Acetaldehyde is a mutagen and carcinogen which occurs widely in the human environment, sometimes in considerable amounts, but little is known about its reactions with DNA. In this study, we identified three new types of stable acetaldehyde DNA adducts, including an interstrand cross-link. These were formed in addition to the previously characterized N(2)-ethylidenedeoxyguanosine. Acetaldehyde was allowed to react with calf thymus DNA or deoxyguanosine. The DNA was isolated and hydrolyzed enzymatically; in some cases, the DNA was first treated with NaBH(3)CN. Reaction mixtures were analyzed by HPLC, and adducts were isolated and characterized by UV, (1)H NMR, and MS. The major adduct was N(2)-ethylidenedeoxyguanosine (1), which was identified as N(2)-ethyldeoxyguanosine (7) after treatment of the DNA with NaBH(3)CN. The new acetaldehyde adducts were 3-(2-deoxyribos-1-yl)-5,6,7, 8-tetrahydro-8-hydroxy-6-methylpyrimido[1,2-a]purine-10(3H)one (9), 3-(2-deoxyribos-1-yl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-8-(N(2)-deoxyguanosyl+ ++)- 6-methylpyrimido[1,2-a]purine-10(3H)one (12), and N(2)-(2, 6-dimethyl-1,3-dioxan-4-yl)deoxyguanosine (11). Adduct 9 has been previously identified in reactions of crotonaldehyde with DNA. However, the distribution of diastereomers was different in the acetaldehyde and crotonaldehyde reactions, indicating that the formation of 9 from acetaldehyde does not proceed through crotonaldehyde. Adduct 12 is an interstrand cross-link. Although previous evidence indicates the formation of cross-links in DNA reacted with acetaldehyde, this is the first reported structural characterization of such an adduct. This adduct is also found in crotonaldehyde-deoxyguanosine reactions, but in a diastereomeric ratio different than that observed here. A common intermediate, N(2)-(4-oxobut-2-yl)deoxyguanosine (6), is proposed to be involved in formation of adducts 9 and 12. Adduct 11 is produced ultimately from 3-hydroxybutanal, the major aldol condensation product of acetaldehyde. Levels of adducts 9, 11, and 12 were less than 10% of those of N(2)-ethylidenedeoxyguanosine (1) in reactions of acetaldehyde with DNA. As nucleosides, adducts 9, 11, and 12 were stable, whereas N(2)-ethylidenedeoxyguanosine (1) had a half-life of 5 min. These new stable adducts of acetaldehyde may be involved in determination of its mutagenic and carcinogenic properties.

3-(Methylnitrosamino)propionaldehyde (MNPA) is a carcinogenic nitrosamine formed by nitrosation of arecoline, a major alkaloid in areca nut which is a constituent of betel quid. While DNA adducts of its analogue, 3-(methylnitrosamino)propionitrile, have been characterized, little is known about the structures of DNA adducts by MNPA. In this paper, we report that the acrolein-derived 1,N2-propanoguanine adducts are formed upon incubating deoxyguanosine or DNA with 3-(N-carbethoxy-N-nitrosamino)propionaldehyde, a stable carbamate precursor of the metabolically activated MNPA. The identities of these adducts were confirmed by HPLC co-migration, by their NMR and UV spectra, and by chemical properties as compared with those of the synthetic standards. Analogous results were obtained from the reaction of the carbamate with calf thymus DNA. Upon acid or enzyme hydrolysis of the carbamate-modified DNA, acrolein-guanine adducts were detected, and the levels were quantitated. Again, the identities of the adducts were verified by co-chromatography with the standards, by UV spectroscopy, or by the ring-opening with NaOH/NaBH4. Consistent with its ability to modify DNA, the carbamate was found to be mutagenic in Salmonella tester strains. These results show that acrolein is a likely metabolite from the activation of MNPA and that the formation of 1,N2-propanoguanine adducts may contribute to the mutagenicity of the carbamate of MNPA.

The tobacco-specific nitrosamines N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN, 1) and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK, 2) are potent carcinogens in rodents. Bioactivation of NNN and NNK by cytochrome P450 enzymes generates a pyridyloxobutylating agent 6, which alkylates DNA to produce pyridyloxobutyl (POB)-DNA adducts. POB-DNA adduct formation plays a critical role in NNN and NNK carcinogenicity in rodents. To further investigate the significance of this pathway, we developed a high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS) method for quantitative analysis of four POB-DNA adducts with known structures. The corresponding deuterated analogues were synthesized and used as internal standards. DNA samples, spiked with internal standards, were subjected to neutral thermal hydrolysis followed by enzymatic hydrolysis. The hydrolysates were partially purified by solid phase extraction prior to HPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis. The method was accurate and precise. Excellent sensitivity was achieved, especially for O2-[4-(3-pyridyl)-4-oxobut-1-yl]thymidine (O2-POB-dThd, 11) with a detection limit of 100 amol per mg DNA. DNA samples treated with different concentrations of 4-(acetoxymethylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNKOAc, 3) were subjected to HPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis. 7-[4-(3-Pyridyl)-4-oxobut-1-yl]guanine (7-POB-Gua, 12) was the most abundant adduct, followed by O6-[4-(3-pyridyl)-4-oxobut-1-yl]-2'-deoxyguanosine (O6-POB-dGuo, 8), O2-POB-dThd, and O2-[4-(3-pyridyl)-4-oxobut-1-yl]cytosine (O2-POB-Cyt, 13). Lung and liver DNA isolated from NNK-treated rats were analyzed. Consistent with the in vitro data, 7-POB-Gua was the major POB-DNA adduct formed in vivo. However, levels of O6-POB-dGuo were the lowest of the four adducts analyzed, suggesting efficient repair of this adduct in vivo. In contrast to the other three adducts, O6-POB-dGuo was more abundant in lung than in liver. O2-POB-dThd appeared to be poorly repaired in vivo, and its levels were comparable to those of 7-POB-Gua. The results of this study provide a sensitive HPLC-ESI-MS/MS method for comprehensive quantitation of four POB-DNA adducts, support an important role of O6-POB-dGuo in NNK lung tumorigenicity in rats, and suggest that O2-POB-dThd may be a useful tobacco-specific DNA biomarker for future tobacco carcinogenesis studies.

Acrolein, a widely distributed environmental pollutant, reacts with dGuo in DNA to form two pairs of 1,N2-propano-dGuo adducts: (6R/S)-3-(2'-deoxyribos-1'-yl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-6-hydroxypyrimido[1,2-a]purine-10(3H)one (alpha-OH-Acr-dGuo) and (8R/S)-3-(2'-deoxyribos-1'-yl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-8-hydroxypyrimido[1,2-a]purine-10(3H)one (gamma-OH-Acr-dGuo). alpha-OH-Acr-dGuo is more mutagenic and mainly induces G --> T transversions. A recent study demonstrated that acrolein-DNA adducts are preferentially formed in p53 mutational hotspots in human lung cancer, but there are no reports on the presence of these adducts in the human lung. To directly investigate this question, we have developed a sensitive and specific liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) method for the quantitative analysis of Acr-dGuo adducts in DNA. Our method is based on the enzymatic hydrolysis of DNA isolated from the human lung in the presence of [13C10,15N5]Acr-dGuo as internal standards. Acr-dGuo adducts are enriched from the hydrolysates by solid-phase extraction and analyzed by LC-ESI-MS/MS using selected reaction monitoring. The method is accurate and precise, and the identity of the adducts was confirmed by monitoring different transitions from the same parent ion and by carrying out reactions with NaOH and NaBH4, which produced N2-(3-hydroxypropyl)-dGuo or 1,N2-(1,3-propano)-dGuo from gamma-OH-Acr-dGuo and alpha-OH-Acr-dGuo, respectively. Thirty DNA samples from lung tissue were analyzed, and Acr-dGuo adducts were detected in all samples. Both alpha-OH- and gamma-OH-Acr-dGuo were observed in most of the samples; total adduct concentrations ranged from 16-209 adducts/109 nucleotides. These results demonstrate for the first time that both types of Acr-dGuo adducts are present in human lung DNA. There was no difference in adduct levels between current and ex-smokers. Collectively, the results support a plausible role for acrolein as one cause of p53 mutations in the human lung.

Acetaldehyde, an ubiquitous mutagen and carcinogen, could be involved in human cancer etiology. Because DNA adducts are important in carcinogenesis, we have used liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) to explore the presence in human liver DNA of the major acetaldehyde DNA adduct, N2-ethylidenedeoxyguanosine (1). DNA was isolated and enzymatically hydrolyzed in the presence of NaBH3CN, which quantitatively converts adduct 1 to N2-ethyldeoxyguanosine (N2-ethyl-dGuo, 2). [15N5]N2-Ethyl-dGuo was synthesized and used as an internal standard. Adduct 2 was enriched from the hydrolysate by solid phase extraction and analyzed by LC-ESI-MS/MS. Clear peaks were observed for adduct 2 in analyses of human liver DNA, calf thymus DNA, and rat liver DNA. These peaks were not observed, or were much smaller, when the NaBH3CN step was omitted. When the DNA was subjected to neutral thermal hydrolysis prior to NaBH3CN treatment, adduct 2 was not observed. Control experiments using [13C2]acetaldehyde demonstrated that adducts 1 and 2 were not formed as artifacts during DNA isolation and analysis. These results strongly indicate that adduct 1 is present in human liver DNA and demonstrate that it can be quantified as adduct 2. Levels of adduct 2 measured in 12 human liver samples were 534 +/- 245 fmol/micromol dGuo (mean +/- SD). The results of this study establish the presence of an acetaldehyde adduct in human liver DNA and suggest that it is a commonly occurring endogenous DNA adduct.

3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2017;46:740-750.

4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is metabolized to enantiomers of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL), found in the urine of virtually all people exposed to tobacco products. We assessed the carcinogenicity in male F-344 rats of (R)-NNAL (5 ppm in drinking water), (S)-NNAL (5 ppm), NNK (5 ppm) and racemic NNAL (10 ppm) and analyzed DNA adduct formation in lung and pancreas of these rats after 10, 30, 50 and 70 weeks of treatment. All test compounds induced a high incidence of lung tumors, both adenomas and carcinomas. NNK and racemic NNAL were most potent; (R)-NNAL and (S)-NNAL had equivalent activity. Metastasis was observed from primary pulmonary carcinomas to the pancreas, particularly in the racemic NNAL group. DNA adducts analyzed were O (2)-[4-(3-pyridyl)-4-oxobut-1-yl]thymidine (O (2)-POB-dThd), 7-[4-(3-pyridyl)-4-oxobut-1-yl]guanine(7-POB-Gua),O (6)-[4-(3-pyridyl)-4-oxobut-1-yl]deoxyguanosine(O (6)-POB-dGuo),the 4-(3-pyridyl)-4-hydroxybut-1-yl(PHB)adductsO (2)-PHB-dThd and 7-PHB-Gua, O (6)-methylguanine (O (6)-Me-Gua) and 4-hydroxy-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (HPB)-releasing adducts. Adduct levels significantly decreased with time in the lungs of rats treated with NNK. Pulmonary POB-DNA adducts and O (6)-Me-Gua were similar in rats treated with NNK and (S)-NNAL; both were significantly greater than in the (R)-NNAL rats. In contrast, pulmonary PHB-DNA adduct levels were greatest in the rats treated with (R)-NNAL. Total pulmonary DNA adduct levels were similar in (S)-NNAL and (R)-NNAL rats. Similar trends were observed for DNA adducts in the pancreas, but adduct levels were significantly lower than in the lung. The results of this study clearly demonstrate the potent pulmonary carcinogenicity of both enantiomers of NNAL in rats and provide important new information regarding DNA damage by these compounds in lung and pancreas.

The tobacco specific carcinogens 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) and N‘-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) are metabolically activated to 4-oxo-4-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanediazohydroxide (7), which is known to pyridyloxobutylate DNA. A substantial proportion of the adducts in this DNA releases 4-hydroxy-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (HPB, 11) under various hydrolysis conditions, including neutral thermal hydrolysis. These HPB-releasing DNA adducts have been detected in target tissues of animals treated with NNK and NNN as well as in lung tissue from smokers. Although their presence in pyridyloxobutylated DNA was conclusively demonstrated 15 years ago, their structures have not been previously determined. We investigated this question in the present study by determining the structures of products formed in reactions with dGuo and DNA of 4-(acetoxymethylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNKCH2OAc, 3), a stable precursor to 7. Reaction mixtures from NNKCH2OAc and dGuo were analyzed by liquid chromatography−electrospray ionization−mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) with selected ion monitoring at m/z 415. A major peak was detected and identified as 7-[4-oxo-4-(3-pyridyl)but-1-yl]dGuo (37) by its ESI-MS fragmentation pattern and by neutral thermal hydrolysis, which converted it to 11 and 7-[4-oxo-4-(3-pyridyl)but-1-yl]Gua (26). The latter was identified by comparison to synthetic 26 using LC-ESI-MS with selected ion monitoring at m/z 299, M + 1 of 26. Further evidence was obtained by NaBH4 reduction of 26 to 7-[4-hydroxy-4-(3-pyridyl)but-1-yl]Gua, which was also matched with a standard. Adduct 37 was similarly identified in enzyme hydrolysates of DNA reacted with NNKCH2OAc, accounting for 30−35% of the HPB-releasing adducts in this DNA. Several other adducts resulting from pyridyloxobutylation of the N 2- and O 6-positions of Gua were also identified as products in the dGuo or DNA reactions by comparison to standards; their concentrations were considerably less than that of 37. These adducts were N 2-[4-oxo-4-(3-pyridyl)but-1-yl]dGuo (23), N 2-[4-oxo-4-(3-pyridyl)but-2-yl]dGuo (25), N 2-[2-(3-pyridyl)tetrahydrofuran-2-yl]dGuo (31a) (or its open chain tautomer 31b), and O 6-[4-oxo-4-(3-pyridyl)but-1-yl]dGuo (10). Adducts 23, 25, and 10 did not release HPB upon neutral thermal hydrolysis. The results of this study provide the first structural identification of an HPB-releasing DNA adduct of the tobacco specific nitrosamines NNK and NNN.