Identification of tamoxifen-DNA adducts induced by alpha-acetoxy-N-desmethyltamoxifen

Treatment with tamoxifen increased the risk of endometrial cancers in breas t cancer patients and women participating in the chemoprevention study. In our laboratory, tamoxifen-DNA adducts, including alpha-(N-2-deoxyguanosinyl )tamoxifen (dG-N-2-TAM), were detected in the endometrium of women taking t amoxifen [Shibutani, S., et al. (1999) Chem. Res. Toxicol. 12, 646-653]. On the basis of recent animal studies, deoxyguanosinyl-N-desmethyltamoxifen ( dG-N-desmethylTAM) adducts are also suspected to be formed in the liver. In the study presented here, we synthesized alpha-acetoxy-N-desmethyltamoxife n as a model activated metabolite of N-desmethyltamoxifen. The overall yiel d of alpha-acetoxy-N-desmethyltamoxifen from alpha-hydroxytamoxifen was app roximately 42%. alpha-Acetoxy-N-desmethyltamoxifen was highly reactive to 2 '-deoxyguanosine, as was similarly observed for tamoxifen alpha-sulfate. Th e two reaction products were identified as a mixture of epimers of the tran s form or cis form of alpha-(N-2-deoxyguanosinyl)N-desmethyltamoxifen (dG-N -2-N-desmethylTAM) by mass and proton magnetic resonance spectres copy. In addition, the trans and cis forms of dG 3'-monophosphate-N-2-N-desmethylTAM were prepared as standard markers for P-32-postlabeling/HPLC analysis. Usi ng this technique, dG-N-2-N-desmethylTAM adducts were detected in calf thym us DNA reacted with alpha-acetoxy-N-desmethyltamoxifen.