The interaction of arsenic and N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine on urothelial carcinogenesis in mice

PLoS One. 2017 Oct 10;12(10):e0186214. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186214. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

The bladder is an important organ for the storage of excreted water and metabolites. If metabolites with carcinogenic characteristics are present in urine, the urothelial lining of the bladder could be damaged and genetically altered. In this study, we analyzed the interaction of arsenic and N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN) on mouse bladder carcinogenesis. Our previous study found that arsenic affects BBN-altered urothelial enzymatic activity, protein expression, DNA oxidation and global DNA CpG methylation levels. In this study, two mouse models were used. First, after administering a co-treatment of BBN and arsenic for 20 weeks, BBN alone led to a urothelial carcinoma formation of 20%, and arsenic promoted a BBN-induced urothelial carcinoma formation of 10%. The protein expression of GSTM1, GSTO1, NQO1, and p21 did not change by arsenic along with the BBN co-treatment, but the Sp1 expression increased. In the second mouse model, BBN was a pretreatment promoter; arsenic dose-dependently deteriorated BBN-promoted dysplasia by 10% and 40% at 10 ppm and 100 ppm, respectively. Conversely, BBN pretreatment also accelerated arsenic-induced dysplasia by 30%. The urothelial carcinogenic effect reversed after ceasing BBN for a period of 20 weeks. In summary, three conclusions were drawn from this study. The first is the mutual promotion of arsenic and BBN in bladder carcinogenesis. Second, arsenic dosages without bladder carcinogenicity (10 ppm) or with slight carcinogenicity (100 ppm) promote BBN-induced mice bladder cancer progression. Finally, the dysplastic urothelium had reverted to near-normal morphology after ceasing BBN intake for 20 weeks, providing a good suggestion for people who want to quit smoking.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arsenic / toxicity*
  • Butylhydroxybutylnitrosamine / toxicity*
  • Carcinogenesis / chemically induced*
  • Carcinogenesis / genetics
  • Carcinogenesis / metabolism
  • Carcinogenesis / pathology
  • Carcinogens / toxicity*
  • Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / chemically induced*
  • Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / pathology
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 / genetics
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 / metabolism
  • Drug Interactions
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Glutathione Transferase / genetics
  • Glutathione Transferase / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) / genetics
  • NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) / metabolism
  • Sp1 Transcription Factor / agonists
  • Sp1 Transcription Factor / genetics
  • Sp1 Transcription Factor / metabolism
  • Urinary Bladder / drug effects
  • Urinary Bladder / metabolism
  • Urinary Bladder / pathology
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / chemically induced*
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / genetics
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / pathology
  • Urothelium / drug effects
  • Urothelium / metabolism
  • Urothelium / pathology

Substances

  • Carcinogens
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21
  • Gsto1 protein, mouse
  • Sp1 Transcription Factor
  • Butylhydroxybutylnitrosamine
  • NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone)
  • Nqo1 protein, mouse
  • Glutathione Transferase
  • glutathione S-transferase M1
  • Arsenic

Grants and funding

This work is supported by grants from the Ministry of Science and Technology MOST104-2320-B-415-001-MY3 of the Republic of China, Taiwan.