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Chronic cardiotoxicity of anticancer anthracyclines in the rat: role of secondary metabolites and reduced toxicity by a novel anthracycline with impaired metabolite formation and reactivity.

(1) The anticancer anthracycline doxorubicin (DOX) causes cardiomyopathy upon chronic administration. There is controversy about whether DOX acts directly or after conversion to its secondary alcohol metabolite DOXol. Here, the role of secondary alcohol metabolites was evaluated by treating rats with cumulative doses of DOX or analogues--like epirubicin (EPI) and the novel disaccharide anthracycline MEN 10755--which were previously shown to form less alcohol metabolites than DOX when assessed in vitro. (2) DOX induced electrocardiographic and haemodynamic alterations, like elongation of QalphaT or SalphaT intervals and suppression of isoprenaline-induced dP/dt increases, which developed in a time-dependent manner and were accompanied by cardiomegaly, histologic lesions and mortality. EPI caused less progressive or severe effects, whereas MEN 10755 caused essentially no effect. (3) DOX and EPI exhibited comparable levels of cardiac uptake, but EPI formed approximately 60% lower amounts of its alcohol metabolite EPIol at 4 and 13 weeks after treatment suspension (P<0.001 vs DOX). MEN 10755 exhibited the lowest levels of cardiac uptake; hence, it converted to its alcohol metabolite MEN 10755ol approximately 40% less efficiently than did EPI to EPIol at either 4 or 13 weeks. Cardiotoxicity did not correlate with myocardial levels of DOX or EPI or MEN 10755, but correlated with those of DOXol or EPIol or MEN 10755ol (P=0.008, 0.029 and 0.017, respectively). (4) DOX and EPI inactivated cytoplasmic aconitase, an enzyme containing an Fe-S cluster liable to disassembly induced by anthracycline secondary alcohol metabolites. DOX caused greater inactivation of aconitase than EPI, a finding consistent with the higher formation of DOXol vs EPIol. MEN 10755 did not inactivate aconitase, which was because of both reduced formation and impaired reactivity of MEN 10755ol toward the Fe-S cluster. Aconitase inactivation correlated (P<0.01) with the different levels of cardiotoxicity induced by DOX or EPI or MEN 10755. (5) These results show that (i) secondary alcohol metabolites are important determinants of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity, and (ii) MEN 10755 is less cardiotoxic than DOX or EPI, a behaviour attributable to impaired formation and reactivity of its alcohol metabolite.

Animals↗

Urinary metabolites of a novel quinoxaline non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor in rabbit, mouse and human: identification of fluorine NIH shift metabolites using NMR and tandem MS.

1. The urinary metabolites of (S)-2-ethyl-7-fluoro-3-oxo-3,4-dihydro-2H-quinoxaline-carboxylic acid isopropylester (GW420867X) have been investigated in samples obtained following oral administration to rabbit, mouse and human. GW420867X underwent extensive biotransformation to form hydroxylated metabolites and glucuronide conjugates on the aromatic ring, and on the ethyl and isopropyl side-chains in all species. In rabbit urine, a minor metabolite was detected and characterized as a cysteine adduct that was not observed in mouse or man. 2. The hydroxylated metabolites and corresponding glucuronide conjugates were isolated by semi-preparative HPLC and characterized using NMR, LC-NMR and LC-MS/MS. The relative proportions of fluorine-containing metabolites were determined in animal species by 19F-NMR signal integration. 3. The fluorine atom of the aromatic ring underwent NIH shift rearrangement in the metabolites isolated and characterized in rabbit, mouse and human urine. 4. The characterization of the NIH shift metabolites in urine enabled the detection and confirmation of the presence of these metabolites in human plasma.

Animals↗

Trichoderma specialized metabolites in biocontrol: gene-metabolite links, ecological functions, and translational bottlenecks.

Trichoderma spp. produce a diverse repertoire of metabolites with specific activities that contribute to biocontrol through direct antagonism, ecological signalling, and modulation of plant responses. However, current knowledge remains uneven: many metabolites are chemically described, whereas fewer are supported by robust gene-metabolite associations, experimentally validated ecological functions, and realistic translational evidence. Progress in this field will depend less on expanding compound catalogues than on integrating mechanistic, ecological, and translational evidence. This review examines the specialized metabolism of Trichoderma with emphasis on biosynthetic gene clusters, regulatory networks, ecological roles, and biosafety constraints relevant to biocontrol. Major metabolite classes, including polyketides, terpenoids, peptaibols, siderophores, diketopiperazines, and volatile organic compounds, are discussed together with representative case studies for which genetic and functional evidence is available. We further propose a translational framework to distinguish metabolites with mainly descriptive support from those approaching application readiness, based on four criteria: gene-level validation, demonstrated ecological role, manageable biosafety profile, and feasible delivery/stability. This perspective helps explain why metabolite inventories continue to expand faster than field translation. Recent advances in genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, genome editing, and formulation science are reshaping how Trichoderma metabolites are prioritized for future development.

Biosafety↗

Formed and preformed metabolite excretion clearances in liver, a metabolite formation organ: studies on enalapril and enalaprilat in the single-pass and recirculating perfused rat liver.

Single-pass and recirculating rat liver perfusion studies were conducted with [14C]enalapril and [3H]enalaprilat, a precursor-product pair, and the data were modeled according to a physiological model to compare the different biliary clearances for the solely formed metabolite, [14C]enalaprilat, with that of preformed [3H]enalaprilat. With single-pass perfusion, the apparent extraction ratio (or biliary clearance) of formed [14C]enalaprilat was 15-fold the extraction ratio of preformed [3H]enalaprilat, an observation attributed to the presence of a barrier for cellular entry of the metabolite. Upon recirculation of bolus doses of [14C]enalapril and [3H]enalaprilat, the biliary clearance, estimated conventionally as metabolite excretion rate/midtime metabolite concentration, for formed [14C]enalaprilat was again 10- to 15-fold higher than the biliary clearance for preformed [3H]enalaprilat, but this decayed with perfusion time and gradually approached values for preformed [3H]enalaprilat. The decreasing biliary clearance of formed enalaprilat with recirculation was explained by the dual contribution of the circulating and intrahepatic metabolite (formed from circulating drug) to excretion. Physiological modeling predicted (i) an influx barrier (from blood to cell) at the sinusoidal membrane as the rate-limiting process in the overall removal of enalaprilat, (ii) a 15-fold greater extraction ratio or biliary clearance for formed [14C]enalaprilat over [3H]enalaprilat during single-pass perfusion, and (iii) the time-dependent and declining behaviour of the biliary clearance for formed [14C]enalaprilat during recirculation of the medium. In the absence of a direct knowledge of eliminating organs in vivo, this variable pattern for excretory clearance of the formed metabolite within the organ is indicative of a metabolite formation organ.

Animals↗

Metabolism of metandienone in man: identification and synthesis of conjugated excreted urinary metabolites, determination of excretion rates and gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric identification of bis-hydroxylated metabolites.

After oral administration of metandienone (17 alpha-methyl-androsta-1,4-dien-17 beta-ol-3-one) to male volunteers conjugated metabolites are isolated from urine via XAD-2-adsorption, enzymatic hydrolysis and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Four conjugated metabolites are identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) with electron impact (EI)-ionization after derivatization with N-methyl-N-trimethyl-silyl-trifluoroacetamide/trimethylsilyl-imidazole (MSTFA/TMS-Imi) and comparison with synthesized reference compounds: 17 alpha-methyl-5 beta-androst-1-en-17 beta-ol-3-one (II), 17 alpha-methyl-5 beta-androst-1-ene-3 alpha,17 beta-diol (III), 17 beta-methyl-5 beta-androst-1-ene-3 alpha,17 alpha-diol (IV) and 17 alpha-methyl-5 beta-androstane-3 alpha,17 beta-diol (V). After administration of 40 mg of metandienone four bis-hydroxy-metabolites--6 beta,12-dihydroxy-metandienone (IX), 6 beta,16 beta-dihydroxy-metandienone (X), 6 beta,16 alpha-dihydroxy-metandienone (XI) and 6 beta,16 beta-dihydroxy-17-epimetandienone (XII)--were detected in the unconjugated fraction. The metabolites III, IV and V are excreted in a comparable amount to the unconjugated excreted metabolites 17-epimetandienone (VI), 6 beta-hydroxy-metandienone (VII) and 6 beta-hydroxy-17-epimetandienone (VIII). Whereas the unconjugated excreted metabolites show maximum excretion rates between 4 and 12 h after administration the conjugated metabolites III, IV and V are excreted with maximum rates between 12 and 34 h.

Administration, Oral↗

Identification of 3 alpha-hydroxy-cyproterone acetate as a metabolite of cyproterone acetate in the bile of female rats and the potential of this and other already known or putative metabolites to form DNA adducts in vitro.

Cyproterone acetate (CPA) is a synthetic steroid hormone used in the therapy of prostate cancer in men and different forms of acne and hirsutism in women. CPA has been shown by 32P-postlabeling analysis to bind covalently to hepatic DNA of rats in vivo and in vitro. A prerequisite for DNA adduct formation of CPA is metabolic activation of the drug to a reactive intermediate. In the present study bile was collected from [3H]CPA-treated female rats and, following chromatographic separation of bile extracts, fractions of the eluate were examined for the presence of reactive metabolites which were able to form adducts with calf thymus DNA in vitro. The formation of adducts was detected by 32P-postlabeling analysis. One major metabolite of CPA present in the bile extracts was isolated and, following a thorough structural elucidation by mass spectrometry and 1H-NMR, this metabolite was identified as 3 alpha-hydroxy-cyproterone acetate (3 alpha-OH-CPA). This metabolite was able to form the same major adduct in vitro which has been observed before in CPA-treated rats in vivo and in rat hepatocytes in vitro. A number of already known or putative metabolites of CPA were available as authentic standards and these were also examined for their propensity to form adducts in vitro. A positive result was obtained for 3-O-acetyl-cyproterone acetate, which formed the same major adduct as 3 alpha-OH-CPA. However, the presence of this putative metabolite in rat bile could not be demonstrated. Besides 3 alpha-OH-CPA, additional reactive metabolites of CPA were present in the bile extracts, however, since these were only minor components, their chemical structures could not be elucidated.

Animals↗

Identification of urinary metabolites of isoprene in rats and comparison with mouse urinary metabolites.

Isoprene, a major commodity chemical used in production of polyisoprene elastomers, has been shown to be carcinogenic in rodents. Similar to findings for the structurally related compound butadiene, mice are more susceptible than rats to isoprene-induced toxicity and carcinogenicity. Although differences in uptake, and disposition of isoprene in rats and mice have been described, its in vivo biotransformation products have not been characterized in either species. The purpose of these studies was to identify the urinary metabolites of isoprene in Fischer 344 rats and compare these metabolites with those formed in male B6C3F1 mice. After i.p. administration of 64 mg [14C]isoprene/kg to rats and mice, isoprene was excreted unchanged in breath ( approximately 50%) or as urinary metabolites ( approximately 32%). In rats isoprene was primarily excreted in urine as 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-3-butenoic acid (53%), 2-methyl-3-buten-1,2-diol (23%), and the C-1 glucuronide conjugate of 2-methyl-3-buten-1,2-diol (13%). These metabolites are consistent with preferential oxidation of isoprene's methyl-substituted vinyl group. No oxidation of the unsubstituted vinyl group was observed. In addition to the isoprene metabolites found in rat urine, mouse urine contained numerous other isoprene metabolites with a larger percentage (25%) of total urinary radioactivity associated with an unidentified, polar fraction than in the rat (7%). Unlike butadiene, there was no evidence that glutathione conjugation played a significant role in the metabolism of isoprene in rats. Because of the unidentified metabolites in mouse urine, involvement of glutathione in the metabolism of isoprene in mice cannot be delineated.

Animals↗

Presence of a diffusional barrier on metabolite kinetics: enalaprilat as a generated versus preformed metabolite.

Studies in the once-through perfused rat liver with the simultaneous delivery of 14 C-enalapril and its polar diacid metabolite, 3H-enalaprilat, revealed different extents of elimination (exclusively by biliary excretion) for the generated (14C-enalaprilat) and preformed (3H-enalaprilat) metabolite (18 and 5% dose) [Pang, Cherry, Terrell, and Ulm: Drug Metab. Dispos. 12, 309-313 (1984)]. The present re-examination of data provided an explanation for these discrepant observations: enalaprilat, being a polar dicarboxylic acid, encounters more of a diffusional barrier than its precursor, enalapril, an ethyl ester of enalaprilat. Programs written in Fortran 77 on mass balance relationships were employed to simulate data upon varying the diffusional clearances for drug (CLd) and metabolite [CLd(mi)] from 1 to 5000 ml/min. The metabolic and biliary intrinsic clearances for drug and metabolite were found by trial and error such that the combinations of all clearance parameters yielded data similar to enalaprilat, and 3H-enalaprilat. Our finding indicated that the diffusional clearance for enalaprilat was low (2 ml/min) compared to that of enalapril (75 ml/min). The presence of a diffusional barrier for enalaprilat retards entry of the preformed metabolite into hepatocytes but prevents efflux of the intracellularly formed generated metabolite into sinusoidal blood, thereby enhancing generated metabolite elimination.

Animals↗

3-Hydroxyacetaminophen: a microsomal metabolite of acetaminophen. Evidence against an epoxide as the reactive metabolite of acetaminophen.

3-Hydroxyacetaminophen has been isolated and identified as a microsomal metabolite of acetaminophen. Analysis of the metabolite by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed that the metabolite had a molecular ion and fragmentation pattern identical to that of authentic 3-hydroxyacetaminophen. Glutathione and ascorbic acid blocked covalent binding of reactive metabolite(s) to protein but did not block the formation of 3-hydroxyacetaminophen. Moreover, epoxide hydrolase did not block covalent binding of the reactive metabolite(s) to protein. Thus, the reactive metabolite apparently is not an epoxide substrate of the hydrolase, nor are 3-hydroxyacetaminophen and the reactive metabolite(s) formed from a common intermediate.

Acetaminophen↗

High-performance liquid chromatography separation of hydroxylated estradiol metabolites: formation of estradiol metabolites by liver microsomes from male and female rats.

A high-performance liquid chromatography method has been described for the separation of estradiol (E2), estrone (E1) and 27 hydroxylated and keto derivatives of these estrogens. Chromatography of a mixture of 29 estrogen standards resulted in 20 different peaks. Solvent extraction followed by the chromatographic separation and quantification of radioactive metabolites was used for studies on the metabolism of [4-14C]E2 by liver microsomes from adult male and female rats. Liver microsomes from male rats metabolized [4-14C]E2 more rapidly and to a larger number of metabolites than liver microsomes from female rats. Under conditions in which less than 10% of the substrate was metabolized, major metabolites from liver microsomes of male rats cochromatographed with E1, 2-OH E2, 15 alpha-OH E2 and 16 alpha-OH E2, and major metabolites from liver microsomes of female rats cochromatographed with E1, 2-OH E2 and 16 alpha-OH E2. The identity of the metabolites was confirmed by mass spectrometry. Using liver microsomes from male rats and conditions in which more extensive metabolism of the substrate occurred, more than 15 additional metabolites of [4-14C]E2 were observed. Liver microsomes from male rats were many-fold more active than liver microsomes from female rats at catalyzing the 2-, 15 alpha- and 16 alpha-hydroxylation of E2. Our studies on the metabolism of [4-14C]E2 by rat liver microsomes indicate that the profile of E2 metabolites is dependent on the time of incubation, microsomal protein concentration and substrate concentration.

Animals↗

Characterization of thiol-conjugated metabolites of 2-propylpent-4-enoic acid (4-ene VPA), a toxic metabolite of valproic acid, by electrospray tandem mass spectrometry.

The hepatotoxicity of the anticonvulsant drug valproic acid (VPA) is most likely associated with the bioactivation of its metabolite 2-propylpent-4-enoic acid (4-ene VPA), which is known to induce hepatic microvesicular steatosis in rats. This paper presents an on-line liquid chromatographic/tandem mass spectrometric (LC/MS/MS) identification of new glutathione (GSH)-related conjugates of the reactive metabolites of 4-ene VPA. Bile samples collected from male Sprague-Dawley rats dosed intraperitoneally with 4-ene VPA or its [2H7]-analogue (100 mg kg-1) were injected on to an ODS column interfaced to a LC/MS/MS instrument using electrospray ionization. LC was developed such that no overlapping of peaks occurred among those metabolites which may potentially produce common fragment ions of interest. Subsequent comparison of LC retention times and MS/MS full fragment ion spectra generated for putative metabolites with that of authentic reference compounds made available by chemical synthesis confirmed the presence of the GSH, cysteinylglycine, cysteine and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) conjugates of 2-(2'-carboxypentanyl)oxirane (4,5-epoxy VPA) and (E)-2-propylpenta-2,4-dienoic acid ((E)-2,4-diene VPA), respectively. Quantitatively, the biliary thiol conjugates accounted for 5% of the dose. This observation is novel for 4-ene VPA metabolism in terms of the degradation of GSH conjugates to the corresponding mercapturic acids possibly occurring within the liver as opposed to an inter-organ process which involves the kidney. In addition, the GSH- and NAC-glucuronide di-conjugates of (E)-2,4-diene VPA were also identified as the biliary metabolites with the GSH-glucuronide di-conjugate being 10% of the corresponding mono-GSH conjugate. Taken together, these data clearly indicate that reactive metabolites of VPA can react with hepatic GSH via several different metabolic pathways and may subsequently produce depletion of GSH that leads to toxic consequences.

Animals↗

Isolation, identification and immunosuppressive activity of a new IMM-125 metabolite from human liver microsomes. Identification of its cyclophilin A-IMM-125 metabolite complex by nanospray tandem mass spectrometry.

The isolation from human liver microsomes and identification by electrospray mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry of a new metabolite of IMM-125 resulting from the biotransformation of the amino acid 1 vinylic methyl group to a carboxylic acid, called the IMM-125-COOH metabolite, is described. It was found that the complex of this new metabolite with cyclophilin A is formed less easily than the corresponding cyclophilin A-IMM-125-CH2OH main metabolite and cyclophilin A-IMM-125 complexes. However, when formed, the IMM-125-COOH metabolite-cyclophilin A complex requires more collision-induced dissociation (CID) to dissociate the complex than the complexes formed with the two other ligands. The nanospray tandem mass spectrum of the IMM-125-COOH metabolite-cyclophilin A complex (m/z 1755) gives rise to cyclophilin A-ligand complexes of m/z 1751 by elimination of CO2 and of m/z 1749 by loss of CO2 and H2O or glycerol. Since immunosuppressive activity is known to be dependent on the formation of a binary complex between cyclophilin A and the drug and since the target for the binary complex was found to be the calcium- and calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase, calcineurin, it could be interesting to measure for structurally related immunosuppressive drugs the CID energy necessary to dissociate the binary complexes in order to evaluate whether a correlation with the phosphatase activity could be derived.

Biotransformation↗

Quantitation of drug metabolites in the absence of pure metabolite standards by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a chemiluminescence nitrogen detector and mass spectrometer.

Quantitative information on drug metabolites with pharmacological or toxicological activities is of great interest during the drug discovery and development process. Because the analyte response with mass spectrometry can change significantly due to small variations in chemical structure, pure standards are required to construct standard curves for quantitation. However, for most programs at the discovery stage, pure metabolite standards are not available. In this work, an evaluation was conducted using a chemiluminescent nitrogen detector (CLND) as a calibrator to obtain the response factor ratio on a mass spectrometer generated from a metabolite and its parent compound in biological fluids. Using the response factor ratio obtained from the CLND, the metabolite could be quantified with the liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) response obtained from the parent drug's standard curve. For this evaluation, oxazepam and temazepam were chosen as a 'drug/metabolite' pair. Temazepam was treated as the methylated metabolite of oxazepam. A spiked dog urine sample with a known concentration of oxazepam and unknown concentration of temazepam was injected onto the HPLC system and detected by both the CLND and MS/MS. Taking advantage of the equimolar response feature of the CLND, a response factor ratio between temazepam and oxazepam on the mass spectrometer was obtained by comparing the peak areas generated on the CLND and the mass spectrometer. From this ratio, temazepam was quantified using the oxazepam standard curve. The difference between the concentration of temazepam obtained from the reconstructed standard curve and the concentration obtained directly from a real temazepam standard curve was within 13% except the least concentrated standard (31%). This methodology has been successfully applied to measure quantities of the metabolite of a proprietary compound in a dog pharmacokinetic (PK) study.

Animals↗

Urinary excretion kinetics of pyrene and benzo(a)pyrene metabolites following intravenous administration of the parent compounds or the metabolites.

The detailed urinary excretion profiles of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) metabolites were studied following acute intravenous administration of pyrene and BaP, respectively, or after injection of the metabolites themselves. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 4 mumol 1-OHP/kg or 15 mumol pyrene/kg. Other rats were exposed to 2 mumol/kg of a mixture of four BaP metabolites (3-hydroxyBaP (3-OHBaP), 9-hydroxyBaP (9-OHBaP), trans-4,5-dihydrodiolBaP (4,5-diolBaP), and trans-9,10-dihydrodiol (9,10-diolBaP)) or 40 mumol BaP/kg. Urine samples were collected at frequent intervals over 48 or 96 hr. Injection of both pyrene and 1-OHP produced similar biphasic excretion profiles. An apparent first order half life of 6.9 and 6.6 hr, respectively, could be calculated for the second phase of elimination. Comparable 3-OHBaP excretion profiles were obtained after injection of BaP or a mixture of BaP metabolites. Elimination kinetics showed at least two steps, the second step having a first order apparent half life of 8.1 and 7.6 hr following BaP and BaP metabolites injection, respectively. Time profiles of 4,5-diolBaP excretion following administration of BaP or a mixture of BaP metabolites were almost identical. Elimination was linear and a first order apparent half life of 3.1 and 3.6 hr could be calculated. Elimination of 4,5-diolBaP was much more rapid than that of 3-OHBaP and complete within 24 hr postdosing. Therefore, results suggest that (1) phase I biotransformation is not the rate-limiting step in the excretion of 1-OHP, and 3-OHBaP and 4,5-diolBaP following injection of pyrene and BaP, respectively and (2) similarities in the first order apparent half life of 3-OHBaP and 1-OHP for the late phase of excretion suggest that 1-OHP could be a good surrogate for 3-OHBaP.

Animals↗

Ciclosporin metabolite pattern in blood and urine of liver graft recipients. I. Association of ciclosporin metabolites with nephrotoxicity.

Blood ciclosporin (Cs) metabolite pattern in 58 liver grafted patients was routinely monitored by HPLC from the first Cs dose after transplantation until discharge from hospital. Eighteen patients with normal kidney function were allocated to Group I and 14 patients in Group II suffered Cs nephrotoxicity during their clinical course. There were no significant differences between both groups in blood Cs level, kidney function before transplantation, liver function or co-administration of other potentially nephrotoxic drugs. A correlation matrix involving both groups showed a significant correlation between the blood concentration of metabolite M1c9 and serum creatinine and urea, and an inverse correlation with creatinine clearance. During a nephrotoxic episode the blood concentrations of metabolites M1c9 and M1A were significantly elevated in patients in Group II. Analysis of the time course revealed significantly higher blood levels of M19 and M1c9 in Group II patients compared with those in Group I for the first 10 days after transplantation. Serum creatinine and urea concentrations remained significantly elevated, the creatinine clearance being significantly reduced throughout the period of observation. The elevated blood concentrations of ciclosporin metabolites M1c9 and M19 during nephrotoxic episodes suggest that these metabolites are associated with ciclosporin nephrotoxicity. It could not be decided if the elevated metabolite concentrations were the result of and/or the reason for impaired kidney function.

Adult↗

A comparison of the intercalative binding of non-reactive benzo[a]pyrene metabolites and metabolite model compounds to DNA.

The reversible DNA physical binding of a series of non-reactive metabolites and metabolite model compounds derived from benzo[a]pyrene (BP) has been examined in UV absorption and in fluorescence emission and fluorescence lifetime studies. Members of this series have steric and pi electronic properties similar to the highly carcinogenic metabolite trans-7,8-dihydroxy-anti-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BPDE) and the less potent metabolite 4,5-epoxy-4,5-dihydrobenzo(a)pyrene (4,5-BPE). The molecules examined are trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]-pyrene (7,8-di(OH)H2BP), 7,8,9,10-tetrahydroxytetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (tetrol) 7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (7,8,9,10-H4BP), pyrene, trans-4,5-dihydroxy-4,5-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene (4,5-di(OH)H2BP) and 4,5-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene (4,5-H2BP). In 15% methanol at 23 degrees C the intercalation binding constants of the molecules studied lie in the range 0.79-6.1 X 10(3) M-1. Of all the molecules examined the proximate carcinogen 7,8-di(OH)-H2BP is the best intercalating agent. The proximate carcinogen has a binding constant which in UV absorption studies is found to be 2.8-6.0 times greater than that of the other hydroxylated metabolites. Intercalation is the major mode of binding for 7,8-di(OH)H2BP and accounts for more than 95% of the total binding. Details concerning the specific role of physical bonding in BP carcinogenesis remain to be elucidated. However, the present studies demonstrate that the reversible binding constants for BP metabolites are of the same magnitude as reversible binding constants which arise from naturally occurring base-base hydrogen bonding and pi stacking interactions in DNA. Furthermore, previous autoradiographic studies indicate that in human skin fibroblasts incubated in BP, pooling of the unmetabolized hydrocarbons occurs at the nucleus. The high affinity of 7,8-di(OH)H2BP for DNA may play a role in similarly elevating in vivo nuclear concentrations of the non-reactive proximate carcinogen.

7,8-Dihydro-7,8-dihydroxybenzo(a)pyrene 9,10-oxide↗

An investigation of dopaminergic metabolites in the striatum and in the substantia nigra in vivo utilising radiolabelled L-DOPA and high performance liquid chromatography: a new approach in the search for transmitter metabolites.

Although the major routes of dopamine metabolism seem to be established, at least in terminal regions such as the striatum, it is important to search for previously unknown metabolites and to investigate the relevance of previously suggested minor alternative pathways. An urgent issue is to verify and quantify the transformation of dopamine to putative toxic species, another is to further explore metabolism of dopamine located in cell bodies/dendrites, e.g. in the substantia nigra. We have developed a new method in order to widen the search for alternative metabolites of dopamine. The method is based on systemic injection of tritiated L-DOPA to rats in vivo. Brain tissue was homogenised and centrifuged and the resulting supernatant fractioned following passage through a liquid chromatography system. The radioactivity of each fraction was measured using a scintillation system. By identifying fractions containing major catecholamines and metabolites, according to a standard solution, novel metabolites can be searched for in the remaining fractions. It was possible to obtain sufficient radioactivity in separate fractions of supernatant of homogenised tissue, even from such a small brain nucleus as substantia nigra. Radioactivity was obtained in those fractions that contained the major catecholamines and their metabolites, as well as in other fractions where it may represent previously unknown metabolites of L-DOPA/dopamine. The method was used to evaluate the possibility that cytochrome P450 2E1 is involved in the metabolism of dopamine in the substantia nigra. Significant changes in the radioactivity pattern were induced by inhibition of the enzyme but conclusions about whether cytochrome P450 2E1 is involved in the metabolism of dopamine or not requires further studies. The method can be used to study the metabolism of dopamine and can be extended, by using other radiolabelled precursors, also to evaluate metabolism of other transmitters, e.g. serotonin.

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid↗