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Biomedical subjects

H F Merk

Publications and source records attributed to H F Merk.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Human hair follicle benzo[a]pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene 7,8-diol metabolism: effect of exposure to a coal tar-containing shampoo.

Assay systems for the evaluation of carcinogen interaction with human tissues are essential for assessing cancer risk. Hair follicles are a readily available source of human epithelial tissue and offer an excellent system with which to study carcinogen metabolism in human populations. In this study freshly plucked human hair follicles were employed to measure the metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene (BP), benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol (BP 7,8-diol), and the enzyme-mediated binding of [3H]-BP to DNA. The effect of human exposure to a crude coal tar (CCT)-containing shampoo, a preparation rich in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), on these parameters was also evaluated. Twelve healthy volunteers were studied before and after shampooing their hair daily for 4 days with the CCT-containing shampoo. Wide interindividual variation was observed in basal cytochrome P-450-dependent aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity which ranged from 0.6-17.6 fmol water-soluble BP metabolites/h/hair follicle (mean +/- SE of 32 individuals was 9.7 +/- 0.9). After use of the shampoo for 4 days AHH activity increased in 10 of the 12 volunteers (50-148%) and enhancement of enzyme-mediated binding of BP to DNA was detected in most subjects. Hair follicles were shown to convert BP to several metabolic species including BP 7,8-diol, a major precursor of the ultimate carcinogenic metabolite of BP. Benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol itself was also metabolized by the human hair follicles in this system. Clotrimazole, a known inhibitor of the metabolism of BP as well as the carcinogenicity of the hydrocarbon in rodent skin, was found to inhibit AHH and the in vitro metabolism of BP and BP 7,8-diol in human hair follicles. Oral administration of a similar antifungal imidazole, ketoconazole at a dose of 200 mg daily for 5 days, to healthy volunteers also resulted in greater than 90% inhibition of hair follicle AHH activity. These studies indicate that hair follicles represent an accessible tissue suitable for assessing the extent of PAH carcinogen metabolism in human subjects. Furthermore, enzyme activity critical to cancer induction by PAHs was shown to be inducible following the use of a CCT-containing shampoo. This carcinogen-activating enzyme system was substantially inhibited by imidazole compounds, suggesting that they may prove effective as anticarcinogens in human populations.

Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Azole antifungals.

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Antifungal Agents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Vitamin D3 and its synthetic analogue secocholestra-trien-1,2, 24-triol influence the metabolism and the isomerization of retinoic acid in human keratinocytes.

Vitamin D and vitamin A acid share metabolic pathways thereby influencing their benefit as a given drug. Little is known concerning their metabolic interactions in epidermal cells. We compared the influence of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (vitamin D3 - VD3) and its synthetic analogue secocholestra-trien-1,3,24-triol (tacalcitol - TAC) in combination with different calcium concentrations (Ca) on the metabolism and the isomerization of retinoic acid (RA) in cultured primary human keratinocytes. After preincubation with 0.09, 0.6 and 1.2 mM Ca for 24 h, followed by the addition of 10(-6), 10(-8) or 10(-10) M VD3 or TAC, we added 10(-5) M 13-cis-RA (isotretinoin). 24 h later, concentrations of RA isomers and oxidated RA metabolites were measured by RP-HPLC. VD3 (10(-6) M) inhibited the isomerization of 13-cis-RA to all-trans-RA (tretinoin) and 9-cis-RA independently from the Ca concentration in the culture medium. 10(-6)-10(-10) M TAC equally inhibit the 4-hydroxylation of all-trans-RA significantly (12.8 vs. 6.7% of total RA), thereby reducing the amount of irreversible inactivated 4-oxo-all-trans-RA, leading to a higher persistence of all-trans-RA, the active hormone. Both VD3 and its analogue TAC influence the metabolism of RA, a well-known regulator of epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation processes, in two distinct ways. Further studies are necessary to test the hypothesis that the hormone activity of RA can be increased by concomitant treatment with VD3 which prolongs the persistence of 13-cis-RA, and TAC elevating the intracellular concentration of all-trans-RA.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Treatment of porphyria cutanea tarda with oral thalidomide.

Eight male patients with overt clinical and biochemical features of porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) were orally treated with 300 mg/day thalidomide for 1 week and with 200 mg/day for 3 more weeks. Already after the first week of treatment no new vesicles and/or bullae could be observed. Spontaneous blisters completely disappeared, increased skin fragility subsided and skin hyperpigmentation receded about 2 months after completion of therapy, whereas hypertrichosis persisted. There was a rapid decrease in the urinary total porphyrin excretion which reached normal levels in all patients by the end of the fourth week of therapy, whereas the posttreament chromatographic pattern of urinary porphyrins revealed a slight reduction of higher carboxylated porphyrin metabolites and an increase in the amount of the excreted coproporphyrin, as compared to the pretreatment period. Somnolence, intermittent constipation and dry mouth occurred in all patients, 2 patients additionally experienced dizziness. No evidence of peripheral neuropathy could be detected and laboratory investigations revealed no abnormalities, as compared to the pretreatment period. During the 16- to 28-month follow-up of the patients, no clinical or biochemical relapse was observed. In view of the encouraging results of the present investigation, further studies are now warranted in order to definitely answer the question whether oral thalidomide may be regarded as an effective alternative approach to the treatment of PCT.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Alterations of rat liver phospholipid composition induced by oral thalidomide.

In an attempt to elucidate the effects of oral thalidomide on liver phospholipid composition, doses of 1 and 3 mg/kg/day of thalidomide were orally administered to two groups of female Wistar rats (7 animals each), respectively, over a period of 60 days. Control animals (n = 7) received corresponding quantities of the vehicle alone. Chromatographic analysis and quantitative determination of the isolated phospholipid classes revealed statistically significant alterations of phospholipid fractions in the liver of the animals treated with the higher thalidomide dose (3 mg/kg/day). These alterations may be associated with changes in the metabolic activity, ionic transport and cell-cell interactions of the hepatic cellular components.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Dose-dependent inhibition of ribonuclease P activity by anthralin.

The effect of five different anthralin concentrations on tRNA biogenesis was investigated employing the ribonuclease P (RNase P) of the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum as an in vitro cell-free experimental system. RNase P is an ubiquitous and essential enzyme that endonucleolytically cleaves all tRNA precursors to produce the mature 5' end. Anthralin revealed a dose-dependent inhibition of RNase P activity indicating that this compound may have a direct effect on tRNA biogenesis. Taking into account that anthralin has no structural similarities to the substrate (pre-tRNA) of RNase P, it seems reasonable to suggest that this compound may bind to allosteric inhibition sites of the enzyme.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

New insights into the pathomechanisms of contact dermatitis by the use of transgenic mouse models.

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is one of the most common skin diseases with a great socioeconomic impact. Although extensively studied, its pathophysiology and the interaction of different cells and factors which lead to sensitization and elicitation reaction are still not completely understood. The advent of transgenic mouse technology has considerably changed the study of ACD. This technology has been used extensively to investigate biomedically important issues in such diverse areas as mammalian development, neurophysiology and immunology. This new approach has already led to fascinating results which are confirmatory but also contradictory to previous thinking on the role of certain cytokines, adhesion and cell surface molecules in the complex pathophysiologic process of ACD. This review will describe how recent experiments employing mice carrying cytokine and accessory molecule transgenes change our current understanding of contact dermatitis which may lead to improved therapeutic strategies.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Histamine receptors on lymphocytes: distribution and functional significance.

Several investigations reported modulation of lymphocyte functions following activation of the histamine H2 receptor. However, few data have accumulated with regard to the distribution of histamine H2 receptors on different lymphocyte subsets. Conversely, the distribution of histamine H1 receptors on different lymphocyte subsets has been thoroughly analyzed using specific radioligands, whereas the functional significance of histamine H1 receptor ligation on lymphocytes has not been fully elucidated yet. Recent investigations suggest that H1R signaling on lymphocytes may enhance whereas activation of the H2R may inhibit lymphocyte responses. In this review, the authors discuss the current knowledge on distribution and functional significance of histamine H1 and histamine H2 receptors on human lymphocytes.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Inhibitory effects of arotinoids on tRNA biogenesis.

The effects of five arotinoids (Ro 13-7410, Ro 15-0778, Ro 15-1570, Ro 13-6298, Ro 40-8757) on ribonuclease P (RNase P) activity were studied in a cell-free system derived from Dictyostelium discoideum. RNase P is a ribonucleoprotein that endonucleolytically cleaves all tRNA precursors to produce the mature 5' end. Kinetic analysis showed that these compounds behave as classical competitive inhibitors with Ki values 4.35, 3.6, 2.8 and 0.045 mM for Ro 13-6298, Ro 15-1570, Ro 15-0778 and Ro 13-7410, respectively. Ro 13-7410 was 62, 80 and 97 times more potent in inhibiting the enzyme activity as compared to Ro 15-0778, Ro 15-1570 and Ro 13-6298, respectively, whereas Ro 40-8757 showed no effect on RNase P activity. These results project the significance of the acidic polar terminus in the arotinoid molecule binding to the enzyme. The kinetics of inhibition reflects allosteric interactions of arotinoids with D. discoideum RNase P. Moreover, our findings indicate that the inhibitory effects of arotinoids on tRNA biogenesis can be mediated through mechanisms not involving the retinoid nuclear receptors.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The skin: target organ in immunotoxicology of small-molecular-weight compounds.

Immunotoxicology studies two different effects of xenobiotics: immunosuppression and dysregulation of immune responses leading to hypersensitivity or autoimmunity. The skin is a major target organ of immunotoxicity which is provoked by small-molecular-weight compounds. Methods may be helpful for immunotoxicological investigations and screenings for adverse effects of xenobiotics which are used for diagnosis or studies on the pathophysiology of skin disorders such as allergic contact dermatitis, cutaneous drug-allergic reactions or autoimmune diseases of the skin. Examples include well-designed patch tests, assays involving antigen-presenting cells such as dendritic cells, but also T lymphocytes, basophiles or keratinocytes.

Animals↗
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Effects of oral acitretin on contrast sensitivity and tear film function: a prospective study.

The purpose of this prospective study was to investigate the ocular side effects of short-term therapy with oral acitretin (1 mg/kg/day) in 24 patients with severe and recalcitrant dermatoses. Apart from the routine ophthalmological examination, the following tests were performed: break-up time of tear film for the determination of its stability, Schirmer test for the assessment of lacrimal gland function, rose bengal staining for the detection of possible ocular surface damage and contrast sensitivity test for the evaluation of visual function. No statistically significant differences could be found between the pretreatment values of the assessed parameters and those obtained after 1 and 2 months of therapy. It seems reasonable, therefore, to suggest that ocular surface integrity and tear film and visual function are not affected by short-term oral acitretin administration.

Acitretin↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Lymphocyte activation in allergic reactions elicited by small-molecular-weight compounds.

The involvement of cytochrome-P450-dependent metabolism of small-molecular-weight compounds as a prerequisite for an optimal lymphocyte response to those compounds is discussed on the basis of studies with compound such as p-phenylenediamine, sulfamethoxazole, chloramphenicol and fragrances. Subsequently, data on cytochrome P450 activity and CYP gene expression in monocytes and MAC-6 cells for cytochromes P450 2E1 and 3A4 are presented.

Chloramphenicol↗