Xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in the canine respiratory tract.

Airway epithelial surface is the primary target of airborne pollutants. To estimate the distribution of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in the respiratory tract of dogs, epithelia from different airway sites of four animals were analyzed for metabolism of sulfite (sulfite oxidase) and formaldehyde (formaldehyde dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase). In addition, glutathione S-transferases were assayed using several model substrates. Enzyme activities were compared with those found in liver parenchyma. The activity of sulfite oxidase was found to be comparable in nose, trachea, and proximal and medium bronchi, but appeared to be lower in lung parenchyma of most animals. In contrast, hepatic sulfite oxidase activity of these animals was substantially higher compared to that in airway epithelia. The activity of glutathione-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase (FDH) appeared to be highest in nose and lowest in distal bronchi, lung, and liver parenchyma. The distribution pattern of the glutathione-independent aldehyde dehydrogenase (AldDH) in the respiratory tract was different from that of FDH. Levels of AldDH were about 5- to 10-fold lower than those of FDH, suggesting that AldDH is of minor importance for pulmonary formaldehyde detoxification. With regard to ethanol detoxification by a class I alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), no measurable enzyme activity could be detected at most respiratory sites contrary to the high activity found in liver parenchyma. Regarding glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), different distributions of enzyme activities were found in the large and small airways when using three substrates. The 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB)-related activities in the cytosolic fraction of the upper (nose, trachea) and lower airways (proximal, medium and distal bronchi) were higher than those in the microsomal fraction. Interestingly, there was no difference between CDNB-related activities in the cytosolic and microsomal fraction of the liver. Highest cytosolic activities were found in the nose, and were comparable to those detected in the liver parenchyma. The cytosolic 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene (DCNB)-related activities in the nose, proximal bronchi, and lung parenchyma were appeared to be markedly higher than those in trachea and medium and distal bronchi, while the microsomal activities were not detectable at most respiratory sites. In contrast, distinctly higher activities were measured in both fractions of liver tissue. Cytosolic 1, 2-epoxy-3-(p-nitrophenoxy)-propane (EPNP)-related activities were present in upper and lower airways including lung parenchyma at comparable levels, while in liver tissue the mean activities were distinctly lower. No EPNP-related activities were found in the microsomal fractions. In conclusion, most xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes investigated in this study could be detected in epithelia of various respiratory sites. The most outstanding result revealed higher levels of FDH activity in the nose and downstream to the medium bronchi in comparison to those found in the small airways, lung, and liver tissue. Similarly, the EPNP-related GST exhibited a distinctly higher activity at all respiratory sites compared to the activity in liver tissue, suggesting a different regulation of this enzyme in lung and liver.

Health effects of sulfur-related environmental air pollution. II. Cellular and molecular parameters of injury.

Recently, concern has been raised about effects related to environmental sulfur and/or acidic aerosols. To assess long-term effects on nonrespiratory lung function, 8 beagle dogs were exposed over a period of 13 mo for 16.5 h/day to a neutral sulfite aerosol at a sulfur(IV) concentration of 0.32 mg m(-3) and for 6 h/day to an acidic sulfate aerosol providing a hydrogen concentration of 15.2 micromol m(-3) for inhalation. Prior to exposure the dogs were kept under clean air conditions for 16 mo to establish physiological baseline values for each animal. A second group of eight dogs (control) was kept for the entire study under clean air conditions. No clinical symptoms were identified that could be related to the combined exposure. Biochemical and cellular parameters were analyzed in sequential bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids. The permeability of the alveolo-capillary membrane and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) clearance was not affected. Similarly, oxidant burden of the epithelial lining fluid evaluated by levels of oxidation products in the BAL fluid protein fraction remained unchanged. Both the lysosomal enzyme beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase and the alpha-1-AT were increased (p <.05). In contrast, the cytoplasmic marker lactate dehydrogenase remained unchanged, indicating the absence of severe damages to epithelial cells or phagocytes. Various surfactant functions were not altered during exposure. Three animals showed elevated levels of the type II cell-associated alkaline phosphatase (AP), indicating a nonuniform response of type II cells. Significant correlations were found between AP and total BAL protein, but not between AP and lactate dehydrogenase, suggesting proliferation of alveolar type II cells. Absolute and relative cell counts in the BAL fluid were not influenced by exposure. Alveolar macrophages showed no alterations with regard to their respiratory burst upon stimulation with opsonized zymosan. The percentage of alveolar macrophages capable of phagocytozing latex particles was significantly decreased (p<.05), while the phagocytosis index was not altered. In view of the results of this and previous studies, we conclude that there is no synergism of effects of these two air pollutants on nonrespiratory lung functions. It is hypothesized that antagonistic effects of these air pollutants on phospholipase A2-dependent pathways account for compensatory physiological mechanisms. The results emphasize the complexity of health effects on lung functions in response to the complex mixture of air pollutants and disclose the precariousness in the risk assessment of air pollutants for humans.

Increased oxidized methionine residues in BAL fluid proteins in acute or chronic bronchitis.

Phagocytic cells such as alveolar macrophages (AM) or polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) in the bronchoalveolar tract are a potential source of the oxygen-derived free radicals which are presumed to be involved in lung tissue damage. Previous results have shown that the methionine sulphoxide (MET(O)) content of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) protein is a reliable parameter to indicate oxidative processes in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We measured the molar ratio between MET(O) and methionine (MET) in the BALF protein from healthy nonsmokers (control group), healthy smokers and patients with acute or chronic bronchitis (AB or CB). The MET(O)/MET ratio of the nonsmoking group (n = 11) was 0.046 +/- 0.008 (mean +/- SEM). Healthy smokers (n = 8) had similar values (0.042 +/- 0.008), even though they had strongly increased AM counts in BALF. Patients with AB (n = 12) showed an increased MET(O)/MET ratio (0.191 +/- 0.031) and had high PMN but normal AM counts in BALF. Patients with CB (n = 13) showed an increase in the MET(O)/MET ratio (0.086 +/- 0.010) and moderately increased PMN and markedly increased AM counts. Taking all results together, the MET(O)/MET ratio correlated positively with the relative PMN number (r = 0.70; p less than 0.0002) and inversely with the relative AM number (r = 0.67; p less than 0.0002). In the group with CB, the MET(O)/MET ratio correlated inversely with forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) % pred. (r = -0.77) and FEV1/inspiratory vital capacity (IVC) % pred. (r = -0.89).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Increased levels of oxidized methionine residues in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid proteins from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Phagocytic cells are believed to play a crucial role in the development of inflammatory lung diseases. We assumed that the oxidation of methionine (met) to methionine sulfoxide [met(O)] by oxygen-derived free radicals released from phagocytes is one parameter to identify the oxidative mechanisms of lung injury. To test this hypothesis we determined the molar ratio of met(O)/met in the soluble protein fraction of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids from healthy nonsmokers and from nonsmoking patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) or sarcoidosis. The met(O)/met ratio of the healthy nonsmoker group (n = 11) was 0.046 +/- 0.008 (mean +/- SEM). In contrast, the met(O)/met ratio of the nonsmoking IPF group (n = 11) was significantly increased to 0.223 +/- 0.053 (p less than 0.0002). The BAL fluids of this group showed strongly increased numbers of neutrophils but normal numbers of alveolar macrophages (AM). In the sarcoidosis group (n = 10) the met(O)/met ratio (0.048 +/- 0.010) was not significantly different from control values. A close relationship was found between the met(O)/met ratios and the relative as well as the absolute neutrophil counts (r = 0.86; p less than 0.0002; n = 22). In contrast, no significant correlation was found between the met(O)/met ratios and the absolute AM counts (r = 0.22; p = 0.32; n = 22). We conclude that mechanisms of oxidative lung injury in IPF can be characterized by oxidation of met and that this oxidation may be mediated by neutrophils.

Different selectivities of oxidants during oxidation of methionine residues in the alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor.

Oxidation of the reactive site methionine (Met) in alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor (alpha-1-PI) to methionine sulfoxide (Met(O] is known to cause depletion of its elastase inhibitory activity. To estimate the selectivity of different oxidants in converting Met to Met(O) in alpha-1-PI, we measured the molar ratio Met(O)/alpha-1-PI at total inactivation. This ratio was determined to be 1.2 for both the myeloperoxidase/H2O2/chloride system and the related compound NH2Cl. With taurine monochloramine, another myeloperoxidase-related oxidant, 1.05 mol Met(O) were generated per mol alpha-1-PI during inactivation. These oxidants attack preferentially one Met residue in alpha-1-PI, which is identical with Met 358, as concluded from the parallelism of loss of elastase inhibitory activity and oxidation of Met. A similar high specificity for Met oxidation was determined for the xanthine oxidase-derived oxidants. In contrast, the ratio found for ozone and m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid was 6.0 and 5.0, respectively, indicating oxidation of additional Met residues besides the relative site Met in alpha-1-PI, i.e. unselective action of these oxidants. Further studies were performed on the efficiency of oxidants for total depletion of the elastase inhibitory capacity of alpha-1-PI. Ozone and m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid were 10-fold less effective and the superoxide anion/hydroxyl radicals were 30-50-fold less effective to inactivate the elastase inhibitory activity as compared to the myeloperoxidase-derived oxidants. The myeloperoxidase-related oxidants are discussed as important regulators of alpha-1-PI activity in vivo.

Proteins released from stimulated neutrophils contain very high levels of oxidized methionine.

In proteins released from quiescent human neutrophils during incubation, 21% of the methionine (Met) residues were found to be oxidized. However, the portion of oxidized Met in extracellular proteins increased to 66% after stimulating the cells with zymosan and to 75% after stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Generation of such high levels of oxidized Met in native proteins by activated neutrophils has, so far, not been observed. The presence of superoxide dismutase during incubation of PMA-stimulated cells produced a negligible effect on methionine oxidation, while the presence of catalase resulted in a methionine sulfoxide (Met(O)) content of only 28% in the released proteins. It is proposed that the conversion of Met to Met(O) in these proteins predominantly occurs by action of the myeloperoxidase/H2O2/Cl- system in the extracellular space.

The substrate specificity of proteinase B from baker's yeast.

The substrate specificity of proteinase B (EC 3.4.22.9) from Baker's yeast was studied. Experiments with unblocked synthetic peptides indicated that the enzyme has no aminopeptidase activity. The proteinase cleaves trypsin substrates like Bz-Arg-OEt, Bz-Arg-pNA and Bz-Ile-Glu-Gly-Arg-pNA and chymotrypsin substrates like Ac-Tyr-OEt and Bz-Tyr-pNA. The Km value for Ac-Tyr-OEt is similar to that of chymotrypsin A, but the catalytic activity per mol proteinase B amounts to only 1/20 that of chymotrypsin A. Km and kcat for Bz-Arg-OEt are 1/50 and 1/7 as high as the corresponding values determined for trypsin. Proteinase B cleaved the oxidized insulin B chain with an initial rapid cleavage step at Leu(15)-Tyr(16) and Phe(24)-Phe(25). Slower hydrolysis was observed at Gln(4)-His(5), Leu(11)-Val(12) Tyr(16)-Leu(17), Leu(17)-Val(18), Arg(22)-Gly(23) and Phe(25)-Tyr(26). These results suggest that the specificity of proteinase B is comparable to the specificity of porcine chymotrypsin C as well as of trypsin. When the hexapeptide Leu-Trp-Met-Arg-Phe-Ala was used as a substrate for proteinase B, the enzyme preferentially attacked at Arg-Phe and more slowly at Trp-Met.