Assessment of rate constants for isolating a metabolite by a model-independent method]

A model-independent method for estimating an elimination rate constant of a metabolite of exogenous substance is suggested as an alternative to known methods. The new method (named the initial slope method) uses blood (plasma) concentration-time data of both the substance and the metabolite obtained after an extravascular impulse input of the substance. The metabolite input is not needed substantially facilitating the experiment. The method is based upon the assessment of areas under the substance and metabolite concentration-time curves, the initial substance concentration, and the initial slope of the metabolite concentration-time curve. The method was tested using artificial data generated on the basis of a compartment model for the substance and metabolite kinetics. It was shown providing nonbiased estimates of a true metabolite elimination rate constant irrespective of the structure of the model used to generate data. Other methods failed to provide such estimates.     

Bacereutin, an antifungal antibiotic isolated from metabolites of Bacillus cereus CHU 130

An antifungal metabolite, bacereutin, was isolated from culture filtrate of Bacillus cereus CHU 130. The bacterium was isolated from soils collected in Changhwa County, Taiwan, and was grown in soybean meal-mannitol broth for production of the antibiotic metabolite. The antibiotic metabolite was isolated by adsorption column chromatography of Amberite XAD-2 and was purified by passing through the chromatographic columns packed with Dowex 50W-X8, Sephadex LH 20 and Biogel P-2. The antibiotic metabolite was soluble in water and 87% acetone, and was slightly soluble in methanol, but was not dissolved in n-propanol, n-butanol, acetone, benzene and ethyl acetate. The antibiotic metabolite was a heat-stable and ninhydrin-positive substance. The antibiotic activities of bacereutin were tested by means of the agar-diffusion plate method. The antibiotic metabolite inhibited the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae CHU 1, Paecilomyces variotii CHU 6, Rhizomucor miehei CHU 40 and Fusarium oxysportum CHU 98. Bacereutin was a ninhydrin-positive antifungal antibiotic.     

Photoinactivation of B-type monoamine oxidase by a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine metabolite

The reaction of the neurotoxin MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) with monoamine oxidase from a variety of tissues including rat and monkey brain, bovine liver, and human placenta and platelets was found to yield, as a primary product, a reactive photosensitive substance with an absorbance maximum at 345 nm which is not the cation 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion previously reported as a monoamine oxidase-MPTP metabolite in vivo and in vitro. Our results suggest that the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-pyridinium ion is probably only generated in subsequent nonenzymatic transformations of this reactive monoamine oxidase metabolite. This substance was found to specifically inactivate the B-form of monoamine oxidase by a photo-induced mechanism and to react directly with NADPH and dopamine. Properties of the metabolite and potential significance of its reactions to MPTP neurotoxicity are discussed.     

Generation of Superoxide Radical and Hydrogen Peroxide by 2,3,6-Triaminopyridine, A Metabolite of the Urinary Tract Analgesic, Phenazopyridine

2,3,6-Triaminopyridine, a metabolite of the widely-used drug phenazopyridine, has been shown to autoxidize at neutral pH, generating superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide was also detected in erythrocytes exposed to this substance, and these cells suffered oxidative damage, as reflected by methaemoglobin formation and glutathione depletion. The in vitro effects of 2,3,6-triaminopyridine are closely similar to those of the structurally-related compound, 1,2,4-triamino-benzene. The latter substance is known to be highly toxic in vivo by mechanisms which may involve free radical production and oxidative stress. It is possible, therefore, that triaminopyridine may be similarly toxic in animals and that this metabolite could be responsible for some of the harmful side-effects associated with phenazopyridine use.     

Induction of DNA damage by dimethylarsine, a metabolite of inorganic arsenics, is for the major part likely due to its peroxyl radical

To reveal the mechanisms of previously reported lung-specific DNA strand scissions in murine after oral administration of dimethylarsinic acid (DMAA), a main metabolite of inorganic arsenics in mammals, the ultimate substance causing DNA lesion was investigated using dimethylarsine which was a further metabolite of DMAA. The alkaline elution assay using 3H-labeled DNA showed that a major portion of the strand breaks was not suppressed by SOD and catalase, suggesting an ultimate substance other than active oxygen participated in the DNA damage. By ESR analysis, a radical estimated to be (CH3)2AsOO. was detected as a reaction product of dimethylarsine and molecular oxygen. This peroxyl radical, rather than active oxygen, was assumed to play a major role in DNA damage.     

云南红豆杉内生放线菌TAR11活性代谢产物的初步研究

目的：初步研究从云南红豆杉植株根部筛选到的一株抗植物病害的内生放线菌TAR11的活性代谢产物性质。方法：以枯草芽孢杆菌为指示菌、以抑菌活性为指标,测定TAR11发酵液的最小抑菌浓度;用不同温度、pH值处理,了解活性物质的稳定性;用有机溶剂对活性物质萃取和溶解,并用纸层析对活性物质进行初步分类。结果：TAR11发酵液抗菌物质的最小抑菌浓度为0．78％,对温度敏感,在酸性和中性条件下稳定,可被三氯甲烷萃取,能溶于水、甲醇、乙醇、丙酮、乙醚。结论：低浓度的放线菌TAR11代谢产物能强烈抑制枯草芽孢杆菌活性,经纸层析实验初步鉴定为一类碱性抗生素。放线菌TAR11有望开发成为新一代生物药物。     

Growth limitation in hybridoma cell cultures: The role of inhibitory or toxic metabolites

Hybridoma cells usually grow to fairly low cell densities in batch cultures (1–3×10⁶ cells/ml). The reason for this is either that essential nutritional components of the medium are consumed, or that the cells produce some kind of inhibitory or toxic metabolite. This investigation presents evidence for the latter. Spent medium from cultures of hybridoma cells did not support growth of cells at lower cell densities (1–3×10⁵ cells/ml). The ability to support cell growth could not be restored by adding additional serum, energy sources (glucose, pyruvate) or L-glutamine. Furthermore, the consumption of amino acids could not account for this growth inhibition. On the contrary, the spent medium contained a substance that inhibited cell growth. This substance or metabolite was found in a fraction eluted from a gel filtration column when spent medium was applied to the column. This substance was found in the spent medium from all hybridoma and myeloma cell lines that were tested. The molecular weight of the substance was about 5 kD. Spent medium from two hybridoma cell lines also contained a substance that was eluted in the same fraction as albumin (67 kD). It is likely that this (or these) substance(s) is responsible for the growth limitation in hybridoma cell cultures.Abbreviations PBS phosphate buffered saline     

3-Hydroxymaackiainisoflavan,a pisatin metabolite produced by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. pisi

3,7,2′-Trihydroxy-4′,5′-methylenedioxyisoflavan, a novel fungal metabolite of pisatin, was identified on the basis of NMR and MS data. The isoflavan arises by reductive opening of the dihydrofuran ring in the pterocarpan 6a-hydroxymaackiain, the first breakdown product of pisatin. The trivial name 3-hydroxymaackiainisoflavan is proposed for this substance.     

Isolation and characterization of a transposon mutant of Pseudomonas fluorescens AU63 deficient in antifungal activity against Pythium ultimum

Tn5 transposon mutagenesis via electroporation of Pseudomonas fluorescens AU63 was used to generate mutants deficient in antifungal activity against the phytopathogenic fungi Pythium ultimum and Thielaviopsis basicola. Mutant C-45 was obtained by an initial screen for the loss of antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis and a subsequent screen of mutants obtained for the loss of antifungal activity against pathogenic fungi. A single chromosomal insertion of Tn5 in the chromosome of Ps. fluorescens C-45 was confirmed by Southern blot hybridization. A metabolite responsible for the observed antibacterial and antifungal activities was identified using thin layer chromatography. The antimicrobial activities of the partially purified substance present in the parental strain and missing in the C-45 mutant were not affected by protease, high temperature, acid or alkali treatment. These results provide the basis for a structural analysis of this new antimicrobial substance and the genetic elucidation of its biosynthesis.     

The effect of substance P1-7 amide on nociceptive threshold in diabetic mice

We previously demonstrated that intrathecal treatment with substance P metabolite substance P_1-7 induced anti-hyperalgesia in diabetic mice. In the present study, we have used a synthetic analog of this peptide, the substance P_1-7 amide, showing higher binding affinitiy than the native heptapeptide, for studies of the tail-flick response in diabetic and non-diabetic mice. Intrathecal injection of substance P_1-7 amide produced prolongation of the tail-flick latency in both diabetic and non-diabetic mice, an effect that was more pronounced in diabetic mice than non-diabetic mice. Moreover, the observed antinociceptive potency of the substance P_1-7 amide was higher in both diabetic and non-diabetic mice in comparison with the native substance P_1-7. The antinociceptive effect of substance P_1-7 amide was reversed by naloxone but not by the selective opioid receptor antagonist β-funaltrexamine, naltrindole or nor-binaltorphimine, selective for the μ-, δ- or κ-opioid receptor, respectively. In addition, the antinociceptive effect induced by substance P_1-7 amide was partly reversed by the σ₁ receptor agonist (+)-pentazocine, suggesting a possible involvement of the σ₁ receptor for the action of this peptide. These results suggest that the actions of substance P_1-7 amide mimic the effects of the native substance P fragment but with higher potency and that the mechanisms for its action may involve the σ₁ receptor system.     

对黄豆苷原具转化作用的耐氧突变株Aeroto-AUH-JLC140未知代谢产物分离、鉴定及抗氧化活性测定

【目的】与原出发菌株AUH-JLC140相比,耐氧突变株Aeroto-AUH-JLC140在其生长过程中产生一种未知物质,且该未知物质的产生与添加底物黄豆苷原无关。对该未知物质进行分离纯化和结构鉴定,并测定其产生动态及抗氧化活性。【方法】利用高效液相色谱对未知物质进行分离,经紫外吸收图谱、质谱、核磁共振氢谱和碳谱等分析,对未知物质进行结构鉴定;通过1,1-二苯基-2-苦味酰基自由基(DPPH)清除试验测定其抗氧化活性。【结果】Aeroto-AUH-JLC140产生的未知物质被鉴定为吲哚,接种后15 h菌株产吲哚最高,所产吲哚量为19.89 mg/L。浓度为0.2 mmol/L(即23.40 mg/L)的吲哚除对DPPH自由基具有明显清除作用外,还能有效降低脑心浸液(BHI)液体培养基的氧化-还原电位。【结论】耐氧突变株Aeroto-AUH-JLC140产生的未知代谢产物为吲哚,菌株通过产生吲哚降低培养基氧化-还原电位,进而为该菌株的生长提供适宜的低氧微环境。     

5-Halogenopyrimidines

Microbial enzymatic hydroxylation of 4-hydroxy-5-halogeno-pyrimidines was shown to take place at the C₂ of the pyrimidine ring, giving rise to corresponding 5-halogeno-uracils. The analogous 2-hydroxy-5-fluoropyridine was never hydroxylated by microorganisms at the C₄ to give rise to 5-fluorouracil. An inhibitory effect was found only with 4-hydroxy-5-fluoropyrimidine (the starting substance) and its transformation metabolite (5-fluorouracil). In this case the metabolite formed possessed a greater inhibitory effect than did the original pyrimidine derivative.     

Microbial transformation of (-)-carvone

The cyclic monoterpene ketone (-)-carvone was metabolized by the plant pathogenic fungus Absidia glauca. After 4 days of incubation, the diol 10-hydroxy-(+)-neodihydrocarveol was formed. The absolute configuration and structure of the crystalline substance was identified by means of X-ray diffraction and by spectroscopic techniques (MS, IR and NMR). The antimicrobial activity of the substrate and metabolite was assayed with human pathogenic microorganisms.     

A novel 5'-carboxychroman metabolite of gamma-tocopherol secreted by HepG2 cells and excreted in human urine

HepG2 cells were incubated with a medium containing fetal bovine serum enriched with RRR-gamma-tocopherol (gamma-TOH). After 48 h the medium was extracted and analyzed for gamma-TOH metabolites by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In addition to gamma-CEHC, the 3'-carboxychroman metabolite of gamma-TOH previously reported in human urine, these cells secreted a second substance whose extraction and mass spectral characteristics were consistent with those of the 5'-carboxychroman analog of gamma-CEHC, 2,7, 8-trimethyl-2-(delta-carboxymethylbutyl)-6-hydroxychroman. This is the first report of metabolism of gamma-TOH to carboxychroman metabolites in cell culture. Analysis of human urine samples revealed the consistent presence of the novel 5'-carboxychroman metabolite, along with that of gamma-CEHC. Oral supplementation with purified RRR-gamma-TOH resulted in elevated urinary concentrations of both metabolites, although the concentration of the 5'-gamma-carboxychroman metabolite was consistently and substantially less than that of gamma-CEHC. The presence of both metabolites is consistent with the involvement of an omega-oxidation-like process in the phytyl tail shortening of gamma-TOH to water soluble metabolites excreted in urine.     

Morphological picture of lesions to substantia nigra of rats following intracardial administration of quinolinic acid

Quinolinic acid is tryptophan metabolite and one of the known endogenous substance of selective neurotoxic properties. Morphological studies on noxious effect of quinolinic acid on the black substance of the brain of rats following intracardial administration of this acid were carried out. Dependence of the lesions on the dose and time of use were analysed. No lesions to the black substance were noted following a series of everyday injections of quinolinic acid in the dose of 30 mol/ml for 4 and 8 days. Degenerative changes in the neurons of black substance appeared after a dose of 60 mol/ml injected everyday for 4 days. These changes exacerbated significantly after 8 days. Generalized neuronal defects and intensive degenerative lesions in the preserved neurons with signs of decomposition of fibrous elements of tissular basis followed an administration of quinolinic acid in the dose of 100 mol/ml for 4 and 8 consecutive days.     

Correlation between the Antitumor Activity of Schizophyllan and Its Triple Helix

trans-3-Methylthioacrylamide (3-MTAA-NH₂) was isolated as colorless needles from the culture broth of Streptomyces sioyaensis, a siomycin-producer. This substance is considered to be not only a new metabolite from methionine but also a new substance. The isolation and identification of 3-MTAA-NH₂, as well as the cultural conditions for production, were investigated. A variety of other Streptomyces also produced 3-MTAA-NH₂ from methionine.     

The macrocyclic peptide antibiotic micrococcin P(1) is secreted by the food-borne bacterium Staphylococcus equorum WS 2733 and inhibits Listeria monocytogenes on soft cheese

Staphylococcus equorum WS 2733 was found to produce a substance exhibiting a bacteriostatic effect on a variety of gram-positive bacteria. The metabolite was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation and semipreparative reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Electrospray mass spectrometry confirmed the high purity of the compound and revealed a molecular mass of 1,143 Da. By two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy the substance was identified as micrococcin P(1) which is a macrocyclic peptide antibiotic that has not yet been reported for the genus Staphylococcus. A total of 95 out of 95 Listeria strains and 130 out of 135 other gram-positive bacteria were inhibited by this substance, while none of 37 gram-negative bacteria were affected. The antilisterial potential of this food-grade strain as a protective starter culture was evaluated by its in situ application in cheese-ripening experiments under laboratory conditions. A remarkable growth reduction of Listeria monocytogenes could be achieved compared to control cheese ripened with a nonbacteriocinogenic type strain of Staphylococcus equorum. In order to prove that inhibition was due to micrococcin P(1), a micrococcin-deficient mutant was constructed which did not inhibit L. monocytogenes in cheese-ripening experiments.     

Assay of ezlopitant, a substance P receptor antagonist, and metabolites in biological matrices by gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection: simultaneous analysis of a benzyl alcohol and alkene

A method for the analysis of the substance P antagonist ezlopitant and two active metabolites in serum using solid-phase extraction followed by GC–MS analysis is described. The linear dynamic range was 1.0 to 100 ng/ml and precision and accuracy over this range were within 15%. Upon injection of reconstituted sample extracts into the hot injector port of the gas chromatograph, the benzyl alcohol metabolite undergoes a small amount of spontaneous dehydration to the alkene metabolite. We have incorporated an additional hexadeuterated internal standard of the benzyl alcohol into the assay to permit measurement of the extent of dehydration in each sample. This novel approach should be generally applicable to the simultaneous determination of benzyl alcohols and corresponding alkenes by GC–MS when the possibility exists that the alcohol can undergo spontaneous dehydration to the alkene in the injector port of GC instrumentation.     

Identification of the main gestagen metabolite in marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) urine by NMR and MS spectroscopy

Hydroxypregnanolone is the most abundant progesterone metabolite in the urine of marmoset monkeys (Callithrix jacchus). The substance is excreted as conjugate. The concentration of this steroid may be monitored by high performance, thin layer chromatography and postchromatographic derivatization. Hydroxypregnanolone was purified and subsequently identified by NMR spectroscopy and gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy. The exact chemical structure is 5 alpha-pregnane-3 alpha, 7 alpha-diol-20-one.     

Dothistromin as a metabolite of Cercospora arachidicola

The known phytotoxin dothistromin has been newly identified as a metabolite of the peanut pathogen Cercospora arachidicola. The potential of the substance as a mycotoxin is discussed.