title: Caffeine potentiates the formation of micronuclei caused by environmental chemical carcinogens in V79 Chinese hamster cells.
abstract: The effect of caffeine on the genotoxicity of several carcinogenic compounds representing various classes of chemicals was investigated in a panel of V79 Chinese hamster cells genetically engineered to express cytochromes P4501A1 and P4501A2 and differing in their expression of N-acetyltransferases. The formation of micronuclei served as genetic endpoint. The results show that caffeine increases the number of micronuclei induced by 2-aminoanthracene several fold in the test cell lines. The lowest concentration of caffeine enhancing 2-aminoanthracene-induced genotoxicity was 100 nM. Caffeine also potentiated the genotoxicity of aflatoxin B1, 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]-quinoline. N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, 1,6-dinitropyrene, and 7,8-diol-benzo[a]pyrene. Overall, caffeine lowered the effective genotoxic concentrations of these agents by a factor of about three. In contrast, the genotoxic effect of 4-(N-methyl-N-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone is markedly decreased in the presence of caffeine. The results indicate that caffeine may modulate the genotoxicity of chemical carcinogens by different mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health, Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kiefer
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Wiebel
mesh_terms: D016604:Aflatoxin B1 / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D000873:Anthracenes / Q000633:toxicity; D002110:Caffeine / Q000633:toxicity*; D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental / Q000633:toxicity*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000378:metabolism; D019388:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A2 / Q000378:metabolism; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects; D008769:Methylnitronitrosoguanidine / Q000633:toxicity; D048629:Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective / Q000187:drug effects*; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity; D009602:Nitrosamines / Q000633:toxicity; D011721:Pyrenes / Q000633:toxicity; D011804:Quinolines / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D000873:Anthracenes; D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental; D009153:Mutagens; D009602:Nitrosamines; D011721:Pyrenes; D011804:Quinolines; D008769:Methylnitronitrosoguanidine; C029216:2-amino-3-methylimidazo(4,5-f)quinoline; D002110:Caffeine; C033309:1,6-dinitropyrene; C016583:4-(N-methyl-N-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone; C006593:2-anthramine; D016604:Aflatoxin B1; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1; D019388:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A2