Bioassays of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Using cyp1a1-Luciferase Reporter Gene Expression System in Mouse Liver Hepa 1 Cells

Recent industrial society has human widely exposed to PAHs (polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons) that are comming from the incomplete combustion of organic material as wider spread environmental contaminants. Biological activities of PAHs are not known although PAHs are considered as carcinogens. Our laboratory have been studied the effect of PAHs in the mouse liver hepa 1 cells. In this study, we examined the mouse liver hepa-l cells as a new bioassay system to evaluate bioactivity of PAHs. We have selected 13 PAHs to examine bioassay using cyp1a1-luciferase reporter gene expression system where cyp1a1 1.6 Kb 5flanking region DNA was cloned in front of luciferase reporter gene and this plasmid was transfected into hepa 1 cells transiently. This cells then used for the study to observe the effect of PAHs. We demonstrated that PAHs induced the CYP1A1 promoter and 7-ethoxyresolufin O-deethylase (EROD) activities in a concentration-dependant manner. Some of PAHs showed stronger stimulatory effect on CYP1 gene expression than TCDD. Acenaphthene, anthracene, fluorine, naphthalene, pyrene, phenanthrene, carbazole were weak responders to cyp1a1 promoter activity stimulation and EROD induction in hepa 1 cells and these chemicals seemed to respond less to EROD than cyp1a1 promoter activity. Benz(a)anthracene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, chrysene, and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene showed strong response to cyp1a1 promoter activity stimulation and also EROD induction in hepa 1cells. Results of dose response study suggested that four strong responding PAHs, such as benzo(a)anthracene benzo(k)fluoranthene, chrysene, and dibenzo(a, h)anthracene might be mediated through arylhydrocarbon receptor system in hepa1 cells.