Search

Stimulation of alpha-adrenergic receptors by cold stress or adrenergic agents has been shown to potentiate the toxicity of numerous toxicants. Several lines of evidence indicate that this interaction is dependent on glutathione depression and increased cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations produced by alpha1-adrenergic compounds. In this report, evidence is provided in support of the mechanism of adrenoreceptor-mediated potentiation of nephrotoxicity. Alpha1-adrenergic agonists are shown to potentiate the toxicity of nephrotoxicants that exert their toxic effects via glutathione conjugation or Ca2+ deregulation. This review summarizes the effects of the alpha1-adrenergic agonist, phenylephrine, at enhancing the toxicity of 2-bromohydroquinone, 1,2-dibromoethane, and cis-diammineplatinum(II) dichloride.

The lung has been shown to be a target organ for the deleterious effects of Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), regardless of the route of exposure. 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (oxo8dG) is a mutagenic lesion formed in DNA following exposure to B[a]P. The objective of this study was to determine the capacity of different organs to repair oxo8dG following intraperitoneal (i.p.) treatment with B[a]P. Male Spraque-Dawley rats were administered 20 mg/kg B[a]P i.p., 2 times/day for 5 days. A 26% decrease in the capacity to remove oxo8dG was observed in lung tissue at 72 hours and recovered 20% above control values at 120 hours. The capacity of the liver and kidney remained at baseline for all time points analyzed. A 7-fold increase in oxo8dG was observed in the lung at 72 hours. This study demonstrates that organ-specific differences exist in the capacity to remove oxo8dG and further demonstrates the susceptibility of lung tissue to the effects of B[a]P.

Previous studies have indicated that adrenergic agents may potentiate the hepatotoxicity of compounds such as CCl4. Methamphetamine is a powerful central nervous system stimulating drug which also possesses significant adrenergic activity, and its effects on CCl4 hepatotoxicity were examined in male ICR mice. Cotreatment of mice with methamphetamine (15 mg/kg i.p.) resulted in a significant increase in the hepatocellular necrosis produced by minimally toxic to moderately toxic doses of CCl4 (0.005-0.02 ml/kg i.p.), as indicated by changes in serum alanine aminotransferase activity and by histopathologic examination. Methamphetamine alone at this dosage was not hepatotoxic. The ability of methamphetamine to potentiate CCl4 hepatotoxicity was dose-related and became statistically significant at methamphetamine doses of 10 mg/kg or greater. Pretreatment of animals with either the selective alpha-1 adrenoreceptor antagonist prazosin (5 mg/kg i.p.) or the selective alpha-2 adrenoreceptor antagonist yohimbine (5 mg/kg i.p.) blocked the methamphetamine potentiation. The increase in CCl4 toxicity produced by methamphetamine was not associated with an increase in hepatic concentrations of either CCl4 or one of its major metabolites, chloroform. The increase in toxicity was associated, however, with increases in the in vivo covalent binding of radiolabeled CCl4 to both hepatic proteins and lipids. The cause of the increased covalent binding was not identified, but did not appear to be related to methamphetamine-induced hepatic glutathione suppression. The results of this study suggest that methamphetamine potentiates CCl4 through an adrenoreceptor-related mechanism that may involve either the increased production or diminished conjugation of the reactive metabolites normally formed during the metabolism of CCl4.

Previous studies have suggested that the esteratic metabolism of cocaine to benzoylecgonine may be inhibited by the presence of ethanol. In this study, the effects of ethanol on the esteratic metabolism of cocaine to benzoylecgonine and to ecgonine methyl ester were examined in vitro using 60,000g supernatant from mouse and human liver. The addition of ethanol (40 mM) to an incubation mixture containing cocaine (24 microM) resulted in substantial decreases in benzoylecgonine and ecgonine methyl ester formation in liver from both species. Sodium fluoride (40 mM), included in the experiment as a positive control, also produced marked inhibition of cocaine metabolism to benzoylecgonine and ecgonine methyl ester. Additional studies were conducted in vivo in which mice were administered cocaine (50 mg/kg, ip) with or without ethanol pretreatment (3 g/kg by gavage). Ethanol pretreatment resulted in 2- to 3-fold increases in peak hepatic concentrations of cocaine, ecgonine methyl ester, and the N-oxidative metabolite norcocaine, and the areas under the hepatic concentration vs. time curve (AUCs) for these compounds were doubled. In contrast, the hepatic concentrations and AUC for benzoylecgonine were halved. These observations are consistent with an inhibition in vivo of esteratic metabolism of cocaine to benzoylecgonine, resulting in higher cocaine levels and metabolism through alternative pathways. Such an interaction may be of importance in the reported effects of ethanol to enhance the activity and toxicity of cocaine.

The N-oxidative metabolism of cocaine has been described previously in some detail in the mouse, and is associated with hepatotoxic effects of cocaine in this species. As part of an effort to determine whether this metabolism-dependent toxicity is relevant to clinical reports of liver injury from cocaine, the in vitro N-oxidative metabolism of cocaine was examined in microsomal suspensions obtained from human liver specimens. Human hepatic microsomal suspensions were capable of metabolizing cocaine to norcocaine, and norcocaine to N-hydroxynorcocaine, which is the sequential oxidative metabolism observed in mice to lead to toxic metabolite formation. Additionally, incubation of 4-[3H]cocaine with human hepatic microsomal suspensions resulted in the formation of a metabolite that bound irreversibly to microsomal protein. Each of these reactions was inhibited or abolished by gassing the incubation mixture with carbon monoxide, omitting NADPH, or adding the cytochrome P-450 inhibitors SKF 525-A (50 microM) or n-octylamine (3 mM). Competing microsomal esterase activity reduced the apparent rate of N-demethylation of cocaine by 50%, but had much less effect on the N-hydroxylation of norcocaine. In general, apparent KM values for both the N-demethylation and N-hydroxylation reactions in human liver microsomal suspensions were greater than those observed in comparable incubations using mouse hepatic microsomal suspensions, whereas Vmax rates were lower. The extent of irreversible (i.e. nonextractable) binding of cocaine following its metabolism in vitro was comparable between human and mouse microsomal suspensions, however. Similarities in the N-oxidative metabolism of cocaine suggest that humans and mice share the same bioactivation mechanism of cocaine-induced liver injury.

Δ 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) augments the locomotor activity produced by methamphetamine (0.5 mg/kg) in aggregated mice. THC-induced augmentation was dose related and lasted for a two-hour period. Maximal effective dosage of THC was 15 mg/kg with higher dosages of 30 and 60 mg/kg producing a decrease from maximum in locomotor activity. THC, 15 mg/kg, also increases locomotor activity among aggregated animals treated with saline. However, the increase was much less than the methamphetamine augmentation. In similar studies using isolated mice THC produced only a dose-related decrease in locomotor activity among both methamphetamine-treated and saline-treated animals. THC, 60 mg/kg, had no effect on methamphetamine-induced lethality in aggregated mice. However, at 15 mg/kg, THC significantly enhanced the lethality of methamphetamine. THC did not after methamphetamine lethality in isolated mice. Distribution studies using 14C-methamphetamine indicated that neither THC nor isolation of animals affected tissue concentration or disappearance of 14C material. Previously reported synergistic interaction between amphetamine and THC is related to aggregation of the animals rather than drug treatment. Since THC at low doses can stimulate motor activity in saline-treated animals, amphetamine may act only to amplify the behavioral activity produced by low doses of THC.

Pregnant mice were treated with a single oral dose of [carboxy-14C]2,4,5-T (100 mg/kg; 1.22 mu Ci/mg) on day 12 of gestation and sacrificed after 0.25, 0.5, 2 and 24 hours. Maternal blood, embryos, placentas and yolk sacs were analyzed by solvent extraction, TLC, and countercurrent distribution. Expressed as percentage of the administered dose/g tissue, the unchanged 2,4,5-T found in maternal blood, placentas, yolk sacs, and embryos was 3, 0.5, 0.5, and 0.2%, respectively, after 0.25 hours, and 4, 2, 2, and 0.5%, respectively, after 24 hours. No major metabolites of 2,4,5-T were detected. Urine and feces were also collected and analyzed. Radioactivity was largely eliminated in the urine, 69-78% of the administered dose in 7 days. Feces contained 5-9% of the dose. In the urine unchanged 2,4,5-T accounted for 35-44% of the dose, and 22-23% as very polar material. Unchanged 2,4,5-T in the feces was 3-5% and 1-2% as polar material. 2,4,5-T administered to pregnant mice is largely distributed and eliminated as 2,4,5-T and very polar material.

Treatment of pregnant mice with delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) significantly increased the incidence of in utero deaths. SKF-525A pretreatment increased the incidence of THC-induced in utero deaths. THC also significantly reduced the body weight of surviving fetuses. Phenobarbital treatment antagonized THC-induced reduction of fetal body weight, but did not reduce resorption rate. Administration of THC, 50 or 200 mg/kg, did not induce fetal anomalies. However, both SKF-525A and phenobarbital treatment potentiated THC-induced cleft palates. SKF-525A treatment plus THC produced 36% cleft palates. Phenobarbital treatment plus THC produced 77% cleft palates. Pretreatments altered the level of tetrahydrocannabinol plus metabolites found in plasma, placenta, fetus and amnionic fluid. In general, SKF-525A increased levels and phenobarbital decreased levels. Two chemically reactive metabolites of THC are proposed, 9,10-epoxyhexahydrocannabinol and an 11-oxo derivative. SKF-525A pretreatment increased the concentration of both of these metabolites. Phenobarbital treatment increased the levels of the proposed 9,10-epoxyhexahydrocannabinol. Possible covalent binding of THC was observed. An active metabolite theory may apply to the teratogenic properties of THC.

Several 1-substituted acetyl-3-aryl carbamides selectively inhibited nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) dependent oxidation of alpha-keotoglutarate and beta-hydroxybutyrate by rat brain homogenates. NAD-independent oxidation of succinate remained unaltered. The inhibition observed with 1-(N-acetylmorpholino)-3-(4-methylphenyl)carbamide was competitive in nature.

Mercuric chloride, methylmercuric chloride, and cadmium chloride directly affect the human placental syncytiotrophoblast microvillous membrane. These heavy metals alter the facilitated diffusion of alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) into vesicles of this membrane in microM concentrations. Mercuric chloride abolishes temporal kinetics of AIB transport, inducing an initial increase in AIB transport (27% at 100 microM) but subsequently lowering equilibrium values when compared to equilibrium time points in control. Methylmercuric chloride and cadmium chloride inhibited the initial rate of AIB transport (40% and 21%, respectively, at 200 microM), but did not affect the equilibrium value of AIB transported when compared to equilibrium levels in control. These effects were concentration dependent. Methylmercuric chloride was more potent in inhibiting AIB transport than cadmium chloride. Methylmercuric chloride and cadmium chloride effects on AIB transport were observed with minimal preincubation with placental vesicles. However, preincubation was necessary for mercuric chloride-induced perturbation of AIB transport. Cysteine protects against mercuric chloride- and methylmercuric chloride-induced effects on AIB transport but did not reverse these perturbations. Mercury- and cadmium-induced placental membrane toxicity result from interactions of these heavy metals with the placental plasma membranes.

delta9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) augments the locomotor activity produced by methamphetamine (0.5 mg/kg) in aggregated mice. THC-induced augmentation was dose related and lasted for a two-hour period. Maximal effective dosage of THC was 15 mg/kg with higer dosages of 30 and 60 mg/kg producing a decrease from maximum in locomotor activity. THC, 15 mg/kg, also increases locomotor activity among aggregated animals treated with saline. However, the increase was much less than the methamphetamine augmentation. In similar studies using isolated mice THC produced only a dose-related decrease in locomtor activity among both methamphetamine-treated and saline-treated animals. THC, 60 mg/kg, had no effect on methamphetamine-induced lethality in aggregated mice. However, at 15 mg/kg, THC significantly enhanced the lethality of methamphetamine. THC did not alter methamphetamine lethality in isolated mice. Distribution studies using 14C-methamphetamine indicated that neither THC nor isolation of animals affected tissue concentration or disappearance of 14C material. Previously reported synergistic interaction between amphetamine and THC is related to aggregation of the animals rather than drug treatment. Since THC at low doses can stimulate motor activity in saline-treated animals, amphetamine may act only to amplify the behavioral activity produced by low doses of THC.

Adriamycin (ADR) has been shown to produce free radicals in NADPH microsomal systems, to increase oxygen consumption of both hepatic microsomes and heart sarcosomes and to stimulate superoxide formation in cardiac, submitochondria particles. These reactive products could produce the cardiotoxicity of ADR by oxidizing various membrane structures, especially if the heart lacks sufficient protective reducing substances such as thiols. We examined 1) the effect of ADR on reduced glutathione (G-SH) levels in various tissues including heart, 2) the ability of the sulfhydryl (SH) donor, cysteamine, to alter soluble SH levels in heart tissue after ADR administration and 3) the effects of SH donors (cysteamine and N-acetyl cysteine and G-SH depletion by diethyl maleate on ADR-induced lethality in Swiss ICR-HA mice. A single injection of ADR (15 mg/kg i.p.) elicited a statistically significant fall in liver (P.05), heart (P.02) and erythrocyte (P.01) G-SH levels. Treatment with cysteamine protected against the fall in soluble SH groups in heart tissue. Cysteamine (50 mg/kg, i.p., every 8 hr for 6 days) or N-acetylcysteine (100 mg/kg, i.p., 1 hr before and 7 hr after ADR) protected against ADR-induced lethality and decreased the appearance of microscopic myocardial lesions. When endogenous levels of G-SH were depleted by diethyl maleate (300 mg/kg i.p., every 8 hr for 4 days), ADR lethality was markedly potentiated. Diethyl maleate alone did not cause death. We conclude 1) ADR significantly lowers G-SH levels in erythrocytes, liver and heart tissue, 2) the lowering of cardiac SH groups by ADR can be prevented by cysteamine and 3) ADR toxicity can be potentiated by diethyl maleate, a G-SH depletor, and reduced by cysteamine or N-acetyl cysteine, SH donors. These results suggest that the G-SH system may be involved in the modulation of ADR-induced toxicity.

Exposure of hyperthyroid rats to halothane results in a centrilobular necrosis of the liver and an 11-fold increase in serum glutamate-pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) levels. These effects are not seen in euthyroid animals. Paradoxically, administration of diethylmaleate to hyperthyroid rats significantly decreased the levels of hepatic glutathione and blocked the halothane-induced hepatic necrosis as well as decreased the elevation of SGPT. In contrast, pretreatment of animals with N-acetylcysteine, an intracellular sulfhydryl repletor , significantly increased the severity of the halothane-induced hepatic necrosis and increased the elevation of SGPT. Similarly, cysteamine, another intracellular sulfhydryl repletor , also exacerbated halothane-induced liver injury. Halothane-induced hepatotoxicity is at least in part apparently regulated by cellular glutathione levels. Paradoxically, glutathione seems to be involved in the bioactivation rather than the detoxification of halothane.

The ability of the alpha adrenoreceptor antagonists phentolamine and yohimbine to antagonize cocaine-induced hepatotoxicity was determined in phenobarbital-induced B6C3/F1 mice. Hepatotoxicity was assessed by the histologic extent of necrosis, incidence of latent lethality and increases in serum alanine aminotransferase activity. The depression of hepatic glutathione levels also were measured. The administration of a single 5-mg/kg dose of phentolamine antagonized the decrease in glutathione levels and the elevation of aminotransferase activity caused by a 60-mg/kg dose of cocaine. Similar results were obtained in mice pretreated with the alpha-2 antagonist yohimbine. Whereas the duration of antagonism could be extended by administering a 30-mg/kg dose of yohimbine, the magnitude of the antagonism was not increased. In contrast to the experiments with the larger dose, multiple hourly doses of 2.5 mg/kg of yohimbine increased both the duration of antagonism and the magnitude of protection against the hepatotoxicity produced by cocaine. Yohimbine pretreatment reduced cocaine-induced latent lethality by 50%, but did not alter the time to lethality. The results of these experiments indicate that the alpha adrenoreceptor antagonist reduces the toxicity of cocaine rather than merely delaying its time of onset. This effect does not appear to result from an inhibition of the toxic metabolite(s) of cocaine, as a 10-fold molar excess of yohimbine failed to antagonize lipid peroxidation caused by in vitro incubation of cocaine with hepatic microsomes. Additional experiments in mice whose liver metabolism had not been induced by prior pretreatment with phenobarbital revealed that 60 mg/kg of cocaine lowered glutathione but was not hepatotoxic.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Four compounds forming metabolic intermediate complexes with cytochrome P-450 in vitro were studied for their effects on hepatic glutathione in the mouse. All four compounds depleted glutathione within 1-3 hr after administration. The effect was transient for piperonyl butoxide while lasting at least 24 hr for other compounds. Induction of the mixed-function oxidase system by phenobarbital had no effect on the glutathione-depleting actions of the compounds, but induction with 3-methylcholanthrene abolished the depletion seen with piperonyl butoxide and SKF 525-A. For SKF 525-A, L-alpha-acetylmethadol (LAAM) and norLAAM, the persistent lowering of glutathione was paralleled by elevations in serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) activity. This depletion of glutathione and subsequent elevations in SGPT were found to be strain and species dependent for SKF 525-A, LAAM and norLAAM. Compounds which complex with cytochrome P-450 in vitro may increase drug toxicities in vivo by mechanisms other than inhibition of oxidative drug metabolism.

Increased levels of alpha-fetoprotein in maternal serum or amniotic fluid may be indicative of a fetal neural tube defect. The present investigation compares, prospectively and retrospectively, the analysis of serum or amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein from humans using three radioimmunoassays. A total of 46 sera and 137 prospective and 202 retrospective amniotic fluid samples collected at 12-26 weeks' gestation were assayed using our in-house Farr technique assay, a kit Farr technique assay, and a kit double-antibody assay. Analysis of quality control data in all three assays showed that within- and between-assay variations were less with the double-antibody technique. Additionally, the double-antibody assay offers the advantage of considerably lower nonspecific binding (1.7% vs 16-18% for the Farr technique assays). Of the 375 pregnancies sampled during this study, 340 (91%) resulted in normal singleton births, whereas three (1%) pregnancies were found to have elevated serum or amniotic fluid by all three assay methods and resulted in confirmed neural tube defects. Of the remaining, non-normal outcome without neural tube defect or elevated alpha-fetoprotein was determined in 27 (7%) pregnancies, and false-positive elevated alpha-fetoprotein levels were found for 5 (1%). Analysis of maternal alpha-fetoprotein by radioimmunoassay is a sensitive and accurate adjunct in the prenatal diagnosis of neural tube defects.

Anticonvulsant therapy during pregnancy with the hydantoin phenytoin carries a risk of teratologic sequelae and developmental retardation known as the fetal hydantoin syndrome. The putative teratogen is a highly reactive arene oxide intermediate produced during phenytoin metabolism. By using two structurally similar hydantoins, mephenytoin and its in vivo demethylated metabolite nirvanol, we examined the possibility for a stereoselective dissociation of fetal hydantoin toxicity from maternal anticonvulsant activity. The d-isomers (S-enantiomers) of mephenytoin and nirvanol are p-hydroxylated via an arene oxide and hence were suspect teratogens. The l-isomers (R-enantiomers), being eliminated primarily via alternate pathways, were expected to be less toxic. Equimolar doses of the d- or l-isomers of mephenytoin or nirvanol were administered to pregnant Swiss ICR mice i.p. on gestational day 10. An 8-fold increase in fetal resorptions and a significant 11% decrease in fetal body weight was observed in the group treated with l-nirvanol, whereas no or minimal toxicity was observed in the other treatment groups. The blood clearance for d-nirvanol was double that for l-nirvanol, with correspondingly higher urinary concentrations of arene oxide-mediated metabolites. ANIH shift during metabolism supported the presence of an arene oxide intermediate. Contrary to our expectations, only l-nirvanol, the isomer producing less arene oxide, demonstrated fetal toxicity, thus raising some doubt concerning the arene oxide as the putative hydantoin teratogen. Further animal studies with the d-isomers of mephenytoin and nirvanol may lead to an anticonvulsant of choice during pregnancy.

Propoxyphene and morphine lowered hepatic glutathione and increased serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) activity when administered to male mice. Maximal changes were seen at 3 to 6 hr after administration, but the effects lasted for as long as 18 hr. Morphine-induced hepatic changes potentiated both acetaminophen and cocaine-induced hepatotoxicity. Naltrexone, a narcotic antagonist, abolished the glutathione depletion produced by both propoxyphene and morphine, but did not alter the propoxyphene-induced elevations of SGPT. Naltrexone also was tested against other narcotic agonists we have previously demonstrated to be hepatotoxic. Naltrexone pretreatment of antagonized L-alpha-acetylmethadol (LAAM)-induced depletion of glutathione and elevations of SGPT. Similarly, naltrexone antagonized norLAAM-induced depletion of glutathione and elevations of SGPT, but only lessened the magnitude of the changes induced by SKF525-A. The narcotic agonists morphine, LAAM, norLAAM and propoxyphene lower hepatic glutathione and induce hepatocellular damage, but these two effects appear to be unrelated.