Testosterone stimulates net citrate production from aspartate by prostate epithelial cells.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R B Franklin.
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The net production of citrate from exogenous substrates by rat ventral prostate was investigated. The preparation of isolated prostate epithelial cells was described. These cells were capable of oxidizing pyruvate (5 mmol/l) as a source of acetyl coenzyme A. The addition of aspartate + alpha-ketoglutarate (5 mmol/l) in the presence of pyruvate resulted in significant net production of citrate and excess oxalacetate. In the presence of aspartate and glutamate, the cells were capable of producing citrate without excessive oxalacetate production. Neither glucose alone nor glucose plus pyruvate resulted in net citrate production. The results demonstrated that aspartate could serve as a 4-carbon source of oxalacetate for citrate synthesis. Furthermore, the results indicate the intramitochondrial operation of a glutamate-aspartate-citrate pathway involving mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase and glutamic dehydrogenase activities in prostate epithelial cells.
1. The metabolism and disposition of 14C-indolidan, a potent, orally-active positive inotrope with vasodilator properties, has been studied after single dose oral administration to rats, mice, dogs and monkeys. 2. Excretion of 14C in all 4 species was mostly via the urine, largely as parent drug together with two other major metabolites. 3. The two metabolites have been isolated and identified, by mass spectroscopy and 1H-n.m.r., as a dehydro-compound, with a double bond in the pyridazanone ring, and a hydroxylated derivative of the parent drug. 4. Plasma t 1/2 values, based on 14C, were 14 h in dog, 5 h in mouse and 8 h in monkey. Plasma t 1/2 of parent drug, by h.p.l.c. was 10 h in dog, approx. 5 h in rodents, and 8 h in monkeys. 5. Tissue distribution in rats showed no accumulation in any tissue; 14C concn. in all tissues were indistinguishable from background 48 h after dosage. 14C peaked at 6-8 h for most tissues but in blood and plasma, 14C was maximal 1 h after dosing.
The effects of testosterone on mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase (mAAT) synthesis in rat ventral prostate was investigated. Procedures for the isolation, purification and characterization of AAT isozymes were developed and described. Purified mAAT preparations contained no demonstrable contaminating proteins. Prostatic mAAT was characterized as a cationic protein with an estimated mol. wt of 120,000. Cytoplasmic AAT (cAAT) isozyme was identified as an anionic protein with an estimated mol. wt of 132,000. A cytosolic cationic isozyme, similar to mAAT, was also identified as pre-mAAT. Testosterone administration to castrated rats resulted in significant increases in leucine incorporation into mAAT, in the level of mAAT, and in mAAT activity. These effects of testosterone were observed within 2 h of administration. Conversely, testosterone administration had none of these effects on cAAT or on non-AAT protein pool. Testosterone treatment did appear to increase leucine incorporation into pre-mAAT. Testosterone treatment in organ cultures and in prostate epithelial cell cultures resulted in the same stimulatory effects on mAAT as observed in the in vivo studies. The hormone was effective at the physiological concentration of 2 X 10(-9) M. These results indicated that testosterone has a rapid and specific effect on the biosynthesis of mAAT. This continues to support our proposal that testosterone regulates prostate citrate production via a stimulatory effect on mAAT which results in increased mitochondrial synthesis of citrate from aspartate.
Naphthalene and 2-methylnaphthalene cause a highly organo- and species-selective lesion of the pulmonary bronchiolar epithelium in mice. Naphthalene- but not 2-methylnaphthalene-induced pulmonary bronchiolar injury is blocked by prior administration of the cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase inhibitor piperonyl butoxide, thus suggesting that metabolism by enzymes other than the P-450 monooxygenase inhibitor piperonyl butoxide, thus suggesting that metabolism by enzymes other than the P-450 monooxygenases may be important in 2-methylnaphthalene-induced lung injury. Since many of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are metabolized by the prostaglandin endoperoxide synthetase system and because detectable xenobiotic metabolizing activity has been associated with the prostaglandin synthetases in the Clara cell, the studies reported here were done to compare NADPH-versus arachidonate-dependent metabolism of naphthalene and 2-methylnaphthalene in vitro and to determine whether indomethacin, a potent inhibitor of prostaglandin biosynthesis, was capable of blocking the in vivo toxicity of these two aromatic hydrocarbons. The NADPH-dependent metabolism of naphthalene and 2-methylnaphthalene to covalently bound metabolites in lung or liver microsomal incubations occurred at easily measurable rates. Renal microsomal NADPH-dependent metabolism of either substrate was not detected. The formation of covalently bound naphthalene or 2-methylnaphthalene metabolites was dependent upon NADPH and was inhibited by the addition of reduced glutathione, piperonyl butoxide, and SKF 525A. Covalent binding of radioactivity from [14C]2-methylnaphthalene also was strongly inhibited by incubation in a nitrogen atmosphere or at 2 degree. The arachidonic acid-dependent formation of reactive metabolites from naphthalene or 2-methylnaphthalene was undetectable in microsomal incubations from lung, liver or kidney. Indomethacin, 1 hr before and 6 hr after the administration of 300 mg/kg naphthalene or 2-methylnaphthalene, failed to block the pulmonary bronchiolar injury induced by these aromatic hydrocarbons. These studies suggest that the major enzymes involved in the metabolic activation of naphthalene or 2-methylnaphthalene in vitro are the cytochrome P-450 monooxygenases and that cooxidative metabolism by the prostaglandin synthetases appears to play little role in the formation of reactive metabolites in vitro.
The induction of hepatic cytochrome P-450-linked monooxygenases has been studied after the twice daily, oral administration of two imidazo[4,5-c]pyridine-containing compounds and one imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine-containing drug. The compounds were administered by the oral route, at different doses, for 6 days after which time hepatic microsomes were prepared. In vitro biochemical assays revealed that all three compounds increased the O-deethylation of 7-ethoxyresorufin in a dose-dependent manner while not significantly affecting either the O-dealkylation of 7-ethoxycoumarin or the levels of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase. Ethylmorphine N-demethylation was decreased after dosing with the imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine-containing drug. Levels of cytochrome(s) P-450 and liver-to-body weight ratios were not significantly altered. The imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine-containing compound was more potent in terms of the induction of 7-ethoxyresorufin than either of the imidazo[4,5-c]pyridine-containing compounds but was approximately fourfold less active in this regard than 3-methylcholanthrene. No induction of cytochrome-P-450-linked monooxygenase activities was evident at a twice daily dose of 5 mg/kg for 6 days for all three compounds tested, constituting a no-effect level. The imidazo[4,5-c]pyridine-containing compounds exhibited modified Type II difference spectra when added to a suspension of rat hepatic microsomes. The imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine-containing compound has previously been reported to be a rapid and potent inducer of monooxygenase activity and have a Type II difference spectrum.
Citrate oxidation by rat ventral prostate was reduced by castration and increased by testosterone administration. Similarly, the mitochondrial aconitase activity was decreased by castration; whereas cytosol aconitase was unaffected. The rate of citrate oxidation is extremely low in prostate. Castration also decreased mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase activity while having no effect on the cytosol isoenzyme. Testosterone markedly stimulated the net production of citrate from aspartate plus glutamate by prostate mitochondria. These studies support the proposal that aspartate is a major source of oxalacetate for citrate production, and that a "glutamate-aspartate-citrate" pathway may be functional in prostate mitochondria. In addition, testosterone can regulate citrate production by a specific effect on mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase activity. Testosterone also regulates the flux of citrate through the Krebs cycle, but this represents only a small proportion of the citrate accumulated. These conditions would be consistent with the function of prostate epithelium in accumulating and secreting citrate.
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The phenomenon of unidirectional non-cross tolerance (UNCT) to etorphine was observed in adult male rats tolerant to morphine. Using a morphine pellet (four 75 mg morphine pellets) implantation protocol, a 10-fold increase in the analgesic ED50 value, obtained by tail-flick assay, was observed for morphine sulfate, with no alteration in analgesic ED50 value for etorphine. After etorphine pellet (two 60 micrograms pellets) implantation, no significant change in the ED50 value for etorphine was observed, but the ED50 value for morphine increased 15-fold. Both morphine and etorphine pellet-implanted animals, challenged with naloxone, showed similar qualitative signs of precipitated withdrawal. This seeming dissociation obtained by demonstration of physical dependence in the absence of tolerance to etorphine has its basis in the UNCT phenomenon. Thus, appropriate experimental paradigms must be included when evaluating tolerance to avoid specious conclusions.
Recent studies of a number of volatile aromatic hydrocarbons have suggested that the formation of covalently bound metabolites arises solely through the intermediate formation of phenols. This study further examines the involvement of 1-naphthol in the in vivo and in vitro formation of covalently bound metabolites and pulmonary bronchiolar necrosis by naphthalene. Marked differences were observed in the rate of 1-naphthol formation in lung and liver microsomal incubations without correspondingly large differences between the rates of formation of covalently bound metabolites from naphthalene and 1-naphthol. Glutathione decreased covalent binding in hepatic microsomal incubations containing 14[C]1-naphthol but did not result in the formation of any of the glutathione adducts isolated from identical incubations containing 14[C]naphthalene. Tissue levels of covalently bound radioactivity in mice treated with 14[C]1-naphthol or 14[C]naphthalene were similar; however, in contrast to studies with naphthalene, 1-naphthol administration did not deplete tissue glutathione nor result in detectable tissue injury. These studies indicate that 1-naphthol is not an obligate intermediate in the formation of covalently bound metabolites from naphthalene nor does it appear to be a more proximate lung toxic metabolite.
Stimulation of mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase (mAAT) activity by testosterone was determined in organ cultures of rat ventral prostate. The effect of testosterone on citrate accumulation in the culture medium was also determined. Testosterone stimulation of citrate accumulation and mAAT occurred in a dose dependent manner. Stimulation of mAAT activity occurred after a 1-3 h lag period and appeared to involve the synthesis of specific RNA since the response was inhibited by actinomycin D. Studies utilizing [3H]L-leucine indicated that unlike the total tissue, testosterone stimulated the incorporation of [3H]leucine into proteins of the mitochondrial fraction. The results suggested that mitochondrial proteins may be more sensitive to testosterone stimulation than cytosol proteins. The response was specific for mAAT since testosterone had no effect on mitochondrial malic dehydrogenase activity. The data suggested that testosterone may regulate prostate citrate content by the induction of mAAT in prostate mitochondria, which results in a source oxalacetic acid for citrate synthesis through transamination of aspartate by alpha ketoglutarate.
Glutamate dehydrogenase activity was determined in mitochondrial preparations from rat ventral prostate and rat kidney. Kinetic parameters of the ventral prostate enzyme were comparable to those for the kidney enzyme. Glutamate dehydrogenase activity in the direction of glutamate oxidative deamination was inhibited by alpha-ketoglutarate. However, the characteristics of alpha-ketoglutarate inhibition indicated that glutamate oxidation via glutamate dehydrogenase can occur at in vivo prostatic alpha-ketoglutarate levels. These results suggest that glutamate dehydrogenase activity in prostate may provide a continuous source of alpha-ketoglutarate for aspartate transamination to oxalacetate and ultimate citrate synthesis. In addition prostate mitochondria are able to couple the glutamic dehydrogenase reaction to aspartate aminotransferase. Under these conditions aspartate in the presence of glutamate and acetyl coenzyme A will result in a net synthesis of citrate. Consequently we propose an aspartate-glutamate pathway for citrate synthesis in prostate.
The effects of liposome-encapsulated diethylstilbestrol (DES) on the size of the ventral prostate gland and total testosterone levels in rats were studied. DES was encapsulated in phosphatidycholine-cholesterol-stearylamine-alpha-tocopherol containing multilamellar liposomes in a molar ratio of 4:5:1:0.01. The liposome suspension or free DES plus blank liposomes were administered sc on days 1, 3, and 5 at a dose of 400, 87, or 12 micrograms/kg. Plasma testosterone values showed a decrease with dose for animals treated with either entrapped DES or free DES. Prostate gland weight per g animal and prostatic protein mg per g animal on day 7 were significantly decreased in the treated animals compared to those in controls dosed with DES plus buffer containing liposomes. In addition, there was a body weight loss for the high dose DES-encapsulated animals and for high and medium dose DES plus blank liposome-treated and blank liposome-treated animals over the treatment period, although only the DES-encapsulated group value was statistically significant (P less than 0.05). Animals at the other doses did not lose weight, but exhibited weight gains which were less than those observed for sham-injected animals. Rats that received 7 micrograms/kg liposome-entrapped DES for 4 weeks had significantly lower prostate gland weights, prostatic protein levels, and testosterone levels than control animals receiving the same regimen of free DES plus blank liposomes. Results from the studies indicate that liposome-entrapped DES was more effective in decreasing the size of the prostate gland and that the desired therapeutic end point (prostate ablation) may be attained with a lower dose of DES, which would decrease the risk of weight loss in the experimental animals.
Earlier studies demonstrating marked differences in the profile of polar metabolites formed during incubations of glutathione, naphthalene and microsomes from target (lung) and nontarget (liver and kidney) tissues of the mouse suggested that the formation of a particular reactive metabolite may be the underlying basis for the highly organ selective toxicity of this hydrocarbon. The studies reported here were done to characterize more fully the microsomal metabolism of naphthalene to 1,2-dihydro-1,2-dihydroxynaphthalene and to three glutathione-derived conjugates that were separated by high-pressure liquid chromatography. The microsomal formation of polar naphthalene metabolites was linear with time and microsomal protein; the relative proportions of each of the metabolites remained relatively stable over the range of time and protein concentrations studied. The rate of formation of naphthalene glutathione adducts, but not the dihydrodiol, was dependent upon the amount of 100,000 X g supernatant protein added. Addition of lung cytosol to liver microsomal incubations or liver cytosol to lung microsomal incubations altered the overall rate of conjugate formation but not the relative proportions of each of the three conjugate peaks. Epoxide hydrolase induction by dietary butylated hydroxyanisole or inhibition by cyclohexene oxide altered the rate of hepatic microsomal formation of naphthalene dihydrodiol in the expected manner and increased the production of conjugate peak 2. Butylated hydroxyanisole or cyclohexene oxide failed to alter the rate of formation of conjugate peak 1 or 3. Addition of piperonyl butoxide or SKF 525-A to hepatic microsomal incubations markedly decreased covalent binding of naphthalene metabolites but only slightly decreased glutathione adduct formation. Dihydrodiol formation was increased by both inhibitors. Phenobarbital or 3-methylcholanthrene pretreatment produced a marked increase in the pulmonary microsome-catalyzed formation of all four polar naphthalene metabolites. In comparison, phenobarbital increased the rates of formation of the dihydrodiol, conjugate peaks 1 and 2 but not 3 in hepatic microsomes. 3-Methylcholanthrene increased the rate of formation of the dihydrodiol and conjugate peak 2 but not 1 or 3. These studies indicate that the predominant formation of conjugate peak 2 in lung microsomal incubations in comparison to liver microsomal incubations is due to the regio- or stereoselectivity of naphthalene metabolism by cytochrome P-450 monooxygenases or epoxide hydrolases but not by the glutathione transferases.
Prostate rudiments from Wistar rats were cultured in MEM supplemented with 15% FBS and insulin (2 microgram/ml). In situ prostate acinar epithelium consists of tall columnar and low basal cells. Ultrastructure of the columnar cells is that of typical secretory cells; however, the basal cells are poor in cell organelle. During the first week of culture many secretory cells degenerated and were replaced by cuboidal or low columnar cells. In the presence of testosterone (2 microgram/ml) the secretory cells remained viable for 8-10 days before undergoing necrosis. At the termination of the experiment the acinar epithelium consisted of low cuboidal cells. The cultures showed a pattern of citrate production which reached a maximum at 5 days and remained-relatively constant thereafter. Ultrastructure of 1-week cultures exhibited Golgi complexes with dilated cisternae. Although a paucity of cell organelle was found in 7-day cultures, older cultures (19 days) exhibited morphologic characteristics of normal secretory cells.
The prostate gland is unusual in that it has a high content of citric acid compared with other soft tissues. The mechanism of citrate accumulation in prostate is unknown. One possibility is that aspartate aminotransferase (AAT) could supply an extra Krebs cycle source of oxaloacetate for citrate formation. Since testosterone regulates citrate production and secretion and strong transaminase activity exists in prostate, a relationship between AAT and citrate production could exist if testosterone also regulates AAT activity. To investigate this possibility, animals were castrated and given testosterone. After a total castration period of 72 hours, animals were sacrificed and mitochondrial AAT activity determined. Results revealed that castration decreased AAT activity and testosterone replacement stimulated activity. Neither castration nor testosterone affected malate dehydrogenase (MDH) activity. Both actinomycin D and cycloheximide blocked the testosterone stimulation of AAT activity. These studies indicate that testosterone may regulate AAT activity in rat ventral prostate. Furthermore, regulation may occur through testosterone stimulation of specific RNA and protein synthesis.
Mitochondrial aspartate transamination was investigated as a major source of oxalacetate for citrate synthesis in rat ventral prostate. Citrate accumulation was measured in isolated mitochondria incubated with acetyl coenzyme A and various combinations of amino acids. Aspartate plus alpha ketoglutarate in the presence of acetyl coenzyme A resulted in significant citrate accumulation. Neither aspartate nor alpha ketoglutarate alone resulted in any significant citrate accumulation. Aspartate and alpha ketoglutarate use was comparable to glutamate and citrate production. The results indicated the presence of a mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase. Castration (3 days) caused a significant decrease in citrate production from aspartate plus alpha ketoglutarate as well as a decrease in mitochondrial AAT activity in prostate although no effect on kidney activity occurred. A single injection of 1 mg. testosterone propionate to castrate rats significantly increased prostate mitochondrial AAT activity within 24 hours while MDH activity was unaltered. A double reciprocal plot indicated that testosterone might regulate the level of mitochondrial AAT in prostate. Ventral prostate also contain a uniquely high level of endogenous aspartate. These studies indicate that aspartate might be the major 4-carbon source of oxalacetate for citrate synthesis. Also testosterone possibly regulated prostate citrate production by its effect on the level of mitochondrial AAT activity.
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