We investigate the weak kaon-nucleon (NNK) S-wave and P-wave interactions using heavy baryon chiral perturbation theory. The leading 1-loop SU(3) breaking contributions to the ppK, pnK, and nnK couplings are computed. We nd that they suppress all NNK amplitudes by 30% to 50%. The ratio of neutron-induced to proton-induced hypernuclear decay widths is sensitive to such reductions. It has been ar...

UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) catalyze the glucuronidation and elimination of putative tobacco carcinogens such as benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and 4-(methylnitrosarnino)-l-(3-pyridyl)-l-butanone (NNK), which may reduce competing bioactivation and toxicity. B[a]P-initiated cytotoxicity and micronucleus formation, believed to reflect carcinogenic initiation, are enhanced in UGT-deficient rat fib...

Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) is known to prevent cancer development, but its mechanism of action remains unclear. In this study, we compared the efficacies of this nonspecific cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor with N-[2-(cyclohexyloxy)-4-nitrophenyl]-methanesulfonamide (NS-398), a specific COX-2 inhibitor. COX-2-specific inhibitors are less toxic than ASA. Lung tumorigenesis was induced in A/J mice ...

Acetylsalicylk acid (ASA) is known to prevent cancer development, but its mechanism of action remains unclear. In this study, we compared the efficacies of this nonspecific cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor with N-[2(cyclohexyloxy)-4-nitrophenyl]-methanesulfonamide (NS-398), a specific COX-2 inhibitor. COX-2-specific inhibitors are less toxic than ASA. Lung tumorigenesis was induced in A/J mice by...

Tobacco usage is a major risk factor in the development, progression, and outcomes for lung cancer. Of the carcinogens associated with lung cancer, tobacco-specific nitrosamines 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is among the most potent ones. The oncogenic mechanisms of NNK are not entirely understood, hindering the development of effective strategies for preventing and treat...

Levels of hemoglobin adducts and DNA adducts were measured in F344 rats after 4 consecutive daily i.p. injections of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). The dose range was from 3 to 10,000 micrograms/kg/day. [5(-3)H]NNK and [C3H3]NNK were used to measure pyridyloxobutylation and methylation, in both globin and DNA, respectively. In globin, the level of binding increased linear...

Very large concentration increases in nitrite (34-fold), nitrosated pyridine alkaloids, and related 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) (14- to 33-fold) occurred in moist snuff during storage at 24 degrees C for 52 weeks, whereas, decreases in all parent and some acylated pyridine alkaloids were observed in the same material. Nitrite concentrations in dry snuff decreased up to ...

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) are thought to be important epigenetic regulators involved in the development of a variety of cancers. Alterations in lncRNA expression are associated with exposure to chemical carcinogens. However, it is still unclear whether lncRNA expression during lung carcinogenesis is induced by chemical carcinogens. In this study, using NNK-induced rat lung cancer model esta...

Dietary phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) and a mixture of dietary PEITC and benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) inhibit lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice induced by a mixture of the tobacco smoke carcinogens benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). In this study, we tested the hypothesis that inhibition of tumorigenesis by these isothiocyanates was due to inhibitio...

Tobacco-related diseases such as lung cancer cause over 4.2 million deaths annually, with approximately 400,000 deaths per year occurring in the US. Genotoxic effects of tobacco components have been described, but effects on signaling pathways in normal cells have not been described. Here, we show activation of the serine/threonine kinase Akt in nonimmortalized human airway epithelial cells in ...