vol. 48,
NO.
BIOCHEMICAL
4, 1972
INHIBITION
OF DNA REPAIR BY COCARCINOGENS
David
Laboratory
Received
AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
Gaudin, Robert S. Gregg and K. Lemone Yielding
of Molecular Biology, University of Medicine in Birmingham,
July
of Alabama Alabama
School
7,1972
Summary: DNA repair replication in normal human lymphocytes has been inhibited by every cocarcinogen tested to date, including anthralin, 12-O-tetradecanolyphorbol-H-acetate, and the neutral fraction from cigarette smoke. Such inhibition of DNA repair is proposed as the general mechanism of action of cocarcinogens. Introduction Cocarcinogens various
have the
carcinogens
stage
process
tumorigenic response. ability
(1).
the proximate
response
and the
is
already
to interact of DNA is
the repair
process
of the
cocarcinogens
may act
hypothesis, were
tested
in normal
our
earlier
experiments
80,
Span 80, Arlacel
Copyright AN rights
are
carcinogen
most,
with
DNA (2)
to protect
thought
acting
that
for
the tumorigenic to act
as a promoter
if
all,
and also
of the of that
carcinogens that
have
the
such chemical
the excision
repair
the
DNA genome against
cellular
of
in a two
as the initiator
acting not
action
enzymes
(3,4).
Thus, potentially
damage.
facts
cited
by inhibiting
a number
replication
steroids,
substances
a substrate
or carcinogenic
In light
structures
known
serves
to enhance
cocarcinogen
covalently
alteration
this
These
with
It
mutagenic
ability
above,
it
the DNA repair
of cocarcinogens
by us and found
A, vitamin
and acetylaminofluorene
0 1972 by Academic Press, Inc. of reproduction in any form reserved.
a wide
to be potent (5).
a methanol A alcohol, derivatives. 945
process.
having
human lymphocytes included
seemed reasonable
to suggest In order
diversity
inhibitors
of croton
diethylstilbestrol, Our earlier
to test
of chemical of DNA repair
The cocarcinogens extract
that
tested oil,
in
Tween
various work
was per-
Vol. 48, No. 4, 1972
formed
with
in this
crude
mixture
extended oil
BIOCHEMICAL
extracts were
of croton
responsible
our earlier
AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
oil
for
observations
and did
second
only
to include
cigarette
has been reported
to the phorbol
esters
smoke has been
carcinogenic to test
activity
(7).
the consistancy
cocarcinogenic cigarette
shown
DNA repair
to have
ingredient
to be a very
strong
cocarcinogen
the neutral
below
hypothesis,
of anthralin
fraction
carcinogenic
reported
as that
of croton anthralin
only
in croton
We have
substance,
not
present
compounds
Another
Also,
of our original
as well
smoke,
(6).
which
inhibition.
an active
The experiments
activities
indicate
the DNA repair
- 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate.
(l,&dihydroxyanthrone)
not
of
but
also
were
co-
carried
and to show that
oil,
the neutral are
all
out the
fraction
of
due to inhibition
of
replication. Methods
The assay and Norman normal
procedures
(8)
are based
to demonstrate
uptake
These
of tritiated
thymidlne
Addition
of hydroxyurea
measurement
of tritiated
thymidine
the higher
vative
synthesis
was incubated essential were
of DNA. for
medium
then washed
The uptake amount
into
of uptake
containing
background
two hours containing
DNA repair
in the W irradiated
lymphocytes
experimental
have
in detail
methods
already
otherwise
W irradiation,
in
controls.
The activities
added
been published
here.
946
preparation minimal
as a percentage inhibitors. (5)
The cells
by scintillation
was corrected
without
replication
thymidine.
determined
expressed
permits
Eagle's
and tritiated
of
from semiconser-
lymphocytes
are
the presence
lymphocyte
modified
in
of the W
mixture
result
the
Spinner
uptake
unirradiated inhibitors
measurement
due to DNA repair
would
hydroxyurea
the UV irradiated into
uptake
out by Evans
capability
by lymphocytes
at 37'C in
and the thymidine
involve
to the incubation
which
After
carried
of a DNA repair
procedures
hydroxyurea.
without
experiments
the presence
human lymphocytes.
stimulated
on the
and will
for
counting. a small
in samples of the activity Details
of the
not be repeated
BIOCHEMICAL
Vol. 48, No. 4, 1972
AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
2.5 concentration Figure
1.
The effect
13-acetate
(curve
of anthralin
B) on DNA repair
The activity
in the UV-irradiated
is
as a percentage
expressed
the drugs.
A small
subtracted
(curve
from
amount
all
5 x lCf5 M
A) and of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-
replication samples
in normal containing
of the activity of incorporation
repair
inhibiting
in UV-irradiated into
of the UV-irradiated
human lymphocytes.
unirradiated
samples
before
drugs
samples
without
controls
was
calculating
the
percentages.
Since
the materials
in water,
stock
(DMSO) just
solutions
before
any detectable Cigarette The neutral
showed
this
120 cigarettes
from
with
assay mixture 1, it
this
whole
mixture
soluble
in dimethylsulfoxide
the assay mixture. was 1%.
The highest
Control
experiments
of DMSO does not
was collected smoke condensate A weighed
The DMSO extract
to test for its DNA repair Results and Discussion
can be seen that
readily
cause
replication.
of Day (9). DMSO.
are not
prepared
concentration
smoke from
was extracted
From figure
in the assay that
were
into
of DNA repair
to the procedure
lymphocyte
diluted
inhibition
fraction
according fraction
reached
DMSO alone
of repair
of the compounds
use and then
DMSO concentration run with
used as inhibitors
both
947
the phorbol
in a dry was then
amount
ice
trap.
prepared
of the neutral
was then
added
to the
inhibiting
capability.
ester
and the anthralin
Vol. 48, No. 4, 1972
BIOCHEMICAL
are potent inhibitors
of the W stimulated uptake of tritiated
normal humanlymphocytes.
fraction
to
mechanismagainst agents which can cause a
cellular
from cigarette
thymidine into
Thus, these cocarcinogens appear to act by over-
coming the normal protective chemical alteration
AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
DNA. Similarly,
smokecan also inhibit
DMSOextracts
of the neutral
DNArepair replication.
The DNArepair was reduced to 50% of the control value by dilution neutral
fraction
to less than 0.01%. Since the neutral
cigarette
smokeis a complex mixture,
structure
of the repair inhibitor
than one repair inhibiting identification
of the inhibitory
are not known. Also, there may be more Therefore,
compoundor compoundsand the concentrations
must remain the subject of future
is hoped that these results will
of the harmful effects
from
and chemical
compoundpresent in the mixture.
at which they are effective It
the concentration
fraction
of the
of cigarette
help to lead to a better
experiments. understanding
smoke.
Since the phorbol esters stimulate DNAsynthesis (10,11,12) while the anthralin
is cytostatic
important factor
(13), DNA repair inhibition
is probably a more
in the mechanismof cocarcinogenesis than whether or not
DNAsynthesis is stimulated in the affected
cells.
However, stimulation
of
DNAsynthesis by phorbol esters suggest that these compoundsplay a dual role in cocarcinogenesis,
first
by direct
inhibition
of the repair process and
secondly by decreasing the length of time available
to the cells
for carrying
out repair before they attempt to replicate
the DNAwhich had been chemically
altered.
is also demonstrated by the fact
The importance of the time factor
that cells which have been stimulated to undergo cell division of wound healing (12) show an increased susceptibility mycin D, which has the ability RNA and subsequently the protein the cocarcinogenic effects of irradiated time available
as a result
to carcinogens.
Actino-
to prevent this DNA synthesis by inhibiting
the
synthesis necessary for cell division,
decreases
of croton oil
(L&,15).
Similarly,
the survival
cells in the plateau phase of growth where there is a greater for repair
is increased over those cells in log phase growth (16).
948
Vol. 48, No. 4, 1972
Anthralin
BIOCHEMICAL
has been shown to improve the response of.psoriasis
treated with W light
(17).
the fact that anthralin (la),
AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
it seemslikely
Although the picture
alone is beneficial
patients
is somewhat confused by
in the treatment of psoriasis
that its repair inhibitory
properties
also play an
important role in improving the W treatment. REFERENCES 1.
Clayson, D. B., Incomplete carcinogenesis and the two stage theory of carcinogenesis, in "Chemical Carcinogens", Little, Brown and Co., Boston, 1962, p. 290.
2.
Miller,
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Lieberman, H., Sell, 12, 5 (1971).
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Witschi,
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Gaudin, D., Gregg, R. S. and Yielding, Commun.,45, 630 (1971).
6.
Segal, A., Katz, C., and Van Duuren, B. L., J. Med. Chem., 14, 1152 (1971).
7.
Roe, F. J. C., Peto, R., Kearns, F., and Bishop, D., Brit. 24, 788 (1970).
8.
Evans, R. G., and Norman, A., Rad. Res., 36, 287 (1968).
9.
Day, T. D., Brit.
J. A., Cancer Res., 30, 559 (1970). S., and Farber, E., Proc. Am. Assoc. Can. Res.,
H., Epstein, S. M. and Farber, E., Cancer Res., 31, 270 (1971).
J. V.,
K. L., Biochem. Biophys. Res.
J. Cancer,
J. Cancer, 21, 56 (1967).
10.
Frei,
and Harsono, T., Cancer Res., 27, 1482 (1967).
11.
Hennings, H., Bowden, G. T., and Boutwell, (1969).
12.
Hennings, H., and Boutwell, R. K., Cancer Res., 30, 312 (1970).
i3.
Krebs, A., and Schaltegger, H., Experientia,
14.
Bates, R. R., Wortham, J. S., Counts, W. B., Dingman, C. W., and Gelboin, H. V., Cancer Res., 28, 27 (1968).
15.
Hennings, H., and Boutwell,
16.
Little,
17.
Bowers, R. E., Dalton, D., and Knowlden, J., Brit. 273 (1966).
J. Dermatol.,
18.
Farber, E. M., and Harris,
101, 381 (1970).
R.
K.,
R. K., Cancer Res., 29, 1773
Life Sci.,
21, 128 (1965).
6, 173 (1967).
J. B., Nature, 224, 804 (1969).
D. M., Arch. Dermatol.,
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78,