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Comparative mutagenicity of chemicals selected for test in the International Program on Chemical Safety's collaborative study on plant systems for the detection of environmental mutagens.

A review has been made for the four compounds (maleic hydrazide, methyl nitrosourea, sodium azide, azidoglycerol) tested in the International Program on Chemical Safety's collaborative study on plant systems. Maleic hydrazide (MH) is a weak cytotoxic/mutagenic chemical in mammalian tissues and is classified as a class 4 chemical. In contrast, with few exceptions such as Arabidopsis, MH is a potent mutagen/clastogen in plant systems. The difference in its response between plant and animal tissue is likely due to differences in the way MH is metabolized. MH appears to be noncarcinogenic and has been given a negative NCI/NTP carcinogen rating. Methyl nitrosourea (MNU) is a toxic, mutagenic, radiomimetic, carcinogenic, and teratogenic chemical. It has been shown to be a mutagen in bacteria, fungi, Drosophila, higher plants, and animal cells both in vitro and in vivo. MNU is a clastogen in both animal and human cell cultures, plant root tips and cell cultures inducing both chromosome and chromatid aberrations as well as sister-chromatid exchanges. Carcinogenicity has been confirmed in numerous studies and involves the nervous system, intestine, kidney, stomach, bladder and uterus, in the rat, mouse, and hamster. MNU produces stage-specific teratogenic effects and also interferes with embryonic development. The experimental evidence that strongly indicates the mutagenic effects of MNU underlines the possible hazard of this compound to human beings. The experimental evidence for the stringent handling of this compound is clear. Sodium azide (NaN3) is cytotoxic in several animal and plant systems and functions by inhibiting protein synthesis and replicative DNA synthesis at low dosages. It is mutagenic in bacteria, higher plants and human cells and has been used as a positive control in some systems. In general, tests for clastogenicity have been negative or weakly positive. No evidence of carcinogenicity has been reported in a 2-year study seeking carcinogenic activity in male and female rats. Its advantages in comparison to other efficient mutagens are claimed to be a high production of gene mutations accompanied by a low frequency of chromosomal rearrangements and safer handling because of its nonclastogenic and noncarcinogenic action on humans. Azidoglycerol (AG) is a very potent mutagen in bacteria, yeast and higher plants including Arabidopsis and Tradescantia; however, it only slightly enhances the frequencies of recessive lethals in Drosophila. AG is at best a weak clastogen and is without effect in inducing chromosomal aberrations and SCEs in human peripheral lymphocytes in vitro. In microbial and plant systems, AG is considerably more potent than sodium azide in the maximal frequencies of mutation induced. In particular, in Saccharomyces cerevisae, AG is 3000-fold more mutagenic than sodium azide. Its carcinogenic and teratogenic properties are unknown.

Animals↗

Characterization and purification of polyphenol oxidase from artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.).

In this study, the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) of artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) was first purified by a combination of (NH(4))(2)SO(4) precipitation, dialysis, and a Sepharose 4B-L-tyrosine-p-aminobenzoic acid affinity column. At the end of purification, 43-fold purification was achieved. The purified enzyme migrated as a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated that PPO had a 57 kDa molecular mass. Second, the contents of total phenolic and protein of artichoke head extracts were determined. The total phenolic content of artichoke head was determined spectrophotometrically according to the Folin-Ciocalteu procedure and was found to be 425 mg 100 g(-1) on a fresh weight basis. Protein content was determined according to Bradford method. Third, the effects of substrate specificity, pH, temperature, and heat inactivation were investigated on the activity of PPO purified from artichoke. The enzyme showed activity to 4-methylcatechol, pyrogallol, catechol, and L-dopa. No activity was detected toward L-tyrosine, resorsinol, and p-cresol. According to V(max)/K(m) values, 4-methylcatechol (1393 EU min(-1) mM(-1)) was the best substrate, followed by pyrogallol (1220 EU min(-1) mM(-1)), catechol (697 EU min(-1) mM(-1)), and L-dopa (102 EU min(-1) mM(-1)). The optimum pH values for PPO were 5.0, 8.0, and 7.0 using 4-methylcatechol, pyrogallol, and catechol as substrate, respectively. It was found that optimum temperatures were dependent on the substrates studied. The enzyme activity decreased due to heat denaturation of the enzyme with increasing temperature and inactivation time for 4-methylcatechol and pyrogallol substrates. However, all inactivation experiments for catechol showed that the activity of artichoke PPO increased with mild heating, reached a maximum, and then decreased with time. Finally, inhibition of artichoke PPO was investigated with inhibitors such as L-cysteine, EDTA, ascorbic acid, gallic acid, d,L-dithiothreitol, tropolone, glutathione, sodium azide, benzoic acid, salicylic acid, and 4-aminobenzoic acid using 4-methylcatechol, pyrogallol, and catechol as substrate. The presence of EDTA, 4-aminobenzoic acid, salicylic acid, gallic acid, and benzoic acid did not cause the inhibition of artichoke PPO. A competitive-type inhibition was obtained with sodium azide, L-cysteine, and d,L-dithiothreitol inhibitors using 4-methylcatechol as substrate; with L-cysteine, tropolone, d,L-dithiothreitol, ascorbic acid, and sodium azide inhibitors using pyrogallol as substrate; and with L-cysteine, tropolone, d,L-dithiotreitol, and ascorbic acid inhibitors using catechol as a substrate. A mixed-type inhibition was obtained with glutathione inhibitor using 4-methylcatechol as a substrate. A noncompetitive inhibition was obtained with tropolone and ascorbic acid inhibitors using 4-methylcatechol as substrate, with glutathione inhibitor using pyrogallol as substrate, and with glutathione and sodium azide inhibitors using catechol as substrate. From these results, it can be said that the most effective inhibitor for artichoke PPO is tropolone. Furthermore, it was found that the type of inhibition depended on the origin of the PPO studied and also on the substrate used.

Catechol Oxidase↗

Brain catalase mediates potentiation of social recognition memory produced by ethanol in mice.

The involvement of catalase in ethanol-induced locomotion has been clearly proven. However, studies addressing the role of this enzyme in the effects that ethanol exerts on memory are lacking. In the present study, the social recognition test (SRT) was used to evaluate ethanol effects on memory. In this test, the reduction in investigation time of a juvenile conspecific, when this social stimulus is presented for the second time, is considered a reliable index of memory. Exploration ratios (ER) were calculated to evaluate the recognition capacity of mice. Ethanol (0.0, 0.5, 1.0 or 1.5g/kg, i.p.) was administered immediately after the first juvenile presentation, and 2h later the juvenile was re-exposed to the adult. Additionally, adult mice received aminotriazole (AT) or sodium azide (two catalase inhibitors) 5h or 30 min before juvenile presentation, respectively. Ethanol (1.0 and 1.5g/kg) was able to reduce ER, indicating an improving effect on memory. This improvement was prevented by either AT or sodium azide pre-treatment. However, neither AT nor sodium azide attenuated the memory-enhancing capacity of NMDA or nicotine, suggesting a specific interaction between catalase inhibitors and ethanol in their effects on memory. The present results suggest that brain catalase activity could mediate the memory-enhancing capacity of ethanol and add further support to the idea that this enzyme mediates some of the psychopharmacological effects produced by ethanol.

Acetaldehyde↗

Copper uptake by cultured trophoblast cells isolated from human term placenta.

This paper has examined copper uptake from CuHis2 complexes by cytotrophoblast cells isolated from term human placenta. Uptake is time-dependent, reaching equilibrium after about 90 min, and saturable, with a calculated apparent Km of 0.174 +/- 0.061 microM and Vmax, measured over 30 min, of 0.721 +/- 0.092 pmol/min/micrograms DNA. To determine whether ATP was required for uptake, cells were incubated with inhibitors of glycolysis (iodoacetate) and the TCA cycle (sodium azide and cyanide). Iodoacetate and sodium azide had no effect on uptake, but cyanide decreased the initial rate of uptake. This effect was due to copper binding to the inhibitor and decreasing the effective substrate concentration rather than inhibition of uptake through ATP depletion. Ouabain and monensin had no effect, showing that neither the Na+ gradient nor endocytosis were involved in uptake. The monovalent ion chelator, bathocuproine sulphonate, had no effect on uptake but buthionine sulfoximine, an inhibitor of glutathione synthesis, did decrease both the rate of uptake and equilibrium copper levels, suggesting that copper may bind to glutathione within the cell. The data show that copper is taken up by a passive carrier-mediated transporter and, following uptake, binds to glutathione within the cell.

Biological Transport, Active↗

Characterization of NTPDase (NTPDase1; ecto-apyrase; ecto-diphosphohydrolase; CD39; EC 3.6.1.5) activity in human lymphocytes.

Human lymphocytes contain NTPDase (NTPDase-1; ecto-apyrase; ecto-diphosphohydrolase; CD39; EC 3.6.1.5), a cation-dependent enzyme that hydrolyzes ATP and ADP and also other di- and triphosphate nucleosides, acting at an optimum pH of 8.0. A significant inhibition of ATP and ADP hydrolysis (P<0.05) was observed in the presence of 20 mM sodium azide. NTPDase inhibitors, 20 mM sodium fluoride, 0.2 mM trifluoperazine and 0.3 mM suramin, significantly decreased ATP and ADP hydrolysis (P<0.05) and ADP hydrolysis was only inhibited by 0.5 mM orthovanadate (P<0.05). ATP and ADP hydrolysis was not inhibited in the presence of 0.01 mM Ap5A (P1,P5-di(adenosine-5')pentaphosphate), 0.1 mM ouabain, 1 mM levamisole, 2 microg/mL oligomycin, 0.1 mM N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), or 5 mM sodium azide. With respect to kinetic behavior, apparent K(m) values of 77.6+/-10.2 and 106.8+/-21.0 microM, and V(max) values of 68.9+/-8.1 and 99.4+/-8.5 (mean+/-S.E., n=3) nmol Pi/min/mg protein were obtained for ATP and ADP, respectively. A Chevilard plot demonstrated that only one enzymatic site is responsible for the hydrolysis of ATP and ADP. The presence of CD39 was determined by flow cytometry, showing a low density of 2.72+/-0.24% (mean+/-S.E.; n=30) in human peripheral lymphocytes. The study of NTPDase activity in human lymphocytes may be important to determine the immune response status against infectious agents related to ATP and ADP hydrolysis.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

Use of poisons in determination of microbial manganese binding rates in seawater.

A method was developed to determine whether microorganisms mediate the precipitation of manganese(II) in the marine environment. Radioactive Mn(II) was used as a tracer to measure the precipitation (binding and oxidation) of Mn(II) [i.e., the Mn(II) trapped on 0.2-mum membrane filters] in the presence and absence of biological poisons. A variety of antibiotics, fixatives, and metabolic inhibitors were tested in laboratory control experiments to select poisons that did not interfere in the chemistry of manganese. The poisons were deemed suitable if (i) they did not complex Mn(II) more strongly than the ion-exchange resin Chelex 100, (ii) they did not interfere in the adsorption of Mn(II) onto synthetic deltaMnO(2) (manganate), (iii) they did not cause desorption of Mn(II) which had been preadsorbed onto synthetic manganate, and (iv) they did not solubilize synthetic manganate. In addition, several known chelators, reducing agents, and buffers normally added to microbiological growth media or used in biochemical assays were tested. Most additions interfered to some extent with manganese chemistry. However, at least one inhibitor, sodium azide, or a mixture of sodium azide, penicillin, and tetracycline was shown to be appropriate for use in field studies of Mn(II) binding. Formaldehyde could also be used in short incubations (1 to 3 h) but was not suitable for longer time course studies. The method was applied to studies of Mn(II) precipitation in Saanich Inlet, British Columbia, Canada. Bacteria were shown to significantly enhance the rate of Mn(II) removal from solution in the manganese-rich particulate layer which occurs just above the oxygen-hydrogen sulfide interface in the water column.

Journal Article↗

Adsorption of direct-acting and indirect-acting mutagens by various dietary fibers.

The protective effect of dietary fiber on human cancer has received great attention during the last decades. Because dietary fiber constitutes a large group of complex polysaccharides with various solubilities, degrees of lignification, chemical compositions and structural arrangements, several mechanisms for their effects have been proposed. In this study, in vitro binding capacities of various dietary fibers (potato fiber and glucomannan) and dietary fiber constituents (pectic acid and cellulose) against indirect mutagen 2-amino-3-methyl-3H-imidazo (4,5-f) quinoline (IQ) and direct-acting mutagen sodium azide were investigated. Direct-acting mutagen sodium azide was not adsorbed to the dietary fiber and dietary fiber constituents of 0 degree C, pH 4.5 and 37 degrees C, pH 7.0. However, indirect-acting mutagen 2-amino-3-methyl-3H-imidazo (4,5-f) quinoline (IQ) were sorbed by them in variable ratios at 0 degree C, pH 4.5 and 37 degrees C, pH 7.0. The differences between the in vitro binding capacities of the samples at two experimental conditions were found to be statiscially significant (P < 0.01). IQ was not released from the dietary fibers and constituents in distilled water.

Adsorption↗

Trichothiodystrophy: quantification of cysteine in human hair and nails by application of sodium azide-dependent oxidation to cysteic acid.

The term "trichothiodystrophy" (TTD) covers several autosomal recessive diseases whose diagnostic hallmark is short, brittle hair low in sulfur and cystine because of impaired synthesis of high-sulfur matrix protein. Clinical symptoms associated with TTD represent a variable range of abnormalities in organs derived from ectoderm and neuroectoderm. Important laboratory tests of the hair for the diagnosis of TTD comprise polarizing microscopy ("tiger-tail" pattern), electron microscopy, and amino acids analysis of hydrolyzed hair with a special focus on cystine. However, only very few institutions determine the amino acid composition of human hair and nail clippings, which requires special sample preparation including hydrolysis. If no special precautions are taken, quantification of cysteine and cystine becomes inaccurate because of decomposition of these residues during hydrolysis. We therefore performed the sample work-up with azide-dependent oxidation which we have for the first time adapted for analysis of hair and nail clippings. With our control and parent data resembling published data on hair and nail samples, we obtained a decreased proportion of cysteine (half cystine, determined as cysteic acid) in materials obtained from a boy with TTD. Clearly, the method for the quantification of cysteine following sodium azide-dependent oxidation is a suitable and rather convenient approach to the quantification of cyst(e)ine and other amino acids in hair and nail proteins, and is a valuable contribution to the diagnosis of TTD.

Cysteic Acid↗

A cambialistic SOD in a strictly aerobic hyperthermophilic archaeon, Aeropyrum pernix.

The superoxide dismutase (SOD) gene of Aeropyrum pernix, a strictly aerobic hyperthermophilic archaeon, was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli, and its gene product was characterized. The molecular mass of the protein, based on the deduced amino acid sequence, was 24.6 kDa. The sequence showed overall similarity to the sequences of known Mn- and Fe-SODs. The metal binding residues conserved in Mn- and Fe-SODs were also found in A. pernix SOD. When the SOD gene was expressed in E. coli cells, the product formed a homodimer, and contained both Mn and Fe. Metal reconstitution experiments showed that A. pernix SOD is cambialistic, i.e. active with either Fe or Mn. The specific activities were 906 U/mg with Mn and 175 U/mg with Fe. No loss of activity of Mn-reconstituted SOD was observed at 105 degrees C even after 5 h incubation. Sodium azide, an inhibitor of SODs, did not inhibit the Mn-reconstituted SOD from A. pernix even at concentrations up to 400 mM. This SOD from an aerobic hyperthermophilic archaeon, Aeropyrum pernix, was extremely thermostable and active with either Mn or Fe. With Mn as a metal cofactor, it was more thermostable, and less sensitive to sodium azide and sodium fluoride than with Fe.

Aerobiosis↗

In vitro oxygen consumption and motility of Cryptobia salmositica, Cryptobia bullocki, and Cryptobia catostomi (Sarcomastigophora: Kinetoplastida).

Cryptobia salmositica (pathogenic and vaccine strains), Cryptobia bullocki (pathogenic), and Cryptobia catostomi (nonpathogenic) have similar oxygen consumption rates (0.17 +/- 0.01 nm O2/10(6) parasites). Incubation with sodium azide (5 microliters of a 1-M solution to 1 ml of parasite suspension, i.e., a 5-mM final concentration) reduced the oxygen consumption by approximately 4.5-fold. Motility of the parasites was also greatly reduced in sodium azide. The oxygen consumption and motility of the parasites returned to preazide treatment levels when the azide was removed even after 24 hr of incubation in sodium azide. The activities of hexokinase, pyruvate kinase, and cytochrome C oxidase were not detected in the 3 species of Cryptobia.

Animals↗

Mechanism of photosensitization of glioblastoma and neuroblastoma cells by merocyanine 540: a lipid peroxidation study.

Mechanism of merocyanine 540 (MC540) mediated photosensitization in glioblastoma (U-87MG) and neuroblastoma (Neuro 2a) cells was investigated. Photoinduced lipid peroxidation was measured in the presence of mechanistic probes-deuterium oxide (D2O), sodium azide, superoxide dismutase (SOD), mannitol and sodium benzoate. In both the types of cells, the photoinduced lipid peroxidation was enhanced in D2O whereas it showed inhibition in the presence of sodium azide. SOD also inhibited the lipid peroxidation while sodium benzoate and mannitol had no effect. These results suggest that photosensitization of U-87MG and Neuro 2a cells by MC 540 involves both type I (free radical mediated) and type II (singlet oxygen mediated) mechanisms.

Animals↗

Hypoxia potentiates ultraviolet A-induced riboflavin cytotoxicity.

Flavins are thought to be important chromophores for chronic photo-induced skin injury, but the mechanism is not well known. We have reported that the primary cytotoxicity remaining in ultraviolet A-irradiated riboflavin solution is attributable to hydrogen peroxide. Because the dermis is more hypoxic than the atmosphere, we investigated the cytotoxicity of riboflavin solution during and after ultraviolet A irradiation under hypoxia. Riboflavin solution showed stronger cytotoxicity during irradiation under hypoxia than under air. Riboflavin solution that had been irradiated under hypoxia at lower ultraviolet A doses showed stronger cytotoxicity and contained more hydrogen peroxide than solution irradiated under air at the same doses. At higher ultraviolet A doses, however, the cytotoxicity and hydrogen peroxide quantity were similar in riboflavin solutions irradiated under different oxygen conditions. The effect of a singlet oxygen quencher, sodium azide, on the induction of cytotoxicity and production of hydrogen peroxide by ultraviolet A irradiation of riboflavin solution was examined. The presence of sodium azide in the solution during ultraviolet A irradiation suppressed the cytotoxicity and hydrogen peroxide production to similar levels at various ultraviolet A doses regardless of oxygen conditions. At the maximum suppression by sodium azide, hydrogen peroxide production decreased to 10% of the unsuppressed production. About 40% of the oxygen molecules of hydrogen peroxide produced was thought to be derived from oxygen dissolved in the riboflavin solution.

Cell Line↗

Experimentally induced chromosome aberrations in plants. I. The production of chromosome aberrations by cyanide and other heavy metal complexing agents.

The finding of Lilly and Thoday that potassium cyanide produces structural chromosome changes in root tips of Vicia faba was confirmed. Like mustards, diepoxides, and maleic hydrazide, potassium cyanide seems to act on cells at early interphase. A tendency of cyanide breaks to be concentrated in heterochromatic segments of the chromosomes was evident. The production of chromosome aberrations by cyanide proved to be practically unaffected by the temperature during treatment. In agreement with Lilly and Thoday, the effect of potassium cyanide was found to be dependent on oxygen tension during treatment. The effect of potassium cyanide increases with increasing oxygen concentration up to 100 per cent oxygen. In the absence of oxygen, potassium cyanide was not completely inactive, but produced a low, though significant frequency of aberrations. Pretreatments with 2.4-dinitrophenol did not influence the effect of potassium cyanide. When bean roots were treated with potassium cyanide before a treatment with 8-ethoxycaffeine, or at the same time as they were treated with 8-ethoxycaffeine, the effect of 8-ethoxycaffeine was almost completely suppressed. The effects of a number of other heavy metal complexing agents were also tested. Sodium fluoride, potassium thiocyanate, carbon monoxide, o-phenanthroline, 2.2-bipyridine, and sodium azide were without radiomimetic effect under the conditions employed, and so was a mixture of sodium azide and sodium fluoride. A low, but quite significant, radiomimetic effect was obtained after treatments with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate, cupferron, and 8-hydroxyquinoline. Under anaerobic conditions, the effects of cyanide and cupferron were both quantitatively and qualitatively indistinguishable. Unlike the effect of cyanide, the effect of cupferron was not enhanced by the presence of oxygen. The effects of the same heavy metal complexing agents were tested on the activities of the enzymes catalase and peroxidase. The activities of both of these enzymes were found to be totally inhibited only by potassium cyanide. In the other cases, little correlation was found between ability to inhibit the activities of these enzymes and ability to produce chromosome aberrations. In a number of experiments, hydrogen peroxide was found to be without radiomimetic effect, whether alone or in combination with potassium cyanide. t-Butyl hydroperoxide proved to be active. The effect of t-butyl hydroperoxide was substantially increased by pretreatments with 2.4.-dinitrophenol. The results are discussed, and it is concluded that the observations made do not support the hypothesis that hydrogen peroxide is involved in the production of chromosome aberrations by potassium cyanide. The possibility that organic peroxides are involved cannot be excluded on the bases of the experimental results. As an alternative hypothesis, it is suggested that iron or other heavy metals are present in the chromosomes and that cyanide and other heavy metal complexing agents produce chromosome aberrations by reacting with these metals.

Caffeine↗

Oscillations of membrane potential and cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration in SUR1(-/-) beta cells.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: SUR1(ABCC8)(-/-) mice lacking functional K(ATP) channels are an appropriate model to test the significance of K(ATP) channels in beta-cell function. We examined how this gene deletion interferes with stimulus-secretion coupling. We tested the influence of metabolic inhibition and galanin, whose mode of action is controversial. METHODS: Plasma membrane potential (Vm) and currents were measured with microelectrodes or the patch-clamp technique; cytosolic Ca(2+) concentrations ([Ca(2+)](c)) and mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi) were measured using fluorescent dyes. RESULTS: In contrast to the controls, SUR1(-/-) beta cells showed electrical activity even at a low glucose concentration. Continuous spike activity was measured with the patch-clamp technique, but with microelectrodes slow oscillations in Vm consisting of bursts of Ca(2+)-dependent action potentials were detected. [Ca(2+)](c) showed various patterns of oscillations or a sustained increase. Sodium azide did not hyperpolarize SUR1(-/-) beta cells. The depolarization of DeltaPsi evoked by sodium azide was significantly lower in SUR1(-/-) than SUR1(+/+) cells. Galanin transiently decreased action potential frequency and [Ca(2+)](c) in cells from both SUR1(-/-) and SUR1(+/+) mice. CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION: The strong dependence of Vm and [Ca(2+)](c) on glucose concentration observed in SUR1(+/+) beta cells is disrupted in the knock-out cells. This demonstrates that both parameters oscillate in the absence of functional K(ATP) channels. The lack of effect of metabolic inhibition by sodium azide shows that in SUR1(-/-) beta cells changes in ATP/ADP no longer link glucose metabolism and Vm. The results with galanin suggest that this peptide affects beta cells independently of K(ATP) currents and thus could contribute to the regulation of beta-cell function in SUR1(-/-) animals.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗

Neutral endopeptidase of a human airway epithelial cell line recovers after hypochlorous acid exposure: dexamethasone accelerates this by stimulating neutral endopeptidase mRNA synthesis.

Hypocholorous acid (HOCl) exposure of Calu-1 cells in situ leads to a relatively rapid and substantial decrease in whole cell neutral endopeptidase (NEP) activity that may result from the internalization of NEP from plasma membrane surfaces. To confirm this, and to assess the time course of changes in cell NEP after oxidant exposure and the potential influence of corticosteroid treatment on these, we evaluated Calu-1 NEP activity by high performance liquid chromatography and NEP-specific mRNA over the ensuing 48 h after HOCl in the presence or absence of 1 microM dexamethasone. Cells, grown to confluency in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium with 10% fetal bovine serum, were exposed for 5 min to 100 microM HOCl and then maintained in culture for 48 h thereafter. Before exposure, some cell plates were cooled to 4 degrees C and/or incubated for 5 min in 1 mM sodium azide. In some experiments, post-HOCl changes in NEP-specific mRNA in the presence or absence of dexamethasone were also evaluated using Northern blot analysis. We found that sodium azide at 4 degrees C totally blocked the effect of HOCl on Calu-1 NEP (n = 6). In the absence of sodium azide, NEP activity spontaneously recovered to preexposure levels within 24 h. This recovery occurred 6 h earlier in the presence of 1 microM dexamethasone. Furthermore, dexamethasone increased NEP activity at 24 and 48 h after HOCl. Northern blot analysis indicated that NEP-specific mRNA did not change during spontaneous recovery, but was increased by dexamethasone 24 h after HOCl.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Possible relationship between pyrido-pyrrolo-isoquinoline derivative (BD-40) cell uptake and cell viability.

BD-40 is a pyrido-pyrrolo-isoquinoline derivative which possesses an heterocyclic nucleus very closely related to ellipticine and a diethylaminopropyl amino lateral chain (Rivalle et al., 1979). Cellular effects of the drug have been studied. Viability and morphology of the cells were irreversibly impaired by 24 hours drug treatments at concentrations exceeding 0.10 micro M. Spectrofluorimetric determinations of the drug repartition between cytoplasm and nucleus showed that 10 per cent of BD-40 was found in the nucleus for external drug concentrations lower than 0.10 micro M. On the other hand, for cytotoxic doses exceeding 0.10 micro M, 40 to 50 per cent of the total intracellular BD-40 were found in the nuclear fraction. Although possible exchange phenomena during the course of the cell fractionation cannot be excluded, these results suggest that a direct relationship exists between BD-40 nuclear content and cell lethality. Comparisons of intracellular drug contents in the absence and the presence of a metabolic inhibitor, sodium azide, indicated that drug content of azide-treated cells was approximately twice that of untreated cells. Besides, sodium azide blocked the release of the drug when previously loaded cells were placed in BD-40-free medium. These results are in agreement with the existence of an active outward transport (efflux), which is sodium azide-sensitive.

Animals↗

[Development of a method for assessing viable Bifidobacterium in the preparation Bifikol].

The method has been developed for accounting viable bifidobacteria in the complex preparation biphicol using the growth inhibitor of Escherichia coli (0.01% solution of sodium azide), added to the growing medium. Choice of sodium azide concentration inhibiting growth of Escherichia coli M-17 and not affecting the growth of Bifidobacterium bifidum 1 is described in detail. Data are presented on the quality of commercial preparation made at different enterprises.

Azides↗

Role of adenosine A1 and A3 receptors in regulation of cardiomyocyte homeostasis after mitochondrial respiratory chain injury.

Activation of either the A(1) or the A(3) adenosine receptor (A(1)R or A(3)R, respectively) elicits delayed cardioprotection against infarction, ischemia, and hypoxia. Mitochondrial contribution to the progression of cardiomyocyte injury is well known; however, the protective effects of adenosine receptor activation in cardiac cells with a respiratory chain deficiency are poorly elucidated. The aim of our study was to further define the role of A(1)R and A(3)R activation on functional tolerance after inhibition of the terminal link of the mitochondrial respiratory chain with sodium azide, in a state of normoxia or hypoxia, compared with the effects of the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K(+) channel opener diazoxide. Treatment with 10 mM sodium azide for 2 h in normoxia caused a considerable decrease in the total ATP level; however, activation of adenosine receptors significantly attenuated this decrease. Diazoxide (100 muM) was less effective in protection. During treatment of cultured cardiomyocytes with hypoxia in the presence of 1 mM sodium azide, the A(1)R agonist 2-chloro-N(6)-cyclopentyladenosine was ineffective, whereas the A(3)R agonist 2-chloro-N(6)-iodobenzyl-5'-N-methylcarboxamidoadenosine (Cl-IB-MECA) attenuated the decrease in ATP level and prevented cell injury. Cl-IB-MECA delayed the dissipation in the mitochondrial membrane potential during hypoxia in cells impaired in the mitochondrial respiratory chain. In cells with elevated intracellular Ca(2+) concentration after hypoxia and treatment with NaN(3) or after application of high doses of NaN(3), Cl-IB-MECA immediately decreased the elevated intracellular Ca(2+) concentration toward the diastolic control level. The A(1)R agonist was ineffective. This may be especially important for the development of effective pharmacological agents, because mitochondrial dysfunction is a leading factor in the pathophysiological cascade of heart disease.

Adenosine A1 Receptor Agonists↗