Absolute requirement for iron in the development of chemically induced uroporphyria in mice treated with 3-methylcholanthrene and 5-aminolevulinate

Accumulating evidence, including experiments using cytochrome P450 1a2 (Cyp1a2) gene knock-out mice (Cyp1a2(−/−)), indicates that the development of chemically induced porphyria requires the expression of CYP1A2. It has also been demonstrated that iron enhances and expedites the development of experimental uroporphyria, but that iron alone without CYP1A2 expression, as in Cyp1a2(−/−) mice, does not cause uroporphyria. The role of iron in the development of porphyria has not been elucidated. We examined the in vivo effect of iron deficiency on hepatic URO accumulation in experimental porphyria. Mice were fed diets containing low (iron-deficient diet (IDD), 8.5 mg iron/kg) or normal (normal diet (ND), 213.7 mg iron/kg) levels of iron. They were treated with 3-methylcholanthrene (MC), an archetypal inducer of CYP1A, and 5-aminolevulinate (ALA), precursors of porphyrin and heme. We found that uroporphyrin (URO) levels and uroporphyrinogen oxidation (UROX) activity were markedly increased in ND mice treated with MC and ALA, while the levels were not raised in IDD mice with the same treatments. CYP1A2 levels and methoxyresorufin O-demethylase (MROD) activities, the CYP1A2-mediated reaction, were markedly induced in the livers of both ND and IDD mice treated with MC and ALA. UROX activity, supposedly a CYP1A2-dependent activity, was not enhanced in iron-deficient mice in spite of the fact of induction of CYP1A2. We showed that a sufficient level of iron is essential for the development of porphyria and UROX activity.     

Uroporphyria and hepatic carcinogenesis induced by polychlorinated biphenyls-iron interaction: absence in the Cyp1a2(-/-) knockout mouse

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor ligands, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), cause inhibition of the heme biosynthesis enzyme, uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase; this leads to uroporphyria and hepatic tumors, which are markedly enhanced by iron overload in C57BL/10 and C57BL/6 strains of mice. Cyp1a2(-/-) knockout mice were used to compare the effects of CYP1A2 expression on uroporphyria and liver carcinogenesis. PCBs in the diet (100ppm) of Cyp1a2(+/+) wild-type mice caused hepatic uroporphyria, which was strongly increased by iron-dextran (800mg Fe/kg). In contrast, uroporphyria was not detected in Cyp1a2(-/-) knockout mice, although expression of CYP1A1 and CYP2B10 was greatly induced. After 57 weeks on this diet, hepatic preneoplastic foci and tumors were seen in the Cyp1a2(+/+) mice; numbers and severity were enhanced by iron. No foci or tumors were detected in Cyp1a2(-/-) mice, although evidence for other forms of liver injury was observed. Our findings suggest a link not only between CYP1A2, iron metabolism, and the induction of uroporphyria by PCBs, but also with subsequent hepatocarcinogenesis.     

Verapamil contributes to the clastogenic effects of acrylamide, cyclophosphamide, and dioxidine on somatic cells of BALB/C and C57BL/6 mice

The chromosome aberration assay of metaphase bone marrow cells was used to study the clastogenic effects of acrylamide, cyclophosphamide, dioxidine, and their combinations with Verapamil (a calcium antagonist) in male BALB/C and C57BL/6 mice. Verapamil gavage at single (5 mg/kg) and repeated doses (2.5 and 5 mg/kg five times at 24-h intervals) significantly enhanced the clastogenic activity of acrylamide (50 and 100 mg/kg intraperitoneally) in BALB/C mice; in C57BL/6 mice, this effect was only observed when they received Verapamil at doses of 2.5 mg/kg for 5 days. Verapamil administered repeatedly (2.5–10 mg, gavage) significantly increased the clastogenic activity of cyclophosphamide (10 mg/kg intraperitoneally) in C57BL/6 mice. In BALB/C mice, this effect of Verapamil was only observed at a dose of 10 mg/kg (gavage). When injected intraperitoneally at a single dose of 0.1–0.4 mg/kg, Verapamil significantly enhanced the clastogenic activity of cyclophosphamide in mice of both strains. This calcium antagonist produced identical effects when administered to BALB/C mice intraperitoneally (2.5 and 5 mg/kg) and by gavage (5 mg/kg) and to C57BL/6 mice intraperitoneally (5 and 10 mg/kg) and by gavage (2.5 mg/kg). Repeated administration of Verapamil (at all doses tested) promoted the clastogenic effect of dioxidine (100 mg/kg intraperitoneally) on C57BL/6 mice, having no such influence on BALB/C mice. These results demonstrate the co-clastogenic activity of Verapamil in mice and suggest that its specific manifestations depend on the dose, method, and route of drug administration and the genotype of test animals.     

Verapamil contributes to the clastogenic effects of acrylamide, cyclophosphamide, and dioxidine on somatic cells of BALB/C and C57BL/6 mice

The chromosome aberration assay of metaphase bone marrow cells was used to study the clastogenic effects of acrylamide, cyclophosphamide, dioxidine, and their combinations with Verapamil (a calcium antagonist) in male BALB/C and C57BL/6 mice. Verapamil gavage at single (5 mg/kg) and repeated doses (2.5 and 5 mg/kg five times at 24-h intervals) significantly enhanced the clastogenic activity of acrylamide (50 and 100 mg/kg intraperitoneally) in BALB/C mice; in C57BL/6 mice, this effect was only observed when they received Verapamil at doses of 2.5 mg/kg for 5 days. Verapamil administered repeatedly (2.5-10 mg, gavage) significantly increased the clastogenic activity of cyclophosphamide (10 mg/kg intraperitoneally) in C57BL/6 mice. In BALB/C mice, this effect of Verapamil was only observed at a dose of 10 mg/kg (gavage). When injected intraperitoneally at a single dose of 0.1-0.4 mg/kg, Verapamil significantly enhanced the clastogenic activity of cyclophosphamide in mice of both strains. This calcium antagonist produced identical effects when administered to BALB/C mice intraperitoneally (2.5 and 5 mg/kg) and by gavage (5 mg/kg) and to C57BL/6 mice intraperitoneally (5 and 10 mg/kg) and by gavage (2.5 mg/kg). Repeated administration of Verapamil (at all doses tested) promoted the clastogenic effect of dioxidine (100 mg/kg intraperitoneally) on C57BL/6 mice, having no such influence on BALB/C mice. These results demonstrate the co-clastogenic activity of Verapamil in mice and suggest that its specific manifestations depend on the dose, method, and route of drug administration and the genotype of test animals.     

Chlorinated biphenyls induce cytochrome P450IA2 and uroporphyrin accumulation in cultures of mouse hepatocytes

Previous enzymatic and immunological studies from this laboratory have indicated a critical role for cytochrome P450IA2-catalyzed uroporphyrinogen oxidation in the development of uroporphyria caused by halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons. To extend these studies, we investigated whether primary cultures of mammalian hepatocytes which are inducible for cytochrome P450IA2 are also inducible for chemically mediated uroporphyria. Hepatocytes were isolated from C57BL/6 mice and maintained on Matrigel, an extracellular matrix isolated from a mouse tumor. When these cultures were treated with 3,4,5,3',4',5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (HCB) and 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), they accumulated cytochrome P450IA2 as well as uroporphyrin (URO) and heptacarboxyporphyrin for up to 12 days. Cultures treated with ALA alone accumulated no P450IA2 and very little URO. Neither URO accumulation nor the level of P450IA2 was affected by addition of iron as the nitrilotriacetate complex. Other inducers of P450IA2 in vivo (3,4,5,3',4'-pentachlorobiphenyl, 3,4,3',4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl, and 3-methylcholanthrene) also increased P450IA2 in the cultures and caused URO accumulation in the presence of added ALA. The tetrachlorobiphenyl and methylcholanthrene caused these effects only when given repeatedly. Inducers of other forms of P450 failed to cause URO accumulation in the presence of ALA and iron. Cultures of hepatocytes from DBA mice (which are resistant to the uroporphyria in vivo) accumulated much less P450IA2 or URO when treated with HCB and ALA. These primary cultures of mammalian hepatocytes represent a new experimental model to investigate the role of cytochrome P450IA2 in the mechanism of chemically induced uroporphyria.     

Synergism of iron and hexachlorobenzene inhibits hepatic uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase in inbred mice.

The combination of a single subcutaneous dose of iron (12.5 mg/mouse) and subsequent treatment with hexachlorobenzene (0.02% of the diet) caused a progressive inhibition of hepatic uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase in male C57BL/10 mice leading to the accumulation of uroporphyrin in 4-6 weeks. There was only a slight inhibition of the enzyme in the absence of iron and none without hexachlorobenzene. Females were less sensitive than males. In addition, comparisons between the C57BL/10, BALB/c, AKR and DBA/2 strains indicated that the susceptibilities of mice to induction of porphyria did not completely correlate with their classification as Ah-responsive or Ah-non-responsive.     

Sex and strain differences in the hepatotoxic response to acute cocaine administration in the mouse

Cocaine-induced hepatotoxicity was examined in vivo in a dose-responsive manner in C57BL/6Ibg, DBA/2Ibg, C3H/2Ibg, and Balb/cJ mice. Serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) activities were determined 24 hours after intraperitoneal (IP) administration of cocaine (20 to 100 mg/kg). Significant elevations (100- to 150-fold) in SGPT were observed in male mice receiving cocaine. Significant differences in sensitivity to cocaine-induced hepatotoxicity were found among males of the inbred strains, with Balb being most sensitive and C57BL being least sensitive and C3H and DBA strains exhibiting intermediate sensitivity. Female mice of the four inbred strains were more resistant than males to cocainemediated hepatotoxicity, as indicated by only twofold to tenfold elevations in SGPT values. Among the females, sensitivity of the four inbred strains—as indicated by dose response curves—fell into two categories: the sensitive strains (C3H and C57BL) and the resistant strains (Balb and DBA). Pretreatment of males of the four inbred strains with the P-450 inducer phenobarbital resulted in enhancement of cocaine-mediated hepatotoxicity in the C57BL and Balb but not the C3H and DBA mice. Phenobarbital pretreatment of females of the four inbred strains resulted in enhancement of the hepatotoxic response to cocaine in the C3H, DBA, and Balb mice. Phenobarbital-pretreated C57BL females exhibited a 100% mortality rate after the acute cocaine dose, and thus no determination of hepatotoxicity could be established for them. These data demonstrate sex and strain differences in cocaine-induced hepatotoxicity and suggest that phenobarbital pretreatment does not uniformly enhance the hepatotoxicity of cocaine.     

Comparison of urethane-induced sister-chromatid exchanges in various murine strains, and the effect of enzyme inducers

The induction of sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs) by urethane, 150 and 300 mg/kg administered i.p., was examined in bone-marrow cells of AKR, BALB/c, C3Hf, C57BL/6J and DBA/2 male mice. In all strains, the base-line level of SCE/cell was similar, ranging from 4.3 to 8.7, and the response increased with the dose of urethane. DBA/2 mice were the most susceptible to urethane at both dose levels, with 30.6 SCE/cell after treatment with 300 mg/kg, whereas the response of the other strains was from 17.4 to 21.5 SCE/cell at the same urethane dose. Pretreatment of C57BL/6J and DBA/2 mice with phenobarbital decreased the SCE frequencies induced by urethane, 300 mg/kg, to 70%, whereas a prior administration of beta-naphthoflavone reduced SCE levels in C57BL/6J but not in DBA/2 mice.     

Quantitative assessment and characterization of visceral nociception and hyperalgesia in mice

Colorectal distension (CRD) is a well-characterized model of visceral nociception, which we adapted to the mouse. CRD reproducibly evoked contractions of the abdominal musculature [visceromotor response (VMR)], which was graded to stimulus intensity. The magnitude of VMR was greater in male C57BL6 and female 129S6 mice than in male 129S6 and B6.129 mice. In 129S6, C57BL6, and B6.129 mice strains, VMR was reduced dose dependently by morphine (1-10 mg/kg) and by the kappa-opioid agonist U-69593 (0.2-2 mg/kg), although U-69593 was significantly less potent in C57BL6 mice. In additional experiments, the VMR was recorded from adult male 129S6 mice before and after intracolonic administration of various irritants. Only 30% ethanol significantly enhanced responses to CRD. The colon hyperalgesia persisted for 14 days and was associated with a significant shift of the morphine dose-response function to the left. We believe this will be a useful model for study of visceral nociception and hyperalgesia, including studies of transgenic mice with mutations relevant to pain.     

Genotype-dependent mice behavior in cognitive tasks. Effect of noopept

The interstrain differences in performance of C57BL/6J, BALB/c and DBA/2J male mice in two cognitive tasks were found. Mice C57BL/6J showed good learning ability and preservation of memory traces tested 10 days after performance in a simplified version of Morris water maze. Mice BALB/c learned the task but, virtually, no long-term memory traces were revealed, whereas DBA/2J demonstrated poor learning. The effect of nootropic drug Noopept (GVS-111, N-phenil-acetyl-L-prolylglycin ethyl ether) was shown to be genotype-dependent. Its administration (0.5 mg/kg i.p., 15 min before learning) improved the long-term memory in Morris test in BALB/c mice but failed to produce any improvement in C57BL/6J. The ability of mice for extrapolation of the direction of stimulus movement differently changed after Noopept injections: the proportion of correct task solutions increased in C57BL/6J and BALB/c mice, whereas the performance of DBA/2J did not change.     

Mutagenicity evaluation of HC Blue No. 1 and HC Blue No. 2, I. Effect on the induction of micronuclei in mouse bone marrow cells

Two hair-dye chemicals, HC Blue No. 1 and HC Blue No. 2, were assessed for the ability to produce chromosome breakage and/or spindle malformation in vivo by evaluating the capacity of these compounds to induce micronuclei in polychromatic erythrocytes of mouse bone marrow. Initial studies were conducted in ICR male and female mice given a single intraperitoneal dose of 1000, 500 or 250 mg/kg body weight and examined for micronucleus induction 24 or 48 h later. Activity was observed in female mice given 1000 mg/kg of HC Blue No. 1 at the 24-h harvest time. A questionable response was noted with HC Blue No. 2 in males at the 1000 mg/kg, 24-h time point. No activity was observed in either sex at the 48-h harvest time. In a second set of studies, mice from two strains, ICR and CD-1, were administered a single intraperitoneal dose of 1000 mg/kg of each chemical and the bone marrow was extracted 24 h later. In these experiments, HC Blue No. 1 again produced a statistically significant elevation of micronuclei in female ICR mice. No significant effect was observed in CD-1 mice of either sex. HC Blue No. 2 did not produce any significant elevation of micronuclei in either sex of ICR or CD-1 mice.     

Cytogenetic effect of mitomycin C and cytosine arabinoside on mice of different genotypes]

Cytogenetic effect of mitomycin C (MC) and cytosine arabinoside (CA) on bone marrow cells of male mice of the strains 101/HY, C57BL/6Y C,3H/SnY and of the (C3HX101) F1 hybrids was studied. The frequencies of cells with chromosome aberrations after the treatment with MC at a 5 mg/kg dose were 54,4%; 41,8%; 40,4% and 26,8% in 101H, B6, C3H/Sn mice and in the F1 hybrids (C3HX101) respectively. The frequencies of cells with chromosome aberrations after the treatment with CA at a 500 mg/kg dose were 25,2%; 17,8%; 10,8% and the 101/H, B6, C3H/Sn mice and in the F1 hybrids (C3HX101) respectively. Both mutagens induced the greatest number of chromosome aberrations in the 101/H strain and the smallest number in the F1 hybrid (C3HX101). A positive correlation was established between the levels of induced and spontaneous chromosome lesions.     

The effect of NADP+ on cardiomyocyte electrophysiological properties of C57BL/6 and mdx mice

We have studied the influence of NADP⁺ on routine electrocardiography (ECG) in 6-month-old C57BL/6 and mdx mice. The animals were anesthetized by ether before ECG recording. ECG registration was carried out at a speed of 100 mm/s. The first ECG recording was made before intraperitoneal NADP⁺ injection in a dose of 13 or 80 mg/kg. The second ECG recording was made 10 min after NADP⁺ injection. Anesthesia was then terminated. The mice were occasionally anesthetized 45–60 min later, and the third ECG was recorded 1 h after injection of NADP⁺. ECG recording was carried out at a speed of 100 mm/s in standard leads I, II, and III and unipolar leads AvR, AvL, and AvF. Values of standard ECG characteristics, such as the P wave and the intervals PQ, QT, RR, and the QRS complex, were measured in milliseconds in standard lead II. We did not observe any differences between ECG magnitudes of 2- to 3-month-old C57BL/6 and mdx mice during trial experiments. Mice of both strains had a sinus rhythm in their heart rate. The QRS complex in mdx mice had a tendency to be larger than in C57BL/6 mice. Heart rates fluctuated between 722 ± 22 and 681 ± 21 beats per minute. The effect of NADP⁺ was studied in 6-month-old male mice. The increase in the RR interval and the decline in heart rate from 697 ± 21 to 461 ± 23 and 491 ± 28 beats per min for C57BL/6 mice (p < 0.01) and from 722 ± 28 beats per minute to 454 ± 31 beats per min for mdx mice were registered 10 min after NADP⁺ injection at a dose of 80 mg/kg. The increase in the RR interval can be explained by an increase in the QT interval. A statistically significant reduction in the QT interval leading to a diminished RR interval was observed in mdx mice 1 h after NADP⁺ injection. NADP⁺ at a dose of 13 mg/kg did not significantly change the ECG properties in mdx mice. ECG of mdx mice was characterized by negative repolarization of the T wave in 37% of all leads. The amount of leads with negative T-wave repolarization decreased up to 3% 1 h after NADP⁺ injection in dose of 80 mg/kg. The results have shown that cytomembranes of ventricular cardiac myocytes and the degree of oxidative stress are the main targets of the action of NADP⁺ in C57BL/6 and mdx mouse hearts.     

Metabolic responses to leptin in obese db/db mice are strain dependent

Obese, diabetic C57BL/Ks db/db mice that lack the long-form leptin receptor exhibit no decrease in body weight or food intake when treated with leptin. Here we compared responses to leptin in two strains of db/db mice: C57BL/6J mice that are hyperglycemic and hyperinsulinemic and C57BL/Ks that are hyperglycemic and normo- or hypoinsulinemic. Chronic intraperitoneal infusion of 10 microgram leptin/day partially reversed hyperglycemia in C57BL/6J male mice but exaggerated the diabetic state of female mice. Bolus intraperitoneal injections of 40 microgram leptin/day did not effect glucose in either strain of male db/db mice, whereas chronic intraperitoneal infusion of 20 microgram leptin/day significantly reduced fasting blood glucose in male mice from both strains, especially C57BL/6J mice. Food intake, body weight, rectal temperature, and body fat did not change. Chronic intraperitoneal infusion of 10 microgram leptin/day significantly reduced body fat in lean db/+ C57BL/6J but not in C57BL/Ks mice. Thus peripherally administered leptin is active in mice that have only short-form leptin receptors, and the response is dependent on the method of leptin administration and the background strain.     

Chorionic gonadotropin-like proteins in the obplacental giant cells of the rabbit

Diabetes mellitus was induced in 40 male C57BL6 mice by injection of a low dose of streptozocin (45 mg/kg body weight) on 5 consecutive days. Twenty four of the mice were immunosuppressed by administration of 1.5 mg FK506/kg body weight daily for 10, 15, 18 and 24 days. Administration of FK506 almost completely inhibited the streptozocin-induced islet damage, and consequently glycaemia remained normal. In FK506-treated animals any inflammatory infiltrate was very sparse and was limited to the vascular pole of the islets. Immunocytochemical results demonstrated that infiltrating cells were Ia-immunoreactive, but were not activated. Ultrastructural observations confirmed the absence of B cell necrosis and degranulation in FK506-treated mice; the few infiltrating elements encountered did not contain phagocytic vesicles or show other signs of activation.     

Genetic regulation of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase induction by polycyclic aromatic compounds in mice. Co-segregation with aryl hydrocarbon (benzo(alpha)pyrene) hydroxylase induction.

Induction of hepatic 4-methylumbelliferone UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.17) by polycyclic aromatic compounds, such as 3-methylcholanthrene or beta-naphthoflavone, occurs in C57BL/6N, A/J, PL/J, C3HeB/FeJ, and BALB/cJ but not in DBA/2N, AU/SsJ, AKR/J, or RF/J inbred strains of mice. This pattern of five responsive and five nonresponsive mouse strains parallels that of the Ah locus, which controls the induction of aryl hydrocarbon (benzo[alpha]pyrene) hydroxylase (EC 1.14.14.2). Induction of the transferase is maximal in C57BL/6N mice with 200 mg of 3-methylcholanthrene/kg body weight; no induction occurs in nonresponsive DBA/2N mice even at a dose of 400 mg/kg. The rise of inducible transferase activity lags 1 or more days behind the rise of inducible hydroxylase activity and peaks 5 days after a single dose of 3-methylcholanthrene. In offspring from the appropriate backcrosses and intercross between C57BL/6N and DBA/2N parent strains, the genetic expression of 3-methylcholanthrene-inducible transferase activity is inherited as an additive (co-dominant) trait. This expression differs distinctly from that of the inducible hydroxylase activity, which is inherited almost exclusively as a single autosomal dominant trait in these same animals. The more potent inducer 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin induces the transferase more than 3-fold in C57BL/6N mice and less than 2-fold in DBA/2N mice, whereas the hydroxylase is induced equally (about 8-fold) in both strains. A dose of 3-methylcholanthrene given 3 days after 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, at a time when hydroxylase induction in both strains is very high, does not enhance the rise in inducible transferase activity seen in C57BL/6N or DBA/2N mice which have received 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin alone. These data indicate that (a) the inducibility of two metabolically coordinated membrane-bound enzyme activities may be regulated by a single genetic locus, and (b) although the hydroxylase can be fully induced in the nonresponsive DBA/2N strain by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin prior to 3-methylcholanthrene treatment, metabolites of the 3-methylcholanthrene treatment, metabolites of the 3-methylcholanthrene treatment, metabolites of the 3-methylcholanthrene, presumably present in the liver, are incapable of inducing further the transferase activity. The difference in sensitivity between 3-methylcholanthrene and the more potent inducer 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin for both the hydroxylase and the transferase activities suggests the possibility of a common receptor in regulating both enzyme induction processes.     

Mutagenic effect of chemical compounds on laboratory mice]

Mutagenic effect of thioTEPA applied at a dose of 1.25 mg/kg was studied in late spermatids of C57BL/L male mice. The mutagen induced dominant lethal mutations in germ cells (39%) and symmetric translocations in 33.5% of F1 male offspring. The common frequency of sperms with chromosome mutations was 60%, that is ten times as much as the mutagenic effect in bone marrow cells. 39% of embryos at 3.5 days of development died or delayed their development at 2--22 blastomers stages. Structure chromosome aberrations were found in the cells of such embryos. The scheme of genetical screening of chemical compounds in laboratory mice, based on the data obtained early and in the present experiment, is proposed.     

链脲佐菌素诱导C57小鼠1型糖尿病模型的研究

目的:通过小剂量多次腹腔注射链脲佐菌素(STZ)诱导建立与人类1型糖尿病相似的C57小鼠糖尿病模型,研究建模剂量和成模率。方法:将32只C57小鼠随机分为正常对照组(A)和实验组(B)。实验组(B)可分为低、中、高剂量组(50 mg/kg、70mg/kg、90 mg/kg)(n=8)。两组都喂普通饲料1周后,B组连续5天腹腔注射不同剂量STZ,测定注射前、注射后1周、2周、3周、4周、5周的空腹血糖和体重,观察小鼠饮食、饮水和排尿情况。STZ注射第3周进行口服糖耐量实验(OGTT)。结果:给药前A、B组体重和血糖无显著差异,给药1周后,B组饮水量和进食量明显增加,体重减轻。C57小鼠用药2周后,中剂量组达到建模标准,成模率75%。各剂量组均出现了糖耐量异常。结论:诱导建立C57小鼠1型糖尿病模型方法是连续5日腹腔注注射STZ,适宜剂量为70 mg/kg。     

Effect of Different Gentamicin Dose on the Plasticity of the Ribbon Synapses in Cochlear Inner Hair Cells of C57BL/6J Mice

Faithful information transfer at the hair cell afferent synapse requires synaptic transmission to be both reliable and temporally precise. The release of neurotransmitter must exhibit both rapid on and off kinetics to accurately follow acoustic stimuli with a periodicity of 1?ms or less. To ensure such remarkable temporal fidelity, the cochlear hair cell afferent synapse undoubtedly relies on unique cellular and molecular specializations. To study effects of different doses of gentamicin on the changes of synaptic ribbons of cochlear inner hair cells (IHCs) in mice, the availability of genetic information, transgenic and knock-out animals make the C57BL/6J mouse a primary model in biomedical research. Aminoglycoside ototoxicity, however, has rarely been studied in mature mice because they are considered highly resistant to the drugs. This study presents models for gentamicin ototoxicity in adult C57BL/6J mouse strains. Five-week-old mice were injected intraperitoneally once daily with 50?C300?mg gentamicin base/kg body weight for 7?days. Higher doses of gentamicin appear to be associated with earlier hearing damage in C57BL/6J mice, although not necessarily with more severe damage. At 200?mg/kg, gentamicin appears to induce significant hearing damage while not significantly affect the animal??s general condition. Therefore, 200?mg/kg may be an ideal dose for ototoxicity modeling in C57BL/6J mice using gentamicin. In the early period of different dose of gentamicin effect, when the number of hair cells had not changed, the number changes of IHC ribbon synapses had taken place. Through the number of ribbon synapses changing, IHCs increased or decreased connections with spiral ganglion nerves (SGNs). The ribbon synapses played a compensatory role for gentamicin ototoxicity, while this effect was not sufficient to maintain the normal threshold of hearing.     

5-aminolevulinic acid-induced alterations of oxidative metabolism in sedentary and exercise-trained rats.

5-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA), a heme precursor that accumulates in acute intermittent porphyria patients and lead-exposed individuals, has previously been shown to autoxidize with generation of reactive oxygen species and to cause in vitro oxidative damage to rat liver mitochondria. We now demonstrate that chronically ALA-treated rats (40 mg/kg body wt every 2 days for 15 days) exhibit decreased mitochondrial enzymatic activities (superoxide dismutase, citrate synthase) in liver and soleus (type I, red) and gastrocnemius (type IIb, white) muscle fibers. Previous adaptation of rats to endurance exercise, indicated by augmented (cytosolic) CuZn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) and (mitochondrial) Mn-SOD activities in several organs, does not protect the animals against liver and soleus mitochondrial damage promoted by intraperitoneal injections of ALA. This is suggested by loss of citrate synthase and Mn-SOD activities and elevation of serum lactate levels, concomitant to decreased glycogen content in soleus and the red portion of gastrocnemius (type IIa) fibers of both sedentary and swimming-trained ALA-treated rats. In parallel, the type IIb gastrocnemius fibers, which are known to obtain energy mainly by glycolysis, do not undergo these biochemical changes. Consistently, ALA-treated rats under swimming training reach fatigue significantly earlier than the control group. These results indicate that ALA may be an important prooxidant in vivo.