Carcinogenesis Advance Access originally published online on January 6, 2005
Carcinogenesis 2005 26(4):835-844; doi:10.1093/carcin/bgi010
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Carcinogenesis vol.26 no.4 © Oxford University Press 2005; all rights reserved.
ARTICLE |
Modulation of the metabolism and adverse effects of benzo[a]pyrene by a specific antibody: a novel host factor in environmental carcinogenesis?
Institute of Immunology, Laboratoire National de Santé, Rue Auguste Lumière 20A, L-1011 Luxembourg, Luxembourg and 1 IRIBHM-IBMM, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Rue des Professeurs Jeener et Brachet 12, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +352 490604; Fax: +352 490686; Email: claude.muller{at}INS.ETAT.IU
The influence of specific antibodies on molecular and cellular mechanisms of activation, detoxification and biological activity of the ubiquitous carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) was investigated using a monoclonal antibody. The antibody was shown to decrease cellular uptake and metabolic activation of B[a]P as demonstrated by higher recovery of unmetabolized B[a]P and decreased formation of end-point phenol metabolites in two types of target cells. Furthermore, strong antibody reactivity with 7,8-diol-B[a]P provided a second chance for interrupting metabolic activation by sequestration of this intermediate metabolite in the extracellular space. The biological relevance of B[a]P and 7,8-diol-B[a]P redistribution by antibody was demonstrated by reversion of B[a]P-induced inhibition of proliferation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes and by inhibition of CYP 1A1 induction in HepG2 cells. Remarkably, the antibody was still protective against B[a]P-induced immunotoxicity even after delayed addition, suggesting a more important role of metabolites in immunotoxicity than has been appreciated so far. Although B[a]P is activated to 7,8-diol-B[a]P in the same cells that are inhibited by this metabolite, the antibody completely restored lymphocyte proliferation indicating that extracellular trapping of the 7,8-diol-B[a]P is biologically highly effective. Thus, repartitioning of both B[a]P and its metabolites by the antibody may reduce their effective concentration in susceptible target organs and therefore relieve overloaded DNA repair mechanisms and inhibit carcinogen-induced P450 induction. These in vitro data also suggest that a natural or prophylactic antibody response against carcinogens may be associated with a reduced risk of cancer.