In vitro DNA and nuclear proteins alkylation by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine

The methylating carcinogen 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) CAS 540.73.8 is highly organ-specific and, under certain experimental conditions, produces a high incidence of adenocarcinoma in the colon of rodents. We have tried to assess the possibility that part of the organ-specifity in the carcinogenic effect of DMH could be attributed to its metabolism by specific microsomal enzymes. In particular, we compared the in vitro effects of DMH in the presence of either colon or liver microsomes from animals that had been treated with microsomal enzyme inducers. V79 Chinese hamster cells were used as the target to evaluate the damage to the genetic material, as judged by (1) formation of adducts of DNA bases and (2) amino acid modifications in nuclear proteins using [Me-14C]DMH and appropriate analytical detection systems. Our results tend to support the above postulated hypothesis.     

Cellular injury and carcinogenesis. Inhibition of metabolism of dimethylnitrosamine by aminoacetonitrile

1. Aminoacetonitrile, a lathyrogenic agent known to decrease the hepatotoxic action of dimethylnitrosamine, inhibited the metabolism of this compound by rats in vivo and by rat liver slices in vitro. 2. Methylation of nucleic acids in rat liver and kidney by dimethylnitrosamine in vivo was inhibited by treatment of the animals with aminoacetonitrile. 3. These findings are discussed in relation to the hypothesis that dimethylnitrosamine requires metabolism to exert its hepatotoxic and carcinogenic action.     

Inhibition of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine induced colon genotoxicity in rats by the administration of probiotic curd

Epidemiologic and experimental studies suggest that the probiotic organisms are effective in preventing colon carcinogenesis, which is the major cause of mortality and morbidity in western countries. Keeping this in view, a curd (a common Indian fermented milk product) was prepared by the addition of probiotic cultures Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and curd culture Lactococcus lactis biovar. diacetylactis. In present study, we have evaluated the anti tumor effect of probiotic curd by monitoring the DNA damage through comet assay. The rats were allocated to four groups, first group was DMH control group, second group was probiotic curd group in which probiotic curd was given along with DMH (1,2-dimethylhydrazine) injection, third group was normal curd group in which normal curd was given along with DMH injection and fourth group was normal control group. Animals received subcutaneous injection of DMH dissolved in normal saline at a dose rate of 20 mg/kg body weight, once weekly for 15 weeks. The rats were dissected at 40th week of experiment and comet assay was done in colonic cells to assess the DNA damage. A significant reduction in DNA damage (54.7%) was observed in probiotic curd group as compared to DMH control group (88.1%). The probiotic curd was effective to significantly reduce the L:W ratio in comparison to DMH control group and normal curd. The results of present study show the protective effects of probiotic curd against DMH induced genotoxicity in colonic cells.     

Inhibition of pre-mRNA splicing by synthetic branched nucleic acids

The cellular transformation of a precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) into its mature or functional form proceeds by way of a splicing reaction, in which the exons are ligated to form the mature linear RNA and the introns are excised as branched or lariat RNAs. We have prepared a series of branched compounds (bRNA and bDNA), and studied the effects of such molecules on the efficiency of mammalian pre-mRNA splicing in vitro. Y-shaped RNAs containing an unnatural L-2'-deoxycytidine unit (L-dC) at the 3' termini are highly stabilized against exonuclease hydrolysis in HeLa nuclear extracts, and are potent inhibitors of the splicing pathway. A bRNA containing internal 2'-O-methyl ribopyrimidine units and L-dC at the 3' ends was at least twice as potent as the most potent of the bRNAs containing no 2' modifications, with an IC50 of approximately 5 micro M. Inhibitory activity was maintained in a branched molecule containing an arabino-adenosine branchpoint which, unlike the native bRNAs, resisted cleavage by the lariat- debranching enzyme. The data obtained suggest that binding and sequestering of a branch recognition factor by the branched nucleic acids is an early event, which occurs prior to the first chemical step of splicing. Probably, an early recognition element preferentially binds to the synthetic branched molecules over the native pre-mRNA. As such, synthetic bRNAs may prove to be invaluable tools for the purification and identification of the putative branchpoint recognition factor.     

Inhibition of gene expression by peptide nucleic acids in cultured cells

We have tested in cultured cells the capacity of antisense and antigene PNAs to inhibit, in a sequence specific manner, the expression of oncogenes in leukaemia and pancreatic carcinoma cells. The results observed appeared promising and suggest that PNA may play in the future an important role in targeting disease-related genes.     

Isolation and identification of products from alkylation of nucleic acids: ethyl- and isopropyl-purines.

Ethylation and isopropylation of guanine in alkaline solution, or of adenine in formic acid, by alkyl methanesulphonates gave the following products: 1-, N2-, 3-, O6-, 7- and 9-alkylguanines; 1-, 3-, 7- and 9-alkyladenines. The products were identified from their characteristic u.v-absorption spectra, by comparison with either known ethyladenines or with the corresponding known methyladenines, and were also characterized by mass spectrometry. Their chromatographic properties on paper, t.l.c. and various columns were determined. DNA was alkylated in neutral solution with 14C-labelled alkyl methanesulphonates and the ratios of the alkylpurines formed were obtained, and compared for alkylation by methyl, ethyl and isopropyl methanesulphonates and by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea. The extents of alkylation at O-6 of guanine relative to those at N-7 of guanine varied with the reactivity of the methylating agents according to the predictions of Swain & Scott (1953) relating nucleophilicity of the groups alkylated with the substrate constants of the alkylating agents. The relative extents of alkylation at N-3 of adenine did not follow this correlation.     

Neuropharmacologic regulation of the carcinogenic action of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine

Chronic experiments were made on 100 male rats to examine the modifying effects of adrenergic and cholinergic agents that regulate homeostasis on 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced intestinal carcinogenesis. The sympatholytic guanethidine (5 mg/kg) and the alfa-adrenoblocker butyroxan (2.5 mg/kg) did not influence the carcinogenesis in the intestine. The noradrenaline- and atropine-induced (1 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg) increase in the adrenergic component of the vegetative nervous system led to the decrease in the number (by 2-3 times) and size of the tumor nodes in the intestine. The drugs did not affect the morphology of neoplasms. The results are discussed in terms of essential importance of the vegetative nervous system in the mechanism of chemical carcinogenesis.     

Inhibition of gene expression and growth of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii by antisense peptide nucleic acids

Acinetobacter baumannii causes common and severe community- and hospital-acquired infections. The increasing emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and pan-drug resistant A. baumannii has limited the therapeutic options, highlighting the need for new therapeutic strategies. The goal of this study was to investigate whether antisense peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) could mediate gene-specific inhibition effects in MDR A. baumannii. We described a screening strategy based on computational prediction and dot hybridization for identifying potential inhibitory PNAs, and evaluated the in vitro growth inhibition potency of two PNAs conjugated to the (KFF)₃K peptide (pPNA1 and pPNA2), both of which targeted the growth essential gene gyrA of A. baumannii. Both pPNAs showed strong inhibition effects on bacterial growth and gyrA mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner. The lowest inhibitory and bactericidal concentration were 5 and 10 μM, respectively. Combination of the two pPNAs showed superimposed effect other than synergistic effect. Control PNAs without (KFF)₃K peptide conjugation or with mismatched antisense sequence had no inhibition effects on bacterial growth or mRNA expression. Our study suggests that anti-gyrA pPNAs can efficiently inhibit gene expression and bacterial growth, and has the potential as a new therapeutic option for MDR A. baumannii.     

Inhibition of lettuce seed germination and seedling growth by antimetabolites of nucleic acids,and reversal by nucleic acid precursors and gibberellic acid

Summary Germination of White Paris lettuce seeds is inhibited by 2-thiouracil up to 24 hours. This inhibition is reversed by RNA precursors only. Seedling growth of lettuce is inhibited by 2-thiouracil and 5-fluorouracil; and white the effect of 2-thiouracil is counteracted by RNA precursors, inhibition due to 5-fluorouracil is not reversed significantly by any nucleic acid precursors. Possibly 2-thiouracil controls germination and seedling growth by interfering with RNA synthesis, while the effect of 5-fluorouracil is non-specific.In the presence of gibberellic acid, 5-fluorouracil and 2-thiouracil are relatively ineffective in causing inhibition of hypocotyl growth. Mechanism of gibberellic acid action remains obscure.     

Chemopreventive potential of luteolin during colon carcinogenesis induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine

We investigated the chemopreventive potential of luteolin on hepatic and circulatory lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status during 1,2-dimethylhydrazine induced colon carcinogenesis in rats. Rats were given a weekly subcutaneous injection of DMH at a dose of 20 mg/kg body weight for 15 weeks. Luteolin (0.2 mg/kg body weight/everyday p.o.) was given at the initiation and also at the postinitiation stages of carcinogenesis to DMH treated rats. The animals were sacrificed at the end of 30 weeks. Enhanced lipid peroxidation in the liver and circulation of tumor bearing rats was accompanied by a significant decrease in the levels of plasma and hepatic reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene in DMH treated rats as compared to the control rats. Intragastric administration of luteolin (0.2mg/kg body weight) to DMH-treated rats significantly reduced the incidence and size of tumor in the colon, reduced lipid peroxidation levels and enhanced the plasma and hepatic activities of GSH, GPx, GST, GR, SOD, CAT, vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene. Thus the chemopreventive efficacy of luteolin against colon carcinogenesis is evidenced by our preliminary studies which showed decreased incidence of tumors and the antiperoxidative and antioxidant effect of luteolin. Further study on the exact mechanism of action of luteolin in preventing colon carcinogenesis is yet to be elucidated.     

Inhibition of synthesis of nucleic acids, proteins and respiration in isolated thymocytes by anthracyclines

The effect of anthracycline antibiotics such as carminomycin, daunomycin (rubomycin) and adriamycin on respiration and synthesis of nucleic acids and protein was studied comparatively. The anthracyclines inhibited the processes. By their efficacy in that respect they could be arranged in the following order: carminomycin greater than rubomycin greater than adriamycin. Thus, 50 per cent inhibition of nucleic acid synthesis in the thymocytes required 0.027, 0.044 and 0,173 mM of carminomycin, rubomycin and adriamycin respectively. Protein synthesis and respiration in the thymocytes were less sensitive to the effect of the anthracyclines than synthesis of nucleic acids. The study results were compared with the literature data on the effect of the compounds on respiration and synthesis of nucleic acids and protein in tumour and bacterial cells.     

In vivo alkylation of foetal, maternal and normal rat tissue nucleic acids by 3-methyl-1-phenyltriazene.

The carcinogen 3-methyl-1-phenyltriazene (MPT) was administered subcutaneously to normal or pregnant BD VI rats and DNA and RNA were isolated from various tissues after 8 h or 15 h, respectively. Sephadex G-10 chromatography of DNA hydrolysates showed the presence of 7-methylguanine in all tissues examined including that of the brain, one of the target organs for tumour induction. The amounts of the minor product, O6-methylguanine, were characteristic of an SN1 reaction mechanism. Dowex-50 chromatography of RNA hydrolysates showed the presence of 7-methylguanine and of the minor product, 3-methylcytosine. The relative amounts, both of the methylated bases in the individual nucleic acids and of 7-methylguanine in DNA and RNA, were similar to those found previously after administration of 3,3-dimethyl-1-phenyltriazene (DMPT). This suggests the involvment of a common alkylating intermediate. De novo incorporation of radioactivity into purine bases was detected in both DNA and RNA although the levels were not related to the amounts of methylation. The results show that MPT is sufficiently stable to alkylate nucleic acids in vivo and are consistent with the hypothesis that this reaction is a prerequisite for tumour induction. Futhermore, they support the proposal that MPT is the active intermediate in the induction of tumours by DMPT.     

Hemoglobin-mediated oxidation of the carcinogen 1,2-dimethylhydrazine to methyl radicals

Oxidation of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (SDMH) catalyzed by hemoglobin is investigated by oxygen consumption studies, ESR spin-trapping experiments, and gas chromatography. Kinetic analysis and the study of the effects of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and azide on reaction rates indicate that SDMH oxidation is primarily dependent on ferric hemoglobin and autoxidatively formed H2O2. SDMH oxidation generates both methyl and hydroxyl radicals as ascertained by spin-trapping experiments with alpha-(4-pyridyl-1-oxide)-N-tert-butylnitrone, 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide, and tert-nitrosobutane. Quantitative estimates indicate that the yield of the methyl radical trapped by alpha-(4-pyridyl-1-oxide)-N-tert-butylnitrone is about 8% of the consumed oxygen. Analysis of the gaseous products by gas chromatography shows methane formation at a yield 10 times lower than that obtained for the spin-trap methyl adduct. These results are discussed within the context of the spin-trapping technique. The relative efficiencies of oxyhemoglobin in catalyzing SDMH, 2-phenylethylhydrazine, and phenylhydrazine oxidation, defined as Vmax/KM, are estimated as 1, 13, and 386, respectively. The higher efficiency obtained for the monosubstituted derivatives leads us to suggest that hemoglobin-catalyzed oxidation could be a detoxification route for these compounds. By contrast, SDMH oxidation requires a peroxidase-like activity, a fact that may be related to the efficacy and specificity of this carcinogen.