TUMORIGENICITY IN NEWBORN MICE OF FJORD REGION AND OTHER STERICALLY HINDERED DIOL EPOXIDES OF BENZO[G]CHRYSENE, DIBENZO[A,L]PYRENE (DIBENZO[DEF,P]CHRYSENE), 4H-CYCLOPENTA[DEF]CHRYSENE AND FLUORANTHENE
S. Amin et al., TUMORIGENICITY IN NEWBORN MICE OF FJORD REGION AND OTHER STERICALLY HINDERED DIOL EPOXIDES OF BENZO[G]CHRYSENE, DIBENZO[A,L]PYRENE (DIBENZO[DEF,P]CHRYSENE), 4H-CYCLOPENTA[DEF]CHRYSENE AND FLUORANTHENE, Carcinogenesis, 16(11), 1995, pp. 2813-2817
Diol epoxides of benzo[g]chrysene, dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (dibenzo[def,p]c
hrysene), 4H-cyclopenta[def]chrysene and fluoranthene were tested for
tumorigenicity in newborn mice. The compounds tested were racemic 13,1
4-epoxy-11,12,13,14-tetrahydrobenzo[g]chrysene (BgCDE), oxy-anti-13,14
-epoxy-11,12,13,14-tetrahydrodibenzo [a,l] pyrene (DB[a,l]PDE), oxy-1,
2,3,3a-tetrahydro-4H-cyclopenta[def]chrysene (C[def]C-1-3a-DE), poxy-6
,7,8,9-tetrahydro-4H-cyclopenta[def]chrysene (C[def]C-6-9-DE) and -ant
i-1,10b-epoxy-10b,1,2,3-tetrahydrofluoranthene (FDE). BgCDE and DB[a,l
]PDE are fjord region diol epoxides and their tumorigenic activities w
ere compared to those of trans-3,4-dihydroxy-anti-1,2-epoxy-1, 2,3,4-t
etrahydrobenzo[c]phenanthrene (BcPDE), a fjord region diol epoxide wit
h known high tumorigenicity and trans-7,8 anti-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tet
rahydrobenzo[a]-pyrene (BPDE), a highly tumorigenic bay region diol ep
oxide. The protocol called for testing of each compound at a total dos
e of 25 nmol per mouse, administered on days 1, 7 and 15 of life, with
killing at age 35 weeks. BgCDE had similar activity as BcPDE for indu
ction of lung tumors and was more active than BcPDE for induction of l
iver tumors in male mice. Both compounds were significantly more tumor
igenic than BPDE. DB[a,l]PDE was highly toxic. All mice died within 1
week of the first dose. It was then tested in a second study using tot
al doses of 5 and 1 nmol per mouse. Only the first dose of the intende
d 5 nmol total dose was given due to toxicity. The full course of dose
s with a total of 1 nmol per mouse was administered; DB[a,l]PDE induce
d a significant incidence and multiplicity of lung tumors and, in male
mice, liver tumors at both doses. These results demonstrate that fjor
d region diol epoxides are highly active tumorigens in newborn mice, w
ith activity greater than that of the most active unsubstituted bay re
gion diol epoxide, BPDE. C[def]C-1-3a-DE and C[def]-6-9-DE were compar
ed to ihydroxy-anti-3,4-epoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrochrysene (CDE), at a t
otal dose of 500 nmol per mouse. FDE was also tested at this dose. The
most active compound among the chrysene derivatives was C[def]C-1-3a-
DE, followed by C[def]C-6-9-DE and CDE. C[def]C-1-3a-DE has a sterical
ly constrained bay region, in which the benzylic carbon of the tri-sub
stituted epoxide ring is part of a fused ring system. This feature is
also present in FDE, which had considerable tumorigenic activity, grea
ter than that of CDE in lung and greater than any of the chrysene deri
vatives in liver. These results demonstrate that the tumorigenicity of
diol epoxides in newborn mice is enhanced by steric constraints prese
nt when the epoxide ring is part of a fjord region or is attached to a
fused ring system. The tumorigenic activity of FDE may be relevant to
human risk since it is a stable metabolite of the widely distributed
environmental pollutant fluoranthene.