Measurement of tumor-associated mutations in the nasal mucosa of rats exposed to varying doses of formaldehyde

This study examined the potential induction of tumor-associated mutations in formaldehyde-exposed rat nasal mucosa using a sensitive method, allele-specific competitive blocker-PCR (ACB-PCR). Levels of p53 codon 271 CGT to CAT and K-Ras codon 12 GGT to GAT mutations were quantified in nasal mucosa of rats exposed to formaldehyde. In addition, nasal mucosa cell proliferation was monitored because regenerative cell proliferation is considered a key event in formaldehyde-induced carcinogenesis. Male F344 rats (6–7 weeks old, 5 rats/group) were exposed to 0, 0.7, 2, 6, 10, and 15 ppm formaldehyde for 13 weeks (6 h/day, 5 days/week). ACB-PCR was used to determine levels of p53 and K-Ras mutations. Although two of five untreated rats had measureable spontaneous p53 mutant fractions (MFs), most nasal mucosa samples had p53 MFs below 10−5. All K-Ras MF measurements were below 10−5. No dose-related increases in p53 or K-Ras MF were observed, even though significant increases in bromodeoxyuridine incorporation demonstrated induced cell proliferation in the 10 and 15 ppm formaldehyde-treatment groups. Therefore, induction of tumor-associated p53 mutation likely occurs after several other key events in formaldehyde-induced carcinogenesis.