Influence of 3-methylcholanthrene pretreatment on sanguinarine toxicity in mice.

We examined the effect of 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC) on the liver toxicity of sanguinarine in mice. Administration of 10 mg sanguinarine/kg bw ip to male mice resulted in significant decreases in liver glutathione and P450 enzymes activities, and increased in sorbitol dehydrogenase and alanine aminotransferase levels in serum suggestive of liver damage. However, pretreatment with 20 mg 3-MC/kg/d ip, an inducer of P450 enzymes, for 3 d mitigated the sanguinarine toxic effects suggesting 3-MC induced cytochrome P450 enzymes that promote detoxification of sanguinarine.

Effect of gossypol on hepatic and serum gamma-glutamyltransferase activity in rats.

A single intraperitoneal dose (25 mg/kg) of gossypol given to male Sprague-Dawley rats caused marked changes in the activity of the hepatic and serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and microsomal monooxygenases. The GGT activity in liver homogenate, S-9 supernatant fraction and microsomes was significantly depressed; however, the level of serum GGT was elevated. While the hepatic glutathione concentration was not greatly changed, the aminopyrine N-demethylase activity and microsomal cytochrome P450 content of the liver were significantly decreased in the treated rats. At necropsy, the livers of the treated rats appeared generally pale with distinct pinpoint foci. Histopathological examination of the liver showed degenerative changes and coagulative necrosis. The results indicate that gossypol is a strong hepatotoxic agent which can produce severe hepatic damage.

Erythrocyte glutathione-S-transferase activity in animal species.

This study was conducted to determine and compare the activities of glutathione-S-transferase (GST) in red blood cells of cattle, horses, pigs, goats, dogs, rabbits, rats and mice. The highest GST activity was found in mouse red blood cells followed by that of rats, dogs, cattle, pigs, goats and horses with the lowest activity in rabbits. There were significant differences between the GST activities from these various species. The species differences in GST activities correlate with the reported variable responses of the different species to different toxicants since erythrocyte GST plays a significant role in the detoxification of circulating xenobiotics.

Comparative toxicological studies of chlorpyrifos in rats and chickens.

Rats and chickens were given single oral doses of 50 mg chlorpyrifos/kg to compare toxic effects in these 2 species. Oral administration resulted in decreased cytochrome P-450 and aminopyrine N-demethylase activities and increased cytosolic glutathione S-transferase activity in rats. On the contrary, there was increased cytochrome P-450 and aminopyrine N-demethylase activities in chickens. A significantly higher inhibition of serum cholinesterase (82%) was noted in rats than in chickens (55%). Serum gamma-glutamyl transferase, a marker of hepatotoxicity, remained unchanged in both species, indicating the absence of hepatotoxicity. These studies project chlorpyrifos to be an inhibitor of hepatic microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes in rats and an inducer in chickens, and a non-hepatotoxic organophosphate insecticide in both species when given at the dosage of 50 mg/kg.

Effect of monensin on liver glutathione, glutathione S-transferase and monooxygenases in rats.

Monensin administered ip to male rats at a dosage of 2.5 mg/kg/d for 3 consecutive days did not change the liver levels of glutathione, but depressed significantly the amount of cytochrome P-450 and the activities of aniline hydroxylase and a cytosolic CDNB-specific glutathione S-transferase. There was a marked decrease in the aminopyrine N-demethylase activity and a significant increase in the pentobarbital sleeping time in rats treated with monensin. In contrast, no change in these parameters was found 2 h after a single ip dose (7.5 mg/kg) of monensin. The results suggest that monensin-induced inhibition of the liver cytosolic glutathione S-transferase and microsomal monooxygenases is non-specific.

Alterations in hepatic phase I and phase II biotransformation enzymes by garlic oil in rats.

Studies were conducted to examine the effect of a single and repeated administrations of garlic oil (diallyl sulfide) on Phase I and Phase II biotransformation enzymes in rats. Adult, male Sprague-Dawley rats treated with a single dose of garlic oil (500 mg/kg i.p.) showed a significant depression of hepatic cytochrome P-450, aminopyrine N-demethylase and aniline hydroxylase while microsomal protein content, cytochrome b5, NADPH-cytochrome c reductase, benzphetamine N-demethylase and cytosolic glutathione, S-transferase remained unaffected 24 h following the treatment. Although certain microsomal enzymes were depressed, there was no liver damage caused by garlic oil as judged by the putative serum enzyme test. On the other hand, daily administration of garlic oil (50 mg/kg i.p. for 5 days) produced a significant increase in hepatic cytochrome P-450, aminopyrine N-demethylase and benzphetamine N-demethylase activities, but not in the rest of the aforementioned parameters of biotransformation reactions. These data indicate that the effect of garlic oil on the hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme system is dose-dependent.

Comparative assessment of the effect of aflatoxin B1 on hepatic dysfunction in some mammalian and avian species.

1. Aflatoxin B1 (1.5 mg/kg body weight, i.p.) was administered to rats, mice, quail and chickens to examine the comparative effect on hepatic microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes, cytosolic glutathione S-transferase and serum enzymes. 2. Administration of aflatoxin B1 to rats resulted in a significant decrease in microsomal cytochrome P-450, NADPH-cytochrome c reductase, activities of aminopyrine N-demethylase, aniline hydroxylase, cytosolic glutathione S-transferase and liver glutathione content. However, no significant changes in these parameters were seen in mice. 3. Quail showed a significant decrease in the content of cytochrome P-450 and the activities of aminopyrine N-demethylase, aniline hydroxylase and cytosolic glutathione S-transferase. A similar treatment did not affect these biotransformation enzymes in chickens. 4. The activities of serum enzymes, sorbitol dehydrogenase, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were increased significantly in rats and quail. Mice exhibited a significant increase in the activities of sorbitol dehydrogenase and aspartate aminotransferase, while chickens showed a significant increase only in alanine aminotransferase.

Effect of the fungicide benomyl on xenobiotic metabolism in rats.

The effect of benomyl administered orally (p.o.) and intraperitoneally (i.p.) on the activity of hepatic microsomal mixed-function oxidases (MFOs) was studied in rats. A dose of 100 mg/kg given i.p. reduced the activities of several hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes 24 h following the treatment. A similar reduction in the activities of the MFOs was also noted 24 h following oral benomyl administration at a dose of 500 mg/kg. Furthermore, in vivo inhibition of drug metabolism by benomyl was demonstrated by increased pentobarbital sleeping-time 24 h after p.o. as well as i.p. dosing. No alterations were found in the serum sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) at 24 h after i.p. or oral benomyl indicating a lack of hepatotoxic effect. These results indicate that benomyl shows a route-independent effect on MFOs and is not toxic to the liver.

Lack of in vitro and in vitro effects of fenbendazole on phase I and phase II biotransformation enzymes in rats, mice and chickens.

Intraperitoneal administration of 10 mg fenbendazole/kg bw daily for 5 d caused no significant alterations in the activities of hepatic microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes viz aminopyrine N-demethylase, aniline hydroxylase and cytosolic glutathione S-transferase in rats, mice and chickens. Similarly no significant difference in the amount of microsomal cytochrome P-450 and NADPH-cytochrome c reductase was found between control and treated animals. In vitro incubation of fenbendazole with rat, mouse and chicken microsomes suggests that the drug neither binds to microsomal protein cytochrome P-450 nor inhibits the activities of aminopyrine N-demethylase and aniline hydroxylase. Similarly in vitro addition of fenbendazole to cytosolic glutathione S-transferase from the above species did not alter the activity of this enzyme. The results indicate that fenbendazole does not alter the activity of hepatic microsomal monooxygenase system significantly in rats, mice and chickens at a dosage level of 10 mg/kg body weight. In vitro studies also indicate that fenbendazole does not interact with the hepatic microsomal monooxygenase system, indicating it is not a substrate for cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenase system.

Stimulatory and inhibitory effects of dimethyl sulfoxide on microsomal aniline hydroxylase activity.

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) at a single dose of 3 ml/kg body wt, administered i.p. to male rats, caused a significant increase in the hepatic microsomal aniline hydroxylase activity. However, the level of cytochrome P-450, the activities of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase, benzphetamine N-demethylase and aminopyrine N-demethylase were unchanged at 24 h post-treatment. DMSO interacted with control rat liver microsomes in vitro and produced a type II spectral change (peak at 420 nm and trough at 392 nm). On the other hand, liver microsomes from DMSO-treated rats gave qualitatively similar spectra, but with a higher magnitude of binding. Liver microsomes from DMSO-treated rats showed a 3.4-fold increase in Vmax for aniline hydroxylase, while Km was found to be the same when compared with control rat liver microsomes. In vitro addition of 6 mM DMSO to microsomal incubations from control and DMSO-treated rats caused a 9-fold and a 25-fold increase in Km, respectively, while Vmax values for aniline hydroxylase were unchanged. When DMSO (6 mM) was incubated with rat liver microsomes in the presence of NADPH, there was formation of formaldehyde. The results suggest an interaction of DMSO with microsomal cytochrome P-450.

Comparison of the effects of piperine administered intragastrically and intraperitoneally on the liver and liver mixed-function oxidases in rats.

Piperine, a major pungent constituent of black and red peppers, was administered to rats intragastrically and intraperitoneally to study whether it alters the activities of hepatic mixed-function oxidases (MFO) and serum enzymes as specific markers of hepatotoxicity. An intragastric dose of 100 mg/kg of piperine to adult, male Sprague-Dawley rats caused an increase in hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 and cytochrome b5, NADPH-cytochrome c reductase, benzphetamine N-demethylase, aminopyrine N-demethylase and aniline hydroxylase 24 h following treatment. On the other hand, a 10 mg/kg dose given i.p. exhibited no effect on the activities of the aforementioned parameters of the hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme system. However, when the intragastric and intraperitoneal doses were increased to 800 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg, respectively, the black pepper alkaloid produced a significant decrease in the levels of cytochrome P-450, benzphetamine N-demethylase, aminopyrine N-demethylase and aniline hydroxylase 24 h after treatment. None of the treatments significantly elevated the activities of serum sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICD), suggesting that piperine is not a hepatotoxic agent.

Differences in the effects of piperine and piperonyl butoxide on hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme system in rats.

An i.p. administration of rats with piperine (100 mg/kg) and piperonyl butoxide (400 mg/kg) produced a significant decrease in hepatic cytochrome P-450, and activities of benzphetamine N-demethylase, aminopyrine N-demethylase and aniline hydroxylase 1 hr after the treatment. Twenty-four hr later, these parameters along with cytochrome b5 and NADPH-cytochrome c reductase remained depressed only in piperine-treated rats. In contrast, piperonyl butoxide caused a significant induction of these parameters with the exception of cytochrome b5 and aminopyrine N-demethylase, which were up by 36 and 33% over their respective controls but not significantly. These results point up that effect of piperine on hepatic mixed-function oxidases is monophasic while that of piperonyl butoxide is biphasic.

Toxicity of dietary monensin in quail.

Quail were fed monensin to determine liver damage, as measured by changes in activities of serum enzymes and liver microsomal enzymes. Monensin fed at a therapeutic level of 110 ppm for 2 weeks produced an increase in cytochrome P-450 and cytochrome b5 and induction of the activities of benzphetamine N-demethylase, aminopyrine N-demethylase, and aniline hydroxylase, with no changes in the activities of serum sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). On the other hand, quail fed 110 ppm, 220 ppm, and 330 ppm monensin in feed for 6 weeks showed a significant rise in SDH and AST activities at 330 ppm but not at 110 ppm and 220 ppm. The manifestations of liver toxicity observed at 330 ppm were accompanied by a significant decrease in all the aforementioned hepatic microsomal mixed-function oxidases. In contrast, quail fed monensin at 110 ppm and 220 ppm for 6 weeks produced no change in these parameters except for benzphetamine N-demethylase, aminopyrine N-demethylase, and aniline hydroxylase, which were significantly increased in birds fed 220 ppm of monensin.

Studies on monensin toxicity in goats.

This study was carried out to examine the effect of orally administered monensin on the liver of goats. Goats given monensin at the rate of 55 mg/kg of feed (55 ppm) for three weeks showed clinical signs of anorexia and diarrhea, along with increased pentobarbital sleeping time and serum SDH level indicating the possible presence of hepatotoxicity. On the other hand, animals fed monensin at 11 ppm for three weeks or 8 mg/kg of body weight/day for five days showed no signs of hepatotoxicity.

Age-dependent toxicity of acorn extract in young and old male rats.

Intraperitoneal administration of acorn extract of dosage levels of 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg body weight did not produce significant change in the hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 levels and the activities of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase, benzphetamine N-demethylase and aniline hydroxylase in young, adult rats (weighing 200-250 g), with the exception of the activity of benzphetamine N-demethylase at the 600 mg/kg dose which was decreased significantly. On the other hand, a dose of only 100 mg/kg body weight ip to old rats (weighing 400-450 g) caused significant decreases in the microsomal cytochrome P-450, benzphetamine N-demethylase and NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activities. However, there was no significant change in the activity of aniline hydroxylase in these rats, indicating selective inhibition of the microsomal enzymes and higher susceptibility of old rats than young ones to acorn toxicants. When the serum samples from the treated young rats were analyzed for sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities as markers of liver toxicity, these activities were significantly higher in the treated rats than the corresponding control values. Similar changes were noted for old rats receiving a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight of acorn extract. The results indicate that acorn extract affects old rats more than young rats as measured by its effect on liver and liver microsomal enzymes.