Formation of 8-hydroxyguanine in DNA during mitomycin C activation

DNA damage caused indirectly via reactive oxygen species generated during reductive activation of mitomycin C was evaluated. This oxidative DNA damage was measured by determining the formation of 8-hydroxyguanine in DNA exposed to chemically or enzymatically activated mitomycin C. The level of 8-hydroxyguanine was measured indirectly by determining formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase-sensitive sites induced in plasmid DNA exposed to mitomycin C and directly by a 32P-postlabeling assay for the modified base. Activation of mitomycin C by sodium borohydride in air, by H2/Pt, or xanthine oxidase in N2 caused increases in the level of 8-hydroxyguanine. The extent of the increase varied according to the incubation conditions with the greatest increase being observed in DNA exposed to mitomycin C activated under hypoxic conditions. These results support a possible indirect mechanism for DNA damage caused by mitomycin C that is mediated by reactive oxygen species.