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Related Concept Videos

2° Amines to N-Nitrosamines: Reaction with NaNO201:20

2° Amines to N-Nitrosamines: Reaction with NaNO2

Secondary amines react with nitrous acid to form N-nitrosamines, as depicted in Figure 1. Nitrous acid, a weak and unstable acid, is formed in situ from an aqueous solution of sodium nitrite and strong acids, such as hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid, in cold conditions. In the presence of an acid, the nitrous acid gets protonated. The subsequent loss of water results in the formation of the electrophile known as nitrosonium ion.
Spontaneous and Induced Mutations01:30

Spontaneous and Induced Mutations

Spontaneous mutations arise infrequently during DNA replication due to errors in the process. A key factor behind these errors is tautomeric shifts in nitrogenous bases, where bases transition from keto to enol forms or amino to imino forms. This shift can alter base-pairing rules, leading to mutations. Additionally, reactive oxygen species (ROS) arising from aerobic metabolism can damage DNA, resulting in depurination (loss of a purine base) or depyrimidination (loss of a pyrimidine base).
Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity01:25

Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity

Mutagenicity and carcinogenicity refer to the ability of drugs to cause genetic defects and induce cancer, respectively. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies agents into four groups based on their carcinogenic potential. Group 1 agents are known human carcinogens; group 2A agents are probably carcinogenic to humans; group 3 agents lack data to support their role in carcinogenesis; and group 4 includes agents for which data support that they are not likely to be...
Overview of Nitrogen Metabolism01:20

Overview of Nitrogen Metabolism

Nitrogen is a very important element for life because it is a major constituent of proteins and nucleic acids. It is a macronutrient, and in nature, it is recycled from organic compounds and stored in the form of  ammonia, ammonium ions, nitrate, nitrite, or  nitrogen gas by many metabolic processes. Many of these metabolic processes are carried out only by prokaryotes.
The largest pool of nitrogen available in the terrestrial ecosystem is gaseous nitrogen (N2) from the air, but this nitrogen...
Types of Toxins01:36

Types of Toxins

Humans continually engage with an environment rich in potentially harmful chemicals. These are introduced to our bodies through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact. These chemicals exist in various forms, such as air and environmental pollutants, agricultural chemicals, organic solvents, and heavy metals.
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Bioactivation and Tissue Toxicity01:25

Bioactivation and Tissue Toxicity

Bioactivation is a metabolic process that transforms less reactive substances into highly reactive metabolites, initiating tissue toxicity. This transformation can lead to various toxic effects, including carcinogenesis and teratogenesis. Reactive metabolites are classified into two main types: electrophiles and free radicals.Electrophiles are electron-deficient species and are produced primarily by the enzyme cytochrome P-450 during the metabolism of compounds containing carbon, nitrogen, or...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 11, 2026

Formation of Covalent DNA Adducts by Enzymatically Activated Carcinogens and Drugs In Vitro and Their Determination by 32P-postlabeling
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Formation of Covalent DNA Adducts by Enzymatically Activated Carcinogens and Drugs In Vitro and Their Determination by 32P-postlabeling

Published on: March 20, 2018

Nitrogen dioxide is genotoxic in urban concentrations.

Christian Koehler1, Sebastian Thielen, Christian Ginzkey

  • 1Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.

Inhalation Toxicology
|May 25, 2013
PubMed
Summary

This study found that exposure to 0.01 ppm nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a common urban air pollutant, caused genotoxicity in human nasal cells after 3 hours. No cytotoxic effects were observed, but DNA damage increased with exposure time.

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Quantification of three DNA Lesions by Mass Spectrometry and Assessment of Their Levels in Tissues of Mice Exposed to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter
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Automated, High-resolution Mobile Collection System for the Nitrogen Isotopic Analysis of NOx
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Automated, High-resolution Mobile Collection System for the Nitrogen Isotopic Analysis of NOx

Published on: December 20, 2016

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Last Updated: May 11, 2026

Formation of Covalent DNA Adducts by Enzymatically Activated Carcinogens and Drugs In Vitro and Their Determination by 32P-postlabeling
09:33

Formation of Covalent DNA Adducts by Enzymatically Activated Carcinogens and Drugs In Vitro and Their Determination by 32P-postlabeling

Published on: March 20, 2018

Quantification of three DNA Lesions by Mass Spectrometry and Assessment of Their Levels in Tissues of Mice Exposed to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter
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Automated, High-resolution Mobile Collection System for the Nitrogen Isotopic Analysis of NOx
07:14

Automated, High-resolution Mobile Collection System for the Nitrogen Isotopic Analysis of NOx

Published on: December 20, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Toxicology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Urban air pollution, specifically nitrogen dioxide (NO2), poses health risks.
  • Understanding the toxic and genotoxic thresholds of NO2 at realistic urban concentrations is crucial.
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) sets the annual limit value for NO2 at 0.02 ppm.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the toxicity and genotoxicity of NO2 at a concentration below the WHO limit (0.01 ppm).
  • To examine the effects of varying NO2 exposure durations on human nasal epithelium in vitro.
  • To assess DNA damage and cytotoxic effects induced by NO2 exposure.

Main Methods:

  • Human nasal epithelial cells from 10 donors were cultured at an air-liquid interface.
  • Cells were exposed to 0.01 ppm NO2 or synthetic air (control) for 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 hours.
  • Analyses included caspase-3 ELISA, comet assay (DNA strand fragmentation), and micronucleus assay (genotoxicity).

Main Results:

  • NO2 exposure at 0.01 ppm did not affect caspase-3 activity or induce cytotoxic effects (apoptosis, necrosis, proliferation disturbances).
  • DNA strand fragmentation showed a correlation with increasing NO2 exposure durations.
  • Micronucleus induction, indicating genotoxicity, was observed after 3 hours of NO2 exposure, but not at shorter durations.

Conclusions:

  • Genotoxicity of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) can occur at common urban concentrations (0.01 ppm) in human nasal epithelium in vitro.
  • While DNA damage and genotoxicity were observed, a definitive genotoxic threshold for NO2 could not be established in this study.
  • The findings highlight the potential genotoxic risk of NO2 even at levels below current WHO guidelines, emphasizing the need for further research.