Biomedical subjects

V Fisher-Simpson

Publications and source records attributed to V Fisher-Simpson.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1987

Microsomal ethanol-oxidizing system in purified rat Leydig cells.

These studies provide evidence for the presence of a microsomal ethanol oxidizing system in rat Leydig cells. Activity of the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system in Leydig cells was 47.4 +/- 4.1 nmol acetaldehyde per 20 min per mg protein, while activity in crude interstitial cells was 26.0 +/- 5.4 nmol. This suggests that among cells comprising interstitial cells, activity is concentrated in Leydig cells. Activity was linear with respect to protein concentration and incubation time. The highest specific activity was observed in the microsomal fraction. The most effective cofactor was NADPH. The apparent Km for ethanol was 4 mM, suggesting that this system could effectively metabolize ethanol at concentrations found in the blood of males who drink. The apparent Km for NADPH was 11 microM. The activity in Leydig cells was unaffected by 4-methylpyrazole or potassium cyanide, which inhibit alcohol dehydrogenase and catalase activities, respectively. These data provide strong evidence for an enzyme system in Leydig cell microsomes which is capable of metabolizing ethanol.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗

PubMed1986

Partial characterization of alcohol dehydrogenase activity in purified rat Leydig cells.

Ethanol metabolism to acetaldehyde by NAD+-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity reduces, in part, androgen secretion by rat Leydig cells. ADH in Leydig cells is proposed to decrease the NAD+/NADH ratio and thereby inhibit NAD+-dependent delta 5-3 beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-isomerase activity and increase NADH-dependent 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity. Although the reciprocal changes in these steroidogenic enzyme activities by ethanol are attributed to ADH activity, there is very little information about this enzyme in purified Leydig cells. The present studies examined specific characteristics of this enzyme in metrizamide-gradient purified Leydig cells. ADH activity was linear with respect to protein concentration and incubation time. The activity was concentrated in the soluble fraction, and the most effective cofactor was NAD+. The apparent Km for ethanol was 0.50 mM, and the Vmax was 53 nmol NADH/10 min/mg protein. When Leydig cell cytosol was incubated with a fixed ethanol concentration (50 mM) and increasing NAD+ and the data were plotted according to Lineweaver-Burk, a biphasic curve was observed with apparent Km's of 0.032 and 0.17 mM. The optimum pH for the enzyme was 8.2, and the enzyme was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by 4-methylpyrazole. These studies further characterize ADH activity in purified Leydig cells and demonstrate that this enzyme exhibits many characteristics similar to the more widely studied liver enzyme(s).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acetaldehyde↗

PubMed1985

Ethanol directly increases dihydrotestosterone conversion primarily to 5 alpha-androstan-3 beta, 17 beta-diol in rat Leydig cells.

Our studies demonstrate that direct stimulation of dihydrotestosterone metabolism by ethanol (2.2 - 65 mM) in rat Leydig cells primarily involves an increase in 5 alpha-androstan-3 beta, 17 beta-diol. Although the enzyme catalyzing this conversion, 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, is localized in the microsomal fraction of Leydig cells, ethanol does not increase 5 alpha-androstan-3 beta, 17 beta-diol formation in isolated microsomes, presumably because of the removal of soluble alcohol dehydrogenase activity, which we propose mediates this action. Because 5 alpha-androstan-3 beta, 17 beta-diol is generally considered a weak or inactive androgen, this effect may function to decrease dihydrotestosterone secretion by Leydig cells and/or to reduce the availability of this androgen in responsive tissues.

Androstane-3,17-diol↗

PubMed1985

Ethanol directly stimulates dihydrotestosterone conversion to 5 alpha-androstan-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol and 5 alpha-androstan-3 beta, 17 beta-diol in rat liver.

The present results demonstrate for the first time in rat liver, that low ethanol concentrations (2.2 and 22 mM) directly stimulate dihydrotestosterone conversion to 5 alpha-androstan-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol and 5 alpha-androstan-3 beta, 17 beta-diol. Because this effect was blocked by 4-methylpyrazole, an alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor, or by the addition of a saturating NADH concentration, this action probably is mediated by hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase activity through elevation of the NADH/NAD+ ratio. It remains to be determined whether this effect of ethanol actually reduces circulating and/or target tissue dihydrotestosterone levels; nevertheless, it is tempting to speculate that this action, in part, is responsible for the reported adverse effects of alcohol on male reproductive functions.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗

PubMed1984

Ethanol directly increases dihydrotestosterone conversion to 5 alpha-androstan-3 beta,17 beta-diol and 5 alpha-androstan-3 alpha,17 beta-diol in rat Leydig cells.

The direct effect of ethanol on dihydrotestosterone (DHT) conversion to 5 alpha-androstan-3 beta,17 beta-diol (3 beta-diol) and 5 alpha-androstan-3 alpha,17 beta-diol (3 alpha-diol) by adult rat Leydig cells was examined. Concentrations of ethanol comparable to blood levels of alcoholic men (2.2 - 65 mM) increased DHT conversion to 3 beta - and 3 alpha-diol, in direct relation to the dose of ethanol added; a 2-fold or greater stimulation was observed. Because this effect was blocked by 4-methylpyrazole or a saturating NADH concentration, these results suggest that this action is mediated by Leydig cell alcohol dehydrogenase activity. These results may have significant impact in the testis and/or other DHT sensitive tissues because ethanol may decrease the availability of the proposed active androgen.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗

PubMed1984

A comparison of the effects of forskolin and nitroprusside on cyclic nucleotides and relaxation in the rat aorta.

Forskolin (FOR), a diterpene activator of adenylate cyclase, produced time- and dose-dependent increases in cAMP, cAMP-dependent protein kinase activation and relaxation in the contracted rat aorta but had no effect on cGMP levels. Nitroprusside (NP) increased cGMP levels and relaxation but had no effect on cAMP levels. cAMP-dependent protein kinase activation was seen with higher concentrations of NP. Major differences were observed in the modes of action of the two compounds: (1) the time course of relaxation to FOR was slower than that to NP (15 min vs. 3 min) even though the cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity ratio was maximally elevated at 3 min after the addition of FOR; (2) FOR and dibutyryl cAMP prevented contraction to both norepinephrine (NE) and KCl whereas NP and 8-bromo-guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (8-Br-cGMP) were more effective in preventing contraction to NE than to KCl. In addition, the analog of cGMP was more effective in preventing contraction to KCl at lower concentrations of external Ca2+ while the analog of cAMP prevented contraction to KCl at all concentrations of Ca2+ equally. Nevertheless, some similarities in the actions of FOR and NP were apparent in that both agents relaxed the NE-contracted aorta more effectively than the KCl-contracted aorta, and both agents relaxed aorta contracted with lower doses of NE more effectively than that contracted with high doses of NE. These results suggest that although some similarities in the relaxing action of rat aorta by FOR and NP exist, major differences are apparent which suggests that the two compounds exert these effects through unique biochemical mechanisms.

Animals↗