Glutathione transferase π plays a critical role in the development of lung carcinogenesis following exposure to tobacco-related carcinogens and urethane

Human cancer is controlled by a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Such environmental factors are well defined for smoking-induced lung cancer; however, the roles of specific genes have still to be elucidated. Glutathione transferase P (GSTP) catalyzes the detoxification of electrophilic diol epoxides produced by the metabolism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a common constituent of tobacco smoke. Activityaltering polymorphisms in Gstp have therefore been speculated to be potential risk modifiers in lung cancer development. To clearly establish a role for GSTP in lung tumorigenesis, we investigated whether deletion of the murine Gstp genes (Gstp1 and Gstp2) alters susceptibility to chemically induced lung tumors following exposure to BaP, 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC), and urethane. Gstp-null mice were found to have substantially increased numbers of adenomas relative to wildtype mice following exposure to all three compounds (8.3-, 4.3-, and 8.7-fold increase for BaP, 3-MC, and urethane, respectively). In Gstp-null mice, the capacity of pulmonary cytosol to catalyze conjugation of the BaP diol epoxide was significantly reduced. Concomitant with this, a significant increase in the level of BaP DNA adducts was measured in the lungs of null animals; however, no increase in DNA adducts was measured in the case of 3-MC exposure, suggesting that an alternative protective pathway exists. Indeed, significant differences in pulmonary gene expression profiles were also noted between wild-type and null mice. This is the first report to establish a clear correlation between Gstp status and lung cancer in vivo.