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D L Eaton

Publications and source records attributed to D L Eaton.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Comparison of the aflatoxin B1-8,9-epoxide conjugating activities of two bacterially expressed alpha class glutathione S-transferase isozymes from mouse and rat.

The complementary DNAs of rat glutathione S-transferase (GST, EC 2.5.1.18) Yc1 and of mouse Yc were expressed from a prokaryotic expression vector in E. coli. The purified proteins were analyzed for their activity toward aflatoxin B1-8,9-epoxide (AFBO), the reactive intermediate of the fungal mycotoxin aflatoxin B1 (AFB). The mouse Yc isozyme had about 50-fold higher conjugating activity toward AFBO than the rat Yc1 isozyme (144 nmol/mg/min versus 3.3 nmol/mg/min). The rat Yc1 isozyme had specific activities toward 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, cumene hydroperoxide and ethacrynic acid of 10.7, 0.98 and 0.92 mumol/mg/min, respectively, whereas the mouse Yc isozyme had specific activities of 5.7, 2.1 and 0.1 mumol/mg/min for these substrates, respectively. These data provide further support for the hypothesis that the constitutive presence of the alpha class GST Yc isozyme in mouse liver protects mice from the hepatocarcinogenic effects of aflatoxin B1.

Aflatoxin B1↗
PubMed1992

Glutathione S-transferase and epoxide hydrolase activity in human leukocytes in relation to risk of lung cancer and other smoking-related cancers.

BACKGROUND: There is considerable interindividual variation in the activity of enzymes which metabolize polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon constituents of tobacco smoke. Low activity of enzymes which detoxify carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites may be associated with increased susceptibility to cancers etiologically related to cigarette smoking. PURPOSE: We conducted a population-based, case-control study to determine whether patients with cancers related to smoking had lower activity of detoxifying isoenzymes of glutathione S-transferase (GST) and epoxide hydrolase (EH) than control subjects. METHODS: Enzyme activities were measured in leukocytes from 113 King County (Washington) residents diagnosed during 1987 with one of three smoking-related cancers (lung, oropharynx/oral cavity, or bladder), 50 King County residents with cancers believed unrelated to smoking (prostate cancer or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma), and 120 persons selected at random from the King County population. Enzyme activity measurements were made for leukocyte cytosolic GST toward transstilbene oxide (TSO), 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, and benzo[a]pyrene-4,5-oxide (BaPO), and for microsomal EH toward BaPO. RESULTS: Overall, the distribution of activity levels of GST toward TSO and BaPO did not differ in case patients with smoking-related cancer compared with control subjects. The activities of GST toward 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene and of EH toward BaPO were somewhat lower on average in case patients with smoking-related cancers than in control subjects, but these differences were well within the limits of chance. Among the heaviest smokers, there were proportionately fewer patients with smoking-related cancers than control subjects with intermediate or high GST activity toward TSO (odds ratio = 0.6), but this difference was also plausibly due to chance (95% confidence interval = 0.3-1.1). CONCLUSIONS: While the findings of this study are compatible with a moderate protective effect of high or intermediate enzyme activity among persons heavily exposed to tobacco, as suggested by an earlier report, the data are by no means conclusive.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Complementary DNA cloning, messenger RNA expression, and induction of alpha-class glutathione S-transferases in mouse tissues.

Glutathione S-transferases (EC 2.5.1.18) are a multigene family of related proteins divided into four classes. Each class has multiple isoforms that exhibit tissue-specific expression, which may be an important determinant of susceptibility of that tissue to toxic injury or cancer. Recent studies have suggested that alpha-class glutathione S-transferase isoforms may play an important role in the development of cancers. Several alpha-class glutathione S-transferase isozymes have been characterized, purified, and cloned from a number of species, including rats, mice, and humans. Here we report on the cloning, sequencing, and mRNA expression of two alpha-class glutathione S-transferases from mouse liver, termed mYa and mYc. While mYa was shown to be identical to the known alpha-class glutathione S-transferase complementary DNA clone pGT41 (W. R. Pearson et al., J. Biol. Chem., 263: 13324-13332, 1988), the other clone, mYc, was demonstrated to be a novel complementary DNA clone encoding a glutathione S-transferase homologous to rat Yc (subunit 2). The mRNA for this novel complementary DNA is expressed constitutively in mouse liver. It also is the major alpha-class glutathione S-transferase isoform expressed in lung. The levels of expression of the butylated hydroxyanisole-inducible form (mYa) are highest in kidney and intestine. Treatment of mice with butylated hydroxyanisole had little effect on the expression levels of mYc but strongly induced mYa expression in liver. Butylated hydroxyanisole treatment increased expression levels for both mYa and mYc to varying degrees in kidney, lung, and intestine. The importance of the novel mouse liver alpha-class glutathione S-transferase isoform (mYc) in the metabolism of aflatoxin B1 and other carcinogens is discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Comparative metabolism of methyl parathion in intact and subcellular fractions of isolated rat hepatocytes.

Metabolism of the widely used insecticide methyl parathion by isolated hepatocytes and various subcellular fractions was compared to determine the effects of cellular integrity on the metabolic profile observed. A reverse-phase ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed to separate and quantify methyl parathion and six of its hepatic biotransformation products: methyl paraoxon; desmethyl parathion; desmethyl paraoxon; p-nitrophenol; p-nitrophenyl glucuronide; and p-nitrophenyl sulfate. Most compounds exhibited linear responses and limits of detection below 1 nmol. The chromatographic method was used to determine metabolic profiles of methyl parathion in isolated rat hepatocytes, sonicated hepatocytes, postmitochondrial fraction, microsomes, and cytosol. Isolated hepatocytes produced significantly more desmethyl parathion and p-nitrophenyl sulfate than the subcellular preparations, demonstrating that cellular integrity significantly affects the quantitative metabolic profile observed.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Neuropsychological performance among agricultural pesticide applicators.

To assess the potential effects on neuropsychiatric performance of chronic occupational exposure to organophosphate insecticides, we performed a prospective longitudinal study of a cohort of apple orchard pesticide applicators and a comparison cohort of beef slaughter-house workers. The study group consisted of 49 applicators and 40 comparison subjects who completed both an initial evaluation (preseason) prior to the onset of the approximately 6-month pesticide spraying season and a follow-up evaluation (postseason) about 1 month following the end of spraying season. The applicator cohort had a greater number (n = 22, 45%) of individuals who identified primary preference for Spanish-language testing than did the comparison cohort (n = 5, 13%). Stratification by language preference revealed no significant differences in background characteristics between the two cohorts, except for fewer years of education in the Spanish-language preference applicators versus control subgroups (5.0 +/- 3.1 vs 7.8 +/- 3.7 years, respectively). After controlling for language preference, there were no statistically significant differences between the applicators and control cohorts on neuropsychological subtests of the computerized test battery. Preseason baseline performance on individual tests was a significant predictor of postseason test performance. After controlling for baseline performance, the only statistically significant exposure related across-season changes in neuropsychological performance was for one subtest (Symbol Digit Substitution) and was confined to the Spanish language preference subgroups, with worse adjusted postseason performance among applicators versus controls (P = 0.001). This study found no clear evidence of clinically significant decrements in neuropsychological performance following one 6-month season of pesticide exposure in a cohort of applicators who were felt to have generally low, intermittent, and well-controlled organophosphate exposures.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Potent inhibition of aflatoxin-induced hepatic tumorigenesis by the monofunctional enzyme inducer 1,2-dithiole-3-thione.

1,2-Dithiole-3-thiones are five-membered cyclic sulfur-containing compounds with antioxidant, chemotherapeutic, radioprotective and chemoprotective properties. Several substituted 1,2-dithiole-3-thiones are used medicinally and one of these, oltipraz [5-(2-pyrazinyl)-4-methyl-1,2-dithiole-3-thione], has been recently shown to be an inhibitor of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) hepatocarcinogenesis in the rat. Structure-activity studies have been undertaken to probe the mechanisms by which dithiolethiones inhibit carcinogenesis. Such studies revealed that unsubstituted 1,2-dithiole-3-thione was more effective than oltipraz at inhibiting aflatoxin-DNA adduct formation in vivo and at inducing electrophile detoxication enzymes in cell culture. In the present studies the effects of dietary administration of 1,2-dithiole-3-thione on the induction of xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes and inhibition of aflatoxin-induced hepatic tumorigenesis were examined. Male F344 rats were fed graded doses of 1,2-dithiole-3-thione (0.001-0.03%) for 4 weeks. During the second and third weeks of 1,2-dithiole-3-thione feeding, rats were dosed by gavage with 250 micrograms of AFB1/kg five times a week. Rats were then restored to control AIN-76A diet 1 week after cessation of AFB1 dosing. At 4 months, focal areas of hepatocellular alteration were identified and quantified by staining sections of liver for gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) activity and glutathione S-transferase P (GST-P) expression. Treatment with 1,2-dithiole-3-thione at the lowest dose (0.001%) reduced by greater than 80% the volume of liver occupied by GGT or GST-P foci; higher dietary concentrations provided greater than 98% reductions in the volume per cent of these markers for presumptive preneoplastic lesions. All dietary concentrations of 1,2-dithiole-3-thione resulted in significant elevations in hepatic GST activities. In accord with the protective effects against tumorigenesis, 4- to 6-fold increases in the specific activities of aflatoxin-glutathione conjugation were observed in cytosols prepared from livers of animals fed 1,2-dithiole-3-thione. By contrast, 1,2-dithiole-3-thione did not have any detectable inductive effects on hepatic microsomal cytochrome P450 levels or activities. Dietary administration of 1,2-dithiole-3-thione also elevated activities of GSTs and other phase II enzymes in several extrahepatic organs. This broad pattern of induction of detoxication enzymes by 1,2-dithiole-3-thione supports the potential widespread use of this compound as a protective agent against chemical carcinogenesis and other forms of electrophile toxicity.

Aflatoxin B1↗
PubMed1992

Association between growth stimulation by phenobarbital and expression of cytochromes P450 1A1, 1A2, 2B1/2 and 3A1 in hepatic hyperplastic nodules in male F344 rats.

This study was conducted to examine relationships between phenobarbital (PB) treatment, specific cytochrome P450 gene expression patterns and growth rates of hepatic hyperplastic nodules. Nodules were induced in 8 week old male F344 rats by a Solt-Farber resistance protocol. Six weeks after diethylnitrosamine (DEN) initiation, subgroups of rats were either kept on control chow diet or transferred to a chow diet containing 0.05% PB, then killed 2 weeks later. [3H]Thymidine was delivered continuously via osmotic minipump during the final 3 days of the experimental to label dividing cells. PB treatment resulted in a 89% increase in the number of persistent gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GTT) nodules per cm2 section, a 278% increase in the area of persistent GGT nodules per cm2 section, and a 116% increase in the average area per persistent nodule. PB increased the number of [3H]thymidine-labeled persistent GGT nodules but did not significantly change the labeling index (LI) distribution pattern or the average LI. A slight but uniform increase in CYP1A2 expression (relative to surrounding, non-nodular tissue) was observed in 50% (23/46) and 59% (60/102) of persistent nodules in control and PB-treated animals respectively. In contrast, for nodules undergoing remodeling, CYP1A2 expression was elevated in only 9% (2/22) and 0% (0/24) in control and PB groups respectively. In the PB group, CYP2B1/2 was underexpressed in 53% (54/102) of persistent GGT nodules and in 0% (0/24) of the remodeling nodules. Comparing LI among the persistent GGT nodules, those that displayed simultaneous increases in CYP1A2 and decreases in CYP2B1/2 had the highest LI, and were followed in level by those expressing either increases in CYP1A2 or decreases in CYP2B1/2. Nodules that expressed both CYP1A2 and 2B1/2 in a manner similar to the surrounding tissue had the lowest LI. Thus, these data suggest that expression of specific forms of cytochrome P450 may be an important factor in determining other phenotypic characteristics, e.g. rate of cell proliferation and GGT expression, within specific nodules.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Isolation, molecular cloning, and partial characterization of a novel carboxypeptidase B from human plasma.

A novel plasminogen-binding protein has been isolated from human plasma utilizing plasminogen-Sepharose affinity chromatography. This protein copurified with alpha 2 antiplasmin when the plasminogen affinity column was eluted with high concentrations of epsilon-aminocaproic acid (greater than 20 mM). Analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate suggests this protein has an apparent Mr of 60,000. The amino-terminal amino acid sequence showed no similarity to other protein sequences. Based on the amino-terminal amino acid sequence, oligonucleotide probes were designed for polymerase chain reaction primers, and an approximately 1,800 base pair cDNA was isolated that encodes this Mr 60,000 protein. The deduced amino acid sequence reveals a primary translation product of 423 amino acids that is very similar to carboxypeptidase A and B and consists of a 22-amino acid signal peptide, a 92-amino acid activation peptide, and a 309-amino acid catalytic domain. This protein shows 44 and 40% similarity to rat procarboxypeptidase B and human mast cell procarboxypeptidase A, respectively. The residues critical for catalysis and zinc and substrate binding of carboxypeptidase A and B are conserved in the Mr 60,000 plasminogen-binding protein. The presence of aspartic acid at position 257 of the catalytic domain suggests that this protein is a basic carboxypeptidase. When activated by trypsin, it hydrolyzes carboxypeptidase B substrates, hippuryl-Arg and hippuryl-Lys, but not carboxypeptidase A substrates, and it is inhibited by the specific carboxypeptidase B inhibitor (DL-5-guanidinoethyl)mercaptosuccinic acid. We propose that the Mr 60,000 plasminogen-binding protein isolated here is a novel human plasma carboxypeptidase B and that it be designated pCPB.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Apolipoprotein(a): expression and characterization of a recombinant form of the protein in mammalian cells.

We have stably expressed a recombinant form of apo(a) in a human embryonic kidney cell line. The engineered protein (predicted mass of 250 kDa) contains 17 copies of the apo(a) domain, which resembles kringle 4 of plasminogen, followed by the plasminogen-like kringle 5 and protease-like domain of apo(a). The recombinant protein [r-apo(a)] was isolated from cell culture media by immunoaffinity chromatography, and its physical properties were studied. As is the case for apo(a) isolated from plasma-derived Lp(a), r-apo(a) is highly glycosylated (23% by weight), containing both N- and O-linked glycans, which results in an observed molecular mass of 500 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The high sialic acid content was reflected in a pI of 4.3 for the r-apo(a). Two subpopulations of r-apo(a) secreted by the permanent cell line were identified with respect to lysine-Sepharose binding; the majority of the r-apo(a) bound specifically to this matrix and was eluted with epsilon-aminocaproic acid (epsilon-ACA). When the r-apo(a) plasmid was used to transfect a human hepatoma cell line, lipoprotein particles were secreted containing the disulfide-linked complex of apoB-100 and the r-apo(a). The density of these particles was shown to be heterogeneous, with the majority of the r-Lp(a) floating in the density range of plasma-derived Lp(a).

Apolipoproteins↗
PubMed1991

Bioactivation of aflatoxin B1 by human liver microsomes: role of cytochrome P450 IIIA enzymes.

Based on our previous observations (H. S. Ramsdell and D. L. Eaton, 1990, Cancer Res. 50, 615-620) that the proportion of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) converted to the highly reactive AFB1-8,9-epoxide in microsomal incubations varies with substrate concentration, we have examined the hypothesis of T. Shimada and F. P. Guengerich (1989, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86, 462-465) that cytochrome P450 IIIA4 is principally responsible for the activation (epoxidation) of AFB1 by human liver microsomes. The initial rates of formation of AFB1-8,9-epoxide and hydroxylated AFB1 metabolites were determined in microsomes prepared from livers of organ donors (n = 14) at AFB1 concentrations of 124 and 16 microM. Microsomal oxidation of nifedipine, catalyzed primarily by P450 IIIA enzymes, was also determined by HPLC. Rates of formation of AFB1 metabolites and nifedipine oxidation were poorly correlated at either AFB1 concentration (r2 = 0.13-0.41). A somewhat better correlation between AFB1 epoxidation and nifedipine oxidation was observed at 124 microM AFB1 (r2 = 0.41) than at 16 microM AFB1 (r2 = 0.26). Treatment of pooled microsomes with troleandomycin, an apparently specific inhibitor of P450 IIIA enzymes, resulted in 35% inhibition of AFB1-8,9-epoxide formation at the high AFB1 level but had little effect at 16 microM AFB1. An antibody against rat cytochrome P450 IIIA1 significantly inhibited AFB1 epoxidation at high, but not low, AFB1 concentrations, whereas AFQ1 formation was strongly inhibited at all substrate levels examined. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that cytochrome P450 IIIA enzyme(s) can form AFB1-8,9-epoxide, but are effective at only relatively high substrate concentrations. Another P450 enzyme(s) appears to be principally responsible for AFB1-8,9-epoxide formation at the low AFB1 levels that would be typical for dietary exposures.

Aflatoxin B1↗
PubMed1991

Differential regulation of cytochrome(s) P450 2B1/2 by phenobarbital in hepatic hyperplastic nodules induced by aflatoxin B1 or diethylnitrosamine plus 2-acetylaminofluorene in male F344 rats.

Phenobarbital (PB) is an effective growth stimulator of hepatic hyperplastic nodules developed with diethylnitrosamine and 2-acetylaminofluorene plus partial hepatectomy (the Solt-Farber model), but it does not apparently stimulate the growth of preneoplastic lesions produced with aflatoxin B1 (AFB). Some studies have suggested a correlation between the induction of specific cytochrome P450 enzymes and the tumor promoting effects produced by repeated treatment with PB. To examine this hypothesis further, hepatic hyperplastic nodules were produced with AFB (10 ip doses of AFB, 150 micrograms/kg/day, followed by partial hepatectomy) or by a modified Solt-Farber protocol (DEN/AAF), and the effects of PB on nodule growth and expression of cytochrome(s) P450 2B1 and/or P450 2B2 (P450 2B1/2) were determined. Both treatment protocols (without PB) produced multiple, large nodules within 10-17 weeks of carcinogen administration. These nodules stained intensely for glutathione S-transferase p (GST-p; GST7-7) and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and weakly for P450 2B1/2. Pentoxyphenoxazone dealkylation activity was decreased to less than 50% of the surrounding tissue levels in both types of nodules. PB treatment of animals with DEN/AAF-induced nodules greatly increased P450 2B1/2 expression in surrounding tissues, whereas most, but not all, nodules were not inducible. Pentoxyphenoxazone dealkylation was increased 31- to 35-fold in surrounding tissue, but it was increased only 2-fold in pooled nodular tissue, relative to untreated control liver. In contrast to the DEN/AAF group, immunohistochemical staining and pentoxyphenoxazone dealkylation in the AFB group demonstrated that P450 2B1/2 was equally inducible in nodular and surrounding tissues. Short-term treatment (5 days) with PB produced a 2-fold increase in the number and total area of GGT-positive nodules in the DEN/AAF group, but it had no significant effect on the number, size distribution, or total area of GGT-positive nodules in the AFB group. All large GGT-positive nodules in the DEN/AAF group were nonresponsive to induction of P450 2B1/2, whereas all of the GGT-positive nodules which were responsive to P450 2B1/2 induction by PB in this group were relatively small. The size and area of AFB-induced GGT-positive nodules was not affected by PB treatment, and P450 2B1/2 in all of these nodules was inducible by PB. Although a causal, inverse relationship between the responsiveness of nodules to PB induction of P450 2B1/2 and their reaction to PB growth stimulation cannot be firmly established, these data are consistent with such a hypothesis.

2-Acetylaminofluorene↗
PubMed1991

Mouse strain differences in glutathione S-transferase activity and aflatoxin B1 biotransformation.

Previous studies have suggested that mice are resistant to the carcinogenic effects of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and that this resistance is largely the result of expression of an isoenzyme of glutathione S-transferase (GST) with high activity toward AFB1-8,9-epoxide. Significant interstrain differences in cytosolic GST activities toward a variety of substrates have been reported in mice. If such differences exist for the conjugation of AFB1-8,9-epoxide, then there may be significant mouse strain differences in susceptibility to AFB1-induced hepatocarcinogenicity. The hepatic microsomal and cytosolic biotransformation of AFB1 was studied in 8 different strains of mice fed a purified diet. GST-mediated conjugation of AFB1-8,9-epoxide with glutathione and GST activity toward 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene (DCNB), ethacrynic acid (ECA) and cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) were determined with cytosolic fractions from 8-10 pooled livers. Specific activities of cytochrome-P-450-mediated oxidation of AFB1 to aflatoxin Q1 (AFQ1), aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), and aflatoxin P1 (AFP1), as well as the reactive intermediate AFB1-8,9-epoxide, were determined with hepatic microsomal fractions from each mouse strain. No striking differences in specific activity between mouse strains were observed for any of the P-450- or GST-mediated enzymatic pathways measured, although some statistically significant differences were found. GST specific activities toward AFB1-8,9-epoxide, CDNB, DCNB, ECA and CHP ranged from 1.5-2.1, 2,830-5,370, 81-144, 38-69 and 32-73 nmol/mg protein/min, respectively. The rate of formation of AFB1-8,9-epoxide ranged from 208 to 465 pmol/mg protein/min. The specific activities of AFQ1,AFM1, and AFP1 formation by microsomes ranged from 36-70, 161-326, and 252-426 pmol/mg protein/min, respectively. Mice fed a standard rodent chow diet showed evidence of microsomal and cytosolic enzyme induction when compared to mice fed a purified diet. The lack of substantial differences in enzyme specific activities between mouse strains suggests that interstrain variations in the hepatocarcinogenic effects of AFB1 in mice should not be large.

Aflatoxin B1↗
PubMed1991

Interaction of recombinant apolipoprotein(a) and lipoprotein(a) with macrophages.

Elevated plasma levels of lipoprotein(a), Lp(a), represent a major, inherited risk factor for coronary heart disease, although the mechanism of its action remains unknown. Lp(a) is distinguished from the related LDL particle by the addition of apolipoprotein(a), apo(a). The presence of this large glycoprotein is likely to affect the binding of the particle to the LDL receptor and/or other receptors which may contribute to the atherogenic potential of Lp(a). Here we demonstrate the binding to macrophages of Lp(a) and pure recombinant apo(a) protein, via a specific, high-affinity receptor. This binding could lead to foam cell formation and the localization of Lp(a) to atherosclerotic plaques.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Effect of styrene oxide on rat brain glutathione.

Glutathione (GSH) plays a primary role in protecting cells from oxidative stress and in detoxifying foreign compounds. The functions and regulations of GSH in nervous tissue have not been thoroughly investigated. This study examines the effects of styrene oxide, a reactive metabolite of the neurotoxic solvent styrene, on GSH metabolism in six regions of the rat brain (cortex, cerebellum, medulla-pons, hippocampus, striatum and hypothalamus). Control levels of GSH in brain regions ranged from 1.6 mM in medulla-pons to 2.7 mM in striatum. Styrene oxide (100-400 mg/kg, ip) depleted GSH in a dose- and time-dependent manner in all brain regions studied. Histochemical studies indicated a predominantly glial distribution of GSH and confirmed the depletion of GSH by styrene oxide in brain. Studies with [8(-14)C] styrene oxide revealed no differences in the distribution of styrene oxide/metabolites among brain regions. gamma-Glutamylcysteine synthetase, the rate-limiting enzyme in GSH biosynthesis, was not affected by styrene oxide in any brain region, either in vitro or following in vivo administration. Glutathione S-transferase activity in different brain regions, measured using p-nitrostyrene oxide as a substrate, correlated quantitatively with GSH depletion by styrene oxide. Depletion of brain GSH by styrene oxide may contribute to oxidative injury to neuronal and glial cells and may be involved in styrene neurotoxicity.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Mouse liver glutathione S-transferase isoenzyme activity toward aflatoxin B1-8,9-epoxide and benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide.

As part of the studies of the biochemical basis for species differences in biotransformation of the carcinogen aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and its modulation by phenolic antioxidants, we have investigated the role of mouse liver glutathione S-transferase (GST) isoenzymes in the conjugation of AFB1-8,9-epoxide. Isoenzymes of GST were purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from Swiss-Webster mouse liver cytosol by affinity chromatography and chromatofocusing. The isoenzyme fractions were characterized in terms of activity toward surrogate substrates and immunologic cross-reactivity with antisera to rat GSTs. The major isoenzymes were identified as SW 4-4, SW 3-3, and SW 1-1. The specific activity of SW 4-4 toward AFB1-8,9-epoxide was at least 50- and 150-fold greater than that of SW 3-3 and SW 1-1, respectively. Relatively high activity toward another epoxide carcinogen, benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide, was observed with both SW 4-4 and SW 3-3. SW 1-1 had the highest activity toward 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) whereas SW 4-4 had relatively low CDNB activity. Following pretreatment with 0.75% butylated hydroxyanisole in the diet, the fraction of total GST contributed by SW 1-1 appeared to increase dramatically, whereas in control mice SW 3-3 constituted the predominant isoenzyme. The high GST activity of mouse liver cytosol toward AFB1-8,9-epoxide is apparently due to an isoenzyme that contributes little to the overall cytosolic CDNB activity.

7,8-Dihydro-7,8-dihydroxybenzo(a)pyrene 9,10-oxide↗
PubMed1990

Species susceptibility to aflatoxin B1 carcinogenesis: comparative kinetics of microsomal biotransformation.

The biotransformation of the potential human carcinogen aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was studied using hepatic microsomes from the rat, mouse, monkey, and human. Initial rates of AFB1 oxidation to aflatoxins Q1, M1, and P1, as well as the reactive intermediate AFB1-8,9-epoxide, were determined using a high performance liquid chromatography assay. The rates of generation of these AFB1 metabolites were investigated at low substrate concentrations (more representative of environmental exposures) and also at high ("saturating") concentrations commonly utilized in studies in vitro. Striking differences in ratios of the metabolites were observed. At an AFB1 concentration of 124 microM, mouse and monkey microsomes had the highest rates of AFB1-8,9-epoxide formation. Primate liver microsomes formed aflatoxin Q1 in large amounts but failed to produce detectable aflatoxin P1. Determination of the rates of formation over initial AFB1 concentrations ranging from 15 to 475 microM revealed that the proportion converted to AFB1-8,9-epoxide increased at lower substrate concentrations in the case of the rat and human microsomes but not with mouse or monkey microsomes. The differences in patterns of metabolite formation with varying concentrations have implications for interspecies comparisons of carcinogenic potency of AFB1.

Aflatoxin B1↗
PubMed1990

Apolipoprotein(a) size heterogeneity is related to variable number of repeat sequences in its mRNA.

Plasma apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)] shows considerable size heterogeneity, existing as discrete glycoprotein isoform variants that range in apparent molecular mass from approximately 400 to 800 kDa. To study the molecular basis of protein size variability, we have isolated liver RNA from individuals with different apo(a) isoforms, and identified apo(a)-specific transcripts using Northern blot analysis. Transcript sizes were shown to be variable (8.0-12 kb) and in all cases were closely correlated with protein masses (590-850 kDa) as determined from immunoblots. Thus, it is almost certain that apo(a) isoform size variation is due to allelic differences in the number of its tandemly repeated sequences of 114 amino acids that resemble kringle four of plasminogen. The high carbohydrate content of apo(a) makes true molecular weight estimations in SDS-PAGE gels difficult. However, a recombinant form of apo(a) containing 17 kringle repeats (calculated molecular mass of 250 kDa) migrates on SDS-PAGE gels only slightly below apoB-100, with an apparent molecular mass of approximately 500 kDa. Since smaller protein isoforms have been observed in the population, this suggests that plasma apo(a) isoforms contain from less than 17 to greater than 30 tandemly repeated kringle units.

Apolipoproteins A↗