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Biomedical subjects

H Sies

Publications and source records attributed to H Sies.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Transport of ebselen in plasma and its transfer to binding sites in the hepatocyte.

In vivo transport in plasma and in vitro transfer of ebselen to binding sites in the hepatocyte were studied. More than 90% of intravenously administered ebselen in mouse plasma is bound by selenium-sulfur bonds to reactive thiols in serum albumin. In in vitro experiments the uptake of [14C]-ebselen from a complex prepared with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was determined in isolated perfused rat liver. Radioactive ebselen metabolites were excreted into bile. In isolated hepatocytes, radioactivity was bound to all subcellular organelles. Ebselen is transferred from the BSA complex to membrane-associated proteins after reductive cleavage of the Se-S bond effected by endogenous protein thiols. In contrast, when proteins were separated by dialysis membranes, ebselen transfer from its BSA complex occurred only in the presence of externally added reductants. Among the physiological reductants tested, ebselen release from the BSA complex was highest with glutathione (75%) and lowest with ascorbic acid (less than 10%). Quantitative release of ebselen from its BSA complex was only achieved by the combined action of reductant, notably 2-mercaptoethanol, and guanidine thiocyanate, suggesting that ebselen interacts with proteins by covalent Se-S bonds as well as by ionic charge interactions.

Animals↗

Purification of rat liver plasma membrane glutathione transferase.

Glutathione transferases purified from plasma membrane and microsomal fractions from rat liver share similar enzymic properties. The activity of both proteins with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene can be stimulated about 10-15-fold by N-ethylmaleimide. No activation is observed using p-nitrobenzylchloride as a substrate. The enzymes are immunologically related as indicated by Western-blot analysis using antibodies against the microsomal glutathione transferase or against a synthetic peptide corresponding to the amino acid positions 55-64 of microsomal glutathione transferase. Isolated plasma membrane and microsomal glutathione transferases possess the same amino-terminal amino acid sequence and digestion with different proteases results in identical fragment patterns as displayed by SDS/PAGE. These data suggest that plasma membrane and microsomal glutathione transferase are identical proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Interaction of ebselen with glutathione S-transferase and papain in vitro.

The interaction of ebselen(2-phenyl-1,2-benzisoselenazol-3(2H)-one) with rat liver cytosolic glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and the plant cysteine protease, papain, was studied as cysteine residues are important for the activity of these enzymes. The capacity of GST 1-2 and 3-4 for ebselen binding is similar (1.5 mol ebselen/mol GST isozyme), while GST 2-2 and GST 7-7 bind 0.3 and more than 2.0 mol ebselen/mol GST isozyme, respectively. Ebselen does not bind to N-ethylmaleimide-treated GST, and its binding to GST is prevented by 5 mM thiols. Ebselen irreversibly inactivates the different GST isozymes with a second order rate constant ranging from 20 to 2250 M-1 sec-1 for the different subunits. GST inhibition by ebselen is partially restored by 5 mM thiols. Ebselen binds to untreated papain and to cysteine-treated papain at a ratio of about 0.1 and 0.75 mol ebselen/mol papain, respectively. Ebselen does not bind to N-ethylmaleimide-treated papain, and its binding to papain is interfered with by added thiols. Papain is inactivated by ebselen with a second order rate constant of 1800 M-1 sec-1 in the absence of thiols. However, in the presence of GSH, 2-mercaptoethanol or sodium borohydride, ebselen exerts an activating effect on papain. The binding of ebselen by a seleno-sulfide bond to cysteine residues of GSTs and papain leads to their inactivation.

Animals↗

Lowered amounts of the tissue-specific transcription factor LFB1 (HNF1) correlate with decreased levels of glutathione S-transferase alpha messenger RNA in human renal cell carcinoma.

Human renal cell carcinoma is characterized by the loss of differentiation markers such as glutathione S-transferase alpha (GST-alpha). In this paper we show that the promoter of a GST-alpha gene contains a functional binding site for the cell-specific transcription factor LFB1 (HNF1). To investigate the potential role of LFB1 in the down-regulation of GST-alpha expression, we have compared the amount and the binding activity of the LFB1 protein between normal kidney and tumor tissue. By Western analysis and gel retardation assay using a monoclonal antibody specific for LFB1 we show that in 11 of 14 carcinomas the amount of LFB1 is clearly reduced compared to the corresponding normal tissue and that in all 14 renal carcinomas LFB1 binding activity is diminished. As in the same samples the abundance of GST-alpha mRNA is lower than in the normal tissue, we postulate that the loss of LFB1 binding activity might be responsible for the decreased expression of the GST-alpha gene in renal cell carcinoma.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Catabolism of 5-aminolevulinic acid to CO2 by rat liver mitochondria.

5-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA), the heme precursor accumulated in plasma and several organs of carriers of acute intermittent porphyria, hereditary tyrosinemia, and saturnism, was previously shown to yield reactive oxygen species upon metal-catalyzed aerobic oxidation and to cause the in vivo and in vitro impairment of rat liver mitochondrial functions. We have studied the uptake and catabolism of [5-14C]ALA to CO2 by isolated rat liver mitochondria (RLM) with the aim of determining whether possible ALA-driven oxidative injury to mitochondria can also occur into the matrix. Using silicone oil centrifugation of [5-14C]ALA-treated RLM, ALA was found to partition evenly into the intra- and extramatrix space of the mitochondrial preparations. The yield of evolved 14CO2 is very low (0.2%), responds to the concentration of added ADP, and is inhibited by malonate (75% at 2 mM), iproniazid (45% at 2 mM), beta-chloroalanine (36% at 1 mM), and aminooxyacetate (55% at 0.1 mM). With both iproniazid and aminooxyacetate, the percentage of inhibition is the same as that observed with the latter inhibitor alone. These data indicate that ALA decarboxylation by the Krebs cycle is a minor process and that it is initiated enzymically (transaminase) and not by metal-catalyzed ALA autoxidation.

Aminolevulinic Acid↗

Expression of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase and glutathione S-transferases alpha and pi in human renal cell carcinoma and in kidney cancer-derived cell lines.

NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQOR) and glutathione S-transferases (GST) are enzymes of interest in cell defence and drug resistance. Relative levels of NQOR mRNA in renal cell carcinomas were 28 +/- 24% (n = 21) of those in non-neoplastic tissue and the enzyme activity decreased from 41 +/- 39 to 18 +/- 27 mU/mg protein (n = 23). In three of the cases, there was no measurable NQOR enzyme activity at all, indicating a polymorphism in the population for this gene. Relative GST-alpha mRNA levels in the tumours were on average 6 +/- 6% (n = 22) of the control value, whereas for GST-pi mRNA smaller decreases as well as increases were found in the tumours as compared to control tissue, but, on average, the level remained unchanged. Overall GST activity measured with CDNB as a substrate was 152 +/- 157 mU/mg protein in tumour tissue and 342 +/- 177 mU/mg protein in non-neoplastic tissue (n = 23). In all kidney tumour-derived cell lines NQOR mRNA was strongly expressed and on a per protein basis NQOR activity was about 10-fold higher than in the kidney tumour samples. GST-pi but not GST-alpha mRNA was also present. Total GST enzyme activities in these cell lines were similar to those in kidney tumour samples. HepG2 cells exhibited expression of NQOR and GST-alpha; GST-pi was not detectable. NQOR activity in HepG2 was about four-fold higher than in kidney-derived cell lines. Thus, NQOR and GST-alpha are both down-regulated in renal carcinoma, but their expression diverges in carcinoma cell lines.

Aged↗

Loss of heterozygosity at the NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase locus associated with increased resistance against mitomycin C in a human bladder carcinoma cell line.

The human bladder carcinoma cell line RT112 and the mitomycin C-resistant cell line RT112MMC, derived from RT112 cells, were examined for their expression of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQOR) and glutathione S-transferases (GSTs). RT112 cells were 40-fold more sensitive towards mitomycin C than RT112MMC cells. The NQOR mRNA level in RT112MMC cells was decreased to 15% as compared to RT112 cells. NQOR enzyme activity was 391 +/- 140 mU/mg protein in RT112 cells, whereas NQOR activity in RT112MMC cells was not measurable. As shown by a fast PCR-based assay and DNA-sequencing, the cell line RT112 is heterozygous, whereas RT112MMC is homozygous for a null allele of the NQOR gene without enzymatic activity. Accordingly, both wild-type and null allele mRNAs were present in RT112 cells, whereas only null allele mRNA was found in RT112MMC. The lack of NQOR enzyme activity in RT112MMC cells was thus associated with loss of heterozygosity at the NQOR locus. By a PCR-RFLP assay, three kidney carcinoma patients without measurable NQOR enzyme activity were shown to be homozygous for the null allele. The PCR assay described here is useful for examination of large numbers of samples. The relative amount of GST-Pi mRNA was decreased by 30% in RT112MMC as compared to RT112, contributing to a diminished level of GST enzyme activity, using CDNB as a substrate, from 95 +/- 62 mU/mg protein in RT112 to 26 +/- 6 mU/mg protein in RT112MMC.

Base Sequence↗

Gene structure and regulation of expression of human glutathione S-transferases alpha.

Current knowledge on the structure of human alpha-class glutathione S-transferase (GST) genes and the regulation of their expression is reviewed. The alpha-class GST comprises several genes and pseudogenes localised in a tight cluster on chromosome 6. Although the human GSTA1 and GSTA2 genes have the same number of exons and introns as their rat and mouse counterparts, the sequences of the 5'-flanking regions of the human alpha-class genes are significantly different from the rodents, suggesting different mechanisms of regulation between human and rodents. The expression of GST alpha is altered in a variety of tumors and several lines of evidence implicate the alpha-class GSTs in chemotherapeutic drug resistance. Finally, the induction of human GSTs by drugs or nutritional constituents would justify an interest for developing chemointervention strategies in populations highly exposed to carcinogens like aflatoxin B1 and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Animals↗

Interaction of albumin-bound ebselen with rat liver glutathione S-transferase and microsomal proteins.

Ebselen (2-phenyl-1,2-benzisoselenazol-3(2H)-one) is a selenium-containing heterocyclic compound, transported bound to albumin in blood. In this report, we demonstrate the transfer of ebselen from its albumin complex to rat liver cytosolic glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and microsomal proteins, as compared to papain. Free ebselen binds to the sulfhydryl groups of proteins, such as GST and papain [Nikawa, T., Schuch, G., Wagner, G. & Sies, H. Biochem. Pharmacol. (in press)]. 2-Mercaptoethanol and N-ethylmaleimide interfere with ebselen binding to microsomal proteins, suggesting that ebselen also binds to the sulfhydryl groups of microsomal proteins. Ebselen is transferred from its albumin complex to rat liver cytosolic GST and microsomal proteins, but not to papain. These results suggest the possibility that ebselen is transferred from albumin to other proteins using their sulfhydryl groups in vivo.

Animals↗

Low vitamin E content in plasma of patients with alcoholic liver disease, hemochromatosis and Wilson's disease.

The RRR-alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) content in plasma from 46 patients with liver diseases and 23 healthy controls was determined by high performance liquid chromatography and electrochemical detection. Patients were divided into three groups: alcoholic liver diseases (n = 17; group A), hemochromatosis (n = 17; group B) and Wilson's disease (n = 12; group C). Lipid-standardized alpha-tocopherol levels were determined to neutralize differences due to hyperlipemia. The ratio of serum vitamin E to serum lipids (cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids) was highest in healthy controls and in patients in group A with cirrhosis and normal transaminases and bilirubin. Patients in group A with acute or chronic ethanol intoxication and high bilirubin levels had a 37% lower lipid-standardized vitamin E level than controls. Patients in group B with hemochromatosis, showing high serum iron (> 180 micrograms/dl), a low free iron binding capacity (< 8 mumol/l) and high ferritin-levels (< 450 micrograms/l), had a 34% lower vitamin E/lipid ratio than healthy controls. No significant lowering of the vitamin E/lipid ratio was observed in the other patients in group B. A significant decrease (37%) in the vitamin E/lipid ratio was only detectable in patients with Wilson's disease (group C) showing high free serum copper (> 10 micrograms/dl). The data support a role for free radicals in the pathogenesis of active liver diseases.

Adult↗

Singlet oxygen induces collagenase expression in human skin fibroblasts.

Singlet oxygen generated in a dark reaction by thermodissociation of an endoperoxide (NDPO2) elicits an increase in mRNA of interstitial collagenase (MMP-1) in cultured human fibroblasts. The effect is enhanced in deuterium oxide-based medium and is abolished in the presence of non-toxic doses of sodium azide. In contrast, the mRNA level of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP-1) remains unaltered under these experimental conditions. These observations support the suggestion that an unbalanced synthesis of collagenase and TIMP reported to occur following UV-A irradiation or during inflammatory conditions may be mediated by singlet oxygen.

Cells, Cultured↗