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Background: Barrier function is integral to the health of epithelial tissues. Currently, there is a broad need to develop and improve our knowledge with regard to barrier function for reversal of mild skin irritation and dryness. However, there are few in vitro models that incorporate modulations of both lipids and epidermal differentiation programs for pre-clinical testing to aid in the understanding of barrier health., Objective: We have generated a reconstituted epidermis on a decellularized dermis (DED) and characterized its barrier properties relative to human epidermis in order to determine its utility for modeling barrier formation and repair., Methods: We followed the process of epidermal differentiation and barrier formation through immunocytochemistry and transcriptional profiling. We examined barrier functionality through measurements of surface pH, lipid composition, stratum corneum water content, and the ability to demonstrate topical dose-dependent exclusion of surfactant., Results: Transcriptional profiling of the epidermal model during its formation reveals temporal patterns of gene expression associated with processes regulating barrier function. The profiling is supported by gradual formation and maturation of a stratum corneum and expression of appropriate markers of epidermis development. The model displays a functional barrier and a water gradient between the stratum corneum and viable layers, as determined by confocal Raman spectroscopy. The stratum corneum layer displays a normal acidic pH and an appropriate composition of barrier lipids., Conclusion: The epidermal model demonstrates its utility as an investigative tool for barrier health and provides a window into the transcriptional regulation of multiple aspects of barrier formation., (Copyright © 2013 Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Manufactured gas plant (MGP) sites are contaminated with coal tar and may contain metals such as arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and vanadium (V). These metals are known to cause cancer or other adverse health conditions in humans, and the extent and cost of remediating MGP sites may be influenced by the presence of these metals. Studies assessed the distribution of these metals in female B6C3F1 mice ingesting (1) a metal mixture in water or (2) an MGP mixture in NIH-31 feed. The highest metal levels were measured in the small intestine and kidneys of mice receiving the metal mixture in water. For mice receiving the metal mixture in water, levels of As, Cd, and Cr, in the small intestine, levels of As, Cd, Cr, and V in the kidneys, levels of As and Cd in the pancreas, and levels of Cr and V in the femur were significantly greater than controls at 4, 8, 12, 16, and 24 wk. Except for Ni levels in the small intestine and femur and Cr levels in the kidneys, levels of metals were much lower in mice administered the MGP mixture in feed. The highest concentrations of metals in mice ingesting the MGP mixture in feed were found in the small intestine and kidneys, but few were significantly greater than controls. Levels of As in the small intestine at 6 and 18 wk and levels of Cr in the kidneys at 12, 18, and 24 wk were significantly greater than in controls. The data suggest that tissue burdens in small intestine, kidneys, pancreas, and femur of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and vanadium are less when metals are present as an MGP mixture in feed than as a mixture in water. The reduced distribution and accumulation of metals in the organs of mice ingesting the MGP mixture in feed compared to the levels in organs of mice ingesting the metal mixture in water suggests that metals may be less likely to accumulate in humans ingesting MGP mixtures, thereby presenting a lower overall human health risk. The data presented indicate that the matrix in which metals are present will affect the uptake of individual metals and the organ specificity.

While current human exposure to 4-aminobiphenyl (4-ABP) is mainly through inhalation, historically, occupational exposure occurred most often through the skin. 4-ABP targets the urinary bladder in humans, dogs, and rats and the liver and urinary bladder in mice. This study examines the time course of DNA adduct levels in mouse target tissues, liver and urinary bladder, and nontarget tissues, lung and skin, after repeated dermal exposure to subcarcinogenic doses of 4-ABP. It was found that, in female mice dermally treated with 50 nmol of 4-ABP twice weekly for 21 weeks, DNA adduct levels measured by 32P-postlabeling increased over time in target and nontarget tissues, but the greatest rate of accumulation occurred in urinary bladder. At 21 weeks liver, urinary bladder, and skin reached their highest median adduct levels of 55, 82, and 58, respectively. Median adduct levels in lung reached a maximum of 3.2 at 3 weeks of exposure. An adduct which had similar chromatographic properties to a standard previously identified as N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-4-aminobiphenyl was the primary adduct detected in all tissues. There were significant correlations in adduct levels between liver and urinary bladder and liver and skin, but not between skin and urinary bladder. These data suggest that urinary bladder adducts are the result of hepatic and not dermal activation. However, adducts were detected at relatively high levels in skin but not in lung, suggesting that skin may have the metabolic capacity to activate 4-ABP when it is applied topically.

N-Heterocyclic polynuclear aromatics are widely-occurring environmental pollutants formed during the pyrolysis of nitrogen-containing organic chemicals. Dibenz[a,j]acridine (DBA), a member of this class, has been shown to be a skin carcinogen in mice. We undertook studies to determine the organ distribution of DBA-DNA adducts and to identify the DBA metabolites which lead to the formation of carcinogen-DNA adducts in vivo. DBA and its metabolites, trans-DBA-1,2-dihydrodiol (DBA-1,2-DHD) trans-DBA-3,4-dihydrodiol (DBA-3,4-DHD) and trans-DBA-5,6-dihydrodiol (DBA-5,6-DHD), were topically applied on mice. DNA was isolated using enzyme-solvent extraction methods, and analyzed for carcinogen-DNA adducts using 32P-postlabelling. In skin, DBA produced two distinct adducts (Adducts 1 and 2). The same two adducts were seen when DBA-3,4-DHD was applied. In addition, the total adduct level elicited by DBA-3,4-DHD was twice that of the parent compound. Two adducts (Adducts 3 and 4) were also seen in mouse skin when DBA-5,6-DHD was applied, but these differed chromatographically from adducts seen with DBA. However, when DBA-3,4-DHD was applied and analyzed using sensitive nuclease P1 32P-postlabelling, all four adducts could be detected. These results suggest that the major route of DBA activation to DNA-binding species in skin is through formation of DBA-3,4-DHD and subsequent metabolism of this compound to a bay-region diol-epoxide. However, we postulate that another activation pathway may proceed through a bis-dihydrodiol-epoxide.

7H-Dibenzo[c,g]carbazole (DBC) is a potent liver and skin carcinogen following topical administration. The objective was to determine the pattern of DBC-DNA adducts produced in both target and nontarget tissues when DBC and its metabolites were applied topically at carcinogenic doses. DBC phenolic derivatives 1-hydroxy-DBC, 2-hydroxy-DBC, 3-hydroxy-DBC, 4-hydroxy-DBC, 5-hydroxy-DBC, 6-hydroxy-DBC, 13-c-hydroxy-DBC, and N-methyl-DBC were applied dermally to Hsd:ICR (Br) mice. Tissues were harvested 24 h later, and DBC-DNA adduct levels were determined by 32P-postlabeling. The levels of DBC-DNA adducts were about 25 times greater in liver than in any other tissue. Total DBC-DNA adducts were seen in skin and lung at about equal levels, while adduct levels in kidney and other tissues were no more than one fourth that of lung and skin. Adduct 6 was the predominant adduct in liver, adducts 2 and 3 were formed preferentially in skin, and adduct 3 was formed preferentially in lung. 3-Hydroxy-DBC and 4-hydroxy-DBC produced higher levels of DNA adducts in skin, lung, and liver than did the parent compound or 2-hydroxy-DBC. DNA adducts were not seen in any tissue for the 1-, 5-, 6-, or 13-c-hydroxy compounds. In addition, hepatic DNA adducts were not seen when the nitrogen of DBC was methylated. In lung and skin, N-methyl-DBC induced DNA adducts at levels comparable to DBC, although the adduct profile in these tissues was different from that of DBC itself.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The comparative metabolism of the carcinogenic pollutants 7H-dibenzo[c,g]-carbazole (DBC) and dibenz[a,j]acridine (DBA) was investigated in vitro using 3-methylcholanthrene (3MC) induced Sprague-Dawley rat and Hsd:ICR(Br) mouse liver microsomal preparations with benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) as the positive control. Metabolites were isolated and separated by HPLC and identified by spectroscopic and co-chromatographic techniques using synthetic standards. The major metabolites of DBC were the phenols: the 5-OH-DBC, 3-OH-DBC, and 2-OH-DBC. Traces of 1-OH-DBC were also found yet no dihydrodiols were identified. The major metabolites of DBA were the 3,4-diol-DBA and 5,6-diol-DBA, 1,2-diol-DBA, DBA-5,6-oxide and 4-OH-DBA. Treatment of both mice and rats with 3MC resulted in significant (P less than or equal to 0.05) increases relative to control in the microsomal metabolism of DBA to dihydrodiol and phenol metabolites, similar to that observed for BaP. 3MC-induced rat liver microsomes significantly (P less than or equal to 0.05) increased DBC metabolism relative to control microsomes whereas DBC metabolism was not increased with 3MC-induced mouse liver microsomes. These data indicate that different enzymatic pathways are involved in the metabolic activation of DBC in the Hsd:ICR(Br) mouse and Sprague-Dawley rat.

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) undergoes metabolic transformation in mammals via oxidative, hydrolytic, and conjugative processes; however, little is known concerning BaP conjugation in freshwater algae. It has been shown in this laboratory that BaP is metabolized by Selenastrum capricornutum via a dioxygenase pathway. This study describes the conjugation of BaP metabolites by a green alga, Selenastrum capricornutum. Cultures were exposed to 1160 micrograms/l [14C]BaP for 4 days at 23 degrees C under gold fluorescent lights on a diurnal cycle of 16 h light, 8 h dark. Of the total metabolites in the algal culture, 89% were present in media. BaP and non-conjugated metabolites were separated from conjugated metabolites by chromatography on neutral alumina columns using solvents of increasing polarity. Seventy-one percent of the BaP metabolites were conjugates of which 12.2%, 12.0% and 12.4% were sulfate ester and alpha- and beta-glucose conjugates, respectively. Conjugates that coeluted with sulfate esters were hydrolyzed with arylsulfatase, alpha- or beta-glucosidase; high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis indicated that the major product of each enzymatic hydrolysis was the 4,5-dihydrodiol (87.2, 69 and 53%, respectively). Eighty-six percent of the conjugates were acid labile following incubation for 2 h in 4 N HCl at 37 degrees C. To our knowledge this is the first demonstration of the metabolism of a polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon by a freshwater green alga through a dioxygenase pathway and subsequent conjugation and excretion.

The metabolism of the carcinogenic N-heterocyclic aromatic, dibenz[a,j]-acridine (DB[a,j]A), was investigated in an isolated perfused rabbit lung preparation. The rate of metabolism of DB[a,j]A was less than the rate of metabolism of 7H-dibenzo[c,g]carbazole (DB[c,g]C) in the untreated and corn oil-pretreated animals. A significantly increased rate of metabolism was observed for DB[a,j]A in benzo[a]pyrene(B[a]P)-pretreated animals. This resulted in marked increases in conjugation and distribution of conjugates and total metabolites in blood and lung. Two major metabolites characterized spectroscopically were assigned as the 3,4-dihydrodiol and a phenol of DB[a,j]A. The results indicate that in the lung DB[a,j]A is metabolized in a manner similar to that of B[a]P.