0000000000004681
AUTHOR
Franz Oesch
Induction of the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor by fenofibrate in rat liver
AbstractThe process of peroxisome proliferation in rodent liver by hypolipidemic compounds and related substances has recently been shown to be receptor-madiated. In the present study, we have examined the effect of oral administration of the strong peroxisome proliferator fenofibrate on the hepatic expression level of the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) in rats. Immunoblots of rat liver cytosols and nuclear extracs using antibodies raised against recombinant PPAR/β-galactosidase fusion proteins revealed a pronounced increase in the amount of PPAR protein in response to fenofibrate treatment. This induction could also be confirmed at the level or RNA by Northern blotting. …
Reaktive Metabolite cancerogener polycyclischer Kohlenwasserstoffe: Synthese und Abfangreaktion von 9-Hydroxybenzo[a]pyren-4,5-oxid
Le compose du titre est prepare a partir de l'acetate-9 de benzo [a] pyrene et piege par l'ethanethiol. Mecanismes
Endogenous role of epoxide-hydratase. Development of a steroid epoxide-hydratase assay and properties of the enzyme.
A highly sensitive and rapid radiometric assay for the determination of specific epoxide hydratase activity with a steroid epoxide (16α, 17α-epoxy-1,3,5(10)-estratrien-3-ol, ‘estroxide’) has been developed. The unreacted substrate was separated from the product 1,3,5(10)-estratrien-3,16β,17α-triol by extraction into light petroleum. The product was then extracted into ethyl acetate and measured by scintillation spectrometry. Radiochromatography established that after subtraction of the blank the entire radioactivity measured in the ethyl acetate phase resulted from the product 1,3,5(10)-estratrien-3,16,17-triol, whilst high performance liquid chromatography with the four possible isomers of…
Modulation of the control of mutagenic metabolites derived from cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide by stimulation of protein kinase A
The phosphorylation of the 2 major phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P450 isoenzymes IIB1 and IIB2 was increased in intact hepatocytes by the action of the membrane-permeating cAMP derivative N6,O2'-dibutyryl-cAMP. Under these conditions cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide (which are known to be activated by cytochrome P450 IIB1) were investigated for mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium TA1535 and TA100 and for cytotoxicity in TA1535. Cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide were transformed to mutagenic and cytotoxic metabolites by the hepatocytes. The activation of both drugs to mutagens was markedly reduced after pretreatment of the hepatocytes with the membrane-permeating cAMP derivative N6,O2'-…
Effect of antibodies against cytochrome P-450 on demethylation and denitrosation of N-nitrosodimethylamine and N-nitrosomethylaniline.
Rat liver microsomes which were induced either with ethanol or PB were incubated with NDMA or NMA. Formaldehyde generation and nitrite formation were measured as metabolic parameters for oxidative bioactivation and denitrosation, respectively. The influence of antiserum PB3a1 and PB22 containing antibodies against the corresponding cytochrome P-450 species on both metabolic functions was investigated. The results showed that the influence on formaldehyde production and denitrosation varied independently in that both parameters were either not affected, or influenced in an opposite way, or inhibited to a different degree. Especially remarkable was the 80% inhibition of formaldehyde generatio…
Coordinate mutation and transformation of mouse fibroblasts: induction by nitroquinoline oxide and modulation by caffeine
Mutation and malignant transformation were followed in the same cells. Mouse fibroblasts (C3H 10T 1/2) were mutated and transformed by 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide with similar, approximately linear dose-responses. The presence of caffeine immediately after exposure to 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide potently inhibited mutation and transformation at high but not at low doses of 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide. Whilst the coordinate induction of mutation and transformation could be explained by both a common target (DNA) or a common reactive species hitting several targets, the identical modulation by a DNA repair inhibitor of both end points suggests fundamental similarities in the nature of the lesions lead…
Relationship between mutagenicity and DNA adduct formation in mammalian cells for fjord- and bay-region diol-epoxides of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Abstract Chinese hamster V79 cells were treated with the anti- and syn-diastereomers of the bay- or fjord-region diol-epoxides of four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, namely benzo[a]pyrene (BP), benzo[c]chrysene (BcC), benzo[g]chrysene (BgC) and benzo[c]phenanthrene (BcPh). The frequency of induction of 6-thioguanine-resistant mutations was determined, and the extent of formation of DNA adducts was measured by 32P-postlabelling. When expressed as mutation frequency per nanomoles compound per millilitre incubation medium, this group of chemicals expressed a 160-fold range in potency. In agreement with previous experimental studies, the anti-diol-epoxide of BcC was highly mutagenic, inducin…
Malignantly transformed non-parenchymal liver epithelial cells and transformed oval cells suppress the homotypical gap junctional intercellular communication of co-cultured rat liver parenchymal cells.
Isolated rat liver parenchymal cells (PC) were co-cultured with a non-parenchymal rat liver epithelial cell line (NEC) or with an oval cell line. The homotypical gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) between the liver PC was measured after microinjection of Lucifer Yellow by dye transfer. The rat liver PC were dye coupled between 87% and 100% for at least 1 week in both co-cultures, in contrast to PC In monoculture between which no dye coupling was left after 1 week. When liver PC were co-cultured with a transformed and tumorigenic NEC or with a transformed and tumorigenic oval cell line the homotypical GJIC between the liver PC was drastically decreased with culture time, and t…
Rational Species Extrapolation of Toxic Effects
One of the main problems in toxicology and pharmacology is the extrapolation from one species to another, particularly from laboratory animals to man or in ecotoxicology from laboratory animals to free living species. Many toxicological data were raised only in one or a few species of laboratory animals. In the last decades more and more experimental data were obtained from in vitro-systems. Therefore extrapolations from in vitro to in vivo and from species to species are required. Species differences in uptake, distribution, metabolism, site of action, elimination and accumulation have to be taken into account. Most foreign compounds are metabolically transformed by diverse xenobiotica met…
Comparison of enzyme phenotypes in human bladder tumours and experimentally induced hyperplastic and neoplastic lesions of the rat urinary bladder. A combined histochemical and immunohistochemical approach.
The expression of a number of enzymes involved in drug metabolism, membrane function etc. was compared in hyperplastic and neoplastic lesions of the rat bladder and in human bladder tumours. Transitional cell carcinomas (TCC) in both rat and Man were characterized by decreased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and increased gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), beta-glucuronidase (beta-G1), succinate dehydrogenase (SD) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activities. In addition, binding for antibodies specific for different cytochrome P-450 species (UT50, PB3a, MC1, MC2) and microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEHb) was elevated in both murine and human tumours. Comparison of the enzyme phenotyp…
Metabolic activation to a mutagen of 3-hydroxy-trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene, a secondary metabolite of benzo[a]pyrene
3-Hydroxy-trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene (3-OH-BP-7,8-diol) was isolated from arylsulfatase/beta-glucuronidase-treated bile of rats to which 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene (3-OH-BP) has been administered. This triol was investigated for mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium (reversion to histidine prototrophy of strains TA 97, TA 98, TA 100 and TA 1537) and in V79 Chinese hamster cells (acquisition of resistance to 6-thioguanine). When no exogenous metabolizing system was added the triol was inactive, while 3-OH-BP showed weak mutagenic effects with all four bacterial strains. In the presence of NADPH-fortified postmitochondrial supernatant fraction (S9 mix) of liver homogenate fro…
Studies on the importance of microsomal epoxide hydrolase in the detoxification of arene oxides using the heterologous expression of the enzyme in mammalian cells.
In order to investigate the role of the microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) in the detoxification of arene oxides in the presence of a high endogenous glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity-a situation found in several organs--we expressed the rat mEH cDNA in BHK21 Syrian hamster cells. These cells have high GST activities but contain an extremely low endogenous mEH enzyme activity. We obtained several cell clones which expressed the mEH heterologously, as determined by immunoblotting. The cell clone BHK21-mEH/Mz1 had the highest level of mEH protein. Immunofluorescence showed that the level of expression was almost homogeneous throughout the cell population. Total protein isolated from th…
Translocation of cdk2 to the nucleus during G1-phase in PDGF-stimulated human fibroblasts.
We studied the subcellular distribution of cdk2 in synchronized, PDGF-stimulated human fibroblasts (FH109). After contact inhibition and serum depletion, more than 95% of FH109 cells were arrested in G0/G1-phase. PDGF-AB led to a 16-fold increase in proliferation compared with untreated cells. Cell cycle progression was studied by flow cytometric analysis, [3H]thymidine incorporation, and phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma gene product, pRB. Using Western blot analysis after subcellular fractionation, we revealed that after PDGF stimulation the phosphorylated (Thr 160), i.e., activated, form of cdk2 (33 kDa) first appeared in the nucleus at late G1-phase and persisted throughout until to…
Metabolites of diethylstilboestrol induce sister chromatid exchange in human cultured fibroblasts
Diethylstilboesterol (DES) is one of the few substances for which a clear association with carcinogenicity has been established in man. Nevertheless, it is still widely used, mainly as a cheap oestrogen to increase the slaughter weight of beef, but in spite of this it is not known if residues in the meat or metabolites excreted by the cattle are hazardous to man. It is also unknown whether there is a threshold dose below which DES is harmless. A threshold might be expected if a hormonal mechanism of carcinogensis rather than metabolic activation to an electrophically reactive species operats. This possibility was supported by the observations that DES, in contrast to most other carcinogens,…
DNA single strand break analysis in mononuclear blood cells of petrol pump attendants
DNA single strand breaks, including DNA adducts that lead to alkali-labile sites, were measured in peripheral mononuclear blood cells of 35 petrol pump attendants by alkaline filter elution. Blood samples from petrol pump attendants were taken on Monday and Friday. Additionally, DNA single strand breaks of smoking and non-smoking control persons were examined. For the smoking (n = 12) and the non-smoking controls (n = 20) a mean normalized elution rate of 1.49 +/- 0.52 (mean value +/- 95% confidence interval) and 1.32 +/- 0.28, respectively, was obtained. The difference between smoking and non-smoking controls was not statistically significant (U test). An increase in DNA single strand brea…
Sequence similarity of mammalian epoxide hydrolases to the bacterial haloalkane dehalogenase and other related proteins Implication for the potential catalytic mechanism of enzymatic epoxide hydrolysis
Direct comparison of the amino acid sequences of microsomal and soluble epoxide hydrolase superficially indicates that these enzymes are unrelated. Both proteins, however, share significant sequence similarity to a bacterial haloalkane dehalogenase that has earlier been shown to belong to the alpha/beta hydrolase fold family of enzymes. The catalytic mechanism for the dehalogenase has been elucidated in detail [Verschueren et al. (1993) Nature 363, 693-698] and proceeds via an ester intermediate where the substrate is covalently bound to the enzyme. From these observations we conclude (i) that microsomal and soluble epoxide hydrolase are distantly related enzymes that have evolved from a co…
Cell Systems for Use in Studies on the Relationship Between Foreign Compound Metabolism and Toxicity
: Since the metabolism of most foreign compounds is predominantly controlled by hepatic in metabolism, isolated hepatocytes in most cases quite well predict the pattern of the overall metabolism of a given compound. Methods have been developed for cryopreserving isolated hepatocytes from man and other species with satisfactory maintenance of foreign compound metabolizing enzyme activities. The installation of a bank of cryopreserved hepatocytes from different species is possible and may be used for rational species extrapolation. It is necessary for some toxicological investigations to have hepatocytes which retain their differentiated status in culture for a sufficient time period. This mi…
Toxicological implications of enzymatic control of reactive metabolites.
Many foreign compounds are transformed into reactive metabolites, which may produce genotoxic effects by chemically altering critical biomolecules. Reactive metabolites are under the control of activating, inactivating and precursor sequestering enzymes. Such enzymes are under the long-term control of induction and repression, as well as the short-term control of post-translational modification and low molecular weight activators or inhibitors. In addition, the efficiency of these enzyme systems in preventing reactive metabolite-mediated toxicity is directed by their subcellular compartmentalization and isoenzymic multiplicity. Extrapolation from toxicological test systems to the human req…
Time-dependence and differential induction of rat and guinea pig peroxisomal beta-oxidation, palmitoyl-CoA hydrolase, cytosolic and microsomal epoxide hydrolase after treatment with hypolipidemic drugs.
Fischer-344 rats and Hartley guinea pigs received a diet containing 0.01% (w/w), 0.05% (w/w), or 0.25% (w/w) of the hypolipidemic drug fenofibrate. Rats were treated for 4, 7, 14, or 21 days, and a clear dose-dependent and weak time-dependent increase in liver/body weight ratio was observed. The specific activity of peroxisomal beta-oxidation increased linearly with time at all concentrations used. A dose-dependent increase in cEH was observed, but the activity remained constant after treatment for 7 days. Enhancement of palmitoyl-CoA hydrolase was dose-dependent, but was similar at all 4 time points investigated. In contrast to the other enzyme activities, mEH was not or only minimally (le…
Acute exposure to 50ppm toluene does not increase sleepiness
Abstract The Pupillographic Sleepiness Test (PST) is a new neurophysiological method to assess sleepiness. In an exposure study to a constant exposure level of 50 ppm toluene on 20 healthy men, our aim was to find out, if increased sleepiness could be seen with PST. PST was performed before and after 4.5 h of exposure. General complaints were assessed with the Swedish Performance Evaluation System (SPES) self-assessment questionnaire, once before and during exposure. Values obtained during exposure were related to pre-exposure values. Parametric cross-over analysis of logarithmic Pupillary Unrest Index (PUI) values did not show an effect of toluene exposure. In a nonparametric cross-over an…
Metabolic pathways of 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C-B): analysis of phase I metabolism with hepatocytes of six species including human
Abstract 4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C-B) is a psychoactive designer drug of abuse that is sold under the street names “Venus”, “Bromo”, “Erox”, “XTC” or “Nexus”. Concern has been raised because only little is known about its toxicity and metabolism in humans. In the present study we incubated 2C-B with human, monkey, dog, rabbit, rat and mouse hepatocytes to identify the metabolites formed and to determine possible toxic effects as evidenced by an ATP assay. Our data allow construction of the main metabolic pathways of 2C-B. Oxidative deamination results in the 2-(4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-ethanol (BDMPE) and 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenylacetic acid (BDMPAA) metabolites. Additio…
Structure of Aspergillus niger epoxide hydrolase at 1.8 A resolution: implications for the structure and function of the mammalian microsomal class of epoxide hydrolases
AbstractBackground: Epoxide hydrolases have important roles in the defense of cells against potentially harmful epoxides. Conversion of epoxides into less toxic and more easily excreted diols is a universally successful strategy. A number of microorganisms employ the same chemistry to process epoxides for use as carbon sources.Results: The X-ray structure of the epoxide hydrolase from Aspergillus niger was determined at 3.5 Å resolution using the multiwavelength anomalous dispersion (MAD) method, and then refined at 1.8 Å resolution. There is a dimer consisting of two 44 kDa subunits in the asymmetric unit. Each subunit consists of an α/β hydrolase fold, and a primarily helical lid over the…
Dependency of the in vitro stabilization of differentiated functions in liver parenchymal cells on the type of cell line used for co-culture.
The differentiation status in cultures of primary rat liver parenchymal cells was determined by measuring the activities of various xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes. Most enzyme activities dropped rather rapidly in monocultures of parenchymal cells. The protein content and the activities of cytosolic epoxide hydrolase, glutathione S-transferase, and alpha-naphthol UDP-glucuronosyl transferase were, however, well stabilized in 7-day-old co-cultures of parenchymal cells with two different lines of rat liver nonparenchymal epithelial cells (NEC1 and NEC2). Phenol sulfotransferase and microsomal epoxide hydrolase activity were reduced in this coculture system after 7 days to about 30 and 20% of …
Immunoselection in vivo: independent loss of MHC class I and melanocyte differentiation antigen expression in metastatic melanoma
Peptides derived from melanocyte differentiation antigens have been identified as targets for MHC class I-restricted cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in human melanoma Regression of antigen-expressing tumors as well as selection of antigen-loss variants in the presence of antigen-specific CTLs have previously been reported. In the present study, we determined the expression of the melanocyte differentiation antigens Melan A/MART-1 and tyrosinase by mRNA analysis and by immunohistochemical staining with the monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) A103 and T311. Co-expression of Melan A/MART-1 and tyrosinase was detected by both methods in 18/20 melanomas tested. However, immunohistochemistry provided add…
The major isozyme of rat cardiac glutathione transferases. Its correspondence to hepatic transferase X.
1. A major isozyme of rat heart glutathione transferase was purified to homogeneity by Sephadex G-200 gel filtration, ammonium sulfate precipitation, CM-cellulose chromatography and affinity chromatography on S-hexylglutathione-linked Sepharose 6B. 2. The purified isozyme was a dimer with an apparent relative molecular mass of 50000 composed of two Yb-size subunits (Mr= 26 500). The isozyme is immunologically related to rat liver glutathione transferase X and 3–3, especially closely to transferase X, and no immunological cross-reactivity with subunits 1 and 2 of hepatic glutathione transferases was observed. The isoelectric point (pI = 6.9) of the isozyme was identical with and the substrat…
Enhancement of cytotoxicity of artemisinins toward cancer cells by ferrous iron
Abstract Iron(II) heme-mediated activation of the peroxide bond of artemisinins is thought to generate the radical oxygen species responsible for their antimalarial activity. We analyzed the role of ferrous iron in the cytotoxicity of artemisinins toward tumor cells. Iron(II)–glycine sulfate (Ferrosanol) and transferrin increased the cytotoxicity of free artesunate, artesunate microencapsulated in maltosyl-β-cyclodextrin, and artemisinin toward CCRF-CEM leukemia and U373 astrocytoma cells 1.5- to 10.3-fold compared with that of artemisinins applied without iron. Growth inhibition by artesunate and ferrous iron correlated with induction of apoptosis. Cell cycle perturbations by artesunate an…
Reduction of glutathione content by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate in confluent, but not in sparse cultures of human diploid fibroblasts.
Treatment of confluent cultures of human diploid fibroblasts with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) (10(-7) M) resulted in a 70% reduction of the glutathione (GSH) content, compared with untreated controls. The effect, which was dose-dependent, was observed 8 h after the beginning of the treatment could be followed for up to 72 h. On the other hand, GSH reduction was specific for confluent cultures, as the level of glutathione remained unchanged by TPA treatment of sparse cultures. The addition of immobilized plasma membrane proteins to sparsely seeded cells has been shown previously to induce cellular reactions which are characteristic for confluent cultures. It was shown that TPA…
Analytical technique for studying the structure of glycoprotein N-glycans
Abstract The aim of this study was to develop an analytical strategy for the structural analysis of glycoprotein N-glycans by combining several sensitive methods without any elaborate equipment. The following consecutive steps were optimized and applied: (1) immobilization of glycopeptide N-glycosidase F (EC 3.2.2.18) on several polymeric and a silica support, the latter giving a maximum binding capacity of 11.3% of starting activity; (2) lectin affinity chromatography was miniaturized using Mobitec columns of volume 200 μl; the binding capacity of glycoproteins on concanavalin A and wheat germ agglutinin columns was in the range 0.5–1 μg; (3) N-linked oligosaccharides were isolated from co…
Multi-step metabolic activation of benzene. Effect of superoxide dismutase on covalent binding to microsomal macromolecules, and identification of glutathione conjugates using high pressure liquid chromatography and field desorption mass spectrometry
Abstract Incubation of [ 14 C]benzene or [ 14 C]phenol with liver microsomes from untreated rats, in the presence of a NADPH-generating system, gave rise to irreversible binding of metabolites to microsomal macromolecules. For both substrates this binding was inhibited by more than 50% by addition of superoxide dismutase to the incubation mixtures. The decrease in binding was compensated for by accumulation of [ 14 C]hydroquinone, indicating superoxide-mediated oxidation of hydroquinone as one step in the activation of benzene to metabolites binding to microsomal macromolecules. Since our previous work had shown that binding occurred mainly with protein rather than ribonucleic acid and was …
Interest of genotyping and phenotyping of drug-metabolizing enzymes for the interpretation of biological monitoring of exposure to styrene
In the field of occupational and/or environmental toxicology, the measurement of specific metabolites in urine may serve to assess exposure to the parent compounds (biological monitoring of exposure). Styrene is one of the chemicals for which biological monitoring programs have been validated and implemented in environmental and occupational medicine. However, inter-individual differences in the urinary excretion exist both for the main end-products (mandelic acid and phenylglyoxylic acid) and for its specific mercapturic acids (phenylhydroxyethylmercapturic acids, PHEMA). This limits to a certain extent the use of these metabolites for an accurate assessment of styrene exposure. In a group…
Mono- and diglucuronide formation from benzo[a]pyrene and chrysene diphenols by AHH-1 cell-expressed UDP-glucuronosyltransferase UGT1A7
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-type compounds induce at least two rat UDP-glucuronosyltransferase isoforms, UGT1A6 and UGT1A7. Among the glucuronidation reactions of PAH metabolites studied, mono- and diglucuronide formation of benzo[a]pyrene and chrysene-3,6-diphenol showed the highest induction factors in rat liver microsomes. Availability of AHH-1 cells stably expressing UGT1A7 allowed us to study whether this PAH-inducible isoform could catalyze benzo[a]pyrene and chrysene-3,6-diphenol glucuronidation. It was found that UGT1A7 indeed catalyzed mono- and diglucuronide formation of both benzo[a]pyrene and chrysene 3,6-diphenols. V79 cell-expressed rat UGT1A6 also catalyzed these re…
Effect of nutritional imbalances on cytochrome P-450 isozymes in rat liver
Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed for six weeks either a control diet containing 22% casein (C) and 5% fat (F) or a low-protein diet (6% C, 5% F) or high-lipid diet (30% C, 30% F). A group of rats received a control diet containing 50 ppm of Phenoclor DP6. Three major forms of cytochrome P-450, UT 50, BP 3a and MC 2 were purified from livers of DP6-fed rats and only two forms, UT 50 and PB 3a, were purified from control and dietary groups. The amino acid composition and the catalytic activities towards all substrates tested were only significantly modified in the purified UT 50 P-450 isozyme from rats fed the low-protein diet. The N-terminal sequence analysis shows that cytochrome P-450 UT …
Dynamics of the localization of drug metabolizing enzymes in tissues and cells.
Purification of rat liver epoxide hydratase to apparent homogeneity.
Epoxide hydratase (EC 4.2.1.63) is a microsomal enzyme which catalyses the conversion of epoxides to trans-dihydrodiols. Epoxides, produced by the action of microsomal monooxygenases (EC 1.14.1.1) from aromatic and olefinic compounds, are thought to be responsible for many of the harinful effects of polycyclic hydrocarbons and related compounds. Thus epoxide hydratase, together with glutathione 9transferases, (EC 2.5.1.18) may play an important role in the removal of carcinogenic and cytotoxic metabolites (for reviews see [l-3]). It has been reported [4,5] that dihydrodiols formed from some polycyclic hydrocarbons (benz(a)anthracene and benzo(a)pyrene) are reactivated by the microsomal mono…
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-Dependent Release from Contact Inhibition in WB-F344 Cells: Involvement of Cyclin A
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is the most potent tumor promoter ever tested in rodents. Although it is known that most of TCDD actions are mediated by binding to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), the mechanisms leading to tumor promotion still remain to be elucidated. Loss of contact inhibition is one characteristic hallmark in tumorigenesis. In rat liver epithelial WB-F344 cells, TCDD induces a release from contact inhibition, which is manifested by a twofold increase in cell number when TCDD (1 nM for 48 h) is added to confluent cells in the presence of serum, but not when given to exponentially growing or subconfluent, serum-deprived WB-F344 cells. Loss of G1 arrest was a…
A time-course investigation of vitamin A levels and drug metabolizing enzyme activities in rats following a single treatment with prototypic polychlorinated biphenyls and DDT
Xenobiotics previously characterized as selective inducers of drug-metabolizing enzymes were chosen to probe possible relationships between enzyme induction and vitamin A metabolism. Liver, kidney and serum retinol and retinyl palmitate levels were investigated in male Sprague--Dawley rats receiving a single i.p. injection of the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 2,2',5,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl, 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl or 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (300 mumol/kg) or 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis-(4-chlorophenyl)-ethane (DDT) (150 mumol/kg). While 2,2',5,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl, a weak or non-inducer, and 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexaclorobiphenyl and DDT, phenobarbital-type inducers of cytochrome…
Metabolism of propafenone and verapamil by cryopreserved human, rat, mouse and dog hepatocytes: comparison with metabolism in vivo
In the present study we examined the metabolism of [(14)C]propafenone (P) and [(14)C]verapamil (V) using cryopreserved human, dog (Beagle), rat (Sprague-Dawley) and mouse (NMRI) hepatocytes. The percentage ratios of the metabolites were identified after extraction by HPLC with UV and radioactivity detection. Phase-II metabolites were cleaved using beta-glucuronidase. Metabolism of the drugs by cryopreserved hepatocytes was compared with that in the respective species in vivo. All phase-I and -II metabolites known from in vivo experiments: 5-hydroxy-P (5-OH-P); 4'-hydroxy-P (4'-OH-P); N-despropyl-P (NdesP) and the respective glucuronides, were identified after incubation with cryopreserved h…
Recombinant expression of human microsomal epoxide hydrolase protects V79 Chinese hamster cells from styrene oxide- but not from ethylene oxide-induced DNA strand breaks
Styrene 7,8-oxide and ethylene oxide are widely used genotoxic bulk chemicals, which have been associated with potential carcinogenic hazard for occupationally exposed workers. Both epoxides alkylate DNA preferentially at the N-7 position of guanine and consequently produce single-strand breaks and alkali labile sites in the DNA of exposed cells. In order to study the role of human microsomal epoxide hydrolase (hmEH) in protecting cells against genotoxicity of styrene 7,8-oxide and ethylene oxide, we expressed the cDNA of hmEH in V79 Chinese hamster cells. We obtained a number of cell clones that expressed functionally active epoxide hydrolase. Among these, the clone 92hmEH-V79 revealed an …
Mammalian Xenobiotic Epoxide Hydrolases
Cryopreserved primary hepatocytes as a constantly available in vitro model for the evaluation of human and animal drug metabolism and enzyme induction.
The use of primary hepatocytes is now well established for both studies of drug metabolism and enzyme induction. Cryopreservation of primary hepatocytes decreases the need for fresh liver tissue. This is especially important for research with human hepatocytes because availability of human liver tissue is limited. In this review, we summarize our research on optimization and validation of cryopreservation techniques. The critical elements for successful cryopreservation of hepatocytes are (1) the freezing protocol, (2) the concentration of the cryoprotectant [10% dimethyl-sulfoxide (DMSO)], (3) slow addition and removal of DMSO, (4) carbogen equilibration during isolation of hepatocytes and…
Detoxification of optically active bay- and fjord-region polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon dihydrodiol epoxides by human glutathione transferase P1-1 expressed in Chinese hamster V79 cells
Dihydrodiol epoxides (DEs) are important carcinogenic metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The metabolic formation of four stereoisomeric DEs (a pair of optically active diastereomers termed as syn- and anti-form) is possible. Glutathione tranferases (GSTs) have been demonstrated to catalyze the detoxification of DEs. Purified GSTs display remarkable differences in catalytic efficiencies towards bay- and fjord-region DEs along with a high degree of regio- and stereoselectivity. Here we determined to which extent heterologously expressed human GSTP1-1, a major GST isoform in lung, affects the mutagenicity of stereoisomeric bay-region DEs of benzo[a]pyrene in Chinese hamste…
A facile microsynthesis of 14C-labelled picene
Microscale Wittig olefination of commercially available [7-14C]-benzal dehyde of high specific radioactivity with aryl bromomethyl phosphonium salt and subsequent oxidative photocyclisation affords pure 14C-labelled picene in efficient yield.
Loss of Contact-Dependent Inhibition of Growth in Chemically Transformed Fibroblasts
The plasma membrane has been recognized as an important regulatory unit of mammalian cells during determination, differentiation, and social behaviour of individual cells within various tissues (1–4). On the molecular level, plasma membrane glycoproteins and glycolipids have been shown to be involved in these processes (1–4). Density-dependent growth of non-transformed cells in vitro has been proposed to be regulated by secreted inhibitory compounds (5–7), by the cell’s shape (8) or by diffusion boundary layers (9). On the other hand, specific cell-cell interactions via cell membrane molecules were found to be of great importance for the contact-dependent inhibition of growth (10–16) and co…
Analysis of DNA single-strand breaks in human venous blood: a technique which does not require isolation of white blood cells.
For DNA strand break analysis in human white blood cells, usually metrizoate-Ficoll centrifugation is used to isolate mononuclear cells. This procedure is time-consuming and requires at least 20 ml of blood per sample. Therefore, we developed a technique which does not require isolation of white blood cells prior to DNA strand break analysis by alkaline elution (direct method). The sensitivity of this new technique was compared to that of the standard method, which includes isolation of mononuclear blood cells. A statistically significant increase in sensitivity was observed using the direct method. After in vitro gamma-irradiation of venous blood, an increase in the elusion rate of 7.7 × 1…
Rat and human liver cytosolic epoxide hydrolases: evidence for multiple forms at level of protein and mRNA.
Two forms of human liver cytosolic epoxide hydrolase (cEH) with diagnostic substrate specificity for trans-stilbene oxide (cEHTSO) and cis-stilbene oxide (cEHCSO) have been identified, and cEHCSO was purified to apparent homogeneity. The enzyme had a monomer molecular weight of 49 kDa and an isoelectric point of 9.2. Pure cEHCSO hydrolyzed CSO at a rate of 145 nmole/min/mg. TSO was not metabolized at a detectable level, and like cEHTSO, the enzyme was about three times more active at pH 7.4 than at pH 9.0. Unlike cEHTSO, cEHCSO was efficiently inhibited by 1 mM 1-trichloropropene oxide (90.5%) and 1 mM STO (92%). Similarly, liver cEH purified 541-fold from fenofibrate induced Fischer 344 ra…
Deficiency of bile acid transport and synthesis in oval cells from carcinogen-fed rats.
Freshly isolated oval cells, which we obtained from the livers of rats fed a choline-deficient/DL-ethioninesupplemented diet, did not transport bile acids. Compared with freshly isolated rat hepatocytes they took up only negligible amounts of [3H]taurocholate or [14C]cholate. The cells bound small amounts of radioactive bile acids. This portion of the total cell-associated radioactivity was enhanced on membrane permeabilization. In contrast to cultured liver parenchymal cells from untreated rats, no bile acid synthesis was detected in cultured oval cells. Cultured oval cells also lost the ability to conjugate exogenously added cholate (100 μmol/L) with taurine or glycine. However, when live…
The gap junctional intercellular communication is no prerequisite for the stabilization of xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme activities in primary rat liver parenchymal cells in vitro.
In primary monocultures of adult rat liver parenchymal cells (PC), the activities of the xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEHb), soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), glutathione S-transferases (GST), and phenolsulfotransferase (ST) were reduced after 7 d to values below 33% of the initial activities. Furthermore, the gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC), measured after microinjection by dye transfer, decreased from 90% on Day 1 to undetectable values after 5 d in monoculture. Co-culture of PC with nonparenchymal rat liver epithelial cells (NEC) increased (98% on Day 1) and stabilized (82% on Day 7) the homotypic GJIC of PC. Additionally, most of the mea…
Isolation and characterization of a cDNA encoding rat liver cytosolic epoxide hydrolase and its functional expression in Escherichia coli.
A cDNA of 1992 base pairs encoding the complete rat liver cytosolic epoxide hydrolase has been isolated using a polymerase chain reaction-derived DNA fragment (Arand, M., Knehr, M., Thomas, H., Zeller, H. D., and Oesch, F. (1991) FEBS Lett. 294, 19-22) known to represent the 3'-end of the cytosolic epoxide hydrolase mRNA. Sequence analysis revealed an open reading frame of 1662 nucleotides corresponding to 554 amino acids (M(r) = 62,268). The DNA sequence obtained did not display significant homology to the sequences of microsomal epoxide hydrolase or leukotriene A4 hydrolase or to any other DNA included in the EMBL Data Bank (release 32). On Northern blotting of rat liver RNA, a single mRN…
CYP2D6 increases toxicity of the designer drug 4-methylthioamphetamine (4-MTA)
4-Methylthioamphetamine (4-MTA) belongs to a group of new amphetamine derivatives that is usually sold as "ecstasy" or "flatliners" on the illicit drug market. Large interindividual differences in 4-MTA mediated toxicity have been reported in humans. Therefore, we tested whether CYP2D6 or its variant alleles as well as CYP3A4 influence the susceptibility to 4-MTA. For this purpose, we used the colony formation assay with Chinese hamster lung fibroblast V79 cells expressing human wild-type CYP2D6 (CYP2D6*1), the low activity alleles CYP2D6*2, CYP2D6*9, as well as human CYP3A4. The obtained results showed that the expression of wild type CYP2D6*1 clearly enhanced the susceptibility to the cyt…
Differential subcellular localization of endogenous and transfected soluble epoxide hydrolase in mammalian cells: evidence for isozyme variants
AbstractEndogenous, constitutive soluble epoxide hydrolase in mice 3T3 cells was localized via immunofluorescence microscopy exclusively in peroxisomes, whereas transiently expressed mouse soluble epoxide hydrolase (from clofibrate-treated liver) accumulated only in the cytosol of 3T3 and HeLa cells. When the C-terminal Ile of mouse soluble epoxide hydrolase was mutated to generate a prototypic putative type 1 PTS (-SKI to -SKL), the enzyme targeted to peroxisomes. The possibility that soluble epoxide hydrolase-SKI was sorted slowly to peroxiosmes from the cytosol was examined by stably expressing rat soluble epoxide hydrolase-SKI appended to the green fluorescent protein. Green fluorescent…
Chemotactic migration of human diploid fibroblasts is inhibited by contactinhibin.
Cultures with cryopreserved hepatocytes: applicability for studies of enzyme induction
The use of hepatocyte cultures is well established for the study of drug-drug interactions. However, the major hindrance for the use of human hepatocyte cultures is that human hepatocytes are only occasionally available. This problem could be overcome by cryopreservation. Although cryopreserved hepatocytes have been recommended for short term applications in suspension, studies on induction of enzyme activity, requiring a more prolonged maintenance of cryopreserved hepatocytes in culture, represent a new field of research. In the present study, we established a technique that allows preparation of rat hepatocyte co-cultures, using cryopreserved hepatocytes. After incubation with phenobarbit…
mdm2 mRNA expression is associated with survival in ovarian cancer
Expression of mdm-2 mRNA was measured in 90 ovarian-cancer tissue specimens using the S1 nuclease assay, to investigate a possible association between MDM2 expression and prognosis. mdm-2 mRNA expression was an independent prognostic factor for patients with primary ovarian cancer, FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) stages III and IV (n = 57), who all received chemotherapy with carboplatin or cisplatin and cyclophosphamide. Median survival time for patients (FIGO stages III and IV) with no detectable expression of mdm-2 mRNA (n = 14) was 171 days, as compared with 839 days for patients (n = 43) with detectable mdm-2 mRNA (p = 0.0194; log-rank test). However, no ass…
An impaired peroxisomal targeting sequence leading to an unusual bicompartmental distribution of cytosolic epoxide hydrolase
AbstractTo gain an understanding of the mechanism by which the subcellular distribution of cytosolic epoxide hydrolase (cEH) is directed, we have analyzed the carboxy terminal region of rat liver cEH by means of cDNA cloning to define the structure of its possible peroxisomal targeting sequence (PTS). Purified cEH was subjected to peptide analysis following endoproteinase Glu-C digestion and HPLC-separation of the fragments. The obtained sequence information was used to perform PCR experiments resulting in the isolation of a 680 bp cDNA clone encoding the carboxy terminus of cEH. The deduced amino acid sequence displays a terminal tripeptide Ser-Lys-Ile which is highly homologous to the PTS…
Prognostic significance of c-erB-2 mRNA in ovarian carcinoma.
The oncogene specific mRNA of c-erbB-2 was detected by the S1 nuclease protection assay in 95 ovarian cancer specimens. In 79 primary carcinomas, we found 16 (20%) with strong expression, 13 (17%) with weak expression, 4 (5%) with very weak expression, and 46 (58%) with no expression. In 3 of 16 recurrencies (19%) a strong expression of c-erbB-2 mRNA was detected, in 2 (12%) weak expression was detected, and in 11 (69%) no expression of c-erbB-2 mRNA was detected. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed no significant association between strong expression of c-erbB-2 mRNA and survival of the 79 patients with primary cancer. However, in the subgroup of patients with FIGO (International Federation of …
The human p53 gene mutated at position 249per se is not sufficient to immortalize human liver cells
A particular point mutation of the tumor suppressor gene p53, namely a G→T transversion at the third base of codon 249, is frequently detected in primary hepatocellular carcinomas from patients living in areas where the levels of dietary exposure to aflatoxin B 1 and the rates of infection with the hepatitis B virus are very high. Very recently, a nontumorigenic liver epithelial cell line (HACL-1) with a finite life-span and expressing a number of hepatocyte-specific markers was established from a human hepatocellular adenoma in our laboratory. To analyze the role of mutated p53 in the immortalization of human liver cells, we transfected HACL-1 cells with an expression vector containing a h…
Styrene Metabolism, Genotoxicity, and Potential Carcinogenicity
This report reviews styrene biotransformation, including minor metabolic routes, and relates metabolism to the genotoxic effects and possible styrene-related carcinogenicity. Styrene is shown to require metabolic activation in order to become notably genotoxic and styrene 7,8-oxide is shown to contribute quantitatively by far the most (in humans more than 95%) to the genotoxicity of styrene, while minor ring oxidation products are also shown to contribute to local toxicities, especially in the respiratory system. Individual susceptibility depending on metabolism polymorphisms and individual DNA repair capacity as well as the dependence of the nonlinearity of the dose-response relationships …
Use of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies as structural and topographical probes for hepatic epoxide hydrolase
AbstractMonoclonal antibodies have been prepared against rat liver epoxide hydrolase (EH), some of which gave precipitation lines on immunodiffusion against pure EH suggesting the presence of repetitive structural domains on the enzyme. Using ELISA, with polyclonal antibodies to rat and rabbit liver EH, reactivity and therefore structural similarities between EH of all species tested, including human, were observed. This was in contrast to immunodiffusion results demonstrating the limitations of the latter technique. Using monoclonal antibodies in ELISA, greatest structural similarity was between rat, mouse, and Syrian hamster EH and relatively little between rat and human. Two of the antib…
Cytosolic epoxide hydrolase in humans: development and tissue distribution.
Cytosolic epoxide hydrolase activity was measured towards trans-stilbene oxide in 41 human adult livers, in 40 fetal livers, in 17 placentas and in fetal and adult lungs, kidneys and gut. The cytosolic epoxide hydrolase activity was measurable in all specimens investigated. The rate of formation of trans-stilbene glycol (pmol/min per mg protein, mean +/- SD) was 55.2 +/- 89.6 (fetal liver). 303.2 +/- 73.2 (adult liver) and 18.8 +/- 13.1 (placenta) In the fetal extrahepatic tissues, the cytosolic epoxide hydrolase activity was 70.0 +/- 9.4 (adrenals), 47.6 +/- 7.2 (gut), 69.4 +/- 22.5 (kidneys) and 43.2 +/- 19.2 (lungs) pmol/min per mg protein, whereas in the adult tissues it was 131.2 +/- 6…
Large differences in metabolic activation and inactivation of chemically closely related compounds: effects of pure enzymes and enzyme induction on the mutagenicity of the twelve monomethylated benz[a]anthracenes, 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and benz[a]anthracenes in the Ames test
The in vitro metabolic activation of dibenz[a,h]anthracene, catalyzed by by rat liver microsomes and examined by 32P-postlabelling.
DNA has been incubated in vitro with dibenz[a,h]anthracene (DB[a,H]A) and the related 5,6-diol and 3,4-diol in the presence of 3-methylcholanthrene- or Aroclor 1254-induced rat liver microsomes. After incubation, the DNA was extracted and examined for the presence of aromatic adducts using the nuclease P1 modification of the 32P-postlabelling technique. The maps of PEI-cellulose plates and autoradiography showed that 92% of the radioactivity contained in DB[a,h]A-DNA adduct spots is derived from the related 3,4-diol and that about 50% of the adducts may be formed following the conversion of this diol to the bay-region anti- and syn-3,4-diol 1,2-oxides.
Properties and amino acid composition of pure epoxide hydratase
1. Introduction Rat liver epoxide hydratase [EC 4.2.1.631 which catalyses the conversion of epoxides to trurans-dihydro- diols has been purified to apparent homogeneity as determined by three independent criteria [l] . The preparation obtained was capable of catalysing the hydration of both styrene oxide and the 4,5- (K- region)epoxide of benzo(a)pyrene [ 11. Epoxides of polycyclic hydrocarbons have been implicated as the agents responsible for the cytotoxic and carcinogenic properties of such compounds (for reviews see [2-41). A detailed knowledge of the properties of epoxide hydratase may, therefore, contribute towards an understanding of the mechanisms of cytotoxicity and carcinogenesis.…
Phosphorylation of carcinogen metabolizing enzymes: regulation of the phosphorylation status of the major phenobarbital inducible cytochromes P-450 in hepatocytes
We present data showing that the major phenobarbital inducible cytochromes P-450 (cytochrome P-450IIB1 and cytochrome P-450IIB2) were phosphorylated in intact hepatocytes. This phosphorylation was greatly increased by the cAMP derivatives N6-dibutyryl-cAMP and 8-thiomethyl-cAMP mediated by a cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Most importantly the phosphorylation status of cytochromes P-450 was shown to change in the hepatocytes after treatment with glucagon, which is known to increase the level of cAMP in hepatocytes. The observed impact of the hormone glucagon on the phosphorylation of distinct cytochrome P-450 forms in intact hepatocytes reveals the possibility that the enzyme activity of cyt…
O6-Alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferase activity in student embalmers
O6-Alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) activity was assessed in peripheral blood lymphocytes among 23 mortuary science students before and after 9 weeks in a laboratory course in techniques of embalming. Formaldehyde exposure was established by environmental monitoring. The average air concentration of formaldehyde during embalming was about 1.5 ppm. At the pre-exposure sampling, baseline DNA repair capacity tended to be reduced in subjects who reported a prior history of embalming (p = 0.08). From pre- to post-exposure, 17 subjects decreased in DNA repair capacity, while only 6 increased (p <0.05). Analysis of variance, including adjustment for age, sex, and smoking status, confirmed t…
Enzymic Control of Reactive Metabolites from Aromatic Carcinogens
Mutation and transformation in C3H 10T 1/2 mouse fibroblasts were coordinately induced by 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide and identically modulated by caffeine strongly suggesting mutation as one necessary step in the sequence of events ultimately leading to transformation. The enzymic control of reactive metabolites derived from aromatic carcinogens was then investigated using bacterial mutagenicity as an analytical tool. It was shown that the correlation of bacterial mutagenicity with carcinogenicity of BP and four major metabolites was substantially better when these compounds were activated by intact hepatocytes as compared to commonly used broken cell preparations which suggests that the rela…
INTERINDIVIDUAL VARIATIONS OF EPOXIDE HYDRATASE ACTIVITY IN HUMAN LIVER AND LUNG BIOPSIES, LYMPHOCYTES AND FIBROBLAST CULTURES
Publisher Summary Most pharmaceuticals, toxic compounds, mutagens, and carcinogens undergo metabolism in the human body. Differences in drug metabolizing enzymes cause differences in susceptibility towards effects or side effects of these compounds. This chapter presents a comparison of epoxide hydratase (EH) activity in human individuals. Activities were measured in biopsy samples of liver, which is the main site of drug metabolism, and of lung, which is an organ that is continually exposed to potential enzyme inducers and to carcinogenic compounds. EH was studied in native lymphocytes, cultured lymphocytes, and fibroblasts in which environmental influences can be controlled and the geneti…
Molecular aspects of carcinogenesis. Part B
Nitrogen mustards represent a major group of alkylating agents that are used in the chemotherapy of cancer. It is commonly accepted that they exert their cytotoxic effects by their ability to produce interstrand crosslinks in DNA. The main target site of the two identical alkylating moieties is the N-7 position of guanine. By a Maxam-Gilbert-type reaction it is possible to identify "hot spots" for alkylation by nitrogen mustards. Analysis of data obtained reveal the importance of the DNA context for efficient alkylation. For most of~ the compounds the highest reactivity is observed ila regions of G clusters, while in the neighbourhood of cytosine residues alkylation is reduced. As a consequ…
Some substrates and inhibitors of cytosolic epoxide hydrolase induce sister-chromatid exchanges in mammalian cells, but do not induce gene mutations in Salmonella typhimurium and V79 cells.
Abstract Trans -stilbene oxide, trans -β-methylstyrene, 7,8-oxide, trans -β-ethylstyrene, 7,8-oxide, trans -β-propylstyrene 7,8-oxide and 4-fluorochalcone oxide were investigated for genotoxic activity in bacterial and mammalian cells, in the absence of external xenobiotic-metabolising systems. All compounds strongly enhanced the frequency of sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE) in cultured human lymphocytes. None of them was mutagenic in Salmonella typhimurium (reversion of the his − strains TA98, TA100 and TA104). The limit of detection was 1 20,000 to 1 10 6 of the activity of the positive control, benzo[ a ]pyrene 4,5-oxide, depending on the compound and the bacterial strain. Trans -β-methy…
ISOLATION OF RAT LIVER EPOXIDE HYDRATASE: PROPERTIES AND SUBSTRATE SPECIFICITY OF THE PURE ENZYME
ABSTRACT The microsomal enzyme epoxide hydratase has been purified to homogeneity as judged by electrophoretical, ultracentrifugal and immunological criteria and by C- and N-terminal analysis. The preparation procedure consisted of solubilisation using the non-ionic detergent cutscum, (NH4)2SO4 precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and cellulose phosphate and hydrophobic chromatography on butyl-sepharose. The product was detergent-free, had a relatively high content of hydrophobic amino acids and tended to aggregate in aqueous solutions. The protein had a minimum molecular weight of 49,000 ± 500 with a sedimentation coefficient of S20w≃ 3. Antibodies raised against th…
Enzymes as Regulators of Toxic Reactions by Electrophilic Metabolites
Conversion of many compounds which are not electrophilically reactive as such to metabolites responsible for cytotoxic, mutagenic and/or carcinogenic effects is catalyzed by mammalian enzymes. Many reactive agents, whether metabolites or parent compounds, are also subject to inactivation by mammalian enzymes.
Regio- and stereoselective regulation of monooxygenase activities by isoenzyme-selective phosphorylation of cytochrome P450.
The phosphorylation of the two major phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P450 isoenzymes IIB1 and IIB2 was increased in hepatocytes by the action of the membrane permeating cAMP derivatives N6-dibutyryl-cAMP and 8-thiomethyl-cAMP. Under these conditions the dealkylation of 7-pentoxyresorufin, a selective substrate of cytochrome P450IIB1 and P450IIB2 was markedly reduced. 16 beta-Hydroxylation of testosterone which is catalyzed specifically only by cytochrome P450IIB1 and IIB2 was strongly reduced; for 16 alpha-hydroxylation which is also catalyzed by cytochrome P450IIB1 and IIB2 but additionally by 3 further cytochrome P450 isoenzymes, this reduction was less pronounced; for the oxidation of…
Genotoxic effects of the herbicides alachlor, atrazine, pendimethaline, and simazine in mammalian cells
Fast Regulation of Cytochrome P450 Activities by Phosphorylation and Consequences for Drug Metabolism and Toxicity
In contrast to the well-known regulation of cytochrome P450 (CYP) activity by enzyme induction, which represents a process with slow onset and slow offset, more recent studies revealed phosphorylation as a fast (within observation instantaneous) and isoenzyme-selective regulation. The phosphorylated enzyme (investigated isozyme: CYP2B1) was fully inactive. The phosphorylation is mediated by PKA and hence under control of hormones and drugs that alter cellular cAMP levels. The consequences for the metabolic control of toxic species derived from drugs and environmental carcinogens are discussed. This information will help to improve therapy with drugs metabolized by CYPs which are phosphoryla…
Differential Effects of Fluvoxamine and Other Antidepressants on the Biotransformation of Melatonin
Melatonin, the predominant product of the pineal gland, is involved in the maintenance of diurnal rhythms. Nocturnal blood concentrations of melatonin have been shown to be enhanced by fluvoxamine, but not by other serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Because fluvoxamine is an inhibitor of several cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, the authors studied the biotransformation of melatonin and the effects of fluvoxamine on the metabolism of melatonin in vitro using human liver microsomes and recombinant human CYP isoenzymes. Melatonin was found to be almost exclusively metabolized by CYP1A2 to 6-hydroxymelatonin and N-acetylserotonin with a minimal contribution of CYP2C19. Both reactions were potently in…
Epoxides metabolically produced from some known carcinogens and from some clinically used drugs. I. Differences in mutagenicity.
The epoxide metabolites of two clinically used drugs and an experimental psychotropic agent, carbamazepine 10,11-oxide, cyproheptadine 10,11-oxide and cyclobenzaprine 10,11-oxide, were fully devoid of any mutagenic activity under conditions where K-region-epoxide metabolites of some known carcinogens, such as benzo (a)pyrene, proved to be potent frameshift mutational agents for Salmonella typhimurium TA 1537 and TA 1538. All epoxides tested were non-mutagenic for TA 1535, designed to detect substitution mutations. The 10,11-epoxides of the three drugs, carbamazepine, cyproheptadine and cyclobenzaprine, were not cytotoxic to any of the bacterial tester strains used, precluding that mutagenic…
Antibodies against homogeneous epoxide hydratase provide evidence for a single enzyme hydrating styrene oxide and benz(a)pyrene 4,5-oxide
THE microsomal enzyme epoxide hydratase (EC 4.2.1.63) is potentially important in the inactivation of metabolically produced epoxides which may be responsible for the mutagenic and/or carcinogenic properties of polycyclic hydrocarbons (for reviews see refs 1–3). Reports4,5 suggest that the enzyme plays a dual role in (a) producing proximate carcinogens which, after biotransformation to carcinogens by microsomal mono-oxygenase(s) are (b) inactivated by epoxide hydratase. As this enzyme can be induced6–8, activated9–10 and inhibited9–13 it should be useful in studies of the mechanism of chemical carcinogenesis: some inverse correlations have been reported between susceptibility to carcinogene…
Microsomal and cytosolic epoxide hydrolases, the peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation system and catalase. Activities, distribution and induction in rat liver parenchymal and non-parenchymal cells.
A number of structurally unrelated hypolipidaemic agents and certain phthalate-ester plasticizers induce hepatomegaly and proliferation of peroxisomes in rodent liver, but there is relatively limited data regarding the specific effects of these drugs on liver non-parenchymal cells. In the present study, liver parenchymal, Kupffer and endothelial cells from untreated and fenofibrate-fed rats were isolated and the activities of two enzymes associated with peroxisomes (catalase and the peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation system) as well as cytosolic and microsomal epoxide hydrolase were measured. Microsomal epoxide hydrolase, cytosolic epoxide hydrolase and catalase activities were 7-12-fold…
Morphological, biochemical, and molecular biological characterization of a rat rhabdomyosarcoma cell line during differentiation induction in vitro.
BA-HAN-1C is a clonal rat rhabdomyosarcoma cell line consisting of proliferating mononuclear tumor cells, some of which spontaneously fuse to form terminally differentiated postmitotic myotubelike giant cells. Exposure to retinoic acid resulted in an inhibition of proliferation and a marked increase in cellular differentiation. The number of myotubelike giant cells significantly increased, and about 30% of the mononuclear tumor cells exhibited morphological features of rhabdomyogenic differentiation which were not observed in the mononuclear cells of untreated cultures. Morphological differentiation was paralleled by an increase in total creatine kinase activity as a biochemical marker of d…
Formation of N-methylnicotinamide in the brain from a dihydropyridine-type prodrug
The enhancement of brain choline levels is a possible therapeutic option in neurodegenerative diseases; however, brain choline levels are held within narrow limits by homeostatic mechanisms including the rapid clearance of excess choline from the brain. The present study tests whether N-methylnicotinamide (NMN), an inhibitor of the outward transport of choline from the brain, can elevate brain choline levels in vivo. As NMN does not cross the blood-brain barrier, we synthesized and administered the brain-permeable prodrug, 1,4-dihydro-N-methyl-nicotinamide (DNMN), and tested its effect on the levels of NMN and choline in brain extracellular fluid, using the microdialysis procedure. Administ…
Effects of sodium butyrate on DNA content, glutathione S-transferase activities, cell morphology and growth characteristics of rat liver nonparenchymal epithelial cells in vitro
The effects of sodium butyrate, which has been shown to act as a differentiation promoting agent in several different tumor cell lines, were studied in a rat liver nonparenchymal epithelial cell line. Exposure of these cells to 3.75 mM butyrate resulted in an inhibition of cell proliferation and, at the same time, an increase in cell diameter (2- to 6-fold) and size of the nuclei (approximately 2-fold) after 3 days in culture. Binucleated cells arose, comprising approximately 12% of the cells investigated, and the number of cells with an abnormal set of chromosomes was increased. Intercellular communication, measured by dye transfer of Lucifer Yellow, was unchanged. From the various xenobio…
Conjugation reactions of polyaromatic quinones to mono- and bisglutathionyl adducts: Direct analysis by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry
The conjugation products of several reactive quinones with glutathione have been identified by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. Appropriate conditions have been developed which enabled the direct, dynamic mass spectral analysis of spontaneous, as well as glutathione transferase catalysed conjugation reactions. Applications to a series of quinones provided the direct detection and differentiation of the formation of mono- and bisglutathionyl adducts between regioisomeric quinone substrates in that only 1,4-quinones yielded bisglutathionyl adducts, which were not observed for the 1,2-isomers.
On the potential carcinogenic and mutagenic character of benzobiphenylenes
Abstract PMO estimations suggest certain partially saturated benzobiphenylene carbonium ions might exhibit carcinogenic and/or mutagenic activity.
Modulation of selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase by perfluorodecanoic acid in rats: effect of dietary selenium.
Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats fed a diet containing 0.4, 0.2 or 1.0 mg of selenium (Se)/kg of diet were injected with a single dose (35 mg/kg) of perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) in corn oil and killed 2 wk later. Control animals were pair-fed and treated with an equal volume of vehicle. PFDA treatment significantly increased Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase (Se-GSHPx) activity in liver cytosol of rats fed the 0.04 mg of Se/kg of diet but not in rats fed the other diets. The increase in liver cytosolic Se-GSHPx activity in rats fed 0.04 mg of Se/kg of diet paralleled increases in Se content and serum Se-GSHPx activity. Determination of Se-GSHPx by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay…
Species differences in activating and inactivating enzymes related to the control of mutagenic metabolites
Microsomal monooxygenases catalyze the biosynthesis of epoxides from olefinic and aromatic compounds whilst microsomal epoxide hydratase and cytoplasmic glutathione S-transferases are responsible for their further biotransformation. Although catalytically very efficient the cytoplasmic glutathione S-transferases play, due to their subcellular localization, a minor role in the inactivation of epoxides derived from large lipophilic compounds and were, therefore, not included in this study. It was shown with such a lipophilic compound, benzo(a)pyrene, as a model substance and with liver enzyme mediated bacterial mutagenesis as biological endpoint that species and strain differences in epoxide …
Non-competitive inhibition of clomipramineN-demethylation by fluvoxamine
The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluvoxamine interferes with the metabolism of tricyclic antidepressants. The present investigation was set out to characterize these interactions in vitro using rat liver microsomes and in vivo by analysing levels of clomipramine and metabolites in sera of depressed patients treated concomitantly with fluvoxamine and clomipramine. Clomipramine was N-demethylated and hydroxylated in vitro by microsomes to N-desmethyl-clomipramine, 8-hydroxyclomipramine, and 10-hydroxyclomipramine. Kinetic analyses revealed Km values of 6.2 microM for N-demethylation and 1.2 microM for 8-hydroxylation. Fluvoxamine was a non-competitive inhibitor for N-demethylation w…
In vivo formation of aflatoxin B1-DNA adducts in parenchymal and non-parenchymal cells of rat liver
The induction of hepatocellular carcinoma from liver parenchymal cells in laboratory animals by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is well documented. In contrast no tumours arising from the sinusoidal cell population have been reported after exposure to AFB1. The apparent resistance of the latter cell type was investigated at the level of DNA adduct formation in vivo in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Liver parenchymal and non-parenchymal cell populations were isolated from rats at 20 min and 1, 24 and 72 h after administration of 240 microCi (0.6 mg) [G-3H]AFB1/kg. AFB1-DNA binding was observed in both liver cell subpopulations and was 3- to 5-fold higher in parenchymal cells than in non-parenchymal cells. Th…
Fate of Epdxides
One of the most important reactions of epoxides appears to be the covalent binding to DNA which can lead to mutagenicity and is strongly suspected to be the primary lesion ultimately leading to initiation of cancer (Miller and Miller, 1974; Oesch, 1973; Jerina and Daly, 1974; Sims and Grover, 1974; Heidelberger, 1975; Gelboin et al., 1972). This review first describes structure-activity relationships for the mutagenicity of some epoxides and then outlines some findings on the metabolic control of the concentration of such epoxides by a number of enzymes.
Selective induction of bilirbuin UDP-glucuronosyl-transferase by perfluorodecanoic acid
Differential effects of perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) on rat liver UDP-glucuronosyltransferase isoenzymes have been observed after a single i.p. administration of the compound to young male Sprague-Dawley rats. (1) Bilirubin glucuronidation was induced 2-fold. The induced state was stable for at least 3 weeks. (2) Glucuronidation of 1-naphthol, morphine and testosterone was decreased to half of the control values. These decreases were maximal after 12 days but all three activities returned to normal levels after 3 weeks. (3) Immunoblotting experiments indicated that the differential effects of PFDA on UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activities were due to modulation of enzyme protein concentrat…
Evidence for Several Hepatic Proteins Related to Microsomal Epoxide Hydrolase
Epoxide hydrolases catalyze the conversion of epoxides, some of which have been shown to be carcinogenic, to dihydrodiols (Guenthner and Oesch 1981). At least three forms of epoxide hydrolases exist in rats, two of which, namely mEHb and mEHch, are associated mainly with the microsomal fraction (Oesch et al 1984; Levin et al 1983) whereas one form namely cEH is found to a large extent in the cytosolic fraction (Gill and Hammock 1981). These three forms differ in their immunological and catalytic properties quite considerably (Guenthner et al 1981). In the case of mEHb the existence of several closely related isoenzymes with an identical apparent subunit molecular weight (Mrs) of 50,000 was …
A multiplex polymerase chain reaction protocol for the simultaneous analysis of the glutathione S-transferase GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms.
Rat Cytosolic Epoxide Hydrolase
Rat liver microsomal and cytosolic epoxide hydrolase may be distinguished through differences in substrate specificity: styrene 7,8-oxide is preferentially hydrolyzed by the microsomal form, while trans-stilbene oxide is the prefered substrate for cytosolic epoxide hydrolase. Large interindividual differences in the specific activity of SpragueDawley (outbred strain) liver cytosolic epoxide hydrolase were observed, varying from 2 to 77 pmol/min x mg protein. Interindividual variations were much lower for microsomal epoxide hydrolase. The specific activity of Fischer F-344 (inbred strain) liver cytosolic epoxide hydrolase varied only by a factor of 2. The specific activity of cytosolic epoxi…
DNA binding, adduct characterisation and metabolic activation of aflatoxin B1 catalysed by isolated rat liver parenchymal, Kupffer and endothelial cells.
In vitro studies with rat liver parenchymal, Kupffer and endothelial cells isolated from male Sprague-Dawley rats were undertaken to investigate cell-specific bioactivation of aflatoxin B1, DNA binding and adduct formation. In the mutagenicity studies, using homogenates of all three separated liver cell populations (co-incubated with NADP+ and glucose-6-phosphate as cofactors for the cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase system) parenchymal, Kupffer and endothelial cells were able to activate aflatoxin B1 to a metabolite mutagenic to Salmonella typhimurium TA 98. In the case of nonparenchymal cells (i.e. Kupffer and endothelial cells) 10-fold higher concentrations of aflatoxin B1 had to be used to…
Metabolic epoxidation of trans-4-acetylaminostilbene: A protective mechanism against its activation to a mutagen
Abstract Trans -4-acetylaminostilbene is activated by liver preparations to mutagens for Salmonella typhimurium . Since this compound is metabolized to the trans -α,β-epoxide and since many epoxides are ultimate mutagens, this epoxide was tested for direct mutagenicity. It was, however, found to be non-mutagenic, and, in contrast to the parent compound, the epoxide was no longer activated by liver preparations to mutagens. The same was found for the β-ketone and for the threo -α,β-dihydrodiol, which are formed metabolically from trans -4-acetylaminostilbene and from its α,β-epoxide. 4-Acetylaminobibenzyl showed a very weak mutagenic activity in the presence of the liver preparation. Thus, i…
Radioactively labelled epoxides. part V. Tritium labelled K-region oxides and trans-dihydrodiols of pyrene, benzo[a]pyrene and dibenz[a, h]anthracene
Tritium labelled K-region oxides of pyrene, benzo[a]pyrene and dibenz[a,h]anthracene have been prepared by cyclization of the corresponding trans-dihydrodiols which were obtained by reduction of K-region quinones with sodium borotritide in the presence of oxygen. This synthetic pathway not only yields two metabolically important radioactively labelled derivatives of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a simple and efficient manner, but also requires a rather inexpensive source of tritium.
Polychlorinated biphenyls, classified as either phenobarbital- or 3-methylcholanthrene-type inducers of cytochrome P-450, are both hepatic tumor promoters in diethylnitrosamine-initiated rats
Abstract The cytochrome P -450 isozymes, cytochrome P -450 MC 1 and MC 2 , purified from rats treated with 3-methylcholanthrene (MC), were found by immunohistochemical staining to be strongly induced in the livers of rats treated with 3,3′, 4,4′-tetrachlorobiphenyl (TCBP), while the cytochrome P -450 isozymes, PB 1 and PB 2 , purified from the livers of rats treated with phenobarbital (PB), were shown to be induced in the livers of rats treated with 2,2′, 4,4′, 5,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl (HCBP). The latter compound also strongly induced NADPH-cytochrome P -450-reductase. Following induction, all 5 enzymes were located preferentially in the centrilobular and midzonal region of the liver acinus.…
Drug-metabolizing enzymes in the skin of man, rat, and pig.
The mammalian skin has long been considered to be poor in drug metabolism. However, many reports clearly show that most drug metabolizing enzymes also occur in the mammalian skin albeit at relatively low specific activities. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on drug metabolizing enzymes in the skin of human, rat, and pig, the latter, because it is often taken as a model for human skin on grounds of anatomical similarities. However only little is known about drug metabolizing enzymes in pig skin. Interestingly, some cytochromes P450 (CYP) have been observed in the rat skin which are not expressed in the rat liver, such as CYP 2B12 and CYP2D4. As far as investigated most d…
Control of the mutagenicity of aromatic amines by protein kinases and phosphatases
The role of protein kinase C and protein phosphatases was examined in the control of mutagenic metabolites of aromatic amines. Various metabolic activating systems derived from rat liver were treated with: 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), a protein kinase C modulator; okadaic acid (OA), a potent inhibitor of serine/threonine protein phosphatases (PP1 and PP2A); and ortho-vanadate (OV), an inhibitor of tyrosine phosphatases. TPA used over a wide concentration range (10−9–10−6 M) did not affect the bacterial mutagenicity of the aromatic amines and of the aromatic amide investigated, 2-aminoanthracene, 2-aminofluorene and 2-acetylaminofluorene (2AAF). At the molecular level, TPA did…
Anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities of frankincense: Targets, treatments and toxicities
The oleogum resins of Boswellia species known as frankincense have been used for ages in traditional medicine in India, China and the Arabian world independent of its use for cultural and religious rituals in Europe. During the past two decades, scientific investigations provided mounting evidence for the therapeutic potential of frankincense. We conducted a systematic review on the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities of Boswellia species and their chemical ingredients (e.g. 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-β boswellic acid, α- and β-boswellic acids, 11-keto-β-boswellic acid and other boswellic acids, lupeolic acids, incensole, cembrenes, triterpenediol, tirucallic acids, and olibanumols). Frank…
Ha-rasVa112 but not p53Ser247 leads to a significant neoplastic transformation rate of the putative rat liver stem cells (oval cell)
In order to test the controversially discussed hypothesis that oval cells are part of a liver stem cell compartment and can give rise to cholangiocellular as well as hepatocellular carcinomas in the course of liver carcinogenesis, we transfected an oval cell line established in our laboratory with an oncogenically activated genomic Ha-ras clone (pUC EJ 6.6), carrying a valine at position 12 instead of the wild-type glycine, or a rat p53 cDNA mutated by site-directed mutagenesis at codon 247, which corresponds to codon 249 in the human p53. This codon is of particular interest since it represents a mutation hotspot observed in hepatocellular carcinoma especially in regions with high aflatoxi…
Genetically engineered V79 Chinese hamster cells metabolically activate the cytostatic drugs cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide.
V79 cells, genetically engineered to express active cytochromes P450IIB1 and P450IA1, were used to study the cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide. Cyclophosphamide, tested up to a concentration of 2 mM, was not cytotoxic in V79 nor in the P450IA1-expressing V79-derived cell line XEM2. Pronounced cytotoxicity was, however, observed in the P450IIB1-expressing V79-derived cell line SD1. Induction of gene mutations (acquisition of 6-thioguanine resistance) was observed in SD1 cells as well, but the effects were weak. Ifosfamide was inactive in V79 cells, but was cytotoxic in SD1 cells. Ifosfamide mustard, an active metabolite of ifosfamide, was equally cytotoxic and …
Effects of the modulation of epoxide hydrolase activity on the binding of benzo[a]pyrene metabolites to DNA in the intact nuclei.
Interaction of valproic acid and some analogues with microsomal epoxide hydrolase.
Abstract Valproic acid (VPA) and its analogues valpromide (VPM), valproyl-Coenzyme A (VP-CoA) and valproyl-ethylester (VPE) were examined as potential inhibitors of microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEHb) using styrene-7,8-oxide (STO) and benzo(a)pyrene-4,5-oxide (BPO) as enzyme substrates. The effect of each potential inhibitor was examined using mEHb from rat liver, human livers (from a child, woman and man) and from human placenta. Of the compounds tested, only VPM (2 mM) expressed significant inhibition of mEHb activity with a maximum inhibition of 49%, 48%, 35% and 33% for liver microsomes from the child, woman, man and rat, respectively, using STO (2 mM) as substrate. Human placenta mEHb …
Problems Associated with the Use of Chemical Class Controls in Absence of Information on the Underlying Mechanism
It is simply not possible to test all chemicals in adequately performed whole animal carcinogenicity tests. Short-term tests are, therefore, frequently used as a substitute. None of these short-term tests give results which correspond in all cases to the results obtained in whole animal carcinogenicity tests. Certain short-term tests have a notoriously poor predictibility for whole animal carcinogenicity for certain classes of chemicals. Therefore, if a chemical, whose carcinogenicity is unknown, is tested in a short-term test, frequently related compounds of known carcinogenicity are also tested simultaneously as chemical class controls.
Mapping of phenytoin-inducible cytochrome P450 immunoreactivity in the mouse central nervous system
Abstract The distribution of phenytoin-inducible cytochrome P450 in non-treated mouse brain and spinal cord was analysed immunohistochemically using polyclonal antibodies against phenytoin-induced mouse cerebral microsomal P450. This P450 protein was proved in Ouchterlony [Volk B. et al. (1988) Neurosci. Lett. 84 , 219–224], Western blot, and immunohistochemical analyses to be reactive to the specific antibodies and an IgG fraction raised against phenobarbital-induced rat liver microsomal P450IIB1. The phenytoin-induced P450 is designated P450IIB1 * because immunologically it is comparable with P450IIB1; however, it has not yet been analysed for other characteristics of this enzyme. Immunoc…
Improved sample preparation for the testosterone hydroxylation assay using disposable extraction columns
The preparation of samples for injection into a high-performance liquid chromatograph from assay mixtures for the determination of cytochrome P-450-dependent testosterone hydroxylation has been substantially facilitated. By replacing the multiple cumbersome extraction steps of the conventional method with a single column extraction the time for sample preparation was reduced from hours to minutes. The new procedure also yields better recoveries for most of the testosterone metabolites than the original protocol. The use of extraction columns for sample preparation allows the simultaneous treatment of a large number of samples or even the automation of the whole assay procedure. The modified…
Oxidative stress response of tumor cells: microarray-based comparison between artemisinins and anthracyclines
The antimalarial artemisinins also reveal profound cytotoxic activity against tumor cells. Artemisinins harbor an endoperoxide bridge whose cleavage results in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and/or artemisinin carbon-centered free radicals. Established cancer drugs such as anthracyclines also form ROS and free radicals that are responsible for the cardiotoxicity of anthracyclines. In contrast, artemisinins do not reveal cardiotoxicity. In the present investigation, we compared the cytotoxic activities of different artemisinins (artemisinin, artesunate, arteether, artemether, artemisitene, dihydroartemisinylester stereoisomers) in 60 cell lines of the National Cancer Institu…
Role of Parenchymal Versus Non-Parenchymal Cells on the Control of Biologically Reactive Intermediates
The non-parenchymal cells (NPC) of the liver have the potential to significantly influence the formation of reactive intermediates in the liver because of their critical location along the sinusoids where they are the first cells to encounter blood borne xenobiotics. To study the possible role of the NPC in the metabolism of xenobiotics, populations of NPC and parenchymal cells (PC) were prepared from rats and various xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme activities investigated. The specific activity of every enzyme studied was 12 to 1000% higher in the PC than in the NPC populations and the pattern of activities between the 2 populations was remarkably different. The NPC also displayed a more dr…
DNA Polymerase Action on Oligonucleotide Templates from Human Ha-rasProtooncogene Containing N6-Deoxyadenosine Adducts Derived from Trans Addition of (+)- and (-)-anti-Benzo[c]phenanthrene-3,4-dihydrodiol 1,2-epoxides at Codon 61
Abstract In the present work we have used a DNA polymerase assay to investigate the primer extension with T7 DNA polymerase (Sequenase 2.0) and the Klenow fragment of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I (exo − KF) on chemically synthesized 21mer templates representing partial sequences of the human Ha-ras protooncogene with site-specifically positioned trans-N 6-dA adducts of (-)- (adduct 1) and (+)-anti-benzo[c]phenanthrene 3,4-dihydrodiol 1,2-epoxides (adduct 2) at codon 61 (CA∗G; A∗ indicates the adducted position). With Sequenase 2.0 a complete block of primer extension opposite both adduct 1 and 2 was noted using a 10mer primer reaching the (n-1)-position of the adduct. A detailed analys…
A new assay for O6-alkylguanine-DNA-alkyltransferase to determine DNA repair capacities using lambda-phage DNA as substrate.
One O6-methylguanine (O6-meG) was introduced into each BamHI site of lambda-phage DNA as a substrate for the determination of the DNA repair protein O6-alkylguanine-DNA-alkyltransferase. A new assay using as the detection group 32P-labeled phosphate introduced at the 3' position of the modified nucleoside by incorporation of 32P-labeled TTP in the 3'-neighboring position proved highly sensitive: 10(-16) mol of the DNA lesion was still easily detectable. This DNA, which has greater than 1000 bp represents a good model for cellular DNA and was used as a substrate to measure the individual repair capacities for O6-meG in human lymphocytes of 20 healthy male and female donors. There were great …
Assay for O6-alkylguanine-DNA-alkyltransferase using oligonucleotides containing O6-methylguanine in a BamHI recognition site as substrate
Abstract Double-stranded oligonucleotides, 40 bases in length containing an O 6 -methylguanine in a Bam HI restriction site, were developed as substrates for the determination of human O 6 -alkylguanine-DNA-alkyltransferase (AGT). The assay proved highly sensitive and quantitative. After incubation of the 5′-end-labeled oligonucleotides with cell homogenates of peripheral blood lymphocytes, the DNA was digested with Bam HI. Cleavage with this restriction enzyme did not occur in the O 6 -methylguanine-containing oligonucleotide unless the fragment was repaired. The cleaved oligonucleotide was separated from the intact parent oligonucleotide by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatogr…
New Hepatocyte In Vitro Systems for Drug Metabolism: Metabolic Capacity and Recommendations for Application in Basic Research and Drug Development, Standard Operation Procedures
Primary hepatocytes represent a well-accepted in vitro cell culture system for studies of drug metabolism, enzyme induction, transplantation, viral hepatitis, and hepatocyte regeneration. Recently, a multicentric research program has been initiated to optimize and standardize new in vitro systems with hepatocytes. In this article, we discuss five of these in vitro systems: hepatocytes in suspension, perifusion culture systems, liver slices, co-culture systems of hepatocytes with intestinal bacteria, and 96-well plate bioreactors. From a technical point of view, freshly isolated or cryopreserved hepatocytes in suspension represent a readily available and easy-to-handle in vitro system that c…
TCDD deregulates contact inhibition in rat liver oval cells via Ah receptor, JunD and cyclin A.
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a transcription factor involved in physiological processes, but also mediates most, if not all, toxic responses to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Activation of the AhR by TCDD leads to its dimerization with aryl hydrocarbon nuclear translocator (ARNT) and transcriptional activation of several phase I and II metabolizing enzymes. However, this classical signalling pathway so far failed to explain the pleiotropic hazardous effects of TCDD, such as developmental toxicity and tumour promotion. Thus, there is an urgent need to define genetic programmes orchestrated by AhR to unravel its role in physiology and toxicology. Here we show that TCDD …
Human serum and erythrocytes protect white blood cells against DNA damage by ethylene oxide
Drug-metabolizing enzyme activities in freshly isolated oval cells and in an established oval cell line from carcinogen-fed rats
The activities of several different phase I and phase II drug-metabolizing enzymes were measured in freshly isolated oval cells from rats fed a choline-deficient/DL-ethionine-supplemented diet for 6 weeks and also in vitro in the established oval cell line OC/CDE 6. No cytochrome P450 was spectrophotometrically measurable in both preparations and two cytochrome P450-dependent monoxygenase activities, aminopyrine N-demethylase and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase, could not be detected in the oval cells of both sources. However, cytosolic glutathione transferase, microsomal epoxide hydrolase and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activities were clearly measurable in oval cells. Similar enzyme activiti…
Lack of mutagenic and co-mutagenic effects of magnetic fields during magnetic resonance imaging
Mutagenic and co-mutagenic effects of static, pulsed bipolar gradient, and high-frequency magnetic fields, as well as combinations of them, were examined using the Ames test. The Ames test using Salmonella typhimurium bacteria, wild-type strain RTA, preincubation assay, without metabolic activation, was performed. All combinations of magnetic fields were tested with and without co-exposure to N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and benzo[a]pyrene-4,5-oxide, ethylene oxide, carboplatin, or cisplatin. As expected, chemical mutagens caused a clear-cut increase of the revertants in the Ames test. However, neither the static fields nor a combination of a static magnetic field with the time-vary…
The Distribution of Carcinogen Metabolizing Enzymes in the Mouse Liver: Comparison of Parenchymal and Non-Parenchymal Cell Populations
The distribution of aminopyrine N-demethylase (APND), ethoxy- resorufin O-deethylase (ERRD), epoxide hydrolase (EH) and glutathione transferase (GST) activities in parenchymal (PC) and non-parenchymal (NPC) cell populations of control and Aroclor 1254-treated C57BL/6N and DBA/2N mice was determined. Furthermore, the metabolism of benzo(a)- pyrene (BP) in PC and NPC of both Aroclor 1254-treated mice strains was examined. Measurable activities of all enzymes investigated were detected in control PC as well as NPC of both mice strains; in all instances the PC possessed greater enzyme activities than did the NPC. The PC and NPC of DBA/ 2N mice had significantly lower ERRD and EH activities than…
Comparative tumorigenicity of picene and dibenz[a,h]anthracene in the mouse
The carcinogenic activity of the two polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), picene (benzo[a]chrysene) and dibenz[a,h]anthracene (DBA), was determined in NMRI mice by five different experimental protocols in order to find out if picene is a carcinogen as predicted by recent quantum mechanical calculations in contrast to earlier observations which could not confirm any carcinogenic activity of picene. Single s.c. treatment of adult mice with picene or DBA (308 nmol/animal, each) led to the formation of fibrosarcomas in 63.3% of treated animals regardless of the PAH used. Chronic epicutaneous application of both PAHs (total dose 1.36 mumol) to the back of mice resulted in the development of …
Enhancement of the Mutagenicity of Ethylene Oxide and Several Directly Acting Mutagens by Human Erythrocytes and its Reduction by Xenobiotic Interaction
According to the present state of knowledge mutagenicity or genotoxicity of the ulti mate genotoxic agents ethylene oxide or styrene oxide cannot be increased by further me tabolism. However, in the present study we demonstrate that mutagenicity of several ultimate genotoxic substances is increased by human erythrocytes. For instance mu tagenicity of mafosfamide, N-nitroso-N-methylurea, ethylene oxide, and styrene oxide to Salmonella typhimurium TA 1535 was increased 5.5-, 5.1-, 2.7-, and 2.3-fold, respectively, by addition of human erythrocyte homogenate to the preincubation mixture in the Ames test. On the other hand, the mutagenicity of cumene hydroperoxide, benzo[a]pyrene-4,5-oxide, and…
cis- and trans-1,2-diphenylaziridines: induction of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in rat liver and mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium.
trans-Stilbene imine (trans-1,2-diphenylaziridine) is the nitrogen analog of trans-stilbene oxide, a potent inducer of several microsomal and cytosolic xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes. Although the acute toxicity of cis- and trans-stilbene imines prevents their application at the usual dose for trans-stilbene oxide (400 mg/kg/day), it is apparent that the imines nevertheless potently induce several xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in rat liver. The IP administration of trans-stilbene imine resulted in statistically significant increases in the activities of aminopyrine N-demethylase, microsomal epoxide hydrolase, glutathione transferase (toward 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, 1,2-dichloro-4-nit…
Differential stabilization of cytochrome P-450 isoenzymes in primary cultures of adult rat liver parenchymal cells.
Cytochrome P-450 dependent hydroxylation of testosterone was measured in 7-day-old cultures of primary rat liver parenchymal cells. Determinations were carried out in monocultures of parenchymal cells and co-cultures of parenchymal cells with rat liver nonparenchymal epithelial cells, or mouse embryo fibroblasts. In the monoculture system, testosterone metabolism was drastically reduced and hardly measurable after 7 days in culture. In the co-culture systems, individual P-450 isoenzymes were stabilized on different levels. P-450s p and presumably c were well preserved, P-450 a was reduced but clearly measurable, P-450 h was totally lost whereas P-450s b and e were not measurable after 7 day…
Long-term effects of commercial and congeneric polychlorinated biphenyls on ethane production and malondialdehyde levels, indicators of in vivo lipid peroxidation
Ethane exhalation was increased in male Sprague-Dawley rats following a single intraperitoneal (IP) injection of Aroclor 1254 (500 mg/kg). In the first 2 weeks following Aroclor 1254 treatment, the increase in ethane exhalation was due to an inhibition of metabolism of endogenous ethane rather than to an increase in ethane production. In weeks 3 and 4 following Aroclor 1254 administration, metabolic clearance of ethane returned to and exceeded control levels, while ethane production increased to approximately twice the control rates (day 30). The HPLC determination of in situ hepatic malondialdehyde levels revealed a 2-fold increase in malondialdehyde content on day 30 following the Aroclor…
Separation and Biochemical Characterization of Rat Liver Parenchymal Cell Subpopulations
Parenchymal cells within the hepatic lobules of the rat are morphologically and biochemically heterogeneous (Shank et al., 1959; Novikoff, 1959; Loud, 1968; Jungermann and Katz, 1982). It has been previously shown that the concentration of cytochrome P-450 and the activities of most cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenases are relatively higher in the centrilobular regions than in the periportal regions of the rat liver (Baron et al., 1978; Gooding et al., 1978; Baron and Kawabata, 1983); further, these studies revealed that pretreatment of the animals with phenobarbital intensified this gradation across the liver lobule, whereas after administration of 3-methylcholanthrene the concentrati…
The role of insulin-like growth factor II in the malignant transformation of rat liver oval cells
Oval cells are small nonparenchymal epithelial cells that first appear in the periportal areas of the liver and thereafter invade the whole parenchyma when mice or rats are exposed to a variety of chemical carcinogens. In the present study we have analyzed the expression of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF II) in the recently established oval cell line OC/CDE 22 and its malignantly transformed counterpart (the M22 cells) and the biological consequences of the constitutive expression of IGF II in oval cells. OC/CDE 22 cells do not express the above-mentioned growth factor, whereas the M22 cells do and addition of a neutralizing anti-IGF II antibody to M22 cells resulted in an almost comple…
The preparation of (14C) and [3H] labelled benzene oxide
Benzene oxide -[U-14C] was prepared from benzene -(U-14C) by modifications of methods described for the inactive compound. Benzene oxide-[3.6–3H] was prepared by decomposition of 3.6-bis-trimethylsilyl-1,4-cyclohexadiene with tritiated water. bromination of the 1,4-cyclohexadiene-[3,6-3H] so obtained. epoxidation and dehydrobromination. With the latter method benzene oxide-[3,6–3H] can be prepared at a much lower cost and higher specific activity than benzene oxide-[U-14C].
Enzyme histochemical and immunohistochemical characterization of oval and parenchymal cells proliferating in livers of rats fed a choline-deficient/DL-ethionine-supplemented diet.
Male outbred Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a choline-deficient diet containing 0.10% DL-ethionine for up to 30 weeks. Liver slices from rats killed 4, 6, 10, 14, 22 and 30 weeks after starting the treatment were histochemically analyzed for the following parameters: basophilia, expression of cytokeratin 19 (which in the liver is bile duct epithelial cell-specific), glycogen content and activities of glycogen synthetase (SYN), glycogen phosphorylase (PHO), glucose-6-phosphatase (G6PASE), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), glycerin-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH), 'malic enzyme' (MDH), alkaline phosphatase (ALKPASE) and gamma-glutamyl…
Open letter to the German Research Foundation (DFG, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft). Some comments on the recent exclusion of a renowned scientist from a toxicological commission
Establishment and characterization of a nontumorigenic cell line derived from a human hepatocellular adenoma expressing hepatocyte-specific markers.
In the present study the establishment and characterization of a nontumorigenic liver epithelial cell line (HACL-1) derived from a human hepatocellular adenoma is described. The HACL-1 cells have a finite life span (i.e., they proliferate for a period of 2 months and then senesce), show cell-cell contact inhibition, do not grow in soft agar, are not tumorigenic when injected in nude mice, and possess a normal diploid karyotype. The cultured cells resemble hepatocytes, but exhibit some features of dedifferentiation. At the ultrastructural level the cells are endowed with round or oval nuclei, abundant cytoplasmic organelles, and varying amounts of glycogen. The rough endoplasmic reticulum is…
The microsomal epoxide hydrolase has a single membrane signal anchor sequence which is dispensable for the catalytic activity of this protein
The microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) catalyses the hydrolysis of reactive epoxides which are formed by the action of cytochromes P-450 from xenobiotics. In addition it has been suggested that mEH might mediate the transport of bile acids. For the mEH it has been shown that it is co-translationally inserted into the endoplasmic reticulum. Here we demonstrate that the N-terminal 20 amino acid residues of this protein serve as its single membrane anchor signal sequence and that the function of this sequence can also be supplied by a cytochrome P-450 (CYP2B1) anchor signal sequence. The evidence supporting this conclusion is as follows: (i) the rat mEH and a CYP2B1-mEH fusion protein, in whic…
Viability, attachment efficiency, and xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme activities are well maintained in EDTA isolated rat liver parenchymal cells after hypothermic preservation for up to 3 days in University of Wisconsin solution
Rat liver parenchymal cells were isolated by EDTA perfusion and were subsequently purified by Percoll centrifugation. The freshly isolated liver cells had a mean viability of 95% as judged by trypan blue exclusion. Isolated liver parenchymal cells were then stored at 0°C for up to 1 wk in University of Wisconsin solution (UW). During this hypothermic preservation, the viability was only slightly reduced to 92% after 1 d and to 85% after 3 d at 0°C. Thereafter, the viability decreased rapidly. After cold storage for up to 3 d, it was possible to use the parenchymal liver cells either in short-term suspension or in cell culture. The attachment efficiency in cell culture was the same for fresh…
Effect of unbalanced diets on incorporation of δ-aminolevulinic acid into cytochrome P-450
Abstract The in vivo syntheses of two liver microsomal cytochromes P-450 PB 3a , P-450 UT 50 [(1987) Eur. J. Biochem., submitted] ( M r 50 000, 52 000) have been estimated by measuring the specific activity 2 h after i.p. administration of δ-[ 3 H]aminolevulinic acid to male Sprague Dawley rats. The animals were fed either a standard rat chow (5% lard, 22% casein) or unbalanced diets (high lipid, 30% lard or low protein, 6% casein) with or without 50 ppm Phenoclor DP6. The high-lipid diet supported a more rapid body weight gain but had little impact on cytochrome P-450 content, expressed either per whole liver or per mg microsomal protein, and on the incorporation of the precursor into cyto…
No influence of magnetic fields on cell cycle progression using conditions relevant for patients during MRI.
The purpose of this study was to examine whether exposure to magnetic fields (MFs) relevant for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in clinical routine influences cell cycle progression in two tumor cell lines in vitro. HL60 and EA2 cells were exposed to four types of MFs: (i) static MF of 1.5 and 7.05 T, (ii) extremely low frequency magnetic gradient fields (ELFMGFs) with ± 10 mT/m and 100 Hz, as well as ± 100 mT/m and 100 Hz, (iii) pulsed high frequency MF in the radiofrequency (RF) range (63.6 MHz, 5.8 μT), and (iv) a combination of (i–iii). Exposure periods ranged from 1 to 24 h. Cell cycle distribution (G0/G1, S, and G2/M phases) was analyzed by flow cytometry. Cell cycle analysis did not…
Immobilized glycolipids from human diploid fibroblasts inhibit DNA synthesis of cultured human fibroblasts*1
Several previous studies have shown that glycolipids isolated from plasma membranes of cultured cells and added to cells in culture inhibit the growth rate in a concentration-dependent fashion. In order to investigate the possible involvement of glycolipids in the growth regulation of normal cells by cell-cell contacts, we tested the effect of immobilized glycolipids, isolated from human fibroblasts, on the DNA synthesis of freshly seeded fibroblasts. Gangliosides inhibited DNA synthesis to a great extent, whereas neutral glycolipids had only a minor effect. The degree of inhibition of DNA synthesis by immobilized gangliosides depended both on the cell density of the cultures from which the…
Expression of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in propagatable cell cultures and induction of micronuclei by 13 compounds
Activities of various xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes were determined in 18 cell lines. Activities of cytochrome P450 reductase, microsomal epoxide hydrolase and glutathione transferase were detectable in all lines. The highest values were similar to the activities found in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes. Catalase activity was also present in all 12 investigated cell lines. Activity of UDP-glucuronosyl transferase was high in some lines, but low or undetectable in others. Activity of cytosolic epoxide hydrolase was not measurable in most lines, and was low in the others. Metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene was observed in eight out of nine examined lines, no activity being found in V79 cells. V7…
Synthesis and mutagenicity of the diastereomeric fjord-region 11,12-dihydrodiol 13,14-epoxides of dibenzo[a,l]pyrene.
Extensive tumorigenicity studies in rodents revealed that dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DB[a,l]P) is the most potent carcinogen among all polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) tested so far. The structure of the genotoxic metabolite(s) responsible for this exceptional carcinogenicity is unknown. The fjord-region syn- and anti-DB[a,l]P-11,12-dihydrodiol 13,14-epoxides (syn- and anti-DB[a,l]PDE) were synthesized to clarify their role as possible ultimate mutagenic and carcinogenic metabolites of DB[a,l]P.9-Formyl-11,12-dimethoxybenzo[g] chrysene was prepared from 9-phenanthrylacetic acid by a photochemical route. After reaction of the aldehyde with trimethylsulfonium iodide to generate an oxiranyl si…
Glutathione S-transferase T1 and M1 gene defects in ovarian carcinoma
Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) M1 and T1 are known to be polymorphic in humans. Both polymorphisms are due to gene deletions, which are responsible for the existence of null genotypes. The gene defect of GSTT1 has been reported to be associated with an increased risk of myelodysplastic syndromes, astrocytoma and meningioma. A lack of GSTM1 was associated with tobacco smoke-induced lung and bladder cancer. In this study we examined whether the GSTT1 and/or GSTM1 homozygous null genotypes were associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction protocol. The GSTT1 null genotype was observed in 14% of the control subjects that had never suffered f…
Primary DNA damage in peripheral mononuclear blood cells of workers exposed to bitumen-based products.
The genotoxic effect of occupational exposure to bitumen-based products was determined by the extent of DNA strand breaks and alkali-labile sites of the DNA of peripheral mononuclear blood cells from seven roofers, 18 road paving workers, and nine bitumen painters. In order to evaluate short-term genotoxic effect the workers were investigated on Fridays and on Mondays after a weekend free of occupational exposure. The roofers (all cigarette smokers) showed a significantly (P < 0.002) 43% higher mean level of alkaline DNA strand breaks on Friday than did the ten smoking controls included in this study. Also, comparison of the individual levels of alkaline strand breaks on Mondays and on Frid…
Multiple activation pathways of benzene leading to products with varying genotoxic characteristics.
Abstract Benzene and 13 potential metabolites were investigated for genotoxicity in Salmonella typhimurium and V79 Chinese hamster cells. In the presence of NADPH-fortified hepatic postmitochondrial fraction (S9 mix), benzene reverted his- S. typhimurium strains. The effect was strongest in strain TA1535. Among the potential metabolites, only the trans-1,2-dihydrodiol, in the presence of S9 mix, and the diol epoxides, in the presence and absence of S9 mix, proved mutagenic in this strain. The anti-diol epoxide was more potent than the syn-diastereomer. Both enantiomers of the anti-diastereomer showed similar activities. S9 mix did not appreciably affect the mutagenicity of the anti-diol epo…
Detoxication Strategy of Epoxide Hydrolase—The Basis for a Novel Threshold for Definable Genotoxic Carcinogens
From our recent work on the three-dimensional structure of epoxide hydrolases we theoretically deduced the likelihood of a two-step catalytic mechanism that we and others have subsequently experimentally confirmed. Analysis of the rate of the two steps by us and by others show that the first step—responsible for removal of the reactive epoxide from the system—works extraordinarily fast (typically three orders of magnitude faster than the second step), sucking up the epoxide like a sponge. Regeneration of the free enzyme (the second step of the catalytic mechanism) is slow. This becomes a toxicological problem only at doses of the epoxide that titrate the enzyme out. Our genotoxicity work s…
Human liver cytosolic epoxide hydrolases.
Human liver epoxide hydrolases were characterized by several criteria and a cytosolic cis-stilbene oxide hydrolase (cEHcso) was purified to apparent homogeneity. Styrene oxide and five phenylmethyloxiranes were tested as substrates for human liver epoxide hydrolases. With microsomes activity was highest with trans-2-methylstyrene oxide, followed by styrene 7, 8-oxide, cis-2-With methylstyrene oxide, cis-1,2-dimethylstyrene oxide, trans-1, 2-dimethylstyrene oxide and 2, 2-dimethylstyrene oxide. With cytosol the same order was obtained for the first three substrates, whereas activity with 2, 2-dimethylstyrene oxide was higher than with cis-1,2-dimethylstyrene oxide and no hydrolysis occurred …
Colorimetric quantitation of trace amounts of sodium lauryl sulfate in the presence of nucleic acids and proteins
A fast and sensitive procedure for the colorimetric detection of sodium lauryl sulfate (SDS) is presented. The assay is based upon the formation of a chloroform-extractable ion pair between lauryl sulfate and methylene blue that is quantified spectrophotometrically with an estimated detection limit of 150 ng of SDS. The method is suitable for the monitoring of contaminating traces of SDS in protein or nucleic acid samples that have the potential to interfere with enzymatic manipulations such as proteolytic digest, restriction analysis, or reverse transcription. Since the procedure is extremely simple and no special equipment is required it is accessible to every researcher concerned with SD…
DNA strand break induction, mutagenicity, and cytotoxicity of the mycotoxins 11-β-hydroxy-7-deoxy-rosenonolactone, rosenonolactone, and trichothecin.
11-β-hydroxy-7-deoxy-rosenonolactone (TSS1), a mycotoxin of the rosenane class, was tested on cytotoxicity, induction of DNA single strand breaks and muta-genicity. Its effects were compared to those of rosenonolactone and trichothecin. TSS1 had stronger antibiotic activity againstEscherichia coli (EC 50: 10μg/mL) than rosenonolactone (EC 50: >200μg/mL) but weaker activity than trichothecin (EC 50: 3μg/mL). The same order of activity was found for the inhibition of yeast fermentation (EC 50 of TSS1: 45μg/mL; EC 50 of rosenonolactone: > 120μg/mL; EC 50 of trichothecin: 3.4μg/mL). In the trypan blue exclusion test using V79 Chinese hamster cells, TSS1 proved to be cytotoxic (EC50: 30μg/mL) at…
Inverse relationship of melanocyte differentiation antigen expression in melanoma tissues and CD8+ cytotoxic-T-cell responses: evidence for immunoselection of antigen-loss variants in vivo.
Antigenic peptides derived from differentiation antigens of the melanocyte lineage were recently identified in human melanomas as targets for MHC-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). CTL directed against peptides derived from the Melan A/MART-1, tyrosinase and gp100/Pmel17 antigens can be detected in melanoma patients and in healthy controls. The presence of defined antigenic peptides and corresponding precursor CTL in patients with metastatic melanoma opens perspectives for the development of antigen-specific tumor vaccines. In this study, we examined the expression of Melan A/MART-1, tyrosinase and gp100lPmel17 in fresh melanoma tissues of HLA-A2+ patients and the spontaneous CTL rea…
Asp333, Asp495, and His52.3 Form the Catalytic Triad of Rat Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase
On the basis of the sequence similarity between mammalian epoxide hydrolases and bacterial haloalkane dehalogenase reported earlier (Arand, M., Grant, D. F., Beetham, J. K., Friedberg, T., Oesch, F., and Hammock, B. D. (1994) FEBS Lett. 338, 251-256; Beetham, J. K., Grant, D., Arand, M., Garbarino, J., Kiyosue, T., Pinot, F., Oesch, F., Belknap, W. R., Shinozaki, K., and hammock, B. D. (1995) DNA Cell. Biol. 14, 61-71) we selected candidate amino acid residues for the putative catalytic triad of the rat soluble epoxide hydrolase. The predicted amino acid residues were exchanged by site-directed mutagenesis of the epoxide hydrolase cDNA, followed by the expression of the respective mutant en…
Applications of stable V79-derived cell lines expressing rat cytochromes P4501A1, 1A2, and 2B1.
1. Chinese hamster V79-derived cell lines, stably expressing cytochromes P4501A1, 1A2, and 2B1 activities, were constructed by genetic engineering in continuation of our work to establish a battery of V79 derived cell lines designed to study the metabolism of xenobiotics. 2. Cell lines XEM1 and XEM2, expressing cytochrome P4501A1, were capable of the O-dealkylation of 7-ethoxycoumarin and the hydroxylation of benzo[a]pyrene. 3. Cell lines XEMd.MZ and XEMd.NH, expressing P4501A2, were shown to hydroxylate 17 beta-estradiol and 2-aminofluorene. 4. Cell line SD1, expressing cytochrome P4502B1, was able to hydroxylate testosterone stereo- and regio-specifically at the 16 alpha and 16 beta posit…
Isolation and characterization of a 60-70-kD plasma membrane glycoprotein involved in the contact-dependent inhibition of growth
Previous studies have shown that plasma membrane compounds are involved in the contact-dependent inhibition of growth of human diploid fibroblasts. The purification of the active plasma membrane glycoprotein is described in this report. The glycoprotein has an apparent molecular mass of 60-70 kD and, due to differential sialylation, isoelectric points between pH 5.5. and 6.2. Treatment with sialidase yielded one spot in two-dimensional gel electrophoresis with an isoelectric point of 6.3. After removal of the N-glycosidically linked oligosaccharide chains, the apparent molecular mass is reduced by approximately 22 kD. Treatment was diluted NaOH, which removes the O-glycosidically linked por…
Contact-dependent inhibition of growth of normal diploid human fibroblasts by plasma membrane glycoproteins.
Homeostasis in vivo is maintained by a highly complex network of positive and negative signals. At the cellular level, this regulatory microenvironment can be divided, in a simplified fashion, into two major compartments: the humoral compartment, including compounds such as hormones, growth factors and nutrients, and the contact-environment compartment, including cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. At least in cultures of diploid, non-transformed cells, cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions have been shown to be of major importance for the regulation of growth as well as of differentiation. Although until now the glycoprotein involved in the contact-dependent inhibition of growth has n…
Mechanism-based predictions of interactions.
Abstract Exposure to more than one toxic compound is common in real life. The resulting toxic effects are often more than the simple sum of the effects of the individual compounds. It is unlikely that it will ever be possible to test all combinations. It is therefore highly desirable to improve or develop means for reasonably approximating predictions of interactions. In order to be valid and extrapolatable, these predictions are most promising if they are mechanism-based. Examples will be given for possibilities of mechanism-based predictions of interactions which exceed trivialities of simple increases by enzyme induction of enzymatic rates of a given biotransformation pathway leading to …
The enzymatic mechanism of epoxide hydrolysis
Individual Differences in DNA Repair Capacities in Man
After metabolic activation of benzo[a]pyrene to the 7,8-dihydrodiol- 9,10-epoxide, this ultimate carcinogen preferentially binds to the exocyclic amino group of guanine. In order to investigate possible interindividual differenes in the capacity of repair of the DNA adducts formed from benzo[a]- pyrene 7,8-dihydrodiol 9,10-epoxide, their persistence in freshly isolated lymphocytes of several donors was studied. The results show a surprisingly large interindividual variation in DNA adduct formation and their persistence in freshly isolated lymphocytes. This range included several individuals with an apparent complete lack of repair capability for these adducts. Compared with controls, smoker…
The Anticonvulsant FCE 26743 is a Selective and Short-acting MAO-B Inhibitor Devoid of Inducing Properties towards Cytochrome P450-dependent Testosterone Hydroxylation in Mice and Rats
Abstract The effects of the potent anticonvulsant FCE 26743 ((S)-2-(4-(3-fluorobenzyloxy)benzylamino)propionamide) on monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity were measured in-vitro and ex-vivo using rat tissue homogenates. In-vitro, FCE 26743 showed potent and selective inhibitory properties towards liver MAO-B, with IC50 values about 10−7 m for MAO-B and higher than 10−5 m for MAO-A. When determined ex-vivo in brain, the ED50 value for the inhibition of MAO-B was 1·1 mg kg−1 (p.o.) 1 h post-dosing, whereas MAO-A remained virtually unaffected after administration of 60 mg kg−1. Similar effects were seen in liver. Following oral administration of 5 mg kg−1 FCE 26743 to rats, brain MAO-B inhibitio…
Role of the Well-Known Basic and Recently Discovered Acidic Glutathione S-Transferases in the Control of Genotoxic Metabolites
Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs; E.C. 2. 5. 1. 18) are a family of enzymes which have increasingly attracted the interest of toxicologists, pharmacologists, biochemists and clinicians since their discovery in 1961 (1). Initially, GSTs were believed to serve as intracellular transport proteins for endogenous compounds with limited solubility in water, thus acting as an intracellular equivalent to albumin in blood plasma. In this assumed capacity of reversible binding and transport of various ligands, the corresponding protein was named ligandin (2). Following the discovery of abundant GST occurrence in most forms of aerobic life including plants, and the GST-catalysed conjugation of a wide …
Species Differences in Enzymes Controlling Reactive Epoxides
Activities of enzymes involved in the metabolic formation and catabolism of epoxides were determined in liver subcellular preparations from 11 mammalian species and various strains of mice. The most conspicuous finding was that the activities of the microsomal epoxide hydrolase were clearly lower in the mouse than in the other species. This invited the working hypothesis that epoxides may be involved in mouse liver carcinogenesis. The carcinogens may be metabolised themselves to reactive epoxides or they may modify the metabolism of epoxides formed from endogenous or other foreign compounds. To examine the former point, phenobarbital, DDT (1,1-bis(p- chlorophenyl)-2,2,2-trichloroethane), li…
Characterization of an epithelial, nearly diploid liver cell strain, from Chinese hamster, able to activate promutagens
Epithelial liver cells of the Chinese hamster (CHEL cells) were propagated in culture for 35 passages. At favourable cell densities, the population doubling time in normal medium, was 20 h. L-Tyrosine amino transferase activity was retained at a measurable level, but its enhancement by dexamethasone was detected solely in cells of early passages. Pyruvate kinase was strongly activated by fructose-1,6-biphosphate at low substrate concentrations. These enzymatic properties suggest that the CHEL cells are derived from a sub-population of parenchymal hepatocytes or from cells closely related to parenchymal hepatocytes. With a lag period of a few hours, CHEL cultures metabolized benzo[a]pyrene. …
Importance of Individual Enzymes in the Control of Ultimate Carcinogens
The metabolic activation of most chemical mutagens and carcinogens is a prerequisite for their mutagenic and carcinogenic activity. Reactive metabolites are under the control of activating, inactivating and precursor sequestering enzymes. These enzymes are under the long-term control of induction and repression and under the short-term control of posttranslational modification. As far as carcinogen-metabolizing enzymes are concerned, posttranslational modification has received little attention. This short-term regulation may be especially important since it works fast and may affect the enzymatic activity as well as the degradation of the enzyme. The enzymatic activity is modified by activa…
Long-time expression of DNA repair enzymes MGMT and APE in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
The DNA repair enzymes O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) and apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease (APE, also known as Ref-1) play an important role in cellular defense against the mutagenic and carcinogenic effects of DNA-damaging agents. Cells with low enzyme activity are more sensitive to induced DNA damage and may confer a higher carcinogenic risk to the individuals in question. To study the level of variability of MGMT and APE expression in human, we analyzed in a long-time study MGMT and APE expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy individuals. The data revealed high inter- and intraindividual variability of MGMT but not of APE. For MGMT, the inter…
Isolation of a Putative Hydroxyacyl Enzyme Intermediate of an Epoxide Hydrolase
A putative covalent, alpha-hydroxyacyl intermediate was isolated by the brief exposure of murine soluble epoxide hydrolase to its substrate. The reaction was reversed by time and blocked by competitive inhibitors. The formation of the intermediate was dependent upon the concentration of the enzyme and was increased by incubation under acidic conditions. The structure of the intermediate was supported by microchemical methods.
Radioactively labelled epoxides. Part IV. Tritium labelled α- and β-methyl styrene oxides
Tritium labelled α-methyl styrene oxide (2-methyl-2-phenyloxirane) and cis- and trans-β-methyl styrene oxides (Z- and E-2-methyl-3-phenyl oxirane) have been prepared using tritiated water as the inexpensive source of tritium. The two geometrical isomers of β-methyl styrene oxide were synthesized by a sequence of reactions which led to stereochemically pure products, and obviated any need to separate the isomers.
Quinone reduction and redox cycling catalysed by purified rat liver dihydrodiol/3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase.
A highly active preparation of rat liver dihydrodiol/3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase was obtained using a newly developed, rapid purification scheme involving affinity chromatography on Red Sepharose. Depending on the coenzyme present, the purified enzyme was found to catalyse the oxidation of dihydrodiols and steroids or the reduction of substrates with carbonyl or quinone moieties. Using a wide range of synthetic quinones derived from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), we observed a pronounced regioselectivity of the quinone reductase activity. Good substrates were the o-quinones of phenanthrene, benz(a)anthracene, chrysene and benzo(a)pyrene with the quinonoid moiety in the K-…
Sequence of a novel cytochrome CYP2B cDNA coding for a protein which is expressed in a sebaceous gland, but not in the liver
The major phenobarbital-inducible rat hepatic cytochromes P-450, CYP2B1 and CYP2B2, are the paradigmatic members of a cytochrome P-450 gene subfamily that contains at least seven additional members. Specific oligonucleotide probes for these genomic members of the CYP2B subfamily were used to assess their tissue-specific expression. In Northern-blot analysis a probe specific to gene 4 (which is designated now as CYP2B12) hybridized to a single mRNA present in the preputial gland, an organ which is used as a model for sebaceous glands, but did not hybridize to mRNA isolated from the liver or from five other tissues of untreated or Aroclor 1254-treated rats. The cDNA sequence for the CYP2B12 R…
Distribution and induction of cytochrome P-450 and two cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenase activities in rat liver parenchymal cell subpopulations separated by centrifugal elutriation.
Liver parenchymal cells from the periportal and centrilobular zones differ in their morphological, biochemical and functional characteristics. In an effort to obtain fractions enriched in either periportal or centrilobular cells, isolated rat liver parenchymal cells were separated into five subpopulations by centrifugal elutriation. The mean diameters of the cells present in fractions I-V were 19.6, 21.1, 21.8, 22.7 and 23.5 micron, respectively. The content of cytochrome P-450 as well as benzphetamine N-demethylase and 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activities were higher in the larger parenchymal cells than in the smaller ones. After administration of phenobarbital the content of cytochro…
Analysis of the Effects of Modifying Agents on Six Different Phenotypes in Preneoplastic Foci in the Liver in Medium-Term Bioassay Model in Rats
Recently a great deal of interest has been expressed in characterizing the altered enzyme phenotype of putative preneoplastic rat liver lesions. In particular, attention has been given to the changes in drug metabolizing potential, conferring physiological advantage to initiated cells, and their usefulness as marker lesions for the analysis of the development of neoplasia1–2.
Chapter 2: METABOLISM OF CARCINOGENS, POSSIBILITIES FOR MODULATION
: One of the structural elements which are widely occurring in very many chemical mutagens and carcinogens are aromatic and olefinic moieties. These can be transformed into epoxides by microsomal monooxygenases. Such epoxides may spontaneously react with nucleophilic centers in the cell and thereby covalently bind to DNA, RNA and protein. Such a reaction may lead to cytotoxicity, allergy, mutagenicity and/or carcinogenicity, depending on the properties of the epoxide in question. An important contributing factor is the presence of enzymes controlling the concentration of such epoxides. There are several microsomal monooxygenases which differ in activity and substrate specificity. With large…
Phosphorylation of cytochromes P450: First discovery of a posttranslational modification of a drug-metabolizing enzyme
Cytochromes P450 (CYP) are important components of xenobiotic-metabolizing monooxygenases (CYP-dependent monooxygenases). Their regulation by induction, most commonly by transcriptional activation, mediated by xenobiotics, normally substrates of the corresponding CYP, is well known and has been widely studied. Our team has discovered an additional important regulation of xenobiotic-metabolizing CYPs pertaining to posttranslational modification by phosphorylation. Individual CYPs are phosphorylated by different protein kinases, leading to CYP isoenzyme-selective changes in the metabolism of individual substrates and consequent drastic changes in the control of genotoxic metabolites. Best stu…
Direct Analysis of Phase I Metabolites, Phenol Sulfates, Glucuronides and Glutathione Conjugates of Benzo[a]pyrene in Freshly Isolated, Hypothermically Stored and Cryopreserved Hepatocytes
Abstract The complex biotransformation of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), the prototype of the class of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, can be used as a tool to characterize the capacity of in vitro systems for the biotransformation of xenobiotics. In order to account for the ability of liver parenchymal cells to metabolize BaP, a method was developed for the isolation, separation and quantitation of its phase I metabolites, e.g. tetrahydrotetraols, trans-dihydrodiols, quinones and phenols, as well as its phase II metabolites, e.g. sulfates, glucuronides and glutathione conjugates, employing a combination of extractive and chromatographic steps. Upon incubation of BaP with freshly isol…
Metabolism of Chemical Carcinogens
Most chemical carcinogens are chemically unreactive per se and need metabolic activation to the ultimate carcinogenic species. The enzyme pattern responsible for the generation and disposition of reactive metabolites constitutes one important early contribution to the control of chemical carcinogenesis. Especially well studied is the group of enzymes responsible for the control of reactive epoxides. Many natural as well as manmade foreign compounds, including pharmaceuticals, possess olefinic or aromatic double bonds. Such compounds can be transformed to epoxides by microsomal monooxygenases present in many mammalian organs. By virtue of their electrophilic reactivity such epoxides may spon…
Purification and Characterization of Acidic Glutathione S-Transferases (EC 2.5.1.18) from Rat Kidney
Glutathione S-transferases (EC 2.5.1.18) (GSTs) are present in almost every mammalian tissue and catalyze the conjugation of glutathione (GSH) with different electrophilic substrates (Habig et al. 1974). In contrast to this deactivation function of GSTs, they also appear to be involved in the activation of certain chemicals, and particularly halogenated compounds, in either the liver or extra-hepatic tissues (even the kidney) to nephrotoxic and potentially nephrocarcin-ogenic products (Anders et al. 1987, Dekant et al. 1986, Elfarra and Anders 1984, Igwe 1986). These previous results confirm the necessity of a deeper insight into the GSH conjugation system of the kidney: firstly, because of…
Androgen hydroxylation catalysed by a cell line (SD1) that stably expresses rat hepatic cytochrome P-450 PB-4 (IIB1).
Androgen hydroxylation catalysed by Chinese hamster fibroblast SD1 cells, which stably express cytochrome P-450 form PB-4, the rat P450IIB1 gene product, was assessed and compared to that catalysed by purified cytochrome P-450 PB-4 isolated from rat liver. SD1 cell homogenates catalysed the NADPH-dependent hydroxylation of androstenedione and testosterone with a regioselectivity very similar to that purified by P-450 PB-4 (16 beta-hydroxylation/16 alpha-hydroxylation = 6.0-6.8 for androstenedione; 16 beta/16 alpha = 0.9 for testosterone). Homogenates prepared from the parental cell line V79, which does not express detectable levels of P-450 PB-4 or any other cytochrome P-450, exhibited no a…
Fjord-region diol-epoxides of benzo[c]chrysene are potent inducers of micronuclei in murine bone marrow
Abstract Vicinal diol-epoxides are the best established carcinogenic metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Numerous studies have demonstrated their high genotoxic activity in various in vitro test systems. However, in vivo mutagenicity data are not available. The fjor-region diol-epoxides of benzo[ c ]chrysene combine high mutagenic activity in vitro with hydrolytic stability. They were tested for the induction of micronuclei in the bone marrow following intraperitoneal administration to NMRI mice. The anti diasteromer of the diol-epixode enhanced the frequency of micronucleated polycrhomatic erythrocytes strongly (7–19-fold above the value in untreated controls) over a very wide…
Epoxide Hydrolase Isoenzymes and their Individual Contribution to the Control of Toxic Metabolites
Epoxides are highly strained three membered cyclic ethers which are formed in vivo by the microsomal cytochrome P450 dependent monooxygenases as intermediates of several important biosynthetic pathways (leukotriene A4, squalene 2, 3-oxide) and as metabolites of numerous xenobiotic compounds containing olefinic or aromatic double bonds. Further transformation of these epoxides may occur by either, rearrangement to phenols, aliphatic aldehydes, or ketones; by cytochrome P450 dependent reduction to the parent compound; or by spontaneous or enzymatic conjugation to gluta-thione. Epoxides may also bind covalently to cellular nucleophiles, such as proteins and nucleic acids thus eliciting carcino…
Visualization of a covalent intermediate between microsomal epoxide hydrolase, but not cholesterol epoxide hydrolase, and their substrates
Mammalian soluble and microsomal epoxide hydrolases have been proposed to belong to the family of alpha/beta-hydrolase-fold enzymes. These enzymes hydrolyse their substrates by a catalytic triad, with the first step of the enzymatic reaction being the formation of a covalent enzyme-substrate ester. In the present paper, we describe the direct visualization of the ester formation between rat microsomal epoxide hydrolase and its substrate. Microsomal epoxide hydrolase was precipitated with acetone after brief incubation with [1-(14)C]epoxystearic acid. After denaturing SDS gel electrophoresis the protein-bound radioactivity was detected by fluorography. Pure epoxide hydrolase and crude micros…
p38α MAPK is required for contact inhibition
Proliferation of nontransformed cells is regulated by cell-cell contacts, which are referred to as contact-inhibition. Despite its generally accepted importance for cell cycle control, knowledge about the intracellular signalling pathways involved in contact inhibition is scarce. In the present work we show that p38alpha mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is involved in the growth-inhibitory signalling cascade of contact inhibition in fibroblasts. p38alpha activity is increased in confluent cultures of human fibroblasts compared to proliferating cultures. Time course studies show a sustained activation of p38alpha in response to cell-cell contacts in contrast to a transient activation …
Mutagenicity of glutathione and cysteine in the Ames test.
Postmitochondrial supernatant from rat liver and kidney homogenates transformed cysteine into a mutagen that reverted bacteria of the strain Salmonella typhimurium TA100 to histidine independence. Glutathione was also activated by kidney postmitochondrial supernatant but not by liver preparations. Hence, important endogenous compounds of mammals are positive in the most commonly used short-term test for carcinogenicity and mutagenicity. Glutathione is positive in the test even at concentrations found in mammalian tissues.
Genetically engineered V79 chinese hamster cell expression of purified cytochromeP-450iib1 monooxygenase activity
Chinese hamster V79 fibroblasts, frequently used as target cells in short-term tests for mutagenicity, do not possess measurable monooxygenase activity; in particular, enzymatic oxidation of testosterone (T) cannot be demonstrated. If these V79 cells, however, had been transfected with the cDNA-encoding rat liver cytochrome P-450IIB1 under control of the SV40 early promoter, they stably expressed monooxygenase activity. These so-called SD1 cells then oxidatively metabolized T at a rate of 27 pmol/mg protein/min, converting it to 16 alpha- and 16 beta-hydroxy-T as well as 4-androsten-3,17-dione as sole metabolites in a ratio of 1.1:1.0:1.6. The regio- and stereoselective conversion of T by S…
Stable Expression of Heterologous Microsomal Epoxide Hydrolase in BHK21 Cells: Influence on the Mutagenicity of Benzo[a]pyrene 4,5-Oxide
Most environmental mutagens and carcinogens require metabolic activation to electro- philic intermediates capable of reacting with cellular target structures, such as DNA. These electrophilic intermediates are in addition subject to metabolic detoxification. This metabolism is mainly controlled by enzymes whose expression is very variable. Among other things, various enzymes are inducible by environmental chemicals. Understanding the toxicology of chemicals (for example, species differences, idiosyncrasias, organotropisms) therefore requires knowledge of critical host factors. One approach towards this goal involves the use of purified enzymes in metabolism and toxicological studies (Glatt …
Dihydrodiol Dehydrogenase: An Important Enzyme in Dihydrodiol-Epoxide Pathway — Mediated Benzo(A)Pyrene Mutagenicity
Benzo(a)pyrene is metabolized to two major groups of mutagenically reactive metabolites: Monofunctional epoxides and dihydrodiol-epoxides. Various monooxygenase forms catalyze the various pathways at very different rates. In metabolic situations where the contribution by dihydrodiol-epoxides is small, epoxide hydratase represents a very efficient protective system. However, in situations where the mutagenic effect is predominately due to dihydrodiol-epoxide, the effect of epoxide hydratase is complicated and weak. We have now obtained evidence that a dihydrodiol dehydrogenase represents an efficient protective system in the latter situation. The enyzme was purified to homogeneity and the pu…
Propyldazine is mutagenic inSalmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli: Distinct specificity for strains TA1537 AND TA97
The antihypertensive drug propyldazine (Atensil) was demonstrated to be muta- genic with auxotrophic mutants of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli. Addition of liver S9 mix (postmitochondrial supernatant fraction supplemented with an NADPH-generating system) had little, if any, effect on the mutagenicity. The mutagenicity showed an unusual pattern of strain specificity. Increased fre- quencies of reversion were observed with all strains whose auxotrophy was caused by frame-shift mutations: the number of revertant colonies per plate from S. typhimurium TA98, TA1538, TA97, and TA1537 was increased up to 5-, 9-, 43-, and 160-fold, respectively, above background. Among the strains that…
Metabolic activation of aflatoxin B1 to aflatoxin B1-8,9-epoxide in woodchucks undergoing chronic active hepatitis
Chronic hepatitis B virus infection as well as consumption of food contaminated with the mycotoxin aflatoxin B1 are considered to be 2 major risk factors for the development of primary liver cancer in humans. Furthermore, epidemiological surveys indicate that hepatitis B virus and aflatoxin B1 might act synergistically to induce primary liver cancer. In the present study, we have tested the hypothesis that the metabolic activation of aflatoxin B1 to aflatoxin B1-8,9-epoxide, the ultimate mutagenic and carcinogenic mycotoxin metabolite, is enhanced in an experimental model of chronic hepatitis using woodchucks, chronically infected with the woodchuck hepatitis virus. Woodchuck liver microsom…
In vitro mammalian metabolism of the mitosis inhibitor zoxamide and the relationship to its in vitro toxicity.
The in vitro mammalian metabolism of the fungicide zoxamide is related to its in vitro mammalian toxicity. After incubation of zoxamide with rat liver microsomes leading to practically 100% metabolism (mostly hydroxylated zoxamide), the cytotoxicity (methyl thiazole tetrazolium (MTT) test) and the mitosis-inhibiting potential (shown by cell count and by cell cycle analysis) for V79 were not distinguishable from those of zoxamide, demonstrating that the hydroxylation of zoxamide did not change the cytotoxicity or mitosis-inhibiting potential as determined by these assays. After incubation of zoxamide with rat liver S9 predominantly leading to conjugation with glutathione, and after incubatio…
cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of CYP2B1 as a functional switch for cyclophosphamide activation and its hormonal controlin vitro andin vivo
An important feature of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2B1 is its high ability to convert the prodrug cyclophosphamide (CPA) to therapeutically cytotoxic metabolites, resulting in interstrand DNA-cross-linking and cell death. We have examined whether and how the phosphorylation of CYP2B1 influences CPA metabolic activation in vitro and in vivo. We found first that only part of the total CYP2B1 pool undergoes phosphorylation. This part is fully inactivated. Second, phosphorylation of CYP2B1 in intact hepatocytes reduced by up to 75% toxification of CPA to mutagenic metabolites (totally dependent on the same preferentially CYP2B-catalyzed 4-hydroxylation of CPA as is the generation of highly cytotoxic…
Vitamin K epoxide reductase activity in the metabolism of epoxides
Abstract The importance of vitamine K epoxide reductase for the metabolism of a range of structurally diverse epoxides has been investigated. Vitamin K 1 epoxide is reduced by rat liver microsomes at a rate of 0.47 nmoles/g liver/min. The rate of menadione oxide reduction is not significantly higher than the non-enzymatic reduction rate. No measurable reduction of benzo[ a ]pyrene 4,5-oxide, benzo[ a ]pyrene 7,8-oxide, phenanthrene 9,10-oxide, styrene 7,8-oxide, and dieldrin has been detected, nor could trichothecene T-2 toxin inhibit reduction of vitamin K 1 epoxide. Thus, vitamin K epoxide reductase is very specific for vitamin K 1 epoxide. Taking into account the range of structurally di…
Gap junctional intercellular communication of cultured rat liver parenchymal cells is stabilized by epithelial cells and their isolated plasma membranes
The gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) determined by measuring dye coupling with Lucifer yellow, decreased within 3 d from 66% to 28% in monocultures of rat liver parenchymal cells. Coculturing of the parenchymal cells with a nonparenchymal epithelial cell line from rat liver resulted in increased and stabilized intercellular communication (83% after 3 d). The presence of isolated plasma membrane vesicles of the nonparenchymal epithelial cells also stabilized the intercellular communication between the liver parenchymal cells (70% after 3 d). When liver parenchymal cells were cocultured with a rat liver fibroblast cell line the gap junctional communication between the parench…
A Method for the Cryopreservation of Liver Parenchymal Cells for Studies of Xenobiotics
Abstract An optimized computer-controlled freezing protocol for the cryopreservation of rat liver parenchymal cells was developed. The best survival rates were obtained when a slow cooling rate was used and when the supercooling was interrupted with a shock cooling to initiate ice nucleation. Ten percent dimethyl sulfoxide was added and removed gradually for best results. Thawed rat liver parenchymal cells had a viability, as judged by trypan blue exclusion, of 69% (SD = 6) versus 82% (SD = 7) for freshly isolated cells. The content and activities of the xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes, cytochrome P450. UDP-glucuronosyl transferase, and microsomal and cytosolic epoxide hydrolase, were not a…
A time course investigation of vitamin A level and lipid composition of the liver endoplasmic reticulum in rats following treatment with congeneric polychlorobiphenyls.
Abstract The drug metabolizing enzyme activities, the vitamin A content and the fatty acid composition in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane were studied in rat liver after a single injection of the polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) 3,3′,4,4′-tetrachlorobiphenyl [(3,4)2Cl] or 2,2′,4,4′,5,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl [(2,4,5)2Cl], 300 μ mol/kg each. The microsomal vitamin A level was markedly lowered 3 days after treatment with (3,4)2Cl, a coplanar type inducer of cytochrome P-450. A marked increase in microsomal AHH and UDPGT activities occurred within 3 days after injection of (3,4)2Cl whereas (2,4,5,)2Cl treatment enhanced APDM activity only. Arachidonic, stearic and linoleic acid microsomal contents w…
Use of Mechanistic Information for Adequate Metabolic Design of Genotoxicity Studies and Toxicological Interactions of Drugs and Environmental Chemicals
Microorganisms as well as mammalian cells used for mutagenicity investigations have little or no activities for metabolism of premutagens and precarcinogens, i.e. of compounds ultimately leading to mutations and cancer but first requiring metabolic activation. Therefore, to such cells an exogenous activating system is added, generally the postmitochondrial supernatant fraction of the liver homogenate and a NADPH-generating system (Ames et al. 1976). In this situation enzymes requiring cofactors other than NADP(H) are unlikely to be active. Thus, this metabolic system is rather artificial. Monooxygenases are active in this system. They, for example, convert polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons t…
Focal elevation of liver microsomal epoxide hydrolase in early preneoplastic stages and its behaviour in the further course of hepatocarcinogenesis.
Abstract Treatment of rats with N-nitrosomorpholine (NNM) for 7 weeks led to a focal increase in liver microsomal epoxide hydrolase (EH) as early as 2 weeks after withdrawal of the carcinogen. This treatment also leads to hyperplastic nodules and liver tumors, but much later. At the same early time point, ATPase activity was decreased in the same islands. Most of these areas already had increased γ-glutamyltranspeptidase activity. The increase in EH at this early time point was more distinct than the decrease in ATPase which has thus far been considered a suitable marker of the earliest stages in hepatocarcinogenesis. The focal increase in EH was also observed in all benign hepatomas, but n…
Valpromide is a poor inhibitor of the cytosolic epoxide hydrolase
The effect of the antiepileptics valpromide and sodium valproate on the cytosolic epoxide hydrolase was studied in human fetal liver, kidneys and adrenals and from human adult liver and kidneys. Trans-stilbene oxide was used as substrate. Valpromide (10 mM) lowered the activity of the epoxide hydrolase to one half of the control in all organs studied. Sodium valproate (10 mM) was less powerful as an inhibitor than valpromide; however, it exerted a significant inhibition in all tissues studied.
TCDD induces c-jun expression via a novel Ah (dioxin) receptor-mediated p38–MAPK-dependent pathway
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) has a fundamental role during postnatal liver development and is essential for mediating dioxin toxicity. However, the genetic programs mediating, both, the toxic and physiological effects downstream of the transcription factor AhR are in major parts unknown. We have identified the proto-oncogene c-jun as a novel target gene of AhR. Induction of c-jun depends on activation of p38-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) by an AhR-dependent mechanism. None of the kinases that are known to phosphorylate p38-MAPK is activated by AhR. Neither the dephosphorylation rate of p38-MAPK is reduced. Furthermore, increased p38-MAPK phosphorylation in response to dioxi…
The N-terminal domain of mammalian soluble epoxide hydrolase is a phosphatase
The mammalian soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) is an enzyme with multiple functions, being implicated in detoxification of xenobiotic epoxides as well as in regulation of physiological processes such as blood pressure. The enzyme is a homodimer, in which each subunit is composed of two domains. The 35-kDa C-terminal domain has an α/β hydrolase fold and harbors the catalytic center for the EH activity. The 25-kDa N-terminal domain has a different α/β fold and belongs to the haloacid dehalogenase superfamily of enzymes. The catalytic properties of the enzyme reported so far can all be explained by the action of the C-terminal domain alone. The function of the N-terminal domain, other than in …
Role of cAMP in mediating AHR signaling.
Regulation of the nuclear import of many transcription factors represents a step in gene regulation which is crucial for a number of cellular processes. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), a basic helix-loop-helix protein of the PAS (PER-ARNT-SIM) family of transcriptional regulators is a cytosol-associated and ligand-activated receptor. The environmental toxin dioxin binds with high affinity to AHR rendering it nuclear and leading to the activation of AHR sensitive genes. However, the fact, that the AHR mediates a large variety of physiological events without the involvement of any known exogenous ligand, including liver and vascular system development, maturation of the immune system, re…
Prevention of benzo(a)pyrene-induced mutagenicity by homogeneous epoxide hydratase
Benzo(a)pyrene and benz(a)anthrancene which, in contrast to the K-region epoxides benzo(a)pyrene 4,5-oxide and benz(a)anthracene 5,6-oxide, are not mutagenic to Salmonella typhimurium TA 1537 in the absence of mammalian enzyme preparations, were activated by liver microsomes from C3H mice, which had not received any pretreatment, to mutagens reverting this tester strain to histidine prototrophy. Addition of epoxide hydratase inhibitors greatly increased this mutagenicity and addition of pure epoxide hydratase reduced it by more than 95% down to the range of spontaneous mutations as observed in absence of any added mutagen. This demonstrates that the metabolic pathway responsible for the mut…
Induction of DNA crosslinks and DNA strand lesions by cyclophosphamide after activation by cytochrome P450 2B1
Cyclophosphamide requires metabolic activation by cytochrome P450 to exert its genotoxic effects. Therefore in vitro studies on its mechanism of action have been limited to the use of self-activating derivatives of cyclophosphamide or to hepatocytes as an activating system. In this study we used a cell line of Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts (V79 cells), genetically engineered to express active cytochrome P450 2B1 as the sole observable cytochrome P450 (SD1 cells). An increase in DNA strand lesions (SL: DNA single-strand breaks and alkali labile sites) was observed between 0.5 and 1.5 mM cyclophosphamide (24 h incubation) which could be classified as alkali labile sites using a modified al…
Radioactively labelled epoxides. Part VI. tritium-labelled mono- and dimethyl substituted phenyl oxiranes (styrene oxides)
Tritium-labelled (E)- and (Z)-2,3-dimethyl-2-phenyl oxirane 4, (E)- and (Z)-2-methyl-3-phenyl oxirane 7 and 2,2-dimethyl-3-phenyl oxirane 11 have been prepared by reduction of the corresponding bromoketones with sodium borotritide to the corresponding bromohydrins followed by cyclization to the oxiranes. These oxiranes were successfully used as diagnostic substrates to distinguish between different forms of epoxide hydrolase and glutathione transferase.
Stable expression of rat cytochrome P-450IIB1 cDNA in Chinese hamster cells (V79) and metabolic activation of aflatoxin B1.
V79 Chinese hamster fibroblasts are widely used for mutagenicity testing but have the serious limitation that they do not express cytochromes P-450, which are needed for the activation of many promutagens to mutagenic metabolites. A full-length cDNA clone encoding the monooxygenase cytochrome P-450IIB1 under control of the simian virus 40 early promoter was constructed and cointroduced with the selection marker neomycin phosphotransferase (conferring resistance to G418) into V79 Chinese hamster cells. G418-resistant cells were selected, established as cell lines, and tested for cytochrome P-450IIB1 expression and enzymatic activity. Two cell lines (SD1 and SD3) were found that stably produc…
Involvement of protein kinase Cdelta in contact-dependent inhibition of growth in human and murine fibroblasts.
There is evidence that protein kinase C delta (PKCdelta) is a tumor suppressor, although its physiological role has not been elucidated so far. Since important anti-proliferative signals are mediated by cell-cell contacts we studied whether PKCdelta is involved in contact-dependent inhibition of growth in human (FH109) and murine (NIH3T3) fibroblasts. Cell-cell contacts were imitated by the addition of glutardialdehyde-fixed cells to sparsely seeded fibroblasts. Downregulation of the PKC isoforms alpha, delta, epsilon, and mu after prolonged treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA, 0.1 microM) resulted in a significant release from contact-inhibition in FH109 cells. Bryosta…
Age-dependent differences in the effect of phenprocoumon on the vitamin K1-epoxide cycle in rats
Abstract The anticoagulant activity and the pharmacokinetics of phenprocoumon as well as the effect of phenprocoumon on the vitamin K1-epoxide cycle in younger (12 weeks) and older (36 weeks) male inbred Lewis rats has been examined in a study of the mechanism responsible for the increase in the responsiveness to oral anticoagulant drugs (OAD's) with increasing age. After a single i.v.-dose of phenprocoumon (0†355 mg kg−1 the anticoagulant effect obtained was greater in older than in younger rats. There were no differences between younger and older rats in the rate of elimination, volume of distribution and in the free fraction and free concentration values of phenprocoumon in plasma and li…
Influence of CYP2D6 polymorphism on the cytotoxicity of the designer drug 4-methylthioamphetamine (4-MTA)
Hepatocytes cultured in alginate microspheres: an optimized technique to study enzyme induction.
An important application of hepatocyte cultures is identification of drugs acting as inducers of biotransformation enzymes that alter metabolic clearance of other therapeutic agents. In the present study we optimized an in vitro system with hepatocytes cultured in alginate microspheres that allow studies of enzyme induction with excellent sensitivity. Induction factors obtained with standard inducers, such as 3-methylcholanthrene or phenobarbital, were higher compared to those with conventional hepatocyte co-cultures on collagen coated dishes. This is illustrated by activities of 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) after incubation with 5 microM 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC), a standard ind…
Inactivation of electrophilic metabolites by glutathione S-transferases and limitation of the system due to subcellular localization
Benzo(a)pyrene was activated to metabolites mutagenic for Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 by liver microsomes from control and phenobarbital treated mice. Under these conditions benzo(a)pyrene 4,5-oxide accounts for most of the mutagenicity. We have therefore investigated (1) the conjugation of benzo(a)pyrene 4,5-oxide with glutathione and (2) the effect of glutathione on the mutagenicity of benzo(a)pyrene.
Detection of primary DNA damage: applicability to biomonitoring of genotoxic occupational exposure and in clinical therapy
The biological effect of putative genotoxic chemicals in the work place environment was monitored in peripheral mononuclear blood cells of exposed workers. DNA strand breaks, alkali-labile sites of DNA and DNA cross-links were measured using the alkaline filter elution method. A dose dependent increase in DNA damage was found in sterilization workers exposed to ethylene oxide and metal workers with exposure towards N-nitrosodiethanolamine. Two subpopulations with different response to the external exposure were found in nonsmoking sterilization workers. Nurses handling antineo-plastic agents without adequate safety provisions showed a statistically significantly higher rate of DNA strand br…
Absence of lipid peroxidation as determined by ethane exhalation in rats treated with 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD).
The exhalation of ethane is widely used as an indicator of in vivo lipid peroxidation. To test the hypothesis that lipid peroxidative events are involved in the toxicity of 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), we administered a lethal dose of TCDD (60 μg/kg), IP to male Sprague Dawley rats (160–180 g) and measured by gas chromatography the exhalation of ethane into the atmosphere of a closed all-glass exposure chamber. TCDD-treated rats exhaled only slightly more ethane than control rats at a single time point 7 days following TCDD administration. Since the exhalation of ethane is the net result of the endogenous production of the gas and its metabolic degradation, the latter was …
Significance of various enzymes in the control of reactive metabolites
Most chemical carcinogens are relatively inert and need metabolic activation to the ultimately carcinogenic species. The concentration of such species is controlled by several different enzymes. Especially well studied is the important group of enzymes responsible for the control of reactive epoxides. Many natural, as well as man-made foreign compounds, including pharmaceuticals, possess olefinic or aromatic double bonds. Such compounds can be transformed to epoxides by microsomal monooxygenases present in many mammalian organs. By virtue of their electrophilic reactivity, such epoxides may spontaneously react with nucleophilic centres in the cell and thus covalently bind to DNA, RNA and pr…
Repurposing of plant alkaloids for cancer therapy: Pharmacology and toxicology.
Drug repurposing (or repositioning) is an emerging concept to use old drugs for new treatment indications. Phytochemicals isolated from medicinal plants have been largely neglected in this context, although their pharmacological activities have been well investigated in the past, and they may have considerable potentials for repositioning. A grand number of plant alkaloids inhibit syngeneic or xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Molecular modes of action in cancer cells include induction of cell cycle arrest, intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis, autophagy, inhibition of angiogenesis and glycolysis, stress and anti-inflammatory responses, regulation of immune functions, cellular differentiation, a…
Metabolic detoxification: implications for thresholds.
The fact that chemical carcinogenesis involves single, isolated, essentially irreversible molecular events as discrete steps, several of which must occur in a row to finally culminate in the development of a malignancy, rather suggests that an absolute threshold for chemical carcinogens may not exist. However, practical thresholds may exist due to saturable pathways involved in the metabolic processing, especially in the metabolic inactivation, of such compounds. An important example for such a pathway is the enzymatic hydrolysis of epoxides via epoxide hydrolases, a group of enzymes for which the catalytic mechanism has recently been established. These enzymes convert their substrates via…
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor activation by cAMP vs. dioxin: divergent signaling pathways.
Even before the first vertebrates appeared on our planet, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor ( AHR ) gene was present to carry out one or more critical life functions. The vertebrate AHR then evolved to take on functions of detecting and responding to certain classes of environmental toxicants. These environmental pollutants include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g., benzo[ a ]pyrene), polyhalogenated hydrocarbons, dibenzofurans, and the most potent small-molecular-weight toxicant known, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD or dioxin). After binding of these ligands, the activated AHR translocates rapidly from the cytosol to the nucleus, where it forms a heterodimer with aryl hydroc…
Metabolic Inactivation of Reactive Metabolites
ABSTRACT Many compounds which are not electrophilically reactive as such are transformed by mammalian enzymes to reactive metabolites which are, in many cases, responsible for cytotoxic, mutagenic and/or carcinogenic effects of the compounds in question. The essential role of activating systems in this situation has become common knowledge during the last decade. However, many reactive metabolites are also subject to inactivation by mammalian enzymes. This important parameter is frequently not taken into account. Compounds possessing aromatic or olefinic moieties are very widely occurring and activation of these often proceeds via an electrophilically reactive epoxide. This may be transform…
Downregulation of β2-microglobulin in human cord blood somatic stem cells after transplantation into livers of SCID-mice: an escape mechanism of stem cells?
Adherently growing, non-hematopoietic somatic stem cells isolated from human cord blood were stained with the fluorescent dye PKH26 and transplanted into livers of SCID-mice to examine a possible cell fate transition. Already 7 days after transplantation stem cells were well integrated into the liver tissue. Human albumin that was not expressed by the stem cells before transplantation was detectable in the host's livers after injection of cord blood stem cells. Human alpha1-antitrypsin was detectable in stem cells already before transplantation and remained positive in the mouse liver. The most interesting observation in this study was the downregulation of human beta2-microglobulin (beta2M…
Regiospecific oxidation of polycyclic aromatic dihydrodiols by rat liver dihydrodiol dehydrogenase
Rat liver dihydrodiol dehydrogenase (DDH, E.C. 1.3.1.20) has recently been shown to oxidize the highly carcinogenic benz[a]anthracene-3,4- dihydrodiol in an NADP(+)-dependent reaction to its corresponding catechol. The present study is a systematic investigation of the substrate specificity of the purified enzyme towards synthetic trans-dihydrodiol metabolites of phenanthrene, benz[a]anthracene, chrysene, dibenz[a, h]anthracene and benzo[a]pyrene. DDH exhibited a remarkable regiospecificity of enzymatic catalysis with regard to the site of the dihydrodiol moiety of the parent hydrocarbon. M-region- and, with lower efficiency, bay-region dihydrodiols were found to be good substrates of the e…
Significance of Various Enzymes in the Control of Mutagenic and Carcinogenic Metabolites Derived from Aromatic Structures
One important early contribution to the control of chemical carcinogenesis is provided by the enzyme pattern responsible for the generation and disposition of reactive metabolites. Especially well studied is the important group of enzymes responsible for the control of reactive epoxides. Many natural as well as man-made foreign compounds, including Pharmaceuticals, possess olefinic or aromatic double bonds. Such compounds can be transformed to epoxides by microsomal monooxygenases present in very many mammalian organs. By virtue of their electrophilic reactivity such epoxides may spontaneously react with nucleophilic centers in the cell and thus covalently bind to DNA, RNA, and protein. Su…
Epoxide Hydratase: Purification to Apparent Homogeneity as a Specific Probe for the Relative Importance of Epoxides among Other Reactive Metabolites
Aromatic and olefinic compounds can be metabolized by microsomal monooxygenases to epoxides which chemically represent electrophilic species (for reviews, see refs. 1–5). Spontaneous binding of such epoxides to DNA, RNA, and protein has been observed (6–10). Accordingly, such metabolites have been suggested and, in some instances, shown to disturb the normal functions of cells, leading to such effects as mutagenesis (11–14), malignant transformation (15–19), or cell necrosis (20). However, aromatic and olefinic compounds are biotransformed to a vast array of metabolites (cf. refs. 21–27), possibly including a considerable number of reactive metabolites other than epoxides. The relative impo…
Differential effect of the enantiomers of phenprocoumon and warfarin on the vitamin K1-epoxide/vitamin K1 ratio in rat plasma.
Characterization of DNA adducts at the bay region of dibenz[a,h]anthracene formed in vitro
Bay region diolepoxide-DNA adducts of dibenz[a,h]anthracene (DBA) formed in vitro were identified and their absolute stereochemistry was assigned. After activation of [5,12-14C]DBA with liver microsomes obtained from Aroclor 1254 treated male Sprague-Dawley rats in the presence of calf thymus DNA for 1 h, the amount of DNA adducts was found to be 9.9 +/- 2.4 pmol/mg DNA, calculated on the basis of the portion of radioactivity eluted from the HPLC reversed-phase column with a water/acetonitrile gradient. Bay region diolepoxide-DNA adducts represented 27.5% of radioactivity associated with DNA adducts. The absolute configuration of the various adducts was determined from the reaction of the (…
Selective detection of mRNA forms encoding the major phenobarbital inducible cytochromes P450 and other members of the P450IIB family by the RNAse A protection assay.
Abstract The identification of P450 mRNAs in a tissue poses the problem that members of the same P450 gene family share a high sequence homology. Studies based on oligomer probes rely on a probe covering only a few base pairs. In contrast in our study on the expression of the P450IIB gene family we used in vitro-generated antisense transcripts, covering several hundred base pairs, of the hypervariable and constant regions of the P450IIB1 and P450IIB2 cDNA, in the RNAse A protection assay of mRNA isolated from various tissues. RNAse A concentrations were adjusted to a level where this enzyme still yielded distinct fragments for a defined P450IIB1 antisense/P450IIB2 sense heteroduplex, which …
Induction of rat liver microsomal epoxide hydrolase by its endogenous substrate 16α, 17α-epoxyestra-1,3,5-trien-3-ol
1. The influence of the endogenous steroid epoxides 16 alpha, 17 alpha-epoxyestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-3-ol (estroxide) and 16 alpha, 17 alpha-expoxiandrost-4-en-3-one (androstene oxide) and their metabolic precursors estra-1,3,5(10), 16-tetraen-3-ol (estratetraenol) and androsta-4, 16-dien-3-one (androstadienone) on the specific activities of hepatic microsomal and soluble epoxide hydrolase, glutathione S-transferase, dihydrodiol dehydrogenase, and 7-ethoxycoumarin deethylase was investigated in the male Sprague-Dawley rat. 2. Both estroxide and estratetraenol induced microsomal epoxide hydrolase activity towards styrene oxide and estroxide itself 2-2.5-fold and glutathione conjugation of 1-chl…
Modulation of mutagenicity by phosphorylation of mutagen-metabolizing enzymes.
In this Minireview, we discuss our findings on phosphorylation of cytochromes P450 (CYP) and influence of this modification on metabolic toxification and/or detoxification of a variety of mutagens. We show that phosphorylation drastically interferes with the mutagenicity of several classes of compounds which are of high human relevance (cytostatic drugs of the cyclophosphamide type, aromatic amines/amides, and nitrosamines). We illustrate this by describing the consequences of the stimulation of protein kinase A (with the example of CYP2B1 and CYP2E1), stimulation of protein kinase C, and inhibition of protein phosphatases PP1 and PP2A (with the example of CYP1A1 and CYP1A2). We discuss a p…
THE DISTRIBUTION OF UDP-GLUCURONOSYLTRANSFERASES IN RAT-LIVER PARENCHYMAL AND NONPARENCHYMAL CELLS
Activities for the glucuronidation of 1-naphthol, morphine and bilirubin as well as for the sulfation of 2-naphthol have been determined in homogenates of parenchymal, Kupffer and endothelial cells isolated from livers of untreated and Aroclor 1254-pretreated rats. In addition, Western blot analyses using different polyclonal antibodies against UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UDP-GTs) were performed with similar preparations. All enzymes under investigation were expressed at high levels in liver parenchymal cells. The constitutive expression and inducibility of UDP-GT isozyme(s) for 1-naphthol glucuronidation was also clearly demonstrated in Kupffer and endothelial cells. Furthermore, the pre…
Of mice and models: improved animal models for biomedical research.
The ability to engineer the mouse genome has profoundly transformed biomedical research. During the last decade, conventional transgenic and gene knockout technologies have become invaluable experimental tools for modeling genetic disorders, assigning functions to genes, evaluating drugs and toxins, and by and large helping to answer fundamental questions in basic and applied research. In addition, the growing demand for more sophisticated murine models has also become increasingly evident. Good state-of-principle knowledge about the enormous potential of second-generation conditional mouse technology will be beneficial for any researcher interested in using these experimental tools. In thi…
Introduction of Cytochrome P-450 Genes into V79 Chinese Hamster Cells to Generate New Mutagenicity Test Systems
Usually, cultivated cells have poor capabilities to metabolize promutagens and procarcinogens. This is particularly true for cells that grow fast and have a high cloning efficiency, as is the case with V79 Chinese hamster cells. For this reason, these cells are being extensively used in mutagenicity tests. But, due to the fact that particularly these cells lack cytochrome P-450 activities, promutagens and procarcinogens have to be incubated with an exogenous metabolizing system, e.g. liver homogenate preparations, in order to generate reactive metabolites. These extracellularly generated metabolites are then given to V79 cells in order to check for their potency to mutate the chromosomal DN…
Purification and characterization of rat-liver cytosolic epoxide hydrolase.
Rat liver cytosolic epoxide hydrolase has been purified and characterized. The enzyme was purified from tiadenol-induced rat liver 540-fold with respect to trans-stilbene oxide as a substrate. Similar purification was obtained with the substrates trans-beta-ethyl styrene oxide and styrene 7,8-oxide, the specific activities decreasing in the order trans-beta-ethyl styrene oxide greater than styrene 7,8-oxide greater than trans-stilbene oxide. The enzyme exerts highest activity at pH 7.4 Km and Vmax of the pure enzyme for trans-stilbene oxide were 1.7 microM and 205 nmol x min-1 x mg protein-1 respectively. With trans-stilbene oxide as a substrate, the inhibition by organic solvents (2.5% by …
Endogenous Role of Microsomal Epoxide Hydrolase
The specific activities of microsomal epoxide hydrolase with 16α,17α-epoxyandrosten-3-one (androstene oxide) as substrate were measured in various metabolically important and in various steroidogenic organs of the male and female rat and compared with the activities of 16α,17α-epoxyestratrienol (estroxide) and benzo[a]pyrene 4,5-oxide. Androstene oxide was an exceptionally good substrate. The specific activities differed widely between organs but the ratio of the activities towards these substrates was constant in all organs investigated. The ratios compared to benzo[a]pyrene 4,5-oxide were 2.5 for estroxide, and 8.6 for androstene oxide. The ontogenetic development of specific epoxide hydr…
2,9-Dimethylpicene: Synthesis, Mutagenic Activity, and Identification in Natural Samples
Abstract 2,9-Dimethylpicene (2,9-DMPic) has been conveniently synthesized via a new route involving oxidative photocyclization of suitable substituted diarylethylenes and has been characterized by high-resolution 400-MHz 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Furthermore, 2,9-DMPic exhibits a typical line narrowed emission spectrum in n-decane matrix frozen at 15 K (Shpol'skii effect). Its unambiguous identification in a natural sample has been performed by this technique, providing strong evidence for the formation of this compound through aromatization of triterpenoid natural precursors. The mutagenicity of this naturally occurring methylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) has been examined in six h…
Oncogene overexpression in non-small-cell lung cancer tissue: prevalence and clinicopathological significance.
In contrast to small-cell lung cancer, few data are available on the role of oncogene overexpression in non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLC). To determine the prevalence and extent of the transcriptional activation of cancer genes in NSCLC we investigated the level of mRNA of the three important cellular oncogenes — erbB2, Ki-ras, and c-myc — in 39 surgically or endoscopically obtained tumor samples and 24 samples of normal bronchopulmonary tissue taken from the same patients. Tissue RNA was prepared and the specific mRNA analyzed by the highly sensitive nuclease S1 protection assay. Oncogene mRNA in the tumors was quantified by comparison with the homogeneously weak signals in normal lung t…
Mutagenicity of N-substituted phenanthrene 9,10-imines in Salmonella typhimurium and Chinese hamster V79 cells.
We previously showed that some (nonsubstituted) aziridines derived from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (arene imines) elicit various mutagenic and genotoxic effects in bacteria and mammalian cells and that these arene imines are active at much lower concentrations than the corresponding epoxide analogues. In the present study, N-substituted derivatives of phenanthrene 9,10-imine were investigated. All 10 derivatives studied showed direct mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium TA100. Some of the compounds additionally exhibited weak effects in the strains TA98 and TA1537. Most N-substituted derivatives were weaker mutagens than unsubstituted phenanthrene 9,10-imine but stronger mutagens th…
The distribution, induction and isoenzyme profile of glutathione S-transferase and glutathione peroxidase in isolated rat liver parenchymal, Kupffer and endothelial cells.
The distribution and inducibility of cytosolic glutathione S-transferase (EC 2.5.1.18) and glutathione peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.19) activities in rat liver parenchymal, Kupffer and endothelial cells were studied. In untreated rats glutathione S-transferase activity with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene and 4-hydroxynon-2-trans-enal as substrates was 1.7-2.2-fold higher in parenchymal cells than in Kupffer and endothelial cells, whereas total, selenium-dependent and non-selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase activities were similar in all three cell types. Glutathione S-transferase isoenzymes in parenchymal and non-parenchymal cells isolated from untreated rats were separated by chromatofocusing …
Differential modulation of CYP2E1 activity by cAMP-dependent protein kinase upon Ser129 replacement.
Many toxic compounds are activated by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2E1 to reactive metabolites, which represents a potential hazard for cellular homeostasis. Therefore knowledge about CYP2E1 regulation could be of great biological importance. It has been shown that CYP2E1 is controlled transcriptionally and post-translationally by phosphorylation. In the present study we investigated the role of serine-129 (Ser129) in the protein kinase A (PKA) recognition sequence motif Arg-Arg-Phe-Ser129. To gain further insights into the possible relevance of Ser129 for CYP2E1 function, Ser129 was replaced by alanine (Ala) or glycine (Gly) by site-directed mutations of the cDNA coding for CYP2E1. The mutant cDN…
Xenobiotic-metabolizing enzyme activities in hybrid cell lines established by fusion of primary rat liver parenchymal cells with hepatoma cells
1. The activities of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes were determined in hybrid cell lines (hepatocytoma, HPCT) which have been established by fusion of liver parenchymal cells from adult rat (PC) with cells from a Reuber hepatoma cell line (FAO). 2. Cytochrome P450 was not measurable spectrophotometrically in FAO and HPCT. P450-dependent conversion of testosterone was below the detection limit in FAO and only marginally present in HPCT. 3. Microsomal and cytosolic epoxide hydrolase, glutathione S-transferase and phenol sulphotranserase were low or even below detection limit in FAO. These enzyme activities were significantly higher in HPCT and correspond to about 1-10% the activities measure…
Differences in the mechanisms of growth control in contact-inhibited and serum-deprived human fibroblasts
In the present work we studied mechanisms of growth control in contact-inhibited and serum-deprived human diploid fibroblasts. The observation that the effects on [3H]thymidine incorporation and reduction of retinoblastoma gene product-phosphorylation were additive when contact-inhibition and serum-deprivation were combined led us to the conclusion that the underlying mechanisms might be different. Both contact-inhibition and serum-deprivation led to a strong decrease of cdk4-kinase-activity and cdk2-phosphorylation at Thr 160, while the total amounts of cdk4 and cdk2 remained constant. In contact-inhibited cells, we revealed a strong protein accumulation of the cdk2-inhibitor p27 and a sli…
Rottlerin induces a transformed phenotype in human keratinocytes.
PKCdelta plays a fundamental role in cell cycle control. Consistent with its proposed tumour suppressor function, ras transfection of the human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT results in a loss of PKCdelta expression mediated by TGFalpha (Exp. Cell Res., 219, 299, 1995). To get more insight into the role of PKCdelta in keratinocytes, we investigated the effects of Rottlerin, a specific inhibitor of protein kinase Cdelta, in HaCaT cells. After Rottlerin treatment, HaCaT cells lost their cobble-stone morphology and displayed a spindle-shaped, fibroblastic phenotype. Additionally, the establishment of cell-cell contacts was prevented. This was caused by an internalization of E-cadherin and beta-c…
Xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme activities and viability are well preserved in EDTA-isolated rat liver parenchymal cells after cryopreservation
Rat liver parenchymal cells (PC) were isolated by EDTA perfusion and were purified by a subsequent Percoll centrifugation. The isolated PC had a viability of 95%, as judged by trypan blue exclusion. Freshly isolated PC were cryopreserved with an optimized protocol in a computer-controlled freezer. After thawing, the PC still retained a viability of 89%. The activities of representative xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes were compared between freshly isolated and cryopreserved PC after thawing. The cytochrome P450 content and the cytochrome P450 2C11 isoenzyme activity, determined by hydroxylation of testosterone in intact cells, were not affected by the cryopreservation. The following phase II…
Toxicity as prime selection criterion among SARS-active herbal medications
We present here a new selection criterion for prioritizing research on efficacious drugs for the fight against COVID-19: the relative toxicity versus safety of herbal medications, which were effective against SARS in the 2002/2003 epidemic. We rank these medicines according to their toxicity versus safety as basis for preferential rapid research on their potential in the treatment of COVID-19. The data demonstrate that from toxicological information nothing speaks against immediate investigation on, followed by rapid implementation of Lonicera japonica, Morus alba, Forsythia suspensa, and Codonopsis spec. for treatment of COVID-19 patients. Glycyrrhiza spec. and Panax ginseng are ranked in …
Phosphorylation of cytochrome P450 isoenzymes in intact hepatocytes and its importance for their function in metabolic processes.
Recent data show that besides the well-known long-term regulation of cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase activity by induction there also exists a fast regulation by phosphorylation. This phosphorylation occurs when purified cytochromes P450 are combined with purified protein kinases, and also in intact cells. This process is donor- and acceptor-selective leading to phosphorylation of defined isoenzymes by defined protein kinases. This in turn leads to fast and marked changes in metabolism which are selective for given substrates and regio- and stereo-selective for given positions. This in turn is selectively and differentially influenced by the individual control of the protein kinase …
Xenobiotic Metabolism
Publisher Summary This chapter reveals that one's body takes up significant amounts of material that are used neither as energy substrates nor as building blocks for biological matrices. Uptake of such xenobiotica occurs mainly with the food but also by inhalation or transdermally. If these compounds accumulated in the organism, the resulting body burden would have been enormous. Thus, efficient mechanisms for the excretion of such compounds that have their roots very early in the evolution of life have developed. The two major elimination pathways in humans are excretion via bile and excretion via urine. For volatile compounds, exhalation can represent the dominant mechanism of excretion. …
Isolation of a high spin form of cytochrome P-450 induced in rat liver by 3-methylcholanthrene.
Abstract A form of cytochrome P-450 (P-450 MC1) has been isolated from the livers of 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats. The molecular weight is 54,500 and the heme iron is in the high spin configuration which clearly differenciates this form from the other major cytochrome induced by 3-methylcholanthrene (P-450 MC2). Whilst MC2 actively dealkylated 7-ethoxycoumarin and 7-ethoxyresorufin, MC1 was only active with 7-ethoxyresorufin. Ouchterlony immunodiffusion analysis and ELISA showed that anti MC1 and anti MC2 reacted with both MC1 and MC2 but preferentially with the homologous antigen. Both anti MC1 and MC2 cross-reacted strongly with microsomes from 3-methylcholanthrene, Aroclor 1254 and …
Structure of Rhodococcus erythropolis limonene-1,2-epoxide hydrolase reveals a novel active site
Epoxide hydrolases are essential for the processing of epoxide-containing compounds in detoxification or metabolism. The classic epoxide hydrolases have an alpha/beta hydrolase fold and act via a two-step reaction mechanism including an enzyme-substrate intermediate. We report here the structure of the limonene-1,2-epoxide hydrolase from Rhodococcus erythropolis, solved using single-wavelength anomalous dispersion from a selenomethionine-substituted protein and refined at 1.2 A resolution. This enzyme represents a completely different structure and a novel one-step mechanism. The fold features a highly curved six-stranded mixed beta-sheet, with four alpha-helices packed onto it to create a …
Dihydrodiol dehydrogenase activities of rabbit liver are associated with hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases and aldo-keto reductases.
1. Dihydrodiol dehydrogenase activities were investigated in rabbit liver. Using a five-step purification scheme, eight isoenzymes of dihydrodiol dehydrogenase with isoelectric points of 5.55-9.3 and promoter molecular masses of 34-35 kDa were purified to apparent homogeneity and designated CF-1 to CF-6, CM-1 and CM-2. 2. CF-1 and CF-2 had near-neutral isoelectric points of 7.4 and 6.8 and molecular masses of about 125 kDa in the native state. Both enzymes readily accepted NAD+ as well as NADP+ as coenzymes, had relatively low Km values of 0.33 mM and 0.47 mM for benzene dihydrodiol and resembled previously described carbonyl reductases in their substrate specificity towards ketones and qui…
Generation of human hepatocytes by stem cell technology: definition of the hepatocyte
Since 1999, numerous articles have reported the generation of hepatocytes from different types of extrahepatic stem or precursor cells. This opens exciting new possibilities for pharmacology and toxicology, as well as for cell therapy. Hepatocyte marker expression, including albumin, cytokeratin 18, c-met, alpha-fetoprotein and cytochrome P450 3A4 and -2B6, has been observed after transplantation of different types of human stem cells into the liver of laboratory animals or in vitro after incubation with cytokines. These intriguing observations have prompted scientists to classify stem cell-derived cell populations as hepatocytes. However, this conclusion may be premature. It has been shown…
DRUG-DRUG INTERACTIONS VIA INHIBITION OF MICROSOMAL ENZYMES INVOLVED IN METABOLISM OF EPOXIDES PRODUCED BY MICROSOMAL MONOOXYGENASE
SUMMARY Benzo(a)pyrene was activated by liver microsomes to mutagens detected by the reversion of histidine dependent Salmonella typhimurium TA 1537. Using pure epoxide hydratase or epoxide hydratase inhibitors, comparing animal species with high and low epoxide hydratase activity, or inducing monooxygenase activity, it was shown that epoxide hydratase was a critical enzyme for the inactivation of these mutagens. Many clinically used drugs are metabolized to epoxides. Epoxides are not necessarily mutagenic, but since epoxide hydratase has a very low substrate specificity, such epoxides may competitively inhibit the hydration of mutagenic epoxides, as demonstrated in the present study for th…
Isolation, biochemical characterization, long-term culture, and phenotype modulation of oval cells from carcinogen-fed rats.
Oval cells are liver epithelial cells that proliferate during hepatocarcinogenesis and chemically induced severe liver injury. It has been suggested that these cells represent hepatic stem cells which might play an important role in the histogenesis of cholangiocellular as well as hepatocellular carcinomas. In order to test this hypothesis highly purified oval cell preparations and propagable oval cell lines are needed. In the present study the isolation, biochemical characterization, and long-term culture of oval cells from rats fed a choline-deficient/DL-ethionine-supplemented diet for 6, 14, or 22 weeks are described. The freshly isolated oval cells were gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase-posi…
Spectrum of styrene-induced DNA adducts: the relationship to other biomarkers and prospects in human biomonitoring.
Styrene is an important industrial chemical that has shown genotoxicity in many toxicology assays. This is believed to be related to the DNA-binding properties of styrene-7,8-oxide (SO), a major metabolite of styrene. In this review, we have summarized knowledge on various aspects of styrene genotoxicity, especially in order to understand the formation and removal of primary DNA lesions, and the usefulness of biomarkers for risk assessment. Biological significances of specific DNA adducts and their role in the cascade of genotoxic events are discussed. Links between markers of external and internal exposure are evaluated, as well as metabolic aspects leading to the formation of DNA adducts …
Interspecies differences in cancer susceptibility and toxicity.
One of the most complex challenges to the toxicologist represents extrapolation from laboratory animals to humans. In this article, we review interspecies differences in metabolism and toxicity of heterocyclic amines, aflatoxin B1, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), and related compounds, endocrine disrupters, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, tamoxifen, and digitoxin. As far as possible, extrapolations to human toxicity and carcinogenicity are performed. Humans may be more susceptible to the carcinogenic effect of heterocyclic amines than monkeys, rats, and mice. Especially, individuals with high CYP1A2 and 3A4 activities and the rapid acetylator phenotype may be expected to have …
The Effect of Indobufen on the Activities of Selected Rat Liver Phase I and Phase II Drug Metabolizing Enzymes, Peroxisomal β-oxidation and Hepatic Glutathione Status
Abstract Oral administration of indobufen to male rats for three days at daily doses of 5, 10 and 20 mg kg−1 resulted in no changes in liver total glutathione, cytosolic glutathione S-transferases or microsomal epoxide hydrolase. Reduced glutathione appeared slightly diminished to about 84% of control at the highest dose level. Microsomal cytochrome P450-dependent ethoxyresorufin O-de-ethylase and pentoxyresorufin de-alkylase activities were decreased to 64% (not significantly) and 67% of control at the lowest dose level. 6α- and 7α-Hydroxytestosterone activities were decreased to 67 and 68% of control at the highest dose level. Cyanide-insensitive peroxisomal fatty acid β-oxidation was inc…
Dual role of epoxide hydratase in both activation and inactivation of benzo(a)pyrene.
The effect of epoxide hydratase upon the mutagenicity of benzo(a)pyrene was investigated using two Salmonella typhimurium strains (TA 1537 and TA 98). These two bacterial strains were found to differ characteristically in their susceptibility to different mutagens biologically produced from benzo(a)pyrene providing a diagnostic tool to investigate which types of mutagenic metabolites were produced in various metabolic situations. The results showed that the pattern of mutagenic metabolites produced by microsomes from methylcholanthrene-treated mice was very different from that produced by microsomes from phenobarbital-treated or untreated mice. However in all cases at least two mutagenic me…
Expression of L- and M2-pyruvate kinases in proliferating oval cells and cholangiocellular lesions developing in the livers of rats fed a methyl-deficient diet
Male outbred Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a choline-deficient diet containing 0.1% w/w DL-ethionine (CDE) for up to 22 weeks. The expression of the pyruvate kinase isoenzymes L (L-PK) and M2 (M2-PK) was immunohistochemically analyzed in liver slices from rats killed 4, 10, 14 and 22 weeks after starting the treatment. M2-PK was detected in bile duct epithelial cells of untreated rats and in proliferating oval cells, cholangiofibroses and cholangiofibromas of CDE-fed animals. Thus, M2-PK can be viewed as a positive marker of the bile duct epithelial/oval cell compartment. L-PK, a parenchymal cell-specific protein in untreated rat liver, was not present in proliferating oval cells, but was co…
Enantiomers of Polychlorinated Biphenyls Semipreparative Enrichment by Liquid Chromatography
Enantiomere Polychlorbiphenyle. — Semipraparative Anreicherung durch Flussigchromatographie Enantiomere Polychlorbiphenyle wurden durch Flussigchromatographie an Triacetyl-cellulose erstmals angereichert. Fur (+)/(−)-1 und (+)/(−)-2 wurden Enantiomerenreinheiten von 55 bis 100% erreicht.
Metabolic activation and inactivation of chemical mutagens and carcinogens
Influence of aryl hydrocarbon- (Ah) receptor and genotoxins on DNA repair gene expression and cell survival of mouse hepatoma cells
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) mediates toxicity of a variety of environmental pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and dioxins. However, the underlying mechanisms and genetic programmes regulated by AhR to cause adverse effects but also to counteract poisoning are still poorly understood. Here we analysed the effects of two AhR ligands, benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), a DNA damaging tumour initiator and promotor and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), a pure tumour promoter, on cell survival and on nucleotide excision repair (NER) gene expression. NER deals with so called "bulky" DNA adducts including those generated by enzymatically activated B[a]P. Therefore, t…
Cytochrome-P450 phosphorylation as a functional switch
Xenobiotic metabolizing cytochromes P450 (CYP) were shown to be phosphorylated in vitro (using purified protein kinases together with purified CYPs), in intact cells (in V79 cells after transfection of cDNAs coding for individual CYPs, in diagnostic mutants, in hepatocytes), and in whole organisms (rats). CYP phosphorylation is highly isoenzyme selective in that only some CYPs are phosphorylated. Protein kinase A (PKA) was identified as a major catalyst for the phosphorylation of CYPs. The PKA recognition motif Arg-Arg-X-Ser is present in several members of the CYP2 family, but is used by only some of them, most notably by CYP2B1/2B2 and CYP2E1. For CYP2B1 it was shown that a substantial po…
Differential Enantioselectivity of Murine GlutathioneS-Transferase Isoenzymes in the Glutathione Conjugation ofTrans-3,4-dihydroxy-1,2-oxy- 1,2,3,4-tetrahydrobenzo[c]phenanthrene Stereoisomers
Abstract The kinetics of the glutathione (GSH) conjugation of (+)- and (−)-enantiomers ofanti- as well assyn-3,4-dihydroxy-1,2-oxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrobenzo[c]phenanthrene (B[c]PDE) catalyzed by murine GSHS-transferase (GST) isoenzymes has been investigated. Murine GSTs exhibited significant differences in their enantioselectivity toward B[c]PDE stereoisomers. For example, while pi class isoenzyme mGSTP1-1 was virtually inactive toward stereoisomers with 1Sconfiguration [(−)-syn-and (+)-anti-B[c]PDE], these stereoisomers were good substrates for alpha class isoenzyme mGSTA1-2. When GST activity was measured as a function of varying B[c]PDE concentration (10–320 μM) at a fixed saturating conce…
Rat liver endothelial and Kupffer cell-mediated mutagenicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and aflatoxin B1.
The ability of isolated rat liver endothelial and Kupffer cells to activate benzo(a)pyrene (BP), trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo(a)pyrene (DDBP), trans-1,2-dihydroxy-1,2-dihydrochrysene (DDCH), and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) to mutagenic metabolites was assessed by means of a cell-mediated bacterial mutagenicity assay and compared with the ability of parenchymal cells to activate these compounds. Endothelial and Kupffer cells from untreated rats were able to activate AFB1 and DDBP; DDBP was activated even in the absence of an NADPH-generating system. Pretreating the animals with Aroclor 1254 strongly enhanced the mutagenicity of the dihydrodiol, whereas the mutagenicity of AFB1 showed a sligh…
ChemInform Abstract: Synthesis of Oligodeoxynucleotides Containing Diastereomeric Dihydrodiol Epoxide-N6-Deoxyadenosine Adducts of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons.
Abstract A generally applicable route is reported for the synthesis of oligodeoxynucleotides which contain structurally defined N 6 -deoxyadenosine adducts, derived from sterically highly hindered dihydrodiol epoxides of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH).
Expression and inducibility of drug-metabolizing enzymes in preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions of rat liver during nitrosamine-induced hepatocarcinogenesis
The expression, inducibility, and regulation of four different cytochrome (cyt.) P-450 isoenzymes (PB1, PB2, MC1, and MC2) NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase, the glutathione transferases (GSTs) B and C and microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEHb) have been studied during nitrosamine-induced hepatocarcinogenesis using immunohistochemical techniques. The investigations revealed basic differences in the expression of the individual drug metabolizing enzymes in the course of neoplastic development. While the two GSTs and mEHb were increased in all preneoplastic and benign neoplastic lesions, the levels of the distinct cyt. P-450 isoenzymes were characteristically different from each other. Following …
Mutagenicity of Closely Related Carcinogenic and Noncarcinogenic Compounds Using Various Metabolizing Systems and Target Cells
A total of 49 heteropolycyclic compounds belonging to structurally homogenous series was investigated for bacterial mutagenicity in the Ames test. The same batches of compounds were tested for carcinogenicity by injection into subcutaneous tissue of mice? 22 test compounds were carcinogenic, some strongly, others weakly. With the exception of one weak carcinogen, all these compounds were mutagenic. However, 15 of 27 noncarcinogens (56%) were also mutagenic. Moreover, noncarcinogenic, weakly carcinogenic, and strongly carcinogenic mutagens showed very similar mutagenic potencies.
Relationship between the target antigen of liver-kidney microsomal (LKM) autoantibodies and rat isoenzymes of cytochrome P-450
Chronic active hepatitis (CAH) is a clinical syndrome of different etiologies. Liver-kidney microsomal (LKM) autoantibodies characterize a subgroup of HBsAg negative CAH, which is considered to be an autoimmune liver disease. By immunoblotting analysis (IB) LKM positive sera have been shown to react strongly with a poly-peptide band at 50 kD. Therefore we investigated various rat microsomal enzymes with a molecular weight around 50 kD as potential candidate target antigens. These included epoxide hydrolase, cytochrome P-450 reductase, and phenobarbital-inducible isoenzymes of cytochrome P-450 (PB1, PB2, PB3a, PB3b). By radioimmunoassay (RIA) and IB LKM positive sera were shown to react with…
Isoenzyme-specific phosphorylation of cytochromes P-450 and other drug metabolizing enzymes.
Abstract A series of fourteen cytochrome P-450 isoenzymes was treated with three different protein kinases and found to devide into isoenzymes phosphorylated (i) by both the cyclic AMP-dependent kinase and the calcium-phospholipid-dependent kinase (P-450 PB 3a and PB 2e), (ii) by none of these kinases (P-450 PB 1b, MC 1b, UT 1, and thromboxane synthase), and (iii) by either the cyclic AMP-dependent kinase (P-450 LM 2, PB 2d, and PB 3b) or the calcium-phospholipid-dependent kinase (P-450 PB 1a, PB 2a, MC 1a, LM 3c, and LM 4). Other components of the monooxygenase system, cytochrome P-450 reductase, cytochrome b5, cytochrome b5 reductase as well as microsomal epoxide hydrolase, were poor subs…
Reduction of benzo(a)pyrene mutagenicity by dihydrodiol dehydrogenase
THE enigma of how inert chemicals can exert potent mutagenic, carcinogenic, allergenic and cytotoxic effects has been much debated. It has been learned that such compounds are metabolically converted to chemically reactive species1. In the case of aromatic or olefinic compounds, monooxygenases located in the membranes of the cell can transform these compounds into epoxides2–5 which by virtue of electrophilic reactivity can bind chemically to cellular macromolecules such as DNA, RNA and proteins, thereby disturbing biochemical control mechanisms and leading to the above mentioned toxic effects. The same membranes in which such epoxides are produced possess an enzyme, epoxide hydratase, which…
Cytolytic T cell reactivity against melanoma-associated differentiation antigens in peripheral blood of melanoma patients and healthy individuals
Antigenic peptides derived from several differentiation antigens of the melanocyte lineage were recently identified in human melanomas as targets for HLA-A2.1-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). To examine their potential role in tumour-directed immune responses in vivo, we determined CTL reactivity against seven antigenic peptides derived from the Melan A/MART-1, tyrosinase and gp100/Pmel17 antigens in the peripheral blood of 10 HLA-A2+ healthy controls and 26 HLA-A2+ melanoma patients. The influenza matrix peptide (GILGFVFTL) presented by HLA-A2.1 was used as a control peptide. CTL reactivity was assessed in a mixed lymphocyte 'peptide' culture assay. Reactivity against Melan A/MAR…
Characterization of cryopreserved rat liver parenchymal cells by metabolism of diagnostic substrates and activities of related enzymes
The metabolism of testosterone and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) which is mediated by diverse enzymes was determined in cryopreserved rat liver parenchymal cells and compared with that found in freshly isolated cells. In addition, the activities of single xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes were measured by using specific substrates. The cytochrome P450 (P450)-mediated total metabolic conversion of testosterone was reduced to 55% in cryopreserved cells. The metabolite profile, i.e. the formation of single metabolites compared with total metabolic conversion, was however unchanged when compared with freshly isolated cells. A concomitant reduction in the activities of the involved P450 isoenzymes can ther…
Influence of the level of cytosolic epoxide hydrolase on the induction of sister chromatid exchanges by trans-beta-ethylstyrene 7,8-oxide in human lymphocytes.
Abstract trans -β-Ethylstyrene 7,8-oxide, a substrate of cytosolic epoxide hydrolase, and 4-fluorochalcone oxide, an inhibitor of this enzyme, were investigated on induction of sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in human lymphocytes. Both epoxides enhanced the frequency of SCE. 4-Fluorochalcone oxide at low concentration (2.5μM) inhibited cytosolic epoxide hydrolase activity towards trans -β-ethylstyrene 7,8-oxide in lymphocytes by 74% and had no effect on glutathione transferase activity using this substrate. At this concentration it did not induce SCE itself, but it potentiated the effect of trans -β-ethylstyrene 7,8-oxide several fold. In lymphocytes from different subjects, the number of …
Xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes of rat liver nonparenchymal cells.
Abstract The nonparenchymal cells (NPC) of the liver are primarily located along the sinusoids and therefore are the first cells to encounter blood-borne xenobiotics. To study the possible role of the NPC in the metabolism of xenobiotics, populations of NPC and parenchymal cells (PC) were prepared from rats and various xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme activities investigated. The specific activity of every enzyme studied (ethoxyresorufin deethylase, benzphetamine demethylase, glutathione transferase, UDP glucuronosyltransferase, and microsomal epoxide hydrolase) was 12 to 1000% higher in the PC than in the NPC populations and the patterns of activities between the two populations were remarka…
Guanine 6-O-Methylation Pattern within the Dioxin Responsive Element of theCYP1A1 Enhancer Shows Two Critical Guanines for AhR/ARNT Binding
The core-recognition motif for TCDD-liganded AhR/ARNT complex of the dioxin-responsive element (DRE) contains four guanine residues, three on the antisense (5'-T T / A GCGTG-3') and one on the sense (5'-CACGC A / T A-3') strand. It has been reported that, in methylation-protection and methylation-interference assays, the TCDD-liganded AhR/ARNT contacts all four guanine residues. On the other hand, it is known that some anticancer drugs, and various environmental and workplace chemicals, including strongly human carcinogenic nitrosoamines, lead to the highly miscoding 6-O-methylation of guanine. In the present study, we have investigated whether specific methylation of guanine at the 6-O-pos…
Subcellular Localization of β-Catenin Is Regulated by Cell Density
It is generally accepted that subcellular distribution of beta-catenin regulates its function. Membrane-bound beta-catenin mediates cell-cell adhesion, whereas elevation of the cytoplasmic and nuclear pool of the protein is associated with an oncogenic function. Although the role of beta-catenin in transformed cells is relatively well characterized, little is known about its importance in proliferation and cell-cycle control of nontransformed epithelial cells. Using different approaches we show that in human keratinocytes (HaCaT) beta-catenin is distributed throughout the cells in subconfluent, proliferating cultures. In contrast, beta-catenin is nearly exclusively located at the plasma mem…
Studies on the Biosynthesis of Microsomal Membrane Proteins. Site of Synthesis and Mode of Insertion of Cytochrome b5, Cytochrome b5 Reductase, Cytochrome P-450 Reductase and Epoxide Hydrolase
The site of synthesis and mechanism of insertion into membranes of several microsomal polypeptides was studied using translation system programmed in vitro with polysomes or with mRNA extracted from free and membrane-bound rat liver polysomes. Primary translation products of cytochrome b5, NADH: cytochrome b5 oxidoreductase, NADPH: cytochrome P-450 oxidoreductase and epoxide hydrolase were isolated by specific immunoprecipitation and compared with the mature proteins. The following observations were made: 1 While cytochrome b5 and NADH: cytochrome b5 oxidoreductase are synthesized in free polysomes, NADPH: cytochrome P-450 oxidoreductase and epoxide hydrolase are made in membrane-bound poly…
Genotoxicity investigations on nanomaterials: methods, preparation and characterization of test material, potential artifacts and limitations--many questions, some answers.
Nanomaterials display novel properties to which most toxicologists have not consciously been exposed before the advent of their practical use. The same properties, small size and particular shape, large surface area and surface activity, which make nanomaterials attractive in many applications, may contribute to their toxicological profile. This review describes what is known about genotoxicity investigations on nanomaterials published in the openly available scientific literature to-date. The most frequently used test was the Comet assay: 19 studies, 14 with positive outcome. The second most frequently used test was the micronucleus test: 14 studies, 12 of them with positive outcome. The A…
Growth control in mammalian cells by cell-cell contacts.
Growth of normal diploid mammalian cells in vitro is strongly regulated by the actual cell density. Cell-cell contacts via specific plasma membrane glycoproteins whose glycan moieties interact with specific receptors has been found to be a main growth regulatory principle. Malignant growth is suggested to result from impaired function of these receptors.
Significance of Posttranslational Modification of Drug Metabolizing Enzymes by Phosphorylation for the Control of Carcinogenic Metabolites
The total activity of foreign compound metabolizing enzymes may change by altering the amount or the specific activity of the enzyme by induction or repression, or by activation or inhibition. The important contribution of enzyme induction is well known (Conney 1982, Oesch 1986, Nebert and Jones 1989). This is a relatively slow process which requires the biosynthesis of the enzyme protein. The possibility of a faster regulation of foreign compound metabolism by posttranslational modification by phosphorylation of an already preexisting protein molecule has only recently received attention. A central role in the metabolism of foreign compounds is played by the cytochrome P450-dependent monoo…
Synthesis, Absolute Configuration, and Bacterial Mutagenicity of the 8 Stereoisomeric Vicinal Diol Epoxides at the Terminal Benzo Ring of Carcinogenic Dibenz[a,h]anthracene
The synthesis of the 8 possible stereoisomeric diol epoxides (DEs) at the terminal benzo ring of carcinogenic dibenz[a,h]anthracene (DBA) is reported. trans-3,4-Dihydroxy-3,4-dihydro-DBA (1) afforded the 4 bay region DEs: the enantiomeric pairs of the anti diastereomers (+)-3/(-)-3 and of the syn diastereomers (-)-4/(+)-4, respectively. trans-1,2-Dihydroxy-1,2-dihydro-DBA (2) served as precursor of the 4 reverse DEs: the enantiomeric pairs of the anti diastereomers (+)-5/(-)-5 and of the syn diastereomers (-)-6/(+)-6, respectively. The transformation of the olefinic double bond in the enantiomeric trans-dihydrodiols to epoxides was achieved by either (i) oxidation with m-chloroperoxybenzoic…
Molecular and Cellular Aspects of Chemical Carcinogenesis
Different DNA-adducts produced by one given genotoxic agent can lead to different mutational preferences, as exemplified in this mini-review, by the cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II)-induced d(GpG)-N7(1)-N7(2) adduct, giving rise predominantly to G→T transversions targeted to the 5′-modified G, the d(ApG)-N7(l)-N7(2) adduct to A→T transversions, while for the d(GpTpA)-N7(l)-N7(3) adduct no crosslink-specific mutations were observed. Expression of mutated Hras put under the control of cell-compartment specific promoters in different layers of the mouse skin showed that the consequent expression of the malignant phenotype depended on the degree of differentiation of the cell, progression to ca…
Induction and suppression of cytochromes P-450 in rat tissues
Metallothionein expression in ovarian cancer in relation to histopathological parameters and molecular markers of prognosis
Metallothioneins (MTs) and glutathione constitute the major fractions of intracellular thiol factors. Abundant nucleophilic sulfhydryl groups can interact with many electrophilic substances, including several anti-neoplastic agents, participate in controlling intracellular redox potential, and act as scavengers of reactive oxygen species. In the present study, we examined the relation of MTs (alone and in combination with glutathione) to histopathological parameters and survival time of ovarian cancer patients. Expression of the major MT isoforms (MT-1 and MT-2) was determined by immunohistochemistry on paraffin-embedded tumor specimens from 189 patients, 151 suffering from primary epitheli…
Sequestration of biological reactive intermediates by trapping as covalent enzyme-intermediate complex
One important class of biological reactive intermediates arising in the course of human xenobiotic metabolism are arene and alkene oxides. The major safeguard against the potential genotoxic effects of these compounds is the microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH). This enzyme has a broad substrate specificity but--on the first sight--seems to be inadequately suited for this protection task due to its low turnover number with most of its substrates. The recent progress in the understanding of the mechanism of enzymatic epoxide hydrolysis has shed new light on this apparent dilemma: Epoxide hydrolases convert their substrates via the intermediate formation of a covalent enzyme-substrate complex, …
Metabolism of 3-hydroxychrysene by rat liver microsomal preparations
3-Hydroxychrysene, a metabolite of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) chrysene, was metabolised by rat liver microsomal preparations obtained from Arochlor 1254-pretreated rats. Eight major metabolites were isolated by high performance liquid chromatography and characterised by u.v. spectroscopy and a variety of mass spectrometric techniques. The metabolites were unambiguously identified as 9-hydroxy-trans-1,2-dihydroxy-1,2-dihydrochrysene and 9-hydroxy-r-1,t-2,t-3,c-4-tetrahydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrochrysene and tentatively identified as 3-hydroxy-trans-5,6-dihydroxy-5,6-dihydrochrysene (since chrysene is a symmetrical molecule the 3- and 9-positions are equivalent), 9-hydroxy-trans-…
Role of Individual Enzymes in the Control of Genotoxic Metabolites
Excretion of abundant compounds is an essential property of living organisms. Each day, a vast amount of material is taken up by the body that is of no nutritional value. Up take of such xenobiotics occurs mainly with the food but also by inhalation or transder-mally. Accumulation of these compounds would result in an enormous body burden. Thus, efficient mechanisms for the excretion of such compounds developed that have their roots very early in the evolution of life.
Inducing properties of rifampicin and rifabutin for selected enzyme activities of the cytochrome P-450 and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase superfamilies in female rat liver
Important species differences have been reported concerning the induction properties of rifampicin towards enzymes of the P-450 superfamily. Mice, rabbits and humans are far more responsive than rats and guinea pigs. In the present study a strong induction of cytochrome P-450 3A-dependent enzyme activities was observed in female rat liver microsomes after high dose treatment (> or = 250 mg/kg/day for 9 days) with rifampicin, resulting in an up to 30-fold enhanced hydroxylation rate of testosterone in the 2 beta-, 6 beta- and 15 beta-position in vitro. Other cytochrome P-450 isozyme-selective reactions were not, or only marginally, affected. A steep increase in cytochrome P-450 3A activity o…
Granulocyte-macrophage-colony-stimulating factor enhances immune responses to melanoma-associated peptides in vivo.
Peptide epitopes derived from differentiation antigens of the melanocyte lineage were recently identified in human melanomas as targets for MHC-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). The characterization of multiple CTL-defined antigenic determinants has opened possibilities of development of antigen-targeted vaccines. In the present study, we determined CTL reactivity against melanoma-associated peptides derived from Melan A/MART-1, tyrosinase, and gp100/Pmel17 in 3 HLA-A2+ melanoma patients. Then, we assessed the immune responses to synthetic melanoma-associated peptides injected intradermally. After 3 cycles of immunization with peptide alone, we used systemic GM-CSF as an adjuvant du…
Synthesis of non-k-region -quinones of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from cyclic ketones
Abstract Non-K-region o -quinones of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are prepared in four steps from cyclic ketones via dehydrogenation of tetrahydrodiols with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone.
Characterization of highly polar bis-dihydrodiol epoxide--DNA adducts formed after metabolic activation of dibenz[a,h]anthracene.
Dibenz[a,h]anthracene as well as a biologically important metabolite of dibenz[a,h]anthracene, namely the M-region dihydrodiol trans-3,4-dihydroxy-3,4-dihydrodibenz[a,h]anthracene were in addition to further metabolism to a bay region diol epoxide, extensively transformed to a distal bisdihydrodiol, 3,4,10,11-tetrahydroxy-3,4,10,11-tetrahydro-dibenz[a,h]anthracene, which exhibited after renewed metabolic activation high DNA binding efficiency, leading to a new class of very polar DNA adducts. After incubation of dibenz[a,h]anthracene with DNA in the presence of liver microsomes from Aroclor 1254 treated male Sprague-Dawley rats highly polar DNA adducts probably originating from 3R,4R,10R,11…
Induction of DNA single-strand breaks by 131I and 99mTc in human mononuclear blood cells in vitro and extrapolation to the in vivo situation.
The radionuclides (131)I and (99m)Tc are frequently used for therapy of benign and malignant thyroid disease ((131)I) and for diagnosis of thyroid and other diseases ((99m)Tc). However, the levels of DNA single-strand breaks (SSBs) induced in cells of patients after administration of (131)I and (99m)Tc are not known. In this study, we measured the number of SSBs per cell induced by (131)I and (99m)Tc in vitro, extrapolated the results to the clinical situation, and assessed their biological relevance by comparing levels of SSBs induced after therapeutic administration of (131)I and (99m)Tc to those induced by endogenous processes or by occupational exposure to genotoxic substances. A linear…
Characterization of highly polar DNA adducts derived from dibenz[A,H]anthracene (DBA), 3,4-dihydroxy-3,4-dihydro-DBA, and 3,4,10,11-tetrahydroxy-3,4,10,11-tetrahydro-DBA.
Two highly polar DNA adducts were found after metabolic activation of 3,4,10,11-tetrahydroxy-3,4,10,11-tetrahydrodibenz[ a,h]anthracene(DBA-3,4;10, 11-bisdiol) by liver microsomes isolated from male Sprague-Dawley rats pretreated with Aroclor 1254 in presence of calf thymus DNA. These DNA adducts could be assigned to the metabolites of dibenz[ a,h]anthracene (DBA), of 3R,4R,10R,11R-tetrahydroxy-3,4,10,11-tetrahydro-DBA and of 3R,4R,10S,US-tetrahydroxy-3,4,10,11-tetrahydro-DBA. DNA adducts derived from metabolites of 3S,4S,10S,11S-tetrahydroxy-3,4,10,11-tetrahydro-DBA were not found. These highly polar adducts also could be detected by reversed phase HPLC after incubation of dibenz[ a,h]ant…
Expression of pyruvate kinase M2 in preneoplastic hepatic foci of N-nitrosomorpholine-treated rats.
The expression of the pyruvate kinase (PK) isoenzymes L and M2 was analysed in the livers of rats treated with the hepatocarcinogenic agent N-nitrosomorpholine (NNM) in the drinking water. In control animals L-PK expression was restricted to liver parenchymal cells, whereas M2-PK was detected in bile duct epithelial, blood vessel wall, endothelial and Kupffer cells. In rats treated with NNM proliferating oval cells were consistently L-PK negative and M2-PK positive, while the ductal cells of cholangiofibroses were clearly L-PK positive and coexpressed M2-PK. However, no morphological differentiation of ductal cells into hepatocyte-like cells was observed. In the clear and acidophilic cell f…
Gene toxicity studies on titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanomaterials used for UV-protection in cosmetic formulations
Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanomaterials, used as UV protecting agents in sunscreens, were investigated for their potential genotoxicity in in vitro and in vivo test systems. Since standard OECD test methods are designed for soluble materials and genotoxicity testing for nanomaterials is still under revision, a battery of standard tests was used, covering different endpoints. Additionally, a procedure to disperse the nanomaterials in the test media and careful characterization of the dispersed test item was added to the testing methods. No genotoxicity was observed in vitro (Ames' Salmonella gene mutation test and V79 micronucleus chromosome mutation test) or in vivo (mouse bone marrow…
Chemical Carcinogenesis by Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
The realization that for a vast number of toxic effects, not the given compound itself was responsible but rather a metabolite that was produced from the compound, brought about an enormous step forward in chemical carcinogenesis and in toxicology in general (1–15). In chemical mutagenesis and in chemical carcinogenesis very often coumpounds, which by themselves are chemically inert, will produce mutagenic and carcinogenic effects. A prime example of this is the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which consisting of condensed aromatic rings are chemically inert, yet do produce mutagenic and carcinogenic effects. During the last 10 to 20 years researchers have started to realize that this is …
RNAi knock-down mice: an emerging technology for post-genomic functional genetics
RNA interference (RNAi) has been extensively used for sequence-specific silencing of gene function in mammalian cells. The latest major breakthrough in the application of RNAi technology came from experiments demonstrating RNAi-mediated gene repression in mice and rats. After more than two decades of functional mouse research aimed at developing and continuously improving transgenic and knock-out technology, the advent of RNAi knock-down mice represents a valuable new alternative for studying gene function in vivo. In this review we provide some basic insight as to how RNAi can induce gene silencing to then focus on recent findings concerning the applicability of RNAi for regulating gene fu…
Determination of DNA single strand breaks and selective DNA amplification by N-nitrodimethylamine and analogs, and estimation of the indicator cells' metabolic capacities.
N-nitrodimethylamine is metabolized oxidatively to N-nitrohydroxymethylmethylamine, which decomposes to yield formaldehyde and N-nitromethylamine. All four compounds and N-nitromethylamine were tested for their ability to induce DNA single strand breaks in hepatocytes and in SV 40-transformed Chinese hamster embryo cell lines. Only the two monoalkylnitramines were positive. They induced single strand breaks in hepatocytes, but were not effective in the other cells. Formaldehyde and N-nitrohydroxymethylmethylamine were toxic to the cells. None of the compounds tested was able to induce selective DNA amplification in the two transformed cell lines. Enzymes involved in drug metabolism were ass…
A comparative study of drug-metabolizing enzymes present in isolated rat liver parenchymal, Kupffer and endothelial cells
Subcellular distribution of ras in human and murine fibroblasts.
Abstract Ras proteins play a significant role in signal transduction in response to growth factors and in cell transformation. To be active, ras has to be translocated to the cell membrane. Since subcellular distribution has been mainly studied in vector-transformed cells which highly express ras proteins, and it has been difficult to detect ras in cells expressing the protein at physiological levels, we studied subcellular distribution in human and murine fibroblasts. Here we show for the first time that a significant amount of ras is associated with the membrane skeleton and the cytoskeleton.
Circadian rhythms and chemical carcinogenesis: Potential link. An overview.
Circadian rhythm is an integral and not replaceable part of the organism's homeostasis. Its signalling is multidimensional, overlooking global networks such as chromatin remodelling, cell cycle, DNA damage and repair as well as nuclear receptors function. Understanding its global networking will allow us to follow up not only organism dysfunction and pathology (including chemical carcinogenesis) but well-being in general having in mind that time is not always on our side. The authors thank ECNIS (Environmental Cancer, Nutrition and Individual Susceptibility), a network of excellence operating within the European Union 6th Framework Program, Priority 5: Food Quality and Safety (Contract no. …
Synthesis of oligodeoxynucleotides containing diastereomeric dihydrodiol epoxide-N6-deoxyadenosine adducts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Abstract A generally applicable route is reported for the synthesis of oligodeoxynucleotides which contain structurally defined N 6 -deoxyadenosine adducts, derived from sterically highly hindered dihydrodiol epoxides of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH).
Malignant transformation of the liver tumour precursor cell line OC/CDE 22 by the four stereoisomeric fjord region 3,4-dihydrodiol 1,2-epoxides of benzo[c]phenanthrene
In previous work we established the rat liver oval cell line OC/CDE 22 in order to study in vitro mechanisms of liver cell transformation. We have now exposed OC/CDE 22 cells to each of the four optically active fjord region dihydrodiol epoxides of benzo[c]phenanthrene to investigate their capacity for malignant transformation of liver cells. All four configurational isomers, which are among the most potent carcinogenic metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons tested in murine tumour models, malignantly transform OC/CDE 22 cells at a 2 microM dose level, resulting in a similar colony-forming efficiency in soft agar. Inoculation of the transformed cells into newborn syngeneic rats pro…
Control of the mutagenicity of arylamines by protein kinases and phosphatases:
Treatment of rat hepatocytes with the phosphatase inhibitors okadaic acid or ortho-vanadate had led to an 80% decrease in the bacterial mutagenicity of several aromatic amines metabolically activated by these hepatocytes. This is the most dramatic change yet demonstrated in mutagenicity by phosphorylation modulation. However, incorporation of phosphate into and catalytic activity of cytochromes P450 (CYP) 1A1 and 1A2, the major catalysts for the first step in the toxication of aromatic amines, were unchanged. We therefore investigated whether changes in the phosphorylation status would influence the activities of the N-acetyltransferases NAT1 and/or NAT2, being responsible for one of the tw…
Radioactively labelled epoxides. Part III. Tritium labelled steroid 16α, 17α-epoxides
Tritium labelled (17-3H) 16α, 17α-epoxy-androst-4-en-3-one and 16α, 17α-epoxy-estra-1,3,5(10)-trien-3-ol have been prepared on a large scale (200-300 mg amounts) with efficient (i.e. activity of product exactly predictable) introduction of label. The preparative method is very inexpensive, since the tritium derives from tritiated water, the steroid starting materials are readily available, and high yields are obtained in all steps.
Investigating the Role of the Microsomal Epoxide Hydrolase Membrane Topology and Its Implication for Drug Metabolism Pathways
The microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) catalyzes the hydrolysis of reactive epoxides which are formed by the action of cytochromes P450 from xenobiotics. In addition the mEH has been found to mediate the transport of bile acids. For the mEH it has been shown that it is cotranslationally inserted into the endoplasmic reticulum. Here we demonstrate that the amino-terminal twenty amino acid residues of this protein serve as its single membrane anchor signal sequence and that the function of this sequence can be also supplied by a cytochrome P450 (CYP2B1) anchor signal sequence.
Complex Metabolic Activation Pathways of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: 3-Hydroxy-trans-7,8-Dihydroxy-7,8-Dihydrobenzo[a]Pyrene as a Proximate Mutagen of 3-Hydroxybenzo[a]Pyrene
3-Hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene (3-OH-BP) is a major metabolite of benzo[a]pyrene (BP) in various systems. Metabolites of 3-OH-BP, formed by liver enzymes, bind to DNA1,2 and are mutagenic3,4. However, the active species have not yet been identified. Administration of 3-OH-BP to rats results in the excretion of sulfate and glucuronic acid conjugates of 3-hydroxy-trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene (3-OH-BP-7,8-diol) (Fig. 1) as major metabolites in the bile5. The hydroxyl groups of this triol are structurally superimposable to those of 9-hydroxy-trans-1,2-dihydroxy-1,2-dihydrochrysene (9-hydroxychrysene-1,2-diol, Fig. 1), which is a metabolite of chrysene6,7 and a potent promutagen8,9. 9-…
Modulation of Epdxide Hydrolase Activity; Effect on the Activation of Benzo Cal Pyrene and Its Covalent Binding to Dna in the Nucleus
Benzo[a]pyrene (BP), a model polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon mutagen and carcinogen, requires bioactivation for the expression of its carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. This process occurs in multiple steps, the initial step being a conversion of BP to epoxide(s) by membrane-bound monooxygenases. The subsequent disposition of these electrophilic species can be directed towards toxic or nontoxic endpoints, depending upon the relative preponderance of several enzymatic and nonenzymatic processes within the cell. Epoxides formed from BP can rearrange to form phenols, be conjugated to glutathione, be converted by epoxide hydrolase to dihydrodiols or bind to cellular macromolecules (Jerina a…
The immunosuppressive activity of artemisinin‐type drugs towards inflammatory and autoimmune diseases
The sesquiterpene lactone artemisinin from Artemisia annua L. is well established for malaria therapy, but its bioactivity spectrum is much broader. In this review, we give a comprehensive and timely overview of the literature regarding the immunosuppressive activity of artemisinin-type compounds toward inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Numerous receptor-coupled signaling pathways are inhibited by artemisinins, including the receptors for interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), β3-integrin, or RANKL, toll-like receptors and growth factor receptors. Among the receptor-coupled signal transducers are extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinas…
Studies of the expression of the cytochrome P450IA, P450IIB, and P450IIC gene family in extrahepatic and hepatic tissues.
We have studied the expression of three P-450 gene subfamilies in hepatic and extrahepatic tissues using the sensitive RNAse A protection assay. Members of the P450IA subfamily, which encodes the major methylcholanthrene-inducible cytochromes P-450, were found to be not expressed in extrahepatic tissues of untreated animals, raising the question whether these P-450 play a role in the metabolism of carcinogens in unexposed individuals. In contrast, members of the P450IIB family, some of which encode the major phenobarbital-inducible cytochromes P-450, were found to be expressed in some extrahepatic tissues of untreated rats and here most notably in the lung and in sebaceous glands. Members o…
Epoxide Hydrolases: Structure, Function, Mechanism, and Assay
Epoxide hydrolases are a class of enzymes important in the detoxification of genotoxic compounds, as well as in the control of physiological signaling molecules. This chapter gives an overview on the function, structure, and enzymatic mechanism of structurally characterized epoxide hydrolases and describes selected assays for the quantification of epoxide hydrolase activity.
Enhanced expression of the proto-oncogenes fos and raf in the rhabdomyosarcoma cell line BA-HAN-1C after differentiation induction with retinoic acid and N-methylformamide.
BA-HAN-IC is a clonal rat rhabdomyosarcoma cell line consisting of proliferating mononuclear tumor cells, some of which spontaneously fuse to form terminally differentiated post-mitotic myotubes. Exposure of BA-HAN-IC cells to retinoic acid (RA) or N-methylformamide (NMF) resulted in a significant inhibition of proliferation (p less than 0.001) and in cellular differentiation, as evidenced by a significant increase in the creatine kinase (CK) activity (p less than 0.05) and the number of terminally differentiated post-mitotic myotubes (p less than 0.001). Furthermore, between 5% (NMF) and 30% (RA) of the mononuclear tumor cells exhibited ultrastructural features of rhabdomyogenic differenti…
Epoxides derived from various polycyclic hydrocarbons as substrates of homogeneous and microsome-bound epoxide hydratase. A general assay and kinetic properties.
A general assay for epoxide hydratase using epoxides derived from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as substrates is described. Addition of dimethylsulphoxide to the incubation mixture after incubation allowed unreacted epoxide and its phenolic by-product to be extracted into light petroleum whilst the product dihydrodiol remained in the aqueous phase. The product was then extracted into ethyl acetate and estimated radiochemically. This assay gave low extraction blanks (0.8-3.8%) when six K-region epoxides of polycyclic hydrocarbons were used, with high recoveries of the corresponding dihydrodiol in the ethyl acetate phase (65-89%). Radiochromatograms demonstrated that all the radioactivity …
Dephosphorylation of p-ERK1/2 in relation to tumor remission after HER-2 and Raf1 blocking therapy in a conditional mouse tumor model
Several studies have shown that HER-2/neu (erbB-2) blocking therapy strategies can cause tumor remission. However, the responsible molecular mechanisms are not yet known. Both ERK1/2 and Akt/PKB are critical for HER-2-mediated signal transduction. Therefore, we used a mouse tumor model that allows downregulation of HER-2 in tumor tissue by administration of anhydrotetracycline (ATc). Switching-off HER-2 caused a rapid tumor remission by more than 95% within 7 d of ATc administration compared to the volume before switching-off HER-2. Interestingly, HER-2 downregulation caused a dephosphorylation of p-ERK1/2 by more than 80% already before tumor remission occurred. Levels of total ERK protein…
Resistance factors in colon cancer tissue and the adjacent normal colon tissue: glutathione S-transferases alpha and pi, glutathione and aldehyde dehydrogenase.
Abstract Glutathione S -transferases (GST) α and π , glutathione (GSH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ADH) were determined in colorectal cancer tissue specimens and in the adjacent normal colon tissue. The median contents in normal and cancer tissue were 8.1 (2.3–30.3) (5–95% quantiles) and 15.1 (5.3–50.3) μ g/mg protein for GST π ( P =0.035), 0.0 (0.0–1.4) and 0.4 (0.0–3.5) μ g/mg protein for GST α ( P =0.019), 7.3 (1.3–22.7) and 5.6 (2.3–26.0) μ g/mg protein for GSH ( P =0.171) and 30.8 (13.0–42.0) and 23.2 (9.0–32.9) μ g/mg protein for ADH ( P =0.0017), respectively. Thus, the mean GST α and π both significantly increased in colon cancer compared to the adjacent normal tissue, which underli…
Correlation of the Extent of Fjord-Region Oxidation with DNA Binding and Mutagenicity of the Enantiomeric 11,12-Dihydrodiols of Dibenzo[a,l]pyrene
Abstract In vitro studies on the hepatic biotransformation of the enantiomeric trans-11,12-dihydrodiols of dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DB[a,l]P) using microsomal fractions of animals pretreated with Aroclor 1254 revealed that the formation of fjord-region dihydrodiol epoxides strongly depends on the absolute configuration of the substrate. Both the (-)-11R,12R- and the (+)-11S,12S-enantiomer are converted diastereoselectively to the (-)- and (+)-anti-dihydrodiol epoxide, respectively, by either rat or mouse liver microsomes. Fjord-region oxidation occurs to greatest extent on incubation of the (-)-11R,12R-dihydrodiol with preparations from rats. This finding is in line with the differences seen for…
The catalytic activity of the endoplasmic reticulum-resident protein microsomal epoxide hydrolase towards carcinogens is retained on inversion of its membrane topology
Diol epoxides formed by the sequential action of cytochrome P-450 and the microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) represent an important class of ultimate carcinogenic metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The role of the membrane orientation of cytochrome P-450 and mEH relative to each other in this catalytic cascade is not known. Cytochrome P-450 is known to have a type I topology. According to the algorithm of Hartman, Rapoport and Lodish [(1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 5786–5790], which allows the prediction of the membrane topology of proteins, mEH should adopt a type II membrane topology. Experimentally, mEH membrane topology has been …
Analysis of reproductive toxicity and classification of glufosinate-ammonium.
CONCLUSION REGARDING CLASSIFICATION OF GLUFOSINATE-AMMONIUM: Science Partners' Evaluation Group (Evaluation Group) has conducted an independent analysis of the herbicide glufosinate-ammonium (GA) relative to its potential to cause reproductive toxicity in humans. Further, the Evaluation Group has evaluated the implementation of Annex 6 of Commission Directive 2001/59/EC (28th ATP of Council Directive 67/548/EEC) and Council Directive 91/414/EEC, with respect to classification of chemicals posing potential reproductive hazards. After consideration of all information available to us relevant to the potential of glufosinate-ammonium (GA) to cause reproductive toxicity, the Science Partners Eva…
The nucleotide excision repair protein XPC is essential for bulky DNA adducts to promote interleukin-6 expression via the activation of p38-SAPK
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental pollutants, and many are potent carcinogens. Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), one of the best-studied PAHs, is metabolized ultimately to the genotoxin anti-B[a]P-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE). BPDE triggers stress responses linked to gene expression, cell death and survival. So far, the underlying mechanisms that initiate these signal transduction cascades are unknown. Here we show that BPDE-induced DNA damage is recognized by DNA damage sensor proteins to induce activation of the stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK) p38. Surprisingly, the classical DNA damage response, which involves the kinases ATM and ATR, is not involved in p38-SA…
Sulfotransferase-mediated chlorination of 1-hydroxymethylpyrene to a mutagen capable of penetrating indicator cells.
Methylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are common in the human environment. Many of them are stronger carcinogens than their purely aromatic congeners. They may be metabolized to benzylic alcohols. We report here on biochemical and toxicological characteristics of 1-hydroxymethylpyrene (HMP), a typical representative of this class of compounds. Rat liver cytosol, fortified with 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate, converted HMP into its sulfate ester (HMPS), HMPS bound covalently to isolated DNA. In physiological buffer at 37 degrees C, HMPS had a half-life of 2 min, the major decomposition product being HMP. Thus, cyclic activation is possible. When Cl- anions were present at physio…
TCDD-dependent downregulation of gamma-catenin in rat liver epithelial cells (WB-F344).
TCDD (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin) is the most potent tumor promoter ever tested in rodents. Although it is known that most of the effects of TCDD are mediated by binding to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), the mechanisms leading to tumor promotion still remain to be elucidated. Loss of contact-inhibition is a characteristic hallmark in tumorigenesis. In WB-F344 cells, TCDD induces a release from contact-inhibition manifested by a 2- to 3-fold increase in DNA-synthesis and the emergence of foci when TCDD (1 nM) is given to confluent cells. We focussed our interest on potential cell membrane proteins mediating contact-inhibition in WB-F344 cells, namely E-cadherin, alpha,- beta,-…
The telltale structures of epoxide hydrolases.
Traditionally, epoxide hydrolases (EH) have been regarded as xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes implicated in the detoxification of foreign compounds. They are known to play a key role in the control of potentially genotoxic epoxides that arise during metabolism of many lipophilic compounds. Although this is apparently the main function for the mammalian microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH), evidence is now accumulating that the mammalian soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), despite its proven role in xenobiotic metabolism, also has a central role in the formation and breakdown of physiological signaling molecules. In addition, a certain class of microbial epoxide hydrolases has recently been identi…
Properties of the microsomal and cytosolic glutathione transferases involved in hexachloro-1:3-butadiene conjugation
Hexachloro-1,3-butadiene (HCBD) is a substrate for the hepatic microsomal glutathione transferases and is metabolised at higher rates by these enzymes than their cytosolic counterparts. Conjugation reactions catalysed by the microsomal and cytosolic transferases have been studied and characterized using this substrate and 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB). In rat liver microsomes the Km values for HCBD and CDNB were 0.91 and 0.012 mM and in cytosol 0.51 and 0.10 mM respectively. Vmax values for HCBD were 1.39 and 0.35 nmol conjugate formed/min/mg protein for microsomes and cytosol respectively. In microsomal systems HCBD was a potent competitive inhibitor of the metabolism of CDNB with a K…
DNA repair activity of 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1 (OGG1) in human lymphocytes is not dependent on genetic polymorphism Ser326/Cys326.
8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1 (OGG1) is a DNA repair enzyme that excises 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8oxoG) from DNA. Since 8oxoG is a highly mispairing lesion, decreased OGG1 expression level could lead to a higher background mutation frequency and could possibly increase the cancer risk of an individual under oxidative stress. In order to analyse the natural variation of OGG1, we measured the DNA repair activity in human lymphocytes of healthy individuals by means of an 8oxoG-containing oligonucleotide assay. The data obtained revealed a two fold interindividual variation of OGG1 activity in lymphocytes. There was no difference in OGG1 activity due to gender and smoking behaviour. Transcri…
c-erbB-2 expression in small-cell lung cancer is associated with poor prognosis.
Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) carries a bad prognosis despite good initial response to chemotherapy. It is therefore important to identify molecular markers that influence survival as potential new therapeutic targets. In our study, expression of the tyrosine kinase c-erbB-2 (HER2/neu) receptor in tumor tissues of 107 consecutive newly diagnosed patients with primary SCLC was quantified using a monoclonal antibody directed against the c-terminal domain of c-erbB-2. A clear-cut positive expression of c-erbB-2 was observed in 13% of patients. Surprisingly, c-erbB-2 was an independent prognostic factor (RR = 2.16; p = 0.014) when a proportional-hazard model was adjusted to stage (limited vs. e…
Dihydrodiol Dehydrogenase: Substrate Specificity, Inducibility and Tissue Distribution
The present study shows that: Dihydrodiol dehydrogenase activity is present in the 100,000 g supernatant fraction of extrahepatic tissues. Dihydrodiol dehydrogenase is able to oxidize the hydroxy group and to reduce the keto group of a number of xenobiotics including quinones derived from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Dihydrodiol dehydrogenase was not inducible by various substances including hormones, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, substrates of the enzyme and potent inducers of monooxygenases, epoxide hydrolase and glutathione S-transferases. Only in the case of thyroxine was a weak induction with a high dose of the hormone observed.
Stereoselective metabolism of dibenz(a,h)anthracene to trans-dihydrodiols and their activation to bacterial mutagens.
Dibenz(a,h)anthracene (DBA), a carcinogenic, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon ubiquitous in the environment, is metabolized by the hepatic microsomal fraction of immature Sprague-Dawley rats pretreated with Aroclor 1254 to 27 ethyl acetate-extractable metabolites. More than half of these metabolites (51%) consisted of trans-1,2-; -3,4-; and -5,6-dihydrodiols including their identified secondary metabolites. The three trans-dihydrodiols (4.9, 15.8, and 0.6% of total metabolic conversion) were highly enriched in their R,R enantiomers (85, 71, and 98%) as determined by high performance liquid chromatography on suitable chiral stationary phases. This is explained on the basis of the stereoselect…
Glutathione, GlutathioneS-Transferase α and π, and Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Content in Relationship to Drug Resistance in Ovarian Cancer
Glutathione, glutathione S-transferases alpha and pi, and aldehyde dehydrogenase are associated with resistance to carboplatin and/or cyclophosphamide in cell lines. Therefore, we examined whether the expression of these factors in ovarian cancer tissue specimens is associated with resistance of the patients to combination chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide/carboplatin. Ovarian cancer tissue specimens were taken intraoperatively from 139 patients and frozen in liquid nitrogen, and the contents of glutathione S-transferases alpha and pi, total glutathione, and aldehyde dehydrogenase activity were determined. No association between the levels of glutathione S-transferases alpha and pi or alde…
Radioactively labelled epoxides part II. (1) tritium labelled cyclohexene oxide, transstilbene oxide and phenanthrene 9,10-oxide
Tritium labelled cyclohexene oxide, trans-stilbene oxide and phenanthrene 9,10-oxide were prepared with specific activities of 0.7 - 1.1 mCi per mmole starting with monoor diketo compounds. Tritium was introduced by reducing the ketone precursors with tritiated complex metal hydrides. The resulting alcohols were transformed to the epoxides by methods described for the unlabelled compounds. The syntheses require only two or three steps and yield cyclohexene oxide, trans-stilbene oxide and phenanthrene 9,10-oxide, important substrates for the study of epoxide hydratase and glutathione S-transferases in high radiochemical purity.
Genotoxicity characteristics of reverse diol-epoxides of chrysene.
Trans-3,4-dihydroxy-3,4-dihydrochrysene (chrysene-3,4-diol), a major metabolite of chrysene, is further metabolized by rat liver enzymes to products which effectively revert the his- Salmonella typhimurium strain TA98 to histidine prototrophy, but are only weakly mutagenic in strain TA100 and in Chinese hamster V79 cells (acquisition of resistance to 6-thioguanine). The liver enzyme mediated mutagenicity of chrysene-3,4-diol is substantially enhanced in the presence of 1,1,1-trichloropropene 2,3-oxide, an inhibitor of microsomal epoxide hydrolase. The predominant metabolites of chrysene-3,4-diol, namely the anti- and syn-isomers of its 1,2-oxide (termed reverse diol-epoxides), proved to be …
C-erbB-2-oncogene expression in breast carcinoma: Analysis by S1 nuclease protection assay and immunohistochemistry in relation to clinical parameters
The c-erbB-2 mRNA was detected by the S1 nuclease protection assay and Northern blotting in breast cancer tissues. In contrast to the Northern blot analysis which has been used in all recent publications concerning c-erbB-2 expression on the level of RNA, the S1-nuclease protection assay has distinct advantages with respect to sensitivity, reproducibility, and handling of radioactive probes. We compared the expression of c-erbB-2 in 120 breast carcinomas which were operated in the years 1989-1990 on the level of the mRNA (S1 nuclease protection assay) and the protein (immunohistochemistry), respectively. In general, results obtained with both methods were in good agreement. Only minor diffe…
Specificity of mouse liver cytosolic epoxide hydrolase for K-region epoxides derived from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Mouse liver cytosol epoxide hydrolase, known to be very active for certain alkene oxides, had a specific activity which was 2.1-, 11- and 160-fold lower than that of the microsomal epoxide hydrolase for the arene oxides 7-methylbenz[a]anthracene 5,6-oxide, benz[a]anthracene 5,6-oxide and phenanthrene 9,10-oxide, respectively. For benzo[a]pyrene 4,5-oxide no activity (less than 10 pmol product/mg protein/min) of cytoplasmic epoxide hydrolase was detectable. The specific activity of cytoplasmic epoxide hydrolase was much lower for all K-region epoxides investigated, compared to trans-stilbene oxide used as a positive control and for which a new assay is described. It is concluded from these r…
Glutathione conjugation of trans-3,4-dihydroxy 1,2-epoxy l,2,3,4-tetrahydrobenzo[c]phenanthrene isomers by human glutathione transferases
Each of the four stereoisomers of trans-3,4-dihydroxy 1,2-epoxy 1,2,3,4-tetrahydrobenzo[c]phenanthrene [(+)- and (-)-anti-BPhDE and (+)- and (-)-syn-BPhDE] has been incubated with the human glutathione transferase (GST) isoenzymes GST A1-1, GST M1-1 and GST P1-1, representing class alpha, mu and pi respectively, and glutathione (GSH). The conjugates formed were analyzed by HPLC and the results demonstrate that all GST isoenzymes catalyze the formation of GSH conjugates of all BPhDE isomers. However, a marked variation in catalytic efficiencies was observed (0.122-1.28/mM/s). These values are considerably lower than those previously estimated for the bay-region diol epoxides of benzo[a]pyren…
Catalytic triad of microsomal epoxide hydrolase: replacement of Glu404 with Asp leads to a strongly increased turnover rate
Microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) belongs to the superfamily of α/β-hydrolase fold enzymes. A catalytic triad in the active centre of the enzyme hydrolyses the substrate molecules in a two-step reaction via the intermediate formation of an enzyme-substrate ester. Here we show that the mEH catalytic triad is composed of Asp226, Glu404 and His431. Replacing either of these residues with non-functional amino acids results in a complete loss of activity of the enzyme recombinantly expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. For Glu404 and His431 mutants, their structural integrity was demonstrated by their retained ability to form the substrate ester intermediate, indicating that the lack of enzymi…