Microbial transformation of isonicotinic acid hydrazide and isonicotinic acid bySarcina sp

Metabolism of isonicotinic acid and isoniazid bySarcina sp. led to the formation of two metabolites which were characterised as 2-hydroxyisonicotinic acid and citrazinic acid. The blue pigment formed during fermentation was shown to be derived from the auto-oxidation of citrazinic acid. 2-Oxo-glutarate accumulated as the major keto acid when isonicotinic acid or isonicotinic acid hydrazide metabolism was inhibited by 1 mM sodium arsenite. Isonicotinic acid, 2-hydroxy-isonicotinic acid and 2-oxo-glutarate were oxidised by isonicotinic acid hydrazide or isonicotinic acid-grown cells; citrazinic acid was, however, not oxidised. Isoniazid hydrazine hydrolase, isonicotinic acid and 2-hydroxyisonicotinic acid hydroxylases were detected in the cell-free extract ofSarcina sp. grown on isonicotinic acid hydrazide or isonicotinic acid. Communication no. 2427from Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow.     

Induction of sister-chromatid exchanges in Chinese hamster ovary cells by thiol and hydrazine compoudns

Cysteine, cysteamine and glutathione all induce sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs) in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells when applied to cell cultures at concentrations between 10(-4) and 10(-2) M. Acute exposure of cells th thiol compound for a period of 2--3 h resulted in a unique dose--response relationship in each instance. This consisted of two peak SCE frequencies, one at either extreme of the concentration range. Each peak corresponded to a 2--3-fold increase over the spontaneous level. A chronic exposure of 24 h, in contrast, resulted in a dose--response relationship consisting of a single peak SCE frequency (representing a 4--5-fold increase over the spontaneous level) at a concentration of approx. 4 x 10(-4) M. The effect of Cu2+ ions included in the medium at a concentration of 10(-5) M was to increase the toxicity and, at some concentrations, the SCE levels occurring after either acute or chronic exposure to thiols. Hydrazine and its derivatives, dimethylhydrazine and isonicotinic acid hydrazide (isoniazid), as well as hydrogen peroxide, also induce SCEs in CHO cells. A 2--3-fold increase over the spontaneous level was observed, depending upon the particular treatment protocol applied. SCE yields after 3 h treatment with dimethylhydrazine and isoniazid were increased if Mn2+, but not Cu2+, was included in the tissue culture medium at a concentration of 10(-5) M. SCE yields after a 24-h treatment with dimethylhydrazine in which Mn2+ was present in, and absent from, the medium were similar. Catalase was observed to reduce the SCE levels resulting from treatment with hydrogen peroxide, dimethylhydrazine and isoniazid. The effect of catalase upon SCEs induced by dimethylhydrazine and isoniazid in the presence of Mn2+ was more evident than when Mn2+ was not included in the culture medium. The significance of these results with respect to the possible active chemical species produced and the mutagenic/carcinogenic risk associated with thiol and hydraizine compounds is discussed.     

Modulation of rat guanylate cyclase activity in vitro by chemical carcinogens.

The nucleotide cyclic GMP has been reported to be involved in cell proliferation and malignant transformation. Nitroso chemical carcinogens activate the enzyme guanylate cyclase (EC 4.6.1.2) which catalyzes the production of cyclic GMP. The present investigation demonstrates that compounds from other major classes of carcinogens including (1) alpha-halo ethers (chloromethyl methyl ether); (2) aromatic amines (benzidine and B-naphthylamine); (3) polycyclic hydrocarbons (1,2-benzanthracene and acridine); (4) azo dyes (p-dimethylaminoazobenzene), and (5) aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, G2) produced a striking and significant inhibition of guanylate cyclase over a general concentration range of 0.5-13 mmol/1 in a variety of tissues. Some of the nitrosamides which increase guanylate cyclase activity, increase DNA synthesis whereas carcinogens which decrease guanylate cyclase activity inhibit DNA or RNA synthesis suggesting a relationship between cyclic GMP, DNA synthesis, and chemical carcinogenesis.     

Hydrazide synthesis: novel substrate specificity of amidase

The amidase from Rhodococcus rhodochrous J1, which hydrolyses amide to acid and ammonia, was found to catalyze the synthesis of hydrazide using hydrazine as a substrate. This is the first report on the hydrazide synthesis through enzymatic reactions. The enzyme also acted on benzoic acid in the presence of hydrazine, yielding benzoic hydrazide. Together with the finding that benzoic hydrazide was converted into benzoic acid (when it was used as a substrate in the absence of hydrazine), these unique characteristics suggest that the reaction route for the formation of the acid from the hydrazide and that of the hydrazide from the acid are reversible to each other via the acyl-enzyme. Not only aromatic hydrazides but also aliphatic hydrazides were synthesized from the corresponding amides and hydrazine.     

Spectrophotometric determination of hydrazine, hydrazides, and their mixtures with trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid

A method has been developed to measure hydrazine, hydrazides, and their mixtures using a modification of the trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid method [T. Okuyama and K. Satake (1960) J. Biochem. (Tokyo) 47, 654-660]. After incubation of the sample containing hydrazine and hydrazide with trinitrobenzenesulfonate at pH 8.5 at room temperature for 40 min, the reaction mixture was diluted with a Na2CO3-NaHCO3 buffer (0.1 M, pH 10.8) rather than with 0.5 M HCl. Different chromogens were produced from the reaction of hydrazine (lambda max = 570 nm) and hydrazides (lambda max = 385 and 500 nm) with trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid. The method allowed simultaneous determination of hydrazine (5 to 60 nmol) with hydrazide (10 to 120 nmol) in a mixture with a standard deviation of less than 5%. The presence of amino compounds (except for amino sugars) did not interfere with the measurement of hydrazine or hydrazides. Interference by amino sugars in the determination of hydrazine or hydrazides was eliminated by pretreatment of the sample with NaBH4 to reduce the amino sugars to 2-amino-2-deoxy-hexitols.     

Lipase catalysed acylation of hydroxylamine and hydrazine derivatives

The lipase catalysed acylation of hydroxylamine-and hydrazine as well as their derivatives by octanoic acid is very efficient. Cross-linked crystals of Candida rugosa lipase (ChiroCLEC-CR) mediated the conversion of racemic ibuprofen into (S)-ibuproxam. A number of lipases also catalysed the condensation of hydrazine with an excess of octanoic acid giving N,N′-dioctanoylhydrazine. The hydrazide of 2-(4-isobutylphenyl)propanoic acid (ibuprofen), prepared by non-enzymatic reaction of ibuprofen methyl ester with hydrazine, acted as nucleophile towards several lipases that do not accept ibuprofen derivatives as acyl donor.     

Hydrazine activation of guanylate cyclase: potential application to tobacco carcinogenesis.

Hydrazine, a chemical carcinogen in tobacco and tobacco smoke, has been shown to induce the production of a variety of tumors in rats. The present report demonstrates that hydrazine stimulates the enzyme guanylate cyclase (EC 4.6.1.2) which catalyzes the production of guanosine 3′,5′-monophosphate. At a maximal concentration of 100 mM, hydrazine activated guanylate cyclase 45-fold in liver, 39-fold in colon, 22-fold in stomach, 19-fold in heart, 18-fold in pancreas, 8-fold in lung and kidney, and 4-fold in spleen. Since recent evidence suggests a role for guanosine 3′,5′-monophosphate in malignant transformation, these data may help explain the tumor inducing capacity of this tobacco carcinogen.     

Oscillating levels of adenylate and guanylate cyclase activities in rat embryo fibroblasts stimulated to divide.

Basal activities of membrane-bound adenylate and guanylate cyclase were determined in confluent rat embryo cells stimulated to proliferate by either the renewal of serum-supplemented growth medium or the addition of a mitogen, the 12-0-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA). A transient increase in guanylate cyclase activity was observed within minutes following either treatment while adenylate cyclase activity either abruptly declined in serum-stimulated cells or remained unaffected in TPA-treated cells. In response to both mitogenic treatment, adenylate and guanylate cyclase activities varied reciprocally throughout the pre-replicative phase up to DNA synthesis. The lower levels of guanylate over adenylate activity ratio occurred prior to the onset of the replicative phase whereas the higher levels were coincident with DNA synthesis. A similar pattern of oscillating levels of sodium-fluoride-stimulated adenylate and lubrol-treated guanylate cyclase activities was observed.     

Activatin of guanylate cyclase during the oxidation of arylamine carcinogens.

When added alone, the arylamine procarcinogens N-acetyl-aminofluorene, 4-acetyl-aminobiphenyl or their N-hydroxy derivatives failed to alter partially purified soluble guanylate cyclase from rat liver or particulate guanylate cyclase activity from colonic mucosa. However, addition of linoleic acid hydroperoxide to the enzyme preparation in the presence N-OH-acetyl-aminofluorene or N-OH-acetyl-aminobiphenyl significantly increased guanylate cyclase activity. With linoleic acid hydroperoxide plus N-OH-acetyl-aminofluorene, both the activation of hepatic guanylate cyclase and the formation of the carcinogen oxidation product 2-nitrosofluorene required hematin but not molecular O₂. Both processes were inhibited by ascorbic acid. These data strongly imply that guanylate cyclase activation was dependent upon hematin catalyzed oxidation of N-OH-acetyl-aminofluorene by the lipid peroxide. The results provide the first evidence that guanylate cyclase activation can occur during the conversion of a procarcinogen to a more reactive chemical species, and thereby emphasize the importance of examining carcinogen interaction with the GC system under conditions which permit such chemical conversion.     

Guanylate cyclase activity and cyclic nucleotide concentrations during liver regeneration after experimental injury

Cyclic nucleotide concentrations and guanylate cyclase activity were measured in regenerating rat liver. Previous work has shown that in livers of partially hepatectomized rats the activity of a membrane-bound guanylate cyclase increases considerably during the early replicative phase [Kimura & Murad (1975) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.72, 1965-1969; Goridis & Reutter (1975) Nature (London) 257, 698-700]. Over the same time period after partial hepatectomy, increased tissue concentrations of cyclic GMP were found when the rats were killed under pentobarbital anaesthesia, but not when anaesthesia was omitted. The results obtained on hepatectomized livers were compared with the changes in guanylate cyclase activity and cyclic nucleotide concentrations during the response to galactosamine treatment. Here, a peak of guanylate cyclase activity and of cyclic GMP concentrations occurred at 8h, that is before the beginning of the proliferative response. Both parameters were normal at the time of increased DNA synthesis. There does not, therefore, seem to be a consistent correlation between changes in guanylate cyclase activity or concentrations of cyclic GMP and an increase in liver DNA synthesis. A modest rise in cyclic AMP concentrations was found, however, in livers of galactosamine-treated rats, which was coincident with the time of DNA synthesis.     

Prophage Induction in Lysogenic Escherichia coli with Simple Hydroxylamine and Hydrazine Compounds

The prophage-inducing capability of hydroxylamine sulfate and 36 of its derivatives, and of hydrazine dihydrochloride and dihydrazine sulfate and 43 of their derivatives, was determined in Escherichia coli W1709 (lambda). Maximal nontoxic concentrations up to 1 mg/ml were tested. Hydroxylamine sulfate was active at 2.5 mug/ml and the following 17 derivatives were active at concentrations ranging up to 500 mug/ml: alpha-naphthylhydroxylamine, N-hydroxy-2-aminofluorene, oxamyl hydroxamic acid, O-carbamoyl hydroxylamine (isohydroxyurea), N-hydroxyurethane, N-methylhydroxylamine HCl, salicylhydroxamic acid, oxalohydroxamic acid, methoxyamine HCl, ethoxyamine HCl, N, N-diethylhydroxylamine oxalate, formaldoxime, formamidoxime, acetohydroxamic acid, acetaldoxime, acetone oxime, and hydroxyguanidine sulfate. Hydrazine dihydrochloride and dihydrazine sulfate were effective inducers at 5.0 and 2.5 mug/ml, respectively, and the following nine derivatives of them were active at concentrations ranging up to 500 mug/ml: phthalic acid hydrazide, phenylhydrazine HCl, p-nitrophenylhydrazine, p-chlorophenylhydrazine HCl, formylhydrazine, carbohydrazide, semicarbazide HCl, 1-methyl-1-phenyl-hydrazine sulfate, and acetic acid hydrazide. Nineteen hydroxylamine and 34 hydrazine derivatives were ineffective as inducers. Application of the prophage-induction system as a tool for detection of responsive hydroxylamino and hydrazino compounds which may be potential toxicological hazards in the environment is discussed.     

Reducing reagent-induced activation of guanylate cyclase in the cellular slime mold, Dictyostelium discoideum.

Binding of folic acid (an intrinsic agonist) to the cell surface receptors evokes transmembrane signals for activation and adaptation of guanylate cyclase in Dictyostelium discoideum. The activation signal activates this enzyme and then the adaptation signal terminates the activation. As a result, these two signals cooperatively induce a transient activation of guanylate cyclase. We investigated transmembrane signal transduction for guanylate cyclase using 2,3-dimercapto-1-propanol (BAL, a thiol-reducing reagent) since BAL induces or modifies the transmembrane signal(s). We found that BAL induced prolonged or continuous activation of guanylate cyclase. Thus, the mode of the activation is drastically different (transient versus continuous) between folic acid and BAL. We also found that the BAL-induced continuous activation was not observed when the cells were stimulated with BAL + folic acid, while folic acid + BAL transiently induced more cGMP accumulation than folic acid alone. We lastly showed that K252a, a protein kinase inhibitor, enhanced both the folic acid-induced and the BAL-induced activation of guanylate cyclase. Our results suggest that BAL induces or mimics the activation signal for guanylate cyclase. The lack of termination in the BAL-induced activation suggests that BAL does not induce the adaptation signal or that the adaptation does not inhibit the BAL-induced activation. The former possibility is more likely since folic acid suppresses the BAL-induced continuous activation. The effect of K252a suggests that protein phosphorylation plays a role in suppression of guanylate cyclase.     

Hydrazide derivatives produce active oxygen species as hydrazine

It is well documented that some hydrazines are quite sensitive to oxidation and may serve as the electron donor for the reduction of oxygen, whereas hydrazides are not believed to react directly with oxygen. Data presented in this paper show that both hydrazides and hydrazines share an N-N moiety, which is assumed to react with atmospheric oxygen and produce oxygen radicals, at various degrees of efficiency. Since spectrometric measurements of hydrazide just after solubilization showed that the molecular mass remains constant in the absence of oxygen, we can conclude that hydrazides do not react with the oxygen through a slow spontaneous hydrolytic release of hydrazine. However, hydrazine is more reactive than hydrazide, which requires hours rather than minutes to produce measurable quantities of radical species. Differences were also apparent for various substituted derivatives. The reaction was significantly enhanced by the presence of metal ions. Data reported here demonstrate that hydrazides cause irreversible damage to the prosthetic group of proteins as well as causing degradation of the polypeptide chain into small fragments.     

Effect of hemin and isonicotinic acid hydrazide on the uptake of iron from transferrin by isolated rat liver mitochonodria

Isolated rat liver mitochondria accumulate iron from the suspending medium when [⁵⁹Fe] transferrin is used as a model compound. The accumulation proceeds by two different mechanisms, i.e. by an energy-dependent and an energy-independent mechanism. The energy-dependent uptake of iron from transferrin is inhibited by hemin and stimulated by isonicotinic acid hydrazide. The energy-independent uptake of [⁵⁹Fe] transferrin is influenced neither by hemin nor by isonicotinic acid hydrazide.     

Characterisation of hydrazides and hydrazine derivatives as novel aspartic protease inhibitors

Virtual screening of an in-house virtual library of synthetic compounds using FlexX, followed by enzyme inhibition, identified hydrazide and hydrazine derivatives as novel aspartic protease inhibitors. These compounds inhibited human cathepsin D and Plasmodium falciparum plasmepsin-II with low micromolar concentrations (IC₅₀?=?1-2.5 μM). Modelling studies with plasmepsin-II predicted binding of ligands at the centre of the extended substrate-binding cleft, where hydrazide/hydrazine parts of the inhibitors acted as the transition state mimic by forming electrostatic interactions with catalytic aspartates.     

Nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide-glycohydrolase activity in experimental tuberculosis

1. The specific NAD-glycohydrolase activity is increased 70 and 50% over the normal in lung and liver tissues respectively of tuberculous mice. 2. Concomitant with the increase in the NAD-glycohydrolase activity, the NAD–isonicotinic acid hydrazide-exchange activity also is increased in infection. The isonicotinic acid hydrazide analogue of NAD formed by the lung enzyme from tuberculous mice has been isolated and identified. 3. The increased NAD-glycohydrolase activity in infection has been shown to be of host-tissue origin and not due to the activation of the bacterial enzyme on growth of the organism in vivo. 4. In addition to NAD, NMN and NADP also participate in the exchange reaction with isonicotinic acid hydrazide catalysed by NAD glycohydrolase. The interference of the drug at the nucleotide level of metabolism is therefore suggested.     

Mutagenic effect of N-Methyl-N-nitrosourea onMycobacterium phlei

N-Methyl-N-nitrosourea was used to induce auxotrophic, scotochromogenic and isonicotinic acid hydrazide resistant mutants inMycobacterium phlei and its effect was compared with that of nitrosoguanidine. Seventeen auxotrophic mutants requiring arnino acids or vitamins and 52 sootochromosgenic mutants with orange colonies were induced. The frequency of isonicotinic acid hydrazide-resistant mutants increased by two orders of magnitude.     

Inhibition of Nitric Oxide Synthase Blocks N-Methyl-D-Aspartate-, Quisqualate-, Kainate-, Harmaline-, and Pentylenetetrazole-Dependent Increases in Cerebellar Cyclic GMP In Vivo

The synthesis of nitric oxide by brain slices has been demonstrated in several laboratories. In addition, in vitro studies have demonstrated stimulation of nitric oxide synthesis by excitatory amino acid receptor agonists. These data have led to the hypothesis that this readily diffusible "intercellular messenger molecule" acts to generate a cascade effect by activating guanylate cyclase in several cell types and thereby augment levels of the second messenger cyclic GMP (cGMP). Therefore, we evaluated this hypothesis in vivo, by testing the actions of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N-mono-methyl-L-arginine (NMMA) on elevations in level of mouse cerebellar cGMP generated by excitatory amino acid receptor agonists. The stimulatory effects of D-serine, quisqualate, and kainate were all found to be antagonized by this enzyme inhibitor. In addition, NMMA antagonized the increases in cerebellar cGMP level elicited by harmaline and pentylenetetrazole, pharmacological agents that augment endogenous excitatory amino acid transmission. Our data are, therefore, the first in vivo demonstration that nitric oxide is an important "messenger molecule" in the cerebellum, mediating the actions of kainate, quisqualate, and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor agonists on guanylate cyclase. These data are consistent with previous in vitro findings with kainate and N-methyl-D-aspartate.     

Stimulation of guanylate cyclase and RNA polymerase II activities in HeLa cells and fibroblasts by biotin

HeLa cells cultured in a biotin-deficient medium showed reduced rates of protein synthesis, DNA synthesis and growth. Continuous synthesis is required for the increase in DNA synthesis observed upon addition of biotin to cells cultured in biotin-deficient medium. The addition of biotin to the biotin-deficient culture medium increased the activity of guanylate cyclase in both HeLa cells and fibroblasts. Both cell types cultured in biotin deficient medium showed reduced activity of RNA Polymerase II. The exogenous addition of biotin to the biotin-deficient cell cultures also resulted in increased activity of RNA Polymerase II in HeLa cells and fibroblasts. The maximal response was observed in 4 hours. Significant increase in enzyme activity was observed at 10^–8 M biotin in the culture medium. The growth promoting effect of biotin seems to involve stimulations of cellular guanylate cyclase and RNA Polymerase II activity.