Comparison of DNA damage by methylmelamines and formaldehyde.

The cytoxicity and DNA damaging activity of S9-activated hexamethylmelamine (HMM) and pentamethylmelamine (PMM) were compared with suspected active metabolites in mouse leukemia L1210 cells. The presence of semicarbazide hydrochloride did not alter the cytotoxicity of S9-activated HMM and PMM or that of their hydroxylated analogs monomethylolpentamethylmelamine (MPM) and trimethyloltrimethylmelamine (TTM), which have been suggested as active metabolites. Following treatment of L1210 cells with high concentrations of activated HMM and PMM, there were no DNA single-strand breaks or interstrand cross-links observed by DNA alkaline elution and only a low frequency of DNA-protein cross-links. Formaldehyde (FA) at nonlethal concentrations caused far greater DNA-protein cross-linking. In contrast, the polyfunctional TTM produced both DNA-protein cross-linking and DNA interstrand cross-linking. The cytotoxicities of HMM and PMM were found unlikely to be related to extracellular or intracellular release of FA.