A quantitative histochemical study of NADPH-ferrihemoprotein reductase activity

Summary A quantitative histochemical assay for NADPH-ferrihemoprotein (P450) reductase had been developed. For optimal activity, it is necessary to use a relatively electropositive tetrazolium salt such as neotetrazolium chloride as the final acceptor. The apparentK _m of the reaction is 0.83 mM. Its specificity has been proven in two ways: (i) activity is increased selectively in the pericentral zone of liver from rats treated with phenobarbitone, an inducer of the reductase, though not in liver of rats injected with 3-methylcholanthrene, which induces NAD(P)H dehydrogenase; (ii) it is competitively inhibited by NADP⁺ (K _i=1.50mm) though unaffected by dicumarol, an inhibitor of NAD(P)H dehydrogenase activity. An NADP⁺ concentration ten times greater than the substrate concentration inhibits the histochemical reaction and the reaction in a microsomal fraction assayed biochemically to the same degree (70% inhibition). The amount of inhibition is independent of temperature, of the zone of the acinus and of the treatment of the animal.Continuous microdensitometric monitoring of the reaction product as it is formed has shown that the specific reaction is linear with incubation up to 10 min, thus allowing end-point measurements to be used for cytophotometric analysis.     

Lipid quantitation in formalin-fixed liver sections

We describe a simple, sensitive, and quantitative procedure for measurement of triglycerides and protein contents in formalin-fixed liver sections. The method can detect as little as 0.27 microgram of triglycerides per mg of protein. It is based on selective binding of Sudan IV and Fast Green FCF to fat and total proteins, respectively, and their sequential elution with solvents. Sudan IV is eluted readily with acetone and Fast Green with NaOH-methanol, and the absorbances obtained at 500 and 610 nm can be used to determine the amount of triglycerides and total protein. The color equivalence for Fast Green was obtained after destaining the sections and measuring the protein contents by micro-Kjeldahl analysis. The color equivalence of Sudan IV was estimated by determining the triglyceride content in liver homogenates by an enzymatic procedure and then measuring the amount of dye bound to multiple fixed sections. There was a strong linear correlation between the triglyceride content as determined chemically and that obtained using the equivalence colors (r2 = 0.98). This method is useful to measure fat content in tissue samples and could be applied to evaluate the progression of liver disease.     

Photometric determination of glycogen in stained liver sections

Summary Sections of developing chicken liver stained for glycogen according to Best have been photometrically analysed. It is concluded that such photometric determinations may be performed with a high degree of reliability and reproducibility.There is a close direct proportionality between the optical density in Best-stained sections and the chemically determined concentration of bound glycogen.This study was supported in part by a grant from the Swedish Medical Research Council.     

Disulfide reductase activity in mouse regenerating liver

Fourteen hours after partial hepatectomy there was a decrease in basal disulfide reductase and glutathione reductase activity in cytosole fraction of proliferating hepatocytes. In nuclear fraction, the activation effect of cAMP and cGMP on the disulfide recovery was replaced by inhibition. Meanwhile the activity of glutathione reductase noticeably increased. Forty-five hours after operation disulfide reductase activity of cytosole appreciably rose during maximal mitotic activity of the regenerating liver. The data obtained provide evidence in favor of the involvement of disulfide reductase enzymes into reparative regeneration of the liver.     

Investigation of the arylnitroso reductase activity of pig liver aldehyde reductase.

The reduction of p-nitroso-N-dimethylaniline, p-nitroso-N-diethylaniline, p-nitrosophenol and p-nitroso-N-phenylaniline with NADPH in the presence of aldehyde reductases 1 and 2 is described. The reactivity of these nitroso substrates is increased by hydrophobic substituents and those promoting OH- elimination from the molecule of the reduced substrate. NN-Dimethylbenzoquinonedi-iminium cation was proved to be the reaction product formed from p-nitroso-N-dimethylaniline. The kinetics of the reduction of p-nitroso-N-dimethylaniline catalysed with aldehyde reductase 1 are rather complex at pH 7, and the preferred-pathway mechanism is probably involved. The reaction sequence approaches the ordered pattern at pH 8.5. It was shown that NADPH in equilibrium NADP+ recyclization proceeds in the presence of NADP+, p-nitroso-N-dimethylaniline, cyclohexanol and aldehyde reductase 1, the alcohol oxidation being the slowest step in this reaction. However, the rate of cyclohexanol oxidation surpasses that of the dissociation of NADPH from the enzyme.     

Measurement of nitrite reductase in leaf tissue of Vigna mungo

The enzyme nitrite reductase (EC 1.6.6.4) is generally assayed in terms of disappearance of nitrite from the assay medium. We describe a technique which allowed estimation of the enzyme level in leaf tissues of Vigna mungo (L). Hepper in terms of the release of the product (NH₃) of the enzyme reaction. The technique is offered as an alternative, possibly more convenient method for assay of nitrite reductase in plant tissue in vivo.     

NADH diferric transferrin reductase in liver plasma membrane

Evidence is presented that rat liver plasma membranes contain a distinct NADH diferric transferrin reductase. Three different assay procedures for demonstration of the activity are described. The enzyme activity is highest in isolated plasma membrane, and activity in other internal membranes is one-eighth or less than in plasma membrane. The activity is inhibited by apotransferrin and antitransferrin antibodies. Trypsin treatment of the membranes leads to rapid loss of the transferrin reductase activity as compared with NADH ferricyanide reductase activity. Erythrocyte plasma membranes, which lack transferrin receptors, show no diferric transferrin reductase activity, although NADH ferricyanide reductase is present. The transferrin reductase is inhibited by agents that inhibit diferric transferrin reduction by intact cells and is activated by CHAPS (3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfate) detergent. Inhibitors of mitochondrial electron transport have no effect on the activity. We propose that the NADH diferric transferrin reductase in plasma membranes measures the activity of the enzyme that causes the reduction of diferric transferrin by intact cells. This transmembrane electron transport system requires the transferrin receptor for diferric transferrin reduction. Because the transmembrane electron transport has been shown to stimulate cell growth, the reduction of diferric transferrin at the cell surface may be an important function for diferric transferrin in stimulation of cell growth, in addition to its role in iron transport.     

NADH-dependent cinerulose reductase in rat liver microsomes.

In the course of studies on the metabolism of a new antitumor anthracycline antibiotic, aclacinomycin A, the new keto reductase which catalyzes the reduction of keto group of L-cinerulose of aclacinomycin A to L-rhodinose was found in rat liver microsomal membrane. The enzyme requires NADH for the reduction and showed optimum pH at 7.0. Km value for aclacinomycin A, 2.1 × 10^?5 M and the concentration of NADH need to half maximal activity, 6.2 × 10^?5 M were obtained. The activity was potently inhibited by detergents, such as Triton X-100, sodium deoxycholate and sodium dodecyl sulfate.     

Sulfoxide reductase activity of liver aldehyde oxidase

The present study provides evidence that guinea pig and rabbit liver aldehyde oxidase (EC 1.2.3.1) in the presence of its electron donors such as aldehydes or N-heterocyclic compounds functions as a sulfoxide reductase towards sulindac and other sulfoxide compounds. In addition, the study shows that a combination of liver aldehyde oxidase and milk xanthine oxidase also exhibits sulfoxide reductase activity in the presence of xanthine, and electron donor of xanthine oxidase. Based on these facts, we propose a new electron-transfer system consisting of these two flavoenzymes.     

Measurement of human leukocyte microsomal HMG-CoA reductase activity

Methods were developed for determination of microsomal HMG-CoA reductase activity from freshly isolated human lymphocytes, monocytes, and granulocytes or cultured human lymphoid cells. Reductase activity in monocytes is approximately twice that in lymphocytes or granulocytes. The activity in cultured cells is approximately 34-fold greater than that in freshly isolated cells. Assay conditions were such as to preclude formation of HMG-CoA cleavage products. Leukocyte reductase activity was inhibited by dichloroacetate, a noncompetitive inhibitor of rat liver reductase and a serum cholesterol-lowering agent in man. Measurement of microsomal reductase activity from freshly isolated leukocytes may prove useful in assessing in vivo regulation of cholesterol synthesis in man.     

Latent form of glutathione reductase in the rat liver

The existence of membrane-bound forms of glutathione reductase in rat liver and transplantable hepatoma G-27 was demonstrated, using differential centrifugation techniques. The activity of the sedimentable form of the liver enzyme was detected only in the presence of detergents. Conditions for the manifestation of the latent glutathione reductase activity in whole liver homogenates and in the 105000 g pellet were determined. Solubilization of the latent form of the enzyme in the presence of sodium deoxycholate increases 2-fold the glutathione reductase activity in liver homogenates (but not in hepatoma). Simultaneous determination of the disulfidereductase, nonspecific NADPH-oxidase and gamma-glutamyltransferase (membrane-bound enzyme of glutathione metabolism) activities was performed.     

Quinonoid dihydropterin reductase from beef liver.

Quinonoid dihydropterin reductase has been purified from beef liver. This enzyme has been shown to be indistinguishable from the reductase of sheep liver in molecular weight, subunit composition, and terminal residues. Both beef and sheep liver reductases possess acyl isoleucine as the N-terminal residue. Use of improved isolation techniques, including general ligand affinity chromatography, has yielded enzyme preparations of much higher specific activity than previously reported. Affinity chromatography experiments also suggest that the enzymic reaction proceeds by a compulsory ordered mechanism.     

Serotonin content in different sections of the brain, liver, intestines and blood of rats predisposed and not predisposed to alcohol consumption

Experiments were made with white random-bred rats (males) exposed to ethanol. The content of serotonin measured by spectrofluorometry was higher in the hypothalamus, brain stem and intestine, and was lower in the thalamus, striatum liver and blood in the animals predisposed to voluntary alcohol consumption and with lateral position duration 62 +/- 18 min as compared with the animals not predisposed to alcohol consumption and with lateral position duration 196 +/- 23 min, the dose of ethanol being 4.5 g/kg i. p. Thirty minutes after ethanol administration in a dose of 2.5 g/kg i. p. to the alcohol-predisposed rats there was a lowering of the serotonin content in the hypothalamus and an increase in the thalamus, brain stem, liver and blood. Meanwhile in the rats not predisposed to alcohol consumption, the serotonin content rose in the hypothalamus, brain stem, liver, intestine and blood and fell in the thalamus and striatum. It is assumed that the serotoninergic system of the brain may play a role in the formation of "positive" or "negative" attitudes to ethanol in the population of white random-bred rats.     

Insulin inhibits NADH-semidehydroascorbate reductase in rat liver plasma membrane

Plasma membrane fractions from rat liver isolated by different methods contain NADH- ferricyanide reductase and NADH-semidehydroascorbate reductase activities which are too high to be due to contamination by mitochondria or microsomes. Both enzymes are inhibited by insulin in a concentration range of 30 to 70 μU insulin/ml down to 20% residual activity. While ferricyanide reductase returns to near normal activity, semidehydroascorbate reductase inhibition persists at higher insulin concentrations. Despite variations in basal enzyme activities, degree of inhibition and amount of hormone needed for maximal effect, it can be consistently observed. Inhibition of semidehydroascorbate reductase is discussed in terms of the enzyme's function in regenerating ascorbate as antioxidant and oxidant-like insulin effects.