Modulation of DNA repair by various inhibitors of DNA synthesis following 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) induced DNA damage

The tobacco specific nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is present in tobacco smoke and is hepatocarcinogenic in rats. Its. bioactivation in rat hepatocytes leads to methylation and pyridyloxobutylation of DNA. Rat hepatocytes were cultured in serum-free William medium E on collagen-coated dishes. We demonstrated that some enzymes of the base and/or excision-repair pathways were involved in repair of NNK-induced DNA damage, measured by [methyl-H-3] thymidine incorporation. Unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU), NNK, N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and 4-(acetoxymethylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNKOAc) increased 2.9-, 2.8-, 1.5- and 3.5-fold, respectively, suggesting that methylated and/or pyridyloxobutylated-DNA by these four nitroso compounds is repaired by the excision pathway. Moreover, levels of NNK-induced UDS were dose (1-3 mM) and time (1-18 h) dependent. Enzymes involved in the excision repair pathways were selectively inhibited. Inhibitors of DNA topoisomerase I (camptothecin) and topoisomerase II (etoposide, nalidixic acid) did not decrease the induction of UDS, suggesting that topoisomerases are not involved in the repair of NNK-induced damage. While aphidicolin and arabinocytidine (DNA polymerase alpha, delta, epsilon inhibitors) totally inhibited NNK- and NNKOAc-induced UDS, dideoxythymidine (DNA polymerase beta inhibitor) inhibited NNK- and NNKOAc-induced UDS by 40 and 33%, respectively. We conclude that DNA polymerase alpha, delta or epsilon and to a lesser degree polymerase beta are involved in the repair of pyridyloxobutylated DNA. Previous studies showed that inhibition of poly(ADP-ribosyl) polymerase (PARP) by 3-aminobenzamide (3-ab) facilitated DNA ligation. Our results demonstrate that 3-ab increased NNK-induced UDS, but does not affect NNKOAc-induced UDS. These observations suggest that the ligation step is rate limiting in the repair of methylated DNA but not of pyridyloxobutylated DNA. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.