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Burn injury stimulates multiple proteolytic pathways in skeletal muscle, including the ubiquitin-energy-dependent pathway.

BACKGROUND: Burn injury is associated with increased muscle protein breakdown. However, the role of different intracellular proteolytic pathways in burn-induced muscle proteolysis is not known. STUDY DESIGN: A 30 percent total body surface area burn injury was inflicted on rats. Total and myofibrillar proteolysis was determined in incubated extensor digitorum longus muscles as release of tyrosine and 3-methylhistidine, respectively. Lysosomal proteolysis was assessed by using the lysosomotropic agents leupeptin and methylamine. Calcium-dependent proteolysis was determined by incubating muscles in the absence or presence of calcium or by blocking the calcium-dependent proteases calpain I and II. Energy-dependent proteolysis was determined in muscles depleted of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) by 2-deoxyglucose and 2,4-dinitrophenol. Muscle ubiquitin messenger RNA (mRNA) was determined by Northern blot analysis to assess ATP-ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis. RESULTS: Calcium-dependent total protein breakdown was stimulated in muscles from burned rats. However, the sensitivity to calcium in vitro was not increased after burn. The lysosomal and energy-dependent components of total protein breakdown were doubled in muscles from burned rats and the energy-dependent myofibrillar protein breakdown was increased almost seven-fold. Ubiquitin mRNA was increased in muscles from burned rats. CONCLUSIONS: Burn injury stimulates multiple proteolytic pathways in skeletal muscle. The ubiquitin-energy-dependent pathway may be particularly important for the breakdown of myofibrillar proteins.

Animals

A one-step procedure for preparation of classical pathway (C1q) and alternative pathway (factor D) depleted human serum.

A simple method for preparation of a serum depleted in both C1q and Factor D is described. The hemolytic activities of both pathways are completely abolished and can be fully restored using the respective purified complement components. Furthermore, this serum is useful for studying cell systems since blocking either complement pathway does not require chelating agents.

Binding, Competitive

Activation of complement by Schistosoma mansoni schistosomula: killing of parasites by the alternative pathway and requirement of IgG for classical pathway activation.

Living Schistosoma mansoni schistosomula incubated with normal chicken, guinea pig, human, and monkey sera were killed after 4 hr contact at 37 degrees C. The following data indicate that this action is dependent on the activation of the alternative complement pathway (AP): a) the inactivity of RB, RD, and zymosan-treated serum against schistosomula; b) the partial activity of RD restored in FD; c) the full effect of the C4-deficient guinea pig, C2-deficient human, and the agammaglobulinemic human sera; d) the consumption of both the AP and FB after the incubation of NHS with schistosomula; e) the detection of C3d breakdown product during the contact of the C2-deficient human serum with these young parasites. Killing by serum was decreased as the immature schistosomes developed and was completely absent against 4-day-old lung schistosomula (LS). In other experiments, it was demonstrated that schistosomula, in the presence of IgG, were able to initiate complement activation also through the classical pathway (CP). However, the CP does not appear to play a role in the schistosomulicidal activity of complement. The in vivo relevance of these observations is considered.

Animals

Alternative complement pathway activation by C4b deposited during classical pathway activation.

Sheep erythrocytes (E) sensitized with anti-E antibody (A) were reacted with guinea pig C1 (C1gp) and human C4 (C4hu) or guinea pig C4 (C4gp) to prepare EAC1, 4b. Treatment of the EAC1, 4b with a buffer containing EDTA removes C1rgp and C1sgp, resulting in the formation of EAC4b. EAC4b prepared in this way were found to be lysed by human or guinea pig serum in a gelatin Veronal-buffered saline containing 2 mM MgCl2 and 8 mM EGTA (Mg-EGTA-GVB). In the hemolytic sensitivity of EAC4bhu, essentially no difference was noted whether IgG or IgM antibodies were used for preparation of EAC4bhu. The extent of the hemolysis of EAC4bhu was dependent on the dose of C4bhu. Because EAC4bhu were lysed even by C2-deficient human serum, C3 convertase of the classical complement pathway would not be involved in the hemolysis of EAC4bhu. Furthermore, the reactivity of EAC4bhu with serum in Mg-EGTA-GVB remained even after treatment of the intermediate cells with 1 mM PMSF, indicating that any remaining C1gp was not responsible for the hemolysis. Therefore, the hemolysis of EAC4b by sera in Mg-EGTA-GVB was considered to be mediated via activation of the alternative complement pathway (ACP). Pretreatment of EAC4bhu with anti-C4hu antibody or C4-binding protein suppressed the hemolysis of EAC4bhu via the ACP activation. Furthermore, EAC4bhu were more sensitive to hemolysis by the reaction with a mixture of C3, B, D, and H followed by rat serum in EDTA-GVB than EAC1qgp were. These results indicate that C4b molecules on the cell membrane participate in the activation of ACP.

Animals

The influence of classical pathway components during alternative pathway--modulated immune complex aggregation: the role of C1 INH.

Alternative pathway (AP)-triggered reactions as well as classical pathway (CP)-mediated ones, were investigated turbidimetrically and/or immune electrophoretically, either in the presence or in the absence of in situ-generated immune complexes (ICs; tetanus toxoid/human anti-tetanus toxoid-IgG; ICs of equivalence) during the early stages of reaction. Monospecific Fab'- or Fab-fragments (rabbit) were used to block the complement function in normal human serum (NHS). C1q, functionally available following the addition of ethylene-glycol-bis-(beta-aminoethyl ether), N,N'-tetraacetic acid to NHS (EGTA-NHS), was found to increase the IC aggregation, thereby producing a biological surface upon which AP-dependent proteins were deposited. The functional inhibition of C1INH caused a C1s-mediated C3 conversion irrespective of the fact whether C1s was incorporated within macromolecular C1 (NHS) or dissociated from it (EGTA-NHS), thus, in the latter case inhibiting the AP-dependent portion of turbidity. It seemed probable that C3 conversion was effected by a fluid-phase CP C3 convertase. This process, normally counteracted by C1INH, worked more efficiently in EGTA-NHS than in NHS, indicating that the C1s-mediated reactions, initiated by presently unknown mechanisms, were less extensively regulated outside of the Ca2+-dependent C1 complex. The study demonstrates that in EGTA-NHS, too, where AP-triggered reactions have usually been investigated, sections of CP activation may play an important role, especially in situations where the function of C1INH is restricted.

Antigen-Antibody Complex

Dorsal raphe stimulation modulates nociceptive responses in thalamic parafascicular neurons via an ascending pathway: further studies on ascending pain modulation pathways.

A study on the nociceptive responses of single cells within the nucleus parafascicularis (PF) thalami of the rat was undertaken to clarify the reported observations of a pain suppression pathway to this nucleus from the dorsal raphe (DR) nucleus. Two types of nociceptive neuron were identified in the PF which were classified as 'nociceptive-on' and 'nociceptive-off' neurons, respectively. DR stimulation exhibits a simple monophasic 'dose-dependent' relationship between the degree of the inhibition elicited and the stimulation intensity used on the 'nociceptive-off' cells. In contrast, biphasic effects following DR stimulation on the 'nociceptive-on' cells was obtained, with low intensities eliciting suppression while high intensities excited the cells. These effects of low intensity DR stimulation upon the responses of the 'nociceptive-on' cells were diminished but not prevented by transection of the well-known bulbospinal inhibitory fibers descending in the dorsal half of the spinal cord, while the effects of DR stimulation upon the 'nociceptive-off' cells remain unchanged following spinal transection. Thus, our results show that DR stimulation modulates the nociceptive responsiveness of the PF by way of supraspinal pathways in addition to the previously described descending paths.

Animals

Nociceptive pathways: anatomy and physiology of nociceptive ascending pathways.

In primates, the principal nociceptive pathways ascend in the anterolateral quadrant of the spinal cord. Among these, the spinothalamic tract (s.t.t.) is the best studied. Cells in Rexed's laminae I and V project to the ventro-posterolateral (v.p.l.) thalamic nucleus. Other cells in the same and deeper laminae terminate in the intralaminar complex. Spinothalamic tract cells may be nociceptive-specific or multireceptive. Those ending in v.p.l. have restricted, contralateral receptive fields, whereas those projecting to the intralaminar region often have large, bilateral receptive fields. Spinoreticular tract (s.r.t.) cells are concentrated in laminae VII and VIII and may be nociceptive. It is proposed that the s.t.t. contributes to sensory-discriminative processing of pain and that the s.t.t. and s.r.t. play a role in the motivational-affective components of pain. Alternative nociceptive pathways are the spinocervical and postsynaptic dorsal column tracts.

Afferent Pathways

Integration in descending motor pathways controlling the forelimb in the cat. 10. Inhibitory pathways to forelimb motoneurones via C3-C4 propriospinal neurones.

A further analysis has been made of inhibitory pathways to motoneurones via C3-C4 propriospinal neurones (PNs). Intracellular recording was made from triceps brachi motoneurones and effects from higher centres and forelimb afferents on corticospinal IPSPs were investigated after transection of the corticospinal tract at the C5/C6 border. The shortest latencies of the IPSPs evoked by stimulation of the pyramid were as brief as those of the pyramidal EPSPs (Illert et al. 1977). It is postulated that the minimal linkage of the pyramidal IPSPs is disynaptic via inhibitory C3-C4 PNs projecting directly to motoneurones. It was confirmed that pyramidal IPSPs usually are depressed by volleys in forelimb motor axon collaterals (Illert and Tanaka 1978). A quantitative comparison was made of the recurrent depression of pyramidal IPSPs and of IPSPs caused by activation of the Ia inhibitory interneurones. The result support the hypothesis of two parallel inhibitory cortico-motoneuronal pathways via C3-C4 PNs, one disynaptic via the inhibitory PNs and the other trisynaptic via excitatory PNs and Ia inhibitory interneurones. Pyramidal volleys also evoked late IPSPs which in some cases were not depressed from forelimb motor axon collaterals. It is postulated that the late IPSPs are partly due to activation of inhibitory C3-C4 PNs. Disynaptic pyramidal IPSPs were effectively facilitated by volleys in rubro-, tecto- and reticulospinal fibres - but not from vestibulospinal fibres - showing a convergence from the former descending tracts on common inhibitory C3-C4 PNs. Projection from forelimb afferents and corticospinal fibres on common inhibitory C3-C4 PNs was revealed by strong facilitation of disynaptic pyramidal IPSPs from cutaneous forelimb afferents. No corresponding effect was evoked from C2 neck afferents. Stimulation in the lateral reticular nucleus (LRN) evoked monosynaptic IPSPs in some motoneurones. The results of threshold mapping in and around the LRN suggest that the IPSPs are caused by antidromic stimulation of ascending collaterals of inhibitory neurones also projecting to motoneurones, possibly the inhibitory C3-C4 PNs.

Animals

Effects of antidiuretic hormone on cellular conductive pathways in mouse medullary thick ascending limbs of Henle: I. ADH increases transcellular conductance pathways.

This paper reports experiments designed to assess the relations between net salt absorption and transcellular routes for ion conductance in single mouse medullary thick ascending limbs of Henle microperfused in vitro. The experimental data indicate that ADH significantly increased the transepithelial electrical conductance, and that this conductance increase could be rationalized in terms of transcellular conductance changes. A minimal estimate (Gminc) of the transcellular conductance, estimated from Ba++ blockade of apical membrane K+ channels, indicated that Gminc was approximately 30-40% of the measured transepithelial conductance. In apical membranes, K+ was the major conductive species; and ADH increased the magnitude of a Ba++-sensitive K+ conductance under conditions where net Cl- absorption was nearly abolished. In basolateral membranes, ADH increased the magnitude of a Cl- conductance; this ADH-dependent increase in basal Cl- conductance depended on a simultaneous hormone-dependent increase in the rate of the net Cl- absorption. Cl- removal from luminal solutions had no detectable effect on Ge, and net Cl- absorption was reduced at luminal K+ concentrations less than 5mM; thus apical Cl- entry may have been a Na+, K+, 2Cl- cotransport process having a negligible conductance. The net rate of K+ secretion was approximately 10% of the net rate of Cl- absorption, while the chemical rate of net Cl- absorption was virtually equal to the equivalent short-circuit current. Thus net Cl- absorption was rheogenic; and approximately half of net Na+ absorption could be rationalized in terms of dissipative flux through the paracellular pathway. These findings, coupled with the observation that K+ was the principal conductive species in apical plasma membranes, support the view that the majority of K+ efflux from cell to lumen through the Ba++-sensitive apical K+ conductance pathway was recycled into cells by Na+, K+,2Cl- cotransport.

Animals

A comparative study on the effects of inhibitors of the lipoxygenase pathway on neutrophil function. Inhibitory effects on neutrophil function may not be attributed to inhibition of the lipoxygenase pathway.

The effects of five inhibitors of the lipoxygenase pathway were evaluated on oxygen radical production, degranulation, chemotaxis, leukotriene B4 (LTB4) production by neutrophils. The lipoxygenase inhibitors tested were nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), esculetin, eicosatetraynoic acid (ETYA), 2-(12-hydroxydodeca-5,10-diynyl)-3,5,6-trimethyl-1,4-benzoqu inone (AA-861), and 6,9-deepoxy-6, 9-(phenylimino)-delta 6.8-prostaglandin I1 (U-60,257). Neutrophils were activated by n-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP), phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), A23187, or platelet activating factor (PAF). The effects of these inhibitors on NADPH oxidase activity and phospholipase A2 activity of isolated particulate fraction of neutrophils were also evaluated. ETYA inhibited neutrophil function induced by all the stimulators except PMA. AA-681 was unique in that it did not inhibit PAF-induced neutrophil activation. U-60,257 had virtually no effect on oxygen radical production and degranulation, but chemotaxis was moderately suppressed. NDGA effectively inhibited neutrophil function, except for chemotaxis. Esculetin inhibited only oxygen radical production, but this was due to inhibition on NADPH oxidase activity of neutrophil membrane. The inhibitory effect on neutrophil function and that of LTB4 production were not closely correlated. It is suggested that lipoxygenase inhibitors may modify neutrophil function by the mechanism not involving the lipoxygenase pathway. It is also suggested that LTB4 may not be a mediator in neutrophil oxygen radical production and degranulation induced by the stimulators used in the present study.

5,8,11,14-Eicosatetraynoic Acid

An alternative metabolic pathway of 11-deoxycorticosterone in bovine adrenal in vitro: evidence for the presence of a pathway of 11-deoxycorticosterone oxidation at 19-position.

Comparative studies of 11 beta-, 18-, and 19-hydroxylation activities of 11-deoxycorticosterone (DOC) by bovine adrenal mitochondria revealed that an appreciable level of hydroxylation rate was observed in 19-hydroxylation (0.32 nmol/min/mg mitochondrial protein), as well as in 11 beta- and 18-hydroxylations (4.7 and 0.27 nmol/min/mg mitochondrial protein, respectively), at saturated substrate concentration in vitro. Also, the rates of the oxidation reactions of 19-hydroxy-11-deoxycorticosterone (19-OH-DOC) and 19-oxo-11-deoxycorticosterone (19-oxo-DOC) at the 19-position were about 5 times higher than the 19-hydroxylation rate of DOC. Although the affinities of 19-OH-DOC and 19-oxo-DOC for the enzyme(s) involved in the C-19 oxidation were about one-fifth those of DOC, these results strongly suggest the presence of the following pathway in bovine adrenal in vitro: DOC----19-OH-DOC----19-oxo-DOC----19-oic-DOC. This was further confirmed by a dynamic study of the formation and subsequent decay of the C-19 oxidized metabolites produced from DOC. At maximum concentrations of 19-OH-DOC and 19-oxo-DOC, the rates of production of, respectively, 19-oxo-DOC and 19-oic-DOC reached maximum. Furthermore, at the beginning of the incubation (1-4 min), an induction period in the formation of 19-oxo-DOC and 19-oic-DOC was observed and the formation of 19-oxo-DOC always preceded the appearance of 19-oic-DOC. These observations strongly support the existence of the pathway of the C-19 oxidation of DOC as mentioned above. It was also established that reduced pyridine nucleotide (NADPH) and molecular oxygen were required for these oxidation reactions. In addition, these three oxidation reactions were uniformly inhibited by the presence of carbon monoxide or metyrapone (0.01-1.0 microM), which is known to bind specifically with cytochrome P-450, while potassium cyanide (0.01-0.1 mM) did not affect them. These results suggest the possibility of the involvement of cytochrome P-450 in the C-19 oxidation reactions of DOC, 19-OH-DOC, and 19-oxo-DOC. We also showed that 19-oic-DOC is not further metabolized to other steroids such as 19-nor-11-deoxycorticosterone in bovine adrenal cortex.

Adrenal Glands

Strategies for representing metabolic pathways within biochemical systems theory: reversible pathways.

The search for systematic methods to deal with the integrated behavior of complex biochemical systems has over the past two decades led to the proposal of several theories of biochemical systems. Among the most promising is biochemical systems theory (BST). Recent comparisons of this theory with several others that have recently been proposed have demonstrated that all are variants of BST and share a common underlying formalism. Hence, the different variants can be precisely related and ranked according to their completeness and operational utility. The original and most fruitful variant within BST is based on a particular representation, called an S-system (for synergistic and saturable systems), that exhibits many advantages not found among alternative representations. Even within the preferred S-system representation there are options, depending on the method of aggregating fluxes, that become especially apparent when one considers reversible pathways. In this paper we focus on the paradigm situation and clearly distinguish the two most common strategies for generating an S-system representation. The first is called the "reversible" strategy because it involves aggregating incoming fluxes separately from outgoing fluxes for each metabolite to define a net flux that can be positive, negative, or zero. The second is the "irreversible" strategy, which involves aggregating forward and reverse fluxes through each reaction to define a net flux that is always positive. This second strategy has been used almost exclusively in all variants of BST. The principal results of detailed analyses are the following: (1) All S-system representations predict the same changes in dependent concentrations for a given change in an independent concentration. (2) The reversible strategy is superior to the irreversible on the basis of several criteria, including accuracy in predicting steady-state flux, accuracy in predicting transient responses, and robustness of representation. (3) Only the reversible strategy yields a representation that is able to capture the characteristic feature of amphibolic pathways, namely, the reversal of nets flux under physiological conditions. Finally, the results document the wide range of variation over which the S-system representation can accurately predict the behavior of intact biochemical systems and confirm similar results of earlier studies [Voit and Savageau, Biochemistry 26: 6869-6880 (1987)].

Biochemical Phenomena

Control analysis of biochemical pathways: a novel procedure for calculating control coefficients, and an additional theorem for branched pathways.

A novel method for calculating control coefficients of individual enzymes on fluxes and concentrations in metabolic pathways is presented. This method is derived by applying the theorem on implicit functions to the equations defining the steady state metabolite concentrations; it allows verification of the existing summation theorems and connectivity relations, and leads to a novel theorem for flux control coefficients in branched pathways. The method and the novel theorem are illustrated by several examples.

Mathematics

Circular dichroism spectroscopy of the intermediates that precede the rate-limiting step of the refolding pathway of bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor. Relationship of conformation and the refolding pathway.

Circular dichroism spectra of the partially folded trapped intermediates were measured in order to aid in the elucidation of the conformational forces which determine a nonrandom, nonsequential pathway of disulfide bond formation upon refolding of bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor. Whatever conformation was responsible for the kinetic rates of the intermediates should be stabilized by the presence of their trapped disulfide bonds. The near-ultraviolet spectra provide considerable information about the environments of the aromatic and disulfide side chains. The predominant single-disulfide intermediate has significant nonrandom conformation not present in the fully reduced protein, with aromatic rings and the disulfide bond in stabilized asymmetric environments. Forming either of the two nonnative, but kinetically important, second disulfides in this intermediate does not produce unequivocably different conformations. Forming a second native, but kinetically unproductive, disulfide produces a substantial decrease in randomness, which may hinder formation of the third disulfide. The largest conformational changes occur upon disulfide rearrangement to the stable, correctly refolded, two- and three-disulfide species. Interpretation of the far-ultraviolet spectra in terms of the secondary structure of the intermediates is uncertain, due to the atypical spectra of the folded forms of the protein. Consequently, we are unable to determine unambiguously the secondary structure of the intermediates. However, all the spectra show that nonrandom conformations of the polypeptide chain gradually appear as disulfide bond formation progresses, as expected from the nonrandom pathway of the latter.

Animals

Growth factors, signaling pathways, and the regulation of proliferation and differentiation in BC3H1 muscle cells. I. A pertussis toxin-sensitive pathway is involved.

Cells of the nonfusing muscle cell line BC3H1 stop proliferating and express a family of muscle-specific proteins when the FBS concentration is reduced from 20 to 0.5% (Munson, R., K.L. Caldwell, and L. Glaser. 1982. J. Cell Biol. 92:350-356). Several growth factors have been shown to block differentiation in this cell line. To begin to investigate the potential role of G proteins in signal transducing pathways from these receptors, we have examined the effects of cholera toxin (CT) and pertussis toxin (PT) on proliferation and differentiation in BC3H1 cells. PT specifically ADP ribosylates a protein with an apparent molecular mass of 40 kD in BC3H1 cell membranes, whereas CT specifically ADP ribosylates three proteins of 35-43 kD. When added to exponentially growing cells in 20% FBS, CT and PT inhibited [3H]thymidine incorporation by up to 75% in a dose-dependent fashion. We found the synthesis of creatine kinase (CK) and skeletal muscle myosin light chain was reversibly induced in cells in 20% FBS treated with PT, but no increased synthesis was seen in cells treated with CT or in control cells; Northern analysis indicated this induction was at the level of mRNA. In cells shifted to 0.5% FBS, CT inhibited the normally induced synthesis of CK whereas PT potentiated it by approximately 50%. Forskolin also inhibited growth in 20% FBS and differentiation in 0.5% FBS medium in a dose-dependent fashion. both forskolin and CT elevated cAMP levels compared with control or PT-treated cells, suggesting that CT is blocking proliferation and differentiation by elevating cAMP levels. These results establish that a PT-sensitive pathway is involved in regulating proliferation and differentiation in BC3H1 cells, and we postulate that PT functions by ADP ribosylating a G protein that transduces signals from growth factor receptors in these cells.

Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose

Alternative pathway of complement: recruitment of precursor properdin by the labile C3/C5 convertase and the potentiation of the pathway.

In this study the physiological role of properdin and the differential subunit composition of the solid phase enzymes of the pathway have been explored. Cell-bound C3 and C5 convertase differ in their C3b requirement. Apparently one molecule of C3b is sufficient to allow formation of C3 convertase (C3b,B), whereas two or more are required for generation of C5 convertase (C3bn,B). This conclusion was drawn from results indicating the critical role of the spacial distribution of C3b molecules on the cell surface in enzyme formation. While the C3/C5 convertase is fully capable of acting on C5 and thereby initiating the assembly of the cytolytic membrane attack complex, it is exceedingly labile and vulnerable to destruction by the C3b inactivator. It is the apparent role of properdin to confer a degree of stability upon the labile enzyme and to protect its C3 convertase function against enzymatic destruction. To achieve these effects, precursor properdin (pre-P) is recruited in a binding-activation reaction by the labile C3/C5 convertase. Multiple C3b molecules appear to be needed for the formation of properdin-activating principle. Three modes of regulation have been described, which involve spontaneous dissociation enzymatic degradation by C3b inactivator and disassembly by beta1H. The functional differences of pre-P and activated properdin (P) were delineated, pre-P displaying a weak affinity for C3b and P the capacity of strong interaction, P generating a soluble C3 convertase in serum and pre-P being unable to do so. Because of the profound differences between native pre-P and the laboratory product P, the question was raised as to whether soluble P represents an unphysiological form of the protein. On the basis of this and other studies, the conclusion was reached that in vitro properdin recruitment constitutes the terminal event of the properdin pathway, and that properdin augments the function of C3/C5 convertase without changing its substrate specificity.

Animals

Coupling between DNA replication and cell division mediated by the FtsA protein in Escherichia coli: a pathway independent of the SOS response, the "TER" pathway.

Inhibition of DNA synthesis prevented the recovery of cell division in filaments of D-3R [ftsA3(Ts) recA56] returned to the permissive temperature. The FtsA protein may be a signal involved in the "TER" pathway, a series of events that coordinate cell division with DNA replication, that is independent of the SOS pathway.

Bacterial Proteins

Investigations on the metabolic pathways of cyclosporine: II. Elucidation of the metabolic pathways in vitro by human liver microsomes.

1. Cyclosporine and its metabolites, isolated from human bile and identified by FAB mass spectrometry and 1H-n.m.r. spectroscopy, were metabolized by human liver microsomes for the identification of new cyclosporine metabolites. From these data a metabolic pathway for cyclosporine, which includes these new cyclosporine metabolites, has been proposed. The new metabolites were isolated by semi-preparative h.p.l.c. and their chemical structures were elucidated by FAB mass spectrometry. These isolated metabolites were further metabolized and the products identified by FAB mass spectrometry. 2. Fourteen metabolites, whose structure has not yet been elucidated, were isolated after metabolism of structurally identified cyclosporine metabolites, and chemical structures for five of these metabolites were proposed. 3. The structures of the new cyclosporine metabolites were: (i) a N-demethylated, carboxylated derivative (AM1A4N), (ii) a di-hydroxylated, N-demethylated derivative (AM14N9), (iii) a hydroxylated and carboxylated derivative (AM1A9), (iv) a di-hydroxylated, cyclized and N-demethylated derivative (AM1c4N9) and (v) a cyclized and carboxylated (AM1cA) derivative. 4. A proposed cyclosporine metabolic pathway comprises a total of 29 metabolites. It consists of four main branches originating from metabolites AM1, AM1c, AM9 and AM4N.

Bile