Biomedical subjects

M R McLean

Publications and source records attributed to M R McLean.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Identification of catechol and hydroquinone metabolites of 4-monochlorobiphenyl.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may be metabolically activated to electrophiles, which bind to proteins and nucleic acids. One activation scheme involves the formation of reactive arene oxide intermediates during cytochrome P450-catalyzed hydroxylation. We propose a second activation pathway whereby PCB catechol and hydroquinone metabolites may be oxidized to reactive semiquinones and/or quinones. By employing 4-monochlorobiphenyl (4-MCB) as a model substrate and liver microsomes from rats treated with phenobarbital and 3-methyl-cholanthrene, five monol and three diol metabolites were identified. The major metabolite was 4-chloro-4'-monohydroxybiphenyl, followed by, in decreasing order, 4-chloro-3',4'-dihydroxybiphenyl, unknown B (a monol), 4-chloro-2',3'-dihydroxybiphenyl, 4-chloro-3'-hydroxybiphenyl, 4-chloro-2',5'-dihydroxybiphenyl, unknown A (a monol), and 4-chloro-2'-monohydroxybiphenyl. A trace of a dihydrodiol was detected by GC/MS. To elucidate the source of the diols, 4-MCB and the synthetic monol metabolites 4-chloro-2'-/-3'-/-4'-monohydroxybiphenyls were each employed as substrates in incubations with microsomes from rats treated with phenobarbital, 3-methylcholanthrene, or both inducers. The three diol metabolites were all produced from 4-MCB in incubations with microsomes from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats, but incubations with microsomes from phenobarbital-treated rats did not yield detectable amounts of 4-chloro-2',3'-dihydroxybiphenyl. 4-Chloro-2',3'-dihydroxybiphenyl was only found as a product of 4-chloro-2'-monohydroxybiphenyl. The 4-chloro-2',5'-dihydroxybiphenyl was found in extracts of incubations with 4-chloro-2'- and -3'-monohydroxybiphenyls, while the 4-chloro-3',4'-dihydroxybiphenyl was the only product found from 4-chloro-3'- and -4'-monohydroxybiphenyls. No other chlorinated diols were detected by GC/MS. These data suggest that the major route of biosynthesis of the diols was via a second hydroxylation step and not aromatization of dihydrodiols derived from primary arene oxides. We propose a scheme for the in vitro synthesis of the catechol and hydroquinone metabolites, which may be precursors for electrophilic semiquinone or quinone products with the potential for cytotoxic and genotoxic effects.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Detection of PCB adducts by the 32P-postlabeling technique.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether lower chlorinated biphenyls would be bioactivated to electrophilic metabolites by microsomes alone or in combination with peroxidase. Monochloro- and dichlorobiphenyls were incubated with liver microsomes of rats treated with phenobarbital and beta-naphthoflavone, an NADPH-regenerating system, and deoxyguanosine 3'-monophosphate (dGp). The resultant adducts were analyzed by 32P-postlabeling either following microsomal incubation alone ("preoxidized") or coupled with subsequent oxidation with horseradish peroxidase/H2O ("oxidized"). The incubation of 4-monochlorobiphenyl (4-MCB) resulted in the formation of two minor adducts by microsomal activation alone. However, the oxidized sample showed two additional major adducts. Formation of the latter adducts was almost completely (> 80%) inhibited when the oxidation reaction was performed in the presence of ascorbic acid. The other test mono- and dichlorobiphenyls also formed 1-3 major adducts. Compared with microsomal activation alone, these adducts were enhanced after the oxidation reaction or detected only in the oxidized samples. These data suggest that (1) some adducts of the lower chlorinated biphenyls are derived from arene oxides and (2) many adducts may be formed by metabolism of the parent compounds to catechol and p-hydroquinone species, which are oxidized to semiquinones and/or quinones. The involvement of quinones and/or semiquinones was supported by UV/vis spectroscopic measurements, which showed that metabolites of 4-MCB can be oxidized to products with spectra characteristic of quinones. These data raise the possibility that lower chlorinated biphenyls may be genotoxic and may explain the fact that commercial polychlorinated biphenyl mixtures are complete rodent carcinogens.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Heparin induced platelet aggregation: in vitro confirmation of thrombotic complications associated with heparin therapy.

Eleven patients who developed thromboembolic complications while receiving heparin were studied for a possible adverse reaction to heparin as the cause of their progressive thrombosis. Fifteen additional patients who were receiving heparin for recurrent thromboembolism, but who did not develop signs of thrombotic complications, were studied as patient controls. The most significant finding was an abnormal in vitro aggregation response to heparin alone in all of the patients who developed complications who were tested for it (64 percent). None of the patient controls demonstrated this abnormality. In addition, thrombocytopenia was noted in all of the former but in only one of the latter. Results of prothrombin times, fibrinogens and fibrin split products eliminated disseminated intravascular coagulation as the cause of the thrombocytopenia in the majority of cases. Finally, an approach to the early detection of the abnormal heparin response is presented and guidelines for its therapeutic management are recommended.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗