Oxidative microsomal metabolism of 1-nitropyrene and DNA-binding of oxidized metabolites following nitroreduction

1-Nitropyrene is an environmental mutagen and carcinogen which undergoes both oxidative and reductive metabolism. We have previously shown that nitroreduction to N-hydroxy-1-aminopyrene leads to the formation of arylamine--DNA adducts. In the present study, we have investigated the oxidative metabolism of 1-nitropyrene and the subsequent binding of ring-oxidized metabolites to DNA. In vitro incubations were conducted using hepatic microsomes from uninduced rats or from rats pretreated with phenobarbital, Aroclor 1254, 3-methylcholanthrene, or 3-methylcholanthrene and trans-stilbene oxide. H.p.l.c. analysis of the incubation mixtures indicated the presence of the previously reported metabolites, 1-aminopyrene, 3-, 6-, and 8-hydroxy-1-nitropyrene, and 1-nitropyrene trans-4,5-dihydrodiol. In addition, 1-nitropyrene 4,5-oxide, 1-nitropyrene 9,10-oxide, 1-nitropyrene trans-9,10-dihydrodiol and 1-pyrenol were identified. The formation of both K-region dihydrodiols could be increased by trans-stilbene oxide induction of microsomal epoxide hydrase. Formation of the K-region epoxides was greatest using phenobarbital- and Aroclor-induced microsomes and increased with increasing oxygen tension, while 1-pyrenol formation was highest in 3-methylcholanthrene-induced microsomal incubations and was not affected by the oxygen tension. When calf thymus DNA was added to the microsomal incubations, similar levels of DNA-binding occurred in incubations conducted under oxygen, air, argon or anaerobic conditions. H.p.l.c. analysis of the enzymatically hydrolyzed DNA indicated the presence of multiple DNA adducts with the major product coeluting with N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-1-aminopyrene. The K-region oxides bound directly to DNA to give adducts similar to the minor products detected in the microsomal incubations. Incubation of the K-region oxides with the nitroreductase, xanthine oxidase, increased the DNA-binding and resulted in an additional adduct which coeluted with N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-1-amino pyrene. 3-Hydroxy-1-nitropyrene bound extensively to DNA upon nitroreduction by rat liver cytosol or xanthine oxidase, while 6- and 8-hydroxy-1-nitropyrene bound only slightly. None of these oxidized metabolites was activated to DNA-binding species by cytosolic nitroreduction followed by AcCoA-dependent acetylation. The fact that oxidized metabolites of 1-nitropyrene are reduced to DNA-binding derivatives more easily than 1-nitropyrene itself may be important in vivo where 1-nitropyrene has been shown to be readily oxidized.