Aromatic and heteroaromatic amines (ArNH(2)) represent a class of potential mutagens that after being metabolically activated covalently modify DNA. Activation of ArNH(2) in many cases starts with N-hydroxylation by P450 enzymes, primarily CYP1A2. Poor understanding of structure-mutagenicity relationships of ArNH(2) limits their use in drug discovery programs. Key factors that facilitate activation of ArNH(2) are revealed by exploring their reaction intermediates in CYP1A2 using DFT calculations. On the basis of these calculations and extensive analysis of structure-mutagenicity data, we suggest that mutagenic metabolites are generated by ferric peroxo intermediate, (CYP1A2)Fe(III)-OO(-), in a three-step heterolytic mechanism. First, the distal oxygen of the oxidant abstracts proton from H-bonded ArNH(2). The subsequent proximal protonation of the resulting (CYP1A2)Fe(III)-OOH weakens both the O-O and the O-H bonds of the oxidant. Heterolytic cleavage of the O-O bond leads to N-hydroxylation of ArNH(-) via S(N)2 mechanism, whereas cleavage of the O-H bond results in release of hydroperoxy radical. Thus, our proposed reaction offers a mechanistic explanation for previous observations that metabolism of aromatic amines could cause oxidative stress. The primary drivers for mutagenic potency of ArNH(2) are (i) binding affinity of ArNH(2) in the productive binding mode within the CYP1A2 substrate cavity, (ii) resonance stabilization of the anionic forms of ArNH(2), and (iii) exothermicity of proton-assisted heterolytic cleavage of N-O bonds of hydroxylamines and their bioconjugates. This leads to a strategy for designing mutagenicity free ArNH(2): Structural alterations in ArNH(2), which disrupt geometric compatibility with CYP1A2, hinder proton abstraction, or strongly destabilize the nitrenium ion, in this order of priority, prevent genotoxicity.

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Good cell culture practice and characterization of the cell lines used are of critical importance in in vitro genotoxicity testing. The objective of this initiative was to make continuously available stocks of the characterized isolates of the most frequently used mammalian cell lines in genotoxicity testing anywhere in the world ('IVGT' cell lines). This project was organized under the auspices of the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI) Project Committee on the Relevance and Follow-up of Positive Results in In Vitro Genetic Toxicity (IVGT) Testing. First, cell isolates were identified that are as close as possible to the isolate described in the initial publications reporting their use in genotoxicity testing. The depositors of these cell lines managed their characterization and their expansion for preparing continuously available stocks of these cells that are stored at the European Collection of Cell Cultures (ECACC, UK) and the Japanese Collection of Research Bioresources (JCRB, Japan). This publication describes how the four 'IVGT' cell lines, i.e. L5178Y TK 3.7.2C, TK6, CHO-WBL and CHL/IU, were prepared for deposit at the ECACC and JCRB cell banks. Recommendations for handling these cell lines and monitoring their characteristics are also described. The growth characteristics of these cell lines (growth rates and cell cycles), their identity (karyotypes and genetic status) and ranges of background frequencies of select endpoints are also reported to help in the routine practice of genotoxicity testing using these cell lines.

Oxidative stress is the major cause of skin aging that includes wrinkles, pigmentation, and weakened wound healing ability. Application of antioxidants in skin care is well accepted as an effective approach to delay the skin aging process. Methylene blue (MB), a traditional mitochondrial-targeting antioxidant, showed a potent ROS scavenging efficacy in cultured human skin fibroblasts derived from healthy donors and from patients with progeria, a genetic premature aging disease. In comparison with other widely used general and mitochondrial-targeting antioxidants, we found that MB was more effective in stimulating skin fibroblast proliferation and delaying cellular senescence. The skin irritation test, performed on an in vitro reconstructed 3D human skin model, indicated that MB was safe for long-term use, and did not cause irritation even at high concentrations. Application of MB to this 3D skin model further demonstrated that MB improved skin viability, promoted wound healing and increased skin hydration and dermis thickness. Gene expression analysis showed that MB treatment altered the expression of a subset of extracellular matrix proteins in the skin, including upregulation of elastin and collagen 2A1, two essential components for healthy skin. Altogether, our study suggests that MB has a great potential for skin care.

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The metabolism of aromatic and heteroaromatic amines (ArNH₂) results in nitrenium ions (ArNH⁺) that modify nucleobases of DNA, primarily deoxyguanosine (dG), by forming dG-C8 adducts. The activated amine nitrogen in ArNH⁺ reacts with the C8 of dG, which gives rise to mutations in DNA. For the most mutagenic ArNH₂, including the majority of known genotoxic carcinogens, the stability of ArNH⁺ is of intermediate magnitude. To understand the origin of this observation as well as the specificity of reactions of ArNH⁺ with guanines in DNA, we investigated the chemical reactivity of the metabolically activated forms of ArNH₂, that is, ArNHOH and ArNHOAc, toward 9-methylguanine by DFT calculations. The chemical reactivity of these forms is determined by the rate constants of two consecutive reactions leading to cationic guanine intermediates. The formation of ArNH⁺ accelerates with resonance stabilization of ArNH⁺, whereas the formed ArNH⁺ reacts with guanine derivatives with the constant diffusion-limited rate until the reaction slows down when ArNH⁺ is about 20 kcal/mol more stable than PhNH⁺. At this point, ArNHOH and ArNHOAc show maximum reactivity. The lowest activation energy of the reaction of ArNH⁺ with 9-methylguanine corresponds to the charge-transfer π-stacked transition state (π-TS) that leads to the direct formation of the C8 intermediate. The predicted activation barriers of this reaction match the observed absolute rate constants for a number of ArNH⁺. We demonstrate that the mutagenic potency of ArNH₂ correlates with the rate of formation and the chemical reactivity of the metabolically activated forms toward the C8 atom of dG. On the basis of geometric consideration of the π-TS complex made of genotoxic compounds with long aromatic systems, we propose that precovalent intercalation in DNA is not an essential step in the genotoxicity pathway of ArNH₂. The mechanism-based reasoning suggests rational design strategies to avoid genotoxicity of ArNH₂ primarily by preventing N-hydroxylation of ArNH₂.

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Various methods have been used to estimate cytotoxicity in mammalian cell genotoxicity assays since their introduction more than four decades ago, and although there is no agreement on whether any single method is optimal, there is now a better appreciation of their limitations. Methods based on aspects of cellular function are inevitably inaccurate unless some estimate of cell number is included, and those using some measure of cell proliferation give different results depending on the mathematical model used. Although it would be desirable, it is not possible to provide a universal measure of cytotoxicity because the phenomenon is so complex. There is some flexibility in the limits of cytotoxicity proposed in regulatory guidelines, and it can be argued these could be even less precise. Also, to make valid comparisons of the performance of different test systems, novel or established, it would seem essential to use similar measures of cytotoxicity.