Cytotoxicity of N,N-bis(2-chloroethyl)-N-nitrosourea in hypoxic rat hepatocytes.

Incubation of rat hepatocytes with N,N-bis(2-chloroethyl)-N-nitrosourea (BCNU, 10-100 microM) and 5% O2 caused a time-dependent loss of cell viability, whereas no cytotoxicity was observed when BCNU was incubated with hepatocytes and 95% O2. BCNU (50-100 microM) reduced intracellular glutathione concentrations by 40 and 80% in hepatocytes incubated in 95 and 5% O2, respectively. Intracellular glutathione disulfide concentrations were not altered by 95 or 5% O2 or by the presence of BCNU. The extracellular glutathione disulfide content of cells exposed to BCNU and 95% O2, but not to BCNU and 5% O2, exhibited a 150% increase. Incubation of hepatocytes with 100 microM BCNU and 5% O2 reduced the cellular energy charge from 0.85 to 0.58; no effect on energy charge was observed in hepatocytes incubated with BCNU and 95% O2. The decrease in energy charge was due to a decrease in cellular ATP content (66%) and increases in cellular ADP (180%) and AMP (50%) concentrations. The reduction in both cellular ATP and glutathione concentrations was paralleled by a rise in the activity of phosphorylase a, a sensitive indicator of cytosolic Ca2+ content. These findings indicate that hepatocytes incubated in 5% O2 are more vulnerable to BCNU-induced cytotoxicity than are hepatocytes incubated in 95% O2 and that this vulnerability is associated with the loss of both ATP and glutathione. This conclusion is supported by data showing (a) a similar hypoxia-dependent pattern of cytotoxicity in hepatocytes exposed to the BCNU degradation products 2-chloroethyl isocyanate, 2-chloroethanol, and 2-chloroethylamine and (b) little BCNU-induced cytotoxicity, no increase in phosphorylase a activity, and no loss of ATP with 5% O2 in the presence of adenosine (1 mM).

Regulatory effect of copper on rat adrenal cytochrome P-450 and steroid metabolism.

Accumulation of Cu2+ in rat adrenal glands produced a biphasic response in concentrations of the mitochondrial cytochrome P-450 and heme which were, in turn, reflected in abnormal steroid biosynthesis and output. In the mitochondria, 1 day after Cu2+ treatment, when the concentration of the metal ion was increased by 2- to 3-fold over the control value, a significant increase in cytochrome P-450-dependent steroid 11 beta-hydroxylase activity was observed. These effects were accompanied by a nearly 85% increase in concentrations of cytochrome P-450 and heme. In addition, the activity of delta-aminolevulinate synthetase was increased by 3-fold. In those animals lipid peroxidation, assessed by measuring concentrations of conjugated dienes, was reduced to approximately 50% of the control value. However, after 7 days of Cu2+ treatment (via a mini-osmotic pump), a significantly lowered rate of 11 beta-hydroxylase activity was noted, and the plasma concentration of corticosterone was also reduced significantly. Also, in the mitochondria, the concentrations of cytochrome P-450 and heme were decreased in comparison with the control values. These decreases were accompanied by elevated levels of the mitochondrial lipid peroxidation and a further increase in adrenal Cu2+ content (5-fold). At this time, delta-aminolevulinate synthetase activity remained elevated but to a lower extent than that observed after 1 day of Cu2+ treatment. In contrast to 11 beta-hydroxylase activity, the reduction in cytochrome P-450 content was not reflected in a decrease in the rate of cholesterol side-chain cleavage; rather this activity was increased in Cu2+-treated animals. Adrenal heme oxygenase activity was unaffected by either Cu2+ treatment, as was the specific content of cytochrome P-450 in the microsomal fraction. The present findings suggest that the Cu2+-mediated regulation of cytochrome P-450-dependent steroidogenic activity in the adrenal mitochondria is predominantly a reflection of the metal ion affecting heme biosynthesis and lipid peroxidation in this organ. Moreover, these actions appear to differentially affect the mitochondrial cytochrome P-450 species catalyzing different hydroxylation reactions in the adrenal steroidogenesis pathway.

Renal glutathione homeostasis in compensatory renal growth.

Glutathione homeostasis was investigated in unilaterally nephrectomized and sham-operated rats. Following twelve days of compensatory renal growth, it was found that the concentrations of glutathione and glutathione disulfide in representative samples of the entire remnant right kidney from the nephrectomized rats were similar to those found in corresponding samples of the right kidneys from the sham-operated rats. However, since the mass of the remnant right kidneys in the nephrectomized rats was greater than that of the right kidneys from the sham-operated rats, the absolute content of glutathione and glutathione disulfide was greater in the remnant right kidneys of the nephrectomized rats than in the right kidneys of the sham-operated rats. In general, the findings from the present study indicate that the absolute content of glutathione and glutathione disulfide in renal epithelial cells increases in proportion to the increase in mass that results from compensatory renal cellular hypertrophy.

Alterations of heme, cytochrome P-450, and steroid metabolism by mercury in rat adrenal.

The treatment of male rats with Hg2+ resulted in significant alterations in heme and hemoprotein metabolism in the adrenal gland which, in turn, were reflected in abnormal steroidogenic activities and steroid output. Twenty-four hours after the administration of 30 mumol of HgCl2/kg (sc) the mitochondrial heme and cytochrome P-450 concentrations increased by approximately 50%. Also, Hg2+ treatment stimulated a porphyrinogenic response which included an 11-fold increase in the activity of delta-aminolevulinate synthetase. The increase in mitochondrial cytochrome P-450 content was reflected in elevated steroid 11 beta-hydroxylase and cholesterol side-chain cleavage activities. In contrast, Hg2+ treatment resulted in decreased concentrations of microsomal cytochrome P-450 (-75%) and heme (-45%). Similarly, the reduction in the microsomal cytochrome P-450 content was accompanied by reduced steroid 21 alpha-hydroxylase and benzo[alpha]pyrene hydroxylase activities. The mechanisms responsible for the loss of the microsomal cytochrome P-450 content appeared to involve a selective impairment of formation of the holocytochrome as well as an enhanced rate of heme degradation. This suggestion is made on the basis of findings that (a) the decrease in the microsomal cytochrome P-450 content was accompanied by a sevenfold increase in the activity of adrenal heme oxygenase, (b) no decrease in apocytochrome P-450 could be detected in sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis of the solubilized microsomal fractions stained for heme, and (c) the concentration of adrenal microsomal cytochrome b5 was significantly increased in the Hg2+-treated animals. It is suggested that Hg2+ directly caused a defect in adrenal steroid biosynthesis by inhibiting the activity of 21 alpha-hydroxylase. The apparent physiological consequences of this effect included lowered plasma levels of corticosterone and elevated concentrations of progesterone and dehydroepiandrosterone. This abnormal plasma steroid profile is indicative of a 21 alpha-hydroxylase impairment.

Phenylhydrazine-mediated induction of haem oxygenase activity in rat liver and kidney and development of hyperbilirubinaemia. Inhibition by zinc-protoporphyrin.

Phenylhydrazine was found to be a potent inducer of microsomal haem oxygenase activity in rat liver and kidney, but not in spleen. The phenylhydrazine-mediated increase in haem oxygenase activity was time-dependent. Maximum activity was attained 12h after treatment in the liver, and 24h after treatment in the kidney. The increases in the activity of haem oxygenase in the liver and the kidney could be inhibited by cycloheximide. Furthermore, the increases could not be elicited by the treatment of microsomal preparations in vitro with phenylhydrazine. In consonance with the increased haem oxygenase activity, a marked increase (16-fold) was observed in the serum total bilirubin concentration in phenylhydrazine-treated rats. The mechanism of haem degradation promoted by phenylhydrazine in vivo appears to differ from that in vitro; only in the former case is bilirubin formed as the end-product of haem degradation. When rats were given zinc-protoporphyrin (40 mumol/kg) 12h before and after phenylhydrazine treatment, the phenylhydrazine-mediated increases in haem oxygenase activity in the liver and the kidney were effectively blocked. Treatment of rats in vivo with the metalloporphyrin also inhibited the activity of splenic haem oxygenase, and promoted a major decrease in the serum bilirubin levels. In phenylhydrazine-treated animals, the microsomal content of cytochrome P-450 was significantly decreased in the absence of a decrease in the microsomal haem concentration. The decrease in cytochrome P-450 content was accompanied by an increased absorption in the 420nm region of the reduced CO-difference spectrum, suggesting the conversion of the cytochrome to an inactive form. The marked depletion of cellular glutathione levels suggests that this conversion may be related to the action of active intermediates and free radicals formed in the course of the interaction of phenylhydrazine with the haem moiety of cytochrome P-450.

Sex difference in adrenal heme and cytochrome P-450 metabolism: evidence for the repressive regulatory role of testosterone.

A novel aspect of the regulation of heme biosynthesis and cytochrome P-450 concentration in rat adrenals, as pertains to the repressive role of testosterone, is described. Also, the presence of a sex difference in the activities of delta-aminolevulinate (ALA) synthetase and heme oxygenase, as well as the concentrations of heme and cytochrome P-450 in the adrenal mitochondrial and the microsomal fractions, are defined. The female rats displayed a nearly 2-fold higher value for the listed parameters. Castration of rats caused an elevation of ALA synthetase activity to approximate that of the female rats, whereas testosterone replacement depressed the enzyme activity to the level of the sham-operated animals. Moreover, female rats treated with testosterone showed a marked depression in adrenal ALA synthetase activity. This was accompanied by significant reductions in the mitochondrial and microsomal contents of cytochrome P-450 and heme. Heme oxygenase activity was neither altered by castration nor by the testosterone treatment of castrated and female rats. It is suggested that the adrenal ALA synthetase activity is regulated by plasma testosterone levels which, in turn, regulates the production of heme and the cellular levels of heme and cytochrome P-450. The mode of action of testosterone appears to be repressive in nature.

Minimal effects of two aldose reductase inhibitors, AL-1576 and AL-4114, after subacute topical-ocular dosing on xenobiotic biotransformation in rabbits.

Aldose reductase is believed to be involved in teh etiology of diabetic complications, including cataractogenesis, nephropathy, and neuropathy. AL-1576 and AL-4114, two spirohydantoin aldose reductase inhibitors, were specifically developed for prevention of diabetic cataractogenesis. This study has determined whether AL-1576 and AL-4114 are inducers of biotransformation by assaying the activities of some phase I and phase II enzymes in the liver, kidney, intestine, and five ocular tissues (cornea, lens, iris-ciliary body, retina, and choroid). The aldose reductase inhibitors were administered topically (the intended route for use in preventing cataractogenesis) in two concentrations (0.5 and 5.0%) each 3 times/day to both eyes of New Zealand white rabbits for 14 days. Lenticular aldose reductase activity was decreased by 30-75% by the aldose reductase inhibitors. Monooxygenase activity toward benzo(a)pyrene, ethoxyresorufin, and methoxycoumarin was not increased by AL-1576 or AL-4114 treatment in any tissue. Activities of 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene glutathione S-transferase, 2-naphthol sulfotransferase, and 1-naphthol UDP-glucuronosyltransferase were not significantly induced in the eight tissues. Clearly, ocular dosing with AL-4114 and AL-1576 for 14 days had little effect on hepatic, intestinal, and ocular biotransformation.

Oxidation of aldose reductase inhibitors ALO-4114 and ALO-3152 catalyzed by liver microsomes.

Rat and Cynomolgus monkey liver microsomes catalyze the oxidation of 2.7-difluoro-4.5-dimethoxyspiro (9H-fluorene-9,4'-imidazolidine)-2',5'-dione (ALO-4114) to its monomethoxymetabolite (ALO-4417). Formation of this product by O-demethylation of ALO-4114 is catalyzed by NADPH and oxygen-dependent microsomal enzymes with the properties of P-450 monooxygenases. The reaction is blocked by inhibitors selective for these enzymes and activity increases about 2-fold in rats pretreated with phenobarbital or methylcholanthrene. The increase in the O-demethylation of ALO-4114 was, however, considerably less than the increase in benzphetamine N-demethylation or nitrophenetole O-deethylation activities in liver microsomes from rats pretreated with either phenobarbital or methylcholanthrene. Rats pretreated with 20 or 40 mg/kg of ALO-4114 for 3-4 days failed to change significantly the rate of ALO-4114 O-demethylase activity of liver microsomes. O-Demethylation of the achiral ALO-4114 yields the chiral ALO-4417. The enantiomers separated on a Daicel Chiracel AS column by HPLC indicated that O-demethylation of ALO-4114 by microsomes from untreated rats was only slightly stereoselective. However, rats pretreated with methylcholanthrene not only enhanced activity, but also increased the formation of one enantiomer. Further oxidative metabolism of the enantiomers was slow and barely detectable in vitro. Studies conducted with Cynomolgus monkey liver microsomes from one male and one female per experimental group were generally consistent with those from the rat, but some differences were noted. Whether the differences are real or only reflect individual variations caused by the small sample size is not known at present.

Cytotoxicity and bioactivation mechanism of benzyl 2-chloro-1,1,2-trifluoroethyl sulfide and benzyl 1,2,3,4,4-pentachlorobuta-1,3-dienyl sulfide.

The metabolism and cytotoxicity of benzyl 1,2,3,4,4-pentachlorobuta-1,3-dienyl sulfide (1) and benzyl 2-chloro-1,1,2-trifluoroethyl sulfide (2) were studied as an alternative test of the hypothesis that the toxicity of the cysteine S-conjugates S-(pentachlorobutadienyl)-L-cysteine and S-(2-chloro-1,1,2-trifluoroethyl)-L-cysteine is associated with their metabolism to unstable thiols; the expectation was that the benzyl sulfides 1 and 2 would undergo cytochrome P-450 dependent benzylic hydroxylation and that the intermediate hemimercaptals would eliminate unstable, cytotoxic thiols. This expectation was realized: 1 and 2 were cytotoxic in isolated rat hepatocytes. The cytotoxicity of 1 was greater in hepatocytes from phenobarbital-treated rats compared with control rats and in male than in female rats and was inhibited by carbon monoxide and 2-(N,N-diethylamino)ethyl 2,2-diphenylvalerate HCl (SKF 525-A). Benzyl sulfides 1 and 2 were metabolized to benzaldehyde by rat hepatic microsomal fractions and by a purified, reconstituted cytochrome P-450PB-B system. Benzaldehyde was not cytotoxic. These results provide support for the hypothesis that benzyl sulfides 1 and 2 and the corresponding cysteine S-conjugates yield unstable thiols, which may give rise to acylating agents or to stable, but toxic, terminal products that are responsible for the cytotoxic effects of the benzyl sulfides and cysteine S-conjugates.

Risk factors for the persistence of respiratory symptoms in childhood asthma.

We studied the prognosis of childhood asthma in a cohort of 406 children 8 to 12 yr of age when enrolled. Subjects were followed for a mean of 14.8 yr after their initial evaluation, with a follow-up rate of 86%. The mean age at follow-up was 24.7 yr. We assessed the predictive value of sex and various childhood variables on the outcome of symptoms and medication use in adulthood. Although only 19% of subjects were still under a physician's supervision at the time of follow-up, 76% had respiratory symptoms, 32% used maintenance medication, and 22% used medication intermittently. The incidence of cigarette smoking was disturbingly high (33%). In adulthood, women were more likely than men to have symptoms (85 versus 72%, respectively). The childhood symptom severity and the childhood degree of bronchial responsiveness in combination with a low %FEV1 were also related to the outcome of asthma in adulthood. The high prevalence of symptoms in adults at follow-up coupled with the low rate of physician supervision and medication usage suggest that more aggressive treatment may be indicated in asthmatic children.

Follow-up of asthma from childhood to adulthood: influence of potential childhood risk factors on the outcome of pulmonary function and bronchial responsiveness in adulthood.

The outcome of asthma in 406 children, aged 8 to 12 years, was studied. Follow-up in adulthood was 86%, with a mean age of 24.7 years and a mean interval of follow-up of 14.8 years. The predictive value of gender and various childhood variables on the adult level of pulmonary function (forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1]) and bronchial responsiveness in adulthood was assessed. An increase in mean percent predicted FEV1 from childhood to adulthood was found, both in subjects with (76%) and without (24%) current respiratory symptoms. The only childhood variable predictive of adult level of FEV1 was the level of percent predicted FEV1 (p < 0.01). The proportion of subjects with a histamine provocative concentration causing a 10% decrease in FEV1 less than or equal to 16 mg/ml decreased significantly in adulthood. The degree of bronchial responsiveness had increased slightly in adults with symptoms (p = 0.87), whereas it had decreased significantly in subjects without symptoms (p < 0.01). Female subjects were significantly more responsive in adulthood than male subjects (p = 0.047). The childhood degree of bronchial responsiveness significantly predicted the presence of bronchial responsiveness in adulthood (p = 0.02). We conclude that childhood percent predicted FEV1 is relevant to predict the outcome of the adult pulmonary function level, whereas female gender and the childhood degree of bronchial responsiveness are important for the prediction of adult degree of bronchial responsiveness among children with asthma.