Continuing benefits of the Montreal Protocol and protection of the stratospheric ozone layer for human health and the environment.

The protection of Earth's stratospheric ozone (O3) is an ongoing process under the auspices of the universally ratified Montreal Protocol and its Amendments and adjustments. A critical part of this process is the assessment of the environmental issues related to changes in O3. The United Nations Environment Programme's Environmental Effects Assessment Panel provides annual scientific evaluations of some of the key issues arising in the recent collective knowledge base. This current update includes a comprehensive assessment of the incidence rates of skin cancer, cataract and other skin and eye diseases observed worldwide; the effects of UV radiation on tropospheric oxidants, and air and water quality; trends in breakdown products of fluorinated chemicals and recent information of their toxicity; and recent technological innovations of building materials for greater resistance to UV radiation. These issues span a wide range of topics, including both harmful and beneficial effects of exposure to UV radiation, and complex interactions with climate change. While the Montreal Protocol has succeeded in preventing large reductions in stratospheric O3, future changes may occur due to a number of natural and anthropogenic factors. Thus, frequent assessments of potential environmental impacts are essential to ensure that policies remain based on the best available scientific knowledge.

The Montreal Protocol and the fate of environmental plastic debris.

Microplastics (MPs) are an emerging class of pollutants in air, soil and especially in all aquatic environments. Secondary MPs are generated in the environment during fragmentation of especially photo-oxidised plastic litter. Photo-oxidation is mediated primarily by solar UV radiation. The implementation of the Montreal Protocol and its Amendments, which have resulted in controlling the tropospheric UV-B (280-315 nm) radiation load, is therefore pertinent to the fate of environmental plastic debris. Due to the Montreal Protocol high amounts of solar UV-B radiation at the Earth's surface have been avoided, retarding the oxidative fragmentation of plastic debris, leading to a slower generation and accumulation of MPs in the environment. Quantifying the impact of the Montreal Protocol in reducing the abundance of MPs in the environment, however, is complicated as the role of potential mechanical fragmentation of plastics under environmental mechanical stresses is poorly understood.

Effects of UV radiation on natural and synthetic materials.

The deleterious effects of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation on construction materials, especially wood and plastics, and the consequent impacts on their useful lifetimes, are well documented in scientific literature. Any future increase in solar UV radiation and ambient temperature due to climate change will therefore shorten service lifetimes of materials, which will require higher levels of stabilisation or other interventions to maintain their lifetimes at the present levels. The implementation of the Montreal Protocol and its amendments on substances that deplete the ozone layer, controls the solar UV-B radiation received on Earth. This current quadrennial assessment provides a comprehensive update on the deleterious effects of solar UV radiation on the durability of natural and synthetic materials, as well as recent innovations in better stabilising of materials against solar UV radiation-induced damage. Pertinent emerging technologies for wood and plastics used in construction, composite materials used in construction, textile fibres, comfort fabric, and photovoltaic materials, are addressed in detail. Also addressed are the trends in technology designed to increase sustainability via replacing toxic, unsustainable, legacy additives with 'greener' benign substitutes that may indirectly affect the UV stability of the redesigned materials. An emerging class of efficient photostabilisers are the nanoscale particles that include oxide fillers and nanocarbons used in high-performance composites, which provide good UV stability to materials. They also allow the design of UV-shielding fabric materials with impressive UV protection factors. An emerging environmental issue related to the photodegradation of plastics is the generation of ubiquitous micro-scale particles from plastic litter exposed to solar UV radiation.

Environmental effects of stratospheric ozone depletion, UV radiation, and interactions with climate change: UNEP Environmental Effects Assessment Panel, Update 2021.

The Environmental Effects Assessment Panel of the Montreal Protocol under the United Nations Environment Programme evaluates effects on the environment and human health that arise from changes in the stratospheric ozone layer and concomitant variations in ultraviolet (UV) radiation at the Earth's surface. The current update is based on scientific advances that have accumulated since our last assessment (Photochem and Photobiol Sci 20(1):1-67, 2021). We also discuss how climate change affects stratospheric ozone depletion and ultraviolet radiation, and how stratospheric ozone depletion affects climate change. The resulting interlinking effects of stratospheric ozone depletion, UV radiation, and climate change are assessed in terms of air quality, carbon sinks, ecosystems, human health, and natural and synthetic materials. We further highlight potential impacts on the biosphere from extreme climate events that are occurring with increasing frequency as a consequence of climate change. These and other interactive effects are examined with respect to the benefits that the Montreal Protocol and its Amendments are providing to life on Earth by controlling the production of various substances that contribute to both stratospheric ozone depletion and climate change.

Environmental effects of stratospheric ozone depletion, UV radiation, and interactions with climate change: UNEP Environmental Effects Assessment Panel, Update 2020.

This assessment by the Environmental Effects Assessment Panel (EEAP) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) provides the latest scientific update since our most recent comprehensive assessment (Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences, 2019, 18, 595-828). The interactive effects between the stratospheric ozone layer, solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and climate change are presented within the framework of the Montreal Protocol and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We address how these global environmental changes affect the atmosphere and air quality; human health; terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems; biogeochemical cycles; and materials used in outdoor construction, solar energy technologies, and fabrics. In many cases, there is a growing influence from changes in seasonality and extreme events due to climate change. Additionally, we assess the transmission and environmental effects of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, in the context of linkages with solar UV radiation and the Montreal Protocol.

Environmental effects of stratospheric ozone depletion, UV radiation and interactions with climate change: UNEP Environmental Effects Assessment Panel, update 2019.

This assessment, by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Environmental Effects Assessment Panel (EEAP), one of three Panels informing the Parties to the Montreal Protocol, provides an update, since our previous extensive assessment (Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2019, 18, 595-828), of recent findings of current and projected interactive environmental effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, stratospheric ozone, and climate change. These effects include those on human health, air quality, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, biogeochemical cycles, and materials used in construction and other services. The present update evaluates further evidence of the consequences of human activity on climate change that are altering the exposure of organisms and ecosystems to UV radiation. This in turn reveals the interactive effects of many climate change factors with UV radiation that have implications for the atmosphere, feedbacks, contaminant fate and transport, organismal responses, and many outdoor materials including plastics, wood, and fabrics. The universal ratification of the Montreal Protocol, signed by 197 countries, has led to the regulation and phase-out of chemicals that deplete the stratospheric ozone layer. Although this treaty has had unprecedented success in protecting the ozone layer, and hence all life on Earth from damaging UV radiation, it is also making a substantial contribution to reducing climate warming because many of the chemicals under this treaty are greenhouse gases.

Susceptibility to neurofibrillary tangles: role of the PTPRD locus and limited pleiotropy with other neuropathologies.

Tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative conditions, are defined by a pathological hallmark: neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). NFT accumulation is thought to be closely linked to cognitive decline in AD. Here, we perform a genome-wide association study for NFT pathologic burden and report the association of the PTPRD locus (rs560380, P=3.8 × 10-8) in 909 prospective autopsies. The association is replicated in an independent data set of 369 autopsies. The association of PTPRD with NFT is not dependent on the accumulation of amyloid pathology. In contrast, we found that the ZCWPW1 AD susceptibility variant influences NFT accumulation and that this effect is mediated by an accumulation of amyloid ß plaques. We also performed complementary analyses to identify common pathways that influence multiple neuropathologies that coexist with NFT and found suggestive evidence that certain loci may influence multiple different neuropathological traits, including tau, amyloid ß plaques, vascular injury and Lewy bodies. Overall, these analyses offer an evaluation of genetic susceptibility to NFT, a common end point for multiple different pathologic processes.

CYP4A11 variant is associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in women.

The ω-hydroxylase CYP4A11 catalyzes the transformation of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) to ω-hydroxylated EETs, endogenous peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) agonists. PPARα activation increases high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). A cytosine-for-thymidine (T8590C) variant of CYP4A11 encodes for an ω-hydroxylase with reduced activity. This study examined the relationship between CYP4A11 T8590C genotype and metabolic parameters in the Framingham Offspring Study and in a clinical practice-based biobank, BioVU. In women in the Framingham Offspring Study, the CYP4A11 8590C allele was associated with reduced HDL-C concentrations (52.1±0.5 mg dl(-1) in CYP4A11 CC- or CT-genotype women versus 54.8±0.5 mg dl(-1) in TT women at visit 2, P=0.02), and with an increased prevalence of low HDL-C, defined categorically as 50 mg dl(-1) (odds ratio 1.39 (95% CI 1.02-1.90), P=0.04). In the BioVU cohort, the CYP4A11 8590C allele was also associated with low HDL-C in women (odds ratio 1.69 (95% CI 1.03-2.77, P=0.04)). There was no relationship between genotype and HDL-C in men in either cohort.

Oxidation and fragmentation of plastics in a changing environment; from UV-radiation to biological degradation.

Understanding the fate of plastics in the environment is of critical importance for the quantitative assessment of the biological impacts of plastic waste. Specially, there is a need to analyze in more detail the reputed longevity of plastics in the context of plastic degradation through oxidation and fragmentation reactions. Photo-oxidation of plastic debris by solar UV radiation (UVR) makes material prone to subsequent fragmentation. The fragments generated following oxidation and subsequent exposure to mechanical stresses include secondary micro- or nanoparticles, an emerging class of pollutants. The paper discusses the UV-driven photo-oxidation process, identifying relevant knowledge gaps and uncertainties. Serious gaps in knowledge exist concerning the wavelength sensitivity and the dose-response of the photo-fragmentation process. Given the heterogeneity of natural UV irradiance varying from no exposure in sediments to full UV exposure of floating, beach litter or air-borne plastics, it is argued that the rates of UV-driven degradation/fragmentation will also vary dramatically between different locations and environmental niches. Biological phenomena such as biofouling will further modulate the exposure of plastics to UV radiation, while potentially also contributing to degradation and/or fragmentation of plastics independent of solar UVR. Reductions in solar UVR in many regions, consequent to the implementation of the Montreal Protocol and its Amendments for protecting stratospheric ozone, will have consequences for global UV-driven plastic degradation in a heterogeneous manner across different geographic and environmental zones. The interacting effects of global warming, stratospheric ozone and UV radiation are projected to increase UV irradiance at the surface in localized areas, mainly because of decreased cloud cover. Given the complexity and uncertainty of future environmental conditions, this currently precludes reliable quantitative predictions of plastic persistence on a global scale.

Inhibition of cell proliferation by ciprofibrate in glutathione S-transferase P1-1-positive rat hepatic hyperplastic nodules.

Previous studies have demonstrated that short-term treatment with a peroxisome proliferator (PP) decreased the size and number of genotoxic carcinogen-induced hepatic hyperplastic lesions identified by gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) or glutathione S-transferase P1-1 (rGSTP1-1) staining. However, longer-term PP treatment of animals bearing similar hepatic hyperplastic lesions produced an increase in both the size and number of liver tumors. To characterize the hepatic hyperplastic lesions which are inhibited or promoted by PP, a unique double labeling technique was developed to determine the relative rate of cell division (e.g., DNA synthesis) in rGSTP1-1-positive nodules before and after ciprofibrate (Cip) treatment. rGSTP1-1-positive nodules were induced with the Solt-Farber resistance protocol (diethylnitrosamine-2-acetylaminofluorene partial hepatectomy). Eleven weeks after diethylnitrosamine initiation, 3 groups of rats were maintained on a control chow diet or switched to a powdered chow diet containing 0.025% Cip or 0.05% phenobarbital (PB) for the last 8 days of the experiment. A minipump implanted in the abdominal cavity released [methyl-3H]thymidine continuously for 72 h and was then removed prior to CIp or PB treatment. A second minipump was then implanted which released bromodeoxyuridine to the abdominal cavity 5 days after the start of Cip or PB administration and lasted for 72 h until the termination of the experiment. Both the [methyl-3H]thymidine and bromodeoxyuridine labeling indices (LIs) were determined in the same group of cells within individual rGSTP1-1-positive nodules in the right posterior lobes of livers. PB treatment increased both the average number of persistent GGT-positive nodules and the ratio of persistent GGT-positive to rGSTP1-1-positive nodules/cm2. In contrast, Cip treatment greatly decreased the average number and area of persistent GGT-positive nodules, as well as the ratio between persistent GGT-positive and rGSTP1-1-positive nodules/cm2. Cip treatment also resulted in a 40% decrease in the average LI in the rGSTP1-1-positive nodules. In some rGSTP1-1-positive nodules, the LI was decreased from > 40% prior to Cip treatment to < 5% afterward, suggesting that Cip treatment interrupted progression in these nodules. Such drastic changes in the LI before and after treatments were not observed in either PB- or vehicle-treated (control) animals. A number of small nodules with a high bromodeoxyuridine LI but with no or very few [methyl-3H]thymidine-labeled nuclei and negative GGT and rGSTP1-1 staining were detected only in the Cip group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Duroquinol as an electron donor for chloroplast electron transfer reactions.

Duroquinol (tetramethylhydroquinone) was found to function as an electron donor in chloroplasts. Non-cyclic electron transfer from duroquinol to electron acceptors such as oxygen proceeded at high rates, was insensitive to 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU) but was sensitive to the plastoquinone antagonist 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-1,4-benzoquinone (DBMIB). The electron transport from duroquinol was coupled to the synthesis of ATP. Spectroscopic studies of chloroplast electron carriers in the dark indicated the high-potential "Rieske" iron-sulfur center, cytochrome f, plastocyanin and P-700 were all reduced by duroquinol. The dark reduction of the "Rieske" iron-sulfur center and cytochrome f were inhibited by DBMIB but not by DCMU. These results have been interpreted in terms of a linear sequence of electron carriers in the non-cyclic electron transport chain which includes plastoquinone, the "Rieske" iron-sulfur center, cytochrome f, plastocyanin and P-700.

Functions of the Caenorhabditis elegans regulatory myosin light chain genes mlc-1 and mlc-2.

Caenorhabditis elegans contains two muscle regulatory myosin light chain genes, mlc-1 and mlc-2. To determine their in vivo roles, we identified deletions that eliminate each gene individually and both genes in combination. Functions of mlc-1 are redundant to those of mlc-2 in both body-wall and pharyngeal muscle. mlc-1(0) mutants are wild type, but mlc-1(0) mlc-2(0) double mutants arrest as incompletely elongated L1 larvae, having both pharyngeal and body-wall muscle defects. Transgenic copies of either mlc-1(+) or mlc-2(+) rescue all defects of mlc-1(0) mlc-2(0) double mutants. mlc-2 is redundant to mlc-1 in body-wall muscle, but mlc-2 performs a nearly essential role in the pharynx. Approximately 90% of mlc-2(0) hermaphrodites arrest as L1 larvae due to pharyngeal muscle defects. Lethality of mlc-2(0) mutants is sex specific, with mlc-2(0) males being essentially wild type. Four observations suggest that hermaphrodite-specific lethality of mlc-2(0) mutants results from insufficient expression of the X-linked mlc-1(+) gene in the pharynx. First, mlc-1(0) mlc-2(0) double mutants are fully penetrant L1 lethals in both hermaphrodites and males. Second, in situ localization of mlc mRNAs demonstrates that both mlc-1 and mlc-2 are expressed in the pharynx. Third, transgenic copies of either mlc-1(+) or mlc-2(+) rescue the pharyngeal defects of mlc-1(0) mlc-2(0) hermaphrodites. Fourth, a mutation of the dosage compensation gene sdc-3 suppresses hermaphrodite-specific lethality of mlc-2(0) mutants.

The effects of Neotrofin on septodentate sprouting after unilateral entorhinal cortex lesions in rats.

PURPOSE: Recent research on the purine derivative of hypoxanthine Neotrofin (4-[[3-(1,6-dihydro-6-oxo-9-purin-9-yl)-1-oxopropyl]amino]benzoic acid; AIT-082) has indicated that Neotrofin treatment elevates the mRNA levels of various neurotrophic factors, including nerve growth factor (NGF), in the CNS. Several previous studies have indicated that NGF may regulate septodentate sprouting after entorhinal cortex lesions in rats. Thus, the objective of this investigation was to determine whether Neotrofin treatment would enhance lesion-induced septodentate sprouting from 4 to 15 days postlesion. METHODS: Sham-operated rats or rats with EC lesions were injected (i.p.) with either Neotrofin (30 mg/kg) or saline (0.9%) immediately after surgery and every day thereafter until the end of the treatment regimen. Septodentate sprouting, as indicated by intensity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) label in the dentate gyrus, was assessed with optical densitometry. RESULTS: We observed that Neotrofin elevated the AChE-label in the outer molecular layer of the ventral dentate gyrus at 4 days postlesion and of the dorsal dentate gyrus at 15 days postlesion. CONCLUSIONS: Neotrofin appears to have exerted limited stimulatory effects on lesion-induced sprouting by a cholinergic pathway.

Modulation of glutathione and glutamate-L-cysteine ligase by methylmercury during mouse development.

The antioxidant tripeptide glutathione has been proposed to be important in defense against oxidative stress and heavy metal toxicity. We evaluated alterations in glutathione regulation and synthesis associated with low-level chronic methylmercury (MeHg) exposure in the developing mouse fetus. Female C57Bl/6 mice were given 0, 3, or 10 ppm MeHg in the drinking water for 2 weeks prior to breeding and throughout pregnancy. Fetuses were collected on gestational days (gd) 12 and 16. Total glutathione, reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSR), and glutamate-L-cysteine ligase (Glcl) activity were assessed in yolk sacs and fetuses at gd 16. Western and Northern blots for Glcl-catalytic (Glclc) and Glcl-regulatory (Glclr) subunits were performed on gd 12 and gd 16 fetuses. There were no changes in total glutathione in gd 16 mouse fetuses with exposure, but there were dose-related decreases in GSH and increases in GSSR. In contrast, visceral yolk sacs exhibited an increase in total glutathione in the low-dose groups, but no changes in the high-dose group. There were no changes in Glcl activity in fetuses, but there was a 2-fold increase in Glcl activity in yolk sacs from both low-dose and high-dose groups. There was a 2-fold induction in GLCLC: mRNA and protein in the gd 16 yolk sacs at both 3 and 10 ppm MeHg. No treatment-related changes in Glclr protein in either gd 12 or gd 16 yolk sacs or fetuses were found. Thus, the yolk sac is capable of up-regulating Glclc and GSH synthetic capacity in response to MeHg exposure. This increase appears to be sufficient to resist MeHg-induced GSH depletion in the yolk sac; however fetal glutathione redox status is compromised with exposure to 10 ppm MeHg.

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveys: IV. The descriptive epidemiology of exercise.

Telephone interview data from aggregated state surveys showed that about 21 percent of the U.S. adult population expends greater than or equal to 3 kcal/kg-day in vigorous leisure-time exercise. Three kilocalories per kilogram-day is equivalent to the amount commonly recommended to maximally reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease. Approximately 36 percent of the U.S. population reported no vigorous leisure-time exercise. Men, younger persons, and the more highly educated were most likely to expend greater than or equal to 3 kcal/kg-day, but for no subgroup did the rate exceed 30 percent. People who did not smoke, were not obese, and who did wear seat belts are also more likely to expend energy in vigorous leisure-time exercise. The prevalence of alcohol misuse is similar for all exercise categories. The proportion of people who expend greater than or equal to 3 kcal/kg-day is unrelated to self-reported occupational physical effort. Given the established and presumed benefits of physical activity, a substantial portion of the U.S. population would probably benefit from regular, vigorous, leisure-time exercise.

The role of intracellular glutathione in methylmercury-induced toxicity in embryonic neuronal cells.

Previous studies indicate that the ability of cells to up-regulate levels of intracellular glutathione (GSH) synthesis may determine their sensitivity to MeHg exposure. The purpose of the current study is two-fold. First, we determined whether the vulnerability of the developing central nervous system (CNS) to MeHg lies in its intracellular GSH content. The intracellular GSH content and the activity of gamma-glutamyl cysteine synthetase (GCS) were determined with and without MeHg exposure in primary cultures of rat embryonic CNS cells. In addition, the effect of GSH modulation on MeHg-induced cytotoxicity was determined. Second, we characterized the mechanism of GCS regulation, initially by studying the GCS heavy chain subunit (GCS-HC). Primary embryonic limb bud cells were used as a reference cell type for comparing the response of CNS cells. The results indicate that constitutive intracellular GSH content, GCS activity, and GCS-HC mRNA and protein levels of CNS cells were approximately ten-, two-, five-, and ten-fold higher, respectively, than those in limb bud cells. A dose-dependent increase in GSH levels and GCS activity was observed in CNS and limb bud cells following 1 and 2 microM MeHg exposure for 20 hr. Further characterization of GCS up-regulation in CNS cells showed that the increase in GCS activity following MeHg exposure, unlike limb bud cells, was not accompanied by an elevation of GCS-HC mRNA and protein levels. Pretreatment with N-acetylcysteine led to a significant increase in intracellular GSH, while L-buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine (BSO) resulted in decreased GSH levels, however neither pretreatment had a significant impact on MeHg-induced cytotoxicity in either cell type. Our results suggest that although oxidative stress may mediate aspects of MeHg toxicity, disruption of GSH homeostasis alone is not responsible for the sensitivity of embryonic CNS cells to MeHg.

Tissue specific changes in the expression of glutamate-cysteine ligase mRNAs in mice exposed to methylmercury.

Glutamate-cysteine ligase (GLCL), the rate-limiting enzyme in glutathione (GSH) synthesis is composed of two subunits, a catalytic (GLCLc) and a regulatory subunit (GLCLr). These two subunits are known to be differentially regulated in vitro, in different cell types and in response to various xenobiotic exposures. In this study, we examined whether these two subunits can also be differentially regulated in vivo. We found that GLCLc and GLCLr are differentially regulated at the transcriptional level in a tissue-dependent manner in female mice treated with methylmercury (MeHg). MeHg caused a downregulation of both subunit mRNAs in the liver, upregulation of both subunit mRNAs in the kidney and upregulation of only the catalytic subunit mRNA in the small intestine of female mice treated with a single dose of MeHg (6 mg/kg) by intraperitoneal injection. These results suggest that GLCLc and GLCLr can be differentially regulated in vivo, and that this regulation is tissue dependent in the mouse.

Induction of glutamate-cysteine ligase (gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase) in the brains of adult female mice subchronically exposed to methylmercury.

Methylmercury (MeHg) is widely known for its potent neurotoxic properties. One proposed mechanism of action of MeHg relates to its high affinity for sulfhydryl groups, especially those found on glutathione (GSH) and proteins. Previous studies have shown that acute MeHg exposure results in an increase in the mRNA for the rate-limiting enzyme in GSH synthesis, glutamate-cysteine ligase (GLCL) (also known as gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase). In this study, we evaluated the effects of subchronic (12-week) MeHg exposure at 0, 3 or 10 ppm in the drinking water on GSH levels, GLCL catalytic (GLCLC) and regulatory subunit mRNA and protein levels, and GLCL activity in brain, liver and kidney tissue of C57B1/6 female mice. Contrary to previous findings in rats, there were no changes in GSH concentration in any of the tissues examined. However, there was an increase in GLCLC protein in the brain, which was accompanied by a 30% increase in GLCL activity. We conclude that up-regulation of GSH synthetic capacity in the brains of mice is a sensitive biomarker of subchronic MeHg exposure.

Gonadotropin regulation of glutathione synthesis in the rat ovary.

Glutathione (GSH), an antioxidant and conjugator of electrophilic toxicants, prevents toxicant-mediated destruction of ovarian follicles and oocytes. Ovarian GSH has previously been shown to change with estrous cycle stage in rats, suggesting that the gonadotropin hormones may regulate ovarian GSH synthesis. The present studies tested the hypotheses that [1] estrous cycle-related changes in ovarian GSH result from cyclic changes in protein and mRNA expression of the rate-limiting enzyme in GSH synthesis, glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL, also called gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase), and [2] that these changes result from gonadotropin-mediated regulation of GCL subunit expression. In the first experiment, ovaries were harvested from cycling adult female rats on each stage of the estrous cycle. In the second experiment immature female rats were injected with pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG) to stimulate follicular development or with vehicle and killed 8, 24, or 48 h later. In both experiments the ovaries were harvested for [1] total GSH assay, [2] Western analysis for GCL catalytic (GCLc) and regulatory (GCLm) subunit protein levels, or [3] Northern analysis for Gclc and Gclm mRNA levels. Ovarian GSH concentrations and Gclc and Gclm mRNA levels, but not GCL subunit protein levels, varied significantly with estrous cycle stage. PMSG administration significantly increased ovarian GSH concentrations 24 and 48 h later. GCLm protein levels increased significantly at 24 h and 48 h following PMSG. GCLc protein levels did not increase significantly following PMSG. Gcl subunit mRNA levels were not significantly increased at any time point by the planned ANOVA; however, an increase in Gelc at 48 h was identified by t-testing. These results support the hypothesis that gonadotropins regulate ovarian GSH synthesis by modulating GCL subunit expression.

A comparison of the effect of two bovine serum albumin preparations on benzo(alpha)pyrene hydroxylase in rat liver and lung microsomes.

One of two commercial bovine serum albumin preparations caused decreases in rat liver and lung microsomal benzo(alpha)pyrene hydroxylase activities when measured by the fluorescence assay. The decreased activities were not due to a decreased recovery of a reaction product, 3-hydroxybenzo (alpha)pyrene, the presence of unmasked fatty acid binding sites or decreased content of cytochrome P450. The decreased enzyme activity may be due to a component present in the preparation. The results indicate that bovine serum albumin preparations should be carefully checked before use in the benzo(alpha)pyrene hydroxylase assay.