Viscometric detection of liver DNA fragmentation in rats treated with minimal doses of chemical carcinogens.

A new technique, using an oscillating viscometer capable of measuring changes of DNA reduced viscosity (eta red), has been used to detect DNA damage in liver of rats treated with various chemical carcinogens. In denaturing conditions (pH 12.5), the eta red of liver DNA from control rats increased slowly with time, reaching a maximum, (eta red)max, after 10 to 13 hr. Single i.p. doses of N-nitrosodimethylamine (0.07 mg/kg), N-nitrosodiethylamine (0.2 mg/kg), N-nitroso-N-methylurea (0.5 mg/kg), 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (0.06 mg/kg), procarbazine (1 mg/kg), methyl methanesulfonate (8 mg/kg), and N-diazoacetylglycine amide (3.7 mg/kg) induced a statistically significant reduction of the time (t95) required for eta red to reach its maximal value. A dose-dependent decrease of t95 was observed for dosages markedly lower than those found to be effective in eliciting DNA fragmentation by the use of alkaline elution or alkaline sucrose gradient sedimentation. 2-Acetylaminofluorene (12.5 mg/kg) and 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (10 mg/kg) caused a clear-cut increase of (eta red)max. 7,12-Dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (10 mg/kg) markedly prolonged t95. This viscometric assay of in vivo DNA damage allows a reliable assessment of DNA lesions induced by doses of chemical carcinogens sufficiently small not to produce significant alterations in the pharmacokinetic behavior of these compounds.