Mutagenicity of methylisocyanate and its reaction products to cultured mammalian cells

Methylisocyanate (MIC) induced mutagenic responses in the absence of exogenous activation in the mouse lymphoma cell forward mutation assay at concentrations as low as 8-24 microM. MIC produced predominantly small mutant colonies, suggesting the possibility of clastogenic activity. The intermediate hydrolysis product, methylamine, was also mutagenic without exogenous activation but required several hundred-fold higher concentrations (ca. 3 mM). N,N'-Dimethylurea, the final product in the reaction of methylisocyanate and water, was totally refractory in either the presence or absence of S9 for concentrations up to 57 mM (5 mg/ml). The ethyl ester of N-methylcarbamic acid was also tested since it was the only available analogue to the highly reactive N-methylcarbamic acid intermediate. This compound was mutagenic only in the presence of S9 at doses exceeding 5-40 microM, which suggested the possibility that the free acid, produced by enzymatic hydrolysis, is also mutagenic. The mutagenic activity of the ester resulted solely in the production of small mutant colonies.     

Partitioning of bile acids into subcellular organelles and the in vivo distribution of bile acids in rat liver.

1. The subcellular distribution of conjugates of cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid between cytosol, nuclei, mitochondria and microsomes in rat liver has been determined. 2. The partition coefficients for the distribution of these bile acids between subcellular fractions and buffer have been measured and used to construct a compartmental model of the amounts of conjugated bile acids present in the different subcellular organelles in vivo. 3. This model indicates that a large percentage of the bile acid in the rat liver is found in the nuclear fraction; 42% of the cholic acid conjugates and 27% of the chenodeoxycholic acid conjugates. Substantial amounts of bile acid are also present in microsomes and mitochondria suggesting that published estimates of the amounts of bile acids in these fractions are underestimates. 4. The model also allows the amount of bile acid which is in free solution in cytosol to be determined; 10.9% of the cholic acid conjugates and 4.1% of the chenodeoxycholic acid conjugates in rat liver were present in this fraction. Knowlege of the amount of free bile acid allows possible roles of the cytosolic bile binding proteins to be assessed.     

Inhibitors of angiotensin-converting enzyme containing a tetrahedral arsenic atom.

A series of tetrahedral oxo acids of Group VA and VIA elements and of silicon and boron were examined as inhibitors of angiotensin-converting enzyme. Arsenate is a competitive inhibitor with a Ki of 27 +/- 1 mM, at least 10-fold more potent than phosphate. Dimethylarsinate is a competitive inhibitor with a Ki of 70 +/- 9 mM, 2-fold more potent than dimethylphosphinate. Oxo acids of boron, silicon, antimony, sulphur and selenium are not inhibitors. On the basis of these results and the strong inhibition of this zinc metallopeptidase by substrate analogues containing a tetrahedral phosphorus atom, two substrate analogues containing a tetrahedral arsenic atom were prepared. 2-Arsonoacetyl-L-proline is a competitive inhibitor with a Ki of 18 +/- 7 mM, more than 2000-fold weaker than that of its phosphorus analogue 2-phosphonoacetyl-L-proline. 4-Arsono-2-benzylbutanoic acid is a mixed inhibitor with a Ki of 0.5 +/- 0.2 mM, indistinguishable in potency from its phosphorus analogue 2-benzyl-4-phosphonobutanoic acid.     

High affinity specific antiestrogen binding sites are concentrated in rough microsomal membranes of rat liver

Saturation and competitive binding analyses demonstrated the presence of a high affinity (K_D = 0.92 nM), specific antiestrogen binding site (AEBS) in rat liver microsomes and at least 75% of total liver AEBS was recovered in this fraction. When microsomes were further separated into smooth and rough fractions, AEBS was concentrated in the latter. Subsequent dissociation of ribosomes from the rough membranes revealed that AEBS was associated with the membrane and not the ribosomal fraction. Antiestrogen binding activity could not be extracted from membranes with 1 M KCl or 0.5 M acetic acid but could be solubilized with sodium cholate. These data indicate that AEBS is an integral membrane component of the rough microsomal fraction of rat liver.     

Methimazole and generation of oxygen radicals by monocytes: potential role in immunosuppression.

A study was conducted investigating the possibility that the immunosuppressive action of methimazole (the active metabolite of the antithyroid drug carbimazole) might be due to an effect on the production of oxygen radicals by monocytes. Techniques comprised measurement of luminol dependent chemoluminescence in monocytes and a spectrophotometric assay for production of hydrogen peroxide. The results showed definite inhibition of formation of oxygen radicals by resting and stimulated monocytes, which may explain the immunosuppressive action of the drug in Graves'' disease. The findings also suggest that the formation of oxygen radicals and the initiation of the immune response may be closely related.     

7alpha-Dehydroxylation of cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid by Clostridium leptum.

The rate of 7alpha-dehydroxylation of primary bile acids was quantitatively measured radiochromatographically in anaerobically washed whole cell suspensions of Clostridium leptum. The pH optimum for the 7alpha-dehydroxylation of both cholic and chenodeoxycholic acid was 6.5-7.0. Substrate saturation curves were observed for the 7alpha-dehydroxylation of cholic and chenodeoxycholic acid. However, cholic acid whole cell K0.5 (0.37 micron) and V (0.20 mumol hr-1mg protein-1) values differed significantly from chenodeoxycholic acid whole cell K0.5 (0.18 micron) and V (0.50 mumol-1 hr-1 mg protein-1). 7alpha-Dehydroxylation activity was not detected using glycine and taurine-conjugated primary bile acids, ursodeoxycholic acid, cholic acid methyl ester, or hyocholic acid as substrates. Substrate competition experiments showed that cholic acid 7 alpha-dehydroxylation was reduced by increasing concentrations of chendeoxycholic acid; however, chenodeoxycholic acid 7alpha-dehydroxylation activity was unaffected by increasing concentrations of cholic acid. A 10-fold increase in cholic and 7alpha-dehydroxylation activity occurred during the transition from logarithmic to stationary phase growth whether cells were cultured in the presence or absence of sodium cholate. In the same culture, a similar increase in chenodeoxycholic acid 7alpha-dehydroxylation was detected only in cells cultured in the presence of sodium cholate. These results indicate the possible existence of two independent systems for 7alpha-dehydroxylation in C. Leptum.     

Molecular cloning of cis-acting regulatory alleles of the Bacillus subtilis amyR region by using gene conversion transformation.

Three cis-acting alleles (gra-10, gra-5, and amyR2) of the Bacillus subtilis amyR promoter locus each cause catabolite repression-resistance of amyE-encoded alpha-amylase synthesis. The gra-10, gra-5, and amyR2 alleles were transferred from the chromosomes of their respective hosts to a plasmid carrying the amyR1-amyE+ gene by the process of gene conversion which is carried out during transformation of competent B. subtilis by plasmid clones carrying homologous DNA. The cloned amyR promoter regions containing the gra-10 and gra-5 mutations were shown to confer catabolite repression-resistance in cis to the synthesis of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase encoded by the cat-86 indicator gene when subcloned into the promoter-probe plasmid pPL603B. Implications concerning both the regulation of amyR utilization and the process of gene conversion in B. subtilis are discussed.     

MCA/MR syndrome in two female siblings: new entity or variant examples of Coffin-Lowry versus Atkin-Flaitz syndromes?

We report two sisters with mental retardation, coarse facial features, telecanthus, flat malar region, prominent lower lip, kyphoscoliosis, and tapering fingers. Although these patients' phenotypes showed considerable overlap with the Coffin-Lowry and the Atkin-Flaitz syndromes, their overall picture makes these diagnoses controversial.