Survey of cytotoxicities and antimutagenic and antitumor initiating activities of Cu(II)(3,5-diisopropylsalicylate)2 and its analogs in a keratinocyte-mediated mutation assay and the murine skin multistage carcinogenesis model.

A keratinocyte-mediated mutagenesis assay, and the murine skin multistage carcinogenesis tumor model were used to survey the chemopreventive properties of Cu(II)(3,5-diisopropylsalicylate)2 [CuDIPS] and its analogs. Supplementation of cocultures of newborn SENCAR keratinocytes and Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts (V79 cells) with CuDIPS, 3,5-diisopropylsalicylate (DIPS), and CuSO4 resulted in dose-dependent killings of V79 cells (LD50 of 34, 75, 960 microM, respectively), and inhibitions of benzo[a]pyrene (BP) and 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) mutagenesis (ED50 of 13, 95, 80 microM, and 40, 125, 110 microM, respectively). Analyses of dose-response curves suggest (i) CuDIPS preferentially inhibits BP mutagenesis; (ii) the antimutagenic activity of CuDIPS towards DMBA and the cytotoxicity of the copper complex are derived from the DIPS component of the chelate; (iii) the antimutagenic activity of CuDIPS towards BP requires both copper and DIPS; and (iv) DIPS and CuDIPS induced cytotoxicity is required for inhibition of mutagenesis. Inhibition of mutagenesis by CuDIPS was not mediated by modulation of promutagen metabolism because antimutagenic concentrations of the chelate had no significant effects on DMBA- and BP-dependent cytotoxicities. Topical pretreatment of SENCAR mice with CuDIPS (100-4000 nmol) 15 min prior to initiation with DMBA or BP resulted in small (38% maximum) non-dose-responsive reductions of papillomas/mouse following 20 weeks of promotion.