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PubMed1987

Complementarity between two rat liver tumor promoters.

A delay in the exposure of initiated rats to orotic acid (OA) beyond a specific time frame results in a progressive loss of promotional effect in liver carcinogenesis. The current study was designed to ascertain whether the loss of promotional effect could be counteracted by pre-exposing the initiated animals to other rat liver promoting regimens such as a diet deficient in choline (CD). Male Fischer 344 rats (150 g) were initiated with diethylnitrosamine (200 mg/kg, ip); 1 week later they were given either a CD diet or a CD diet supplemented with choline for 5 weeks. Animals from these two groups were then fed either a 1% OA diet or the basal diet for another 20 weeks. The results indicated that the loss of OAs promotion efficacy from delaying the start of the promoting regimen can be counteracted by pre-exposing the initiated rats to a CD diet. Thus in rats exposed to OA from the first week of initiation, 7% of the liver developed as nodular areas, whereas only 0.8% of liver was nodular when OA feeding was delayed by 5 weeks. This loss was abolished when initiated rats were fed a CD diet for 5 weeks prior to feeding OA for 20 weeks. These results suggest that in a rat liver tumor promotion model, two tumor promoters, OA and CD, show some degree of complementarity when given sequentially.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Antimalarial activity of a combination of 5-fluoroorotate and uridine in mice.

Malarial parasites, in contrast to mammalian cells, utilize orotic acid more efficiently than uracil or uridine. Recently, chloroquine-susceptible and chloroquine-resistant clones of Plasmodium falciparum were shown to be inhibited by 5-fluoroorotate, with a 50% inhibitory concentration of 6 nM in vitro. Mammalian cells were far less sensitive to 5-fluoroorotate, particularly in the presence of uridine. In this report, the antimalarial activity of 5-fluoroorotate was tested in vivo. Initially, levels of 5-fluoroorotate in plasma were determined in Swiss mice injected intraperitoneally with radioactive 5-fluoroorotate. On the basis of the pharmacokinetics profile, mice infected with Plasmodium yoelii were treated with 5-fluoroorotate at a dose of 0.2 or 5 mg/kg (body weight) every 4 h for 3 days. At the nontoxic dose of 0.2 mg/kg, the reduction in parasitemia was followed by a temporary resurgence of parasitemia. This second wave of parasitemia cleared without additional 5-fluoroorotate treatment. To radically eliminate P. yoelii from mice and avoid the second wave of parasitemia, a higher dose of 5 mg of 5-fluoroorotate per kg had to be used. In the absence of uridine, repeated doses of 5 mg/kg were toxic to mice, as judged by weight loss, diarrhea, decreased numbers of leukocytes, and increased mortality. However, in the presence of uridine, repeated doses of 5 mg/kg could be used for antimalarial chemotherapy without obvious toxicity. Mice cured with 5-fluoroorotate and uridine were immune to subsequent challenge with a potentially lethal inoculum of P. yoelii.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Effect of PSC 833, an inhibitor of P-glycoprotein, on 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced liver carcinogenesis in rats.

The present study explores the hypothesis that over-expression of P-glycoprotein (Pgp, product of mdr1) is intimately associated with liver cancer development and therefore inhibitors of Pgp should inhibit the development of liver cancer. Accordingly, we determined the effect of PSC833 (PSC), a potent inhibitor of Pgp, on experimental liver carcinogenesis in rats. To study the effects of PSC on liver cancer development, a daily dose of 30 mg PSC/kg body wt (PSC30) was chosen based on an initial dose-response experiment. Accordingly in experiment 1, PSC30 was fed to rats initiated by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine coupled with two-thirds partial hepatectomy and promoted for 22 weeks with 1% dietary orotic acid. Surprisingly, in contrast to our earlier observations in rats without hepatic nodules, in rats bearing hepatic nodules, PSC30 was found to be toxic. Because of this, PSC30 diet was discontinued after 5 weeks and the rats were transferred to basal diet (BD). The rats were killed 10 and 25 weeks thereafter. Cumulative results indicate that PSC30 exhibited a 40% decrease in the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; 15 of 18 in the BD group compared with eight of 17 in the PSC30 group; P = 0.08) coupled with significant reduction of tumor multiplicity (54%; P < 0.05) and tumor burden (61%; P < 0.005) compared with controls. In experiment 2, 15 mg PSC/kg body wt (PSC15) was fed for 20 weeks to rats similarly initiated and promoted for 35 weeks. PSC15 inhibited the incidence of HCC by 75% (four of four in the BD group compared to one of four in the PSC30 group; P = 0.15) and significantly reduced tumor burden by 55% (P < 0.05). The lack of statistical significance of inhibition on tumor incidence reflects the small sample size. Taken together the results indicate a possible intrinsic role for Pgp in liver cancer development and introduce another promising unexplored therapeutic approach in liver cancer treatment.

1,2-Dimethylhydrazine↗
PubMed1995

The effect of OA on proliferation and polyamine metabolism of K 562 leukemic cells and their responsiveness to natural killer cell activity.

Orotic acid (OA), a known promoter of carcinogenesis, significantly stimulated proliferation of K 562 leukemic cells even at as high a concentration as 0.1 mM. This effect was accompanied by a significant increase of the activity of two key enzymes of the polyamine pathway, i.e. ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC). The induction of ODC activity was associated with increased expression of the ODC gene. The participation of ODC in early events evoked by OA in leukemic cells was confirmed by the decrease of the stimulatory effect of OA on cell proliferation in the presence of alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO)--an irreversible inhibitor of ODC. The involvement of protein kinase C (PK-C) and cyclic nucleotide-dependent kinases in OA action on K 562 leukemic cells was demonstrated by a significant reduction of cell proliferation by addition of H-7 (1-(5-isoquinolinesulphonyl)-2-methylpiperazine). Since PK-C is involved both in induction of ODC activity and in membrane transport of polyamines, H-7 significantly inhibited the proliferation of K 562 leukemic cells even in the presence of OA and exogenous putrescine. The importance of extracellular sources of polyamines for leukemic cell growth was shown by supplementation of the incubation medium with putrescine. Exogenous putrescine significantly enhanced the concentration of spermidine and spermine within the cell and increased the number of cells. The effect of OA on natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity was also examined. Rat peripheral blood mononuclear cells were used as effector cells and K 562 cells as targets. OA, progressively with dose, significantly decreased specific lysis when targets were preincubated with it. On the other hand, pretreatment of PBMC effector cells with OA, regardless of the applied concentration, did not affect the amount of 51Cr released from lysed cells. OA as a promoter of carcinogenesis stimulates proliferation of leukemic cells and impairs their responsiveness to NK activity. ODC/polyamine system and PK-C appear to be involved in OA action on K 562 cells. The presented observations are important from a practical point of view, since an elevated blood concentration of OA resulting from the impaired kidney function in hematological proliferative diseases may accelerate their progression.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1994

In vitro and in vivo response of hepatocytes from hepatic nodules to the mitoinhibitory effects of phenobarbital.

One of the proposed mechanisms by which phenobarbital (PB) promotes hepatocarcinogenesis in the rat is by differential mitoinhibition. However, our earlier studies indicated that PB inhibited DNA synthesis in vitro in hepatocytes isolated from both surrounding non-nodular liver and hepatic nodules promoted by orotic acid (OA). Since nodules generated by one promoter need not necessarily be resistant to another promoter, the present study was undertaken to determine whether foci/nodules promoted by PB itself are resistant to the mitoinhibitory effects of PB. Accordingly, rats were initiated with diethylnitrosamine (DENA, 200 mg/kg i.p) and promoted with PB (0.07% of PB as its sodium salt) in their drinking water for 16 or 33 weeks. In vitro studies indicated that PB (3-5 mM) inhibited DNA synthesis induced by epidermal growth factor (EGF) in hepatocytes from surrounding non-nodular liver as well as from nodules promoted by PB for 33 weeks. In another experiment, initiated rats exposed to PB for 33 weeks were subjected to either two-thirds partial hepatectomy (PH) or sham hepatectomy. Hepatocytes were labelled with tritiated thymidine in vivo for 48 h. Autoradiographic analysis indicated that in the presence of PB, the hepatocytes from both foci/nodules and the surrounding non-nodular liver responded to PH to the same extent. In addition, they both responded to PH less efficiently as compared to the corresponding controls. Further, initiated rats exposed to PB for 16 weeks when subjected to PH and killed 4 weeks thereafter, the percentage area occupied by gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase-positive foci/nodules in the PB group increased, but to the same extent as in initiated control rats not exposed to PB. The above results raised an interesting possibility that the lack of resistance of the PB-promoted nodules to the mitoinhibitory effects of PB may be because the PB-promoted nodule does not express a resistant phenotype. To examine this aspect, the response of hepatocytes from 33 week PB-promoted nodules to the mitoinhibitory effects of OA was examined. The results indicated that OA (60-120 microM) inhibited EGF-induced DNA synthesis in hepatocytes isolated from both nodules as well as from surrounding non-nodular liver. These results suggest that PB is a mitoinhibitor but may not provide a strong differential growth advantage to foci/nodules in response to a proliferative stimulus. Further, the nodules promoted by PB do not appear to express the resistant phenotype, defined as being resistant to the mitoinhibitory effects of OA and PB.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Organic acids and volatile flavor components evolved during refrigerated storage of kefir.

Kefir samples were prepared and transferred to sterile jars for storage at 4 degrees C. After 0, 7, 14, and 21 d of storage, the pH, organic acid, and volatile flavor component content were determined to monitor possible flavor changes during storage. Stored samples were analyzed for organic acid (orotic, citric, pyruvic, lactic, uric, acetic, propionic, butyric, and hippuric) content by HPLC with UV detection at 275 nm. Acetoin, ethanol, acetaldehyde, and diacetyl were monitored using gas chromatography equipped with a headspace autosampler. There was no significant decrease in average pH of samples between d 0 and 21 of storage (P>0.05). Lactic acid concentration increased during storage, reaching a maximum of 7739 ppm by d 21. Orotic and citric acids increased slightly during storage. Although pyruvic and hippuric acids are produced during fermentation, neither was detected during storage. Acetic, propionic, and butyric acids were not detected during kefir storage. Ethanol concentrations increased during storage and reached 0.08% by d 21. The amounts of acetaldehyde and acetoin, common flavor substances in many cultured dairy products, increased during fermentation. Acetaldehyde content in kefir samples doubled from d 0 to 21, reaching a final concentration of 11 microg/g. During storage, the concentration of acetoin decreased from 25 ppm on d 0 to 16 ppm on d 21. However, diacetyl, another common flavor component in cultured dairy products, was not detected during fermentation or storage.

Acetaldehyde↗
PubMed1966

Incorporation of labelled precursors into the electrophoretic fractions of rat-liver ribonucleic acid.

1. Incorporation of [(32)P]orthophosphate and of [2-(14)C]orotic acid into rat-liver RNA was studied by agar-gel electrophoresis by using u.v.-densitometry and radioautography of dried agar electrophoretograms. 2. During the electrophoresis some low-molecular-weight contaminants, including inorganic phosphate present in the RNA preparations, were separated from the RNA fractions. Since nucleoside mono-, di- and tri-phosphates still interfered, the RNA preparations had to be subjected to a purification procedure [Sephadex G-25 or Dowex 1 (X8)]. 3. In RNA extracted from cytoplasm, isolated microsomes or ribosomes, whatever variations were made in the phenol procedure no special rapidly labelled RNA fraction was detected other than ;soluble' RNA and the ribosomal RNA components. 4. When the whole homogenate or cytoplasmic fraction was treated only with phenol (pH6) a considerable part of the cytoplasmic RNA was not extracted. The treatment of the cytoplasmic fraction with sodium dodecyl sulphate before the addition of phenol increased the yield of the high-molecular-weight RNA and at the same time a higher specific activity was found for the faster ribosomal RNA component. 5. The presence of four distinct rapidly labelled RNA fractions was established in the RNA not extracted by phenol, and they moved slower than the ribosomal RNA. They were extracted only with the use of phenol-sodium dodecyl sulphate at an elevated temperature.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Influence of D-galactosamine on the synthesis of sugar nucleotides and glycoconjugates in rat hepatocytes.

Rat hepatocytes were incubated in the presence of a high concentration of the hepatopathogenic agent D-galactosamine (GalN), and the effect on the cellular concentrations of pyrimidine nucleotides and nucleotide sugars was determined. The UTP pool became depleted. The pools of UMP and CMP in RNA decreased to 72%, indicative for an inhibition of RNA synthesis. UDP-HexNAc (where HexNAc is GlcNAc+GalNAc) and UDP-HexN (where HexN is GlcN+GalN) levels increased, and those of UDP-hexose and UDP-GlcA (where GlcA is glucuronic acid) decreased. The cellular concentration of CTP did not change, whereas that of CMP-NeuAc (where NeuAc is N-acetylneuraminic acid) showed a 2-fold increase. Labelling with [14C]orotic acid and [3H]cytidine showed that the metabolic flow via the de novo pathway was not changed. The depletion of the so-called overflow pool of UTP [Pels Rijcken et al., Biochem. J., 293, 207-213, 1993] caused a release of the feedback inhibition by UTP and thus an increased flow through the salvage pathway. Finally, it appeared that GalN, when added to hepatocytes, gives rise to a pool of UDP-GlcNAc (where GlcNAc is N-acetylglucosamine) that is separate from the pool of UDP-GlcNAc that is derived from GlcN.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Radiation-induced conversion of 5,6-dihydropyrimidines to the corresponding pyrimidines in N2O-saturated aqueous solutions.

The effect of transition metal salts on the radiation-induced conversion of 5,6-dihydropyrimidines to the corresponding parent pyrimidines was studied in N2O-saturated aqueous solution at pH 7.0. The yield of the pyrimidines increased in sigmoidal forms with the increased one-electron reduction potential of the transition metal salts. The radiolysis of 5,6-dihydroorotic acid suggested that the 6-yl radical of the acid undergoes oxidation by transition metal salts to give orotic acid, whereas the corresponding 5-yl radical readily liberates CO2 to give uracil radical anion.

Gamma Rays↗
PubMed1968

Metabolism of cytidine and uridine in bean leaves.

The metabolism of cytidine-2-(14)C and uridine-2-(14)C was studied in discs cut from leaflets of bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Cytidine was degraded to carbon dioxide and incorporated into RNA at about the same rates as was uridine. Both nucleosides were converted into the same soluble nucleotides, principally uridine diphosphate glucose, suggesting that cytidine was rapidly deaminated to uridine and then metabolized along the same pathways. However, cytidine was converted to cytidine diphosphate and cytidine triphosphate more effectively than was uridine. Cytidine also was converted into cytidylic acid of RNA much more extensively and into RNA uridylic acid less extensively than was uridine. Azaserine, an antagonist of reactions involving glutamine (including the conversion of uridine triphosphate to cytidine triphosphate), inhibited the conversion of cytidine into RNA uridylic acid with less effect on its incorporation into cytidylic acid. On the other hand, it inhibited the conversion of orotic acid into RNA cytidylic acid much more than into uridylic acid. The results suggest that cytidine is in part metabolized by direct conversion to uridine and in part by conversion to cytidine triphosphate through reactions not involving uridine nucleotides.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

Comparative studies on pyrimidine metabolism in excised cotyledons of Pinus radiata during shoot formation in vitro.

Changes in the pattern of pyrimidine nucleotide metabolism were investigated in Pinus radiata cotyledons cultured under shoot-forming (SF; +N(6)-benzyladenine) and non-shoot-forming (NSF, -N(6)-benzyladenine) conditions, as well as in cotyledons unresponsive (OLD) to N(6)-benzyladenine. This was carried out by following the metabolic fate of externally supplied (14)C-labeled orotic acid, intermediate of the de novo pathway, and (14)C-labeled uridine and uracil, substrates of the salvage pathway. Nucleic acid synthesis was also investigated by following the metabolic fate of (14)C-labeled thymidine during shoot bud formation and development. The de novo synthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides was operative under both SF and NSF conditions, and the activity of orotate phosphoribosyltransferase (OPRT), a key enzyme of the de novo pathway, was higher in SF tissue. Utilization of both uridine and uracil for nucleotide and nucleic acid synthesis clearly indicated that the salvage pathway of pyrimidine metabolism is also operative during shoot organogenesis. In general, uridine was a better substrate for the synthesis of salvage products than uracil, possibly due to the higher activity of uridine kinase (UK), compared to uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (UPRT). Incorporation of uridine into the nucleic acid fraction of OLD cotyledons was lower than that observed for their responsive (day 0) counterparts. Similarly, uracil utilization for nucleic acid synthesis was lower in NSF cotyledons, compared to that observed for SF tissue after 10 days in culture. This difference was ascribed to higher UPRT activity measured in the latter. Thus, there was an apparent difference in the utilization of nucleotides derived from uracil and uridine for nucleotide synthesis. The increased ability to produce pyrimidine nucleotides via the salvage pathway during shoot bud formation may be required in support of nucleic acid synthesis occurring during the process. Studies on thymidine metabolism confirmed this notion.

Benzyl Compounds↗
PubMed1990

Inhibitory effects of orotate on precursor incorporation into nucleic acids.

The influence of orotic acid on the incorporation of precursors into nucleic acids was studied in mice and rats and in isolated cells. In vivo, orotate levels were modified by two diets which are known to increase the rate of pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis in rat liver. Of these diets, a 1% orotate diet had greater inhibitory effects than an arginine-deficient diet on the incorporation of [3H]orotate into RNA of mouse kidney than mouse liver. This contrasted with the situation in the rat where there was a greater effect in the liver than the kidney. The situation in the rat was more readily interpreted than in the mouse in terms of previously established effects of these diets on ribonucleotide pool sizes. However, studies using [3H]adenosine as a precursor for incorporation into RNA suggested that even in the mouse the effects of orotate were on pool sizes rather than an inhibitory effect on RNA synthesis. The incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA was inhibited by orotate to a similar degree in cultured HTC hepatoma cells and a line of rat liver epithelial cells. An effect on DNA synthesis rather than solely on pool sizes was suggested by the observation that the pool size of dTTP was not increased by 5 mM orotate under conditions in which there was a four-fold increase in the level of UTP in HTC cells. An inhibitory effect of orotate on DNA synthesis was further supported by an observation of decreased incorporation of [3H]deoxyadenosine into DNA and a lower rate of cellular proliferation.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

A method for assaying orotate phosphoribosyltransferase and measuring phosphoribosylpyrophosphate.

An orotate phosphoribosyltransferase, OPRTase, assay method which relies upon binding reactant [3H]orotic acid and product [3H]orotidine-5'-monophosphate to polyethyleneimine-impregnated-cellulose resin and collecting on a GFC glass fiber filter is presented. Elution with 2 X 5 ml of 0.1 M sodium chloride in 5 mM ammonium acetate removes all of the orotate and leaves all of the product orotidine monophosphate (OMP) bound so that it may be measured in a scintillation counter. It was found that the addition of 10 microM barbituric acid riboside monophosphate to the reaction mixture prevented the conversion of OMP to UMP and products of UMP. The assay is suitable for measurement of OPRTase activity with purified enzyme or in crude homogenates. A modification of this scheme using commercially available yeast OPRTase and 10 microM of unlabeled OMP provides an assay for phosphoribosylpyrophosphate with a sensitivity such that 10 pmol of PRPP may be measured.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

A case of ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency with acute and late onset simulating Reye's syndrome in an adult male.

A 15-year-old male was admitted to the hospital because of a disturbance of consciousness. He was in good mental and physical condition until the previous day, when he vomited and experienced a reduction of consciousness. He was brought to the hospital the day following the onset of symptoms. On admission the patient was stuporous. Neurological focal signs were not demonstrated. Computed tomographic (CT) scanning on admission showed no definite abnormality. Cerebrosprinal fluid had no pleocytosis. At this time, Reye's syndrome was suspected because of the acute change of consciousness and the presence of hyperammonemia. The disturbance of consciousness progressed and he became comatose on the day following admission. CT scanning showed that the suprasellar, ambient and quadrigeminal cisterns could almost not be detected and the bilateral ventricles were narrowed. The plasma aminogram demonstrated an elevation of alanine, lysine, glutamine, glutamic acid, aspartate and proline. Ketonuria was negative, but the urinary excretion of orotic acid was markedly increased. This data was indicative of the existence of an ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency. The patient was died on the third day after hospitalization. The OTC activity in the liver was 10% of normal. Activities of other enzymes in the urea cycle were within normal limits. It is unusual that the symptoms of the enzyme deficiency occurred, both acutely and late at an adult age, as in this case. This case demonstrates that OTC deficiency should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hyperammonemia of adult onset.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Nucleotide sequence of the URA1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The complete nucleotide sequence of the URA1 gene encoding dihydroorotic acid dehydrogenase (DHOdehase) is presented. This enzyme catalyses the conversion of DHO to orotic acid and plays a major role in the pyrimidine pathway, as DHO is the effector of the positive control of the transcription of at least four genes, URA1, URA3, URA4 and URA10. Comparisons between the amino acid sequence of the yeast DHOdehase and sequences of DHOdehases previously isolated from Dictyostellum discoïdum, Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis reveal no obvious homologies.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1978

Properties of pea seedling uracil phosphoribosyltransferase and its distribution in other plants.

A uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (UMP-pyrophosphorylase) was found in several angiosperms and was partially purified from epicotyls of pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Alaska) seedlings. Its pH optimum was about 8.5; its required approximately 0.3 mm MgCl(2) for maximum activity but was inhibited by MnCl(2); its molecular weight determined by chromatography on Sephadex G-150 columns was approximately 100,000; its K(m) values for uracil and 5-phosphorylribose 1-pyrophosphate were 0.7 mum and 11 mum; and it was partially resolved from a similar phosphoribosyltransferase converting orotic acid to orotodine 5'-phosphate. Enzyme fractions containing both uracil phosphoribosyl transferase and orotate phosphoribosyltransferase converted 6-azauracil and 5-fluorouracil to products with chromatographic properties of 6-azauradine 5'-phosphate and 5-fluorouridine 5'-phosphate. Uracil phosphoribosyltransferase probably functions in salvage of uracil for synthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides.

Journal Article↗