Antinociceptive and antioxidant potential of the crude ethanol extract of the leaves of Ageratum conyzoides grown in Bangladesh.

CONTEXT: Ageratum conyzoides Linn. (Asteraceae) is an annual herbaceous plant with a long history of traditional medicinal and agricultural uses; it is usually grown in the northeast part of Bangladesh. OBJECTIVE: The ethanol extract of the plant leaves was evaluated for preliminary phytochemical screening with its antinociceptive and antioxidant activities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The preliminary phytochemical analysis was performed on the basis of standard procedures. The analgesic activity of the extract was investigated using the acetic acid-induced writhing method in mice. Five complementary tests such as DPPH free radical scavenging, nitric oxide (NO) scavenging, reducing power, Fe(++) ion chelating ability and total phenolic content were used for determining antioxidant activities. RESULTS: The results of preliminary phytochemical analysis showed the presence of alkaloids, reducing sugars, saponins, gums, steroids, tannins and flavonoids. The extract possessed a significant dose-dependent DPPH free radical scavenging activity with an IC50 value of 18.91 µg/ml compared to ascorbic acid (IC50: 2.937 µg/ml) and butylated hydroxyanisole (IC50: 5.10 µg/ml). The IC50 value of the extract for NO scavenging (41.81 µg/ml) was also found to be significant compared to the IC50 value of ascorbic acid (37.93 µg/ml). Moreover, the extract showed reducing power activity and Fe(++) ion chelating ability. The total phenolic amount was also calculated as quite high (378.37 mg/g of gallic acid equivalents) in the crude ethanol extract. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Therefore, the obtained results tend to suggest the antinociceptive and antioxidant activities of the ethanol extract of the plant leaves and justify its use in folkloric remedies.

Mkp-1 protects mice against toxin-induced liver damage by promoting the Nrf2 cytoprotective response.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the possible protective effect of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase 1 (Mkp-1) on toxin-induced hepatic injury. Here, we uncovered a positive feedback loop between Mkp-1, a dual threonine/tyrosine phosphatase, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a crucial regulator of the defense system in the liver. Mkp-1-/- mice exhibited decreased protein levels of Nrf2, phase II gene products, and reduced glutathione (GSH) in the liver. Induction of detoxifying enzymes by the Nrf2 activator butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) or sulforaphane, was attenuated in the liver and small intestines of Mkp-1-/- mice, indicating that the Nrf2 signaling pathway is impaired as a result of Mkp-1 deficiency. Mkp-1-/- mice suffered more severe liver injury after a single exposure to hepatotoxin carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) than their wild-type (WT) counterparts. BHA partially rescued the CCl4-induced liver damage in WT mice, but not in Mkp-1-/- mice, suggesting the requirement of Mkp-1 in the activation of Nrf2 signaling against the liver injury. Mechanistically, Mkp-1 upregulated Nrf2 through a direct interaction with the Neh2 domain in the transcription factor, while Nrf2 enhanced the expression of Mkp-1 mRNA by binding to the ARE site at -1719 to -1710bp in the Mkp-1 promoter. Our results reveal novel role of Mkp-1 in the maintenance of redox homeostasis in the liver. Thus, strategies aimed at augmenting Mkp-1 expression may be beneficial in protecting the liver and may provide novel therapeutic approaches to toxin-induced liver injury.

Butylated hydroxyanisole alters rat 5α-reductase and 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase: Implications for influences of neurosteroidogenesis.

Butylated hydroxyanisole is a synthetic antioxidant. It may affect the function of the nerve system. The objective of the present study is to investigate the direct effects of butylated hydroxyanisole on rat brain neurosteroidogenic 5α-reductase 1 (SRD5A1), 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (AKR1C14), and retinol dehydrogenase 2 (RDH2). Rat SRD5A1, AKR1C14, and RDH2 were cloned and expressed in COS1 cells, and the effects of butylated hydroxyanisole on these enzyme activities were measured. Butylated hydroxyanisole inhibited SRD5A1, AKR1C14, and RDH2 with IC50 values of 4.731±0.079µM, 5.753±0.073µM, and over 100µM, respectively. Butylated hydroxyanisole is a competitive inhibitor for both SRD5A1 and AKR1C14. Docking analysis shows that butylated hydroxyanisole binds to the dihydrotestosterone-binding site of AKR1C14. In conclusion, butylated hydroxyanisole is a potent inhibitor of SRD5A1 and AKR1C14, thus reducing the formation of active neurosteroids.

Effects of administration to mice of butylated hydroxyanisole by oral intubation on benzo[a]pyrene-induced pulmonary adenoma formation and metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene.

Administration of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) by oral intubation 4 hours before challenge with benzo[a]pyrene (BP) inhibited the formation of pulmonary adenomas in A/HeJ mice. Incubation of BP with liver microsomes from mice that received BHA 2,4, or 8 hours before being killed resulted in less binding of BP metabolites to added DNA than occurred with control microsomes. High-pressure liquid chromatography studies of the BP metabolite pattern produced by the incubation of BP with liver microsomes from mice given BHA by oral intubation showed a decrease in formation of BP-4,5-oxide and 9-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene. In contrast, the formation of 3-hydroxybenzo[a]-pyrene was increased. The was increased. The short interval between the administration of BHA by oral intubation and the observed biochemical changes indicated that BHA could exert a direct effect on the microsomal metabolism of BP. These changes in metabolism of BP occurred under conditions of BHA administration that produced a decreased neoplastic response to this carcinogen.

Effect of various levels of dietary butylated hydroxyanisole on methylazoxymethanol acetate-induced colon carcinogenesis in CF1 mice.

The effect of dietary butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) on methylazoxymethanol (MAM) acetate-induced colon carcinogenesis was studied in female CF1 mice fed the NIH-07 open formula diet and the AIN-76 semipurified diet. BHA levels in the experimental diets were 0.6% in the AIN-76 diet and 0.03, 0.1, 0.3, and 0.6% in the NIH-07 diet. Starting at 5 weeks of age, groups of mice were fed diets with or without BHA. At 7 weeks of age, all animals except vehicle-treated controls were given ip injections of MAM acetate (15 mg/kg body wt), four times in 11 days (low dose) and eight times in 22 days (high dose). Animals were fed their experimental diets until 2 weeks after carcinogen treatment, when those receiving the BHA diets were fed their respective control diets without BHA until termination of the experiment. With a low dose of carcinogen, BHA in the NIH-07 diet inhibited lung tumor incidences in a dose-related manner; with a high dose of carcinogen the inhibition was apparent with 0.1-0.6% BHA. Lung tumor incidence was lower in the low carcinogen treated group fed the AIN-76 diet containing 0.6% BHA than in the animals fed the diet without BHA. Colon tumor incidence was lower in mice fed the NIH-07 diet containing 0.3 and 0.6% BHA and treated with a low dose of carcinogen than in the animals fed no BHA; colon tumor multiplicity (adenomas/animal and adenomas/tumor-bearing animal) was inhibited in mice fed the diets containing 0.03-0.6% BHA. In groups given a high dose of MAM acetate, the NIH-07 diet with 0.03-0.6% BHA and the AIN-76 diet with 0.6% BHA greatly inhibited colon tumor incidence and multiplicity.

In vivo pharmacokinetics, activation of MAPK signaling and induction of phase II/III drug metabolizing enzymes/transporters by cancer chemopreventive compound BHA in the mice.

Phenolic antioxidant butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) is a commonly used food preservative with broad biological activities, including protection against chemical-induced carcinogenesis, acute toxicity of chemicals, modulation of macromolecule synthesis and immune response, induction of phase II detoxifying enzymes, as well as its undesirable potential tumor-promoting activities. Understanding the molecular basis underlying these diverse biological actions of BHA is thus of great importance. Here we studied the pharmacokinetics, activation of signaling kinases and induction of phase II/III drug metabolizing enzymes/transporter gene expression by BHA in the mice. The peak plasma concentration of BHA achieved in our current study after oral administration of 200 mg/kg BHA was around 10 microM. This in vivo concentration might offer some insights for the many in vitro cell culture studies on signal transduction and induction of phase II genes using similar concentrations. The oral bioavailability (F) of BHA was about 43% in the mice. In the mouse liver, BHA induced the expression of phase II genes including NQO-1, HO-1, gamma-GCS, GST-pi and UGT 1A6, as well as some of the phase III transporter genes, such as MRP1 and Slcolb2. In addition, BHA activated distinct mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), as well as p38, suggesting that the MAPK pathways may play an important role in early signaling events leading to the regulation of gene expression including phase II drug metabolizing and some phase III drug transporter genes. This is the first study to demonstrate the in vivo pharmacokinetics of BHA, the in vivo activation of MAPK signaling proteins, as well as the in vivo induction of Phase II/III drug metabolizing enzymes/transporters in the mouse livers.

Inhibition by 2(3)-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole and other antioxidants of epidermal ornithine decarboxylase activity induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate.

The relationship between reactive oxygen and/or free radical species and tumor promotion was evaluated by investigating the inhibitory effects of 2(3)-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole (BHA) and other antioxidants on the induction of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity in mouse epidermis by a tumor promoter, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Mice maintained on a diet containing 0.75% BHA for 8 days showed a 50% reduction in maximal ODC induction following treatment with TPA when compared to mice fed a control diet. Topical application of BHA (55 mumol) 30 min prior to TPA treatment (17 nmol) elicited an 80% inhibition of promoter-induced ODC activity. BHA was ineffective as an inhibitor when administered either 16 hr before or 2 hr after the promoter. The inhibition by BHA was dose dependent with a dose producing a 50% inhibition of ODC induction of 6 mumol. A structure-activity study with BHA analogues (2-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole, 3-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole, 2-tert-butyl-1,4-dimethoxybenzene,tert-butylhydroquinone, 4-hydroxyanisole, p-hydroquinone, phenol, and 2-tert-butyl-phenol) showed that hydroxyl and tert-butyl substituents were important determinants of inhibitory activity. A spectrum of other antioxidants were also tested. Butylated hydroxytoluene was nearly equipotent to BHA; alpha-tocopherol, propyl gallate, and disulfiram were all less potent, and L-ascorbate was inactive. None of the antioxidants affected basal ODC activity in non-TPA-treated mice. Collectively, these results demonstrate an early and direct inhibition of TPA-induced ODC activity by lipophilic phenolic antioxidants and suggest a role for reactive oxygen and/or free radical species in tumor promotion.

Inhibition of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-induced rat mammary carcinogenesis by concomitant or postcarcinogen antioxidant exposure.

When administered prior to or at the time of carcinogen exposure, the phenolic antioxidants butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are effective inhibitors of carcinogenesis in several target organs. However, chronic, postcarcinogen administration of BHT apparently enhances tumorigenesis in certain animal models for liver and lung cancer. The present study was performed to determine the effects of BHA and BHT on mammary carcinogenesis when antioxidant exposure is limited to defined periods encompassing or following carcinogen availability. At 50 days of age (Time O), virgin female Sprague-Dawley rats (25/group) were given a single intragastric dose of 8 mg of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a) athracene . Basal diet (Wayne Lab Meal) was supplemented with 5000 or 2500 mg of BHA or BHT/kg by the following protocol: 2 weeks before until 1 week after carcinogen administration; 1 week after carcinogen administration until the end of the study; or none. The experiment was terminated 210 days after 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene administration, and all mammary tumors were confirmed histologically. When administered by the 2 weeks before to 1 week after schedule, both BHA and BHT were effective inhibitors of mammary carcinogenesis. However, the compounds also were active in chemoprevention when administered by the 1 week after to end protocol. These data indicate that the anticarcinogenic activity of antioxidants is not limited to influences on carcinogen metabolism, since both BHA and BHT inhibited mammary tumor induction when their administration was begun following clearance of the carcinogen from the mammary gland. The anticarcinogenic activity of postcarcinogen administration of BHA and BHT in the mammary gland is in contrast to the apparent tumor-enhancing activity of BHT in the liver and lung.

Enhancement of liver microsome epoxide hydratase activity in rodents by treatment with 2(3)-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole.

Administration of the antioxidant 2(3)-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole (BHA) in the diet caused a marked increase in the specific activity of epoxide hydratase (EC 4.2.1.63) in hepatic microsomes of CD-1 mice. The increases in epoxide hydratase activities produced by BHA were far greater (11-fold) than were those produced by the administration of well-known enzyme inducers such as 3-methylcholanthrene, phenobarbital, and Aroclor 1254 (2- to 3-fold). The near-maximal increase in epoxide hydratase activity was observed after feeding of the BHA diet for 3 days. When BHA was administered by gastric intubation, the level of increase was only 75% of that attained by feeding BHA in the diet. The increase in epoxide hydratase activity produced by BHA treatment of Sprague-Dawley rats was not as pronounced (less than 3-fold) as that observed in CD-1 mice.

Comparative effects of dietary administration of 2(3)-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole and 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxytoluene on several hepatic enzyme activities in mice and rats.

Effects of feeding mice and rats with 2(3)-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole (BHA) and 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxytoluene (BHT), the two most commonly used food-additive phenolic antioxidants with known anticarcinogenic properties but with only minor differences in their chemical structures, have been compared to search for common effects between the two agents in two different rodent species and then applied toward better understanding of the mechanisms involved in their protective actions. In liver microsomes of treated mice, both BHA and BHT enhanced the relative activity of aniline ring hydroxylation but decreased the relative benzo(a)pyrene monooxidase activities. However, in rats, although aniline ring hydroxylation activity was decreased by both compounds, the decrease of benzo(a)pyrene monooxidase activity was observed only with BHT. Thus, common effects could not be recognized at the microsomal mixed-function oxidase level. Contrary to expectations based on chemical structures, BHT feeding elevated by epoxide hydrolase activity to an even greater extent than that produced by BHA, especially in rats. However, enzyme activities involved in the glucuronide conjugation system (uridine diphosphate:glucuronyl transferase, uridine diphosphate:glucose dehydrogenase, and quinone reductase) are all elevated by both antioxidants in both rodent species. With BHA treatment, the levels of acid-soluble thiols were increased in both rats and mice. However, with BHT, the level was increased only in mice but not in rats. Similar trends were produced for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity, but glutathione reductase activity was increased even for BHT-treated rats. Additionally, the glutathione S-transferase activities were also increased by both antioxidant treatments and in both rodent species. Based on these results, the elevations of epoxide hydrolase activity along with the enhanced glucuronide conjugation and glutathione oxidation and reduction conjugation system enzyme activities were common to both compounds in both rodent species. This suggests their involvement in anticarcinogenic mechanisms. Increases of these detoxification enzyme activities appeared to be all designed to accelerate the elimination of administered antioxidants but, inadvertantly, conferring protective effects from xenobiotics such as carcinogens.

Effect of dietary 2(3)-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole on the metabolism and action of estradiol and estrone in female CD-1 mice.

Administration of 0.75% 2(3)-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole (BHA) in AIN-76A diet to female CD-1 mice for 3 weeks increased liver microsomal glucuronidation of estradiol, estrone, 4-aminophenol, and 4-nitrophenol by 103, 187, 162, and 92%, respectively (at pH 7.4). The overall rate of NADPH-dependent metabolism of estradiol and estrone by liver microsomes of BHA-treated animals as determined by substrate disappearance was increased by 20-40% over that by liver microsomes from control animals. The rate of 2-hydroxylation of estradiol and estrone (the major metabolic pathway) was increased by 24-38%, the rate of formation of 6alpha-hydroxyestradiol plus 6beta-hydroxyestradiol was increased by 90-115%, and the rate of 6beta-hydroxyestrone formation (a minor metabolite formed in liver microsomes from control mice) was increased by approximately 370% over controls. In contrast, BHA administration had little or no effect on the liver microsomal formation of 4- and 16alpha-hydroxylated estradiol and estrone metabolites. Measurable levels of estradiol and estrone were observed in the serum and uterus of ovariectomized CD-1 mice at 30 min after a single i.p. injection of 100 or 300 ng of estradiol or estrone, and these levels were decreased by 30-60% in animals fed a 0.75% BHA diet for 18 days prior to the injection of estrogen. Feeding a 0.75% BHA-supplemented diet to ovariectomized CD-1 mice for 18 days inhibited the uterotropic effect of estradiol or estrone (45 or 75 ng/mouse, i.p. once daily for 3 days) as compared to the response of animals fed the control diet. BHA administration also inhibited estradiol- or estrone-stimulated [3H]thymidine incorporation into uterine DNA. In conclusion, feeding a 0.75% BHA-supplemented diet to female CD-1 mice for 2-3 weeks increased the activities of liver microsomal enzymes that catalyze uridine 5'-diphosphoglucuronic acid-dependent glucuronidation and NADPH-dependent oxidation of estradiol and estrone, enhanced the in vivo metabolism of these estrogens, and inhibited their uterotropic action.

Inhibition in vivo of the formation of adducts between metabolites of benzo(a)pyrene and DNA by butylated hydroxyanisole.

Antioxidants have been shown to inhibit the carcinogenic effects of a variety of chemical carcinogens. For example, the phenolic antioxidant butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) has been shown to be a potent inhibitor of benzo(a)pyrene (BP)-induced neoplasia in mouse lung and forestomach. The objective of the present study was to determine whether or nt BHA, under conditions known to result in inhibition of BP-induced neoplasia, affects the formation of BP metabolite:DNA adducts. Following p.o. administration of a carcinogenic dose of [3H]BP to A/HeJ mice, radioactivity was detected in the DNA of both lung and liver. Analysis of the deoxyribonucleosides by high-pressure liquid chromatography showed that the major adduct in both tissues cochromatographed with the (+/-)-7 beta, 8 alpha-dihydroxy-9 alpha, 10 alpha-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo(a)pyrene (BPDEI):deoxyguanosine adduct. The 7 beta, 8 alpha-dihydroxy-9 beta, 10 beta-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo(a)pyrene (BPDEII):deoxyguanosine adduct was 10 to 15% of the BPDEI adduct in both lung and liver. Another adduct, possibly derived from BP phenol(s), was also detected in lung and was 10 to 20% of the BPDEI adduct. Treatment of animals with BHA decreased the amount of the BPDEI adduct in the lung and the liver approximately 55 and 75%, respectively. The decrease in the amount of this adduct in the lung appears to correlate with the inhibition of pulmonary adenoma formation (L. W. Wattenberg, J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 50: 1541-1544, 1973; J. L. Speier, L. K. Lam, and L. W. Wattenberg, J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 60: 605-609, 1978). Thus, BHA appears to inhibit BP-induced pulmonary adenoma formation by inhibiting the amount of the BPDE:DNA adducts formed in lung. Possible mechanisms by which BHA treatment inhibits the formation of BPDE:DNA adducts are discussed.

H2O2 is an important mediator of UVB-induced EGF-receptor phosphorylation in cultured keratinocytes.

Exposure of human keratinocytes to physiologic doses of ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation induces phosphorylation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). We demonstrate that H2O2 generated by UVB mediates EGFR phosphorylation. Using dihydrorhodamine 123 as a specific fluorescent dye probe, we show that UVB irradiation (50-800 J per m2) of keratinocytes leads within minutes to concentration-dependent intracellular production of H2O2. A corresponding concentration-dependent increase in the release of extracellular H2O2 was measured by using Amplex, a derivative of dihydrophenoxazine. The levels of intracellular H2O2 that are induced by UVB irradiation and that stimulate EGFR phosphorylation correlate strongly with the response induced by exogenously added H2O2. UVB or H2O2 demonstrated concentration- and time-dependent stimulation of EGFR phosphorylation that was initially observed within 1-5 min and exhibited a proportionate delay for UVB-induced production of H2O2. EGFR phosphorylation induced by UVB or H2O2 declined significantly toward baseline levels by 4 h and could be restimulated after H2O2 but not after UVB exposure. Phosphorylation of EGFR was inhibited by the structurally unrelated antioxidants butylated hydroxyanisole, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, or by the H2O2-degrading enzyme catalase. These data indicate that generation of H2O2 by UVB radiation of human keratinocytes participates in the rapid, ligand-independent phosphorylation of EGFR and implicate H2O2 as a biologic mediator in EGFR activation and regulation of the downstream signaling cascade. UVB-induced H2O2 has the potential to initiate or modulate early EGFR-mediated signaling events that could play an important role in the cellular response to oxidative stress.

Antioxidants delay the onset of thyroiditis in obese strain chickens.

Dietary iodine has been shown to be important in the induction of thyroiditis in susceptible chicken strains although the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Iodine may exert its effects through the formation of reactive oxidative radicals which would cause thyroidal injury and initiate infiltration. We have tested this hypothesis by examining the ability of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), ethoxyquin, and other antioxidants to prevent thyroiditis in Obese strain (OS) chickens, a strain that develops severe disease by 4 weeks of age. BHA, when administered from hatching until death at 5 weeks of age, reduced thyroidal infiltration and serum levels of antibodies binding thyroglobulin, T3, T4. Similar effects were observed with the antioxidant ethoxyquin. Weaker antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and beta-carotene had only slight or negligible effects on these parameters. BHA reduced thyroiditis in OS chicks killed at 3 and 5 weeks of age, but not at 8 weeks. When BHA treatment was initiated after the development of severe disease, it did not reduce thyroglobulin antibody levels. To determine the mechanism by which BHA reduces thyroiditis, studies were performed to assess the effect of BHA on thyroid function and on the immune responses to exogenous antigens. BHA had no effect on thyroid function in normal strain chickens since thyroidal radioiodine uptake and organification and serum T3 and T4 levels were unaffected. BHA did not alter immune responses to exogenous antigens such as sheep red blood cells or Brucella abortus in OS chickens. In summary, potent antioxidant drugs delayed the onset of thyroiditis when treatment was initiated before the onset of disease, suggesting that reactive oxygen intermediates are involved in the early stages of pathogenesis. However, the site of action remains unknown since they had no detectable effects on thyroid function or general immune responses.

Induction of rat hepatic and intestinal glutathione S-transferases by dietary butylated hydroxyanisole.

To obtain insight into the protection mechanism of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), a widely used food preservative with anticarcinogenic properties, we investigated the effects of dietary BHA on rat hepatic and intestinal glutathione S-transferase (GST) enzyme activity, and GST isozyme levels. In the proximal small intestine and liver, BHA supplementation significantly increased GST enzyme activity as compared with controls (2.3- and 1.7-fold, respectively, P less than 0.05). GST class alpha and mu contents were significantly higher only in the small intestine (1.6-2.1-fold and 1.3-1.5-fold, respectively, P less than 0.05), whereas GST class pi was significantly induced in liver (4.6-fold, P less than 0.05).

Toxic injury to rat gut musculature following intraperitoneal administration of 2-t-butyl-4-methoxyphenol.

The 100-fold increase in toxicity of intraperitoneal (i.p.) rather than orally administered 2-t-butyl-4-methoxyphenol (BHA) is adduced to the depressive effect which this compound exerts on the contractility of the gut musculature. A structure/activity relation study shows the t-butyl group on the benzene ring as being the major determinant of i.p. BHA toxicity. Contractile activity, elicited by field electrical stimulation, acetylcholine or Ba2+, of the ileum longitudinal muscle preparation from BHA-treated rats was greatly reduced 30 min after i.p. injection, and almost absent during the subsequent 48 h. Electron-microscope examination of ileum longitudinal muscle also showed partial destruction of cell membranes 4 h after BHA administration with subsequent mitochondrial swelling and destruction of cristae, myofibrillar fragmentation and cell necrosis. Comparable suppression of contractile activity and morphological damage were observed in BHA or t-butylbenzene incubated ileum segments where longitudinal smooth muscle contractility was irreversibly depressed in a time- and dose-dependent manner. These convergent findings point to the toxic effect of i.p. BHA on gut musculature with consequent impairment of intestinal transit.

Effect of anti-oxidants on growth and lactic acid production by Streptococcus mutans.

The effects of three anti-oxidants--tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)--on both growth and lactic acid production by eight cariogenic strains of Streptococcus mutans were investigated. Synergistic inhibitory effects of potassium sorbate on lactic acid production were also determined. All three anti-oxidants are phenolic derivatives and are commonly used in food systems due to their excellent "carry-through" properties during processing. Growth inhibition was determined by turbidity measurements at 600 nm. Lactic acid was assayed by gas chromatography, and bacterial DNA was assayed by the diphenylamine reaction. There were reduced growth levels of S. mutans due to the anti-oxidants and potassium sorbate for at least 12 hr, with TBHQ and BHA still inhibiting growth at 24 hr. Nearly all concentrations of anti-oxidants and potassium sorbate reduced lactic acid production by S. mutans, but only TBHQ significantly inhibited lactic acid production when the amount of acid per microgram DNA was calculated. A synergistic reduction of lactic acid production by S. mutans does occur in most combinations of potassium sorbate with anti-oxidants.

Effects of co-administration of butylated hydroxytoluene, butylated hydroxyanisole and flavonoids on the activation of mutagens and drug-metabolizing enzymes in mice.

Effects of co-administration of food additives and naturally occurring food components were studied on the activation of mutagens. Male mice (ddY) were given diets containing butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) or butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and flavone or flavanone (2,3-dihydroflavone) for two weeks and the ability of hepatic microsomes to activate aflatoxin B1, benzo[a]pyrene and N-nitrosodimethylamine was determined by the mutagenicity test. Co-administration of an antioxidant (0.1% BHT or 0.2% BHA in diet) and a flavonoid (0.1% flavone or 0.1% flavanone) resulted in additive effects on the activation of aflatoxin B1 and benzo[a]pyrene, while the activation of N-nitrosodimethylamine was not elevated significantly by the co-administration. To understand the mechanism for the additive effects, induction of specific isozymes of cytochrome P450 involved in the activation of the mutagens was studied. Co-administration of BHT (0.1%) and flavone (0.1%) increased markedly the levels of proteins and the activities of the enzymes related to the isozymes of CYP2A and CYP2B, while co-administration of BHA (0.2%) and flavanone (0.1%) elevated those related to CYP1A. Further, the activation of aflatoxin B1 and benzo[a]pyrene in hepatic microsomes was inhibited by the antibodies against these isozymes, which suggested that the enhanced activation of the mutagens by the co-administration might be mediated by the induction of these isozymes.

Effect of 2(3)-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole on benzo[a]pyrene metabolism and DNA-binding of benzo[a]pyrene metabolites in isolated mouse hepatocytes.

Benzo[a]pyrene (BP) metabolism and the conjugation and DNA-binding of BP metabolites, was studied using isolated hepatocytes from mice maintained on a diet containing 2(3)-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole (BHA) (7.5 g/kg food) to discover the mechanisms involved in the anticarcinogenic effects of this antioxidant. The antioxidant feeding produced: (a) profound differences in the BP metabolite pattern, (b) no increase in the levels of either the glucuronic acid, the sulfate or the glutathione conjugates and(c) a marked decrease in the level of BP metabolites bound to intracellular DNA. Therefore, the inhibition of DNA-binding observed after administration of BHA, may be due to the change in BP metabolism rather than to an increase in the conjugation of reactive metabolites.

Antioxidants stimulate meiosis resumption, but inhibit mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation and further cell cycle progression in porcine oocytes.

In the present study the effects of two cell-permeant antioxidants, 2(3)-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole (BHA) and nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), on porcine oocyte meiosis resumption, chromatin behaviour and spindle assembly were investigated. The antioxidants BHA and NDGA stimulated meiosis resumption in a dose-dependent manner in both cumulus-enclosed and denuded porcine oocytes. After in vitro culture for 8 h, few oocytes underwent germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) in control groups, whereas GVBD occurred in high percentages of oocytes treated with BHA or NDGA at concentrations that inhibit GVBD in rodent oocytes, although mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase was not phosphorylated as revealed by Western immunoblots. Orcein staining and fluorescein isothiocyanate-anti-alpha-tubulin labelling showed that chromosome and spindle formation, respectively, and further meiosis progression were inhibited 20 and 25 h after culture. Instead, chromatin was highly condensed or existed in scattered condensed clusters. Correspondingly, MAP kinase phosphorylation was inhibited by both BHA and NDGA in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibitory effects of BHA on meiosis completion and MAP kinase phosphorylation was reversible. These results suggest that, unlike in rodent oocytes, antioxidants stimulate GVBD in the absence of MAP kinase activation, but inhibit MAP kinase phosphorylation, meiotic apparatus formation and thus the further progression of the meiosis of porcine oocytes.