title: Suppression of humoral immune responses by dialkylnitrosamines: structure-activity relationships.
abstract: Comparisons between chemical structure of N,N-dialkylnitrosamine congeners and their ability to alter the Day 4 IgM antibody response to sRBC, body weights, and organ weights of female B6C3F1 mice were investigated. Short-chain nitrosamine congeners were selected for these studies on the basis of two criteria: (1) congeners with symmetrical aliphatic chain length [N-nitrosodimethylamine (DMN), N-nitrosodiethylamine (DEN), N-nitrosodipropylamine (DPN), N-nitrosodibutylamine (DBN)] and (2) congeners possessing an N-methyl group [N-nitrosomethylethylamine (MEN), N-nitrosomethylpropylamine (MPN), and N-nitrosomethylbutylamine (MBN)]. The immunotoxicity of each congener was evaluated based on the compound's ability to suppress the in vivo sRBC antibody response following 7 consecutive days of treatment. An ED50 dose was calculated, using a linear regression analysis, for each congener and represents the millimoles of congener per kilogram body weight required to cause a 50% suppression of the sRBC response. These studies demonstrated two general trends: (1) those dialkylnitrosamine congeners that possessed an N-methyl group were most immunotoxic and exhibited comparable ED50 concentrations (42-183 mumol/kg); and (2) dialkylnitrosamine congeners possessing symmetrical aliphatic chains demonstrated an inverse relationship between aliphatic chain length and immunotoxic potency--DMN (62 mumol/kg) greater than DEN (276 mumol/kg) greater than DPN (467 mumol/kg) greater than DBN (1557 mumol/kg). Comparisons were also made between the immunotoxic potency of various nitrosamine congeners in the whole animal and their potency in an in vitro hepatocyte-spleen cell coculture system.
authors: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298.
authors: N E
authors: NE
authors: Kaminski
authors: S D
authors: SD
authors: Jordan
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Page
authors: B S
authors: BS
authors: Kim
authors: M P
authors: MP
authors: Holsapple
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009602:Nitrosamines / Q000633:toxicity*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D009602:Nitrosamines