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NADP-dependent dehydrogenases in rat liver parenchyma. I. Methodological studies on the qualitative histochemistry of G6PDH, 6PGDH, malic enzyme and ICDH.

At present soluble NADP-dependent dehydrogenases are histochemically demonstrated in three different ways: according to the standard method incubation in aqueous media leads to the precipitation of formazan, the formation of which depends entirely on the presence of endogeneous NADPH2-tetrazolium reductases. With the two more recently established methods these reductases are by-passed with the use of intermediate electron acceptors incorporated in the medium. In addition, enzyme diffusion is inhibited either by an increased viscosity of the medium (PVA) or by a semipermeable membrane separating the medium from the section. Depending on the technique applied different distribution patterns have been described. By altering the concentrations of substrates, coenzyme, tetrazolium salt and cytochrome oxidase inhibitor, it was possible to improve both the PVA and membrane methods. Although similar results were obtained, because of its advantages the PVA method is recommended in this report and a detailed description is given. Using the latter for the demonstration of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH), malic enzyme (ME) and isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH), characteristic distribution patterns were obtained in the liver parenchyma of male and female rats. For the first time a high G6PDH activity could be demonstrated in nonparenchymal cells which are mainly found in zone 1 of the liver acinus.

Animals↗

Succinic dehydrogenase activity in liver, kidney and brain of rat.

A method is described for histochemical quantification of the activity of succinic dehydrogenase in various tissues of rat by means of Nitroblue tetrazolium. This method can be used for comparison of enzyme activities; the activities calculated correspond to values obtained by biochemical methods. The necessity to quantify the "nothing dehydrogenase" is established as well as the amount of half-formazan.

Animals↗

Histochemical findings in different types of malignant melanoma: biological and clinical significance.

By means of histochemical methods (gel-film incubation-media) superficial spreading melanoma, nodular melanoma and lentigo maligna melanoma are investigated. The result of this examination is that with regard to their enzyme spectra, the nodular melanoma and the nodular part of the superficial spreading melanoma are very similar. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase shows the strongest enzyme reaction, followed by succinate dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase. The beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase reaction is always weak. The reaction of acid phosphatase is between negative and weakly positive. Significant differences, however, are observed in lentigo maligna and in lentigo maligna melanoma. In both, the strongest formazan deposits are seen with succinate dehydrogenase, sometimes also with lactate dehydrogenase. The glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase reaction, however, is sometimes considerably weaker. In the case of lentigo maligna melanoma, the activity of beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase often is increased, and acid phosphatase also shows higher reactions than in the other melanomas. These differences in the enzyme pattern correspond to the different biological behavior of the tumours. The enzymatical and biological characteristics of lentigo maligna melanoma possibly derive more from the characteristics of the tumour itself which are not dependent on the area.

Acid Phosphatase↗

The quantification of ormazans in tissue sections by microdensitometry. III. The effect of objective power and scanning spot size.

In this article, it is reported that the formazans derived from neotetrazolium chloride (NT) and 2-(2-benzothiazolyl)-3-(4-phthalhydrazidyl)-5-styryl-tetrazolium chloride (BPST) can be measured by microdensitometry of tissue sections with a wide range of scanning spot sizes, without any significant effect on the recorded extinctions. The spot sizes tested ranged from 0.20 to 16 mum. Thus when large fields have to be measured, it is possible to use low-power objectives and still obtain valid results.

Animals↗

[Determination of Escherichia coli Shiga-like toxins by means of the MTT bioassay].

Tissue culture cells' metabolism and viability are measured by the mitochondrial reduction rate of a yellow tetrazolium salt (MTT) to blue formazan crystals in the MTT-bioassay. Thus the MTT-bioassay is a standardizable and reproducible bioassay for measuring cytotoxicity or cytostimulation. It is shown that the MTT-bioassay is also very suitable for determining bacterial cytotoxins using Escherichia coli's Shiga-like toxins as example. 177 strains of E. coli, isolated from carcasses and organs of cattle, are classified biochemically and tested for cytotoxin production by means of the MTT-bioassay. One of these strains is recognized as producer of Shiga-like toxin 2. 4 Enterohemolysin-producing strains of E. coli are cultivated from a feces sample of a diarrhoeic nubian ibex and identified as Shiga-like toxin 1 producers by help of the MTT-bioassay.

Animals↗

Mitochondrial alpha-glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase activity in IIA fibres of the rat lateral gastrocnemius muscle; the effect of Ca2+ and ATP.

Mitochondrial alpha-glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase is an important enzyme, but it is difficult to extract and purify. We have measured the activity of this enzyme in single type IIA skeletal muscle fibres under initial rate conditions by microdensitometry of the formazan reaction product. The Km (1.6 mM) for the substrate (L-alpha-glycerol phosphate) was lower than reported for the extracted enzyme. Further, at low substrate concentrations (3 mM), the enzyme was allosterically activated by free Ca2+ concentrations of 1 microM or greater, and half-maximal stimulation occurred at 0.3 microM free Ca2+. In the absence of Ca2+, there was negative cooperativity of substrate binding with a Hill constant of 0.57, but no cooperativity occurred in the presence of calcium. ATP (10 mM) inhibited enzyme activity in the presence of Ca2+ but not in its absence.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Isolation and characterization of rat primary lung cells.

Lung cell culture may be useful as an in vitro alternative to study the susceptibility of the lung to various toxic agents. Lungs from female Wistar rats were enzymatically digested by recirculating perfusion through the pulmonary artery with a sequence of solutions containing deoxyribonuclease, chymopapain, pronase, collagenase, and elastase. Lung tissue was microdissected and resuspended and the cells obtained were washed by centrifugation. By this isolation method, 2 x 10(8) cells per rat lung were obtained with an average viability of 97%. Lung cells cultured in medium containing antibiotics and serum maintained a viability of > 70% for 5 d. Rat primary lung cells were exposed to various toxic agents and their viability was assessed by formazan production capacity after 18 h of incubation. Compared to rat and mouse hepatocyte cultures (EC50 = 5.8 mM), rat primary lung cells were much more susceptible to hydrogen peroxide (EC50 = 0.6 mM). All cell types were equally sensitive to the more potent toxicant tert-butylhydroperoxide (EC50 = 0.1 mM). Paraquat was more toxic to lung cells (EC50 = 0.03 mM) than to rat (EC50 = 2.8 mM) and mouse (EC50 = 0.2 mM) hepatocytes. In contrast, rat lung cells were less sensitive to sodium nitroprusside (EC50 = 2.6 mM) compared to rat (EC50 = 0.2 mM) and mouse (EC50 = 0.03 mM) hepatocytes. Nitrofurantoin and menadione (at EC50 = 0.04 mM and 0.006 mM, respectively) were more toxic to rat lung and liver cells than to murine hepatocytes (EC50 = 0.2 mM and 0.04 mM, respectively). Our findings demonstrate the applicability of this rat primary lung cell culture for studying the effects of lung toxicants.

Animals↗

Cell death effects of resin-based dental material compounds and mercurials in human gingival fibroblasts.

In order to test the hypothesis that released dental restorative materials can reach toxic levels in human oral tissues, the cytotoxicities of the resin-based dental (co)monomers hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA), triethyleneglycoldimethacrylate (TEGDMA), urethanedimethacrylate (UDMA), and bisglycidylmethacrylate (BisGMA) compared with methyl mercury chloride (MeHgCl) and the amalgam component mercuric chloride (HgCl2) were investigated on human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) using two different test systems: (1) the modified XTT-test and (2) the modified H 33342 staining assay. The HGF were exposed to various concentrations of the test-substances in all test systems for 24 h. All tested (co)monomers and mercury compounds significantly (P<0.05) decreased the formazan formation in the XTT-test. EC50 values in the XTT assay were obtained as half-maximum-effect concentrations from fitted curves. Following EC50 values were found (mean [mmol/l]; s.e.m. in parentheses; n=12; * significantly different to HEMA): HEMA 11.530 (0.600); TEGDMA* 3.460 (0.200); UDMA* 0.106 (0.005); BisGMA* 0.087 (0.001); HgCl2* 0.013 (0.001); MeHgCl* 0.005 (0.001). Following relative toxicities were found: HEMA 1; TEGDMA 3; UDMA 109; BisGMA 133; HgCl2 887; MeHgCl 2306. A significant (P<0.05) increase of the toxicity of (co)monomers and mercurials was found in the XTT-test in the following order: HEMA < TEGDMA < UDMA < BisGMA < HgCl2 < MeHgCl. TEGDMA and MeHgCl induced mainly apoptotic cell death. HEMA, UDMA, BisGMA, and HgCl2 induced mainly necrotic cell death. The results of this study indicate that resin composite components have a lower toxicity than mercury from amalgam in HGF. HEMA, BisGMA, UDMA, and HgCl2 induced mainly necrosis, but it is rather unlikely that eluted substances (solely) can reach concentrations, which might induce necrotic cell death in the human physiological situation, indicating that other (additional) factors may be involved in the induction of tissue (pulp) inflammation effects after dental restauration.

Apoptosis↗

Two staining methods for selectively detecting isomaltase and maltase activity in electrophoresis gels.

Two methods for specifically detecting maltase, alpha-glucosidase, or isomaltase activity in electrophoresis gels are described. Both systems couple the formation of glucose by enzyme action on maltose or isomaltose to the generation of a colored product. System A uses an agarose overlay which contains substrate, glucose oxidase, peroxidase, 2,4-dichlorophenol, and 4-L-amino-phenazone. A purple color is produced at the site of enzyme activity. No hazardous chemicals are used at any stage. The stain is simple, rapid, sensitive, and inexpensive and does not interfere with subsequent protein staining. However, the stain is not permanent. System B was developed to give a permanent stain. The gel is overlaid with agarose containing substrate, glucose oxidase, phenazine methosulfate, and nitroblue tetrazolium. Glucose production results in the nitroblue tetrazolium being oxidized to an insoluble formazan with a dark blue color. This stain is also sensitive, rapid, and inexpensive but does use hazardous chemicals and if overstaining occurs this can interfere with subsequent protein staining. Neither system inactivates the localized enzymes which can be recovered from the gel if desired.

Aminopyrine↗

Provocation of massive hepatic necrosis by endotoxin after partial hepatectomy in rats.

When rats received endotoxin 48 hours after two-thirds liver resection, 50% of them died within 12 hours with massive hepatic necrosis at a dose that did not affect sham-operated rats. In the hepatic sinusoids, fibrin deposition and endothelial cell destruction occurred 5 hours after endotoxin administration. When antithrombin III concentrate was infused concomitantly with endotoxin administration, all rats survived 12 hours, and the extent of hepatic necrosis and the deranged serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase values were significantly attenuated at 5 hours compared with those in the control rats. Similar improvements in the incidence of mortality and liver injury were observed after treatment with gum arabic before hepatectomy. The stimulatory state of Kupffer cells based on the ability to produce superoxide anions estimated by formazan deposition after liver perfusion with nitro blue tetrazolium and phorbol myristate acetate was increased between 24 and 72 hours after operation. This increase disappeared after gum arabic treatment. It is concluded that massive hepatic necrosis can occur as a result of sinusoidal fibrin deposition provoked by endotoxin in partially hepatectomized rats. Activated Kupffer cells may contribute to this provocation.

Animals↗

In vitro quantitative assessment of Echinococcus multilocularis metacestode viability after in vivo and in vitro maintenance.

The aim of this study was to apply the enzymatic MTT (3,5 dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide--formazan colorimetry for quantifying the viability of Echinococcus multilocularis whole cysts, after maintenance in vivo or in vitro. The enzymatic activities of young cysts freshly removed from rodents were linearly correlated with the parasite cyst weight. A comparative evaluation of the MTT assay and the in vitro viability assessments showed that the number of animals used for drug-screening purposes would be reduced by 35.8%. In this way, the use of different parasite samples removed from the same host is required, because of their different ages and their subsequent different abilities to reduce MTT. Cysts removed from mice exhibited higher colorimetric values than those removed from jirds. Thus, small entire cysts obtained from mice were maintained in the CMRL 1066 culture medium. Their enzymatic activities were evaluated at different times. The results indicate that, in such conditions, the optimal period of time for testing the effect of drugs against the metacestodes is limited to the 10 days following their transfer from mouse to culture flasks. The MTT assay encourages further studies to improve the viability of the whole cysts in vitro, using other standardizable culture conditions.

Animals↗

In vitro chemosensitivity testing in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia patients.

Twenty-nine samples from eighteen patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) were used in a direct comparison of in vitro response to chlorambucil measured in a metabolic (MTT) and dye exclusion (D.Ex) assay. Reduced ability to produce formazan corresponded to a reduced number of dye-excluding viable cells and a significant correlation was found between dose-response measured in the two assays. Initial low absorbance values obtained with untreated control cells in the MTT assay were effectively overcome by increasing both the cell seeding density and MTT exposure time with the consequent increase in assay sensitivity. The MTT assay provided qualitatively similar dose-response data to that obtained in the D.Ex assay. A wide range in in vitro response was seen for both pretreatment and treatment patient groups. In vitro dose-responses were seen to coincide with decreasing or stable white cell counts, taken around the time of sampling, in samples from 4 patients. Less marked dose-responses were observed for 2 patients considered clinically resistant to chlorambucil. The MTT assay would seem, therefore, to be applicable to in vitro assay of cell response in CLL.

Chlorambucil↗

The interaction of antitumor-active anthraquinones with biologically important redox couples: I. Spectrophotometric investigation of the interaction of carminic acid and mitoxantrone with the iron (II, III) and copper (I, II) redox couples.

Studying the interaction of antitumor-active anthraquinones with biologically important redox couples is important in understanding the possible reductive or oxidative mode of metabolism of these antineoplastic agents coupled with the formation of free radicals. The interactions of such anthraquinones, i.e., carminic acid (CA) and mitoxantrone (Mx) with iron(II, III) and copper(I, II) redox couples in oxygenated and deaerated solutions, were investigated by UV-Visible and IR-spectroscopy. The superoxide radical reagent, nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT), was added to the metal and anthraquinone solutions and their binary mixtures at varying pH. Formazan, the reduction product of NBT, was produced mainly as a result of Fe(II)-NBT and Fe(II)-Mx-NBT interactions. The ternary mixtures of the lower valencies of iron and copper with CA and NBT exhibited intensive charge-transfer bands in the visible region, while metal-Mx-NBT combinations did not produce such bands, possibly due to the blockage of the redox-active aminoethanolamine side-chains of Mx through coordination with the metals. Copper-Mx combinations showed an oxygen sensitivity as spectral evidence was obtained for the oxidative transformation of Mx to the cyclic primary metabolite. The results were evaluated in regard to the possible oxidative activation of the studied anthracenediones with iron and copper systems.

Anthraquinones↗

A sensitive assay system screening antiviral compounds against herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2.

A highly sensitive and accurate assay system was developed for in vitro evaluation of anti-herpes simplex virus (anti-HSV) agents using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and human embryonic lung fibroblast (MRC-5) cells. This assay system was found to be highly sensitive for both HSV-1 and -2. Confluent MRC-5 cells were infected with either HSV-1 KOS strain or HSV-2 G strain of 25 TCID50 in the presence of various concentrations of test compounds. The optical density of formazan was used to determine cell viability. The EC50 values of acyclovir and several other anti-HSV agents were found to be similar to those obtained by the plaque reduction method. These results indicate that this MTT assay is useful for screening anti-HSV-1 and -2 agents.

Acyclovir↗

Adaptation of the rapid automated tetrazolium dye based (MTT) assay for chemosensitivity testing in childhood leukemia.

The reduction of the tetrazolium salt MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) to a blue-black formazan product by living but not by dead cells can be used to measure chemosensitivity of tumor cells. The main advantages of the MTT assay are its simplicity, rapidity, and the fact that the results are read automatically with a microplate spectrophotometer. Several reports on the use of the MTT assay in chemosensitivity testing have been published, but all these studies dealt with established cell lines and not with specimens obtained directly from patients. Here we present a study in which the MTT assay has been adapted to assess the effect of antineoplastic drugs on lymphoblasts of children with leukemia.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Phagocytic activity of polymorphonuclear leucocytes in burns.

The phagocytic function of neutrophils has been studied in 50 Egyptians of both sexes and of various ages, suffering from burns of different depths and extents, and the results compared with data from 50 normal persons of similar sex and age. The nitro blue tetrazolium test (Gifford and Malawista, 1970), and the bacterial killing test (Quie et al., 1967), have been used during the first 24 hours, and then repeated at weekly intervals for 4 weeks. The phagocytic power showed no change during the study except in two patients with extensive burns during fatal septicaemia. The bactericidal capacity, and the formazan cell formation showed similar changes with a steady decrease from the first to the third weeks, followed by a rise during the fourth week. Similar changes were noticed in the serum albumin levels. The decline was more marked in burns of more than 50 per cent of the body surface area and during severe sepsis. Improvement coincided with healing.

Blood Bactericidal Activity↗

In vitro bioassay with enhanced sensitivity for human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor.

A method for the determination of human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (hG-CSF) activity, based on stimulation of cellular proliferation, was developed using a subclone of the murine myeloid leukemia cell line NFS-60, with an improved sensitivity for hG-CSF, as indicator. The optimal range for quantitative analysis of hG-CSF was about 4-60 pg ml-1. The stimulatory effect was measured by a colorimetric microassay: the optical density of formazan, which is produced by viable cells from 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), was obtained by reading plates in a multi-channel photometer. The assay was designed as a five-dose parallel line test, employing three or four doses for potency determinations, which fulfil pharmacopoeial requirements for assay validity. Inter-assay relative standard deviation (RSD) varied between 5.2 and 12.0%. Most assay experiments revealed potencies within limits of error of 90-110% and the mean index of precision value was 0.057. The recently developed yeast cell-derived International Standard (88/502) served as a reference for activity of rhG-CSF. Specificity of the assay was demonstrated by absence of response upon exposure to a panel of biomolecules, including recombinant human interleukin-3, and by the suppression of growth stimulation in the presence of neutralizing anti hG-CSF antibodies. Potency readings of unglycosylated rhG-CSF were dependent on pH of assay medium with higher relative activities observed at pH 6.6 than at 7.4. Moreover, SDS-PAGE analysis of the carbohydrate-deficient preparation, following incubation at physiological pH, revealed several high molecular weight rhG-CSF bands and decreased monomeric form. The method described was found suitable for potency assessments of pharmaceutical formulations of hG-CSF.

Animals↗

Cytotoxic effect of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion on human melanoma cell lines, HMV-II and SK-MEL-44, is dependent on the melanin contents and caused by inhibition of mitochondrial electron transport.

MPP+, an oxidative metabolite of a neurotoxin, MPTP, was found to be cytotoxic to human melanoma cell lines, HMV-II and SK-MEL-44. After 3 days of culture in the presence of MPP+, a larger amount of MPP+ was accumulated in HMV-II cells than in SK-MEL-44 cells, which correlated well with the melanin contents; HMV-II cells contain larger amounts of melanin than SK-MEL-44 cells. After 6 days of culture in the presence of MPP+, the cytotoxicity of MPP+ on these cell types was evaluated by counting cell numbers with the dye exclusion test and double-layer soft agar clonogenic assay. It was found that exposure to MPP+ reduced the survival of HMV-II cells more significantly than that of SK-MEL-44 cells. In HMV-II cells, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay was used to elucidate the mechanism of MPP+ lethality. The formazan formation was reduced markedly by the presence of MPP+ at concentrations much lower than those required for cell death. These results suggest that cytotoxicity of MPP+ may be ascribed to its accumulation due to high affinity for melanin, and to inhibition of the enzymes utilizing ubiquinone in the mitochondrial respiratory chain.

1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine↗