Use of nitrite and hypochlorite treatments in determination of the contributions of IQ-type and non-IQ-type heterocyclic amines to the mutagenicities in crude pyrolyzed materials

The mutagenic heterocyclic amines Glu-P-2, MeA alpha C and Phe-P-1, which possess a 2-aminopyridine structure in their molecule (non-IQ-type mutagens), were found to be inactivated by nitrite treatment under acidic conditions, as observed previously with Trp-P-1, Trp-P-2, Glu-P-1 and A alpha C. In contrast, MeIQx, 4,8- and 7,8-DiMeIQx, which were originally isolated from fried beef or heated model mixtures of creatinine, amino acids and glucose, and which have a 2-aminoimidazole moiety in their molecules (IQ-type mutagens), were very resistant to nitrite treatment like IQ and MeIQ. Both types of mutagenic heterocyclic amines were completely inactivated by treatment with hypochlorite. This differential inactivation of mutagenic heterocyclic amines by nitrite and hypochlorite was used in determination of the contributions of IQ-type and non-IQ-type mutagens to the total mutagenicities of various pyrolyzed materials. The percentage contributions of IQ-type mutagens to the mutagenicities of broiled sardine, fried beef, broiled horse mackerel, cigarette smoke condensate and albumin tar were 88, 75, 48, 6 and 4, respectively.     

Differentiated properties characteristic of renal proximal epithelium in a cell line derived from a normal monkey kidney (JTC-12)

Summary The JTC-12 cell, an established cell line derived from a normal monkey kidney, was studied in an attempt to characterize the epithelial qualities. Phase contrast microscopy showed dome formation in confluent monolayers and electron microscopic examinations revealed the presence of numerous microvilli on the apical membranes and desmosome between cells. Sonicated cells showed activities of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, leucine aminopeptidase, alkaline phosphatase, and trehalase, marker enzymes of renal proximal epithelium. Alkaline phosphatase activity exhibited the characteristics of a renal type isozyme. Furthermore, confluent JTC-12 monolayers exhibited Na⁺-dependent transport of hexose, amino acid as well as inorganic phosphate. These findings indicate that JTC-12 cells in monolayer culture maintain ultrastructural, biochemical, and physiological properties of renal proximal epithelial cells. This cell line will be useful for further studies on cellular functions of renal proximal epithelium. This work was supported in part by grants from The Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan and from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan.     

Inactivation of potent pyrolysate mutagens by chlorinated tap water

The potent mutagens 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-2, 62450-07-1), 2-amino-6-methyldipyrido-[1,2-a:3', 2'-d]imidazole (Glu-P-1, 67730-11-4) and 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ, 76180-96-6), isolated from pyrolysates of tryptophan and glutamic acid and from broiled sardines, respectively, were effectively degraded by chlorinated tap water with a concomitant loss of mutagenicity toward Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100. The half-life of 10 microM IQ in the presence of 1.5 ppm of residual chlorine was less than 10 sec; those of Glu-P-1 and Trp-P-2 were 0.5-1 and 2-3 min, respectively. This means that a glass of chlorinated tap water (150 ml) containing 1.5 ppm of residual chlorine can break down about 200 micrograms of these pyrolysate mutagens within a couple of minutes.     

Zellweger syndrome and a microdeletion of the proximal long arm of chromosome 7

Summary A 16-day-old girl with Zellweger syndrome and a chromosomal rearrangement, 46,XX,del(7)(q11.22q11.23), is reported. The diagnosis was confirmed by marked deficiencies of peroxisomal -oxidation enzymes and dihydroxyacetone phosphate acyltransferase activities in rectal cells and fibroblasts obtained by biopsy and in hepatic cells obtained at autopsy. This is the first report of Zellweger syndrome associated with a chromosomal arrangement, a microdeletion of chromosome 7. A tentative gene assignment to 7q11 is suggested.     

Immunologic abnormality in NZB/NZW F1 mice. Thymus-independent occurrence of B cell abnormality and requirement for T cells in the development of autoimmune disease, as evidenced by an analysis of the athymic nude individuals

Both NZB nu/+ and NZW nu/+ mice were microbially clean by cesarean section. The (NZB x NZW)F1 hybrid (NZB/W) nu/nu mice and nu/+ littermates were then generated by mating of NZB nu/+ with NZW nu/+mice under specific pathogen-free conditions. The female NZB/W F1 nu/nu mice did not develop autoimmune kidney disease, whereas all of nu/+ female littermates mice exhibited proteinuria and died of renal failure with a 50% survival time of 35 wk. Namely, nude mice had no signs of proteinuria up to the time of their death caused by other diseases rather than glomerulonephritis, and their mean survival time was greater than 45 wk. Nude mice had also no anti-ssDNA antibody in their serum. However, splenic B cells of NZB/W nude mice exhibited hyper-responsiveness to both LPS and B151-TRF2, a T cell-derived polyclonal B cell-stimulation factor, and produced large numbers of Ig-secreting cells and anti-TNP plaque-forming cells as well as anti-ssDNA antibody comparable to the nu/+ littermate mice. Interestingly, thymus-engrafted NZB/W nude mice developed autoimmune disease exemplified by the induction of anti-ssDNA antibody and proteinuria at approximately the same time as their nu/+ littermates. These results indicate that the B cell hyper-responsiveness found in NZB/W mice is apparently determined by the T cell-independent process, and T cells are obligatorily required for the development of autoimmune disease in NZB/W mice.     

Blood polymorphism in the study of isolated communities

Isolated communities offer a unique opportunity for the study of biological and social consequences of consanguinity and migration. The studies of genetic polymorphisms have contributed greatly, not only to knowledge of the genetic constitution of a given individual and population, but also to clarify either relationship between structure and function of polymorphic traits or the susceptibility to multifactorial diseases, in which interaction between the gene and environment cannot be ignored. For over 25 years, we have investigated the effect of consanguinity and genetic polymorphisms in 9 isolated communities in Western Japan. We reported here different values of gene frequency for each polymorphic trait, compared with the neighboring communities and described how we applied these data to clarification of the genetic constitution of isolated communities as well as of genetic susceptibility to some diseases.     

Isolation from a coastal fish of Vibrio hollisae capable of producing a hemolysin similar to the thermostable direct hemolysin of Vibrio parahaemolyticus

A vibrio isolated from the intestine of a coastal fish was identified as Vibrio hollisae by its biochemical characteristics. The isolate reacted with the gene probe for the thermostable direct hemolysin of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The hemolysin produced by the isolate from the fish had traits identical to those of the thermostable direct hemolysin-like hemolysin produced by a clinical strain of V. hollisae.     

Relationships between structure of nitrated arenes and their mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium; 2- and 2,7-nitro substituted fluorene, phenanthrene and pyrene

In order to elucidate the mechanisms of mutagenic activation of nitroarenes, we studied the relationships between the mutagenic potency and chemical structure of 2-nitro- and 2,7-dinitro-arenes including nitrated fluorene (Fl), dihydrophenanthrene (DHPh), phenanthrene (Ph), tetrahydropyrene (THPy), dihydropyrene (DHPy) and pyrene (Py) together with 9-NO2-Ph, 1-NO2-Py and 1.3-diNO2-Py. The mutagenicity tests were carried out on Salmonella typhimurium TA98, TA98NR and TA98/1,8-DNP6 in the absence of S9 mix. The order of mutability of mononitro- and dinitro-arenes in TA98 is as given below: 2-NO2-THPy less than 2-NO2-Fl less than 2-NO2-DHPh less than 9-NO2-Ph less than 2-NO2-Ph less than 2-NO2-DHPy less than 1-NO2-Py less than 2-NO2-Py, and 2,7-diNO2-DHPh less than 2,7-diNO2-Fl less than 2,7-diNO2-THPy less than 2,7-diNO2-Ph less than 2,7-diNO2-DHPy less than 2,7-diNO2-Py less than 1,3-diNO2-Py. 9-NO2-Ph and 1-NO2-Py, which have been detected in environmental samples, are not as potent mutagens as 2-nitrated phenanthrene and pyrene, respectively. 2-NO2THPy (37.7 rev/nmole) was a weak mutagen, but 2,7-diNO2-THPy (3197 rev/nmole) was as potent a mutagen as 2,7-diNO2 (3925 rev/nmole). Tetrahydropyrene has a twisted form in its structure. 1,3-diNO2-Py (99660 rev/nmole) was more mutagenic than 2,7-diNO2-Py (37960.0 rev/nmole), and their mutagenicities were correlated with the behavior of the K-band in their UV spectra by the introduction of nitro groups on pyrene.     

Mutagenicity modulating effect of quercetin on aromatic amines and acetamides

The effect of quercetin on the mutagenicity of 32 kinds of aromatic amines and their acetamides were investigated using Salmonella typhimurium TA98 with a mammalian metabolic activation system (S9 mix). Quercetin enhanced the mutagenicity of the tricyclic aromatic amines (aminofluorene, aminoanthracene and aminophenanthrene) and their acetamides by 1.2-5.9-fold. Whereas, quercetin depressed the mutagenicity of aniline derivatives, biphenyl derivatives, and bi- and tetra-cyclic amino derivatives. The modulation of mutagenicity of Trp-P-1, Trp-P-2, Glu-P-1 and Glu-P-2 (heterocyclic amines) by quercetin were liable to be affected by the content of S9 in the S9 mix. It seems that quercetin does not have the same effect as norharman, because quercetin did not enhance the mutagenicity of aniline. It is suggested that the modulation of the mutagenicity of aromatic amines and acetamides is caused by the modulation of the balance between the mutagenic activation and inactivation in the metabolism of these amines and acetamides in the presence of quercetin. In this modulation, quercetin may participate through its effects on the promotion of N-hydroxylation and the inhibition of arylhydroxylation and transacylation. The presence of tricyclic aromatic rings of amines and acetamides is a structural requirement for the mutagenicity enhancement by quercetin.     

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.