The toxicity of four quinones, 2,3-dimethoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (DMONQ), 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (MNQ), 1,4-naphthoquinone (NQ), and 1,4-benzoquinone (BQ), which redox cycle or arlyate in mammalian cells, was determined in isolated trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) hepatocytes. More than 70% of cells died in 3 h when exposed to BQ or NQ; 50% died in 7 h when exposed to MNQ, with no mortality comp...

BACKGROUND Metabolism of benzene produces reactive electrophiles, including benzene oxide (BO), 1,4-benzoquinone (1,4-BQ), and 1,2-benzoquinone (1,2-BQ), that are capable of reacting with blood proteins to produce adducts. OBJECTIVES The main purpose of this study was to characterize relationships between levels of albumin adducts of these electrophiles in blood and the corresponding benzene ...

Benzene is strongly suspected of being an animal and human carcinogen, but the mechanisms by which benzene induces tumors of lymphoid and hematopoietic organs are unknown. Binding studies in vivo suggest a very low level of covalent binding to the DNA of bone marrow elements. Since several metabolites of benzene have the potential to undergo autooxidation and thereby generate reactive oxygen in...

Benzene is strongly suspected of being an animal and human carcino gen, but the mechanisms by which benzene induces tumors of lymphoid and hematopoietic organs are unknown. Binding studies in vivo suggest a very low level of covalent binding to the DNA of bone marrow elements. Since several metabolites of benzene have the potential to undergo autooxidation and thereby generate reactive oxygen i...

2,4-Dinitroanisole (DNAN) is an insensitive munitions compound expected to replace 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). The product of DNAN’s reduction in the environment 2,4-diaminoanisole (DAAN), a toxic and carcinogenic aromatic amine. DAAN known become irreversibly incorporated into soil natural organic matter (NOM) after reduction. Herein, we investigate reactions between NOM under anoxic conditio...

Biodegradation of para-Nitrophenol (PNP) proceeds via two distinct pathways, having 1,2,3-benzenetriol (BT) and hydroquinone (HQ) as their respective terminal aromatic intermediates. Genes involved in these pathways have already been studied in different PNP degrading bacteria. Burkholderia sp. strain SJ98 degrades PNP via both the pathways. Earlier, we have sequenced and analyzed a ~41 kb frag...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Identification of smokers having predisposition to COPD is important for early intervention to reduce the huge global burden of the disease. Using a guinea pig model, we have shown that p-benzoquinone (p-BQ) derived from cigarette smoke (CS) in the lung is a causative factor for CS-induced emphysema. p-BQ is also derived from CS in smokers and it elicits the production ...

Chronic exposure of humans to benzene (BZ) causes acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Both BZ and therapy-related secondary AML are characterized by chromosomal translocations that may occur by inappropriate recombinational events. DNA topoisomerase II (topo II) is an essential sulfhydryl (SH)-dependent endonuclease required for replication, recombination, chromosome segregation, and chromosome struc...

DNA damage induced by quinoid metabolites of pentachlorophenol (PCP), i.e. tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone (Cl(4)BQ) and tetrachlorohydroquinone (Cl(4)HQ), was investigated in calf thymus DNA. The (32)P-post-labeling assay revealed four major and several minor adducts (3.5 adducts per 10(5) total nucleotides) that were produced in calf thymus DNA treated with Cl(4)BQ (5 mM). These DNA adducts were...

Albumin adducts of benzene oxide (BO-Alb) and 1,4-benzoquinone (1,4-BQ-Alb) were investigated among 134 workers exposed to benzene and 51 unexposed controls in Tianjin, China. Concentrations of both adducts increased with benzene exposure [range = 0.07-46.6 parts/million (ppm); median = 3.55 ppm] and with urinary cotinine. Adduct levels were less than proportional to benzene exposure, suggestin...