Carcinogenicity and mutagenicity of heterocyclic amines in transgenic mouse models

Double transgenic mice bearing fusion genes consisting of mouse albumin enhancer/promoter-mouse c-myc cDNA and mouse metallothionein1 promoter-human TGFalpha cDNA were generated to investigate the interaction of these genes in hepatic oncogenesis and to provide a general paradigm for characterizing both the interaction of nuclear oncogenes and growth factors in tumorigenesis. In addition, these mice provide an experimental model to test how environmental chemicals might interact with the c-myc and TGFalpha transgenes during the neoplastic process. Treatment of the double transgenic mice with both genotoxic agents such as diethylnitrosamine and 2-amino-3-methylimidazo-[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ) as well as the tumor promoter phenobarbital greatly accelerated the neoplastic process. To investigate the role of mutagenesis in the carcinogenic process, 2-amino-3,8-dimethyl-imidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) induced mutagenesis and hepatocarcinogenicity was examined in C57BL/lacZ (Muta Mice) and double transgenic c-myc/lacZ mice that carry the lacZ mutation reporter gene. The MelQx hepatocarcinogenicity was associated with an increase in in vivo mutagenicity as scored by mutations in the lacZ reporter gene. These results suggest that transgenic mouse models may provide important tools for testing both the carcinogenic potential of environmental chemicals and the interaction/cooperation of these compounds with specific genes during the neoplastic process.