Rat striatal dopamine and tetrahydrobiopterin content following an intrastriatal injection of manganese chloride

Injection of manganese into the rat corpus striatum causes a rapid fall in the biopterin and dopamine (DA) content ipsilateral to the lesion. Two weeks after the lesion both biopterin and DA are partially recovered. Controls, injected with saline or magnesium, do not show alterations in their DA or cofactor levels. It is proposed that the fall in DA levels results from a rapid displacement of the amine from its storage sites by manganese followed by a decrease in the rate of DA synthesis causes by the drop in cofactor levels.     

Radiometric assay for cytochrome P-450-catalyzed progesterone 16 alpha-hydroxylation and determination of an apparent isotope effect

In the course of studies on the oxygenation of steroids by purified P-450 cytochromes, particularly rabbit liver microsomal cytochrome P-450 form 3b, a rapid and reliable radiometric assay has been devised for progesterone 16 alpha-hydroxylation. In view of the lack of a commercially available, suitably tritiated substrate, [1,2,6,7,16,17-3H]progesterone was treated with alkali to remove the label from potential hydroxylation sites other than the 16 alpha position. The resulting [1,7,16-3H]progesterone was added to a reconstituted enzyme system containing cytochrome P-450 form 3b, NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase, and NADPH, and the rate of 16 alpha-hydroxylation was measured by the formation of 3H2O. This reaction was shown to be linear with respect to time and to the cytochrome P-450 concentration. An apparent tritium isotope effect of 2.1 was observed by comparison of the rates of formation of tritium oxide and 16 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, and the magnitude of the isotope effect was confirmed by an isotope competition assay in which a mixture of [1,7,16-3H]progesterone and [4-14C]progesterone was employed.     

Comparative study of aflatoxins M1 and B1 production in solid-state and shaking liquid cultures

Production of aflatoxins M1 (AFM) and B1 (AFB) by Aspergillus flavus NRRL 3251 in solid-state and shaking liquid cultures using rice as the carbon source was compared. In general, solid-state cultures produced more aflatoxins than shaking liquid cultures on an equal rice weight basis. Solid-state cultures with continuous shaking yielded higher levels of toxins than those with intermittent shaking. However, intermittent shaking is a feasible replacement for the continuous shaking method for AFM production. A typical solid rice culture supplemented with yeast extract produced 30 and 2600 mg per kg rice of AFM and AFB, respectively, in 8 days at 29 degrees C. The optimal culture conditions for toxin production in a shaking liquid culture were also studied. Parameters under consideration included the amount of carbon (rice) and nitrogen source, initial medium pH, and aeration rate. At optimum conditions, a representative shaking liquid culture produced 18 and 1680 mg per kg rice of AFM and AFB, respectively, in 5 days at 29 degrees C. This shaking liquid culture appears feasible for scaling up and routine production of AFM and AFB for toxicological investigations.     

Identity cards for patients infected with HIV?

Dr A C Srivastava has written to us to describe a case that raises the suggestion that people infected with the human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) should carry identity cards. We asked two physicians, a general practitioner working with patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and a general practitioner with a special interest in medical ethics to respond to the broad issues raised by Dr Srivastava''s letter.     

Verapamil as a co-mutagen in the Salmonella/mammalian microsome mutagenicity test

Verapamil is a calcium-channel blocking agent, commonly used for chronic treatment of heart conditions. We have previously demonstrated that verapamil acts as a co-mutagen in a bacterial mutagenicity test for some experimental anilinoacridine antitumour drugs. Within the anilinoacridines series there are several compounds which are apparently non-mutagenic (or very weak mutagens) in the absence of verapamil, but strong mutagens in its presence. We have now tested a wider range of materials for verapamil enhancement of mutagenicity, to include some of those to which persons on verapamil therapy might be exposed through life-style or occupation. Some verapamil enhancement of mutagenicity was seen with most mutagenic compounds including anticancer drugs, antiparasitic agents, one biological stain and one hair dye. A number of tricyclic antidepressants and biological stains were tested and found to be non-mutagenic. If these results extrapolate to mammalian cells, long-term verapamil therapy could potentially increase the effects of certain environmental mutagens.