Metabolism studies of the antitumor drug etoposide show the formation of metabolites in the lactone ring, which are probably not important for the drug's mechanism of action, and oxidative transformations in the dimethoxyphenol ring (E ring), which lead to products that can cause DNA damage and may play a role in the drug's mechanism of action. The cytotoxicity of etoposide is caused by the induction of DNA damage. The occurrence of the DNA lesions can be explained by the capacity of the drug to interfere with the scission-reunion reaction of mammalian topoisomerase II by stabilizing a cleavable complex.

Formation of nitrite from ingested nitrate can result in several adverse health effects and implies a genotoxic risk as a consequence of endogenous formation of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds. We studied the formation of volatile N-nitrosamines after intake of nitrate at the acceptable daily intake (ADI) level in combination with a fish meal rich in amines as nitrosatable precursors. Twenty-five volunteers consumed this meal during 7 consecutive days; a diet low in nitrate was consumed during 1 week before and 1 week after the test week. Nitrate intake at the ADI level resulted in a significant rise in mean salivary nitrate and nitrite concentrations. Mean urinary nitrate excretion increased from 76 mg/24 hr in the first control week to 194 and 165 mg/24 hr in the test week, followed by a decline to 77 mg/24 hr in the second control week. The urine samples were analyzed for volatile N-nitrosamines, and both N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and N-nitrosopiperidine (NPIP) were detected in the samples. Mean urinary NDMA excretion significantly increased from 287 ng/24 hr in the control week to 871 and 640 ng/24 hr in the test week and declined to 383 ng/24 hr in the second control week. Excretion of NPIP was not directly related to the nitrate intake and composition of the diet. Nitrate excretion and NDMA excretion were significantly correlated, as well as salivary nitrate and nitrite concentration and NDMA excretion. We conclude that nitrate intake at the ADI level in combination with a fish meal containing nitrosatable precursors increases NDMA excretion in urine and thus demonstrates increased formation of carcinogenic N-nitrosamines.

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Reactive oxygen species (ROS), possibly produced during the metabolic conversion of benzo(a)pyrene (B[a]P), could be involved in B[a]P-induced genotoxicity and, eventually, carcinogenicity. Therefore, ROS formation by rat lung and liver microsomes was studied in vitro by electron spin resonance (ESR/EPR) spectrometry. B[a]P-mediated generation of ROS was detected in incubations with rat lung, but not with liver microsomes. Inhibition of cytochrome P450 (CYP450) by the non isoform-specific inhibitor SKF-525A resulted in a complete inhibition of B[a]P-dependent ROS formation, whereas ROS formation was not affected by inhibition of prostaglandin H synthase by indomethacin. Subsequently, bulky DNA adduct formation and 8-oxo-dG levels after a single oral dose of B[a]P were examined in vivo in rat lung and liver, in combination with urinary excretion of 8-oxodG. B[a]P exposure resulted in increased urinary 8-oxo-dG levels. On the contrary, 8-oxo-dG levels decreased in liver and lung after B[a]P exposure. Bulky DNA adducts reached higher levels and were more persistent in rat lung than in liver. These results indicate that ROS are generated during the CYP450 dependent metabolism of B[a]P, particularly in the rat lung, but this does not necessarily result in increased levels of oxidative DNA damage in vivo, possibly by induction of DNA repair mechanisms.