Mechanism of chromium(VI) carcinogenesis. Reactive intermediates and effect on gene expression.

Since chromium(VI) is unreactive toward DNA under physiological conditions in vitro, the ability of carcinogenic chromium(VI) compounds to damage DNA depends on the presence of cellular redox components that reduce chromium(VI) to reactive species capable of interacting with DNA. We have examined the role of glutathione and hydrogen peroxide in chromium(VI)-induced DNA damage in vitro. Upon reaction with chromium(VI), glutathione produced chromium(V) and glutathione thiyl radical reactive intermediates, whereas hydrogen peroxide produced chromium(V) and hydroxyl radical. Reaction of DNA with chromium(VI) in the presence of glutathione resulted in binding of chromium and glutathione to DNA with little or no DNA strand breakage. Reaction of DNA with chromium(VI) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide produced the 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine adduct and extensive DNA strand breakage in the absence of significant Cr-DNA adduct formation. These results suggest that the nature of chromium(VI)-induced DNA damage will be strongly dependent on reactive intermediates such as chromium(V), glutathione thiyl radical, and hydroxyl radical, produced by cellular components active in chromium(VI) metabolism. In order to assess the ability of chromium(VI)-induced DNA damage to affect the normal template function of DNA, we investigated the effects of chromium(VI) on steady-state mRNA levels of various genes in chick embryo liver in vivo, and compared the effects to the levels of DNA damage observed. Chromium(VI) induced DNA-protein and DNA interstrand cross-links in chick embryo liver in vivo and suppressed the induction of 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase and cytochrome P-450 mRNA expression by porphyrinogenic drugs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)