Strategies for synthesis of adducts of omicron-quinone metabolites of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with 2'-deoxyribonucleosides

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are major environmental carcinogens produced in the combustion of fossil fuels, tobacco, and other organic matter. Current evidence indicates that PAHs are transformed enzymatically to active metabolites that react with DNA to form adducts that result in mutations. Three activation pathways have been proposed: the diol epoxide path, the radical-cation path, and the quinone path. The latter involves aldo-keto reductase mediated oxidation of PAH dihydrodiol metabolites to catechols that enter into redox cycles with quinones. This results in generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that attack DNA, and the PAH quinones also react with DNA to form adducts. Several strategies for synthesis of the stable adducts formed by the o-quinone metabolites of carcinogenic PAHs with 2'-deoxyribonucleosides were investigated and compared. The PAH quinones studied were benz[a]anthracene-3,4-dione and its 7-methyl- and 7,12-dimethyl- derivatives. The parent PAHs represent a range of carcinogenicity from inactive to highly potent. Two synthetic methods were devised that differ in the catalyst employed, Pd(OAc)(2) or CuI. The Pd-mediated method involved coupling a protected amino-catechol PAH derivative with a halo-2'-deoxyribonucleoside. The copper-mediated method entailed reaction of a halo-PAH catechol derivative with a 2'-deoxyribonucleoside. Adducts of benz[a]anthracene-3,4-dione (and its 7-methyl- and 7,12-dimethyl- derivatives) with 2'-deoxyadenosine and 2'-deoxyguanosine were prepared by these methods. Availability of adducts of these types through synthesis makes possible for the first time biological studies to determine the role of these adducts in tumorigenesis. The copper-mediated method offers advantages of economy, adaptability to large-scale preparation, utility for synthesis of (13)C- or (15)N-labeled analogues, and nonformation of bis-adducts as secondary products.     

Efficient syntheses of C(8)-aryl adducts of adenine and guanine formed by reaction of radical cation metabolites of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with DNA

The synthesis of the C(8)-aryl adducts of adenine and guanine formed by reaction of the radical cation metabolites of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), such as benzo[a]pyrene (BP) and dibenzo[def,p]chrysene (DBC), with DNA is reported. The synthetic approach involves in the key step direct reaction of a PAH aldehyde with a di- or triamine precursor of a purine. The method is operationally simple, affords good yields of adducts, and is broad in its scope. The C(8)-aryl adducts of adenine and guanine derived from BP (6-BP-8-Ade and 6-BP-8-Gua) and DBC (10-DBC-8-Ade and 10-DBC-8-Gua) were synthesized in good yields by this method. Analogous C(8)-aryl adenine and guanine derivatives of other PAHs (anthracene, benz[a]anthracene, and chrysene) were also readily prepared via this approach. This method of synthesis is superior to the only method that is currently available. It entails direct reaction of short-lived PAH radical cations (generated electrochemically or chemically) with 2'-deoxyribonucleosides or the corresponding purine bases. It provides the adducts in low yields accompanied by complex mixtures of secondary products. An alternative synthesis that involves Pd-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of arylboronic acids with 8-bromopurine nucleosides was also investigated. Although the C(8)-purine adducts of PAHs, such as naphthalene, phenanthrene, pyrene, and chrysene, could be prepared by this method, analogous adducts of carcinogenic PAHs and other structurally related PAHs, e.g., anthracene, benz[a]anthracene, benzo[a]pyrene, and dibenzo[def,p]chrysene, could not be obtained. This difference was shown to be a consequence of the facility of competing hydrolytic deboronation of the corresponding arylboronic acids.     

Synthesis of uniformly 13C-labeled polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Convergent synthetic pathways were devised for efficient synthesis of a series of uniformly (13)C labeled polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons de novo from U-(13)C-benzene and other simple commercially-available (13)C-starting compounds. All target products were obtained in excellent yields, including the alternant PAH U-(13)C-naphthalene, U-(13)C-phenanthrene, U-(13)C-anthracene, U-(13)C-benz[a]anthracene, U-(13)C-pyrene and the nonalternant PAH U-(13)C-fluoranthene.     

Synthesis of the o-quinones and other oxidized metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons implicated in carcinogenesis

Efficient new syntheses of the o-quinone derivatives of benzo[a]pyrene (BPQ), 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBAQ), and benz[a]anthracene (BAQ), implicated as active carcinogenic metabolites of the parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), are reported. These PAH quinones also serve as starting compounds for the synthesis of the other active metabolites of these PAHs thought to be involved in their mechanism(s) of carcinogenesis. The latter include the corresponding o-catechols, trans-dihydrodiols, and the corresponding anti- and syn-diol epoxides.     

Analysis of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in complex environmental mixtures by LC-APPI-MS/MS

Here we developed a highly sensitive, fast and reliable liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the detection and analysis of 16 different polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nitro-PAHs that have been identified as carcinogens and classified according to their biological potency. Comparison to standard analysis procedures based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) instrumentation demonstrated an improved easiness of sample preparation and sensitivity of detection achieved with the new LC-MS/MS method employing an atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) source attached to an API 4000 mass spectrometer (LC-APPI-MS/MS). The favorable outcome could be confirmed by analyzing complex mixtures such as certain Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) obtained from the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), i.e., SRM 1975 and SRM 2975, and several diesel exhaust soots provided by the German automobile industry. Certified concentrations of individual analytes provided by NIST not only could be confirmed, but additional extremely potent carcinogens such as several isomeric hexacyclic dibenzopyrenes (DBPs), 5-methylchrysene (5-MC), and others have been detected in these crude samples in a concentration range down to below 1 ng g(-1) raw material.     

Porphyrins fused with unactivated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

A systematic study of the preparation of porphyrins with extended conjugation by meso,β-fusion with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is reported. The meso-positions of 5,15-unsubstituted porphyrins were readily functionalized with PAHs. Ring fusion using standard Scholl reaction conditions (FeCl(3), dichloromethane) occurs for perylene-substituted porphyrins to give a porphyrin β,meso annulated with perylene rings (0.7:1 ratio of syn and anti isomers). The naphthalene, pyrene, and coronene derivatives do not react under Scholl conditions but are fused using thermal cyclodehydrogenation at high temperatures, giving mixtures of syn and anti isomers of the meso,β-fused porphyrins. For pyrenyl-substituted porphyrins, a thermal method gives synthetically acceptable yields (>30%). Absorption spectra of the fused porphyrins undergo a progressive bathochromic shift in a series of naphthyl (λ(max) = 730 nm), coronenyl (λ(max) = 780 nm), pyrenyl (λ(max) = 815 nm), and perylenyl (λ(max) = 900 nm) annulated porphyrins. Despite being conjugated with unsubstituted fused PAHs, the β,meso-fused porphyrins are more soluble and processable than the parent nonfused precursors. Pyrenyl-fused porphyrins exhibit strong fluorescence in the near-infrared (NIR) spectral region, with a progressive improvement in luminescent efficiency (up to 13% with λ(max) = 829 nm) with increasing degree of fusion. Fused pyrenyl-porphyrins have been used as broadband absorption donor materials in photovoltaic cells, leading to devices that show comparatively high photovoltaic efficiencies.     

Synthesis of 13C4-labelled oxidized metabolites of the carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon benzo[a]pyrene

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), such as benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), are ubiquitous environmental contaminants that are implicated in causing lung cancer. BaP is a component of tobacco smoke that is transformed enzymatically to active forms that interact with DNA. We reported previously development of a sensitive stable isotope dilution LC/MS method for analysis of BaP metabolites. We now report efficient syntheses of ¹³C₄-BaP and the complete set of its ¹³C₄-labelled oxidized metabolites needed as internal standards They include the metabolites not involved in carcinogenesis (Group A) and the metabolites implicated in initiation of cancer (Group B). The synthetic approach is novel, entailing use of Pd-catalyzed Suzuki, Sonogashira, and Hartwig cross-coupling reactions combined with PtCl₂-catalyzed cyclization of acetylenic compounds. This synthetic method requires fewer steps, employs milder conditions, and product isolation is simpler than conventional methods of PAH synthesis. The syntheses of ¹³C₄-BaP and ¹³C₄-BaP-8-ol each require only four steps, and the ¹³C-atoms are all introduced in a single step. ¹³C₄-BaP-8-ol serves as the synthetic precursor of all the oxidized metabolites of ¹³C-BaP implicated in initiation of cancer. The isotopic purities of the synthetic ¹³C₄-BaP metabolites were estimated to be ≥99.9%.     

Quantification of 21 metabolites of methylnaphthalenes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in human urine

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their alkylated derivatives, such as methylnaphthalenes (MeNs), are harmful pollutants ubiquitously present in the environment. Exposure to PAHs has been linked to a variety of adverse health effects and outcomes, including cancer. Alkyl PAHs have been proposed as petrogenic source indicators because of their relatively high abundance in unburned petroleum products. We report a method to quantify 11 urinary methylnaphthols (Me-OHNs), metabolites of 1- and 2-methylnaphthalenes, and 10 monohydroxy PAH metabolites (OH-PAHs), using automated liquid-liquid extraction and isotope dilution gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). After spiking urine (1 mL) with ¹³C-labeled internal standards, the conjugated target analytes were hydrolyzed enzymatically in the presence of ascorbic acid. Then, their free species were preconcentrated into 20 % toluene in pentane, derivatized and quantified by GC-MS/MS. The 11 Me-OHNs eluted as 6 distinct chromatographic peaks, each representing 1???3 isomers. Method detection limits were 1.0? 41 pg/mL and the coefficients of variation in quality control materials were 4.7???19 %. The method was used to analyze two National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Standard Reference Materials® and samples from 30 smokers and 30 non-smokers. Geometric mean concentrations were on average 37 (Me-OHNs) and 9.0 (OH-PAHs) fold higher in smokers than in non-smokers. These findings support the usefulness of Me-OHNs as potential biomarkers of non-occupational exposure to MeNs and sources containing MeNs.

Analysis of nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Many nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAH) that are present in low concentrations in the environment and in emission sources have been shown to be mutagenic and/or carcinogenic. This paper reviews the current methods of analysis of these compounds with the emphasis on NPAH measurements in ambient particulate matter samples.     

Palladium-catalyzed pentannulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

We present a new and versatile one-step synthesis of a series of small molecular chromophores based on cyclopentannulated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Easily available pyrene, anthracene, and perylene bromides serve as starting materials for the reactions. The formation of the five-membered ring is achieved by the straightforward palladium(0)-catalyzed carbannulation with various substituted acetylenes. This approach is applicable either to single or multiple annulation procedures leading to hitherto inaccessible PAH topologies. According to the resulting products of the diverse reactions, a mechanistic explanation is proposed. UV/Vis absorption as well as cyclovoltammetric measurements were performed for characterization demonstrating the value of this annulation technique. Optical absorptions of up to 780 nm and absorption coefficients ranging from 8000 to 34,000 M(-1) cm(-1) were detected.     

Simplified determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Accurate quantitative analysis for selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons present on urban dust can be obtained by using a simple procedure consisting of sonic-probe extraction with cyclohexane; clean-up with Florisil((R))-XAD-4((R)), and measurement by high-resolution gas chromatography with flame-ionization detection (HRGC/FID). The analysis can be further simplified by eliminating the clean-up step if HRGC/electron-impact mass-spectrometry (MS) is available. Both the FID and MS methods give results consistent with those obtained by standard procedures. The direct HRGC/MS procedure, combined with chemical ionization, can also be applied to the determination of polycyclic organic materials present in solvent-refined coal, shale oil and crude oil.     

Synthesis of bowl-shaped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons via palladium-catalyzed intramolecular arylation reactions

[reaction: see text] Treatment of the benzannulated enediyne 11 with potassium tert-butoxide in refluxing toluene for 12 h produced 15 via a cascade sequence of cyclization reactions. Two subsequent palladium-catalyzed intramolecular arylation reactions then afforded the bowl-shaped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon 16. The X-ray structures of 16 and two closely related molecules show the presence of significant curvatures.     

Palladium-catalyzed synthesis of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon epoxide-nucleoside adducts: the first amination of a chloro nucleoside

Pd-catalyzed coupling of the axially constrained, less reactive benzo[a]pyrene bay-region amino benzoates, derived from the tetrahydro and diol epoxides, with C-6 and C-2 halopurine deoxynucleosides offers an efficient approach to the synthesis of the corresponding nucleoside-epoxide adducts. Also reported are the first examples involving the coupling of a 6-chloropurine deoxynucleoside with these amines, a reaction that is difficult by direct halide displacement. Certain mechanistic aspects of this metal-catalyzed C-N bond formation are also discussed. [reaction--see text]     

Determination of monohydroxylated metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs) from wastewater-treatment plants

A high-performance liquid chromatography separation coupled with mass spectrometry via an electrospray interface is proposed for the determination of the hydroxylated derivatives of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs) in treated and untreated wastewaters and suspended solids from sewage treatment plants (STPs). The developed SPE procedure was applied to spiked wastewater samples, with recovery yields (1000?mL; 100?ng?L^?1 spiking level) in the 65–87% (RSD: 6–12%) range for the selected OH-PAHs. The limits of detections ranged between 0.3 and 3.2?ng?L^?1, depending on the selected compound and on the investigated matrix. The proposed method was applied to the determination of the selected analytes in real samples from a sewage-treatment plant (STP). The investigated OH-PAHs were detected mainly in the particulate fraction. The exhibited mean concentrations of positive samples (as the sum of dissolved and particulate matter) in the STP final effluent ranged from 15 to 68?ng?L^?1.     

α-Oxoketene dithioacetal mediated aromatic annulation: highly efficient and concise synthetic routes to potentially carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Highly efficient regiospecific routes to potentially carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as substituted benzo[c]phenanthrenes, benzo[c]fluorenes, 16,17-dihydro-11-methyl-15[H]cyclopenta[a]phenanthrene, 5-methyl-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrochrysene and 1,4-dimethylphenanthrene have been developed. The overall strategy involves our aromatic annulation protocol through base induced conjugate addition-elimination on the cyclic and acyclic α-oxoketene dithioacetals with the appropriate arylacetonitriles followed by acid induced cyclodehydration of the resulting conjugate adducts. Subsequent reductive dethiomethylation (Raney Ni) and dehydrogenation (DDQ) of the cyclized products affords the methyl substituted PAHs in high yields.     

Room-temperature fluorescence spectroscopy of monohydroxy metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on octadecyl extraction membranes

Urine analysis of monohydroxy metabolites is recognized as an accurate assessment of human exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Despite the sophisticated arsenal of analytical tools, monitoring of monohydroxy metabolites via simple, cost effective and direct methods of analysis still remains a challenge. This article evaluates the analytical potential of solid-phase extraction room-temperature fluorescence spectroscopy for the problem at hand. Extraction membranes serve the dual purpose of sample pre-concentration and solid substrate for RTF measurements. The potential of our proposition is demonstrated with the analysis of 2-hydroxy-fluorene, 1-hydroxy-pyrene, 3-hydroxy-benzo[a]pyrene and 9-hydroxy-phenanthrene in synthetic urine samples. Signal reproducibility is improved with the aid of a sample holder specifically designed for the manual optimization of luminescence signals. Background correction of solid substrates is carried out with the aid of Asymmetric Least Squares. Recovery values for the studied metabolites varied from 99.0 ± 1.2% (3-hydroxy-benzo[a]pyrene) to 99.9 ± 0.05% (1-hydroxy-pyrene). With only 10 mL of urine sample, the limits of detection varied from 57 pg mL⁻¹ (2-hydroxy-fluorene) to 2 pg mL⁻¹ (1-hydroxy-pyrene). Additional figures of merit include a simple experimental procedure for routine screening of numerous samples and compatibility with portable instrumentation for field analysis. Because of the non-destructive nature of fluorescence measurements, membranes can be brought to the lab for subsequent elution and confirmation of compounds via high-resolution techniques.