Abstract
Evidence for the involvement of free radicals in nitrosamine carcinogenesis comes mainly from increased lipid peroxidation as a result of nitrosamine treatment. More direct evidence for nitrosamine-induced oxidative DNA damage has been lacking. In this study we examined the levels of 8-oxodeoxyguanosine or 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) in tissue DNA of mice and rats treated with the tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(methyuiitrosamino)-l-(3-pyridyl)-l-butanone (NNK). Multiple doses of NNK (0.25 or 0.50 mg/mouse, 3 times weekly for 3 weeks) administered by gavage resulted in a significant elevation of 8-OH-dG in lung DNA, from 2.1 to 3.8 adducts/105 dG for the lower dose or to 6.6 adducts/105 dG for the higher dose, 2 h after the last NNK administration. A single dose treatment of NNK by gavage (4 mg/mouse) also resulted in an increase of this lesion in the lung DNA, however, the increase was not statistically significant. In liver, however, the increase w s only significant by multiple doses at the higher dose, from 2.3 to 3.4 adducts/105 dG. This lesion appeared to be repaired efficiently. At 4 and 24 h after NNK treatment, the 8-OH-dG levels declined to the basal levels in both liver and lung. A single dose of NNK (20 mg/rat) also caused a significant increase of 8-OH-dG from 3.0 to 5.1 adducts/105 dG in rat lung DNA. An increase of 8-OH-dG in liver DNA was also seen, however, it was not statistically significant. Unlike the liver and the lung, the 8-OH-dG levels in rat kidney, a non-target tissue, were inert to NNK treatment. These results provide for the first time direct evidence supporting the role of oxidative DNA damage in NNK lung tumorigenesis.

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