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H A Kuiper

Publications and source records attributed to H A Kuiper.

46 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1976

Binding of carbon monoxide to alpha-hemocyanin and beta-hemocyanin from Helix pomatia.

The binding of carbon monoxide to alpha and beta-hemocyanin from the snail Helix pomatia was studied under equilibrium conditions. Homotropic interactions upon carbon monoxide binding were much weaker than upon the binding of oxygen. Heterotropic interactions (Bohr effect and calcium-ion effect), however, were just as strong as in the case of the binding of oxygen. For alpha-hemocyanin a linkage has been observed between the binding of carbon monoxide and a change in quaternary structure of the protein.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of human diets on biotransformation enzyme activity and metabolic activation of carcinogens in rat liver.

We studied the effects of a complete human diet, based on mean consumption figures in The Netherlands, the heating of food, and the presence of vegetables and fruit in the diet on the drug metabolizing capacity of the rat liver and on metabolic activation of known carcinogens. Groups of five male and five female Wistar rats were given ad lib. one of six different diets for 3 months. Each diet contained 40 energy (E)% fat, 13 E% protein, 47 E% carbohydrate and 5% fibre (w/w). The diets were as follows: a control diet of semi-synthetic materials (A); a human diet of meat, bread and eggs without processing (B); diet B heated under usual household conditions (C); a diet representing a complete human meal including (summer) vegetables and fruit (D); diets consisting of winter vegetables (E) or summer vegetables (F) with fruit. Semi-synthetic components were added to diets B-F to achieve the desired composition. There were differences between male and female rats on the effects of the different diets on hepatic enzyme activity. In female rats, but not in males, ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity was increased significantly (P less than 0.05) in groups C, D and E in comparison with the controls (group A). In male rats ethoxycoumarin-O-deethylase activity was enhanced in groups D, E and F, and glutathione-S-transferase was markedly induced in group F (P less than 0.01). In males, hepatic cytochrome P-450 was significantly (P less than 0.05) increased in groups B, C and E. There was no effect on aminopyrine-N-demethylase activity and almost no effect on UDP-glucuronyltransferase activity in either sex. Microsomes from rats fed heated food (C) markedly increased the mutagenicity of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) in the Ames assay using Salmonella typhimurium strain TA98, in comparison with levels using microsomes from rats fed the raw food (B). Vegetables and fruit decreased B[a]P mutagenicity. All human diets except D decreased the mutagenicity of N-nitrosodimethylamine in tester strain TA100. The results indicate that the influence of components of human diets on rat-liver drug metabolism may have quite different effects on the biotransformation of carcinogens activated by different metabolic pathways.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Validation and use of the CALUX-bioassay for the determination of dioxins and PCBs in bovine milk.

There is a strong need for the development of relatively cheap and rapid bioassays for the determination of dioxins and related compounds in food. A newly developed CALUX (Chemical-Activated LUciferase gene eXpression) bioassay was tested for its possible use to determine low levels of dioxins in bovine milk. Data show that this mammalian cell-based test is very sensitive for 2,3,7,8-substituted dioxins and related PCBs, thereby reflecting the relative potencies of these compounds in comparison to TCDD (TEF-values). The limit of detection was about 50 fg of TCDD. Furthermore, the response obtained with a mixture of dioxins was additive, in accordance with the TEF-principle. Milk fat was isolated by centrifugation followed by clean-up of the fat with n-pentane, removal of the fat on a 33% H2SO4 silica column, and determination of Ah receptor agonist activity with the CALUX-bioassay. An equivalent of 67 mg fat was tested per experimental unit, resulting in a limit of quantification around 1 pg i-TEQ/g fat. To investigate the performance of the method, butter fat was cleaned and spiked with a mixture of 17 different 2,3,7,8-substituted PCDD and PCDF congeners at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 pg TEQ/g fat, as confirmed by GC/MS. In this concentration range, the method showed a recovery of TEQs around 67% (58-87%). The reproducibility, determined in three independent series showed a CV varying between 4% and 54%, with the exception of the sample spiked at 1 pg i-TEQ (CV 97%). The repeatability determined with the sample spiked at 6 pg i-TEQ/g showed a CV of 10%. Testing of 22 bovine milk samples, taken at different sites in The Netherlands, in the CALUX-assay showed combined dioxin and dioxin-like PCB levels equivalent to 1.6 pg TCDD/g fat (range 0.2-4.6). GC/MS analysis of these samples revealed an average level of 1.7 pg i-TEQ/g fat, varying between 0.5 and 4.7 pg i-TEQ/g fat. All five samples showing a GC/MS determined dioxin content of more than 2 pg i-TEQ/g fat gave a response in the CALUX-assay corresponding to more than 2 pg TCDD/g fat. These data clearly show that the CALUX-bioassay is a promising method for the rapid and low cost screening of dioxins in bovine milk.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The use of pig hepatocytes to study the biotransformation of beta-nortestosterone by pigs. Identification of glucuronidated 15 alpha-hydroxy-norandrostenedione as an important in vitro and in vivo metabolite.

Porcine hepatocytes were used to examine the biotransformation of beta-nortestosterone (NOR). Initially, the major metabolite of NOR was norandrostenedione (NA), which upon prolonged incubation was further transformed, primarily to the glucuronide of 15 alpha-hydroxy-norandrostenedione (15 alpha OH-NA). No differences were observed in this pattern between hepatocytes isolated from livers of sows or castrated male pigs. With increasing culture age, the rate of formation of NA did not change, contrary to a decrease in its further oxidation and glucuronidation. 15 alpha-OH-NA, primarily as its glucuronide, was identified in the urine of pigs injected with NOR. In addition, NA and the glucuronide of the parent compound were present in much smaller amounts.

Androstenedione↗