Accessibility of hepatocyte protein thiols to monobromobimane.

The amino-acid residue specificity of monobromobimane (mBBr) and its accessibility to cellular protein cysteine residues were investigated. mBBr reacted selectively with the sulfhydryl group of both the free amino acid cysteine and bovine serum albumin. Incubation of isolated hepatocytes with mBBr resulted in a concentration-dependent formation of protein-bound mBBr fluorescence in the cytosolic, mitochondrial and microsomal fractions, which was not fully saturated with up to 16 mM mBBr. SDS-PAGE resolution of the proteins revealed that the major portion of increased protein-bound mBBr fluorescence that occurred at high mBBr concentrations was due to covalent binding to proteins. A minor portion (10-16% in the microsomal fraction) of protein-bound mBBr fluorescence was removed by SDS-PAGE and is therefore concluded to be due to physical entrapment of fluorescent mBBr reaction products. The accessibility of mBBr, assayed as the degree of depletion of total protein cysteine residues, was similar to N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) in isolated microsomes. By contrast, in the cytosol a markedly lower amount of protein cysteine residues were labelled by mBBr as compared to NEM. In both organelle fractions p-BQ was the most efficient thiol-depleting reagent. It is concluded that mBBr is a suitable reagent for the analysis of the cellular protein thiol status and of its xenobiotic-induced alterations when used at high concentrations; however, it should be considered that, (i) the relative accessibility of mBBr and a particular xenobiotic to cellular protein thiol residues may be different, and (ii) physically entrapped fluorescent reaction products of mBBr should be removed when quantitating protein thiol levels.

Drug induced esophageal lesions studied in vitro.

This paper describes an in vitro method of studying the esophago-irritant potential of oral formulations of drugs. Porcine esophagus was used. The method offers the possibility of studying muscle activity and enzyme leakage (e.g. LDH) and of performing histomorphology of the exposed preparations. Examples of drugs which were tested are alprenolol (Aptin), propranolol (Inderal), doxycycline (Idocyklin) and (Vibramycin) and emepronium bromide (Cetiprin). Concerning effects on muscle activity, Aptic caused a marginal contraction while Cetiprin caused a relaxation of the esophagus preparation. Increased LDH-leakage was noted during exposure with the above mentioned pills in comparison with concurrent control preparations. Histopathological examination disclosed morphological changes such as softening and necrosis of the squamous epithelium of the esophageal mucosa after exposure to drugs like Idocyklin and Aptin.

Effects of the new nitrosourea derivative, fotemustine, on the glutathione reductase activity in rat tissues in vivo and in isolated rat hepatocytes.

Fotemustine, a new clinically active nitrosourea, is demonstrated herein to be a poor inhibitor of glutathione reductase activity from rat liver, lung and kidney cytosols. In order to show that an intracellular step of activation does not lead to a toxic intermediary metabolite, rat hepatocytes were incubated with fotemustine. Their glutathione-related pathways were checked and shown not to be altered, while under similar experimental conditions BCNU was shown to be dramatically harmful. Furthermore, association of fotemustine with a H2O2 production leading drug, diquat, was shown to be inefficient--while BCNU is efficient--in potentiating the diquat toxicity. Considering the role of glutathione level in the detoxification of mutagens and carcinogens, the advantage of fotemustine over BCNU in therapeutic use seems substantiated.

Metabolic activation of eugenol by myeloperoxidase and polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

Eugenol has recently been associated with the toxic effects of clove cigarettes on human lungs. We have studied the metabolism and adverse effects of eugenol on human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). Myeloperoxidase, isolated and purified from human PMNs, catalyzed the oxidation of eugenol to a reactive intermediate which is likely to be a quinone methide. Eosinophil peroxidase, lactoperoxidase, prostaglandin H synthase, horseradish peroxidase, and rat intestinal peroxidase also supported this hydrogen peroxide dependent reaction. Glutathione inhibited the formation of this metabolite, resulting in the formation of glutathione disulfide and a small amount of eugenol-glutathione conjugates. In cellular incubations, phorbol ester stimulated PMNs catalyzed the covalent binding of [3H]eugenol to cellular protein, which was partially inhibitable by azide. Intracellular glutathione levels decreased by 90% over a period of 30 min in phorbol ester stimulated PMNs exposed to 100 microM eugenol compared with decreases of 30% (phorbol ester alone) or 5% (eugenol alone) in control incubations. In addition, eugenol was more cytotoxic to PMNs in the presence of phorbol ester than in its absence, and eugenol inhibited the phorbol ester stimulated oxidative burst in PMNs as reflected by a decrease in oxygen consumption, superoxide formation, and hydrogen peroxide formation. These results suggest that PMNs are capable of activating eugenol to a reactive intermediate and also suggest a mechanism whereby eugenol can potentially interfere with and adversely affect vital PMN functions.

Peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of eugenol: formation of a cytotoxic metabolite(s).

The oxidation of eugenol (4-allyl-2-methoxyphenol) by horseradish peroxidase was studied. Following the initiation of the reaction with hydrogen peroxide, eugenol was oxidized via a one-electron pathway to a phenoxyl radical which subsequently formed a transient, yellow-colored intermediate which was identified as a quinone methide. The eugenol phenoxyl radical was detected using fast-flow electron spin resonance. The radicals and/or quinone methide further reacted to form an insoluble complex polymeric material. The stoichiometry of the disappearance of eugenol versus hydrogen peroxide was approximately 2:1. The addition of glutathione or ascorbate prevented the appearance of the quinone methide and also prevented the disappearance of the parent compound. In the presence of glutathione, a thiyl radical was detected, and increases in oxygen consumption and in the formation of oxidized glutathione were also observed. These results suggested that glutathione reacted with the eugenol phenoxyl radical and reduced it back to the parent compound. Glutathione also reacted directly with the quinone methide resulting in the formation of a eugenol-glutathione conjugate(s). Using 3H-labeled eugenol, extensive covalent binding to protein was observed. Finally, the oxidation products of eugenol/peroxidase were observed to be highly cytotoxic using isolated rat hepatocytes as target cells.

The generation and subsequent fate of glutathionyl radicals in biological systems.

Horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of p-phenetidine in the presence of either glutathione (GSH), cysteine, or N-acetylcysteine led to the production of the appropriate thioyl radical which could be observed using EPR spectroscopy in conjunction with the spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide. This confirms earlier work using acetaminophen (Ross, D., Albano, E., Nilsson, U., and Moldéus, P. (1984) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 125, 109-115). The further reactions of glutathionyl radicals (GS.), generated during horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of p-phenetidine and acetaminophen in the presence of GSH, were investigated by following kinetics of oxygen uptake and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) formation. Oxygen uptake and GSSG generation were dependent on the concentration of GSH but above that which was required for maximal interaction with the primary amine or phenoxy radical generated during peroxidatic oxidation of p-phenetidine or acetaminophen, suggesting that a secondary GSH-dependent process was responsible for oxygen uptake and GSSG production. GSSG was the only product of thiol oxidation detected during peroxidatic oxidation of p-phenetidine or acetaminophen in the presence of GSH, but under nitrogen saturation conditions its production was reduced to 8 and 33% of the corresponding amounts obtained under aerobic conditions in the cases of p-phenetidine and acetaminophen, respectively. Nitrogen saturation conditions did not affect horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed metabolism. This shows that the main route of GSSG generation in such reactions is not by dimerization of GS. but via mechanism(s) involving oxygen consumption such as via GSSG-. or via GSOOH.

Characterization and mechanism of formation of reactive products formed during peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of p-phenetidine. Trapping of reactive species by reduced glutathione and butylated hydroxyanisole.

OFF products of horseradish peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7)-catalyzed oxidation of p-phenetidine were isolated and reactive species were trapped with reduced glutathione (GSH) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). When BHA was added to a reaction mixture after 5 min, subsequent TLC and mass spectrometric analysis revealed the formation of an adduct of BHA and 4-(ethoxyphenyl)-p-benzoquinone diimine (A). The diimine derivative (A) was unstable and its expected degradation products, 4-(ethoxyphenyl)-p-benzoquinone imine (B) and ammonia, were recovered from the reaction in stoichiometric amounts. Ethanol was an early product of the reaction presumably resulting from radical coupling reactions and its formation agreed with the combined production of A and B, suggesting that this was its sole route of formation. The addition of GSH to a reaction at various times and subsequent TLC and high performance liquid chromatographic analysis revealed the presence of at least seven conjugates. Two conjugates were identified by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry, one as a mono-GSH conjugate of A and another as a mono-GSH conjugate of B. When purified [14C]B was mixed with [3H]GSH, three conjugates were isolated by high performance liquid chromatography, two of which were tentatively identified as di-GSH conjugates. The conjugates isolated existed in both oxidized and reduced forms which could be easily interconverted by redox processes. The production of such reactive species and their conjugates in vivo may be a useful indicator of peroxidase-catalyzed metabolism.

The effectiveness of N-acetylcysteine in isolated hepatocytes, against the toxicity of paracetamol, acrolein, and paraquat.

The protective effect of N-acetylcysteine against the toxicity of paracetamol, acrolein, and paraquat was investigated using isolated hepatocytes as the experimental system. N-acetylcysteine protects against paracetamol toxicity by acting as a precursor for intracellular glutathione. N-acetylcysteine protects against acrolein toxicity by providing a source of sulfhydryl groups, and is effective without prior conversion. Paraquat toxicity can be decreased by coincubating the cells with N-acetylcysteine, but the mechanism for the protective effect is not as clear in this instance. It is probable that N-acetylcysteine protects against paraquat toxicity by helping to maintain intracellular glutathione levels.

The effectiveness of different sulfate precursors in supporting extrahepatic sulfate conjugation.

The effectiveness of different sulfur-containing compounds in supplying inorganic sulfate for sulfate conjugation was studied in isolated cells from rat small intestine, kidney and lung. With cells isolated from the small intestine and kidney, inorganic sulfate was by far the most effective source for intracellular active sulfate as judged by the ability to support sulfate conjugation of 7-hydroxycoumarin. Kidney cells could also use cysteine, N-acetylcysteine and glutathione as a sulfate source, whereas isolated small intestinal cells did not seem to break down and use these sulfur-containing compounds. With isolated lung cells cysteine was the most efficient sulfate precursor. Of the other precursors N-acetylcysteine and inorganic sulfate were used for sulfate conjugation to some extent.

The isolation of rat lung cells for the purpose of studying drug metabolism.

A method was developed for the isolation of viable cells from rat lungs. The cells were a heterogeneous population, which maintained a high percentage viability for up to 3 hr on incubation at 37 degrees. Reduced cofactor levels (NADH, NADPH) decreased on incubation, but ATP remained constant. The cells were active in the metabolism of the two xenobiotics studied. A model compound, 7-ethoxycoumarin, was O-deethylated and subsequently conjugated with glucuronic acid and sulphate, whilst a pharmaceutical agent, N-acetylcysteine, was de-acetylated.