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Query: UMLS:C0596263 (carcinogenesis)
 64,820 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We have studied the effect of the chemotherapeutic drug VP-16 (etoposide) on the metabolism of HeLa cells by analysing different cellular parameters; in particular we have focused on changes in cellular morphology that are considered as markers of apoptosis. By immunofluorescence experiments we have shown that VP-16 causes the complete disruption of nucleoli and induces chromatin margination and fragmentation. Agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA from cells treated with 10-100 microM VP-16 showed the appearance of a characteristic ladder due to the internucleosomal DNA cleavage. The effect of etoposide on DNA integrity was not prevented by preincubation of cells with the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide. These results provide experimental evidence indicating that the typical features of apoptosis are visible in HeLa cells exposed to VP-16. In this experimental system we have investigated whether the ADP-ribosylation process could be regulated by the presence of DNA fragments. By means of the activity gel technique, which allows the direct evaluation of automodified poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase, we have observed that in extracts from cells where etoposide-induced DNA fragmentation occurred, the autoribosylated form of the enzyme is greatly increased. Ribosylated poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase has been isolated by affinity chromatography on boronate column from cells permeabilized and labelled with [32P]NAD. Drug exposure caused a strong augmentation of modified enzyme. These observations suggest that activation of ADP-ribosylation process occurs in cells that show the typical features of apoptosis.
Carcinogenesis 1993 Dec
PMID:The effect of the chemotherapeutic drug VP-16 on poly(ADP-ribosylation) in apoptotic HeLa cells. 826 27

4-Methyl-5-pyrazinyl-3H-1,2-dithiole-3-thione (oltipraz) and several other dithiolethiones protect against the acute toxicities of many xenobiotics and are effective inhibitors of experimental carcinogenesis. These protective effects are mediated, in part, through elevation of glutathione S-transferase, NAD(P)H: quinone reductase and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activities in the liver and other target tissues. The induction of these phase 2 enzymes by oltiprax results from enhanced transcription. In the present study, the molecular mechanisms of these inductions were analyzed utilizing a construct containing a 41 bp enhancer element derived from the 5'-upstream region of the mouse liver glutathione S-transferase Ya subunit gene ligated to the 5' end of the isolated promoter region of this gene, and inserted into a plasmid containing a human growth hormone reporter gene. When this construct was transfected into murine Hepa 1c1c7 hepatoma cells, the concentrations of 25 dithiolethiones and related analogs required to double growth hormone production were determined and spanned a range nearly three orders of magnitude. Concentrations of dithiolethiones required to double the specific activity of NAD(P)H: quinone reductase were also determined in Hepa 1c1c7 cells. There was a positive correlation (r = 0.78) between the potencies of the 21 active compounds as inducers of both NAD(P)H: quinone reductase activity and growth hormone production. Moreover, no dithiolethiones were inactive in only one system. It is probable, therefore, that the induction of NAD(P)H: quinone reductase and other phase 2 enzymes by oltipraz and other dithiolethiones is mediated entirely through the 41 bp enhancer element.
Carcinogenesis 1994 Feb
PMID:Regulation of phase 2 enzyme induction by oltipraz and other dithiolethiones. 831 5

It has been reported that several naturally occurring and related synthetic organosulfur compounds exert chemopreventive effects in several target organs in rodent models. The chemopreventive actions of 40 and 80% maximum tolerated doses (MTD) of organosulfur compounds, namely anethole trithione, diallyl disulfide, N-acetylcysteine, and taurine, administered in AIN-76A diet, on azoxymethane (AOM)-induced neoplasia were investigated in male F344 rats. Also, the effects of these agents on the activities of phase II enzymes, namely glutathione S-transferase (GST), NAD(P)H-dependent quinone reductase, and UDP-glucuronosyl transferase, in the liver and colonic mucosa and tumors were assessed. The MTD levels of anethole trithione, diallyl disulfide, N-acetylcysteine, and taurine were determined in male F344 rats and found to be 250, 250, 1500, and 1500 ppm, respectively. At 5 weeks of age, animals were fed the control diet (AIN-76A) or experimental diets containing 40 or 80% MTD levels of each test agent. All animals in each group, except those allotted for vehicle (saline) treatment, were administered AOM s.c. at a dose rate of 15 mg/kg body weight once weekly for 2 weeks. All animals were necropsied during week 52 after the second AOM injection. Colonic mucosal and tumor and liver enzyme activities were measured in animals fed 80% MTD levels of each test agent. Colon tumors were subjected to histopathological evaluation and classified as invasive or noninvasive adenocarcinomas. Colon tumor incidence (percentage of animals with tumors) and tumor multiplicity (tumors/animal) were compared among various dietary groups. The results indicated that administration of 200 ppm (80% MTD) anethole trithione significantly inhibited the incidence and multiplicity of both invasive and noninvasive adenocarcinomas, whereas feeding of 100 ppm (40% MTD) anethole trithione or 100 (40% MTD) or 200 ppm (80% MTD) diallyl disulfide suppressed only invasive adenocarcinomas of the colon. Although diets containing N-acetylcysteine and taurine inhibited colon tumor multiplicity, the effect was somewhat marginal. GST, NAD-(P)H-dependent quinone reductase, and UDP-glucuronosyl transferase activities in colonic mucosa and tumor and liver were significantly elevated in animals fed anethole trithione or diallyl disulfide, compared to those fed the control diet. N-Acetylcysteine and taurine slightly but significantly increased only the GST activity in the liver. Although other mechanisms are not excluded, inhibition of AOM-induced colon carcinogenesis by anethole trithione and diallyl disulfide may be associated, in part, with increased activities of phase II enzymes such as GST, NAD(P)H-dependent quinone reductase, and UDP-glucuronosyl transferase in the liver and colon.
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PMID:Chemoprevention of colon carcinogenesis by organosulfur compounds. 833 52

Oltipraz [5-(2-pyrazinyl)-4-methyl-1,2-dithiole-3-thione], a substituted 1,2-dithiole-3-thione, protects against the acute and chronic toxicities of many xenobiotics and prevents chemically induced carcinogenicity in several target organs of rodents. The effects of dietary oltipraz, fed during the initiation and postinitiation stages, on azoxymethane-induced colon carcinogenesis and on the levels of several detoxifying enzymes, namely, glutathione S-transferase, NAD(P)H:quinone reductase, and UDP-glucurinyl transferase activities, were studied in male F344 rats. At 5 weeks of age, groups of animals were fed the control diet (modified AIN-76A diet) or a diet containing 200 ppm (40% maximum tolerated dose) of oltipraz. At 7 weeks of age, all animals except those in the vehicle (normal saline solution)-treated groups were given two weekly s.c. injections of azoxymethane at a dose of 15 mg/kg body weight. Three days after the second injection of azoxymethane, the groups of animals fed the oltipraz diet were transferred to the control diet (termed the initiation period) and the groups of animals receiving the control diet were transferred to the oltipraz diet (termed the postinitiation period). All groups were continued on this regimen until the termination of the experiment at 52 weeks after the carcinogen treatment. Intestinal tumors were evaluated histopathologically using routine procedures. Liver, colonic mucosa, and tumors were analyzed for glutathione S-transferase, NAD(P)H:quinone reductase, and UDP-glucurinyl transferase activities. The results indicate that oltipraz administered during the initiation stage significantly inhibited the incidence and multiplicity of invasive adenocarcinomas of the colon (P < 0.001), as well as the multiplicity of invasive and noninvasive adenocarcinomas (P < 0.01). Feeding of oltipraz during the postinitiation phase completely suppressed the formation of invasive adenocarcinomas (P < 0.0001) and significantly inhibited the formation of noninvasive and total adenocarcinomas, as well as the multiplicity (tumors/tumor-bearing animal, P < 0.001). Furthermore, oltipraz significantly suppressed the tumor volume when administered during the initiation phase (> 80%) or the postinitiation (> 93%) phase. Animals fed the oltipraz diet during the postinitiation stage showed increased levels of glutathione S-transferase, NAD(P)H:quinone reductase, and UDP-glucurinyl transferase activities (2-6-fold). Although the precise mechanism by which oltipraz inhibits colon tumor initiation and/or promotion remains to be elucidated, it is likely that the effect during the initiation stage may be due to an alteration of carcinogen metabolism.
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PMID:Chemopreventive effect of oltipraz during different stages of experimental colon carcinogenesis induced by azoxymethane in male F344 rats. 849 12

N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), but not N-nitroso-N-methylurea (MNU) was more mutagenic in the Salmonella hisG428 strain, TA104, than in the hisG46 strain, TA100 in the presence of rat or hamster liver S-9 mix. As both NMDA and MNU can give rise to methyldiazonium ion (MDI) it appears that NDMA can be metabolized to an additional mutagen with a higher activity in TA104. The effects of UV and error-prone repair on NDMA and MNU-induced mutagenesis in TA104 were also different. alpha-Acetoxy-NDMA, which gives rise to the NDMA metabolite, alpha-hydroxy-NDMA, was more mutagenic in TA104 than TA100, under certain conditions. Several metabolites of NDMA (formaldehyde, 1,1-dimethylhydrazine and nitrite) were not significantly mutagenic at the concentrations that could have been generated from NDMA. It was previously reported that the microsomal-mediated mutagenesis induced by NDMA is greatly increased by cytosol in TA104, but not in TA100. The current study found that when cytosol was separated into a high and a low mol. wt fraction, neither greatly enhanced microsomal-mediated mutagenesis by NDMA in TA104. Addition of NAD to the high, but not the low mol. wt fraction resulted in greatly enhanced activation of NDMA to a mutagen in TA104. The enhancement by cytosol of NDMA-induced mutagenesis in hisG428 was only observed when both microsomes and cytosol were simultaneously present. These observations indicate that (i) the precursor to the ultimate mutagen is relatively short-lived; and (ii) the metabolism of alpha-hydroxy-NDMA to a secondary mutagenic metabolite, possibly N-nitroso-N-methylformamide, by alcohol dehydrogenase may be responsible for the ultimate mutagen with relatively high activity in TA104.
Carcinogenesis 1993 May
PMID:Effects of cytosol on mutagenesis induced by N-nitrosodimethylamine, N-nitrosomethylurea and alpha-acetoxy-N-nitrosodimethylamine in different strains of Salmonella: evidence for different ultimate mutagens from N-nitrosodimethylamine. 850 62

Our understanding of the role of ADP-ribose polymer metabolism in limiting carcinogenic events and the dependence of this metabolism on cellular NAD levels predicts that niacin deficiency leading to reduced NAD levels may enhance carcinogenesis. This prediction has led us to initiate studies to evaluate the potential of niacin as a preventive factor in human cancer. The first approach involves development of a method to assess biochemically niacin status in humans using intracellular NAD derived from whole blood, primarily erythrocytes, as the relevant marker of niacin status. We have shown that erythrocyte NAD content varies by as much as 12-fold within a population and can be modulated readily by supplementation. A second approach to testing this hypothesis involves understanding the relationship of dietary niacin, circulating levels of NAD precursors (nicotinamide and nicotinic acid) and NAD in target tissues for human cancer. Current analytical methods for quantification of plasma levels of nicotinic acid and nicotinamide following intake in the dietary range are not sufficient. Thus, we have developed a GC-MS method for the rapid, sensitive, and selective determination of both nicotinamide and nicotinic acid in plasma. These methods will now allow assessment of niacin metabolism in humans that could lead to a new understanding of niacin in prevention of cancer.
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PMID:Evaluating the role of niacin in human carcinogenesis. 852 95

Ellagic acid is a complex planar molecule which demonstrates a variety of anticarcinogenic activities. Ellagic acid has been shown to inhibit the CYP1A1-dependent activation of benzo[a]pyrene; to bind to and detoxify the diolepoxide of benzo[a]pyrene; to bind to DNA and reduce the formation of O6-methylguanine by methylating carcinogens; and to induce the phase II detoxification enzymes glutathione S-transferase Ya and NAD(P)H:quinone reductase. Chemical analogs of ellagic acid were synthesized to examine the relationship between the hydroxyl and lactone groups of the ellagic acid molecule and its different anticarcinogenic activities. These studies demonstrated that both the 3-hydroxyl and the 4-hydroxyl groups were required for ellagic acid to directly detoxify the diolepoxide of benzo[a]pyrene, while only the 4-hydroxyl groups were necessary for ellagic acid to inhibit CYP1A1-dependent benzo[a]pyrene hydroxylase activity. Induction of glutathione S-transferase Ya and NAD(P):quinone reductase required the lactone groups of ellagic acid, but the hydroxyl groups were not required for the induction of these phase II enzymes. In addition, the lactone groups, but not the hydroxyl groups, were required for the analogs to reduce the carcinogen-induced formation of O6-methylguanine. Thus, different portions of the ellagic acid molecule are responsible for its different putative anticarcinogenic activities.
Carcinogenesis 1996 Feb
PMID:Structure-function relationships of the dietary anticarcinogen ellagic acid. 862 48

Ellagic acid (EA), a naturally occurring plant polyphenol possesses broad chemoprotective properties. Dietary EA has been shown to reduce the incidence of N-2-fluorenylacetamide-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats and N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine (NMBA)-induced rat esophageal tumors. In this study changes in the expression and activities of specific rat hepatic and esophageal mucosal cytochromes P450 (P450) and phase II enzymes following dietary EA treatment were investigated. Liver and esophageal mucosal microsomes and cytosol were prepared from three groups of Fisher 344 rats which were fed an AIN-76 diet containing no EA or 0.4 or 4.0 g/kg EA for 23 days. In the liver total P450 content decreased by up to 25% and P450 2E1-catalyzed p-nitrophenol hydroxylation decreased by 15%. No changes were observed in P450 1A1, 2B1 or 3A1/2 expression or activities or cytochrome b5 activity. P450 reductase activity decreased by up to 28%. Microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) expression decreased by up to 85% after EA treatment, but mEH activities did not change. The hepatic phase II enzymes glutathione S-transferase (GST), NAD(P)H:quinone reductase [NAD-(P)H:QR] and UDP glucuronosyltransferase (UDPGT) activities increased by up to 26, 17 and 75% respectively. Assays for specific forms of GST indicated marked increases in the activities of isozymes 2-2 (190%), 4-4 (150%) and 5-5 (82%). In the rat esophageal mucosa only P450 1A1 could be detected by Western blot analysis and androstendione was the only P450 metabolite of testosterone detectable. However, there were no differences in the expression of P450 1A1, the formation of androstendione or NAD(P)H:QR activities between control and EA-fed rats in the esophagus. Although there was no significant decrease in overall GST activity, as measured with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), there was a significant decrease in the activity of the 2-2 isozyme (66% of control). In vitro incubations showed that EA at a concentration of 100 microM inhibited P450 2E1, 1A1 and 2B1 activities by 87, 55 and 18% respectively, but did not affect 3A1/2 activity. Using standard steady-state kinetic analyses, EA was shown to be a potent non-competitive inhibitor of both liver microsomal ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase and p-nitrophenol hydroxylase activities, with apparent Ki values of approximately 55 and 14 microM respectively. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that EA causes a decrease in total hepatic P450 with a significant effect on hepatic P450 2E1, increases some hepatic phase II enzyme activities [GST, NAD-(P)H:QR and UDPGT] and decreases hepatic mEH expression. It also inhibits the catalytic activity of some P450 isozymes in vitro. Thus the chemoprotective effect of EA against various chemically induced cancers may involve decreases in the rates of metabolism of these carcinogens by phase I enzymes, due to both direct inhibition of catalytic activity and modulation of gene expression, in addition to effects on the expression of phase II enzymes, thereby enhancing the ability of the target tissues to detoxify the reactive intermediates.
Carcinogenesis 1996 Apr
PMID:The effects of dietary ellagic acid on rat hepatic and esophageal mucosal cytochromes P450 and phase II enzymes. 862 97

Age-adjusted incidence rates for lung cancer are significantly lower for Hispanics compared with non-Hispanic whites or African-Americans; differences in genetic susceptibility have been postulated as one explanation for these ethnic differences. Recently, a polymorphism of the gene encoding NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) has been described. NQO1 is a cytosolic enzyme catalyzing the two-electron reduction of quinone substrates, which is thought to be involved in both metabolic activation and detoxification of carcinogenic agents that could be involved in lung carcinogenesis. The polymorphic variant of the gene (a C-to-T transition at base pair 609) is associated with reduced NQO1 activity and resistance to anticancer agents requiring reductive activation. We studied 177 untreated lung cancer cases and 297 community controls, examining the prevalence of the NQO1 wild-type and variant alleles to assess whether the polymorphism was associated with lung cancer. Cases and controls were individuals of Mexican-American (n = 222) or African. American (n = 252) ethnicity recruited from the Houston and San Antonio areas. Overall cases were more likely to carry two copies of the wild-type NQO1 allele compared with controls (odds ratio, 1.79; P = 0.002). When cases and controls were stratified by ethnicity, the wild-type genotype was found to be approximately 2-fold more common among African-Americans (P < 0.001) than among Mexican-Americans. Multivariate analyses indicated a significant association of the wild-type genotype with lung cancer risk after controlling for the effects of age, gender, ethnicity, and smoking status (odds ratio, 1.80; 95% CI:1.09-2.97; P = 0.02). These results indicate a significant ethnic variation in the occurrence of the NQO1 base pair 609 transition and demonstrate an association of the wild-type genotype with lung cancer risk. Given the known role of NQO1 in the activation of potential lung carcinogens, the NQO1 polymorphism should be investigated further as a possible genetic risk factor for lung cancer among minority populations.
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PMID:Lung cancer in Mexican-Americans and African-Americans is associated with the wild-type genotype of the NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase polymorphism. 903 58

There is a clear association between excessive exposure to estrogens and the development of cancer in several tissues including breast and endometrium. The risk factors for women developing these cancers are all associated with longer estrogen exposure, as may be facilitated by early menses, late menopause and long-term estrogen replacement therapy. Equilenin (1,3,5(10),6,8-estrapentaen-3-ol-17-one) or its 17-hydroxylated analogs make up 15% of the most widely prescribed estrogen replacement formulation, Premarin, and yet there is very little information on the human metabolism of these estrogens. In this study, we synthesized the catechol metabolite of equilenin, 4-hydroxyequilenin, and examined how aromatization of the B ring affects the formation and reactivity of the o-quinone (3,5-cyclohexadien-1,2-dione). 4-Hydroxyequilenin-o-quinone is much more redox-active and longer-lived than the endogenous catechol estrone-o-quinones, which suggests that the mechanism(s) of toxicity of the former could be quite different. Interestingly, the rate of reduction of the 4-hydroxyequilenin-o-quinone is increased at least 13-fold in the presence of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (DT-diaphorase). Once NADH is consumed however, the catechol auto-oxidized rapidly to the o-quinone. NADH consumption was accompanied by dicumarol-sensitive oxygen uptake both with the purified enzyme and with cytosol from human melanoma cells with high levels of DT-diaphorase activity. P450 reductase and rat liver microsomes also catalyzed NADPH consumption and oxygen uptake. 4-Hydroxyestrone-o-quinone was also rapidly reduced by NAD(P)H; however, this o-quinone does not auto-oxidize and once the o-quinone is reduced the reaction terminates. Including oxidative enzymes in the incubation completes the redox couple and 4-hydroxyestrone-o-quinone behaves like 4-hydroxyequilenin-o-quinone. These data suggest that reduction of estrogen-o-quinones may not result in detoxification. Instead this could represent a cytotoxic mechanism involving consumption of reducing equivalents (NADH/NADPH) as well as formation of superoxide and other reactive oxygen species leading to oxidative stress. Finally, we have compared the cytotoxicity of 4-hydroxyequilenin with that of the estrone catechols in human melanoma cells. 4-Hydroxyequilenin is 5-fold more toxic in these cells compared with 4-hydroxyestrone (ED50 = 7.8 versus 38 microM, respectively) suggesting that formation of the longer-lived redox-active 4-hydroxyequilenin-o-quinone was responsible for the cytotoxic differences. These results substantiate the conclusion that the involvement of quinoids in catechol estrogen toxicity depends on a combination of the rate of formation of the o-quinone, the lifetime of the o-quinone, and the electrophilic/redox reactivity of the quinoids.
Carcinogenesis 1997 May
PMID:Bioreductive activation of catechol estrogen-ortho-quinones: aromatization of the B ring in 4-hydroxyequilenin markedly alters quinoid formation and reactivity. 916 1


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