0000000000014264

AUTHOR

Helmut Thomas

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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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.

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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…

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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 …

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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 …

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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…

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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…

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LS104, a Novel Kinase Inhibitor, Induces Apoptosis, Synergizes with Cytostatic Drugs and Is Targeting the Receptor Tyrosine Kinase FLT3.

Abstract Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3), a member of the class III tyrosine kinase receptor family, is expressed in up to 90% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Activating mutations like internal tandem duplication (ITD) of the juxtamembrane domain and kinase domain point mutations are found in approximately 35% of AML-cases and are considered to represent an attractive therapeutic target. In this study, we report that the novel hydroxystyryl-acrylonitrile compound LS104 induces potent cytotoxic effects in FLT3 ITD-positive leukemic cells. As a cellular model to investigate FLT3-ITD specific effects we used 32D myeloid cells stably transfected with FLT3-ITD and wt-FLT3, respectively. In MT…

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Acute myocardial infarction occurring in versus out of the hospital: patient characteristics and clinical outcome

OBJECTIVES We describe the baseline characteristics and clinical course of patients who had an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) during their hospital stay. BACKGROUND In comparison with patients who had an AMI outside of the hospital (prehospital AMI), the data on patients who had an AMI in the hospital are poorly described. METHODS Patients with an in-hospital AMI were prospectively registered in the Southwest German Maximal Individual TheRapy in Acute myocardial infarction (MITRA) study and compared with patients with prehospital AMI. RESULTS Of 5,888 patients with AMI, 403 patients (6.8%) had an in-hospital AMI. These patients were older, more often male and sicker as compared with the …

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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 …

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