Nitroarenes are postulated to play a principal part among mutagens/carcinogens which are induced in the combustion process and, in addition, are widely distributed in the environment. This review deals with the following points concerning nitroarene toxicity. Data on the mutagenicity of nitroarenes obtained by short-term bioassays are expected to provide us with sufficient information for us to determine their genotoxicity and carcinogenicity. Therefore, mutagenicity detected with Salmonella, Escherichia, and yeast test systems is discussed. Genotoxicity in mammalian cells is also important for determining the mutagenic properties of nitroarenes. In this article, mutagenicity in Chinese hamster ovary cells, sister chromatid exchanges, and cell transformation is summarized. The metabolism of nitroarenes in vivo and in vitro is of importance for determining their behavior and active forms. Therefore, current studies regarding metabolism of nitroarenes are described. Carcinogenicity of nitroarenes for animals has been reported by many workers. In this review, the incidence and histological features of tumors induced by nitroarenes are described. Furthermore, the possible association between human lung cancer and nitroarenes is discussed. Sources of nitroarenes in the environment are given. The results of various chemical tests for identifying nitroarenes are summarized, and speculation on the risk of nitroarenes for humans is presented.

No abstract

Fullerene C60 dissolved in polyvinylpyrrolidone was mutagenic for Salmonella strains TA102, TA104 and YG3003 in the presence of rat liver microsomes when it was irradiated by visible light. The mutagenicity was elevated in strain YG3003, a repair enzyme-deficient mutant of TA102. The mutation was reduced in the presence of beta-carotene and parabromophenacyl bromide, a scavenger and an inhibitor, respectively, of phospholipase. The results suggest that singlet oxygen was generated by irradiating the C60 by visible light and that the mutagenicity was due to oxidized phospholipids in rat liver microsomes. Of the phospholipids in rat liver microsomes, the linoleate fraction isolated by high performance liquid chromatography was a major component, and played an important role in mutagenicity. Methyl linoleate, which was prepared for gas chromatographic analysis, was readily oxidized to hydroperoxymethyl linoleate, and associated with both 10- and 12-hydroxyl derivatives with a double bond in chemical structure by singlet oxygen: radicals to the hydroxyl function were probably generated. Because of the instability of the hydroxymethyl linoleate radicals, guanine residues generated radicals. The results of ESR spectrum analysis suggested generation of radicals at the guanine base but not thymine, cytosine and adenine bases as estimated with the g value of 2.0150. On the other hand, the singlet oxygen-generating C60 formed 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) upon treatment with 2' deoxyguanosine and microsomes or linoleate. The formation of 8-OH-dG was highly elevated in the presence of microsomes and linoleate. The level of 8-OH-dG formed with and without the microsome fraction was 47 and 9.6 units, respectively, per 10(4) deoxyguanosine. It was considered that the mechanism is indirect action of singlet oxygen due to lipid peroxidation of linoleate that causes oxidative DNA damage.

To elucidate a relationship between lung cancer and tumor induction of environmental chemicals, the presence of 1-nitropyrene (1-NP) and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) in 137 Japanese (97 male and 40 female), and 21 Chinese lung specimens was examined by HPLC, and GC-MS and environmental exposure discussed. Mortality due to lung cancer in Fuyuan County, China, is much higher than that of other cancers. We investigated 21 patients who were residents of Fuyuan County. All were female aged 28-64 years and were non-smoking farmers and cooks. The histological features of the tumors were adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and small cell carcinoma. The incidence of cancer was due to inhaling soot from the combustion of coal used for cooking and indoor heating. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, chrysene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, B[a]P, benzo[g,h,i]perylene and pyrene, but not their nitrated derivatives, were detected in substantial amounts in the resected lungs. These mutagens and carcinogens normally originate in combustion products of coal, and are discussed as the possible initiators of the tumors in the lungs of these patients. All the Japanese lung specimens were also obtained from non-smokers. The concentrations of 1-NP averaged 21.3 +/- 12.4 and 5.9 +/- 2.4 pg/g of Japanese and Chinese samples respectively. The concentrations of B[a]P averaged 180.2 +/- 103.7 and 608.7 +/- 477.1 pg/g of Japanese and Chinese samples respectively. Thus, Japanese and Chinese lung specimens were mainly contaminated by 1-NP and B[a]P, respectively. Typical tissues from a carcinomatous human lung were examined. The patient was a 64-year-old Japanese male non-smoker and farmer who had raised chickens over a period of 40 years. The histological features of the tumor were those of keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma. 1-Nitropyrene, 1-nitro-3-hydroxypyrene, 1,3-dinitropyrene and chrysene were detected at concentrations of 0.11, 0.036, 0.095 and 0.16 ng respectively per gram of lung tissue. This cancer was due to long-term exposure to the combustion products of heavy oil used in a chicken house.