Assessment of DNA Binding and Oxidative DNA Damage by Acrylonitrile in Two Rat Target Tissues of Carcinogenicity: Implications for the Mechanism of Action

Exposure to acrylonitrile induces formation of tumors at multiple sites in rats, with females being more sensitive. The present study assessed possible mechanisms of acrylonitrile tumorigenicity, covalent DNA binding, DNA breakage, and oxidative DNA damage, in two target tissues, the brain and Zymbal’s glands, of sensitive female Fischer (F344) and Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats. One group received acrylonitrile in drinking water at 100 ppm for 28 days. Two other groups were administered either acrylonitrile in drinking water at 100 ppm or drinking water alone for 27 days, followed by a single oral gavage dose of 11 mg/kg bw 14C-acrylonitrile on day 28. A positive control group received a single dose of 5 mg/kg bw of 7-14C-benzo­[a]­pyrene, on day 27 following the administration of drinking water for 26 days. Using liquid scintillation counting, no association of radiolabeled acrylonitrile with brain DNA was found. In accelerator mass spectrometry analysis, the association of 14C of acrylonitrile with DNA in brains was detected and was similar in both strains, which may reflect acrylonitrile binding to protein as well as to DNA. Nucleotide 32P-postlabeling assay analysis of brain samples from rats of both strains yielded no evidence of acrylonitrile DNA adducts. Negative conventional comet assay results indicate the absence of direct DNA strand breaks in the brain and Zymbal’s gland in both strains of rats dosed with acrylonitrile. In both rat strains, positive results in an enhanced comet assay were found only in brain samples digested with formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase but not with human 8-hydroxyguanine-DNA glycosylase, indicating possible oxidative DNA damage, other than 8-oxodG formation. In conclusion, definitive evidence of DNA binding of acrylonitrile in the brain and Zymbal’s gland was not obtained under the test conditions. A role for oxidative stress in tumorigenesis in the brain but not Zymbal’s gland may exist.