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G Witz

Publications and source records attributed to G Witz.

82 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Fluorescence studies on the interaction of the tumor promoter phorbol myristate acetate and related compounds with rat liver plasma membranes.

The interaction of the potent tumor-promoting agent phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) with purified rat liver plasma membranes suspended in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), pH 7.4, was studied by fluorescence spectrophotometry. Exposure of membranes to PMA caused up to 21% decrease of the native membrane emission, i.e. the fluorescence of both tryptophan and tyrosine, compared to non-treated membranes. The decrease in the membrane emission varied with both the PMA and the membrane concentration. Treatment of rat liver plasma membranes with biologically less active analogs of PMA, phorbolol myristate acetate (PHMA) and 4a alpha-phorbol didecanoate (4a alpha-PDD), resulted in a 5-10% decrease of the native membrane emission. These studies suggest that PMA causes alterations in membrane structure which are due, at least in part, to conformational changes in the membrane proteins.

Animals↗

Inhibition by reactive aldehydes of superoxide anion radical production in stimulated human neutrophils.

alpha,beta-Unsaturated aldehydes were investigated in vitro for their ability to inhibit superoxide anion radical (O2-.) production in stimulated human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). The aldehydes investigated were (i) trans-4-hydroxynonenal and malonaldehyde (MDA), two toxic lipid peroxidation products; (ii) acrolein and crotonaldehyde, two air pollutants derived from fossil fuel combustion; (iii) trans,trans-muconaldehyde, a putative hematotoxic benzene metabolite. Preincubation of PMN with reactive aldehydes followed by stimulation with the oxygen burst initiator phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of O2-. production. The concentration at which 50% inhibition (IC50) was observed was 21 microM for acrolein, 23 microM for trans,trans-muconaldehyde, 27 microM for trans-4-hydroxynonenal and 330 microM for crotonaldehyde. A similar inhibitory effect by these aldehydes was observed in digitonin- and concanavalin A-stimulated PMN. MDA inhibited O2-. production in PMA-stimulated PMN by 100% at 10(-2) M but gave no inhibition at 10(-3) M. The standard aldehyde propionaldehyde did not inhibit O2-. production at 10(-3)-10(-6) M. Preincubation of PMN with acrolein in the presence of cysteine completely protected against the inhibitory effect of this reactive aldehyde. The results indicate that the ability of toxic aldehydes to inhibit O2-. production in stimulated PMN correlates directly with their alkylation potential which is a function of the electrophilicity of the beta carbon.

Acrolein↗

Reaction of (E,E)-muconaldehyde and its aldehydic metabolites, (E,E)-6-oxohexadienoic acid and (E,E)-6-hydroxyhexa-2,4-dienal, with glutathione.

(E,E)-Muconaldehyde (muconaldehyde) has been identified as a hematotoxic metabolite of benzene in vitro. It is metabolized in mouse liver cytosol to oxidized and reduced derivatives including the alpha, beta-unsaturated aldehydes (E,E)-6-oxohexadienoic acid and (E,E)-6-hydroxy-2,4-hexadienal. In this study we have synthesized the aldehydic metabolites of muconaldehyde. The reaction of glutathione with muconaldehyde and its aldehyde metabolites was investigated. Reactions were bimolecular and stoichiometric in aldehyde and glutathione in the initial phases. Second-order rate constants were determined, and the rates were in the order muconaldehyde > (E,E)-6-hydroxy-2,4-hexadienal > (E,E)-6-oxohexadienoic acid. Further investigation of the reaction of muconaldehyde with glutathione showed that the bimolecular reaction is reversible but the initial product decomposed irreversibly to two or more products, one of which had a red-shifted UV spectrum. Rate constants for these subsequent reactions were determined. The results are discussed in terms of the toxicity of muconaldehyde at tissues distal from the liver, where it is believed to be formed from the metabolism of benzene.

Aldehydes↗

DNA-protein crosslink and DNA strand break formation in HL-60 cells treated with trans,trans-muconaldehyde, hydroquinone and their mixtures.

The toxicity of benzene, a human leukemogen and ubiquitous environmental pollutant, is mediated in part by ring-hydroxylated metabolites including hydroquinone (HQ) and ring-opened metabolites including trans,trans-muconaldehyde (muconaldehyde, MUC), and their interactions. DNA-protein crosslinks (DNAPC) and DNA strand breaks (DNASB) are toxic lesions associated with the mechanism(s) of toxicity of carcinogenic compounds. In the present studies, we examined the hypothesis that individual and interactive effects of MUC and HQ are involved in the formation of DNAPC and DNASB. We extended our previous studies on DNAPC induction by MUC in HL-60 cells to HQ and mixtures of MUC and HQ, and determined DNASB levels, including 3'OH DNASB. Treatment of HL-60 cells with 25 to 100 microM HQ followed by incubation for 4 hours resulted in 1.3- to 2.8-fold increases in DNAPC levels compared with control, as determined by a K+/sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) precipitation assay. At 25 and 100 microM, MUC was 1.8 and 4.9 fold more effective at inducing DNAPC than HQ. Treatment with equimolar mixtures of 25 or 50 microM MUC and HQ resulted in higher DNAPC formation relative to the DNAPC levels expected if the effects were only additive. 3'OH DNASB levels as determined by the TUNEL assay showed a significant concentration-dependent increase 1 hour after treatment with 5 to 25 microM MUC, whereas HQ treatment had no effect. Cotreatment with 25 and 50 microM MUC/HQ mixtures resulted in significant decreases in TUNEL labeling relative to treatment with MUC alone. HL-60 cells treated with 1 to 50 microM MUC or HQ exhibited concentration- and time-dependent increases in DNASB as determined by the FADU assay, which measures a variety of single- and double-strand breaks and alkali labile sites. Exposure to 10 microM MUC gave QDNASB values (1 QDNASB approximately equals 100 DNASB/cell) of 7.5 +/- 1.2 and 15.4 +/- 1.4 at the 1- and 2-hour time points respectively, compared with 0.1 +/- 3.8 and 0.0 +/- 1.5 for the corresponding time controls. The QDNASB values after treatment with 10 microM HQ were 4.4 +/- 0.7 and 17.7 +/- 2.1 at the 1- and 2-hour time points, respectively, compared with 0.0 +/- 0.5 and 0.0 +/- 1.3 for the corresponding time controls. Induction of DNASB was additive 1 hour after treatment with equimolar MUC/HQ mixtures of 5 to 50 microM. These in vitro findings are significant in that DNAPC and DNASB lesions induced by MUC and HQ as well as their interactions could contribute to benzene-induced hematotoxicity and leukemogenesis.

Aldehydes↗