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PubMed1974

Inhibition of DNA synthesis and cell division in Salmonella typhimurium by azide.

Evidence has been obtained that sodium azide is an inhibitor of cell division in wild-type and aziA strains of Salmonella typhimurium. The bacteria grown in media containing sodium azide and glucose formed long filaments. It has been found that sodium azide had a stronger inhibitory effect on DNA synthesis than on cell mass increase. When filaments produced by azide action were transferred to azide-free medium very rapid increase in DNA content was observed during the first 45 min. After this time, when relative DNA content was increased the rate of DNA synthesis was reduced and cell divisions reappeared. Inhibitory effect of azide on DNA biosynthesis in vitro was observed with toluenized cells of S typhimurium. Only ATP-dependent radioactive dTMP incorporation into DNA was affected by sodium azide. It had no effect on the incorporation in the absence of ATP. Mutant aziC was isolated in S. typhimurium by scoring for clones with normal cell division in the presence of sodium azide. Azide had much less effect on DNA biosynthesis in vivo and in vitro in aziC cells as compared with isogenic controls.

Azides↗

PubMed1989

31P nuclear magnetic resonance study of the effect of azide on xylose fermentation by Candida tropicalis.

Maximal ethanol production by Candida tropicalis grown on xylose was obtained at an oxygen transfer rate of 5 to 7 mmol/liter per h. Addition of 0.2 mM azide increased the ethanol yield by a factor of 3 to 4, based on the cell mass produced, and decreased the formation of the by-product xylitol by 80%. In the presence of azide, ethanol was reassimilated before the carbon source was depleted. At all oxygenation levels studied, azide caused 25 to 60% of the carbon to be lost, most probably as carbon dioxide. Identical spectra were obtained with 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy performed on extracts of C. tropicalis grown on xylose in the absence and presence of azide. Azide lowered the levels of sugar phosphates. Enzymatic analysis showed extremely low levels of fructose 1,6-diphosphate compared with the levels obtained in the absence of azide, while the level of malate, a citric acid cycle intermediate, was not influenced by azide. 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy performed on xylose-grown whole cells of C. tropicalis showed that azide lowered the intracellular pH, inhibited the uptake of external Pi, and decreased the buildup of polyphosphate in relation to results with untreated cells. Similar results were obtained with the uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), except that CCCP treatment led to extremely high levels of internal Pi. The dual effect of azide as a respiratory inhibitor and as an uncoupler is discussed with respect to the metabolism and product formation in xylose-assimilating C. tropicalis.

Azides↗

PubMed1986

Sodium azide is less suitable as a positive control of drug-induced lethality for in vitro clonogenic assays.

Sodium azide (6 mg/ml) was used as a positive control for drug-induced lethality in an in vitro clonogenic assay. Petri dishes containing control and sodium azide treated cultures of WiDr cells were placed together in a large Petri dish and incubated at 37 degrees C in an atmosphere of 10% CO2 in air. No growth was observed. Control cells formed colonies only when the dishes were separated from the sodium azide dishes. Using a microtiter plate the toxic effect was inversely related to the distance of the test cultures from the sodium azide treated cultures. These results suggested the formation of a toxic gas or vapour from sodium azide under cell culture conditions, probably an azide. Chemical analysis was based on characteristic reactions, such as the production of a precipitate with silver ions or formation of a red-coloured complex with ferric salts. On a microtiter plate, a gradient of the expected precipitate or red colour was observed, the highest amounts adjacent to the wells containing sodium azide. These results show that sodium azide acts as a positive control of drug-induced lethality for in vitro clonogenic assays. However, the formation of a highly toxic vapour, most likely hydrazaic acid, makes it a less suitable standard.

Azides↗

PubMed1991

Acute neurotoxicity of sodium azide and nitric oxide.

Sodium azide is a chemical of rapidly growing commercial importance with a high acute toxicity and an unknown mechanism of action. Although it has some chemical properties and biological effects in common with cyanide, its lethality does not appear to be due to inhibition of cytochrome oxidase. Unlike cyanide it is a potent vasodilator and inhibitor of platelet aggregation presumably by virtue of its conversion to nitric oxide in vivo and in isolated preparations of blood vessels and thrombocytes. It is not clear whether the high toxicity of azide is due to nitric oxide or to the parent anion. Of a number of possible azide antagonists tested in intact mice only phenobarbital in both anesthetic and subanesthetic doses afforded statistically significant protection against death. Diazepam, phenytoin, and an anesthetic dose of a ketamine/xylazine combination had no effect. Major motor seizures are sometimes seen in human azide poisoning, and these are a regular feature of azide poisoning in laboratory rodents. Solutions of nitric oxide given systemically to mice produced no signs of toxicity, but doses 1,000-fold lower placed in the cerebroventricular system of rats produced brief but violent tonic convulsive episodes. A dose of 0.61 mmol/kg azide as given systemically regularly produced convulsions whereas a dose of 6 mumol/kg given icv produced seizures in rats. The icv convulsive dose of azide was 50-fold larger than the icv dose of nitric oxide. These results suggest that azide lethality is due to enhanced excitatory transmission in the central nervous system perhaps after its conversion to nitric oxide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1977

Effects of sodium azide on photosystem II of Chlorella pyrenoidosa.

The action of sodium azide on the electron transport chain was investigated by means of oxygen evolution, fluorescence and luminescence measurements. (1) The damping of the oxygen oscillations is progressively reduced with increasing azide concentration in the range of 10(-5) - 10(-1) M. (2) The rate of the dark decay of the S2 and S3 states is considerably slowed. The degree of slowing is dependent on concentration. (3) Luminescence is inhibited by azide both in the presence and absence of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU). (4) The fluorescence induction curve in strong light is modified in the presence of azide and its shape depends on azide concentration and on incubation time. (5) At a given time after a saturating flash, the fluorescence yield in the presence of azide is much higher than that of the control. It seems to be due to a general fluorescence increase rather than to a slower Q- reduction. (6) We tentatively propose an accelerated reduction of the primary donor P+ in state S2 and S3, by the intermediate donor Z in the presence of azide. Additionally, we have to assume that in the S2 and S3 states, some centers are blocked in an inactive low fluorescent form and that azide decreases their concentration.

Azides↗

PubMed1985

Diffusion of extracellular hydrogen peroxide into intracellular compartments of human neutrophils. Studies utilizing the inactivation of myeloperoxidase by hydrogen peroxide and azide.

It is well known that catalase is transformed to nitric oxide-Fe2+-catalase by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) plus azide. In this report, we show that myeloperoxidase is also inactivated by H2O2 plus azide. Utilizing this system, we studied the presence and source of intracellular H2O2 generated by activated neutrophils. Stimulation of neutrophils with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA, 100 ng/ml) plus azide (5 mM) for 30 min completely inactivated intragranular myeloperoxidase and reduced cytosolic catalase to 35% of resting cells. This intracellular inactivation of heme enzymes did not occur in normal neutrophils incubated with either PMA or azide alone or in neutrophils from patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CDG) which cannot produce H2O2 in response to PMA. Incubation of neutrophils with azide and a H2O2 generating system (glucose-glucose oxidase) inactivated 41% of neutrophil myeloperoxidase. Glutathione-glutathione peroxidase (GSH-GSH peroxidase), an extracellular H2O2 scavenger, totally protected neutrophil myeloperoxidase from inactivation by azide plus glucose-glucose oxidase. In addition, when a mixture of normal and CGD cells was stimulated with PMA in the presence of azide, 90% of the myeloperoxidase in CGD neutrophils was inactivated. Therefore, H2O2 released extracellularly from activated neutrophils can diffuse into cells. In contrast, myeloperoxidase in normal polymorphonuclear leukocytes stimulated with PMA in the presence of azide and GSH-GSH peroxidase was 75% inactivated. Thus, the results indicate that a GSH-GSH peroxidase-insensitive pool of H2O2 is also generated, presumably at the plasma membrane, and this pool of H2O2 can undergo direct internal diffusion to inactivate myeloperoxidase.

Animals↗

PubMed1977

Effects of sodium azide on platelet function.

Sodium azide in low concentrations (0.1-10 micrometer) was found to have inhibitory effects on human platelet function. Primary aggregation induced by ADP, epinephrine, thrombin and the ionophore A 23187 was decreased. To evaluate the effect of azide apart from secondary processes, the platelets were treated with indomethacin to prevent prostaglandin/thromboxane synthesis for all inducers; in addition, effects of secreted ADP, in the case of thrombin and A 23187, was prevented by the presence of creatine phosphate plus creatine phosphokinase ADP, epinephrine and A 23187, but not thrombin-induced primary aggregates, dispersed immediately upon addition of azide. Azide powerfully inhibited dense granule secretion induced by collagen, ADP and epinephrine as measured both by 14C-serotonin secretion and as judged by secondary aggregation. Shape change induced by ADP, thrombin or A 23187 was not affected. Azide had no effect on energy metabolism. Since the aggregation experiments were performed in the presence of indomethacin, and malondialdehyde formation from arachidonic acid was not affected by azide, it seemed unlikely that the inhibition by azide of platelet function was related to inhibition of synthesis of prostaglandins and thromboxanes. It is concluded that azide exerts its effects directly on the common pathway for platelet responses.

Azides↗

PubMed1983

Effects of sodium azide on phototaxis of the blue-green alga Anabaena variabilis and consequences to the two-photoreceptor systems-hypothesis.

Experiments with sodium azide support the earlier report that two different photoreceptor systems participate in the absorption of the phototactically active light in Anabaena variabilis. The one of them, represented by the phycobiliproteins and chlorophyll a, is responsible for positive and negative phototaxis around 440 nm and between 580 and 700 nm. This system is sensitive to sodium azide which is able to reverse the negative reaction at high fluence rates to a positive one. The second one which absorbs light between 500 and 560 nm and above 700 nm is insensitive to azide. It triggers only negative responses in absence and presence of azide as well. P750 is obviously not a photoreceptor pigment of this system, since there is no indication for its occurrence in Anabaena. Even photobleaching of the photosynthetic pigments at high fluence rates is prevented by azide. The noncyclic photosynthetic electron transport is not severely inhibited by azide because photokinesis is only in part impaired. Therefore, the hypothesis is suggested that the phototactic reaction-sign reversal generator of Anabaena is controlled by the level of an active oxygen species, probably singlet oxygen, which is quenched by azide.

Azides↗

PubMed1991

Sodium azide: ineffective as a faecal preservative for parasitological diagnosis.

Sodium azide was compared with 10% formalin to evaluate sodium azide's effectiveness as a faecal preservative for intestinal helminths and protozoa. Faecal specimens collected from Haiti were preserved in sodium azide and in 10% formalin and analysed after 1.5, 6.5 and 11.5 weeks by examining direct wet-mount preparations. Sodium azide did not preserve the morphology of either helminths or protozoa as well as 10% formalin did. However, sodium azide prevented embryogenesis of helminth eggs, while some helminth eggs in 10% formalin contained living larvae. Biosafety guidelines regarding the toxicity, reactivity, and disposal of sodium azide were strictly followed. Use of 10% formalin is a significantly better choice than sodium azide for preserving parasites when accurate identification of parasites and biosafety are the main concerns.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1987

The distance between cytochromes a and a3 in the azide compound of bovine-heart cytochrome oxidase.

The electron-spin relaxation rates of the two species of cytochrome a3(3+)-azide found in the azide compound of bovine-heart cytochrome oxidase were measured by progressive microwave saturation at T = 10 K. It has been shown previously that Cyt a3(3+)-azide gives rise to two distinct EPR resonances, depending upon the oxidation state of Cyt a. When Cyt a is ferrous, Cyt a3(3+)-azide has g = 2.88, 2.19 and 1.64; upon oxidation of Cyt a, the a3(3+)-azide g-values become g = 2.77, 2.18, and 1.74 (Goodman, G. (1984) J Biol. Chem. 259, 15094-15099). The relaxation effect of Cyt a on Cyt a3 could be measured as the difference in microwave field saturation parameter H1/2 between the g = 2.77 and g = 2.88 species. For each signal the spin-lattice relaxation time T1 was determined from H1/2 using the transverse relaxation time T2. The value of T2 at 10 K was extrapolated from a plot of line-width vs. temperature at higher temperature. The dipolar contribution to T1 was related to the Cyt a-Cyt a3 spin-spin distance utilizing available information on the relative orientation of Cyt a3-azide and Cyt a (Erecińska, M., Wilson, D.F. and Blasie, J.K. (1979) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 545, 352-364). By taking into account the relaxation parameters for both gx and gz components of the Cyt a3-azide g-tensor, the angle between the gz components of the Cyt a and Cyt a3 g-tensors was determined to be between 0 and 18 degrees, and the Cyt a-Cyt a3 spin-spin distance was found to be 19 +/- 8 A.

Anaerobiosis↗

PubMed1976

Interference of sodium azide with the quantitation of serum cholesterol: a comparative study.

Interference of sodium azide (employed widely as a preservative for serum) with six different cholesterol methods and two modified procedures is analyzed and compared. Sodium azide is shown to lower the serum cholesterol values of the iron-cholesterol methods from 5 to 50% at 0.1 g% azide, and from 60 to 95% at 1.0 g% azide concentration, depending on the method employed. This inhibition is independent of serum cholesterol concentration. Increased serum to reagent (v/v) ratio, i.e., increased azide concentration, caused increased depression of serum cholesterol values. Appropriate choice of low serum-to-reagent (v/v) ratio thus decreases the magnitude of the azide interference in the iron-cholesterol reaction to 3-10% for the precipitation procedures, and to 25% for the non-precipitation procedure at 0.1 g% azide concentration in serum.

Azides↗

PubMed1983

A mutagenic metabolite synthesized by Salmonella typhimurium grown in the presence of azide is azidoalanine.

A mutagenic azide metabolite was purified from the medium in which Salmonella typhimurium cells were grown in the presence of azide. This metabolite was identified to be azidoalanine based on infrared and mass spectroscopy and elemental analysis. This compound appeared to be identical to the mutagenic compound synthesized in vitro from azide and O-acetylserine by partially purified O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase. The metabolite (azidoalanine) mutagenic efficiency and spectrum in S. typhimurium was similar to that of inorganic azide. The compounds 2-azidoethylamine, 2-bromoethylamine, 3-bromopropionic acid and N-(azidomethyl) phthalimide were also mutagenic with a similar spectrum to azide and azidoalanine, but with lower efficiency. The compounds 3-azidopropylamine, 4-azidobutylamine, 3-chloroalanine and ethylamine were only weakly or nonmutagenic. Numerous other chloro, bromo and azido phthalimide derivatives tested were nonmutagenic. It is suggested that the lack of azide mutagenicity (and perhaps carcinogenicity) in mammalian cells may be due to their inability to convert azide to azidoalanine.

Alanine↗

PubMed1981

Nitrogenase of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Hydrazine is a product of azide reduction.

Klebsiella pneumoniae nitrogenase reduced azide, at 30 degrees C and pH 6.8-8.2, to yield ammonia (NH3), dinitrogen (N2) and hydrazine (N2H4). Reduction of (15N = 14N = 14N)-followed by mass-spectrometric analysis showed that no new nitrogen-nitrogen bonds were formed. During azide reduction, added 15N2H4 did not contribute 15N to NH3, indicating lack of equilibration between enzyme-bound intermediates giving rise to N2H4 and N2H4 in solution. When azide reduction to N2H4 was partially inhibited by 15N2, label appeared in NH3 but not in N2H4. Product balances combined with the labelling data indicate that azide is reduced according to the following equations: (formula: see text); N2 was a competitive inhibitor and CO a non-competitive inhibitor of azide reduction to N2H4. The percentage of total electron flux used for H2 evolution concomitant with azide reduction fell from 26% at pH 6.8 to 0% at pH 8.2. Pre-steady-state kinetic data suggest that N2H4 is formed by the cleavage of the alpha-beta nitrogen-nitrogen bond to bound azide to leave a nitride (= N) intermediate that subsequently yields NH3.

Ammonia↗

PubMed1976

An analysis of the influence of membrane potential and metabolic poisoning with azide on the sodium pump in skeletal muscle.

1. Activation of the Na pump in muscle by the external K concentration, [K]O, is independent of the membrane potential (Em) as shown by experiments in which Em was either stabilized during variation of [K]O or varied by application of azide at constant or zero [K]O. 2. Application of azide to Na-enriched muscles causes a transient increase in 22Na efflux which occurs either in the presence or in the absence of external K. 3. The increased 22Na efflux induced by azide is abolished by addition of ouabain and is greatly reduced by removal of almost all of the external Na concentration, [Na]o. 4. Azide-treated muscles show a rather normal K sensitivity of 22Na efflux and [K]O induces a net Na extrusion from Na-enriched muscles in the presence of azide. 5. Azide reduces ouabain-sensitive K influx to low values thus interfering with K pump but not with the ability of K to activate the Na pump. 6. The experiments provide evidence that azide promotes a ouabainsensitive Na-Na exchange in Na-enriched muscles and that it partially uncouples the Na-K exchange normally observed.

Animals↗

PubMed1975

Nuclear magnetic resonance titration curves of histidine ring protons. Human metmyoglobin and the effects of azide on human, horse, and sperm whale metmyoglobins.

Four titrating histidine ring C2 and C4 proton resonances are observed in 220 MHz proton NMR spectra of human metmyoglobin as a function of pH. Values of ionization constants determined from the NMR titration data using an equation describing a simple proton association-dissociation equilibrium are curves (1) 6.6, (2) 7.0, (3) 5.8, and (4) 7.4. Four histidine residues have also been found to be solvent-accessible in human metmyoglobin by carboxymethylation studies (Harris, C.M., and Hill, R.L. (1969) J. Biol. Chem. 244, 2195-2203). Two of the titration curves (3 and 4) deviate significantly from the chemical shift values normally observed for histidine C2 proton resonances. Curve 3, with a low pKa, is shifted downfield at high values of pH and also exhibits a second minor inflection with a pKa value of 8.8. On the other hand, the high pKa curve, 4, is shifted upfield at all values of pH. The characteristics of the NMR titration curves with the lowest and highest pKa values (3 and4) are very similar to curves observed previously with sperm whale and horse metmyoglobins (Cohen, J.S., Hagenmaier, H., Pollard, H., and Schechter, A.N. (1972) J. Mol. Biol. 71, 513-519). These results indicate that the histidine residues from which these curves are derived have unusual and characteristic environments in this series of homologous proteins. The NMR spectra of all three metmyoglobins are changed extensively as a result of azide ion binding, indicating conformational changes affecting the environments of several imidazole side chains. The presence of azide ion causes a selective downfield chemical shift for the low pKa curve and a selective upfield chemical shift for the high pKa curve in all three proteins. Azide also abolishes the second inflection seen in the low pKa curve at high pH. In addition to these effects, the presence of azide ion permits the observation of two additional titrating proton resonances for all three metmyoglobins. Increasing the azide to protein ratio at several fixed values of pH yields results which show that a slow exchange process is occurring with each of the metmyoglobins. In the azide titration studies the maximum changes in the NMR spectra occurred at approximately equimolar concentrations. The NMR results for these proteins in the absence and presence of azide ion are related to x-ray crystallographic studies of sperm whale metmyoglobin and the known alkylation properties of the histidine residues. Tentative assignments of the titrating resonances observed are suggested.

Animals↗

PubMed1977

Interference of sodium azide with measurement of serum uric acid by the direct acid ferric reduction procedure.

We examined the effect of sodium azide on the quantitation of serum uric acid by the direct acid ferric reduction procedure. Ferric phenanthroline was used as redox indicator. Sodium azide, in a concentration commonly used as preservative (2 g/liter, 27.2 mmol/liter), increased the absorption at 505 nm and increased apparent uric acid values in specimens, as shown by calculations based on an azide-free standard. Spectral studies indicated that this interference was a result of the color produced by sodium azide in the reaction mixture. The mechanism for azide interference was the interaction of sodium azide and ferric ions to form ferric azide, which also absorbs extensively at 505 nm.

Azides↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Three fatal sodium azide poisonings.

We report 3 cases and review the published literature on sodium azide ingestion. A 38-year-old man intentionally ingested 2 tablespoonsful of sodium azide in water and developed seizures, coma, hypotension and fatal ventricular arrhythmias within 2 hours. A 33-year-old male ingested an unknown quantity of sodium azide. In the emergency department he was unconscious and underwent immediate intubation and gastric lavage. Nitrite therapy was instituted without improvement. He remained acidotic despite bicarbonate therapy and developed hypotension which was unresponsive to pressor agents. He died approximately 8 hours after admission despite resuscitative efforts. A 52-year-old male ingested 1.5 to 2g of sodium azide and survived for 40 hours. Nitrite therapy was ineffective. The role of sodium nitrite in treating sodium azide toxicity by producing methaemoglobin which complexes with azide is discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1988

Metabolic activation of the mutagen azide in biological systems.

Inorganic azide (N3-) mutagenicity is mediated through a metabolically synthesized organic azide, L-azidoalanine (N3-CH2-CH(-NH2)-COOH). L-Azidoalanine appears to be formed by the action of O-acetylserine (thiol)-Lyase (EC 4.2.99.8) using O-acetylserine and azide as substrates. In both plants and bacteria tested, azide substitutes for the natural substrate sulfide (S2-) in this reaction. Azide (L-azidoalanine) mutagenesis is highly attenuated by a deficiency in the excision of UV-like DNA damage (uvr-). Thus a premutation lesion recognizable by the bacterial excision-repair enzymes must be formed. Mutagenesis appears to proceed from this by 'direct mispairing' pathway. Azide (L-azidoalanine) mutagenicity is highly specific and involves a stereoselective process, but the molecular nature of the specificity has not been determined.

Alanine↗