The metabolic fate of isotopically labeled trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) in humans

Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) is associated with chronic disease risk. However, little is known about the metabolic fate of dietary TMAO. This study sought to quantitatively elucidate the metabolic fate of orally consumed TMAO in humans. As part of a crossover feeding study, healthy young men (n=40) consumed 50-mg deuterium-labeled methyl d9-TMAO (d9-TMAO), and enrichments of TMAO and its derivatives were measured in blood for 6 h, urine and stool, as well as skeletal muscle in a subset of men (n=6). Plasma d9-TMAO was detected as early as 15 min, increased until 1 h and remained elevated through the 6-h period. TMAO exhibited an estimated turnover time of 5.3 h, and ~96% of the dose was eliminated in urine by 24 h, mainly as d9-TMAO. No d9-TMAO was detected in feces. Notably, d9-TMAO and d9-trimethylamine were detected in skeletal muscle (n=6) at 6 h, and the enrichment ratio of d9-TMAO to d9-trimethylamine was influenced by a genetic variant in flavin-containing monooxygenase isoform 3 (FMO3 G472A). These results suggest that the absorption of orally consumed TMAO is near complete and does not require processing by gut microbes. TMAO exhibits fast turnover in the circulation with the majority being eliminated in urine within 24 h. A small portion of the dose, however, is taken up by extrahepatic tissue in a manner that appears to be under the influence of FMO3 G472A polymorphism. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02558673.     

The fate of the arachnoid villi in humans

Villi arachnoidales undergoes in the course of life changes in relation to the skull bones and sinuses. Our aim was to determine the relations of the villi arachnoidales to the skull bone and/or sinuses from the neonatal period to adults. The investigations were performed on collection of 50 disarticulated macerated skull bones from the new-born to 30 years of age and on 20 skulls from individuals in the life period from 30 to 80 years of age. Villi arachnoidales produced imprints on the skull bones in the shape of holes and/or furrows corresponding to different shape of the villi arachnoidales. These imprints appeared very early in the period when the bony sprouts of the large skull bones received a thin covering of compact bone, the future lamina vitrea. At that time villi arachnoidales had no connection with the dural sinuses but with the diploe and with the diploic veins. By agglomeration of the villi in larger and large formations, granula meningea, Pacchionian granulations, the contact to sinuses was realized by means of short channels. The structural changes of villi arachnoidales may produce thrombophlebitis and hydrocephalus externus, especially in children. The fate and the relations of the villi arachnoidales are therefore of great importance for neurologist, neurosurgeon and otorhinolaryngologist.     

Partition and metabolic fate of dietary glycerol in muscles and liver of juvenile tilapia

This study investigated the effect of dietary glycerol on the metabolism of juvenile tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) and to determine its metabolic fate. The experimental diets contained 0% (Group CON), 5% (Group G5) and 15% glycerol (Group G15) and were fed for 40 d to apparent satiation, three times a day. For the metabolism trials, six fish from each treatment were randomly chosen and tube-fed with five pellets labelled with ¹⁴C-glycerol [¹⁴C(U)] in order to evaluate the absorption, catabolism, retention and partition of glycerol in muscle and liver. Group G5 presented the highest ¹⁴C-glycerol retention and the lowest catabolism, with no significant differences between Groups CON and G15. In Group CON, the highest percentage of ¹⁴C was incorporated in muscle lipids; with no significant differences between Groups G5 and G15. Furthermore, no treatment effects were found for hepatic ¹⁴C-lipid and for ¹⁴C in hepatic and muscle non-lipid extract. In the non-lipid and non-protein fraction, the highest radioactivity was measured in livers of Group G5, however no significant differences were found for this fraction between Groups CON and G15 in liver and for all treatments in muscle. The results of the present study can have practical implications in diet formulations for tilapia and for other aquaculture species with similar feeding pattern since juvenile tilapia are able to metabolise dietary glycerol into lipids, protein and/or carbohydrates and to use it as energy source.     

The metabolic fate of [H]estradiol in relation to dietary intake of boron in ovariectomized rats

It has been reported that boron (B) deprivation reversibly lowers plasma estradiol levels in postmenopausal women. In order to establish whether this reflects disturbances in the estrogen catabolic pathway and in particular in catechol estrogen metabolism, the influence of dietary B on the catabolism of [³H]estradiol-17β has been studied in ovariectomized rats. Rats were given diets containing <0.1 or 40 mg B.kg⁻¹, ovariectomized and then infused with [³H]estradiol-17β using osmotic pumps. Analysis of urine samples for conjugated, catechol and non-catechol estrogens did not reveal any effects of B on the recovery or the metabolic fate of tritium from the infused estradiol. These results do not therefore support the proposal that B influences estrogen catabolism by interacting with catechol estrogens.     

The metabolic fate of lactate in renal cortical tubules

1. Isolated kidney cortex tubules prepared from fed rats and incubated with near-physiological concentrations of [¹⁴C]lactate decrease the specific radioactivity of the added lactate. This effect may be attributable to at least two mechanisms; formation of lactate from endogenous precursors, or entry of unlabelled carbon into the lactate pool as a result of substrate cycling, via phosphoenolpyruvate, pyruvate and oxaloacetate, together with equilibration of the oxaloacetate pool with malate and fumarate. Such substrate cycling could occur within a single cell, or between two populations of different cells, one glycolytic and the other gluconeogenic. These possibilities have been investigated by using metabolic inhibitors or alternative metabolic substrates. 2. Tubules from fed rats produced a fall in specific radioactivity of 14.4% when incubated for 40min with 2mm-lactate alone. A mathematical treatment of this result is presented, which allows the rate of fall in specific radioactivity to be expressed as the addition of unlabelled lactate to the pool. This corresponds to a rate of formation of unlabelled lactate of 121±22μmol/h per g dry wt., a rate close to that of gluconeogenesis. In tubules from fasting rats, there was no reduction of the specific radioactivity of lactate, indicating that fasting for 24h suppresses production of unlabelled-lactate carbon. 3. Addition of 2mm-fumarate resulted in a significantly greater decrease in the specific radioactivity of lactate, but aspartate (2mm), malate (2mm) and glucose (5mm) were without effect. Total inhibition of gluconeogenesis with 3-mercaptopicolinate did not prevent the fall in specific radioactivity of lactate observed in tubules from fed-rat kidney, thereby excluding significant activity of the substrate cycle pyruvate→oxaloacetate→phosphoenolpyruvate→pyruvate. 4. The capacity of pyruvate kinase under the test conditions in tubules prepared from kidneys of fed or starved rats was at least ten times higher than the observed rate of production of lactate, so that failure to observe recycling of lactate in starved-rat tubules indicates suppression of pyruvate kinase activity. 5. The endogenous glycogen and glucose content of isolated renal cortex tubules is too low to account for the dilution of label of lactate. Endogenous concentrations of glycerol and amino acids were also very low. As for glycogen, the possibility that very rapid turnover of these metabolites, in fed rats but not in starved rats, may account for formation of unlabelled lactate cannot be excluded. 6. It is concluded that substrate cycling via phosphoenolpyruvate does not occur to any significant extent in either fed or starved-rat kidney. In fed rats recycling of lactate carbon does occur and the rate of this reaction is similar to the rate of gluconeogenesis at physiological concentrations of lactate. The present results favour participation of oxaloacetate decarboxylase rather than `malic' enzyme in this cycle.     

The metabolic fate of triamcinolone acetonide in laboratory animals

The metabolic fate of 9-fluoro-11β,16α,17,21-tetrahydroxy-l, 4-pregnadiene-3,20-dione cyclic 16,17-acetal with 2-¹⁴C-acetone, triaacinolone acetonide (TA) was studied in rabbits, dogs, monkeys and rats and found to be qualitatively similar in all species. In the dog, rat and monkey the major excretory route was the feces irrespective of the mode of administration. In the rabbit the excreted radioactivity was equally distributed between urine and feces. The metabolites were isolated by preparative thin layer chroma tography, located by autoradiography, eluted and analyzed by MS, IR, UV and NMR. The major metabolites of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) were identified as the C-21 carboxylic acids of TA and of the 6β hydroxy-TA,(6β-OH-TA) and the previously identified (1,2) 6β-OH-TA. In addition MS and UV data indicate the presence of 9-fluoro-11β,16α, 17-trihydroxy-3,20-dioxo-1,4,6-pregnatrien-21-oic acid cyclic 16,17 acetal with 2-¹⁴C-acetone.     

The metabolic fate of medroxyprogesterone acetate in the baboon.

The metabolic fate of medroxyprogesterone acetate (6alpha-methyl-17a lpha-acetoxyprogesterone; MAP)was studied in intact baboons and in those with bile fistulas. The steroid moiety was labeled with tritiated hydrogen at positions 1 and 2 and the 17alpha-acetate with carbon-14, thus affording the opportunity to ascertain the loss of the 17-acetoxy group and the fate of both labels. Following the iv administration of labeled MAP only a small percentage (less than 15%) of the administered dose was recovered in the urine in 7 hours in intact baboons, as well as in the urine of baboons with biliary fistulas. Higher amounts of radioa ctivity were excreted in the bile (approximately 25%), amounting to almost double the percentage excreted into the urine. The similarity in the urinary excretion of radioactivity in intact and biliary fistula animals indicates that, even though a substantial biliary excretion of the labeled MAP occurred, the amount involved in an enterohepatic circulation is probably small. Glucosiduronates were the predominant conjugates, both in the urine and bile. The loss of the 17alpha-acetate group appeared to be rather extensive, ranging 30-70% among different co njugated and unconjugated metabolities of MAP. The degree of in vivo hydrolysis of the axial 17alpha-acetate of MAP, though extensive appeared to be of a significantly lesser magnitude than that exhibited toward the equatorial 3beta and 17beta acetate groups of labeled ethynodiol diacetate injected into baboons. The deacetylation of the 17alpha-acetate in MAP was similar to that observed in humans given the drug. Oxygenation of MAP at positions 1 and/or 2 appeared to be rather minimal (less than 5%).     

The metabolic fate of chlormadinone acetate in the baboon.

The metabolic fate of chlormadinone acetate (17alpha-acetoxy-6-chloro-4, 6-pregnadiene-3, 20-dione; CAP) was studied in intact and biliary fistula baboons. The steroid was labeled with 3H at position 1 and with 14C at the carboxyl moiety of the 17alpha-acetate, thus affording the opportunity to ascertain the loss of the 17alpha-acetoxy group and the fate of both labels. The averages of the radioactivity excreted, given as percentages of the amounts injected, and the standard deviations were as follows: In the urine of intact animals after 6 hours, 5.7 +/- 0.2% and 5.5 +/- 0.7% of the 3H and 14C were recovered, respectively. After 6 days, there was 17.5% of the 3H and 16.2% of the 14C in the urine plus 15.3% of the 3H and 16.4% of the 14C in the feces. In baboons with biliary fistulas, the total radioactivity excreted was 7.8 +/- 0.7% of the 3H and 11.6% of the 14C in the urine, and 30.9 +/- 4.4% of the 3H and 30.7% of the 14C in the bile after 6 hours. Glucosiduronates were the predominant conjugates in the urine and bile. The similarity in the urinary excretion of radioactivity in the first 6 hours in intact and biliary fistula animals, the relatively low excretion of radioactivity in the bile and after 6 days in the urine, and the low fecal excretion suggest that the metabolites of CAP are not involved in an extensive enterohepatic circulation in the baboon. Deacetylation of the 17alpha-acetate in CAP was detected in the early collection periods of the urine and bile and constituted a very small percentage of the injected compound. No significant oxygenation of CAP at position 1 was detected. The metabolism of CAP is discussed and compared to our previously reported data on the metabolism of progesterone, ethynodiol diacetate and medroxyprogesterone acetate and the data on other progestogens reported in the literature. It appears that the excretion of CAP is significantly slower in the baboon than that of the other progestogens. The amounts of glucosiduronates of CAP and/or its metabolites formed in vivo are less than those formed with the other progestogens. Also, the extent of deacetylation of the 17alpha-acetate of CAP is much less than that of the 3beta-acetate of ethynodiol diacetate.     

GC-MS methods for metabolic profiling of microbial fermentation products of dietary polyphenols in human and in vitro intervention studies

Flavonoids, a subclass of polyphenols, are major constituents of many plant-based foods and beverages, including tea, wine and chocolate. Epidemiological studies have shown that a flavonoid-rich diet is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases. The majority of the flavonoids survive intact until they reach the colon where they are then extensively metabolized into smaller fragments. Here, we describe the development of GC-MS-based methods for the profiling of phenolic microbial fermentation products in urine, plasma, and fecal water. Furthermore, the methods are applicable for profiling products obtained from in vitro batch culture fermentation models. The methods incorporate enzymatic deconjugation, liquid-liquid extraction, derivatization, and subsequent analysis by GC-MS. At the level of individual compounds, the methods gave recoveries better than 80% with inter-day precision being better than 20%, depending on the matrix. Limits of detection were below 0.1mug/ml for most phenolic acids. The newly developed methods were successfully applied to samples from human and in-vitro intervention trials, studying the metabolic impact of flavonoid intake. In conclusion, the methods presented are robust and generally applicable to diverse biological fluids. Its profiling character is useful to investigate on a large scale the gut microbiome-mediated bioavailability of flavonoids.     

The metabolic fate of amphetamine in man and other species

1. The fate of [(14)C]amphetamine in man, rhesus monkey, greyhound, rat, rabbit, mouse and guinea pig has been studied. 2. In three men receiving orally 5mg each (about 0.07mg/kg), about 90% of the (14)C was excreted in the urine in 3-4 days. About 60-65% of the (14)C was excreted in 1 day, 30% as unchanged drug, 21% as total benzoic acid and 3% as 4-hydroxyamphetamine. 3. In two rhesus monkeys (dose 0.66mg/kg), the metabolites excreted in 24h were similar to those in man except that there was little 4-hydroxyamphetamine. 4. In greyhounds receiving 5mg/kg intraperitoneally the metabolites were similar in amount to those in man. 5. Rabbits receiving 10mg/kg orally differed from all other species. They excreted little unchanged amphetamine (4% of dose) and 4-hydroxyamphetamine (6%). They excreted in 24h mainly benzoic acid (total 25%), an acid-labile precursor of 1-phenylpropan-2-one (benzyl methyl ketone) (22%) and conjugated 1-phenylpropan-2-ol (benzylmethylcarbinol) (7%). 6. Rats receiving 10mg/kg orally also differed from other species. The main metabolite (60% of dose) was conjugated 4-hydroxyamphetamine. Minor metabolites were amphetamine (13%), N-acetylamphetamine (2%), norephedrine (0.3%) and 4-hydroxynorephedrine (0.3%). 7. The guinea pig receiving 5mg/kg excreted only benzoic acid and its conjugates (62%) and amphetamine (22%). 8. The mouse receiving 10mg/kg excreted amphetamine (33%), 4-hydroxyamphetamine (14%) and benzoic acid and its conjugates (31%). 9. Experiments on the precursor of 1-phenylpropan-2-one occurring in rabbit urine suggest that it might be the enol sulphate of the ketone. A very small amount of the ketone (1-3%) was also found in human and greyhound urine after acid hydrolysis.