The tumorigenicities of benzo[a]pyrene and each optical enantiomer of the diastereomeric benzo[a]pyrene 7,8-diol-9,10-epoxides derived from trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzol[a]pyrene were tested by sequential intraperitoneal injection of mice with 1,2, and 4 nmol, or with 2, 4, and 8 nmol of each compound on the 1st, 8th, and 15th day of life, respectively. The experiment was terminated when the animals were 34--37 weeks old. (+)-7beta, 8alpha-dihydroxy-9alpha,10alpha-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzol[a]pyrene [(+)-BP-7beta,8alpha-diol-9alpha,10alpha-epoxide 2] had exceptional tumorigenicity, whereas benzo[a]-pyrene and the other three optically pure isomers of the benzo[a]pyrene 7,8-diol,9,10-epoxides had little or no activity. These results demonstrate differences in the carcinogenic activities of optically active isomers of a polycyclic hydrocarbon diol epoxide. Eleven percent of control mice had pulmonary tumors, whereas 71% and 100% of the mice treated with a total dose of 7 or 14 nmol of (+)-BP-7beta,8alpha-diol-9alpha,10alpha-epoxide 2, respectively, had pulmonary tumors. Control mice had an average of 0.12 pulmonary tumors per mouse, whereas mice treated with a total dose of 7 or 14 nmol of (+)-BP-7beta,8alpha-diol-9alpha,10alpha-epoxide 2 had 1.72 and 7.67 pulmonary tumors per mouse, respectively. Mice treated with 14 nmol of (-)-BP-7alpha,8beta-diol-9beta,10beta-epoxide 2, (-)-BP-7beta,8alpha-diol-9beta,10beta-epoxide 1, or (+)-BP-7alpha,8beta-diol-9alpha,10alpha-epoxide 1 had 0.13, 0.25, and 0.34 pulmonary tumors per animal, respectively.

No abstract

The formation, stereostructure, and cellular reactions of the 7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide metabolites of the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene have been examined after topical application of benzo[a]pyrene to the skin of mice. In this known target tissue, polymer adducts from diastereomeric diol epoxides, (+)-(7S, 8R, 9R, 10R) and (+)-(7R, 8S, 9R, 10R), were formed stereospecifically from their corresponding 7,8-dihydrodiols. Both diol epoxides bind with proteins, RNA, and DNA in vivo. For the nucleic acids, binding occurs preferentially at the 2-amino group of guanine in cellular RNA and DNA in vivo. Methods for establishing the structure of the cellular adducts as well as the possible biological implications of their formation are discussed.

No abstract

Eight nitropolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including 1- and 4-nitropyrene, 1,3-, 1,6- and 1,8-dinitropyrene, 7-nitrobenz[a]anthracene, 6-nitrochrysene and 6-nitrobenzo-[a]pyrene and their parent PAHs were tested fro tumorigenicity in the newborn mouse model by i.p. administration at 1, 8, and 15 days after birth. Both pyrene and 1-nitropyrene induced similar incidences of hepatic tumors in males, yielding a 12-15% and a 21-28% tumor incidence at total doses of 700 and 2800 nmol per mouse, respectively. Liver tumors did not occur in females and the 3-10% lung tumor yield in both sexes was similar to that found in solvent-treated controls. The presumed proximate carcinogen, 1-nitrosopyrene, administered at 700 nmol per mouse, caused liver tumors in 45% of the males and in 9% of the females. 4-Nitropyrene was more tumorigenic than pyrene or 1-nitropyrene; at a dose of 2800 nmol, it induced liver tumors in 83% of the males and 7% of the females, with a lung tumor yield of 38 and 31%, respectively. Female mice treated with 200 nmol of 1,3-, 1,6- or 1,8-dinitropyrene did not develop liver tumors but the hepatic tumor incidence in males was 20, 32 and 16%, respectively, which was significantly greater than that found in mice treated with pyrene. In male mice administered 2800 nmol of benz[a]anthracene, the hepatic tumor incidence was 79%, while treatment with 7-nitrobenz[a]anthracene showed an incidence of only 28%. Similarly, 560 nmol of benzo[a]pyrene caused a 49% liver tumor yield in males while those given 6-nitrobenzo[a]pyrene had a 28% incidence. Treatment with benzo[a]pyrene also induced a 35 and 48% lung tumor incidence in males and females while the comparable values in 6-nitrobenzo[a]pyrene-treated mice were 14 and 2%. Chrysene administered at 2800 nmol per mouse induced hepatic and lung tumors in 41% and 21% of the males, respectively; at the 700-nmol dose, it induced only liver tumors in 29% of the males and in none of the females. In contrast, treatment with 6-nitrochrysene at 700 nmol per mouse resulted in a 76 and 23% hepatic tumor incidence in males and females, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

No abstract

Photodegradation of 4"-(epimethylamino)-4"-deoxyavermectin Bu as thin films on glass, using artificial light, resulted in the formation of multiple photodegradates. Six primary degradates and two secondary degradates were identified. The primary degradates formed were 8,9-Z-4"-(epimethylamino)-4"deoxyavermectin Bu (a geometric isomer), delta 2,3-4"-(epimethylamino)-4"-deoxyavermectin Bu (a positional isomer), avermectin Bu monosaccharide, 4"-epiamino-4"-deoxyavermectin Bu, 4"-N-formyl-4"-deoxyavermectin Bu, and 4"-iV-methyl-N-formyl-4,,-deoxyavermectin Bu. The secondary degradates formed, both geometric isomers of two primary degradates, were 8,9-Z-4"-epiamino-4"deoxyavermectin Bu and 8,9-Z-4"-JV-formyl-4"-deoxyavermectin Bu. The substitution of the epi-iVmethylamino group for the hydroxyl group at the 4" position of avermectin Bu profoundly affected the formation of photodegradates in thin films reported in earlier studies.

The 12 possible monomethylbenz[a]anthracenes (MBAs) were examined for their tumor-initiating activity in the classical two-stage initiation-promotion experiment. Based on the average number of tumors/mouse, 7-MBA was the most tumorigenic compound of the series causing 4.9 papillomas/mouse at an initiating dose of 400 nmol/mouse. At this same dose level 8-MBA and 12-MBA were equally potent causing 1.0 papillomas/mouse. 6- an 9-MBAs caused -0.6 papillomas/mouse at this dose level. These data are in general agreement with previous experiments using other model systems. Of interest is the low tumorigenicity of the 1-, 2-, 3-and 4-MBAs which has been cited in support of the bay region theory of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon carcinogenesis. The tumor-initiating ability of anthracene and 9,10-dimethylanthracene was also examined. Neither of these compounds possessed tumor-initiating activity.