     

32P-adduct assay: Short- and long-term persistence of 2-acetylaminofluorene-DNA adducts and other applications of the assay

³²P-Postlabeling techniques have been developed to detect and measure adducts formed by covalent binding of carcinogens of Known or unknown origin with DNA (and RNA). The assay is applicable to various classes of chemical carcinogens and permits detection of many adducts at attomole (10^–18 mol) level using microgram amounts of DNA. Here, we demonstrate the application of the assay for the analysis of short- and long-term persistence of 2-acetylaminofluorene-DNA adducts in rat liver in vivo and also outline examples illustrating the applicability of the procedure to different experimental problems.Abbreviations AAF 2-acetylaminofluorene - N-OH-AAF N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene     

Purified NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase enhances the mutagenicity of dinitropyrenes in vitro

The effect of highly purified rat liver cytosolic NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase [EC 1.6.99.2] on the mutagenicity of 1,3- 1,6- and 1,8-dinitropyrene (DNP) was studied in the Ames Salmonella typhimurium mutagenicity assay. NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase over the range of 0.02–0.8 μ g/plate (38–1500) units increased up to threefold the mutagenicity of all three DNPs in S. typhimurium TA 98. In TA98NR, a strain deficient in “classical” nitroreductase, the mutagenicity of 1,6- and 1,8-DNP was essentially unchanged, whereas that of 1,3-DNP was markedly reduced. NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase enhanced the mutagenicity of 1,6- and 1,8-DNP to approximately equivalent extents in TA98NR and TA98. The mutagenicity of 1,3-DNP in TA98NR was potently enhanced by the addition of NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase in a dose-responsive manner. In the presence of 0.8 μg NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase, 1,3-DNP displayed a mutagenic response in TA98NR that was comparable to that obtained in TA98. NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase was found to increase the mutagenicity of 1,6- but not 1,3- or 1,8-DNP to mutagenic intermediates in TA98/1,8-DNP₆, a strain deficient in O-acetyltransferase activity. The results suggest that NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase not only catalyzes reduction of the parent DNP but also that of partially reduced metabolites generated from that DNP. Such reductive metabolism may lead to increased formation of the penultimate mutagenic species.     

Activation of some aromatic amines to mutagenic products by human red blood cell cytosol.

The ability of human red blood cell cytosol to activate aromatic amines was evaluated with the Ames test using Salmonella typhimurium TA98 in the liquid preincubation condition. While negative results were obtained with 4-acetylaminofluorene (4AAF) and 1-naphtylamine (1NA), a slight response was observed for 4-aminobiphenyl (4ABP) and 2-naphthylamine (2NA). Human red blood cell cytosol was able to activate 2-aminofluorene (2AF), 2-acetylaminofluorene (2AAF) and 2-aminoanthracene (2AA) to mutagenic intermediates. Extracts of human red blood cell cytosol incubated with 2AF were analyzed by gas chromatography: N-hydroxy-2-aminofluorene was identified as a metabolite.