Mutagenesis by Environmental Pollutants and Bio-Monitoring of Environmental Mutagens

Authors: Sato H.; Aoki Y.

Source: Current Drug Metabolism, Volume 3, Number 3, June 2002 , pp. 311-319(9)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

Abstract:

There is serious concern about the adverse effects of environmental pollutants on human health. Various mutagens, which pollute air, water, and food, possibly induce mutations in humans, and are suspected of causing cancer. Environmental mutagens, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and heterocyclic amines are known to bind to nucleotides, resulting in the formation of DNA adducts. Some DNA adducts are fixed as mutations through replication of DNA. Reactive oxygen species generated by pollutants also induce the formation of DNA adducts. DNA adducts have been detected as a marker for the exposure of humans and wild life to mutagens.

Because of its high sensitivity the 32P-postlabel-thin layer chromatography (TLC) method is widely used for the analysis of DNA adducts formed by PAH and related bulky compounds. However, new systems are required for detecting mutations induced in genomic DNA in vivo to monitor environmental mutagens. Recently, transgenic animals, in which a target gene for detecting mutations is integrated, have been developed. With these transgenic animals, not only mutant frequency but mutation spectra can be determined.

We review here recent advances in the detection of DNA adducts formed by environmental pollutants and their application for biological monitoring of environmental mutagens. We also discuss transgenic animals as important tools for evaluating the total mutagenic potential of environmental chemicals.

Keywords: zebrafish; pollutant; pah; polycylic aromatic hydrocarbon

Language: English

Document Type: Review article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1389200023337603

Publication date: 2002-06-01

• Current Drug Metabolism aims to cover all the latest and outstanding developments in drug metabolism and disposition. The journal serves as an international forum for the publication of timely reviews in drug metabolism. Current Drug Metabolism is an essential journal for academic, clinical, government and pharmaceutical scientists who wish to be kept informed and up-to-date with the latest and most important developments. The journal covers the following areas:
  
  In vitro systems including CYP-450; enzyme induction and inhibition; drug-drug interactions and enzyme kinetics; pharmacokinetics, toxicokinetics, species scaling and extrapolations; P-glycoprotein and transport carriers; target organ toxicity and interindividual variability; drug metabolism and disposition studies; extrahepatic metabolism; phase I and phase II metabolism; recent developments for the identification of drug metabolites and adducts.

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• In this Subject: Anatomy & Physiology ,  Pharmacology
• By this author: Sato H. ;  Aoki Y.

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