title: Tumorigenicity of nitropolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the neonatal B6C3F1 mouse bioassay and characterization of ras mutations in liver tumors from treated mice.
abstract: The nitropolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nitro-PAHs) 1-, 2-, and 3-nitrobenzo[a]pyrene, 1- and 3-nitrobenzo[e]pyrene, 2- and 3-nitrofluoranthene, 9-nitrodibenz[a,c]anthracene, and two of the parent PAHs fluoranthene and dibenz[a,c]anthracene were tested for tumorigenicity in the neonatal male B6C3F1 mouse. 6-Nitrochrysene was used as a positive control. Mice were administered three intraperitoneal injections of test agent (400 nmol total) on 1, 8, and 15 days after birth and evaluated for liver and lung tumors at 12 months of age. 2-Nitrobenzo[a]pyrene and 6-nitrochrysene induced a high incidence of liver tumors (91-100%), while the remaining test compounds did not induce tumors at a rate significantly higher than the solvent control. 6-Nitrochrysene was the only test agent to produce a significant increase in the frequency of lung tumors. K- and H-ras mutations were analyzed in liver tumors of treated mice and mainly occurred at the first base of K-ras codon 13, resulting in GGC --> CGC transversion. Since most of the tested nitro-PAHs are mutagens in vitro, the results of this study indicate that the in vitro mutagenicity of these compounds does not correlate with their tumorigenicity in the neonatal B6C3F1 mouse bioassay. Also, the results indicate that liver tumors from mice treated with nitro-PAHs possess ras mutations typical of PAHs and their derivatives.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biochemical Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA.
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Von Tungeln
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Herreno-Saenz
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Bucci
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Heflich
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000633:toxicity*; D018736:DNA Adducts / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D011905:Genes, ras; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009154:Mutation; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000633:toxicity*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens; D018736:DNA Adducts; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons