Effect of 4'-halogen substitution on the mutagenicity of trans-4-acetamidostilbene and trans-4-(N-hydroxyacetamido)stilbene in the Salmonella typhimurium test system.

The effect of halogen substituents placed at the 4' position of trans-4-acetamidostilbene (1, AAS) to alter the pattern of biotransformation and thus the mutagenicity of these derivative was evaluated by comparing the mutagenic effects of 1 on Salmonella typhimurium TA-100 with the corresponding 4'-F (2), 4'-Cl (3), and 4'-Br (4) analogues. The mutagenic properties of trans-4-(N-hydroxyacetamido)stilbene (5) and its 4'-F (6), 4'-Cl (7), and 4'-Br (8) derivatives were also evaluated in this system. Both the amides (1-4) and hydroxamic acids (5-8) required the presence of a metabolic activating system prepared from hamster liver in order to produce a mutagenic effect. All of these compounds were mutagenic to A-100. Their mutagenic potencies were markedly influenced by the 4'-halogen substituents, the relative mutagenic potencies of the amides being 2 (4'-F) greater than 1 (4'-H), 3 (4'Cl) greater than 4 (4'-Br), while the hydroxamic acids followed the order of 1 (4'-H) greater than 2 (4'-F) greater than 3 (4'-Cl), 4 (4'-Br).

Arylhydroxamic acid bioactivation via acyl group transfer. Structural requirements for transacylating and electrophile-generating activity of N-(2-fluorenyl)hydroxamic acids and related compounds.

The synthesis of a series of 12 N-(2-fluorenyl)hydroxamic acids, N-(2-fluorenyl)-N-hydroxyureas, and N-(2-fluorenyl)-N-hydroxycarbamates is reported. The compounds were evaluated for their ability to serve as substrates for a partially purified hamster hepatic arylhydroxamic acid N,O-acyltransferase preparation. Transacylating activity was measured spectrophotometrically with 4-aminoazobenzene as the acyl group acceptor, and electrophile-generating activity was quantified by the N-acetylmethionine trapping assay. Only the N-acetyl, N-propionyl, and N-methoxyacetyl derivatives exhibited relatively high levels of activity as measured by either of the assay methods. These results are generally consistent with previously reported conclusions regarding the steric and electronic characteristics of acyl groups that are required for activation by this enzyme system. N,O-Acyltransferase inactivation by N-hydroxy-2-acetamidofluorene depressed the bioactivation of the N-acetyl compound to a greater extent than either the N-propionyl or N-methyloxyacetyl derivative.

Substituent effects on the bioactivation of 2-(N-hydroxyacetamido)fluorenes by N-arylhydroxamic acid N,O-acyltransferase.

A series of 7-substituted analogues of 2-(N-hydroxyacetamido)fluorene (1) was subjected to bioactivation by a partially purified preparation of hamster hepatic AHAT, and the rates of methylthio adduct formation resulting from the reaction of the activated intermediates with N-acetylmethionine were determined. Electronegative substituents enhanced the amount of adduct formed; this finding contrasted with the results of a previous study in which it was found that electron-donating substituents facilitated the mechanism-based inactivation of AHAT by analogues of 1. The structures of the adducts formed from reaction of the activated forms of several of the 7-substituted compounds with N-acetylmethionine and with 2'-deoxyguanosine were determined; the types of adducts formed were similar to those formed with electrophiles generated by the AHAT-catalyzed activation of 1. Electronegative substituents enhanced the amount of adducts formed in the reaction with 2'-deoxyguanosine as well as with N-acetylmethionine.

Synthesis and evaluation of N-(phenylalkyl)acetohydroxamic acids as potential substrates for N-arylhydroxamic acid N,O-acyltransferase.

N-(4-Phenylcyclohexyl)acetohydroxamic acid and a series of N-(phenylalkyl)acetohydroxamic acids were synthesized and evaluated as substrates for partially purified rat and hamster hepatic arylhydroxamic acid N,O-acyltransferase systems (AHAT). The compounds were assayed for their abilities to function as acetyl donors in the AHAT-mediated transacetylation of 4-aminoazobenzene and for their abilities to participate in the AHAT-mediated conversion of N-arylhydroxylamines to electrophilic intermediates that form methylthio adducts upon reaction with N-acetylmethionine. None of the newly synthesized compounds displayed significant activity in either of the assays. The results of this study indicate that acetohydroxamic acids that have the nitrogen atom of the hydroxamic acid group attached directly to aliphatic or cycloalkyl groups are not likely to serve as substrates or inhibitors of AHAT.

Conformationally restricted analogs of histamine H1 receptor antagonists: trans and cis-1-benzyl-3-dimethylamino-6-phenylpiperidine.

The syntheses of trans- and cis-1-benzyl-3-dimethylamino-6-phenylpiperidine (1 and 2) are described. Compounds 1 and 2 were found to be inhibitors to histamine, acetylcholine, and barium chloride induced contractions of the isolated guinea pig ileum. Compounds 1 and 2 do not exhibit appreciable stereoselectivity in their ability to inhibit smooth muscle contractions. The cis compound 2 is a more effective inhibitor of histamine N-methyltransferase than the trans isomer 1.

N-arylhydroxamic acid N,O-acyltransferase. Positional requirements for the substrate hydroxyl group.

N-Arylhydroxamic acid N,O-acyltransferase (AHAT) is a cytosolic enzyme system that is capable of converting toxic and carcinogenic N-arylhydroxamic acids into electrophilic reactants and of catalyzing the transacetylation of arylamines. The role of the N-hydroxyl group in promoting AHAT-catalyzed transacetylation of arylamines was investigated by the synthesis and biochemical evaluation of a series of o-hydroxyaryl amides and N-arylglycolamides. Several of these compounds are metabolites of carcinogenic aryl amides in vivo. 3-Hydroxy-4-acetamidobiphenyl (8) was weakly effective as an acetyl donor when partially purified preparations of hamster or rat hepatic AHAT were used to catalyze the transacetylation of 4-aminoazobenzene. 1-Hydroxy-2-acetamidofluorene (1), 3-hydroxy-2-acetamidofluorene (2), 2-glycolamidofluorene (3), 4-glycolamidobiphenyl (9), and trans-4-glycolamidostilbene (5) were less effective acyl donors than 4-acetamidobiphenyl (7) itself. The compounds were also assayed for their abilities to participate in the AHAT-catalyzed conveydroxy-2-acetamidofluorene (1), 3-hydroxy-2-acetamidofluorene (2), 2-glycolamidofluorene (3), 4-glycolamidobiphenyl (9), and trans-4-glycolamidostilbene (5) were less effective acyl donors than 4-acetamidobiphenyl (7) itself. The compounds were also assayed for their abilities to participate in the AHAT-catalyzed conveydroxy-2-acetamidofluorene (1), 3-hydroxy-2-acetamidofluorene (2), 2-glycolamidofluorene (3), 4-glycolamidobiphenyl (9), and trans-4-glycolamidostilbene (5) were less effective acyl donors than 4-acetamidobiphenyl (7) itself. The compounds were also assayed for their abilities to participate in the AHAT-catalyzed conversion of N-arylhydroxylamines to electrophilic intermediates that form methylthio adducts upon reaction with N-acetylmethionine. None of the compounds exhibited more than 4% of the activity of the prototype compound, N-hydroxy-4-acetamidobiphenyl (10). These results indicate that the presence of an hydroxyl group on the ring position ortho to the amide group or on the alpha-position of the acyl group is not sufficient to confer significant acyltransferase activity with AHAT.

Metabolic N-hydroxylation. Use of substituent variation to modulate the in vitro bioactivation of 4-acetamidostilbenes.

N-Hydroxylation is an obligate step in the bioactivation of carcinogenic aryl amides. Previous reports from this laboratory demonstrated that variation of the 4' substituent of trans-4-acetamidostilbene (1) has a marked effect on the rate of its in vitro microsomal N-hydroxylation. In order to further investigate the effects of electronegative and aliphatic substituents, the 4'-CN, 4'-CH3, 4'-C(CH3)3, and 4'-CF3 analogues of 1 were synthesized and subjected to metabolic transformation by hamster hepatic microsomes. Each compound was synthesized in radiolabeled form, and the metabolites were identified and quantified by TLC, mass spectrometry, and liquid scintillation counting. The Vmax for N-hydroxylation of the 4'-CN analogue was 24% and the Km was 11% of that of 1. The glycolamide was a minor metabolite of the 4'-CN compound. The principal metabolite of the 4'-CH3 compound was the 4'-CH2OH derivative, the N-hydroxylated product being formed in small quantities. Similarly, the 4'-C(CH3)3 analogue was metabolized to yield trans-4'-[2-(hydroxymethyl)-2-propyl]-4-acetamidostilbene (26) along with trace quantities of the hydroxamic acid. The 4'-CF3 substrate yielded small amounts of the N-hydroxylated material as the only detectable metabolite. Thus, introduction of a 4' substituent into 1 resulted in a decreased rate of N-hydroxylation for all compounds studied. The reduction in N-hydroxylation depends on both the physicochemical properties of the 4' substituent and upon the susceptibility of the substituent to metabolic oxidation.

Mechanism-based inactivation of N-arylhydroxamic acid N,O-acyltransferase by 7-substituted-N-hydroxy-2-acetamidofluorenes.

N-Arylhydroxamic acid N,O-acyltransferase (AHAT) catalyzes the transfer of the N-acetyl group from N-arylhydroxamic acids to arylamines. In the absence of an arylamine acceptor, AHAT catalyzes the conversion of N-arylhydroxamic acids to reactive electrophilic intermediates that become irreversibly bound to cellular nucleophiles, including those present on AHAT itself. As part of an investigation of the AHAT-catalyzed bioactivation process, a series of 7-substituted analogues of N-hydroxy-2-acetamidofluorene (1) was synthesized and evaluated in vitro as substrates and inactivators of a partially purified hamster hepatic AHAT preparation. All of the compounds functioned as acetyl donors in the AHAT-catalyzed transacetylation of 4-aminoazobenzene (AAB) and all of them were inactivators of AHAT. The inactivation process exhibited apparent first-order kinetics, and the 7-methoxy compound exhibited the largest inactivation rate constant. Quantitative structure-activity analysis provided support for the concept that positively charged species are involved in the inactivation of AHAT by this series of compounds. Results of experiments in which nucleophilic trapping agents such as glutathione, cysteine, methionine, guanosine phosphate, and tRNA were included in incubation mixtures with AHAT and the N-arylhydroxamic acids indicated that electrophiles which diffuse away from the enzyme active site participate in the inactivation process.

Hepatic N-acetyltransferases: selective inactivation in vivo by a carcinogenic N-arylhydroxamic acid.

N-Hydroxy-2-acetamidofluorene (N-OH-AAF), a carcinogenic N-arylhydroxamic acid, is a selective and irreversible inhibitor of arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity in vitro. The present study demonstrates that intraperitoneal administration of N-OH-AAF to hamsters caused an irreversible reduction of the hepatic transacetylase activity that catalyzes the transfer of the acetyl group from N-OH-AAF to 4-aminoazobenzene (AAB), but did not affect the acetyl coenzyme A (CoASAc) dependent NAT that is responsible for acetylation of p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA). A 40% loss of N-OH-AAF:AAB transacetylase activity occurred 4 hr after administration of 50 mg/kg of N-OH-AAF. To determine whether biotransformation of N-OH-AAF is a factor in determining its ability to inactivate N-OH-AAF:AAB transacetylase activity in vivo, the enzyme-inducing agent phenobarbital and the esterase/acylamidase inhibitor bis(p-nitrophenyl)phosphate (BNPP) were administered to the animals prior to the administration of N-OH-AAF. The loss of N-OH-AAF:AAB transacetylase activity was prevented by treatment of the animals with either phenobarbital or with BNPP. The ability of the esterase/acylamidase inhibitor, BNPP, to prevent the N-OH-AAF-mediated loss of transacetylase activity indicates that, in contrast to the inactivation process in vitro, esterase-catalyzed deacetylation of N-OH-AAF may be required for transacetylase inactivation in vivo. It is proposed that in vivo the endogenous acetyl donor, CoASAc, acetylates the enzyme and prevents the deacetylation of N-OH-AAF by NAT, thereby impeding the N-OH-AAF-mediated inactivation process, but facilitating enzyme inactivation by N-hydroxy-2-aminofluorene. The latter proposal was supported by the demonstration that CoASAc inhibited the in vitro inactivation of N-OH-AAF:AAB transacetylase activity by N-OH-AAF.

Inactivation of hamster monomorphic N-acetyltransferase by vinyl fluorenyl ketone.

Arylamine N-acetyltransferases (NATs) are cytosolic enzymes that play important roles in the detoxification and activation of xenobiotic arylamines and their metabolites. Vinyl fluorenyl ketone (VFK) is a selective and potent active site-directed irreversible inhibitor of rat liver monomorphic NAT. The present study demonstrated that VFK is an active site-directed affinity label for hamster liver monomorphic NAT, but is a much less effective inactivator of the polymorphic N-acetyltransferase isozyme. The potency, irreversibility and selectivity of VFK make it a potentially valuable tool for characterization of NATs that exhibit acetyl donor specificity similar to that of hamster monomorphic NAT.

Bioactivation of N-arylhydroxamic acids by rat hepatic N-acetyltransferase. Detection of multiple enzyme forms by mechanism-based inactivation.

Enzymatic N,O-acyltransfer of carcinogenic N-arylhydroxamic acids such as N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-OH-AAF) results in the production of reactive electrophiles that can bond covalently with nucleophiles and also can cause inactivation of acyltransferase activity in a mechanism-based manner. Incubation of partially purified rat hepatic N-acetyltransferases (NAT) with N-OH-AAF resulted in extensive inactivation of N-OH-AAF/4-aminoazobenzene (AAB) N,N-acetyltransferase and acetyl coenzyme A (AcCoA)/procainamide (PA) N-acetyltransferase activities, whereas AcCoA/p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) N-acetyltransferase activity was inhibited only slightly. Affinity chromatography with Sepharose 6B 2-aminofluorene (2-AF) resulted in the separation of two NAT activities. NAT I primarily catalyzed the AcCoA-dependent acetylation of PABA; NAT II catalyzed, N,N-acetyltransfer (N-OH-AAF/AAB), AcCoA/PA N-acetyltransfer and N-OH-AAF N,O-acyltransfer (AHAT) activities. Most of the AcCoA/2-AF N-acetyltransferase activity eluted in the NAT II fraction. Results of inactivation experiments with N-OH-AAF and the NAT II fractions suggested that one NAT isozyme was responsible for catalyzing the N-OH-AAF/AAB, AcCoA/PA and N,O-acyltransfer reactions and that inactivation of NAT II correlated with the extent of covalent binding to protein. Further purification of the NAT II fractions by chromatofocusing resulted in a 1300-fold purification of the N-OH-AAF/AAB activity and the coelution of N-OH-AAF/AAB, AcCoA/PA and N,O-acyltransferase activities. These studies indicate that N,O-acyltransfer, arylhydroxamic acid-dependent N-acetylation of arylamines (N,N-acetyltransfer), and AcCoA-dependent N-acetylation of PA may be catalyzed by a common enzyme in rat liver, whereas a second enzyme is responsible for the AcCoA-dependent N-acetylation of PABA.

Effect of group-selective modification reagents on arylamine N-acetyltransferase activities.

Two forms of hamster hepatic arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT; EC 2.3.1.5), designated NAT I and NAT II, were purified 200- to 300-fold by sequential 35-50% ammonium sulfate fractionation, Sephadex G-100 gel filtration chromatography, AAB affinity chromatography, DEAE ion exchange chromatography, and P-200 gel filtration chromatography. Treatment of either NAT I or NAT II with N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), a cysteine selective reagent, caused a concentration-dependent loss of enzymatic activities. Acetyl coenzyme A (AcCoA) protected NAT I against inactivation by NEM, whereas both 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) and AcCoA protected NAT II against inactivation. Incubation of either NAT I or NAT II with phenylglyoxal (PG), an arginine selective reagent, caused a time-dependent and a concentration-dependent loss of both NAT I and NAT II activities; the inactivations followed pseudo first-order kinetics. The reaction order with respect to PG was approximately two for each enzyme, consistent with the expected stoichiometry for the reaction of PG with arginine. The presence of AcCoA provided full protection of NAT I against inactivation by PG. However, neither AcCoA nor 2-AAF provided protection of NAT II against inactivation by PG. Diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC), a histidine selective reagent, caused time-dependent and concentration-dependent pseudo first-order inactivation of both NAT I and NAT II. Neither AcCoA nor products of NAT-catalyzed reactions protected NAT I and NAT II against inactivation by DEPC. These results suggest that cysteine, arginine and histidine residues are essential to the catalytic activity of both NAT I and NAT II; the cysteine(s) is located at or near the binding site of NAT I and NAT II, and the arginine residue appears to be located in the AcCoA binding site of NAT I. In contrast, the essential arginine residue(s) of NAT II and the essential histidine residue(s) of both NAT I and NAT II are not likely to reside in the binding site of the enzymes.

Irreversible inhibition of rat hepatic transacetylase activity by N-arylhydroxamic acids.

Both N-hydroxy-2-acetamidofluorene (N-OH-AAF) and the heterocyclic analogue, 2-(N-hydroxyacetamido)carbazole (N-OH-AAC), were shown to be mechanism-based irreversible inhibitors (suicide inhibitors) of partially purified rat hepatic N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity. Although N-OH-AAC exhibited an apparent first-order inactivation rate constant (ki) that was 7-fold lower than that of N-OH-AAF, their relative ki/KD values indicate that N-OH-AAC was the more potent and efficient inactivator of transacetylase activity. Inactivation of NAT activity by these N-arylhydroxamic acids appeared to involve contributions by electrophiles that react with the enzyme subsequent to release from the active site and by electrophiles that remain complexed with the active site. The irreversible nature of the enzyme inactivation was demonstrated by the failure to recover transacetylase activity upon either extensive dialysis or gel filtration of preparations that had been subjected to incubation with N-OH-AAF or N-OH-AAC. The use of the nucleophile N-acetylmethionine to trap the electrophilic reactants formed in the transacetylase-catalyzed bioactivation process resulted in a lower rate and extent of formation of methylthio adducts with N-OH-AAC than with N-OH-AAF. The results of this study indicate that N-OH-AAF and N-OH-AAC have potential for use as tools in the investigation of rat hepatic transacetylases.

An isozyme-selective affinity label for rat hepatic acetyltransferases.

Affinity chromatography of an ammonium sulfate precipitate obtained from rat hepatic cytosol resulted in the separation of two fractions of N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity. NATI catalyzed the S-acetylcoenzyme A (AcCoA)-dependent acetylation of p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA); NAT II catalyzed the N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-OH-AAF)-dependent acetylation of 4-amino-azobenzene (AAB) (N,N-acetyltransferase), the AcCoA-dependent acetylation of procainamide (PA), and the N-arylhydroxamic acid N,O-acyltransferase (AHAT) activity that results in the conversion of N-OH-AAF and related hydroxamic acids to electrophilic reactants. 1-(Fluoren-2-yl)-2-propen-1-one (vinyl fluorenyl ketone, VFK) was shown to be a potent and irreversible inactivator of NAT II activities. A 200-fold higher concentration of VFK was required to inactivate NAT I activity than was required for inactivation of NAT II activities. Similar selectivity in the inactivation of the isozymes was observed when experiments were conducted with enzyme preparations that contained both NAT I and NAT II activities. The presence of substrates and products of the NAT II-catalyzed reactions such as AcCoA, 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF), and N-acetyl-4-aminoazobenzene (N-Ac-AAB) protected NAT II from the inactivating effects of VFK, providing evidence that VFK is an active site directed inhibitor (affinity label) of NAT II. Studies with 1-(fluoren-2-yl)-2-propan-1-one (EFK), an analogue of VFK in which the alpha, beta-unsaturated vinyl ketone group of VFK has been replaced with an ethyl ketone group, demonstrated that the conjugated ketone of VFK is required for inactivation of enzyme activity. The results of these studies suggest that agents such as VFK should have utility as probes of acetyltransferase multiplicity and in the investigation of the active site topography of the enzymes.

Characterization of hamster recombinant monomorphic and polymorphic arylamine N-acetyltransferases: bioactivation and mechanism-based inactivation studies with N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene.

The purified hamster recombinant arylamine N-acetyltransferases (NATs), rNAT1-9 and rNAT2-70D, were characterized for their capabilities to bioactivate N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-OH-AAF) to DNA binding reactants and for their relative susceptibilities to mechanism-based inactivation by N-OH-AAF. The rate of DNA adduct formation resulting from rNAT1-9 bioactivation of [14C]N-OH-AAF was more than 30 times greater than that of rNAT2-70D-catalyzed bioactivation of [14C]N-OH-AAF. This result is consistent with substrate specificity data indicating that N-OH-AAF is a much better acetyl donor for hamster NAT1 than NAT2. Previous studies indicated that N-OH-AAF is a mechanism-based inactivator of hamster and rat NAT1. In the presence of N-OH-AAF, both rNAT1-9 and rNAT2-70D underwent irreversible, time-dependent inactivation that exhibited pseudo first-order kinetics and was saturable at higher N-OH-AAF concentrations. The enzymes were partially protected from inactivation by the presence of cofactor and substrates. The limiting rate constants (ki) and dissociation constants (Ki) for inactivation by N-OH-AAF were determined. The second-order rate constants (ki/KI) were 22.1 min-1 mM-1 for rNAT1-9 and 1.0 min-l mM-1 for rNAT2-70D, indicating that rNAT1-9 is approximately 20 times more susceptible than rNAT2-70D to inactivation by N-OH-AAF. The kinetic parameters for rNAT1-9 were nearly identical to values previously reported for partially purified hamster NAT1. Partition ratios were 504 for inactivation of rNAT1-9 by N-OH-AAF and 137 for inactivation of rNAT2-70D. Thus, a turnover of almost 4 times as many N-OH-AAF molecules is required to inactivate each molecule of rNAT1-9 than is needed to inactivate rNAT2-70D. The partition ratio data are consistent with the finding that rNAT1-9 catalyzes a higher rate of DNA adduct formation by N-OH-AAF than rNAT2-70D. The combined results indicate that the recombinant enzymes are catalytically and functionally identical to hamster NATs and, therefore, will be a useful resource for studies requiring purified NATs.

Comparative toxicity and mutagenicity of N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene and 7-acetyl-N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene in human lymphoblasts.

Exponentially growing TK6 human lymphoblasts were exposed to either 0-50 microM N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-OH-AAF) or 0-10 microM 7-acetyl-N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (7-acetyl-N-OH-AAF) in both the absence and presence of a partially purified preparation of hamster-liver N-arylhydroxamic acid N,O-acyltransferase (AHAT). Neither N-arylhydroxamic acid was toxic to the lymphoblasts, nor mutagenic at the thymidine kinase (tk) locus, in the absence of AHAT over the concentration range examined. In the presence of AHAT, an enzyme that activates N-arylhydroxamic acids to electrophilic N-acetoxyarylamine intermediates, both compounds caused toxicity and mutagenicity in TK6 cells. The 7-acetyl-N-OH-AAF was approximately 10-fold more toxic and mutagenic than the unsubstituted N-OH-AAF. These data demonstrate that metabolism of these N-arylhydroxamic acids, presumably to N-acetoxyarylamine intermediates by AHAT, is a key event in the biological activity of these agents. In addition, the presence of electron-withdrawing 7-acetyl substituent that is thought to stabilize N-acetoxy intermediates, appears to enhance the biological activity of the unsubstituted N-OH-AAF.

Failure of oral taurine supplementation to influence skin-flap survival in rats.

Taurine was given orally to rats to determine its influence on survival of subdermal plexus skin flaps. Flaps were raised on the dorsum of 40 rats divided into groups given 0, 10, 30, or 100 mg/kg taurine daily starting 2 days before and continuing 14 days after surgery. No significant difference was found between groups for percentage of distal flap necrosis, although mean area of necrosis was less for the 30 mg/kg group. Oral taurine did not result in significant elevation of plasma taurine concentrations at day 16 of administration, although the 30 mg/kg group maintained a higher mean value. Analysis of skin taurine concentrations in flaps failed to detect significant differences between groups at each of three zones (proximal-normal, middle-transition, and distal-sloughed). All groups, except the 10 mg/kg group, had significantly lower taurine concentrations in the distal zone than in the normal and transition zones. In each group there was a trend toward lower taurine concentration from proximal to distal, suggesting that loss of tissue taurine may occur with tissue necrosis. Subjectively, no differences in skin histopathology were noted, but less severe skin lesions were more common in the 10 mg/kg group. Daily oral taurine supplementation rates of 10, 30, or 100 mg/kg appear not to significantly affect survival of subdermal plexus skin flaps in rats.

Evaluation of rapid gross visual appraisal of swine lungs at slaughter as a diagnostic screen for enzootic pneumonia.

A rapid gross visual appraisal of enzootic pneumonia lesions was made of 87 lungs at a local abattoir and the lungs were then set aside and examined in more detail. A sample of pulmonary tissue was taken from each lung and submitted for bacterial and histological examination. The principal investigator who had performed the gross and detailed lung scores was then used to assess the agreement of two inspectors who were scoring lung lesions in the abattoir. The Pearson's correlation coefficient between grossly scored lungs and scores derived from a detailed examination was 0.94. Using histological examination as the gold standard, rapid gross examination had a sensitivity of 76% and a specificity of 71%. Using bacterial recovery as a gold standard yielded a sensitivity of 77% and a specificity of 51%. The sensitivity and specificity of inspectors 1 and 2 compared to the principal investigator were: sensitivity = 97.5% and specificity = 97.4% for inspector 1, and 97% and 98% for inspector 2. The kappa values for both of the inspectors compared to the principal investigator were 0.95 suggesting that designated lay inspectors consistently agreed with the principal investigator.

Postmortem eyefluid analysis in dogs, cats and cattle as an estimate of antemortem serum chemistry profiles.

This study was carried out to determine the diagnostic usefulness of postmortem eyefluid analysis in estimating antemortem concentrations of serochemical constituents. A total of 31 cattle, 18 dogs and 22 cats were selected from routine elective euthanasia submissions to a diagnostic laboratory. For all cases, a biochemical profile, including determinations for electrolytes, glucose, urea, creatinine, enzymes, cholesterol, bilirubin, protein and osmolality was performed on antemortem serum, and postmortem aqueous and vitreous humors at 0 and 24 h incubation periods. The association between serum and postmortem eyefluid chemistry values was examined using simple linear regression. A strong correlation between serum and postmortem eyefluid urea and creatinine concentrations was demonstrated in the three species examined over a 24 h postmortem interval. We concluded that an accurate estimate of antemortem serum urea or creatinine can be made from the analysis of aqueous or vitreous fluid at necropsy. An estimation of antemortem serum electrolytes (including calcium in cattle) cannot be made with a high degree of accuracy due to the amount of variability in the relationship between serum and eyefluid electrolyte values. For large molecules such as proteins, enzymes, cholesterol and bilirubin there was very poor correlation between serum and eyefluid values.

Sialodacryoadenitis in the rat: effects of immunosuppression on the course of the disease.

Eight-week-old outbred male and female Crl:CD(SD)BR rats were treated with prednisolone (PR) or cyclophosphamide (CY) and were inoculated intranasally with sialodacryoadenitis (SDA) virus. The course of the disease was compared with nonimmunosuppressed, SDA virus-inoculated rats of the same stock. Criteria used to compare SDA in the 3 groups, included histologic changes in salivary and lacrimal glands, immunofluorescent microscopy of paraffin-embedded tissues, serum amylase levels, and antibody response. Based on these criteria, there was little detectable difference in the course and intensity of SDA in PR-treated and nonimmunosuppressed rats. In CY-treated rats, there was a delay in the onset of SDA, in the appearance of inflammatory cells in affected glands, and in the reparative process in the salivary and lacrimal glands. Viral antigen persisted longer in CY-treated rats than in PR-treated and nonimmunosuppressed rats. Antibody to SDA virus was not detected in CY-treated rats. The efficacy of immunosuppression by PR and CY was confirmed by the sheep erythrocyte agglutination procedure performed in selected rats. Male and female rats of the same strain were immunosuppressed beginning 4 weeks after inoculation with SDA virus to produce recrudescence of the disease. Histologic examination of salivary and lacrimal glands, immunofluorescent microscopy, serum amylase values, and viral isolation studies did not reveal evidence of reactivation of a persistent viral infection or viral shedding. Based on these studies, there is no evidence that SDA virus may persist as an inapparent infection after recovery from the disease.