Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

G N Levy

Publications and source records attributed to G N Levy.

35 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

DNA adduct levels in congenic rapid and slow acetylator mouse strains following chronic administration of 4-aminobiphenyl.

4-Aminobiphenyl (4-ABP) is a human and mouse bladder carcinogen. Epidemiological studies have shown that individuals with a slow acetylator phenotype, especially those exposed to high levels of carcinogenic aromatic amines, show an increased susceptibility to bladder cancer. In order to determine if a slow acetylator phenotype results in increased DNA damage, congenic mouse strains C57BL/6J and B6.A-Nat(s), which differ genetically at the acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.5) locus as homozygous rapid (Natr/Natr) and homozygous slow (Nat(s)/Nat(s)) acetylators respectively, were continuously administered 4-ABP.HCl (55-300 p.p.m.) in their drinking water for 28 days. The levels of covalently bound N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-4-ABP-DNA adducts, which are believed to be critical for the initiation of tumors, were quantitated in the liver and bladder by 32P-postlabeling analysis. The levels of the hepatic DNA adduct increased with dose in both sexes, but were independent of the mouse acetylator genotype. At comparable doses, however, the levels of DNA adducts were 2-fold higher in the liver of the female as compared to the male animals. The DNA adducts also increased with dose in bladder of the male mice, but in contrast to the liver, the adduct levels were approximately 2-fold lower in the bladder DNA of the female mice. Also in contrast to the liver, the levels of bladder DNA adducts were significantly higher (P < or = 0.03) in the phenotypic rapid acetylator females compared to the slow acetylators at both 75 and 150 p.p.m. doses; the median levels of adducts were 10-20% higher in the phenotypic slow acetylator male bladders compared to their rapid acetylator counterparts. The results of these studies are consistent with the increased carcinogenicity of 4-ABP to the liver of female mice and the bladder of male mice. They further suggest that factors other than acetylator phenotype limit the extent of DNA adduct formation from 4-ABP in these mice.

Acetylation↗
PubMed1992

2-Aminofluorene-DNA adducts in mouse urinary bladder: effect of age, sex and acetylator phenotype.

Formation of urinary bladder DNA-2-aminofluorene adducts in inbred and acetylator congenic mice was measured 3 h after a 60 mg/kg dose of the arylamine carcinogen. The sensitivity of 32P-postlabeling with HPLC analysis permitted quantitation of adducts in individual mouse bladders. Acetylator phenotype was a significant determinant of DNA damage in female mice as slow acetylators had higher levels of bladder DNA adducts than rapids. This correlation is the reverse of that seen with hepatic DNA. Age was also a significant determinant of DNA damage as older mice (20-23 weeks) formed more bladder DNA adducts than young (7 week) mice. The age-related increase in bladder adduct formation was seen in both sexes of all mouse lines. Male B6 mice exposed to 2-aminofluorene at 20-23 weeks of age showed a 26-fold higher level of bladder DNA adducts than males exposed at 7 weeks. In addition to the large increase in total adduct level, the older male B6 mice produced significant amounts of an unidentified, early-eluting adduct peak that had chromatographic properties similar to an aminofluorene-DNA adduct produced through peroxidative activation. These results indicate that age, sex and acetylator phenotype are all important determinants of aromatic amine-bladder DNA adduct formation in mice.

Acetylation↗
PubMed1992

Metabolic, molecular genetic and toxicological aspects of the acetylation polymorphism in inbred mice.

Over the past 10 years, much fascinating information has been obtained concerning the biochemistry, genetics, toxicological implications and molecular genetics of the N-acetylation polymorphism in mice. Using C57BL/6J (B6) mice as representative of rapid acetylation and A/J (A) mice as representing slow acetylation, it has been shown that the polymorphism observed in N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity in liver also occurs in kidney, bladder, blood, and other tissues. The development of congenic acetylator mouse lines derived from B6 and A, have provided the necessary tools to study the role of the acetylation polymorphism, on either the B6 or A genetic background, free of nearly all other genetic differences between these strains. Eliminating genes which modify and complicate the differences due to the acetylator genes make the congenic lines very useful in toxicology studies, particularly those involving carcinogenesis. The molecular genetic basis of the acetylator polymorphism in B6 and A mice involves two Nat genes. Nat-1 encodes a protein termed NAT1 which is identical in rapid and slow acetylator strains. Nat-2, however, differs between rapid and slow strains by a single nucleotide change in the coding region. The corresponding NAT2 proteins differ by a single change at amino acid 99: an hydrophilic asparagine in rapid acetylator NAT2 to an hydrophobic isoleucine in NAT2 from slow acetylators. The mechanistic basis for the differences between rapid and slow acetylation in mice appears to be that NAT2 from the rapid B6 strain is 15-fold more stable at 37 degrees C and is transcribed/translated with a maximal efficiency twice that of the enzyme from slow acetylator A mice. Results discussed in this review indicate that mice provide an excellent system for studying the N-acetyltransferase polymorphism and also are useful for modelling several aspects of the human N-acetyltransferase polymorphism.

Acetylation↗
PubMed1992

Cloned mouse N-acetyltransferases: enzymatic properties of expressed Nat-1 and Nat-2 gene products.

N-Acetylation plays an important role in the metabolism of a wide variety of hydrazine drugs and arylamine drugs and carcinogens. Humans have genetically determined differences in their N-acetyltransferase activities and are phenotypically classified as rapid or slow acetylators. Mice have a similar genetic polymorphism in N-acetyltransferase activity and have been used as models of the human polymorphism in many studies of the toxicology and carcinogenicity of arylamines. Recently, two N-acetyltransferase genes, Nat-1 and Nat-2, were cloned from rapid (C57BL/6J) and slow (A/J) acetylator mouse strains. The genomic clone encoding NAT-1 is identical in rapid and slow acetylator mouse strains, whereas the clone encoding NAT-2 differs between rapid and slow strains by a single base pair, which changes the encoded amino acid from Asn99 in the rapid acetylator strain to Ile99 in the slow acetylator strain. In this report, the N-acetylation polymorphism in mice was investigated by transiently expressing the cloned N-acetyltransferase genes in COS-1 cells. The intronless coding regions of Nat-1 and Nat-2 showed different substrate specificities; isoniazid was a preferred substrate for NAT-1, whereas p-aminobenzoic acid was preferred for NAT-2(99asn) and NAT-2(99ile). All three enzymes acetylated 2-aminofluorene, but none of them acetylated sulfamethazine. Kinetic constants determined for the expressed enzymes with 2-aminofluorene and p-aminobenzoic acid indicated that Km values were not significantly different between the enzymes, although the Vmax value of NAT-2(99asn) was consistently 2-3-fold higher than that of NAT-1 or NAT-2(99ile). Nat-1 and Nat-2 encoded mRNAs of approximately 1.4 kilobases in livers of rapid and slow acetylators. Nat-2 mRNA was more abundant in liver than Nat-1 mRNA. The abundance of Nat-2 mRNA and Nat-1 mRNA was equivalent in both rapid and slow acetylator mouse strain livers. Incubation of transfected COS-1 cell cytosols at 37 degrees showed that the time for decline of NAT activity to 50% of its initial value was 45 hr for NAT-1, 60 hr for NAT-2(99asn), and 4 hr for NAT-2(99ile). This 15-fold difference in the heat stability of the rapid and slow isoforms of NAT activity was also observed in cytosols from rapid and slow acetylator livers. Comparison of the rates of translation of the rapid and slow isoforms of NAT-2 in an in vitro system showed that NAT-2(99asn) was translated at approximately twice the rate of NAT-2(99ile).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Acetyltransferases↗
PubMed1990

2-aminofluorene-hepatic DNA adducts in congenic mouse lines differing in Ah responsiveness.

The influence of beta-naphthoflavone (BNF) pretreatment on 2-aminofluorene (2-AF)-hepatic DNA adduct formation was evaluated in Ah-responsive and non-responsive congenic mouse lines through use of HPLC analysis of 32P-postlabeled nucleotides. C57BL/6J (B6) mice were used as an example of BNF-responsive mice while B6.D-Ahd, a line congenic with B6, was used as the non-responsive line. Induction at the Ah locus with BNF increased adduct levels in hepatic DNA in B6 mice but not in B6.D mice 3 h after a 60 mg/kg i.p. dose of 2-AF. The slow acetylator counterparts of B6 and B6.D, namely B6.A and B6.A.D-NatsAhd (a new congenic line produced from B6.A and B6.D), had lower adduct levels than the rapid acetylators before induction. Although adduct levels in B6.A and B6.A.D were increased following BNF induction, the level of adducts remained below those of induced B6 mice. In the three lines that responded to BNF induction, male mice had a greater relative increase in hepatic DNA adduct levels than females. For all four lines, with or without BNF pretreatment, greater adduct levels were found in the females. These results imply that responsiveness to aromatic hydrocarbon induction, as well as rapid acetylation, may be risk factors in hepatic DNA damage following arylamine exposure. Female mice appear to be more susceptible to such damage than males.

Acetylation↗
PubMed1990

Polymorphic acetylation of arylamines and DNA-adduct formation.

Inbred mouse strains congenic for rapid and slow N-acetyltransferase (NAT) (A.B6, rapid and B6.A, slow) were used to separate the effect of the NAT polymorphism from the influence of other genetically polymorphic enzymes on DNA adduct formation induced by exposure to arylamine carcinogens. Adduct formation was measured by HPLC analysis of 32P-postlabeled nucleotides from DNA of the urinary bladder and liver. Acetylator phenotype was a significant determinant of DNA damage in females as slow acetylators had higher levels of bladder DNA adducts than rapids. This correlation was the reverse of that seen with liver DNA. Older mice (20-23 weeks) formed much higher bladder DNA adduct levels than young mice (7 week). The increase in bladder adduct formation with age was seen in both sexes of all mouse strains. The older male B6 mice showed a 26-fold increase in bladder adducts and the older females showed no more than a 2-fold increase. In addition, the older male B6 mice produced significant amounts of an unidentified, early eluting adduct peak. Biochemical studies of liver NAT and O-acetyltransferase (OAT) activities showed a direct correlation between the levels of liver 2-aminofluorene (AF) NAT activity and levels of liver DNA-adduct formation, but the role of OAT activity in adduct formation in the mouse remains unclear. These results indicate that the NAT phenotype, age and sex are all important determinants of arylamine-DNA adduct formation in mice.

Acetylation↗
PubMed1989

2-Aminofluorene-DNA adduct formation in acetylator congenic mouse lines.

The effect of the acetylator polymorphism on hepatic 2-aminofluorene-DNA adduct formation in mice was studied using two recent developments from our laboratory. Acetylator congenic mouse lines differing from their parental inbred lines in N-acetyltransferase activity were used to separate the effect of the N-acetyltransferase polymorphism from effects of differences in other genetically polymorphic enzymes. DNA adduct formation was used as an indicator of arylamine induced DNA damage. Adduct formation was measured by HPLC analysis of 32P-postlabeled nucleotides from hepatic DNA of treated animals. At a high dose (60 mg/kg) of 2-aminofluorene for a 3 h exposure, rapid acetylator mice (C57BL/6J) accumulated twice the adducts of slow acetylators (A/J). In acetylator congenic mice this difference increased so that rapid acetylators with the slow background (A.B6-Natr) had 5- to 7-times the DNA damage of the slow acetylator congenic with the rapid background (B6.A-Nats). It was also found that within each mouse line examined, females had higher levels of adduct formation than males. Acetylator congenic mouse lines were useful in distinguishing the effect of acetylator genes from the total genetic background. Similarly, congenics were useful in demonstrating the contribution that enzymes other than N-acetyltransferase make to differences in adduct formation in inbred mouse lines.

Acetyltransferases↗
PubMed1988

High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of 32P-postlabeled DNA-aromatic carcinogen adducts.

The technique of 32P postlabeling of DNA-carcinogen adducts is a useful and extremely sensitive method of detecting and quantitating DNA damage by carcinogens. We have adapted the 32P method to analysis by high-pressure liquid chromatography, making the procedure more rapid and convenient than when thin-layer chromatography is used. Following DNA isolation and hydrolysis, nucleotide-carcinogen adducts are enhanced relative to normal nucleotides by solvent extraction and then labeled with high-specific-activity [gamma-32P]ATP. The resulting 32P-postlabeled nucleotides are resolved by reverse-phase ion-pair HPLC. After as little as 3 h of exposure to carcinogens, DNA adducts can be demonstrated from 1 microgram or less of mouse hepatic DNA. Acetylated and nonacetylated adducts can be resolved from hepatic DNA of mice treated with 2-aminofluorene. Differences in DNA damage as measured by adduct formation were demonstrated between "rapid" and "slow" acetylator mouse strains. Rapid-acetylator C57BL/6J mice had three times the amount of hepatic DNA adducts as slow-acetylator A/J mice 3 h after a 60 mg/kg dose of 2-aminofluorene. 4-Aminobiphenyl and 2-naphthylamine each showed an adduct peak with retention time similar to that of the nonacetylated 2-aminofluorene adduct, while benzidine gave a major adduct that eluted somewhat earlier as would be expected for an acetylated adduct. The alkenylbenzenes, safrole and methyleugenol, also formed DNA adducts detectable by this method. DNA prepared from skin of mice painted with benzo[a]pyrene also contained carcinogen-DNA adducts detectable and resolvable by HPLC analysis following 32P postlabeling. The combination of HPLC with 32P postlabeling appears to be a useful technique for the rapid detection and quantitation of DNA damage caused by several classes of aromatic carcinogens.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Binding of carbon tetrachloride metabolites to rat hepatic mitochondrial DNA.

Radioactivity from [14C]CCl4 was bound to highly purified mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA (nDNA) prepared from livers of rats after a single dose of [14C]CCl4. At a low, non-necrotizing dose as well as at an acutely toxic dose, mtDNA bound 20-50-fold more radioactivity per mg than did nDNA. Extensive enzymatic digestion and purification of mtDNA did not remove radioactivity. Binding of radioactivity to mtDNA could also be demonstrated after anaerobic incubation of isolated mitochondria with [14C]CCl4, NADPH, ADP, and succinate. Our results suggest that CCl4 can be activated by rat hepatic mitochondrial enzymes to metabolites which bind covalently to mtDNA.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Some biochemical properties of pemphigoid antigen bound to the surface of dissociated epidermal basal cells.

Bullous pemphigoid antigen (BP Ag) is a cell surface marker of epidermal basal cells. The functional role of this molecule is unknown. Epidermal cell suspensions obtained by trypsinization of skin show a population of epidermal basal cells with a polar rim of antigen as demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence technique. This study shows that treatment of these cells suspensions with a variety of proteolytic and glycosidic enzymes failed to remove the antigen from these basal cells. BP Ag was also stable upon incubation with distilled water, Triton X-100, PBS, and 1 M NaCl. Treatment of epidermal basal cells with 2 N NaSCN, 1% periodic acid, and 4 M urea, as well as acidic pH or 56 degrees C temperature, abolished the reactivity of these cells with BP antibodies.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Purification and properties of alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase from Clostridium perfringens.

Exo-alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase has been purified 8000-fold from Clostridium perfringens by gel filtration, ion exchange chromatography, isoelectric precipitation, and negative adsorption on human O type erythrocytes. The resulting enzyme is active at physiological pH and temperature. Phenyl glycosides, oligosaccharides, mucins, glycolipids, and cell membranes are substrates for this enzyme. The result of enzyme action on blood type A erythrocytes is the loss of A activity and the simultaneous appearance of H activity, characteristic of the O blood group type. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate demonstrates electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate demonstrates that the blood group A-destroying activity is distinct from the other glycosidase activities found in C. perfringens.

ABO Blood-Group System↗
PubMed1977

Initial reactions in biosynthesis of teichuronic acid of Micrococcus lysodeikticus cell walls.

The in vitro biosynthesis of teichuronic acid, the cell wall polysaccharide of Micrococcus lysodeikticus, occurs in two stages. In the initial stage, the particulate enzyme fraction utilizes uridine diphosphate N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) and uridine diphosphate N-acetylmannosaminuronic acid (UDP-ManNAcUA) to form three intermediates. N-Acetylglucosamine is transferred from UDP-GlcNAc to a carrier lipid present in the particulate enzyme fraction to form the first intermediate, GlcNAc carrier lipid. N-Acetylmannosaminuronic acid is then transferred from UDP-ManNAcUA to the GlcNAc carrier lipid to form ManNAcUA-GlcNAc carrier lipid, the second intermediate. Finally, the transfer of an additional N-acetylmannosaminuronic acid residue from UDP-ManNAcUA yields the third intermediate, (ManNAcUA)2-GlcNAc carrier lipid. Reactions involving UDP-ManNAcUA release uridine diphosphate. Concomitant synthesis of peptidoglycan or membrane mannan inhibits the synthesis of the teichuronic acid intermediates, thereby providing indirect evidence that the carrier lipid is undecaprenol monophosphate.

Cell Wall↗
PubMed1977

Effect of galactose oxidase, with and without prior sialidase treatment, on the viability of erythrocytes in circulation.

Previous studies have shown that sialidase-treated mammalian erythrocytes were rapidly eliminated from circulation. In contrast, chicken asialoerythrocytes remained fully viable. This investigation was undertaken to ascertain the reason for this difference in behavior as well as to determine the extent of the similarity of the physiological mechanism for the elimination from circulation of asialoglycoproteins and mammalian asialoerythrocytes. To that end, erythrocytes from dogs, rabbits, and chickens were each subjected to the action of galactose oxidase (D-galactose:oxygen 6-oxidoreductase; EC 1.1.3.9) both before and after sialidase (acylneuraminyl hydrolase; EC 3.2.1.18) treatment. The viability of the autologously transfused erythrocytes in circulation was monitored by Na2-51CrO4 labeling. Galactose oxidase had no deleterious effect on the viability of dog or chicken erythrocytes, nor did it restore the viability of dog or rabbit asialoerythrocytes. On the other hand, desialated chicken erythrocytes, which were fully viable, were rendered nonviable upon treatment with galactose oxidase. It may be concluded therefore that (a) the physiological mechanism of elimination of mammalian asialoerythrocytes from circulation is not the same as that for plasma asialoglycoproteins and (b) the treatment of chicken asialoerythrocytes with galactose oxidase results in the oxidation at carbons 6 of the galactosyl- or N-acetylgalactosaminyl residues, thereby rendering the erythrocytes nonviable.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Distribution of 2-aminofluorene and p-aminobenzoic acid N-acetyltransferase activity in tissues of C57BL/6J rapid and B6.A-NatS slow acetylator congenic mice.

The distribution of N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity in 35 tissues of inbred rapid acetylator C57BL/6J and slow acetylator congenic B6.A-NatS mice was determined by incubation of tissue cytosols with 2-aminofluorene or p-aminobenzoic acid followed by HPLC assay. Tissues examined included the gastrointestinal tract, lymphoid tissues, skin, blood components, and other major organs. NAT activity was found in all tissues examined except blood plasma and seminal vesicles. Peyer's patches had the highest activity with either substrate, and lymphoid tissue, in general, was high in NAT activity as was skin and much of the digestive system. The acetylator polymorphism was apparent in most tissues for both p-aminobenzoic acid and 2-aminofluorene. The difference between rapid and slow acetylator phenotypes was usually greater with p-aminobenzoic acid than with 2-aminofluorene. The presence of NAT in the 33 tissues of rapid and slow acetylator mice, as well as the absence of NAT in plasma and seminal vesicles, was confirmed by immunoblots using an anti-NAT antibody raised in rabbits. These results indicate the widespread distribution of NAT activity and the relative abundance of extrahepatic N-acetylation capacity in the mouse.

4-Aminobenzoic Acid↗