TY - JOUR A1 - Grunicke, H. A1 - Pyerin, W. A1 - Eisenbrand, G. A1 - Havemann, K. A1 - Rabes, H. M. A1 - Molling, K. A1 - Schwab, M. A1 - Lutz, Werner K. A1 - Wahrendorf, J. A1 - Schirrmacher, V. T1 - 7th International Symposium of the Division of Experimental Cancer Research (AEK) of the German Cancer Society : [Meeting report] N2 - No abstract available KW - Toxikologie Y1 - 1994 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-60651 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lutz, Werner K. A1 - Schlatter, C. T1 - A closed inhalation system for pharmacokinetic and metabolism studies of volatile compounds with small laboratory animals N2 - In the inhalation system described an animal can be kept in the same atmosphere of a 2-liter desiccator for up to 24 h. The expired carbon dioxide is adsorbed with soda lime and the resulting reduced pressure is balanced by a supply of oxygen also used for the inflow of the chemical to be investigated. Urine and faeces can be collected ~eparately and the system allows a periodical control of the concentration of the chemical by sampling the air with needle and syringe. KW - Toxikologie Y1 - 1978 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-80145 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Shephard, S. E. A1 - Meier, I. A1 - Lutz, Werner K. T1 - Alkylating potency of nitrosated amino acids and peptides N2 - Tbe alkylating potency of unstable N-nitrosamino acids and N-nitrosopeptides was investigated in vitro using 4-(para-nitrobenzyl)pyridine (NBP) as nucleophile. Of the amino acids, Met and those with an aromatic side chain were the most potent. The relative overall alkylating potency was 23:10:5:4:2:1: for Trp, Met, His, 1)rr, Phe and Gly, respectively. The homo-dipeptides were much more potent than the amino acids, with relative potencies of 400:110:100:8:3:1, for Trp-Trp, l)T-'I)T, Met-Met, Asp-Asp, Phe-Phe and Gly, respectively. In the one-phase reaction system (in which NBP is already present durlog the nitrosation reaction at acidic pH), all amino acids tested showed a second-order reaction for nitrite. In the two-phase system (in which NBP is added only after bringing the nitrosation reaction mixture to neutrality), all amino acids tested except one again showed a second-order reaction for nitrite (Phe, His, Asp and the dipeptide artiticial sweetener aspartame); only Met under these conditions bad a reaction order of one for nitrite. This could mean that nitrosation of the side chain of Metproduces a second N-nitroso product which is relatively stable in acid but reacts with NBP under neutral conditions. In the human stomach, this side-chain nitrosation might become more important than the reactions at the primary amino group, firstly because of the greater stability of the product(s) in acid and secondly because of the tirst-order reaction rate for nitrite. A decrease in nitrite concentration from the millimolar concentrations ofthe in-vitro assay to the micromolar concentrations in the stomach reduces the reaction rate by a factor of 1000 for the side-chain nitrosation, whereas a million-fold reduction will be observed for nitrosation of the amino group. KW - Aminosäuren Y1 - 1991 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-86320 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Cantoreggi, S. A1 - Gupta, R. C. A1 - Lutz, Werner K. T1 - An improved 32P-postlabelling assay for detection and quantitation of styrene 7,8-oxide-DNA adducts N2 - Using DNA modified with [7-3H]styrene 7,8-oxide (SO) in vitro we have standardized the 32P-postlabelling assay for detecting SO-DNA adducts. Nuclease P 1-enriched adducts were 32P-labelled and purified by high-salt ( 4.0 M ammonium formate, pH 6.1} C1s reverse-phase TLC. After elution from the layer with 2-butoxyethanol:H20 (4:6), adducts were separated by two-dimensional PEI cellulose TLC in non-urea solvents (2.0 M ammonium formate, pH 3.5, and 2.7 M sodium phosphate, pH 5.6). One major, three minor and several trace adducts were detected. The efficiency of the kinase reaction depended on the ATP concentration. Use of standard labelling conditions (['Y· 32P]ATP, <3000 Ci/mmol; <2 Mikromol) resulted in poor ( 4-7%) adduct recovery. An ATP concentration of 40 Mikromol, however, increased the labeJling efficiency by a factor of 5-8 (35-55% based on 3H-SO labelied DNA). The results indicate that the new separation technique is suitable for the relatively polar SO-DNA adducts and that high labelling efficiency can be achieved. KW - Medizin Y1 - 1993 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-86305 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Shephard, S. E. A1 - Schlatter, C. A1 - Lutz, Werner K. T1 - Assessment of the risk of formation of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds from dietary precursors in the stomach N2 - A literature review has shown that the daily intakes of various N -nitroso-precursor classes in a typical European diet span five orders of magnitude. Amides in the form of protein, and guanidines in the form of creatine and creatinine, are the nitrosatable groups found most abundantly in the diet, approaching Ievels of 100 g/day and 1 gjday, respectively. Approximately 100 mg of primary amines and amino acids are consumed daily, whereas aryl amines, secondary amines and ureas appear to lie in the 1-10 mg range. The ease of nitrosation of each precursor was estimated, the reactivities being found to span seven orders of magnitude, with ureas at the top and amines at the bottom of the scale. From this infonnation and an assessment of the carcinogenicity of the resulting N-nitroso derivatives, the potential health risk due to gastric in vivo nitrosation was calculated. The combined effects of these risk variables were analysed using a simple mathematical model: Risk = [daily intake of precursor] x [gastric concentration of nitrite]\(^n\) x [nitrosatability rate constant} x [carcinogenicity of derivative]. The risk estimates for the various dietary components spanned nine orders of magnitude. Dietary ureas and aromatic amines combined with a high nitrite burden could pose as great a risk as the intake of preformed dimethylnitrosamine in the diet. In contrast, the risk posed by the in vivo nitrosation of primary and secondary amines is probably negligib1y small. The risk contribution by amides (including protein), guanidines and primary amino acids is intermediate between these two extremes. Thus three priorities for future work are a comprehensive study of the sources and Ievels of arylamines and ureas in the diet, determination of the carcinogenic potencies of key nitrosated products to replace the necessarily vague categories used so far, and the development of short-term in situ tests for studying the alkylating power or genotoxicity of N-nitroso compounds too unstable for inclusion in long-term studies. KW - Toxikologie Y1 - 1987 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-60925 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gunz, D. A1 - Shephard, S. E. A1 - Lutz, Werner K. T1 - Can nongenotoxic carcinogens be detected with the lacI transgenic mouse mutation assay? N2 - No abstract available KW - Toxikologie Y1 - 1993 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-60707 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lutz, Werner K. A1 - Schlatter, J. T1 - Chemical carcinogens and overnutrition in diet-related cancer [commentary] N2 - The intake of known dietary carclnogens was compiled and the cancer risk was estlmated on the basis of carcinogenic potencies in animals as derived from the Carcinogenic Potency Database by Gold and co-workers. The total cancer risk was compared with the number of cancer cases attributed by epidemiologists to dietary factors (one-third of all cancer cases, i.e. -80 000 per one million Jives). Except for alcohol, the known dietary carcinogens could not account for more than a few bundred cancer cases. Tbis was seen both with tbe DNA-reactive carcinogens (beterocyclic aromatic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, N-nitroso compounds, estragole, aflatoxin B., ethyl carbamate, to name the most important factors) as wen as with those carclnogens wbich have not been shown to react with DNA (e.g. caffelc acid and the carcinogeruc metals arsenic and cadmium). Residues and contaminants turned out to be negligible. Among the various pmsibilities to explain the discrepancy we investigated the roJe of ovemutritlon. Dietary restriction in animals is weil known for its strong reducing effect on spontaneous tumor formation. These data can be used to derive a carcinogenic potency for excess macronutrients: tbe tumor incidence seen with the restrlcted animals is taken as a control value and the increased tumor incidence in the animals fed ad libitum is attributed to the additional feed iotake. For excess standard diet in rats, a carcinogenic potency TD50 of 16 glkg/day was deduced from a recent study. Ovemutrition in Switzerland, estimated to be 5.5 kcallkg/day, was converted to excess food (1.9 g/kg/day) and tbe cancer incidence was calculated. The result, 60 000 cancer cases per one million Jives, is provocatively close to the number of cases not explained by the known dietary chemical carcinogens. Mechanistic studies will be required to test our hypothesis and investigate the role of different types of macronutrients in ovemutrition. KW - Toxikologie Y1 - 1992 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-60712 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jaggi, W. A1 - Lutz, Werner K. A1 - Schlatter, C. T1 - Comparative studies on the covalent binding of the carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene to DNA in various model systems N2 - The covalent binding of tritiated benzo(a)pyrene (BP) to DNA has been determined in rat liver in vivo, in rat liver perfused in situ, after incubation of BP with liver single cells, with liver homogenate, with liver microsomes and DNA, with fibroblasts from a rat granulorna pouch, and with · 2 cell lines. Li ver single cells were found to be a valuable compromise between the rnost sensitive system (microsomal incubation of BP with DNA) and the biologically most relevant system (in vivo ). KW - Toxikologie Y1 - 1979 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-61131 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Alldrick, A. J. A1 - Lutz, Werner K. T1 - Covalent binding of [2-\(^{14}\)C]2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]-quinoxaline (MeIQx) to mouse DNA in vivo N2 - Fernale BALB/c mice were administered intragastrically with equimolar amounts of either [2-\(^{14}\)C]2-amino-3,8-dimethyi[ 4,5-J]qulnoxaline (MeiQx) or 2-acetylamino[9-\(^{14}\)C]fluorene (2AAF). DNA was isolated from tissues of mice killed either 6 or 24 h after administration. Analysis of liver DNA nucleotide digests by HPLC analysis revealed that all of the radioactivity was attributable to adduct formation. Tbe specific activities of DNA samples were converted to covalent bindlog indices (CBI, J.LIDOI adduct per mol DNA nucleotides/mmol chemical app6ed per kg animal body weight). CBI values of 25 and 9 were detennined for 2AAF and MeiQx in tbe llvers of mice killed 6 h after dosing. The values were in general agreement with the moderate carcinogenic potency of these compounds. The specific activities of DNA preparations obtained from the lddneys, spleens, stomachs, small intestines and large intestlnes of mice treated witb MeiQx and killed 6 h after doslng were S- to 35-times less tban those obtained witb the llver. DNA isolated from tbe lungs (a target organ for MeiQx tumorigenicity) of MeiQx-treated mice was not radiolabeUed at tbe limit of detection (CBI <0.3). With tbe exception of tbe gastrolntestinal tract, the specific activities of DNA samples isolated from mice killed 6 h after administration were higher than those from mice killed after 24 h. KW - Toxikologie Y1 - 1989 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-60832 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Marinovich, M. A1 - Lutz, Werner K. T1 - Covalent binding of aflatoxin B\(_1\) to liver DNA in rats pretreated with ethanol JF - Experientia N2 - Male Fischer F-344 rats were given ethanol in the drinking water and/or by single oral administration. Following this, the animals received p.o. 100 ng/kg of the hepatocarcinogen eHJaflatoxin BI (AFBI)' 24 h later, the level of DNA-bound AFBI was determined in the liver and was found not to be affected by any type of ethanol pretreatment. A cocarcinogenic effect of ethanol in the liver is therefore unlikely to be due to an effect on the metabolic activation and inactivation processes governing the formation of DNA-binding AFBI metabolites. KW - Toxikologie KW - Carcinogenesis KW - DNA KW - covalent binding KW - aflatoxin KW - ethanol Y1 - 1985 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-55237 VL - 41 IS - 10 SP - 1338 EP - 1340 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lutz, Werner K. A1 - Jaggi, W. A1 - Schlatter, C. T1 - Covalent binding of diethylstilbestrol to DNA in rat and hamster liver and kidney [Short Communication] N2 - No abstract available KW - Toxikologie KW - Carcinogenesis KW - Covalent binding index - Diethylstilbestrol KW - DNA binching KW - Estrogen KW - Hormone Y1 - 1982 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-61066 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jaggi, W. A1 - Lutz, Werner K. A1 - Schlatter, C. T1 - Covalent binding of ethinylestradiol and estrone to rat liver DNA in vivo N2 - Thecovalent bindingof [6,7-\(^3\)H]ethinylestradiol (EE)and [6,7-\(^3\)H]estrone (E) to liver DNA of 200 g female ratswas measured 8 h after the administration of 80 \(\mu\)g (9.2 mCi) estrogen by gavage. The binding is 1.5 for EE and 1.1 for E, expressedas binding to DNA/dose, in units of \(\mu\)mol hormonefmol DNA phosphate/mmole honnone/kg body wt. It is in the same order of magnitude as for benzene and about 10 000 tim es below the binding of typical liver carcinogens, such as aflatoxin B\(_1\) or N,N-dimethylnitrosamine. KW - Toxikologie Y1 - 1978 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-61162 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Cantoreggi, S. A1 - Lutz, Werner K. T1 - Covalent binding of styrene to DNA in rat and mouse N2 - No abstract available KW - Toxikologie Y1 - 1993 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-60693 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lutz, Werner K. A1 - Winkler, F. K. A1 - Dunitz, J. D. T1 - Crystal structure of the antibiotic monensin similarities and differences betweeen free acid and metal complex N2 - The structure of monensin, C36H620 11 , has been deterrnined by X-ray analysis of its crystalline monohydrate (orthorhombic, a = 15.15, b = 23.61, c = 10.65 A, Z = 4, space group P212121). Phases were assigned by direct methods, malring use of the 'tangent formula'. Although the conformation of the free acid resembles that of the silver salt in being cyclic, there are differences in the hydrogen bonding pattern. These featurcs are discussed in relation to the cornplexation of metal ions by m.onensin. KW - Toxikologie Y1 - 1971 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-61228 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Vogl, Silvia A1 - Lutz, Roman W. A1 - Schönfelder, Gilbert A1 - Lutz, Werner K. T1 - CYP2C9 genotype vs. metabolic phenotype for individual drug dosing - a correlation analysis using flurbiprofen as probe drug JF - PLoS ONE N2 - Currently, genotyping of patients for polymorphic enzymes responsible for metabolic elimination is considered a possibility to adjust drug dose levels. For a patient to profit from this procedure, the interindividual differences in drug metabolism within one genotype should be smaller than those between different genotypes. We studied a large cohort of healthy young adults (283 subjects), correlating their CYP2C9 genotype to a simple phenotyping metric, using flurbiprofen as probe drug. Genotyping was conducted for CYP2C9*1, *2, *3. The urinary metabolic ratio MR (concentration of CYP2C9-dependent metabolite divided by concentration of flurbiprofen) determined two hours after flurbiprofen (8.75 mg) administration served as phenotyping metric. Linear statistical models correlating genotype and phenotype provided highly significant allele-specific MR estimates of 0.596 for the wild type allele CYP2C9*1, 0.405 for CYP2C9*2 (68 % of wild type), and 0.113 for CYP2C9*3 (19 % of wild type). If these estimates were used for flurbiprofen dose adjustment, taking 100 % for genotype *1/*1, an average reduction to 84 %, 60 %, 68 %, 43 %, and 19% would result for genotype *1/*2, *1/*3, *2/*2, *2/*3, and *3/*3, respectively. Due to the large individual variation within genotypes with coefficients of variation >= 20% and supposing the normal distribution, one in three individuals would be out of the average optimum dose by more than 20 %, one in 20 would be 40% off. Whether this problem also applies to other CYPs and other drugs has to be investigated case by case. Our data for the given example, however, puts the benefit of individual drug dosing to question, if it is exclusively based on genotype. KW - cytochrome P450 2C9 KW - warfarin polymorphisms KW - tolbutamide substrate KW - impact pharmacogenetics KW - 4'-hydroxylation KW - allelic variant KW - liver microsomes Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-148783 VL - 10 IS - 3 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hegi, M.E. A1 - Sagelsdorff, P. A1 - Lutz, Werner K. T1 - Detection by \(^{32}\)P-postlabeling of thymidine glycol in gamma-irradiated DNA N2 - No abstract available KW - Toxikologie Y1 - 1989 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-60863 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fischer, W. H. A1 - Beland, P. E. A1 - Lutz, Werner K. T1 - DNA adducts, cell proliferation and papilloma latency time in mouse skin after repeated dermal application of DMBA and TPA N2 - 'lbe mouse skin tumor model was used to investigate whether the Ievel of DNA 8dducts and/or the rate of cell division in the epidermis are indicators of the risk of cancer formation for an individual in an outbred animal popul8tion. A high risk was considered to be reftected by 8 short latency period for the 8ppearance of 8 papilloma. Fernale NMRI mice were treated twice weekly with 2.5 nmol 7 ,12-dimethylbenz[a]antbracene (DMBA) and 3 nmoi12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13- 8cetate (TPA) and the appearance of papillomas was registered. The first papilloma 8ppeared after 7.5 weeks. After 17 weeks, when 12 of 14 mice bad 8t least one papilloma, an osmotic minipump deliverlog 5-bromo-2'deoxyuridine (BrdU) was implanted into eacb mouse for 24 h. The mice were killed after 24 h ~d the epidermis was analyzed for D:MBA-nucleotide 8dducts by 32p.postlabeling, for the cell number per unit skin length, and for the labeling index for DNA synthesls. Unexpectedly, D:MBA-nucleotide 8dduct Ievels were highest in those anima1s wbich showed the Iongest latency periods. Adduct Ievels were negatively correlated with the 18beling index, indicating that dilution of adducts by cell division was a predominant factor in determining average adduct concentrations. Individual tumor-latency time was not corTelated with either cell ntunber or labeling index. This could be due to the fact that the measurements only provided 8veraged data and gave no infonnation on the specific situation in clones of premalignant cells. Under the conditions of tbis assay, therefore, neither DNA adduct Ievels nor information on the average kinetics of cell division bad a predidive value for the individual amcer risk withln a group of outbred animals receiving the same treatment KW - Toxikologie Y1 - 1993 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-60673 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Lutz, Werner K. A1 - Cantoreggi, S. A1 - Velic, I. T1 - DNA binding and stimulation of cell division in the carcinogenicity of styrene 7,8-oxide N2 - [7-3H)Styrene 7,8-oxide was administered by oral gavage to male CD rats at a dose of 1.3 mg/kg. After 4 h, the forestomach was excised, DNA was isolated, purified to constant specific radioactivity and degraded nzymatically to the 3 '-nucleotides. Highperformance liquid chromatography fractions with the normal nucleotides contained most of the radiolabel, but a minute level of adduct label was also detccted. Using the units of the covalent binding index (micromoles adduct per mole DNA nucleotide)/(millimole chemical administered per kilogram body weight), a DNA binding potency of 1.0 was derived. A comparison of the covalent binding indices and carcinogenic potencies of other genotoxic forestarnach carcinogens showed that the tumorigenic activity of styrene oxide is unlikely to be purely genotoxic. Therefore, styrene oxide was compared with 3-tbutylhydroxyanisole (BHA) with respect to stimulation of cell proliferation in the forestomach. Male Fischer 344 rats were treated for four weeks at three dose levels of styrene oxide (0, 137, 275 and 550 mg/kg, three times per week by oral gavage) and BHA (0, 0.5, 1 and 2% in the diet); the highest doses had been reported to result in 84% and 22% carcinomas in the forestomach, respectively. Cell proliferation was assessed by incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine into DNA and immunohistochemical analysis. An increase in the lablling indexwas found in a11 treated animals. In the prefundic region of the forestomach, the labeHing index increased significantly, from 42% (controls) to 54% with styrene oxide and from 41 to 55% with BHA. Rats treated with BHA also had severe hyperplastic lesions in the prefundic region, i.e., at the location of BHA-induced forestomach carcinomas. The number of cells per millimetre of section length was increased up to 19 fold. Hyperplastic lesions were not seen with styrene oxide, despite the higher tumour incidence reported with this compound. We conclude that the carcinogenicity of styrene oxide to the forestomach most probably involves a mechanism in which marginal genotoxicity is combined with promotion by increased cell proliferation. KW - Styrol KW - DNS-Bindung KW - Zellteilung KW - Carcinogenität Y1 - 1993 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-71597 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sagelsdorff, P. A1 - Lutz, Werner K. A1 - Schlatter, C. T1 - DNA methylation in rat liver by daminozide, 1,1-dimethylhydrazine, and dimethylnitrosamine N2 - DNA Methylation in Rat Li ver by Daminozide, 1, 1-Dimethylhydrazine, and Dimethylnitrosamine. SAGELSDORFF, P., LUTZ, W. K., AND ScHLAITER C. (1988). Fundam. Appl. Toxico/. 11, 723-730. [methyP4C]Daminozide (succinic acid 2',2'-dimethylhydrazide; 37 mgjkg), l,l( 14C]dimethylhydrazine (UDMH; 19 mgtkg), and (14C]dimethylnitrosamine (DMNA; 0.1 mg/ kg) were administered by oral gavage to male Sprague-Dawley rats. After 24 hr, the animals were killed and DNA was purified from the livers to constant specific radioactivity. After enzymatic degradation of the DNA to the 3'-deoxynucleotides the Ievel of DNA methylation was determined by HPLC analysis. Radiolabeled 7-methylguanine (7mG) was identified by cochromatography with unlabeled 7mG added as standard after acidic depurination of DNA and HPLC analysis ofpurines and apurinic acid. All three compounds were found to methylate DNA. The relative potencies were 1:47:4900 for daminozide:UDMH:DMNA. With [methyPH]UDMH, the formation of7mG was investigated as a function of dose administered, at 20, 2, and 0.2 mgj kg. The methylation ofDNA was strictly proportional to the dose. The data were used to compare the Ievel of DNA alkylation derived from residues of daminozide and UDMH in treated apple with the genotoxicity of the intake of N-nitroso compounds in Germany and Japan. It is estimated that these residues could Iead to a DNA methylation in the Ii ver of about 6% of an average exposure to DMNA KW - Toxikologie Y1 - 1988 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-60875 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ohgaki, H. A1 - Ludeke, B. I. A1 - Meier, I. A1 - Kleihues, P. A1 - Lutz, Werner K. A1 - Schlatter, C. T1 - DNA methylation in the digestive tract of F344 rats during chronic exposure to N-methyl-N-nitrosourea N2 - The formation of \(O^6\)-methyldeoxyguanosine (\(O^6\)-MedGuo) was determined by an immuno-slot-blot assay in DNA of various tissues of F344 rats exposed to N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) in the drinking waterat 400 ppm for 2 weeks. Although the pyloric region of the glandular stomach is a target organ under these experimental conditions, the extent of DNA methylation was highest in the forestomach (185 \(\mu\)mol \(O^6\)-MedGuojmol guanine). Fundus (91 J.!moljmol guanine) and pylorus (105 J.!moljmol guanine) of the glandular stomach, oesophagus (124 \(\mu\)mol/mol guanine) and duodenum (109 )lmoljmol guanine) showed lower Ievels of \(O^6\) - MedGuo but differed little between each other. Thus, no correlation was observed between target organ specificity and the extent of DNA methylation. This is in contrast to the gastric carcinogen, N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), which preferentially alkylates DNA of the pylorus, the main site of induction of gastric carcinomas by this chemical. In contrast to MNU, the nonenzymic decomposition of MNNG is accelerated by thiol compounds (reduced glutathione, L-cysteine), which are present at much higher concentrations in the glandular stomach than in the forestomach and oesophagus. During chronic exposure to MNNG (80 ppm), mucosal cells immunoreactive to 0 6-MedGuo are limited to the luminal surface [Kobori et al. (1988) Carcinogenesis 9:2271-2274]. Although MNU (400 ppm) produced similar Ievels of \(O^6\)-MedGuo in the pylorus, no cells containing methylpurines were detectable by immunohistochemistry, suggesting a more uniform methylation of mucosal cells by MNU than by MNNG. After a single oral dose of MNU (90 mg/kg) cells containing methylpurines were unequivocally identified using antibodies to \(O^6\)-MedGuo and the imidazole-ring-opened product of 7-methyldeoxyguanosine. In the gastric fundus, their distribution was similar to those methylated by exposure to MNNG, whereas the pyloric region contained immunoreactive cells also in the deeper mucosallayers. After a 2-week MNU treatment, the rate of cell proliferation, as determined by bromodeoxyuridine immunoreactivity, was only slightly enhanced in the oesophagus andin the fundus, but markedly in the forestomach and the pyloric region of the glandular stomach. lt is concluded that the overall extent of DNA methylation, the distribution of alkylated cells within the mucosa and the proliferative response all contribute to the organ-specific carcinogenicity of MNU. KW - Toxikologie KW - Gastric carcinogenesis KW - N-methyl-N-nitrosourea KW - DNA methylation Y1 - 1991 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-60759 ER -