Birthweight, body size, and growth during childhood and risks of rheumatoid arthritis: a large Danish cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Adult obesity may be positively associated with risks of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but associations with early life body size are unknown. We examined whether birthweight, childhood body mass index (BMI), height, and changes in BMI and height were associated with risks of adult RA. METHOD: A cohort of 346 602 children (171 127 girls) from the Copenhagen School Health Records Register, born in 1930-1996, with measured weights and heights from 7 to 13 years of age, were included. Information on RA, including serological status, came from national registers from 1977 to 2017. Cox regressions were performed. RESULTS: During a median of 35.1 years of observation time per person, 4991 individuals (3565 women) were registered with RA. Among girls, per BMI z-score, risks of RA and seropositive RA increased by 4-9% and 6-10%, respectively. Girls with overweight had higher risks of RA than girls without overweight. Girls who became overweight by 13 years of age had increased risks of RA compared to girls without overweight at 7 or 13 years (hazard ratio = 1.40, 95% confidence interval 1.19-1.66). For boys, associations between BMI and RA (including seropositive RA) were not statistically significant. Height was not associated with RA (any type) in girls. Taller boys had higher risks of RA, especially seropositive RA. Birthweight was not associated with RA. CONCLUSIONS: Among women, childhood adiposity was associated with increased risks of RA. Among men, childhood height was positively associated with risks of RA. These findings support the hypothesis that early life factors may be important in the aetiology of RA.

A re-analysis of the iron content of plant-based foods in the United Kingdom.

In the UK contemporary estimates of dietary Fe intakes rely upon food Fe content data from the 1980s or before. Moreover, there has been speculation that the natural Fe content of foods has fallen over time, predominantly due to changes in agricultural practices. Therefore, we re-analysed common plant-based foods of the UK diet for their Fe content (the '2000s analyses') and compared the values with the most recent published values (the '1980s analyses') and the much older published values (the '1930s analyses'), the latter two being from different editions of the McCance and Widdowson food tables. Overall, there was remarkable consistency between analytical data for foods spanning the 70 years. There was a marginal, but significant, apparent decrease in natural food Fe content from the 1930s to 1980s/2000s. Whether this represents a true difference or is analytical error between the eras is unclear and how it could translate into differences in intake requires clarification. However, fortificant Fe levels (and fortificant Fe intake based upon linked national data) did appear to have increased between the 1980s and 2000s, and deserve further attention in light of recent potential concerns over the long-term safety and effectiveness of fortificant Fe. In conclusion, the overall Fe content of plant-based foods is largely consistent between the 1930s and 2000s, with a fall in natural dietary Fe content negated or even surpassed by a rise in fortificant Fe but for which the long-term effects are uncertain.

Wind streaks on venus: clues to atmospheric circulation.

Magellan images reveal surface features on Venus attributed to wind processes. Sand dunes, wind-sculpted hills, and more than 5830 wind streaks have been identified. The streaks serve as local "wind vanes," representing wind direction at the time of streak formation and allowing the first global mapping of near-surface wind patterns on Venus. Wind streaks are oriented both toward the equator and toward the west. When streaks associated with local transient events, such as impact cratering, are deleted, the westward component is mostly lost but the equatorward component remains. This pattern is consistent with a Hadley circulation of the lower atmosphere.

RABDAM: quantifying specific radiation damage in individual protein crystal structures.

Radiation damage remains one of the major limitations to accurate structure determination in protein crystallography (PX). Despite the use of cryo-cooling techniques, it is highly probable that a number of the structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) have suffered substantial radiation damage as a result of the high flux densities of third generation synchrotron X-ray sources. Whereas the effects of global damage upon diffraction pattern reflection intensities are readily detectable, traditionally the (earlier onset) site-specific structural changes induced by radiation damage have proven difficult to identify within individual PX structures. More recently, however, development of the BDamage metric has helped to address this problem. BDamage is a quantitative, per-atom metric identifies potential sites of specific damage by comparing the atomic B-factor values of atoms that occupy a similar local packing density environment in the structure. Building upon this past work, this article presents a program, RABDAM, to calculate the BDamage metric for all selected atoms within any standard-format PDB or mmCIF file. RABDAM provides several useful outputs to assess the extent of damage suffered by an input PX structure. This free and open-source software will allow assessment and improvement of the quality of PX structures both previously and newly deposited in the PDB.

Purification of a human liver cytochrome P-450 immunochemically related to several cytochromes P-450 purified from untreated rats.

Among characterized forms of liver microsomal cytochromes P-450 in rats are four related isozymes (P-450f-i) notable for their lack of inducibility. Immunoblot analyses demonstrated that human livers microsomes contained several proteins related to these rat P-450s. A human liver P-450, termed HLx, was purified and found by immunochemical assays to resemble rat P-450g. Analysis of the NH2-terminal amino acid sequence of HLx indicates that it is related to rat P-450s f-i and human liver P-450MP. A monoclonal antibody was used to measure the amounts of HLx in 21 human liver specimens. No correlation between the levels of HLx protein in these specimens and the patients' environmental histories was observed. However, statistical analysis of the data suggests that the distribution of HLx is at least bimodal. We conclude that HLx is a member of a family of human liver P-450s that resembles in its structure, and possibly in its distribution, several liver P-450s found in other animals.

Metabolic activation of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone as measured by DNA alkylation in vitro and its inhibition by isothiocyanates.

The bioactivation of the tobacco-specific nitrosamine, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), by microsomes from target organs was studied with an in vitro microsome-mediated DNA alkylation system. Mouse lung, rat lung, and rat nasal microsomes catalyzed a time- and protein-dependent DNA methylation by [methyl-3H]NNK with activities of 4.11, 0.95, and 137.4 pmol/mg DNA/mg protein/h, respectively. The DNA methylation of NNK catalyzed by all three microsomal systems was inhibited by cytochrome P-450 inhibitors, such as carbon monoxide and metyrapone, but not by the cyclooxygenase inhibitor, aspirin, or by prolonged preincubation in the absence of NADPH. The possible involvement of specific P450 isozymes was assessed by specific inhibitory antibodies. An anti-P450IIB1&2 antibody significantly inhibited the DNA methylation by 45 and 32% in mouse lung and rat lung, respectively, whereas anti-P450IA1 and anti-P450IIE1 antibodies failed to show significant inhibition. All antibodies showed no inhibition in rat nasal microsomes. Glutathione inhibited the DNA methylation in a concentration-dependent manner in all three microsomal systems. Phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), at doses of 0.25 and 1.00 mmol/kg body weight, was given intragastrically 2 h before sacrifice to mice and 24 h before sacrifice to rats, respectively; both mouse and rat lung microsomal activities were inhibited by about 40 and 90% by the low- and high-dose PEITC treatments, respectively. The rat nasal microsomes were only inhibited by the high-dose PEITC treatment by about 40%. PEITC, 4-phenylbutyl isothiocyanate, and 6-phenylhexyl isothiocyanate all inhibited the microsome-mediated DNA methylation of NNK in vitro, with 4-phenylbutyl isothiocyanate and 6-phenylhexyl isothiocyanate being more potent than PEITC and the mouse lung microsomes more sensitive than the rat lung and nasal microsomes. All three microsomal systems were shown to catalyze the in vitro DNA pyridyloxobutylation by [5-3H]NNK. On an equal protein basis, the rat nasal microsomes were much more active in catalyzing the DNA pyridyloxobutylation.

Mechanisms of inhibition of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone bioactivation in mouse by dietary phenethyl isothiocyanate.

The tobacco-specific nitrosamine, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1- butanone (NNK), induces lung tumors in mice, rats, and hamsters. Phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), which occurs as gluconasturtiin in cruciferous vegetables, is a potent inhibitor of NNK-induced carcinogenesis. The present study investigated the enzymatic basis for the bioactivation of NNK and the mechanisms of the inhibition of this process by dietary PEITC in mice. The apparent Km for the formation of keto aldehyde, keto alcohol, and NNK-N-oxide in lung microsomes was 4.9, 2.6, and 1.8 microM and, in liver microsomes, 5.5, 5.1, and 8.8 microM, respectively. Immunoinhibition studies suggested that cytochrome P450s (P450s) 2A1 and 2B1 or related forms are the major enzymes involved in the oxidative metabolism of NNK in mouse lung microsomes. When female A/J mice were fed diets containing 0, 1, or 3 mumol of PEITC/g of diet for 4 wk, the dietary PEITC had no significant effects on the food consumption and body weight of the mice. NNK oxidation in the lung microsomes of mice consuming the 1 or 3 mumol of PEITC/g of diet was decreased by 13 to 27% or 30 to 50%, respectively. In liver microsomes, whose NNK oxidative metabolism rates were about twice those of lung microsomes on a per mg of protein basis, the activities were decreased by 14 to 31% by the 3 mumol of PEITC/g of diet. The apparent Km remained unchanged, and the apparent Vmax decreased in the lung and liver microsomes of PEITC-fed mice, suggesting a noncompetitive nature of the inhibition. When added to the incubation mixture, PEITC decreased NNK metabolism in a concentration-dependent manner and exhibited a competitive inhibition with apparent Ki values of 51 to 93 nM. Dietary PEITC decreased the hepatic P450 content by 25%, but increased (2-fold) the O-dealkylase activities of 7-pentoxyresorufin (indicative of P450 2B1) and 7-ethoxyresorufin (indicative of P450 1A) in the liver microsomes of mice consuming the 3 mumol of PEITC/g of diet. The P450 2B level was increased in liver microsomes but slightly decreased in the lung microsomes. The p450 2E1 level was increased by dietary PEITC by 1.2- and 1.6-fold in the liver and lung microsomes, respectively. The activities of glutathione S-transferase and NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase in liver and lung microsomes were not affected appreciably by the dietary PEITC treatment. The results suggest that chronic consumption of PEITC decreases the rate of metabolic activation of NNK by chemical inactivation and competitive inhibition of the enzyme(s) responsible for NNK oxidation.

Metabolism of carcinogenic nitrosamines by rat nasal mucosa and the effect of diallyl sulfide.

Rat nasal cavity is one of the target organs for carcinogenesis induced by N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). The present work investigated the metabolism of these nitrosamines by rat nasal microsomes, as well as the possible modulating factors. Microsomes prepared from rat nasal mucosa were efficient in metabolizing these nitrosamines. In general, the metabolism of the nitrosamines was slightly higher in 9-week-old rats than in 4-week-old animals, and there was no sex-related difference. Fasting of rats for 48 h, which is known to induce hepatic cytochrome P450IIE1 and NDMA metabolism, did not increase the nasal metabolism of NDMA, NDEA, or NNK. Pretreatment of rats with acetone, another inducer of hepatic P450IIE1, did not increase the metabolism of NDMA. Furthermore, it decreased the nasal metabolism of NDEA and NNK. Immunoinhibition studies suggest that, in the nasal mucosa, P450IIE1 is only partially responsible for the oxidation of NDMA and other P450 isozymes are responsible for the metabolism of NDEA. A single p.o. pretreatment of male rats with diallyl sulfide (DAS), a component of garlic oil, caused a significant decrease in the oxidative metabolism of NDEA and NNK in rat nasal mucosa. Whereas the nasal metabolism of NDMA was reduced by DAS pretreatment, there was no change in the amount of the nasal microsomal proteins immunoreactive with the antibodies against P450IIE1. The inhibitory effect of DAS on the nasal oxidative metabolism of NDMA, NDEA, and NNK was also observed in experiments in vitro. The results demonstrate the ability of nasal mucosa to metabolically activate these nitrosamines and the inhibition of this process by DAS, suggesting that DAS may be effective in inhibiting the related nasal tumorigenesis.

Metabolism of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone in mouse lung microsomes and its inhibition by isothiocyanates.

The tobacco-specific carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) induces lung tumors in rats, mice, and hamsters, and metabolic activation is required for the carcinogenicity. 2-Phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), whose precursor gluconasturtiin (a glucosinolate) occurs in cruciferous vegetables, has been found to inhibit carcinogenesis by NNK. The purpose of the study was to investigate the enzymes involved in the metabolism of NNK in lung microsomes and to elucidate the mechanisms of inhibition of NNK metabolism by isothiocyanates. NNK metabolism in lung microsomes (isolated from female A/J mice) resulted in the formation of formaldehyde, 4-hydroxy-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (keto alcohol), 4-oxo-4-(3-pyridyl)butyric acid (keto acid), 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl-N-oxide)-1-butanone, and 4-(methyl-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol, displaying apparent Km values of 5.6, 5.6, 9.2, 4.7, and 2540 microM, respectively. Higher Km values in the formation of formaldehyde and keto alcohol were also observed. When cytochrome P-450 inhibitors [2-(diethylamino)ethyl 2,2-diphenylpentenoate] hydrochloride (100 microM), carbon monoxide (90%), and 9-hydroxyellipticine (10 microM) were used, NNK metabolism was inhibited by each 70, 100, and 30%, respectively. Methimazole (1 mM), an inhibitor of the flavin-dependent monooxygenase, inhibited the formation of 4-(methyl-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl-N-oxide)-1-butanone and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol by 20%, but had no effect on the formation of keto alcohol. Inhibitory antibodies against cytochromes P-450IIB1 and -2, P-450IA1, and P-450IA2 inhibited the formation of keto alcohol by 25, 15, and 0%, respectively. Administration of PEITC at doses of 5 and 25 mumol/mouse 2 h before sacrifice produced a 40 and 70% decrease in microsomal NNK metabolism, respectively. PEITC and 3-phenylpropyl isothiocyanate exhibited a mixed type of inhibition, and the competitive component of inhibition had apparent Ki values of 90 and 30 nM, respectively. Preincubation of PEITC in the presence of a NADPH-generating system did not result in a further decrease in the formation of NNK metabolites, indicating that the metabolism of PEITC was not required for the inhibition. When a series of isothiocyanates with varying alkyl chain length (phenyl isothiocyanate, benzyl isothiocyanate, PEITC, 3-phenylpropyl isothiocyanate, and 4-phenylbutyl isothiocyanate) were used, the potency of the inhibition increased with the increase in chain length.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Mutagenicity of the bay-region diol-epoxides and other benzo-ring derivatives of dibenzo(a,h)pyrene and dibenzo(a,i)pyrene.

The mutagenic activities of dibenzo(a,h)(pyrene, dibenzo(a,i)pyrene, and a total of 11 of their benzo-ring derivatives were evaluated in bacterial and mammalian cells in the absence or presence of a mammalian metabolic activation system. trans-1,2-Dihydroxy-1,2-dihydrodibenzo(a,h)pyrene and trans-3,4-dihydroxy-3,4-dihydrodibenzo(a,i)pyrene, the expected dihydrodiol precursors of bay-region diol-epoxides, were metabolized to products which were more mutagenic to strains TA98 and TA100 of Salmonella typhimurium than were the metabolic products formed from their respective parent hydrocarbons. For each dihydrodiol, replacement of the benzo-ring double bond adjacent to the diol moiety with a single bond resulted in tetrahydrodiol derivatives which could not be metabolically activated, suggesting that one or both diastereomeric bay-region diol-epoxides were the bioactivated metabolites. The authentic bay-region diol-epoxide diastereomers of dibenzo(a,h)pyrene and dibenzo(a,i)pyrene in which the benzylic hydroxyl group and the epoxide oxygen are trans (diol-epoxide 2 series) were highly mutagenic in strains TA98 and TA100 of S. typhimurium and in cultured Chinese hamster V79 cells. Neither diol-epoxide was significantly, if at all, metabolized by epoxide hydrolase. The bay-region diol-epoxide of dibenzo(a,i)pyrene was from 1.5 to 5 times more active as a mutagen than the diol-epoxide of dibenzo(a,h)pyrene, and in strain TA98 of S. typhimurium as well as Chinese hamster V79 cells, it had activity comparable to that of the highly carcinogenic bay-region diol-epoxide of benzo(a)pyrene.

Mutagenicity and tumor-initiating activity of cyclopenta(c,d)pyrene and structurally related compounds.

The biological activities of benzo(a)pyrene, cyclopenta(c,d)pyrene, and 12 other structurally related compounds were assessed by mutagenicity studies with bacterial and mammalian cells and/or skin tumorigenicity studies with mice. The ability of the parent hydrocarbons to be metabolically activated to mutagenic products was examined in strains TA98 and TA100 of Salmonella typhimurium, using 3 experimental protocols. In each case, cyclopenta(c,d)pyrene was metabolically activated to products mutagenic to the bacteria to a greater extent than was benzo(a)pyrene. However, 7,8-dihydrobenzo(a)pyrene and 0,10-dihydrobenzo(e)pyrene were the best substrates for metabolic activation to bacterial mutagens. Highly purified epoxide hydrase added to a purified and reconstituted monooxygenase system readily abolished the mutagenic activity observed in strain TA100 of S. typhimurium when cyclopenta(c,d)pyrene was the substrate, but not when benzo(a)pyrene was the substrate. Inherent mutagenicity of several epoxides of the hydrocarbons generally paralleled the ability of their potential metabolic precursors to be activated to mutagens. 1-Pyrenyloxirane and 10,11-dihydrocycloheptapyrene 8,9-oxide were highly mutagenic in strains TA98 and TA100 of S. typhimurium, and in the former strain these activities were comparable to that observed with 9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo(a)pyrene, 4-Pyrenyloxirane was significantly less mutagenic than was 1-pyrenyloxirane in both strains of bacteria and in mammalian cells. Benzo(a)pyrene was over 20 times more tumorigenic than was cyclopenta-(c,d)pyrene, and it was the most potent of the 11 compounds tested for tumor-initiating activity in 2-stage initiation-promotion experiments on the skin of mice. Cyclopenta(c,d)pyrene had tumor-initiating activity comparable to that of benzo-(a)anthracene, but it was significantly less active than chrysene. Thus, contrary to inferences made from its high mutagenic activity, cyclopenta(c,d)pyrene is a weak tumor initiator on mouse skin.

Purification of cytidine-triphosphate synthetase from rat liver, and demonstration of monomer, dimer and tetramer.

Cytidine-triphosphate synthetase (UTP: ammonia ligase (ADP-forming), EC 6.3.4.2) has been purified over 31,000-fold to homogeneity with 17% recovery from rat liver cytosol, using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) techniques. The presence of CTP synthetase monomer, dimer and tetramer has been demonstrated in the ammonium sulfate fraction of rat liver cytosol. By gel-permeation HPLC, the molecular weights of the three molecular forms of the enzyme have been estimated as 240,000 (tetramer), 120,000 (dimer) and 60,000 (monomer). By gel-permeation chromatography on Bio-Gel A-1.5m column, the molecular weights of dimer and monomer were estimated as 100,000 and 50,000, respectively. The molecular weight of the monomeric subunit is determined to be 66,000 by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Monomers isolated fresh from 0-30 (NH4)2SO4 fraction of rat liver cytosol are enzymatically active. Purified rat liver CTP synthetase exhibited sigmoidal kinetic plots as a function of the substrate UTP in the presence of the end-product, CTP. Partially purified CTP synthetase usually forms an inactive coagulum on freezing and subsequent thawing. Incubation of CTP synthetase dimer at 25 degrees C for 1 h in the presence of UTP, ATP and Mg2+ resulted in optimum conversion to tetramer with least inactivation. The purified tetramer dissociates to dimers when UTP, ATP and Mg2+ are removed by dialysis.

Comparisons of highly purified hepatic microsomal cytochromes P-450 from Holtzman and Long-Evans rats.

The present study describes the purification and characterization of strain variant forms of a major phenobarbital-inducible microsomal hemoprotein, cytochrome P-450b, from Holtzman and Long-Evans rats. The strain variant hemoproteins cannot be resolved by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis, but can be partially separated in two-dimensional isoelectric focusing SDS gels. If, however, sodium tetradecyl sulfate is incorporated into the one-dimensional gel system, separation of the cytochromes P-450b is achieved. Minor structural differences are detected in the peptides of the cytochromes P-450b following limited proteolysis by Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease, cleavage by cyanogen bromide, or reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography of tryptic peptides. The strain variant cytochromes P-450b are immunochemically and spectrally indistinguishable. The optical spectra of the ferric and ferrous hemoproteins are identical, as are the CO- and ethylisocyanide-reduced difference spectra. Ferrous cytochromes P-450b from both rat strains effectively bind metyrapone with equivalent affinities. In addition, the cytochromes P-450b do not differ in their catalytic activities toward benzphetamine, hexobarbital, benzo [a]pyrene, zoxazolamine, 7-ethoxycoumarin, estradiol-17 beta and testosterone. Cytochrome P-450c, the predominant isozyme inducible in rat liver by 3-methylcholanthrene, was purified from Holtzman and Long-Evans rats. Cytochromes P-450c from both rat strains are indistinguishable based on electrophoretic, immunological, spectral and catalytic properties. Minor structural differences in the cytochromes P-450c were revealed in the reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatographic profiles of the tryptic peptides of these hemoproteins, but not in the peptides generated by limited proteolysis or cleavage with cyanogen bromide.

Genetic relationship between aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase inducibility and chemical carcinogen induced skin ulceration in mice.

Inbred strains of mice show differential skin inflammatory reactivity following the topical application of polycyclic hydrocarbons. Strains also differ in the extent to which hepatic aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity is induced by these compounds. Differential inflammatory response and hydroxylase inducibility are genetically controlled by alleles at the In and Ahh loci, respectively. Genetic analyses and strain surveys indicate that the In and Ahh loci are identical, or very closely linked.

Cloning of a 2.5 kb murine bone sialoprotein promoter fragment and functional analysis of putative Osf2 binding sites.

Bone sialoprotein (BSP) is an extracellular matrix protein that is intimately associated with the process of biomineralization. Osf2, a member of the Cbf/runt family of transcription factors, is required for the development of osteoblasts in vivo and has been reported to stimulate the transcription of BSP when overexpressed in mesenchymal cell lines. To investigate the role of Osf2 in BSP expression, we cloned a 2.5 kb fragment of a 5' untranscribed sequence from the murine BSP gene and evaluated it for putative Osf2 binding sites. This promoter, which was able to direct 5- to 10-fold higher levels of luciferase reporter expression in osteoblastic cells than in nonbone cell lines, contains two consensus core binding sites for members of the Cbf/runt family. One, at -61 relative to the start of transcription, is within a region having 75% overall sequence identity with the rat and human BSP promoters. The other is located at -1335, outside this highly conserved region. Neither site is completely conserved in the rat or human sequences. Only the -1335 site was able to bind a protein in nuclear extracts of osteoblastic cells, and this protein was identified as Osf2. Despite this in vitro binding ability, we detected no significant enhancer activity in the -1335 element when placed in front of a minimal osteocalcin promoter driving a luciferase reporter gene in osteoblastic cells nor any loss in transcriptional activity of a 5' promoter deletion which eliminated this element as compared with the full-length 2.5 kb promoter. These results suggest that Osf2 binding to the BSP promoter is not essential for its osteoblast-selective expression.

Effects of phenobarbital, dexamethasone, and 3-methylcholanthrene administration on the metabolism of 17 beta-estradiol by liver microsomes from female rats.

Female rats were treated with phenobarbital, dexamethasone, 3-methylcholanthrene, clofibrate, or isoniazid to induce different hepatic cytochromes P-450. The profile of hydroxylated metabolites of estradiol (E2) formed by liver microsomes was then determined using a new HPLC method for the separation of hydroxylated estrogen metabolites. Inhibition of liver microsomal E2 metabolism by monoclonal antibodies raised against specific cytochrome P-450 isozymes was also evaluated. Treatment of immature or adult female rats with phenobarbital caused a 3-fold increase in the 2-hydroxylation of E2 and a more than 5-fold increase in liver microsomal hydroxylation of E2 at the 4-, 6 alpha, 6 beta-, and 14 alpha-positions. Monoclonal antibody directed toward CYP2B1/2B2 completely inhibited the 6 alpha- and 6 beta-hydroxylation of E2 and partially inhibited the 2-hydroxylation of E2 by liver microsomes from phenobarbital-treated adult female rats. Antibodies directed toward CYP3A1/3A2 completely inhibited the 4- and 14 alpha-hydroxylation of E2 by these liver microsomes. Treatment of immature or adult female rats with dexamethasone resulted in a 2- to 3-fold increase in the microsomal 2-hydroxylation of E2 and a several-fold increase in the hydroxylation of E2 at the 4-, 6 beta-, 7 alpha-, and 14 alpha-positions. A substantial increase in the formation of two unidentified nonpolar metabolite peaks (UK1 and UK2) was also observed. A monoclonal antibody directed against CYP3A1/3A2 markedly inhibited the 2-, 4-, and 14 alpha-hydroxylation of E2 by liver microsomes from adult female rats treated with dexamethasone. Antibody directed against CYP2B1/2B2 inhibited only the 6 beta-hydroxylation of E2 by these microsomes. Treatment of immature or adult female rats with 3-methylcholanthrene resulted in a several-fold increase in the metabolism of E2 to 7 alpha-hydroxyestradiol (7 alpha-OH E2) and 15 alpha-OH E2, but there was a substantial decrease in the formation of 16 alpha-OH E2. Treatment with 3-methylcholanthrene caused a small increase in 2-hydroxylation (< or = 50%) in liver microsomes from immature or adult female rats, whereas a substantial increase in 6 alpha-hydroxylation was seen in liver microsomes from adult female rats. A monoclonal antibody directed toward CYP1A1 partially inhibited the 6 alpha-hydroxylation of E2 and the formation of the 7 alpha-OH E2/15 alpha-OH E2 peak by microsomes from adult female rats treated with 3-methylcholanthrene, but the 2-hydroxylation of E2 was not inhibited. Treatment of adult female rats with clofibrate increased the 2- and 4-hydroxylation of E2 by about 2-fold and by more than 6-fold, respectively. Isoniazid treatment had little or no effect on the metabolism of E2. The data demonstrate that prototype inducers of cytochrome P-450 can substantially alter the profile of hepatic E2 metabolism in female rats. Our results suggest that inducers of environmental relevance may also have an impact on E2 metabolism and homeostasis in humans.

A simple, non-chromatographic purification procedure for monoclonal antibodies. Isolation of monoclonal antibodies against cytochrome P450 isozymes.

A simple, non-chromatographic purification procedure for monoclonal antibodies from mouse ascites fluid is described. This procedure, which is rapid, inexpensive, and has high capacity involves the precipitation of contaminating proteins with caprylic acid followed by precipitation of immunoglobulin using ammonium sulfate. This two-step procedure is shown to be effective for the purification of various immunoglobulins including IgG1, IgG2a and IgG2b. In the present report, more than 30 monoclonal antibodies directed against cytochrome P450 isozymes have been purified by this method and characterized.

Genetic variability of genomic RNA 2 of four tobacco rattle tobravirus isolates from potato fields in the Northwestern United States.

Sequence analysis of RNA 2 of four Tobacco rattle virus (TRV) isolates collected from potato fields in Oregon (OR2, Umt1), Washington (BM), and Colorado (Cot2) revealed significant homologies to the ORY isolate from North America. Phylogenetic analysis based on a comparison of nucleotide (nt) and amino acid (aa) sequences with other members of the genus Tobravirus indicates that the North American isolates cluster as a distinct group. All of the RNAs are predicted to contain open reading frames (ORFs) potentially encoding the coat protein (CP, ORF 2a) and 37.6 kDa (ORF 2b) ORFs. In addition, they all contain a region of similarity to the 3' terminus of RNA 1 of ORY, including a truncated portion of the 16 kDa cistron from the 3' end of RNA 1. Three of the isolates, which are nematode transmissible, OR2, BM, and Cot2, also contain a third putative ORF (ORF 2c) which encodes a protein of 33.6 kDa. The fourth isolate, Umt1, which is not nematode transmissible, is the most divergent of the isolates as it encodes a truncated version of ORF 2c. The ORF 2c deletion in Umt1 may contribute to its inability to be transmitted by the vector. The results reported in this article indicate again that the TRV genome is flexible. Interestingly, although both isolates Umt1 and Cot2 were mechanically transmitted to tobacco from potato, only Umt1 exhibits the deletion in RNA 2. TRV Isolate Umt1, therefore, appears to be another example of rapid adaptation of the TRV genome to non-field conditions.

Extreme resistance to Potato leafroll virus in potato cv. Russet Burbank mediated by the viral replicase gene.

High levels of field resistance to Potato leafroll virus (PLRV; Genus: Polerovirus; Family: Luteoviridae) were achieved by expression of the unmodified, full-length PLRV replicase gene in potato plants cv. Russet Burbank. A high degree of resistance was also achieved, but less frequently, by expression of a truncated construct of the replicase gene. In limited testing, neither miss-frame nor antisense constructs of the replicase gene conferred resistance. The degree of resistance expressed among different transformant lines ranged from near immunity to full susceptibility. Resistance to the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say) was combined with resistance to PLRV by expression of the cry3A insect control protein gene from Bacillus thuringiensis var. tenebrionis in combination with the unmodified, full-length, viral replicase gene. Resistance was expressed as a reduced incidence of infection detectable by foliage symptoms or serological tests. Reduced incidence of infection was not associated with a decrease in virus antigen concentration in the few plants of resistant lines that became infected. Virus was not detected in the foliage of symptomless plants but was detected in progeny plants produced from the tubers of inoculated but symptomless test plants of some resistant lines. The resistance was effective under natural exposure and against plant-to-plant spread of PLRV by the aphid vector, Myzus persicae Sulzer. Three of the resistant lines selected in these studies were released and are now in commercial production.

Synergistic induction of rat microsomal CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 by acetone in combination with pyridine.

The effect of exposure to acetone, pyridine or acetone in combination with pyridine on microsomal CYP1A1, CYP1A2 and CYP2E1 levels and their catalytic activities was determined in the rat. CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 in the liver and CYP1A1 in the lung were induced along with their catalytic activities by either pyridine, acetone or acetone and pyridine. The induction by acetone and pyridine was greater than the additive effect of both compounds, indicating synergism. Acetone, pyridine or both compounds induced CYP2E1 protein to the same extent in the liver and lung. However, induction of CYP2E1 protein was accompanied by induction of its catalytic activity in the liver but not in the lung. This is the first reported induction of CYP1A proteins and catalytic activities (a) by acetone and (b) synergistically by xenobiotics.