UC Davis

Background

The potential carcinogenicity of naphthalene (NA), a ubiquitous environmental pollutant, in human respiratory tract is a subject of intense debate. Chief among the uncertainties in risk assessment for NA is whether human lung CYP2A13 and CYP2F1 can mediate NA's respiratory tract toxicity.

Objectives

We aimed to assess the in vivo function of CYP2A13 and CYP2F1 in NA bioactivation and NA-induced respiratory tract toxicity in mouse models.

Methods

Rates of microsomal NA bioactivation and the effects of an anti-CYP2A antibody were determined for lung and nasal olfactory mucosa (OM) from Cyp2abfgs-null, CYP2A13-humanized, and CYP2A13/2F1-humanized mice. The extent of NA respiratory toxicity was compared among wild-type, Cyp2abfgs-null, and CYP2A13/2F1-humanized mice following inhalation exposure at an occupationally relevant dose (10 ppm for 4 hr).

Results

In vitro studies indicated that the NA bioactivation activities in OM and lung of the CYP2A13/2F1-humanized mice were primarily contributed by, respectively, CYP2A13 and CYP2F1. CYP2A13/2F1-humanized mice showed greater sensitivity to NA than Cyp2abfgs-null mice, with greater depletion of nonprotein sulfhydryl and occurrence of cytotoxicity (observable by routine histology) in the OM, at 2 or 20 hr after termination of NA exposure, in humanized mice. Focal, rather than gross, lung toxicity was observed in Cyp2abfgs-null and CYP2A13/2F1-humanized mice; however, the extent of NA-induced lung injury (shown as volume fraction of damaged cells) was significantly greater in the terminal bronchioles of CYP2A13/2F1-humanized mice than in Cyp2abfgs-null mice.

Conclusion

CYP2F1 is an active enzyme. Both CYP2A13 and CYP2F1 are active toward NA in the CYP2A13/2F1-humanized mice, where they play significant roles in NA-induced respiratory tract toxicity. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP844.