Crucial role of cytochrome P450 in hepatotoxicity induced by 2,3-dimethoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone in rats.

Quinone toxicity is induced by two principal mechanisms: arylation/alkylation and a redox cycle. We have previously shown that increases in intracellular levels of superoxide anion and cell death induced by 2,3-dimethoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (DMNQ), a redox cycling quinone, are enhanced by pretreatment of rat primary hepatocytes with cytochrome P450 inhibitors. This indicates a novel interaction of quinones with cytochrome P450, and is thus worthy of further investigation using an in vivo model. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of cytochrome P450 inhibitors on DMNQ-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. When DMNQ was administered intraperitoneally, the activities of serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were found to increase in a dose-dependent manner, indicating that hepatotoxicity was induced by treatment with DMNQ. Pretreatment with the cytochrome P450 inhibitors SKF-525A (SKF), cimetidine and ketoconazole potentiated the DMNQ-induced hepatotoxicity. The blood concentration of DMNQ was not affected by administration of SKF. Pretreatment with the antioxidant α-tocopherol almost completely attenuated the hepatotoxicity induced by DMNQ and by the combination of DMNQ with SKF. Levels of reduced glutathione in the liver were decreased and levels of oxidized glutathione were increased by treatment with DMNQ. These effects were potentiated by pretreatment with SKF. DMNQ-induced lipid peroxidation in the liver was also enhanced by pretreatment with SKF. Taken together, these results indicate that DMNQ-induced hepatotoxicity is augmented by inhibition of cytochrome P450 and that this augmentation is due to the enhancement of oxidative stress.

Caveolae as a target to quench autoinduction of the metastatic phenotype in lung cancer.

PURPOSE: Mevalonate pathway inhibitors are potentially useful chemotherapeutic agents showing growth inhibition and pro-apoptotic effects in cancer cells. The effects of statins and bisphosphonates on cancer growth are attributed to a reduction in protein isoprenylation. Post-translational modification and activation of GTPase binding Ras superfamily permit the recruitment of these signal proteins to membranes where they mediate the cancer phenotype. Here, the effects of three inhibitors of the mevalonate pathway and one specific inhibitor of sterol regulatory element-binding proteins were studied in both an ER-negative, Ras-inactive breast (MDA-MB-231) and lung adenocarcinoma (CaLu-1) cells in vitro. METHODS: Treated cells were subject to genome-wide gene expression profiling. A gene subset was established so that the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) could be observed and compared with signalling protein shifts. RESULTS: Within the subset, some genes normally up-regulated during EMT were asymmetrically reduced by a Δ-24 DHCR inhibitor in the lung cells. Signalling proteins associated with caveolae were down-regulated by this oxidoreductase inhibitor, while those associated with membrane rafts were up-regulated. CONCLUSIONS: This study decouples isoprenylation effects from cholesterol events per se. The data support a hypothesis that caveolae are abolished by Δ-24 DHCR intervention and it is revealed that these microdomains are vital EMT signalling structures for lung cells but not ER- and Ras-negative breast cells. When signalling by extracellular signals is quenched by removal of the hydrophilic conduit provided by caveolae, the transcriptome responds by moving the cellular identity towards quiescence.

Effect of various treatments on toxicity of inhaled vinylidene chloride.

The toxicity of vinylidene chloride (VDC) was studied in mice and rats exposed to various concentrations of the vapors for 23 hr/day. In addition, the ability of various treatments to alter parameters of toxicity was evaluated. Mice were more sensitive than rats both to the acute lethal and hepatotoxic effects of VDC. Disulfiram treatment reduced the acute lethal and hepatotoxic effects of inhaled VDC and reduced the levels of covalent bound radioactivity in the liver and kidney after the intraperitoneal administration of 14C-VDC. Treatment with diethyldithiocarbamate and thiram also protected mice from the acute lethal effects of VDC.

[Effect of phenobarbital and SKF 525-A on the toxic and therapeutic action of adriamycin in mice with Ehrlich ascites cancer]. / Vliianie fenobarbitala i SKF 525-A na toksicheskoe i lechebnoe deistvie adriamitsina u myshei s astsitnym rakom Erlikha.

The toxic action of adriamycin (AD) in mice with the ascitic Ehrlich carcinoma was reduced by preliminary administration of phenobarbital (PB), an inductor of liver monooxygenases, and was increased after administration of SKF 525-A, an inhibitor of this enzymatic system. PB and SKF decrease the therapeutic action of AD. Incidentally, induction or inhibition of the liver enzymes was equivalent to the decrease in the AD dose in mice with the intact liver. It was also shown that the essence of PB and SKF influence on the AD therapeutic effect is its action on liver monooxygenases activity and not the interaction between PB or SKF and AD or the change of AD sensitivity of tumour cells. The possible role of cytochrome P-450 in manifestation of the AD toxic and therapeutic activity is discussed. The authors believe that for prevention of AD toxicity in patients with liver disorders the treatment following stimulation of the liver metabolic activity up to the normal liver level may be effective.

[Change of toxic and antineoplastic properties of ftorafur by means of action on nonspecific microsomal oxidase]. / Izmenenie toksicheskikh i protivoopukholevykh svoistv ftorafura putem vozdeistviia na nespetsificheskie oksidazy mikrosom.

The inducers of microsomal hydroxylases, phenobarbitone and methylcholanthrene, inhibited the development of neurotoxic shock provoked by high doses of ftorafur in mice, but stimulated the animal mortality on the 4th-8th day after the drug administration. The opposite effect on both toxicity manifestations has been obtained under the action of the inhibitor SKF 525-A. Pretreatment of the animals with phenobarbitone or phenobarbitone-methylcholanthrene combination markedly increased the antineoplastic activity of ftorafur determined by a loss of the spleen weight in mice infected with Rauscher's leukemia.