Quantitation of Pyridyloxobutyl-DNA Adducts in Tissues of Rats Treated Chronically with (R)- or (S)‑N′‑Nitrosonornicotine (NNN) in a Carcinogenicity Study

We quantified DNA adducts resulting from 2′-hydroxylation of enantiomers of the tobacco-specific nitrosamine N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) in tissues of male F-344 rats after 10, 30, 50, and 70 weeks of treatment with 14 ppm in the drinking water. These rats were in subgroups of a carcinogenicity study in which (S)-NNN was highly tumorigenic in the oral cavity and esophagus, while (R)-NNN was relatively weakly active. DNA adducts were quantified by liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry in six tissues: oral mucosa, esophageal mucosa, nasal respiratory mucosa, nasal olfactory mucosa, liver, and lung. O²-[4-(3-Pyridyl)-4-oxobut-1-yl]­thymidine (O²-POB-dThd, 7) and 7-[4-(3-pyridyl)-4-oxobut-1-yl]-2′-deoxyguanosine (7-POB-dGuo, 8), the latter as 7-[4-(3-pyridyl)-4-oxobut-1-yl]­guanine (7-POB-Gua, 11), were detected at each time point in each tissue. In the target tissues for carcinogenicity, oral mucosa and esophageal mucosa, levels of 7-POB-Gua (11) and O²-POB-dThd (7) were similar, or 11 predominated, while in all other tissues at all time points for both enantiomers, 7 was clearly present in greater amounts than 11. Total measured DNA adduct levels in esophageal mucosa and oral mucosa were higher in rats treated with (S)-NNN than (R)-NNN. The highest adduct levels were found in the nasal respiratory mucosa. DNA adducts generally persisted in all tissues without any sign of substantial decreases throughout the 70 week time course. The results of this study suggest that inefficient repair of 7-POB-dGuo (8) in the rat oral cavity and esophagus may be important in carcinogenesis by NNN and support the development of these DNA adducts as potential biomarkers of NNN metabolic activation in people who use tobacco products.