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B C Foster

Publications and source records attributed to B C Foster.

28 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Propranolol metabolism by Cunninghamella bainieri.

1. Incubations of racemic propranolol alone or in the presence of either quinidine or sparteine were performed with Cunninghamella bainieri. 2. Five mammalian metabolites of propranolol (4-hydroxypropranolol, desisopropyl-propranolol, 1-naphthoxylactic acid, propranolol glycol and 1-naphthoxyacetic acid) were present in unhydrolysed extracts of the incubation medium according to h.p.l.c. and g.l.c. analyses. The relative proportion of 4-hydroxypropranolol increased after enzymic treatment. 3. Propranolol not only had a fungistatic effect, but also caused morphological changes in the organism, which were accompanied by decomposition of 4-hydroxypropranolol and formation of a greenish-brown colour in the incubation medium. 4. Drug interaction experiments yielded results which paralleled those reported in mammals. 5. The findings indicate that C. bainieri may be a useful microbial model for drug disposition and interaction studies.

Biotransformation↗

Microbial metabolism of phenelzine and pheniprazine.

Phenelzine and pheniprazine were used as substrates for metabolic studies with Cunninghamella echinulata and Mycobacterium smegmatis. Metabolites were identified by means of gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. 1-Acetyl-2-(2-phenylethyl)-hydrazine and 1-acetyl-2-(1-methyl-2-phenylethyl)hydrazine were the major products of C. echinulata metabolism of phenelzine and pheniprazine, respectively. In addition, M. smegmatis produced a second metabolite from each substrate; these metabolites were unequivocally identified as N-acetylphenylethylamine and N-acetylamphetamine from phenelzine and pheniprazine, respectively.

Amphetamines↗

Metabolic fate and elimination in milk, urine and bile of deoxynivalenol following administration to lactating sheep.

Using a combination of radioisotopic counting and chromatographic detection techniques, the kinetics and metabolic fate of deoxynivalenol (DON) in plasma, urine and bile were studied in lactating sheep, as was the transmission of residues to milk. Following intravenous administration, the plasma clearance of 14C-DON-derived radioactivity was rapid and followed a tri-phasic decay curve comprised of a bi-exponential decrease in DON (rapid distribution phase, t1/2 alpha = 16.2 min; slower elimination phase t1/2 beta = 66.5 min) and the formation and elimination (t1/2 beta = 188.0 min) of its major plasma metabolite, DON-glucuronide conjugate, which accounted for 13% of the plasma radioactivity levels. DON was rapidly cleared from the body by metabolism to 7 possible metabolites, which were excreted essentially in the urine (91%) and to a lesser extent in the bile (6%). Most (67%) of the recovered radioactivity was in the form of the glucuronide conjugates of DON (54%) and the de-epoxide metabolite, DOM-1 (13%). Excretion of unmetabolized DON accounted for 11%. The remaining recovered dose (18%) comprised of minor amounts of DOM-1 (6%), DON-sulfate conjugate (2%) and 3 unidentified radioactive components (10%). Studies on the presence of DON-derived residues in milk indicated that, relative to the dose, only trace amounts were transmitted following either oral or iv administration of the toxin.

Animals↗

Metabolism of amphetamines by Mycobacterium smegmatis.

Amphetamine and five N-alkylated homologues were readily metabolized by Mycobacterium smegmatis and the products obtained were identified by gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The N-aklylsubstituent had a considerable influence on the degree and mechanism of biotransformation. With the exception of the N-isopropyl derivative, all of the N-alkylated homologues were deaklylated to amphetamine which was then conjugated to the N-acetyl derivative. The degree of N-oxygenation of these substrates was significantly different from that observed in mammalian and fungal systems where four products are generally recovered. Mycobacterium smegmatis N-oxygenation of amphetamine did not occur, whereas all N-alkylated amphetamines were converted to the corresponding nitrones or, in the case of methamphetamine, to 1-phenyl-2-propanone oxime. No other N-oxygenated products were isolated. Mycobacterium smegmatis metabolism of 1-phenyl-2-propanone oxime, N-hydroxy-amphetamine. N-hydroxy-N-(n-proply)amphetamine, and the nitrone, alpha-methyl-N-(n-propyl-idene)benzeneethanamine N-oxide, was also studied. Some hydrolysis of the oxime to 1-phenyl-2-propanone was observed. The other three substrates were metabolized to amphetamine and N-acetylamphetamine.

Amphetamines↗

Developmental toxicity of 4-substituted amphetamines in mice.

Despite overwhelming and tragic evidence of their detrimental and dangerous consequences, amphetamines remain significant drugs of abuse and addiction. The effects of 4-substituted amphetamines: 4-hydroxyamphetamine (4-HA), 4-methoxyamphetamine (4-MEA), 4-ethoxyamphetamine (4-ETA), 4-propoxyamphetamine (4-PPA), and 4-benzyloxyamphetamine (4-BEA) on intrauterine development, pregnancy outcome, postnatal growth, and survival were compared in Swiss-Webster mice. Single daily doses (0, 50, or 100 mg/kg) of an aqueous solution of different amphetamines were administered on pregnancy days 6 through 18. The 50 mg/kg doses of all amphetamines were well tolerated by the mothers and did not produce any overt signs of maternal toxicity or death. However, a few mothers died on different days of gestation after receiving 100 mg/kg of 4-HA, 4-MEA, 4-ETA, and 4-BEA. The mothers that failed to deliver naturally (3 d after the due date) were killed and their uteri were examined for live/dead fetuses and resorption sites. In comparison with respective controls, the incidence of resorptions was markedly higher in the 4-MEA- and 4-ETA-dosed groups. Delivery was prolonged in the 4-PPA- and 4-BEA-treated dams. Apparently well-formed but dead pups were delivered by 4-HA-, 4-PPA-, and 4-BEA-dosed mice. Marked reductions in average litter size and weight occurred after intrauterine exposure to 100 mg/kg 4-BEA. Treatment with 4-ETA, 4-PPA, and 4-BEA not only resulted in a high incidence of cannibalism within 24 h after birth but also caused an increase in cumulative pup mortality during the first 3 weeks of age. Body weight gain was significantly lower in 3-week-old offspring exposed to 4-HA and 4-PPA than in the controls. The findings suggest that 4-substituted amphetamines exhibit a wide variation in their effects on maternal toxicity and pregnancy wastage, and produce adverse effects on parturition, pup survival, and postnatal development.

Amphetamines↗

An in vitro evaluation of human cytochrome P450 3A4 and P-glycoprotein inhibition by garlic.

PURPOSE: Garlic has been used as a flavouring agent, traditional medicine, and functional food to improve physical or mental well-being. Garlic and garlic products generally have been regarded as safe but a number of conflicting reports in the literature and confounding factors make it difficult to unequivocally establish the clinical efficacy and safety of these products either alone or in the presence of therapeutic products. A preliminary study was undertaken with fresh garlic and garlic products using the major cDNA-expressed human cytochrome P-450 isozymes associated with the metabolism of HIV/AIDS drugs, and purified P-glycoprotein (P-gp) cell membranes to ascertain the risk potential for generating interactions with therapeutic products. METHODS: A broad screening was undertaken with 10 garlic products (aged, odourless, oil, freeze-dried) and 3 varieties of fresh garlic bulbs (common, Elephant and Chinese), all purchased from local outlets, to examine their potential to affect human cytochrome P-450 2C9*1, 2C9*2, 2C19, 2D6, 3A4, 3A5 and 3A7 mediated-metabolism of marker substrates using an in vitro fluorometric microtiter plate assay. Four garlic products were screened for their potential to interact with P-gp using an in vitro colourmetric ATPase assay. RESULTS: Extracts of fresh garlic, different brands and lots of odourless garlic and representative samples of garlic oil, freeze dried garlic, and aged garlic exhibited an inhibitory effect on cytochrome P450 2C9*1, 2C19, 3A4, 3A5 and 3A7 mediated metabolism of a marker substrate. The activity of 2D6 mediated-metabolism was generally unaffected by garlic. Extracts of the fresh garlic stimulated CYP2C9*2 metabolism of the marker substrate. With the extracts tested, garlic had very low to moderate P-gp interaction as compared with the positive control verapamil. CONCLUSIONS: Our in vitro findings demonstrate that garlic components can affect cytochrome P-450 2C, 2D and 3A mediated-metabolism of the isoforms studied. The safety and efficacy of conventional therapeutic products metabolized by the affected isozymes, particularly those with a narrow therapeutic index, taken concomitantly with garlic needs to be examined further under clinical settings.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗

Optimization of chick embryotoxicity bioassay for testing toxicity potential of fungal metabolites.

The optimization of a simple, sensitive procedure using a chick embryotoxicity screening test (CHEST) bioassay for detection of toxic compounds is presented. Dosing protocols of eggs, using several mycotoxins (aflatoxin B1, deoxynivalenol, T-2 toxin) and appropriate controls, were evaluated for embryonic sensitivity, overall practicality of the procedure, and consistency of results. It was found that both type of carrier solvent and volume injected could significantly affect overall embryonic mortality. The chick embryo was most sensitive to the effects of toxins and solvents after 1 or 2 days of incubation; a rapid decrease in response was observed as the age of the embryo at dosing increased. Following administration of the toxins just below the shell membrane by way of a small hole (less than 0.5 mm diameter) punched in the shell, a good dose-response (% mortality) could be obtained regardless of the site of injection (except directly into the yolk), although dosing via the air sac position resulted in a slightly better statistical outcome. Although some variations in calculated LD50 values were found among repeated assays, statistical analyses showed that the differences were not due to dosing protocol but to the variations in embryo sensitivities among batches of eggs. Thus, if standard reference toxins for comparison are run concurrently, the CHEST assay can prove to be a very satisfactory model, as well as having considerable flexibility to be adapted to the needs and resources of many laboratories.

Animals↗