Aromatic Amines: Contribution to the Mutagenic Activity of Tobacco Smoke

Key Messages

  • Aromatic amines (AA) are cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke.
  • Harman, MeAαC, o-toluidine and 1-aminonaphtalene are the AA that contribute the most to the total mutagenic activity of mainstream tobacco smoke.

Background

Mutagens are cancer-causing chemicals capable of triggering the conversion of normal cells into cancer cells. Aromatic amines (AA) are cancer-causing chemicals present in tobacco smoke and are commonly associated with its mutagenic activity.

Health Canada has studied AA in order to determine which of these chemicals contribute the most to the total mutagenic activity of mainstream tobacco smoke. The formula to estimate the contribution of a certain chemical to the total mutagenic activity of mainstream tobacco smoke is shown below. The concentration of the chemical in mainstream tobacco smoke (measured in nanograms per cigarette) is multiplied by its respective capacity to induce mutations. The mutagenic activity is determined through the bacterial reverse mutation assay using Salmonella typhimurium mutant strains TA98, TA1537 and TA100.

The formula to estimate the contribution of a certain chemical to the total mutagenic activity of mainstream tobacco smoke

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Organization:
Type: Fact sheet
Date published: 2009
ISBN: 978-1-100-13158-0
Cat. No.: H128-1/09-586E
HC Pub.: 5920
Description
The concentration of a chemical in mainstream tobacco smoke (nanograms per cigarette) multipled by capacity of this chemical to induce mutations (number of mutations per nanogram) equals to the contribution of this chemical to the total mutagenic activity of mainstream tobacco smoke (number of mutations per cigarette).

Results

The Health Canada study analyzed the AA present in mainstream tobacco smoke. The study found that norharman and harman are present in the highest concentration in mainstream tobacco smoke. On the other hand, 4-aminobiphenyl, 3-aminobiphenyl and o-anisidine were found to have the highest capacity to induce mutations (Table 1). Of the chemicals studied, harman, MeAαC, o-toluidine and 1-aminonaphtalene contribute the most to the total mutagenic activity of mainstream tobacco smoke (Figure 1).

Table 1: Substance concentration in mainstream tobacco smoke and capacity to induce mutations
Chemical Substance concentration
(ng/cig)
Capacity to induce mutations TA98
(mutations/ng)
Capacity to induce mutations TA1537
(mutations/ng)
Capacity to induce mutations TA100
(mutations/ng)
Contribution to mutagenic activity TA98
(mutations/cig)
Contribution to mutagenic activity TA1537
(mutations/cig)
Contribution to mutagenic activity TA100
(mutations/cig)
Norharman 5,659 3 - - 16,977 - -
Harman  1,823 14 1 - 25,522 1,823 -
AαC 131 112 14 16 14,672 1,834 2,096
o-toluidine 104 197 27  -  20,488 2,808 -
1-aminonaphthalene 19 1,030 126 140 19,570 2,394 2,660
MeAαC 14 1,488 177 210 20,832 2,478 2,940
2-aminonaphthalene 12 1,475 183 194 17,700 2,196 2,328
o-anisidine 4 4,469 568 - 17,876 2,272 -
3-aminobiphenyl 3 6,021 778 861 18,063 2,334 2,583
4-aminobiphenyl 2 7,531 996 923 15,062 1,992 1,846

Figure 1: Contribution to the total mutagenic activity of mainstream tobacco smoke

Description Figure 1
The contribution of different aromatic amines to the total mutagenic activity of mainstream tobacco smoke, measured using Salmonella typhimurium mutant strains TA98, TA1537 and TA100. The data are from table 1.

Conclusion

Health Canada considers that aromatic amines present in mainstream tobacco smoke can potentially lead to mutations causing cancer.

References

  1. Malaison, E., Levasseur, G., Fillion, J. and Kaiserman, M. The Identification of Tobacco Smoke Emissions Related to Toxicity/Mutagenicity. Health Canada, 61th Tobacco Science Research Conference, 2007, Charlotte, United States, paper #12.
  2. Health Canada, Regulations Amending the Tobacco Reporting Regulations, SOR/2005-179, P.C. 2005-1126, Ottawa, June 2005.
  3. Health Canada, Tobacco Reporting Regulations, SOR/2000-273, P.C. 2000-1040, Ottawa, June 2000.

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