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Polaprezinc, a gastroprotective agent: attenuation of monochloramine-evoked gastric DNA fragmentation.

We previously reported that NH2Cl induced extensive DNA fragmentation in gastric cells. Polaprezinc, a zinc-carnosine chelate compound, is reported to be a potent antioxidant in gastric mucosa. The present study was designed to examine whether polaprezinc could attenuate the NH3Cl-induced DNA damage. Gastric cell lines, MKN45, were exposed to NH2Cl in Ca(2+)-containing Hanks' balanced salt solution. DNA fragmentation was evaluated by photometric enzyme immunoassay for in vitro determination of cytoplasmic mono- and oligonucleosomes. Polaprezinc, L-carnosine, and zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) were added to the cell incubation medium to evaluate the inhibitory effect on the formation of cytoplasmic mono- and oligonucleosomes. Separately, the bleaching level of beta-carotene with the addition of each test solution was evaluated to confirm the inhibitory effect against hypochlorous acid. Polaprezinc or L-carnosine, but not ZnSO4, at a concentration of 0.001 mM, significantly attenuated the increased levels of cytoplasmic mono- and oligonucleosomes evoked by 0.001 mM NH2Cl. Polaprezinc and L-carnosine, but not ZnSO4, also inhibited NH2Cl-induced beta-carotene bleaching in the cell-free system. In conclusion, polaprezinc, especially its subportion L-carnosine, inhibited NH2Cl-evoked gastric epithelial DNA fragmentation, suggesting a role for this agent in preventing the progression of gastric epithelial injury induced by NH2Cl.

Analysis of Variance↗

Quantitative histofluorescence of hippocampal mossy fiber zinc.

N-(6-methoxy-8-quinolyl)-p-toluenesulfonamide (TS-Q) is a fluorescent probe for histochemically detecting a chelatable pool of zinc in the hippocampal formation and other brain regions. Utilization of zinc:TS-Q histofluorescence as a quantitative tool required further characterization of zinc:TS-Q fluorescence and the development of appropriate zinc standards. Studies of zinc:TS-Q fluorescence in aqueous solutions were conducted to optimize the reaction conditions for TS-Q chelation with zinc. Possible interference of zinc:TS-Q fluorescence by chelation of other biologically significant cations with zinc:TS-Q was shown to be negligible. Zinc standards were developed using a water soluble plastic embedding medium. Varying the concentration of zinc in the plastic sections yielded a standard curve exhibiting a log-linear relationship between 0.15 and 11 fg zinc/100 microns 2. Zinc:TS-Q histofluorescence was characterized in horizontal sections of rat ventral hippocampal formation using a computerized image analysis system. Section thickness and TS-Q concentration were optimized. The concentration of zinc varied between 1.5 and 17 fg/100 microns 2 in different regions of the mossy fiber projection of the ventral hippocampal formation. The development of this quantitative histofluorescence technique should facilitate our understanding of the functional role of zinc in the mossy fiber projection and can be utilized to investigate changes in mossy fiber zinc in a variety of pathological states.

Aminoquinolines↗

Apoptosis may underlie the pathology of zinc-deficient skin.

The trace element zinc is essential for the survival and function of all cells. Zinc deficiency, whether nutritional or genetic, is fatal if left untreated. The effects of zinc deficiency are particularly obvious in the skin, seen as an erythematous rash, scaly plaques, and ulcers. Electron microscopy reveals degenerative changes within keratinocytes. Despite the well-documented association between zinc deficiency and skin pathology, it is not clear which cellular processes are most sensitive to zinc deficiency and could account for the typical pathological features. We used the cultured HaCaT keratinocyte line to obtain insight into the cellular effects of zinc deficiency, as these cells show many characteristics of normal skin keratinocytes. Zinc deficiency was induced by growing cells in the presence of the zinc chelator, TPEN, or by growth in zinc-deficient medium. Growth of cells in zinc-deficient medium resulted in a 44% reduction of intracellular zinc levels and a 75% reduction in the activity of the zinc-dependent enzyme, 5'-nucleotidase, relative to the control cells. Over a period of 7 days of exposure to zinc-deficient conditions, no changes in cell viability and growth, or in the cytoskeletal and cell adhesion systems, were found in HaCaT cells. At 7 days, however, induction of apoptosis was indicated by the presence of DNA fragmentation and expression of active caspase-3 in cells. These results demonstrate that apoptosis is the earliest detectable cellular change induced by zinc deficiency in HaCaT keratinocytes. Our observations account for many of the features of zinc deficiency, including the presence of degenerate nuclei, chromatin aggregates and abnormal organization of keratin, that may represent the later stages of apoptosis. In summary, a major causal role for apoptosis in the pathology of zinc deficiency in the skin is proposed. This role is consistent with the previously unexplained diverse range of degenerative cellular changes seen at the ultrastructural level in zinc-deficient keratinocytes.

Apoptosis↗

Hard metal-induced disease: effects of metal cations in vitro on guinea pig isolated airways.

Inhalation of dust from hard metal (HM), a mixture of tungsten carbide, cobalt, and other metals, can cause interstitial alveolitis, fibrosis, and asthma in the workplace. Some effects of HM could occur after the metals dissolve in the lung. We examined whether chloride salts of metals in HM alloys can elicit responses or modify reactivity to methacholine (MCh) or responses to electric field stimulation (EFS) in guinea pig tracheal strips. In unstimulated strips, Co(2+), Cd(2+), and Ni(2+) evoked contractions (>3 x 10(-6) M), while Ta(5+), Zn(2+), Cr(2+), and Cr(3+) caused weak relaxations (>10(-5) M). In strips contracted with MCh (3 x 10(-7) M), Co(2+) and Ni(2+) also caused relaxation in lower concentrations while the other metals caused weak relaxation only in high concentrations (>10(-4) M). The metals were generally without effect on reactivity to MCh, except that Cd(2+) inhibited and Ni(2+) potentiated some responses. The effects of selected metals (10(-6) M; Cr(3+), Ni(2+), Cd(2+), and Co(2+)) on EFS-induced contractile and relaxant responses were examined (+/-MCh; +/-10(-6) M indomethacin (Indo), 30 min). No metal had any effect on the excitatory nonadrenergic, noncholinergic-mediated contraction phase. Cd(2+) and Ni(2+) inhibited cholinergically mediated contractions of unstimulated strips (+Indo), whereas Cr(3+) both inhibited (-MCh, -Indo) and potentiated (-Indo,+MCh; +Indo, +MCh) contractile responses. Cr(3+) was the only metal to inhibit the inhibitory nonadrenergic, noncholinergic-mediated relaxation phase (+/-MCh; -Indo). Co(2+) had no effect at all. The results suggest that smooth muscle tone and nerves in the airways could be targets of cationic metals after they dissolve in the lung.

Alloys↗

Fluctuations of cellular, available zinc modulate insulin signaling via inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatases.

Extracellular zinc ions are effectors of many signaling pathways in mammalian cells, including the insulin/IGF-1 pathway. Molecular targets of zinc are intracellular, however, because otherwise ineffective zinc concentrations alter the extent of protein phosphorylation only in the presence of the ionophore pyrithione. The tight inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatases by zinc (nanomolar inhibition constants) is likely responsible for the known insulinomimetic effects of zinc ions, which increase net phosphorylation of the insulin/IGF-1-receptors and activate their signaling cascades. More importantly, not only do extracellular zinc ions affect signal transduction, but growth factors induce cellular zinc fluctuations that are of sufficient magnitude to inhibit protein tyrosine phosphatases. In conclusion, a pool of cellular, available zinc participates in phosphorylation/dephosphorylation cascades, suggesting the existence of a cellular signaling system based on zinc as a second messenger.

Animals↗

The ATP-metallothionein complex.

We have previously shown that glutathione (GSH) and glutathione disulfide interact with metallothionein (MT) and modulate its capacity to donate and transfer zinc. In this paper, we show that ATP also forms a 1:1 complex with MT (Kd = 176 +/- 33 microM, pH 7. 4) that enhances the transfer of zinc to zinc-depleted sorbitol dehydrogenase, increases the rate of thiol-disulfide interchange with Ellman's reagent [5,5'-dithiobis (Z-nitrobenzoic acid)], and changes the apparent shape of the protein. GTP produces almost identical effects. The corresponding di- or monophosphates and pyrimidine nucleotides, however, neither bind as strongly as ATP nor enhance zinc transfer. Carbamoylation of MT lysines abolishes ATP binding, indicating that these highly conserved residues are part of the binding site. GSH decreases, whereas glutathione disulfide increases, ATP binding. The interaction of MT with two critical cellular ligands, i.e., GSH and ATP, and ensuing effects on zinc transfer and reactivity suggest that MT is not merely a cellular zinc buffer but, rather, actively participates in zinc distribution. Apparently, when isolated, MT lacks two important effectors that affect its redox behavior and function. The magnitude of the binding constant and the cellular concentration of ATP indicate that in the cell MT could be essentially saturated with ATP at low concentrations of GSH. Both the redox and energy states of the cell seem to control zinc distribution from MT, but their relative contributions require further studies.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Effect of zinc deficiency on betacyanin production in a cell suspension culture of table beet (Beta vulgaris L.).

The effect of microelements in the Linsmaier-Skoog (LS) medium on betacyanin production was investigated in suspension cultures of table beet (Beta vulgaris L.). Removing zinc from the medium resulted in a high betacyanin content of the cells, the betacyanin content of the cells decreasing with increasing zinc concentration in the medium. The betacyanin content of cells cultured in the medium without zinc was twice as high as that in the medium containing 0.03 mM of zinc. In the revised LS medium without zinc, the maximum betacyanin yield was obtained of 590 mg/l from a 21-day culture.

Betalains↗

Purification and properties of creatinine iminohydrolase from Flavobacterium filamentosum.

Creatinine iminohydrolase (EC 3.5.4.21), which catalyzes hydrolysis of creatinine to N-methylhydantoin and ammonia, was purified from Flavobacterium filamentosum. The average molecular weight of the purified enzyme was 272,480, and the subunit molecular weight was 44,300. Extensive specificity studies indicated that the enzyme utilized cytosine (Km, 0.62 mM; Vm, 20.1 units/mg) as well as creatinine (Km, 5.00 mM; Vm, 40.4 units/mg) as a substrate. Each was a competitive inhibitor toward hydrolysis of the other compound. Dialysis of creatinine iminohydrolase in the presence of 0.01 M Tris phosphate buffer, pH 7.5, containing 1,10-phenanthroline decreased activity by 98%. Reactivation was accomplished by incubating the apoenzyme in the presence of certain divalent metal chlorides, listed in decreasing order of effectiveness: iron(II), zinc, cobalt(II), cadmium, and nickel. The extent of reactivation depended on the substrate and on which metal ion was added to the apoenzyme. Creatinine to cytosine activity ratios varied from 1:3.75 (iron(II) chloride), to 1:0.9 (zinc chloride), to 1:0.06 (nickel chloride). For different preparations of the holoenzyme that ratio ranged from 1:0.45 to 1:1.10. Variable but significant quantities of zinc and iron were present in all preparations of the purified enzyme.

Aminohydrolases↗

New observations on the luminescence decay lifetime of Mn2+ in Zns: Mn2+ nanoparticles.

A fast decay emission peaking at 645 nm with a decay lifetime within the experimental resolution of 0.14 micros is observed in ZnS:Mn2+ nanoparticles. This short-lived signal is also observed in pure ZnS and MgS: Eu3+ nanoparticles, which has nothing to do with Mn(2+)-doped ions but is from the deep trap states of the host materials. The short-lived component decreases in intensity relative to the Mn2+ emission at higher excitation powers, while it increases in intensity at low temperatures and shifts to longer wavelengths at longer time delays. Our observations demonstrated further that the emission of Mn2+ in ZnS: Mn2+ nanoparticles behaves basically the same as in bulk ZnS: Mn2+; the fast decay component is actually from the intrinsic and defect-related emission in sulfide compounds.

Chemistry, Physical↗