Synergistic induction of hydroxyl radical-induced DNA single-strand breaks by chromium(VI) compound and cigarette...

Chromium(VI) compounds and cigarette smoke are known human carcinogens. We found that K2Cr2O7 and cigarette smoke solution synergistically induced DNA single-strand breaks (0.23+/-0.04 breaks per DNA molecule) in pUC118 plasmid DNA. K2Cr2O7 alone or cigarette smoke solution alone induced much less strand breaks (0.03+/-0.01 or 0.07+/-0.02 breaks per DNA molecule, respectively). The synergistic effect was prevented by catalase and by hydroxyl radical scavengers such as deferoxamine, dimethylsulfoxide, d-mannitol, and Tris, but not by superoxide dismutase. Ascorbic acid enhanced the synergism. Glutathione inhibited strand breakage only at high concentrations. Electron spin resonance (ESR) studies using a hydroxyl radical trap demonstrated that hydroxyl radicals were generated when DNA was incubated with K2Cr2O7 and cigarette smoke solution. Hydroxyl radical adduct decreased dose-dependently when strand breakage was prevented by catalase, deferoxamine, dimethylsulfoxide, d-mannitol or Tris, but not significantly by superoxide dismutase. We also used ESR spectroscopy to study the effects of different concentration of ascorbic acid and glutathione. The results showed that hydroxyl radical, which is proposed as a main carcinogenic mechanism for both chromium(VI) compounds and cigarette smoke solution was mainly responsible for the DNA breaks they induced.