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The effect of overexpression of 15-lipoxygenase-1 (15-LO-1) was studied in the human prostate cancer cell line, PC-3. Stable PC-3 cell lines were generated by transfection with 15-LO-1-sense (15-LOS), 15-LO-1-antisense (15-LOAS) or vector (Zeo) and selection with Zeocin. After characterization by RT-PCR, western and HPLC, a PC3-15LOS clone was selected that possessed 10-fold 15-LO-1 enzyme activity compared with parental PC-3 cells. The PC3-15LOAS clone displayed little or no 15-LO-1 activity. These PC-3 cell lines were characterized for properties of tumorigenesis. The proliferation rates of the cell lines were as follows: PC3-15LOS > PC-3 = PC3-Zeo > PC3-15LOAS. Addition of a specific 15-LO-1 inhibitor, PD146176, caused a dose-dependent inhibition of proliferation in vitro. Overexpression of 15-LO-1 also caused [(3)H]thymidine incorporation to increase by 4.0-fold (P < 0.01). Compared with parental and PC-3-Zeo cells, PC3-15LOS enhanced whereas PC3-15LOAS reduced the ability of PC-3 cells to grow in an anchorage-independent manner, as assessed by colony formation in soft agar. These data suggested a pro-tumorigenic role for 15-LO-1 in PC-3 cells in vitro. Therefore, to clarify the role of 15-LO-1 in vivo, the effect of 15-LO-1 expression on the growth of tumors in nude mice was investigated. The PC-3 cell lines were inoculated subcutaneously into athymic nude mice. The frequency of tumor formation was increased and the sizes of the tumors formed were much larger in the PC3-15LOS compared with PC3-15LOAS, parental PC-3 and PC-3-Zeo cells. Immunohistochemistry for 15-LO-1 confirmed expression throughout the duration of the experiment. The expression of factor VIII, an angiogenesis marker, in tumor sections was increased in tumors derived from PC3-15LOS cells and decreased in those from PC3-15LOAS cells compared with tumors from parental or Zeo cells. These data further supported the evaluation by ELISA of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion by PC-3 cells in culture. Secretion of this angiogenic factor was elevated in PC3-15LOS cells compared with the other cell lines. These results support a role for 15-LO-1 in a novel growth-promoting pathway in the prostate.

15-Lipoxygenase-1 (15-LO-1) is expressed at higher levels in human colorectal tumors compared with normal tissue. 15-LO-1 is expressed in cultured human colorectal cells, but only after treatment with sodium butyrate (NaBT), which also stimulates apoptosis and cell differentiation. We examined the regulation of 15-LO-1 in human tissue and the colorectal carcinoma cell lines Caco-2 and SW-480 by treatment with histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors: NaBT, trichostatin A (TSA) and HC toxin. Northern and western analysis showed that expression of 15-LO-1 was up-regulated by these HDAC inhibitors. Furthermore, HDAC inhibitors stimulated promoter activity of the 15-LO-1 gene approximately 12-to 21-fold using the -331/-23 region of the 15-LO-1 promoter, as measured with a luciferase-15-LO-1 promoter-reporter system, suggesting that 15-LO-1 is regulated at the transcriptional level by HDAC inhibitors. Histone proteins in colorectal cells were acetylated after treatment with HDAC inhibitors. Histone acetylation was also measured in human colorectal tissue and a correlation was observed between increased histone acetylation and 15-LO-1 expression. Thus, regulation of 15-LO-1 expression in colorectal tissues appears to occur by a novel and new mechanism associated with histone acetylation. Moreover, these results suggest that 15-LO-1 is a marker that reflects histone acetylation in colorectal carcinoma.

We recently reported that the mutant form of the tumor-suppressor gene p53 up-regulates 15-LO-1 gene expression in a murine cell line. Here, we examine the expression of 15-lipoxygenase (LO)-1 and mutant p53 (mtp53) in human prostatic tissues and 15-LO-1 in the human prostate adenocarcinoma cell line PC-3. Reverse transcription-PCR and western analyses conclusively demonstrated expression of 15-LO-1 in PC-3 cells. Western blotting for 15-LO-1 in freshly resected 'normal' and prostate adenocarcinoma specimens showed 15-LO-1 expression in normal tissue, but significantly higher levels were detected in prostate adenocarcinomas. Prostate adenocarcinoma tissues generated chirally pure 13-S-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid from exogenous linoleic acid, a preferred substrate of 15-LO-1. To study the correlation of 15-LO-1 expression with mtp53 in prostate cancer, we immunostained 48 prostatectomy specimens obtained by transurethral resection of the prostate and needle biopsy (median age 68 years, range 52-93) of different Gleason grades (n = 48), using antibodies specific for 15-LO-1, mtp53 and MIB-1 (a proliferation marker). We compared staining in cancerous foci with adjacent normal appearing prostate tissues. In only 5 of 48 patients did 'normal' tissue adjacent to cancerous foci display staining for 15-LO-1. However, no staining for mtp53 was observed in any of the normal tissues. In cancer foci, robust staining was observed for both 15-LO-1 (36 of 48, 75%) and mtp53 (19 of 48, 39%). Furthermore, the intensities of expression of 15-LO-1 and mtp53 correlated positively with each other (P < 0.001) and with the degree of malignancy, as assessed by Gleason grading (P < 0.01). By immunohistochemistry, 15-LO-1 was located in secretory cells of peripheral zone glands, prostatic ducts and seminal vesicles, but not in the basal cell layer or stroma. Based on these and other studies, we propose a model describing a possible role for 15-LO-1 expression in influencing the malignant potential and pathobiological behavior of adenocarcinomas.

Treatment of normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) causes a 9-fold increase in the level of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA expression. Nuclear run-off assays indicate that this induction is at least partly due to increased transcription. Activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway due to the enhanced transforming growth factor alpha (TGFalpha) expression plays an important role in the induction of COX-2 by IFN-gamma. This is supported by the ability of TGFalpha to rapidly induce COX-2 and the inhibition of the IFN-gamma-mediated COX-2 mRNA induction by an EGFR antibody and EGFR-selective kinase inhibitors. Deletion and mutation analysis indicates the importance of the proximal cAMP-response element/ATF site in the transcriptional control of this gene by TGFalpha. The increase in COX-2 mRNA by TGFalpha requires activation of both the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. Inhibition of p38 MAPK decreases the stability of COX-2 mRNA, while inhibition of MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK) does not. These results suggest that the p38 MAPK signaling pathway controls COX-2 at the level of mRNA stability, while the ERK signaling pathway regulates COX-2 at the level of transcription. In contrast to NHEK, IFN-gamma and TGFalpha are not very effective in inducing TGFalpha or COX-2 expression in several squamous carcinoma cell lines, indicating alterations in both IFN-gamma and TGFalpha response pathways.

To understand the mechanisms of prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha)-induced protein synthesis in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), we have studied its effect on two major signal transduction pathways: mitogen-activated protein kinases and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) and their downstream targets ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70(S6k)) and eukaryotic initiation factor eIF4E and its regulator 4E-BP1. PGF2alpha induced the activities of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) and Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) groups of mitogen-activated protein kinases, PI3-kinase, and p70(S6k) in a time-dependent manner in growth-arrested VSMC. PGF2alpha also induced eIF4E and 4E-BP1 phosphorylation, global protein synthesis, and basic fibroblast growth factor-2 (bFGF-2) expression in VSMC. Whereas inhibition of PI3-kinase by wortmannin completely blocked the p70(S6k) activation, it only partially decreased the ERK2 activity, and had no significant effect on global protein synthesis and bFGF-2 expression induced by PGF2alpha. Rapamycin, a potent inhibitor of p70(S6k), also failed to prevent PGF2alpha-induced global protein synthesis and bFGF-2 expression, although it partially decreased ERK2 activity. In contrast, inhibition of ERK2 activity by PD 098059 led to a significant loss of PGF2alpha-induced eIF4E and 4E-BP1 phosphorylation, global protein synthesis, and bFGF-2 expression. PGF2alpha-induced phosphorylation of eIF4E and 4E-BP1 was also found to be sensitive to inhibition by both wortmannin and rapamycin. These findings demonstrate that 1) PI3-kinase-dependent and independent mechanisms appear to be involved in PGF2alpha-induced activation of ERK2; 2) PGF2alpha-induced eIF4E and 4E-BP1 phosphorylation appear to be mediated by both ERK-dependent and PI3-kinase-dependent rapamycin-sensitive mechanisms; and 3) ERK-dependent eIF4E phosphorylation but not PI3-kinase-dependent p70(S6k) activation correlates with PGF2alpha-induced global protein synthesis and bFGF-2 expression in VSMC.

Mutation of the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene is associated with the earliest stages of colorectal tumorigenesis and appears to be responsible for the hereditary condition familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Evidence indicates that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is induced and at elevated levels in human colorectal cancers and in the polyps of mouse FAP models. We have used HT-29 cells, a human colorectal carcinoma cell line with a mutant carboxy-truncated APC gene, in which intact APC gene has been introduced under the control of an inducible promoter. These HT-29-APC cells provide a suitable model system to examine how COX-2 expression becomes dysregulated after loss of APC function. Induction of full-length APC causes the HT-29-APC cells to undergo apoptosis. However, differentiation, as measured by alkaline phosphatase activity, is not induced upon expression of full-length APC. Full-length APC protein has been shown to bind the intracellular protein beta-catenin and, as a result, the Lef/Tcf transcription factors are down-regulated. Analysis of APC immunoprecipitates demonstrate a time-dependent increase of beta-catenin interacting with full-length APC. Thus, the Lef/Tcf signaling pathway is intact at this point in these cells. Furthermore, upon expression of full-length APC, COX-2 protein expression is down-regulated while COX-2 mRNA levels remain the same. These data indicate that APC plays a role, either directly or indirectly, in the translational regulation of COX-2. Treatment of the HT-29-APC cells with sodium butyrate, an inducer of apoptosis, does not alter COX-2 protein expression. Thus, COX-2 down-regulation appears to be APC specific and not just due to apoptotic induction. APC appears to uniquely regulate COX-2 expression. The mechanism by which COX-2 protein expression is down-regulated in the HT-29-APC cells is under investigation.

p-Aminophenol oxidation is catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase. ESR spectroscopy demonstrates the formation of the p-aminophenoxy free radical, the one-electron oxidation product of p-aminophenol. The same radical is formed by alkaline autoxidation of this compound. The ultimate products of p-aminophenol oxidation are mainly polymeric; however, indophenol was isolated in low yield. Oxidation of p-aminophenol is also catalyzed by the hydroperoxidase activity of prostaglandin synthase, using ram seminal microsomal preparations as the enzyme source.

The oxidation of benzidine, a carcinogenic aromatic amine, by H2O2 is catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase or lactoperoxidase. The resulting cation free radical is moderately stable at pH 5.0, and was identified by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. Two-electron oxidation yields the benzidine di-imine. This species reacts with phenol or catechol derivatives to give colored adducts. Monoacetylbenzidine is a relatively poor peroxidase substrate, and the biological implications of this difference are discussed.

The microsomal fraction of ram seminal vesicles (RSV), when fortified with arachidonic acid, catalyzed the dealkylation of various N-methyl compounds. These included an analogous series of monomethyl- and dimethyl-substituted anilines as well as the drugs aminopyrine and benzphetamine. In contrast, S-alkyl and O-alkyl compounds were poor substrates for dealkylation by RSV microsomes fortified with fatty acid. RSV microsomal N-dealkylation was completely dependent on enzyme and arachidonic acid and could be inhibited by the prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors indomethacin, phenylbutazone, and flufenamic acid as well as by anaerobic conditions. Butylated hydroxyanisole also inhibited the reaction, whereas SKF-525A and metyrapone, which are inhibitors of cytochrome P-450-dependent N-dealkylation, did not. In addition to arachidonic acid, N-dealkylation was elicited by 15-hydroperoxyarachidonic acid, tert-butyl-hydroperoxide, and hydrogen peroxide; these latter reactions were not inhibited by either prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors or anaerobic conditions but did require the presence of microsomal protein. The time course of RSV N-dealkylation, which paralleled O2 consumption by this tissue (an indicator of prostaglandin biosynthesis) implied arachidonic acid-dependent irreversible self-inactivation of catalytic activity. Apparently, oxidizing agents are formed during the interaction of hydroperoxide intermediates of prostaglandin biosynthesis with prostaglandin synthetase, with the oxidizing agents then causing both substrate N-dealkylation and destruction of the enzyme. The metabolism of N-alkyl compounds during the biosynthesis of prostaglandins may provide an additional xenobiotic oxidation pathway to cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenases.

Phenylbutazone (PB), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, is an efficient reducing cofactor for the peroxidase activity of prostaglandin H synthase (PHS). Most reducing cofactors for the peroxidase protect PHS and prostacyclin synthase from inactivation by hydroperoxides. PB, however, does not protect these enzymes, but rather augments their hydroperoxide-dependent inactivation. Using ram seminal vesicle microsomes as a source of PHS and prostacyclin synthase, we have examined the interaction of PB and exogenous hydroperoxides. Chromatographic analysis of the metabolism of 14C-labeled arachidonic acid in this system revealed that PB-dependent inactivation of PHS is markedly increased in the presence of 100 microM H2O2. This inactivation is a linear function of PB concentration between 10 and 250 microM, with a half-maximal effect in this range at about 100 microM PB. Prostacyclin synthase is even more sensitive to inactivation by the combined PB and H2O2 treatment, with a corresponding half-maximal effect at PB concentrations near 25 microM. This PB- and H2O2-dependent inactivation is demonstrable whether PGH2 is generated in situ from arachidonic acid or is added exogenously, supporting a direct effect of the treatment on prostacyclin synthase. As PB undergoes peroxide-dependent co-oxygenation catalyzed by PHS, we propose that it is an oxygenated derivative of PB, rather than the parent compound, which is responsible for the inactivation of PHS and prostacyclin synthase. Nafazatrom, a competitive inhibitor of PB co-oxygenation, blocks the effects of the PB and H2O2 treatment, supporting our proposal.

Nafazatrom, an antithrombotic and antimetastatic agent containing a pyrazolone functionality, is a reducing substrate for the peroxidase activity of prostaglandin H (PGH) synthase. Nafazatrom inhibits the hydroperoxide-dependent oxidation of phenylbutazone, stimulates the reduction of 15-hydroperoxy-5,8,11,13-eicosatetraenoic acid, and is oxidized by microsomal or purified enzyme preparations from ram seminal vesicles. Consonant with the effects of other peroxidase-reducing substrates, nafazatrom stimulates the oxygenation of arachidonic acid to prostaglandin endoperoxides by the cyclooxygenase component of PGH synthase. In addition, nafazatrom causes an elevation in the levels of 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha, the non-enzymatic hydrolysis product of prostacyclin (PGI2) biosynthesized from arachidonic acid by ram seminal vesicle microsomes. Elevation of PGI2 biosynthetic capacity by nafazatrom occurs under conditions in which prostaglandin endoperoxide biosynthesis is maximal, suggesting that nafazatrom has a stimulatory effect on the conversion of prostaglandin endoperoxides to PGI2. Nafazatrom has no effect on the ability of ram seminal vesicle microsomes to convert PGH2 to PGI2 but protects microsomal PGI2 synthase from inactivation by 15-hydroperoxy-5,8,11,13-eicosatetraenoic acid. Nafazatrom stimulates PGI2 biosynthesis in ram seminal vesicle microsomes by acting as a substrate for the peroxidase-catalyzed reduction of hydroperoxy fatty acids that are irreversible inactivators of PGI2 synthase. Several other compounds, including dipyridamole and triiodothyronine, exert similar effects. This may contribute to the reported ability of nafazatrom and related compounds to elevate the levels of bioassayable PGI2 in vivo and to the antithrombotic and antimetastatic activities of nafazatrom.

In Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) fibroblasts, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase activity regulates the metabolism of endogenous linoleic acid to (13S)-hydroperoxyoctadecadienoic acid (13S)-HPODE). (13S)-HPODE stimulates EGF-dependent mitogenesis in a SHE cell phenotype, which expresses tumor suppressor genes (supB+), but was not effective in a variant that does not express these suppressor genes (supB-). In the present study, we have investigated the potential effects of this lipid metabolite on the EGFR signaling pathways in these two SHE cell lines. Treatment of quiescent SHE cells with EGF produced a rapid, transient increase in the tyrosine phosphorylation of EGFR. Dependence on EGF concentration for EGFR tyrosine phosphorylation was similar in both SHE cell lines, but a more prolonged phosphorylation was detected in the supB- variant. Incubation of supB+ cells with (13S)-HPODE and EGF increased EGFR autophosphorylation and tyrosine phosphorylation on several signaling proteins with Src homology-2 domains including GTPase-activating protein. The lipid metabolite did not significantly alter EGF-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation in the supB- variant. Tyrosine phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase was also measured. The addition of (13S)-HPODE increased the extent and duration of MAP kinase tyrosine phosphorylation in supB+ cells but not in the supB- variant. MAP kinase activity in supB+ cells, as measured in immunoprecipitates from cells after the addition of EGF, was increased by the presence of (13S)-HPODE. The addition of (13S)-HPODE did not directly alter EGFR kinase activity or the internalization of the EGFR. However, the addition of (13S)-HPODE to supB+ cells extended the tyrosine phosphorylation of the EGFR in response to EGF. The dephosphorylation of the EGFR was measured directly, and a slower rate was observed in the supB- compared with the supB+ cells. Incubation of the supB+ cells with (13S)-HPODE attenuated the dephosphorylation of the EGFR. Thus, (13S)-HPODE stimulates EGF-dependent mitogenesis and up-regulation of EGF-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation by inhibiting the dephosphorylation of the EGFR. This study shows that a metabolite of an essential dietary fatty acid, linoleic acid, can modulate tyrosine phosphorylation and activity of key signal transduction proteins in a growth factor mitogenic pathway.

The determination of protein nitrotyrosine content has become a frequently used technique for the detection of oxidative tissue damage. Protein nitration has been suggested to be a final product of the production of highly reactive nitrogen oxide intermediates (e. g. peroxynitrite) formed in reactions between nitric oxide (NO.) and oxygen-derived species such as superoxide. The enzyme prostaglandin H synthase-2 (PHS-2) forms one or more tyrosyl radicals during its enzymatic catalysis of prostaglandin formation. In the presence of the NO.-generator diethylamine nonoate, the electron spin resonance spectrum of the PHS-2-derived tyrosyl radical is replaced by the spectrum of another free radical containing a nitrogen atom. The magnitude of the nitrogen hyperfine coupling constant in the latter species unambiguously identifies it as an iminoxyl radical, which is likely formed by the oxidation of nitrosotyrosine, a stable product of the addition of NO. to tyrosyl radical. Addition of superoxide dismutase did not alter the spectra, indicating that peroxynitrite was not involved. Western blot analysis of PHS-2 after exposure to the NO.-generator revealed nitrotyrosine formation. The results provide a mechanism for nitric oxide-dependent tyrosine nitration that does not require formation of more highly reactive nitrogen oxide intermediates such as peroxynitrite or nitrogen dioxide.

Previous studies have shown that the primary arylamine carcinogen 2-aminofluorene (2-AF) is oxidized by the prostaglandin H synthase peroxidase to mutagenic and electrophilic products capable of covalent binding to macromolecules. The present study was designed to identify the potential reactive intermediate(s) responsible for binding, and to characterize further the metabolic intermediates in 2-AF peroxidation. Both prostaglandin H synthase and horseradish peroxidase, with H2O2, oxidize 2-AF to azofluorene, 2-aminodifluorenylamine (2-ADFA), 2-nitrofluorene, polymeric and nonorganic-extractable material. Both enzymes show greater activity at pH 5.0 than at pH 7.0. In the presence of either 2-t-butyl-4-methoxyphenol or 2,6-dimethylphenol, arylamine/phenol adducts were formed in high yield, with the nitrogen of either 2-AF or 2-ADFA coupled to the para position of the phenol (loss of -OCH3 with 2-t-butyl-4-methoxyphenol). These structures were confirmed by mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. Acid hydrolysis of N-hydroxy-2-AF to yield the nitrenium ion, in the presence of a phenol, also results in adduct formation, but only at times greater than 2 h and in very limited yield. The peroxidase-catalyzed adduct formation, however is rapid (less than 2 min) and extensive. These and other data support a one-electron pathway for 2-AF peroxidation, with a free radical or a free radical-derived product responsible for binding to protein and DNA. An N-hydroxy intermediate may therefore not be obligatory in the enzymatic activation of 2-AF to a mutagenic product.

The (bi)sulfite ion undergoes extensive autoxidation in neutral aqueous media with the formation of sulfur trioxide radical anion that is detected by ESR. The radical anion subsequently reacts with molecular oxygen to form a peroxyl radical. We find that when (+/-)-trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BP-7,8-diol) is included in this autoxidation system, BP-7,8-diol is converted to diolepoxides, ultimate carcinogenic derivatives of benzo[a]pyrene. This epoxidation occurs with a stereoselectivity consistent with either a peroxyl radical or a peracid as the epoxidizing agent. The epoxidation is dependent on the concentration of both (bi)sulfite and oxygen. In the presence of 10 microM butylated hydroxyanisole, which abolishes (bi)sulfite autoxidation, no (bi)sulfite-dependent epoxidation occurs. These results are discussed in regard to the mechanism of (bi)sulfite autoxidation, and in relationship to the cocarcinogenicity of sulfur dioxide [anhydrous (bi)sulfite] for benzo[a]pyrene-induced pulmonary neoplasia.

We have previously reported that hydrogen peroxide, an active oxygen species and a cellular oxidant, induces c-Fos and c-Jun mRNA expression and DNA synthesis in vascular smooth muscle cells and that these events require arachidonic acid release and metabolism through the lipoxygenase pathway. Here we have identified the eicosanoids that mediate the hydrogen peroxide-induced growth-related events in these cells. Hydrogen peroxide stimulated the production of 12- and 15-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acids in vascular smooth muscle cells. Both 12- and 15-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acids induced the expression of c-Fos and c-Jun protein and increased activating protein 1 (AP-1) activity, as measured by AP-1-DNA binding and AP-1-dependent human collagenase promoter-driven chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene transcription. Hydrogen peroxide and arachidonic acid also induced the expression of c-Fos and c-Jun protein and AP-1 activity. Nordihydroguaiaretic acid, an inhibitor of the lipoxygenase pathway, significantly inhibited both hydrogen peroxide and arachidonic acid-stimulated c-Fos and c-Jun protein expression and AP-1 activity. Together, these findings suggest that hydrogen peroxide induces the production of eicosanoids and that the eicosanoids are potential mediators of the oxidative stress-stimulated growth-related events in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Canine tracheal epithelial cells freshly isolated from mongrel dog trachea were used to study relationships between arachidonic acid metabolism and chloride ion movement. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of the cell incubation media after the addition of A23187 showed the presence of prostaglandin H synthase and lipoxygenase-derived metabolites. The major prostaglandin H synthase metabolite identified by HPLC, gas chromatography, and mass spectrometry was prostaglandin (PG) D2. The major lipoxygenase metabolites were leukotriene (LT) C4 and LTB4. LTB4 was identified by HPLC, UV spectroscopy, and gas chromatography. Straight phase HPLC of the methyl esters indicated only a minor formation of LTB4 isomers. LTC4 was identified by HPLC, UV spectroscopy, and conversion to LTD4 by gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase. Analysis by radioimmunoassays indicated approximately 1-2 ng of LTB4 and peptide LT formed by 10(6) cells after A23187 stimulation. The addition of ionophore A23187 caused a rapid release of arachidonic acid metabolites which was completed within 5 min of stimulation. Cl- secretion was measured in parallel studies of excised tracheas in Ussing chambers. Cl- secretion occurred at 2-3 min after the addition of ionophore, and the most rapid change occurred with the highest PGD2 concentrations. Indomethacin produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of PGD2 formation and Cl- movement. The addition of PGE2, PGD2, and PGH2 effectively stimulated Cl- secretion. LTC4 also stimulated Cl- secretion, but the stimulation was inhibited by indomethacin. These results indicate that canine tracheal epithelial cells metabolize arachidonic acid via both prostaglandin H synthase and lipoxygenase enzymes. It appears that endogenous PGD2 formation is the important variable controlling the Cl- ion movement in canine trachea.

The metabolism of styrene by prostaglandin hydroperoxidase and horseradish peroxidase was examined. Ram seminal vesicle microsomes in the presence of arachidonic acid or hydrogen peroxide and glutathione converted styrene to glutathione adducts. Neither styrene 7,8-oxide nor styrene glycol was detected as a product in the incubation. Also, the addition of styrene 7,8-oxide and glutathione to ram seminal vesicle microsomes did not yield styrene glutathione adducts. The peroxidase-generated styrene glutathione adducts were isolated by high pressure liquid chromatography and characterized by NMR and tandem mass spectrometry as a mixture of (2R)- and (2S)-S-(2-phenyl-2-hydroxyethyl)glutathione. (1R)- and (1S)-S-(1-phenyl-2-hydroxyethyl)glutathione were not formed by the peroxidase system. The addition of phenol or aminopyrine to incubations, which greatly enhances the oxidation of glutathione to a thiyl radical by peroxidases, increased the formation of styrene glutathione adducts. We propose a new mechanism for the formation of glutathione adducts that is independent of epoxide formation but dependent on the initial oxidation of glutathione to a thiyl radical by the peroxidase, and the subsequent reaction of the thiyl radical with a suitable substrate, such as styrene.

We have examined the prostaglandin endoperoxide synthetase-dependent metabolism of the arylamine carcinogen 2-aminofluorene (2-AF). Ram seminal vesicle microsomes fortified with arachidonic acid metabolize 2-AF to products covalently bound to microsomal macromolecules, water-soluble metabolites, and two organic extractable metabolites. The organic extractable metabolites were identified by co-chromatography, uv-visible spectrophotometry, and mass spectrometry as 2-nitrofluorene and 2,2'-azobisfluorene (azofluorene). Hydrogen peroxide also supports 2-AF metabolism to the same products, suggesting that the hydroperoxidase activity of prostaglandin endoperoxide synthetase is responsible for the co-oxidation. The highly reactive oxygenated metabolites of 2-AF, N-hydroxy-2-AF, and 2-nitrosofluorene, are metabolized by prostaglandin endoperoxide synthetase to one major product, 2-nitrofluorene. The metabolism of 2-AF, N-hydroxy-2-AF, and 2-nitrosofluorene is extremely rapid, reaching completion in less than 30 s. The horseradish peroxidase/H2O2 system also metabolites 2-AF to 2-nitrofluorene and azofluorene. The chloroperoxidase/H2O2 system, however, yields primarily 2-nitrosofluorene from 2-AF. These results suggest that 2-AF is oxidized to an electrophilic intermediate(s) by prostaglandin endoperoxide synthetase, which either binds covalently to tissue macromolecules or is further rapidly oxidized to 2-nitrofluorene and azofluorene. Furthermore, this reaction probably proceeds through a free radical mechanism similar to that of horseradish peroxidase.

We have investigated the dynamics for the removal of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) from the circulation using the isolated perfused rabbit lung. 5-HT was removed from the circulation at a constant rate and metabolized completely to 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid which effluxed from the lung into the circulation. Two methods were developed to determine the constant rate of removal of 5-HT: (1) the constant rate is equal to the difference between the 5-HT concentration flowing into the lung and the 5-HT concentration in the effluent times the flow rate and (2) extrapolation of the rate of appearance of radioactivity in the effluent to zero time. With these methods, we have confirmed the 5-HT is removed by the lung by a carrier-mediated Na+-dependent transport system. Studies of transport systems in perfused organs required an adequate supply of the chemical to the lung. Supply rates less than removal rate will result in erroneous measurements of the constant removal rate. The relationships between the rate of removal, perfusate concentration and perfusion rate were analyzed.

The uptake, metabolism and persistence of racemic, d- and l-methadone were studied in the isolated perfused rabbit lung. The removal of the drug from the perfusate was resolved into two uptake processes (I1 and I2Y. The unidirectional flux of methadone from the perfusate into the lung was linear with respect to perfusate concentration, suggesting an uptake mechanism involving diffusion and/or binding. The uptake of d- and l-methadone was identical. In the absence of methadone in the perfusate, methadone that previously had accumulated in the lung effluxed at three rates (T1/2 = 0.37, 1.65 and 8.9 minutes) suggesting that accumulated methadone was stored in at least three pools (E1, E2, and E3) In addition, a pool with a half-life in excess of 5 hours (noneffuxable pool) was detected; this noneffluxable pool was shown not to be the result of irreversible covalent binding. Methadone was biotransformed to a small extent by the isolated perfused lung to mono- and di-N-demethylated metabolites. Although unchanged methadone and its N-demethylated metabolites were consistently found in the lung at the end of efflux, the mono-N-demethylated metabolite was not always detectable in the perfusate. Nevertheless, the decrease in the rate of efflux of the metabolites with respect to time was identical to that of unchanged methadone.

We have proposed, using styrene as a model, a new mechanism for the formation of glutathione conjugates that is independent of epoxide formation but dependent on the oxidation of glutathione to a thiyl radical by peroxidases such as prostaglandin H synthase or horseradish peroxidase. The thiyl radical reacts with styrene to yield a carbon-centered radical which subsequently reacts with molecular oxygen to give the styrene-glutathione conjugate. We have used electron spin resonance spin trapping techniques to detect the proposed free radical intermediates. A styrene carbon-centered radical was trapped using the spin traps 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) and t-nitrosobutane. The position of the carbon-centered radical was confirmed to be at carbon 7 by the use of specific 2H-labeled styrenes. The addition of the spin trap DMPO inhibited both the utilization of molecular oxygen and the formation of styrene-glutathione conjugates. Under anaerobic conditions additional styrene-glutathione conjugates were formed, one of which was identified by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry as S-(2-phenyl)ethylglutathione. The glutathione thiyl radical intermediate was observed by spin trapping with DMPO. These results support the proposed free radical-mediated formation of styrene-glutathione conjugates by peroxidase enzymes.

The oxidation of aminopyrine to an aminopyrine cation radical was investigated using a solubilized microsomal preparation or prostaglandin H synthase purified from ram seminal vesicles. Aminopyrine was oxidized to an aminopyrine cation radical in the presence of arachidonic acid, hydrogen peroxide, t-butyl hydroperoxide or 15-hydroperoxyarachidonic acid. Highly purified prostaglandin H synthase, which processes both cyclo-oxygenase and hydroperoxidase activity, oxidized aminopyrine to the free radical. Purified prostaglandin H synthase reconstituted with Mn2+ protoporphyrin IX, which processes only cyclo-oxygenase activity, did not catalyze the formation of the aminopyrine free radical. Aminopyrine stimulated the reduction of 15-hydroperoxy-5,8,11,13-eicosatetraenoic acid to 15-hydroxy-5,8,11-13-eicosatetraenoic acid. Approximately 1 molecule of 15-hydroperoxy-5,8,11,13-eicosatetraenoic acid was reduced for every 2 molecules of aminopyrine free radical formed, giving a stoichiometry of 1:2. The decay of the aminopyrine radical obeyed second-order kinetics. These results support the proposed mechanism in which aminopyrine is oxidized by prostaglandin H synthase hydroperoxidase to the aminopyrine free radical, which then disproportionates to the iminium cation. The iminium cation is further hydrolyzed to the demethylated amine and formaldehyde. Glutathione reduced the aminopyrine radical to aminopyrine with the concomitant oxidation of GSH to its thiyl radical as detected by ESR of the glutathione thiyl radical adduct.

The oxidation of glutathione to a thiyl radical by prostaglandin H synthase was investigated. Ram seminal vesicle microsomes, in the presence of arachidonic acid, oxidized glutathione to its thiyl-free radical metabolite, which was detected by ESR using the spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide. Oxidation of glutathione was dependent on arachidonic acid and inhibited by indomethacin. Peroxides also supported oxidation, indicating that the oxidation was by prostaglandin hydroperoxidase. Glutathione served as a reducingcofactor for the reduction of 15-hydroperoxy-5,8,11,13-eicosatetraenoic acid to 15-hydroxy-5,8,11,13-eicosatetraenoic acid at 1.5-2 times the nonenzymatic rate. Although purified prostaglandin H synthase in the presence of either H2O2 or 15-hydroperoxy-5,8,11,13-eicosatetraenoic acid oxidized glutathione to a thiyl radical, arachidonic acid did not support glutathione oxidation. Glutathione also inhibited cyclooxygenase activity as determined by measuring oxygen incorporation into arachidonic acid. Reverse-phase high pressure liquid chromatography analysis of the arachidonic acid metabolites indicated that the presence of glutathione in an incubation altered the metabolite profile. In the absence of the cofactor, the metabolites were PGD2, PGE2, and 15-hydroperoxy-PGE2 (where PG indicates prostaglandin), while in the presence of glutathione, the only metabolite was PGE2. These results indicate that glutathione not only serves as a cofactor for prostaglandin E isomerase but is also a reducing cofactor for prostaglandin H hydroperoxidase. Assuming that glutathione thiyl-free radical observed in the trapping experiments is involved in the enzymatic reduction of 15-hydroperoxy-5,8,11,13-eicosatetraenoic acid to 15-hydroxy-5,8,11,13-eicosatetraenoic acid, then a 1-electron donation from glutathione to prostaglandin hydroperoxidase is indicated.

Metabolism of arachidonic and linoleic acid can be regulated by polypeptide growth factors in a variety of cell types. In Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) fibroblasts, epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulates the conversion of exogenous linoleic acid to 13(S)-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (HODE). Inhibition of 13-HODE biosynthesis blocks the EGF-mitogenic response in SHE cells, and 13-HODE and its hydroperoxy precursor are potent and highly specific enhancers of EGF-dependent DNA synthesis. We demonstrated that EGF stimulates a biphasic production and release of endogenous 13-HODE. Through development of a stable isotope-dilution GC/MS assay for 13-HODE, we observed 13-HODE production as early as 5 min after EGF stimulation, and this initial phase peaked at 1 hr. A second rise in 13-HODE formation was seen at 2-4 hr, and this phase plateaued at 4-6 hr at a level of 30-40 ng/10(6) cells. EGF stimulation of 13-HODE biosynthesis is not mediated by transcriptional or translational regulation of the inducible form of prostaglandin H synthase. Based on enzyme inhibitor studies and structural characterization of products, the linoleate metabolite is apparently formed by an n-6 lipoxygenase that remains to be characterized. EGF stimulation of 13-HODE formation is linked with activation of the EGF receptor tyrosine kinase. Inhibition of EGF receptor tyrosine kinase activity with methyl-2,5-dihydroxycinnamate blocked EGF-dependent linoleic acid metabolism and EGF-regulated DNA synthesis. Potentiation of the EGF receptor tyrosine phosphorylation cascade through treatment of SHE cells with the tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor vanadate resulted in a 3-fold increase in EGF-stimulated 13-HODE production and a corresponding enhancement of the EGF mitogenic response. The coupling of EGF-regulated linoleic acid metabolism with the EGF receptor tyrosine kinase activity suggests the importance of specific linoleate compounds in mediating mitogenic signal transduction.

Tyrosyl radicals have been detected during turnover of prostaglandin endoperoxide H synthase (PGHS), and they are speculated to participate in cyclooxygenase catalysis. Spectroscopic approaches to elucidate the identity of the radicals have not been definitive, so we have attempted to trap the radical(s) with nitric oxide (NO). NO quenched the EPR signal generated by reaction of purified ram seminal vesicle PGHS with arachidonic acid, suggesting that NO coupled with a tyrosyl radical to form inter alia nitrosocyclohexadienone. Subsequent formation of nitrotyrosine was detected by Western blotting of PGHS incubated with NO and arachidonic acid or organic hydroperoxides using an antibody against nitrotyrosine. Both arachidonic acid and NO were required to form nitrotyrosine, and tyrosine nitration was blocked by the PGHS inhibitor indomethacin. The presence of superoxide dismutase had no effect on nitration, indicating that peroxynitrite was not the nitrating agent. To identify which tyrosines were nitrated, PGHS was digested with trypsin, and the resulting peptides were separated by high pressure liquid chromatography and monitored with a diode array detector. A single peptide was detected that exhibited a spectrum consistent with the presence of nitrotyrosine. Consistent with Western blotting results, both NO and arachidonic acid were required to observe nitration of this peptide, and its formation was blocked by the PGHS inhibitor indomethacin. Peptide sequencing indicated that the modified residue was tyrosine 385, the source of the putative catalytically active tyrosyl radical.

We report here the application of the electron spin resonance technique to detect free radicals formed by the hydroperoxidase activity of prostaglandin H synthase in cells. Studies were done using keratinocytes obtained from hairless mice. These cells can be prepared in large number and possess significant prostaglandin H synthase activity. Initial attempts to directly detect free radical metabolites of several amines in cells were unsuccessful. A technique was developed based on the ability of some free radicals formed by prostaglandin hydroperoxidase to oxidize reduced glutathione (GSH) to a thiyl radical, which was trapped by 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO). Phenol and aminopyrine are excellent hydroperoxidase substrates for this purpose and thus were used for all further experiments. Using this approach we detected the DMPO/GS* thiyl radical adduct catalyzed by cellular prostaglandin hydroperoxidase. The formation of the radical was dependent on the addition of substrate, inhibited by indomethacin, and supported by either exogenous arachidonic acid or endogenous arachidonic acid released from phospholipid stores by Ca2+ionophore A-23187. The addition of GSH significantly increased the intracellular GSH concentration and concomitantly stimulated the formation of the DMPO/GS* thiyl radical adduct. Phenol, but not aminopyrine, enhanced thiyl radical adduct formation and prostaglandin formation with keratinocytes while both cofactors were equally effective in incubations containing microsomes prepared from keratinocytes. These results suggest that prostaglandin hydroperoxidase-dependent co-oxidation of chemicals can result in the intracellular formation of free radical metabolites.

The mechanism of prostaglandin synthase-dependent (bi)sulfite (hydrated sulfur dioxide) oxidation was investigated using an enzyme preparation derived from ram seminal vesicles. The horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of (bi)sulfite was used as a model system. Incubation of (bi)sulfite with prostaglandin synthase and arachidonic acid, 15-hydroperoxyarachidonic acid, or H2O2 results in the formation of the reactive sulfur trioxide anion radical (SO3(-)). The horseradish peroxidase/H2O2 system also oxidizes (bi)sulfite to SO3(-). This free radical reacts with oxygen resulting in oxygen consumption by these incubations. The free radical was detected with the indirect electron spin resonance technique of spin trapping. The SO3(-) radical adduct formed by the reaction of SO3(-) with the spin trap, 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide, gives a nitroxide free radical with a nearly unique electron spin resonance spectrum (aH = 16.0 G and aN = 14.7 G). Using the spin-trapping technique, the SO3(-) could be detected even in incubations of guinea pig lung microsomes. When arachidonic acid-derived prostaglandin G2 was the source of hydroperoxide, formation of SO3(-) could be inhibited by indomethacin. When 15-hydroperoxyarachidonic acid or hydrogen peroxide was used to drive the enzymatic oxidation of (bi)sulfite, indomethacin had no effect. This hydroperoxidase activity was not nearly as heat-labile as the cyclo-oxygenase reaction which forms prostaglandin G2. Finally, the peroxidatic oxidation of (bi)sulfite may occur in vivo in competition with the mitochondrial sulfite oxidase, which oxidizes (bi)sulfite to sulfate without the formation of free radicals.