Decreased concentration of xanthine dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.204) in rat hepatomas.

Xanthine dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.204), the rate-limiting enzyme of purine degradation, was purified 642-fold to homogeneity from liver of male Wistar rats. Antibody was generated to the purified enzyme in white rabbits and was partially purified. For the immunotitration a radioassay of high sensitivity was developed to determine low enzyme activities. Titration curves with the antibody showed that the xanthine dehydrogenase enzyme protein amounts in slowly growing hepatoma 20 and rapidly growing hepatoma 3924A were 34 and 4% of those of normal liver, which was in good agreement with the decrease in the activity of the enzyme to 33 and 2%, respectively. The contents of flavin adenine dinucleotide, the essential cofactor of the enzyme, in the immunoprecipitates in hepatomas 20 and 3924A were 27 and 4% of that of the normal liver. This is the first report to provide immunological evidence that a decreased enzyme activity in rat hepatomas, that of xanthine dehydrogenase, was due to a decrease in the enzyme protein amount. The markedly decreased xanthine dehydrogenase activity and amount have far-reaching biochemical and pharmacological implications for the tumors.

Effect of diet and starvation on the activity state of branched-chain 2-oxo-acid dehydrogenase complex in rat liver and heart.

In rats fed a high-protein diet, the branched-chain 2-oxo-acid dehydrogenase complex in liver was essentially fully active and its activity state was unaffected by subsequent starvation for 48 h. Feeding with a low-protein diet led to a decrease in the activity state which was essentially reversed by 48 h of starvation. In heart, the enzyme was primarily inactive (activity state 18%) in rats fed a high-protein diet, with both low-protein diet and starvation leading to a further decrease in the activity state.

Regulation of valine catabolism in canine tissues: tissue distributions of branched-chain aminotransferase and 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complex, methacrylyl-CoA hydratase and 3-hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA hydrolase.

To clarify the valine catabolism, the activities of principal enzymes in its catabolic pathway, branched-chain aminotransferase, branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complex, methacrylyl-CoA hydratase and 3-hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA hydrolase, were measured using canine tissues. After killing of beagle dogs, tissues (liver, pancreas, kidney, heart, skeletal muscle and mucosae of digestive organs such as stomach, small intestine and colon) were removed and immediately frozen. Branched-chain aminotransferase activity in liver was the lowest among the tissues measured. In contrast, the activities of branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complex in liver as well as in kidney were relatively high and the enzyme complex activities were markedly low in small intestine and skeletal muscle. The activities of methacrylyl-CoA hydratase and 3-hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA hydrolase were relatively high in all tissues, suggesting that a cytotoxic intermediate, methacrylyl-CoA, is immediately degraded to non-toxic compounds, 3-hydroxyisobutyrate and free CoA. These findings suggest that the consumption of branched-chain amino acids in the absorption site (small intestine) is suppressed in order to supply them to the whole body, in particular to skeletal muscle and that skeletal muscle might act as a storage of gluconeogenic amino acids. The high capacity to dispose methacrylyl-CoA produced in the valine catabolism is suggested to play an important role in protecting cells against the toxic effects of methacrylyl-CoA.

High branched-chain alpha-keto acid intake, branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase activity, and plasma and brain amino acid and plasma keto acid concentrations in rats.

Diets containing high quantities of individual branched-chain alpha-keto acids (BCKAs) or a combination of BCKAs as used for treatment of renal disease were fed to rats. When the diet contained a single BCKA, its concentration was high in plasma and the concentration of its corresponding amino acid was high in plasma and brain. Liver BCKA dehydrogenase (BCKD) was 42% active in control rats. Consumption of diets containing 0.38 mol/kg diet of alpha-ketoisocaproate (KIC), alpha-keto-beta-methylvalerate (KMV), or alpha-ketoisovalerate (KIV) resulted in complete activation of liver BCKD. Consumption of the diet containing the combination of BCKAs increased basal BCKD activity of liver twofold. Muscle BCKD was activated after feeding the KIV diet (2-fold), the KIC diet (3-fold), and the KMV diet (15-fold). Total BCKD activity of liver and muscle was unaffected by dietary treatments. Activation of liver and muscle BCKD by dietary BCKA is consistent with their ability to inhibit BCKD kinase in vitro.

A molecular model of human branched-chain amino acid metabolism.

To establish an accurate molecular model of human branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism, the distribution, activity, and expression of the first 2 enzymes in the catabolic pathway--branched-chain-amino-acid aminotransferase (BCAT) and branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase (BCKD) complex--were determined in human tissues. The same enzyme activities were measured in rat and African green monkey tissues. Overall, the activities of BCAT and BCKD were higher in rat than in human and monkey tissues; nevertheless, the ratio of the 2 activities was similar in most tissues in the 3 species. Total oxidative capacity was concentrated in skeletal muscle and liver (> 70%) with muscle having a higher proportion of the total in humans and monkeys. In humans, brain (10-20%) and kidney (8-13%) may contribute significantly to whole-body BCAA metabolism. Furthermore, in primates the high ratio of transaminase to oxidative capacity in the entire gastrointestinal tract serves to prevent loss of essential BCAA carbon and raises the possibility that the gastrointestinal tract contributes to the plasma branched-chain alpha-keto acid pool. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to examine expression of human branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase kinase (BCKDK), the key enzyme that regulates the activity state of the human BCKD complex and human BCAT isoenzymes. To design the primers for the polymerase chain reaction, human BCKDK was cloned. BCKDK message was found in all human tissues tested, with the highest amount in human muscle. As in rats, there was ubiquitous expression of mitochondrial BCAT, whereas mRNA for the cytosolic enzyme was at or below the limit of detection outside the brain. Finally, the role of BCAA in body nitrogen metabolism is discussed.

Reduction of nitroimidazole derivatives by hydrogenosomal extracts of Trichomonas vaginalis.

The reduction rate of nitroimidazole derivatives by pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase activity in ferredoxin depleted hydrogenosomal extracts of Trichomonas vaginalis depended on the one-electron midpoint potential (E7(1)) of 15 compounds out of the 16 tested. The results showed a linear correlation with a positive slope between the logarithm of the rate and the E7(1) in the range from -564 to -260 mV. Addition of T. vaginalis ferredoxin stimulated the reduction. The additional rate (stimulated rate minus basal rate) was proportional to the concentration of ferredoxin and independent of the E7(1) of the compounds. The compound with the most positive E7(1) (-243 mV) was, however, reduced more slowly than expected. These findings indicate that reduction in the presence of ferredoxin is the sum of two processes, i.e. electron transfer directly from pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase and from reduced ferredoxin generated by pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase activity. The relative role of ferredoxin in reductive activation of nitroimidazole derivatives is greater for compounds with more negative E7(1) values. This observation correlates with the high selectivity of the more negative 5-nitroimidazoles against anaerobic prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms in which ferredoxin plays an important metabolic role.

Effect of clofibrate on branched-chain amino acid metabolism.

Clofibric acid inhibited the oxidative decarboxylation of 4-methyl-2-oxopentanoate and 3-methyl-2-oxobutanoate in mitochondria and homogenates of rat liver and quadriceps muscle. In rat hemidiaphragms clofibric acid inhibited the oxidative decarboxylation of 4-methyl-2-oxopentanoate and had no effect on that of 3-methyl-2-oxobutanoate. Clofibric acid displaced branched-chain 2-oxo acids from bovine serum albumin. Clofibrate-treatment of rats decreased the actual activity and activity state of the branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complex in quadriceps muscle, and increased the total activity in heart and liver without a change of the activity state. All interactions of clofibric acid with the metabolism of branched-chain amino acids appear to relate to its structural resemblance to the branched-chain 2-oxo acids. Both reduced plasma and muscle concentrations of branched-chain amino acids and reduced muscle oxidation may play a role in the myopathic side-effects of clofibrate-treatment.

Inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase activity in acute leukaemia.

Inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPD) is an important enzyme in de-novo purine synthesis. The level of IMPD activity has been suggested to determine whether acute leukaemia cells proliferate (if the activity is high) or differentiate (if IMPD activity is low). IMPD activity measured by the conversion of inosine monophosphate to xanthine monophosphate ranged from 12.5 to 87.0 (mean 49.4) pmol/h/10(6) cells in normal bone marrow. The levels were significantly raised in AML (range 14-374, mean 184 pmol/h/10(6) cells) and ALL (range 65-228, mean 172 pmol/h/10(6) cells). Normal tonsillar (B) lymphocytes showed higher levels (range 78-159, mean 110 pmol/h/10(6) cells) than resting peripheral blood T lymphocytes (range 8.8-51.2, mean 28.1 pmol/h/10(6) cells). In CLL, the results (range 19-173, mean 64.3 pmol/h/10(6) cells) were comparable to those of normal tonsillar B lymphocytes. IMPD levels could be related to cell cycle in PHA-stimulated lymphocytes, since IMPD activity increased in parallel with increase in DNA synthesis measured by labelled thymidine incorporation. On the other hand, IMPD activity did not correlate with the proportion of proliferating cells measured on a FACS sorter in either AML or ALL or in normal tonsillar B cells. We conclude that IMPD levels are higher in B than T lymphocytes and in acute leukaemia blasts compared to more differentiated mixed bone marrow cells. The results do not suggest, however, that IMPD assay will be of value in differentiation of the various subtypes of acute leukaemia or of malignant haemopoietic cells from the equivalent normal cell at the same level of differentiation.

A sensitive spectrophotometric assay for pyruvate dehydrogenase and oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complexes.

The activities of pyruvate dehydrogenase and oxoglutarate dehydrogenase can be reliably measured by coupling the production of NADH to the reduction of added cytochrome c. Maximum activities required the addition of NADH-cytochrome c reductase activity prepared from rat heart mitochondria. Compared to other spectrophotometric assays this method provides an eight-fold increase in sensitivity and is particularly suitable for use with small tissue samples such as needle-biopsy samples of human skeletal muscle. Measurements of activities in rat tissues showed them to be in the order skeletal muscle less than liver less than heart less than or equal to brown adipose tissue. Activities in normal human skeletal muscle were similar to those of rat muscle. In the rat tissues specific differences were seen in the relative activities of the two complexes and cytochrome c oxidase suggesting tissue-specific differences in the activities of the dehydrogenases and components of the electron-transport chain.

[On the histochemistry of xanthine dehydrogenase (author's transl)]. / Zur Histochemie der Xanthin-Dehydrogenase.

We have investigated the enzymes of the XDH-XOD-system by histochemical technique based on a model study for histochemical tetrazolium reduction by flavine enzymes. We have not found a reaction in native sections from liver, kidney and duodenum of adult male Wistar rats. The effectors PMS, Triton X-100 and Tween 80 were inefficient. A strong reaction was observed after a short fixation (10 min) of the sections with glutaraldehyde predominantly in the duodenal epithel cells. The intensity of the reaction was much stronger in sections of liver, kidney and duodenum by influence of the effector PMS and the detergents Triton X-100 and Tween 80. The application of the membrane technique does not show advantages in the histochemical demonstration of the XDH-XOD-system. The specificity of the reaction is discussed under the aspect of the complexity of the XDH-XOD-system shown by biochemical investigations.

Rapid and simple isolation procedure for three component enzymes of pig heart 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex.

A novel procedure was developed for rapid separation of the three component enzymes of pig heart 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex by high performance liquid chromatography on a gel filtration column. The complex was dissociated and separated into two fractions of the first dihydrolipoamide succinyltransferase and a second yellow fraction within 1 h by chromatography on a preparative TSK-GEL G4000SW column equilibrated with 0.05 M potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) containing 0.7 M guanidine hydrochloride, 0.05% Triton X-100 and 2 mM dithiothreitol at 10 degrees C. The dihydrolipoamide succinyltransferase fraction was further purified by incubation with 0.5% sodium deoxycholate and subsequent ammonium sulfate fractionation. The other two component enzymes, 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase and lipoamide dehydrogenase were separated from the second yellow fraction by chromatography on a calcium phosphate gel-cellulose column. The TSK-GEL column permitted very rapid dissociation and separation of the three component enzymes accompanied by good preservation of their activities and high overall yields.

Heterozygote detection for maple syrup urine disease in cattle.

The clinical, pathological and biochemical manifestations of maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) are similar in Poll Hereford and Poll Shorthorn x Poll Hereford calves. No significant differences were observed in branched-chain amino acid concentrations in plasma, or of branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase activity in fibroblasts, between Poll Herefords homozygous normal and heterozygous for the mutation responsible for MSUD. Haemopoietic chimerism resulted in incorrect diagnosis of the MSUD genotype in 30% of non-identical twins when blood DNA was analysed using allele-specific amplification. Hair roots are shown to be a suitable source of target DNA for genotyping Poll Hereford cattle for the MSUD mutation. Twelve of 203 (5.8%) aged Poll Hereford bulls, sampled at saleyards during the last 4 months of 1993, were found to be heterozygous for the mutation. In contrast, the mutant sequence was detected in only 1 of 150 (0.7%) 2- and 3-year-old Poll Hereford bulls offered for sale at 2 stud sales held during 1993, suggesting that the prevalence of the disease may decline over the next few years.

[A method of determining 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase activity in intact mitochondria]. / Metod izmereniia 2-oksoglutaratdegidrogenaznoi aktivnosti intaktnykh mitokhondrii.

A rather simple method is suggested for measuring the activity of 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase of intact mitochondria. The method is based on the determination of the rate of exogenic 2-oxoglutarate decrease in the mitochondrial suspension. Experiments with sodium arsenite and comparison of kinetic parameters of the 2-oxoglutarate, dehydrogenase reaction and transport of 2-oxoglutarate to mitochondria have shown that the measurable exogenic 2-oxoglutarate oxidation rate corresponds to the 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase activity in intact mitochondria. The method made it possible to establish the stimulating effect of ADP on the 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase activity of intact mitochondria and the absence of such an effect in destructed mitochondria.