title: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon/metal mixtures: effect on PAH induction of CYP1A1 in human HEPG2 cells.
abstract: Environmental polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metals coexist, and such mixtures could affect the carcinogenicity of PAHs, possibly by modification of PAH induction of the PAH-bioactivating CYP1A. The effect on PAH-mediated CYP1A induction of arsenic, lead, mercury, or cadmium (ranked as the most hazardous environmental metals by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry) has thus been investigated. Induction of CYP1A1 by benzo[a]pyrene (BAP), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BBF), dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (DBAHA), benzo[a]anthracene (BAA), or benzo[k]fluoranthene (BKF) was probed by ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity (EROD) in 96-well plates of human HepG2 cells, by immunoblot analysis, and by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Cells rapidly took up PAHs (BAP, BKF) from medium; by 24 h only 14% remained in the medium, and no detectable PAH bound to well walls. Induction efficiency (relative to dimethyl sulfoxide controls) was in the order BKF (16-fold) > DBAHA (14-fold) > BAA (4-fold) > BAP (3-fold) > BBF (1-fold), all at 5 microM PAH. The metals did not markedly affect cell viability at concentrations of arsenic, 5 microM; lead, 50 microM; mercury, 5 microM; and cadmium, 5 microM. At 5 microM PAH concentration, all of the metals decreased levels of PAH-induced CYP1A1 activities (direct inhibition of EROD activity was excluded) by variable extents and in a PAH-dependent manner. With BAP as inducer decreases in induction were arsenic, 57%; cadmium, 82%; mercury, 4%; and lead, 20%. The decreases were not a consequence of transcriptional down-regulation. One possible conclusion is that these metals could diminish PAH carcinogenic potential by decreasing PAH-mediated induction of their bioactivation by CYP1A1.
authors.affiliation: New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center, State University of New York, Albany, New York 12201-0509, USA.
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Vakharia
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pause
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fasco
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bessette
authors.forename: Q Y
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Kaminsky
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004790:Enzyme Induction; D006801:Humans; D008670:Metals / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011083:Polycyclic Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D008670:Metals; D011083:Polycyclic Compounds; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1