5-Lipoxygenase is a key enzyme in the metabolism of arachidonic acid to leukotrienes. The preventive efficacy of 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors against lung tumorigenesis was determined in A/J mice given the tobacco-specific carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) in drinking water from week 0 to week +7. Groups of 25 mice were fed either: acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), a cyclooxygenase inhibitor; A-79175, a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor; MK-886, an inhibitor of the 5-lipoxygenase activating-protein; a combination of ASA and A-79175 from weeks -2 to +23. ASA, A-79175 and MK-886 reduced lung tumor multiplicity by 44, 75 and 52% respectively. Furthermore, A-79175 reduced tumor incidence by 20%. Administration of A-79175 and MK-886 decreased the mean tumor volume by 64 and 44% respectively. Lung tumor multiplicity was directly proportional to tumor volume. The combination of ASA and A-79715 was the most effective preventive intervention and reduced lung tumor multiplicity by 87% and lung tumor incidence by 24%, demonstrating that inhibition of both 5-lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase is more effective than inhibition of either pathway alone. NNK treatment increased plasma prostaglandin E2 levels from 49 to 260 pg/ml and plasma LTB4 levels from 29 to 71 pg/ml. Incubation of 82-132 and LM2 murine lung tumor cells with MK-886 and A-79715 decreased cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. Soybean lipoxygenases with or without murine lung microsomal proteins metabolized NNK by alpha-carbon hydroxylation (9.5% of the metabolites) and N-oxidation (3.9%). Activation of NNK by alpha-carbon hydroxylation was inhibited by addition of arachidonic acid and A-79715. Possible mechanisms of action of 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors include inhibition of tumor growth and lipoxygenase-mediated activation of NNK. These studies suggest that inhibitors of 5-lipoxygenase may have benefits as preventive agents of lung tumorigenesis.

N'-Nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) are present in cigarette smoke and snuff'and are carcinogens in laboratory animals. In tobacco smokers, the buccal mucosa, trachea, esophagus, bronchi, and peripheral lung are exposed to smoke containing significant amounts of these N-nitrosamines. The results of 'the present study demonstrate that explants of these tissues as well as of the urinary bladder have the capacity to metabolize NNN and NNK by a-carbon hydroxylation. This metabolic pathway yields alkyldiazohydroxides, which are reactive and DNA-damaging electrophiles. The extent of a-carbon hydroxylation of NNN and NNK in human tissues was only 1/10th to 1/100th of that in animal tissues. Although the levels of a-carbon hydroxylation of NNN among different tissues of the same individual were similar, a 10-fold variation among individuals was observed. Reduction of the NNK carbonyl group was a major metabolic pathway observed with all human explants and may occur in the surface epithelia of the respiratory tract of smokers. These results provide further evidence that tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines could play a role in cancers related to the smoking and chewing of tobacco.Since the pioneering work of Wynder and Graham (1) and Doll and Hill (2) relating higher risks of bronchiogenic carcinoma to cigarette smoking, other epidemiologic surveys have observed, among smokers, an increased risk of cancer at various sites, including the oral cavity, larynx, esophagus, and urinary bladder (3). Case-control studies have indicated that long-term tobacco chewing (4) or snuff dipping (5) are important factors in the etiology of oral cancer.Carcinogenicity assays of various smoke fractions or substances have indicated that N-nitrosamines could play a role in tobacco carcinogenesis (3,6). In this respect, N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) are particularly important because of their relatively high levels in cigarette smoke (7) and snuff (8) and their carcinogenic potency in animals (9).Most N-nitrosamines are considered procarcinogens and require hydroxylation on the carbon next to the N-nitroso group to become carcinogenic derivatives. The resulting a-hydroxy-N-nitrosamines have relatively short half-lives (10) and decompose to electrophilic intermediates that react immediately with DNA. Thus, DNA alkylation is likely to occur in the same tissues that have the enzymatic capacities to bioactivate N-nitrosamines by a-carbon hydroxylation. Metabolism studies with mice, hamsters, and rats (9, 11) have shown that NNN and NNK are activated by tissues that are susceptible to their carcinogenic effects. If NNN and NNK play a role in human carcinogenesis, similar bioactivation would have to occur in smokers and snuff dippers, most likely in the oral and respiratory tissues.The aim of the present study was to determine the capacity of cultured human tissues to metabolize NNN and NNK and to compare the results with their metabolism by ...

4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), a carcinogenic tobacco specific nitrosamine, can be converted to electrophilic diazohydroxide intermediates by metabolic hydroxylation of either the methylene carbon (carbon 4) or the methyl carbon attached to the nitrosamine group. To investigate the relative importance of these two processes in NNK mutagenesis, we synthesized 4,4-dideutero-4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone([4,4,-D2]NNK) and 4-(trideuteromethylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone ([CD3] NNK), and evaluated their mutagenic activities in Salmonella typhimurium tester strains. In the presence of Aroclor induced rat liver 9000 g supernatant, NNK and [4,4-D2]NNK had comparable mutagenic activities towards S. typhimurium TA 1535 and TA 100, but [CD3]NNK was inactive in both strains. These results suggest that hydroxylation of the methyl group of NNK is more important than hydroxylation of carbon 4 in its activation to a mutagen. To test the inherent mutagenicity of 4-oxo-4-(3-pyridyl)butyldiazohydroxide and methyldiazohydroxide which would be formed by methyl hydroxylation or carbon 4 hydroxylation, respectively, we compared the mutagenicities, without activation, of the corresponding model compounds, 4-(carbethoxynitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone and carbethoxynitrosaminomethane (methylnitrosourethane). Both compounds were highly mutagenic toward S. typhimurium TA 1535 and TA 100, but at doses of 4 x 10(-3) to 4 x 10(-4) mumol/plate, only 4-(carbethoxynitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone was mutagenic. These results are consistent with those obtained with the deuterium substituted compounds and indicate the importance of 4-oxo-4-(3-pyridyl)butylation of DNA in NNK mutagenesis.

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In a previous study, the spectrum of H-ras mutations detected in B6C3F1 mouse liver tumors induced by 5, 50 or 150 mumol/kg body wt of N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) was similar to that in spontaneous B6C3F1 mouse liver tumors, suggesting that activation of the H-ras gene in NDEA-induced mouse liver tumors may not be the direct result of the chemical interaction with the H-ras gene. In the present study, mutations in the H-ras oncogene from B6C3F1 mouse liver tumors induced by 5 or 50 mumol/kg body wt of NDEA were characterized by DNA amplification with polymerase chain reaction (PCR), single-strand conformation of polymorphism (SSCP) and direct sequence analysis. Twenty-one of 66 NDEA-induced B6C3F1 mouse liver tumors contained activated H-ras gene with 2 of 21 having a CG to AT transversion at the first base of codon 61, 17 of 21 having AT to GC transition and 2 of 21 having an AT to TA transversion at the second base of codon 61 in the H-ras gene. The predominant mutation, AT to GC transition (17/21, 81%) is consistent with the formation of O4-ethylthymine adduct, and is distinct from the predominant CG to AT transversion (50%) at the first base of codon 61 detected in H-ras gene from NDEA-induced B6C3F1 mouse liver tumors in a previous study by Stowers et al. Mutations in the K-ras oncogene from 59 A/J mouse lung tumors induced by 0.53 mmol/kg body wt of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) were also characterized by using the above mentioned methods. Forty-six of 59 NNK-induced A/J mouse lung tumors contained activated K-ras genes. All 46 (100%) of the activated K-ras gene had GC to AT transitions at the second base of codon 12. The same mutation was observed in 70% (7/10) of the K-ras oncogene from A/J lung tumors induced by 4.8 mmol/kg body wt (given in 21 doses) of NNK. These data suggest that other factors in addition to genotoxic effect might be involved in the induction of rodent tumors by some carcinogens when given at higher doses. Therefore, further studies to compare the dose-dependent differences in the profile of ras mutations induced by chemical carcinogens may help to assess human cancer risk. Mutation(s) in exons 5-8 of the p53 gene was not found in these NDEA-induced mouse liver tumors and NNK-induced mouse lung tumors.