The in vitro inhibition of hepatic ferrochelatase by divalent lead and other soft metal ions

1983 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 214-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reimer R. W. Gaertner ◽  
Bryan R. Hollebone

A solubilized protein with ferrochelatase activity has been extracted from hepatic mitochondria of Sprague–Dawley rats. Under anerobic conditions in the presence of sodium ascorbate the ferrochelatase velocity was typically 1.8 nM∙min−1∙mg−1. The extract also displayed zinc chelatase activity of 1.2 nM∙min−1∙mg−1 without either anerobic conditions or ascorbate. In both cases substrate inhibition occurred for metal ion and deuteroporphyrin, but in the linear range a noncompetitive two-site mechanism was observed. The ferrochelatase activity is inhibited by divalent copper, mercury, and lead ions and the sodium salt of p-chloromercuribenzoate and is replaced by zinc chelation activity. This evidence suggests that the metal-binding site includes a thiol group. The inhibition of the site is greatest with Cu2+ and decreases with increasing ionic radius to Pb2+. This observation implies that the binding site is stereochemically adapted to the small Fe2+ ion and to some extent protected from larger, sulfur-binding ions which can inhibit ferrochelatase activity.

1984 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Farmer ◽  
B. R. Hollebone

The in vitro inhibition of hydroxymethylbilane synthase (EC 4.3.1.8, uroporphyrinogen I synthetase) obtained from livers of Sprague–Dawley rats has been studied with a wide range of di- and tri-valent metal ions. After purification by cell lysis, heat treatment, and centrifugation, the stable, soluble enzyme yielded sigmoidal inhibition curves with increasing concentrations of each of the 16 test ions. Using the negative logarithm of metal concentration for 50% inhibition (the pM50 value), the metal ions could be classified according to their Klopman hardness values. Very soft ions including Hg2+, intermediate ions including Cr3+, and very hard ions including Al3+ all yielded large pM50 values indicating strong inhibition. In comparison to known metal-ion chemical behaviour, these three ions could indicate three different types of inhibitory binding sites at or near the active site: Hg2+ corresponding to sulfur in cysteine, Cr3+ corresponding to nitrogen in histidine, and Al3+ corresponding to oxygen in carboxyl groups. The presence of the first two sites is also indicated by the pH dependence of activity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 294 (20) ◽  
pp. 8046-8063 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gergely Gyimesi ◽  
Giuseppe Albano ◽  
Daniel G. Fuster ◽  
Matthias A. Hediger ◽  
Jonai Pujol-Giménez

The transport and ion-coupling mechanisms of ZIP transporters remain largely uncharacterized. Previous work in our laboratory has revealed that the solute carrier family 39 member A2 (SLC39A2/ZIP2) increases its substrate transport rate in the presence of extracellular H+. Here, we used a combination of in silico and in vitro techniques involving structural modeling, mutagenesis, and functional characterization in HEK293 cells to identify amino acid residues potentially relevant for both the ZIP2–H+ interaction and substrate binding. Our ZIP2 models revealed a cluster of charged residues close to the substrate–translocation pore. Interestingly, the H63A substitution completely abrogated pH sensitivity, and substitutions of Glu-67 and Phe-269 altered the pH and voltage modulation of transport. In contrast, substitution of Glu-106, which might be part of a dimerization interface, altered pH but not voltage modulation. Substitution of Phe-269, located close to the substrate-binding site, also affected substrate selectivity. These findings were supported by an additional model of ZIP2 that was based on the structure of a prokaryotic homolog, Bordetella bronchiseptica ZrT/Irt-like protein (bbZIP), and in silico pKa calculations. We also found that residues Glu-179, His-175, His-202, and Glu-276 are directly involved in the coordination of the substrate metal ion. We noted that, unlike bbZIP, human ZIP2 is predicted to harbor a single divalent metal-binding site, with the charged side chain of Lys-203 replacing the second bound ion. Our results provide the first structural evidence for the previously observed pH and voltage modulation of ZIP2-mediated metal transport, identify the substrate-binding site, and suggest a structure-based transport mechanism for the ZIP2 transporter.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Himanshu Kushwah ◽  
Nidhi Sandal ◽  
Meenakshi Chauhan ◽  
Gaurav Mittal

Abstract Background Uncontrolled bleeding is one of the primary reasons for preventable death in both civilian trauma and military battle field. This study evaluates in vitro and in vivo hemostatic potential of four biopolymeric natural gums, namely, gum tragacanth, guar gum, xanthan gum, and gum acacia. In vitro evaluation of whole blood clotting time and erythrocyte agglutination assay were carried out. In vitro cytotoxicity studies with respect to each gum were done in human lymphocytes to ascertain percent cell viability. In vivo hemostatic potential of each gum (as sponge dressing and powder form) was evaluated in Sprague Dawley rats using tail bleeding assay and compared with commercially available hemostatic sponge. Other important parameters like (a) time taken for complete hemostasis, (b) amount of blood absorbed, (c) adherence strength of developed hemostatic dressing(s), (d) incidence of re-bleeding, and (e) survival of animals were also studied. Results Of the four test gums studied, xanthan gum (@3mg/ml of blood) and gum tragacanth (@35mg/ml of blood) were able to clot blood in least time (58.75±6.408 s and 59.00±2.082 s, respectively) and exhibited very good hemostatic potential in vitro. Except for xanthan gum, all other test gums did not exhibit any significant cytotoxicity at different time points till 24 h. In rat tail bleeding experiments, gum tragacanth sponge dressing and powder achieved hemostasis in least time (156.2±12.86 s and 76±12.55 s, respectively) and much earlier than commercially available product (333.3±38.84 s; p˂0.01). Conclusion Results indicate potential of gum tragacanth to be developed into a suitable hemostatic product.


1991 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 125-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Bevan ◽  
David M. Ruggio

To evaluate health risks associated with exposure to particulates in the environment, it is necessary to quantify the bioavailability of carcinogens associated with the particulates. Direct analysis of bioavailability in vivo is most readily accomplished by adsorbing a radiolabeled form of the carcinogen to the particulate. A sam ple of native diesel particulate collected from an Oldsmobile die sel engine that contained 1.03 μ g benzo[ a] pyrene ( BaP)/ g particulate was supplemented with exogenous [ 3 H]- BaP to pro duce a particulate containing 2.62 μ g BaP/g. To insure that elu tion of BaP from native and [3 H] -BaP-supplemented particulate was similar, in vitro analyses were performed. When using phos pholipid vesicles composed of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC), 1.52% of total BaP was eluted from native particulate into the vesicles in 18 hrs; from [ 3 H] -BaP supplemented particu late, 1.68% was eluted. Using toluene as eluent, 2.55% was eluted from native particulate, and 8.25% from supplemented particulate, in 6 hrs. Supplemented particulate was then instilled intratracheally into male Sprague-Dawley rats and distribution of radioactivity was analyzed at selected times over 3 days. About 50% of radioactivity remained in lungs at 3 days following instil lation, with 30% being excreted into feces and the remainder dis tributed throughout the organs of the rats. To estimate the amount of radioactivity that entered feces through swallowing of a portion of the instilled dose, [3 H] -BaP-supplemented particu late was instilled intratracheally into rats that had a cannula sur gically implanted in the bile duct. Rate of elimination of radio activity into bile was monitored; 10.6% of radioactivity was re covered in 6 hr, an amount slightly lower than the 12.8% ex creted in 6 hrs into feces of animals with intact bile ducts. Our studies provide a quantitative description of the distribution of BaP and its metabolites following intratracheal instillation of diesel particulate. Because rates of elution of BaP in vitro are similar for native diesel particulate and particulate with supple mental [ 3H] -BaP, our results provide a reasonable estimate of the bioavailability in vivo of BaP associated with diesel particu late.


2013 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 385-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antoinette Y. Odendaal ◽  
Narendra S. Deshmukh ◽  
Tennille K. Marx ◽  
Alexander G. Schauss ◽  
John R. Endres ◽  
...  

This toxicological assessment evaluated the safety of a hydroethanolic extract prepared from Caralluma fimbriata (CFE), a dietary supplement marketed worldwide as an appetite suppressant. Studies included 2 in vitro genotoxicity assays, a repeated dose oral toxicity study, and a developmental study in rats. No evidence of in vitro mutagenicity or clastogenicity surfaced in the in vitro studies at concentrations up to 5000 μg of extract/plate (Ames test) or 5000 μg of extract/mL (chromosomal aberration test). No deaths or treatment-related toxicity were seen in the 6-month chronic oral toxicity study in Sprague-Dawley rats conducted at 3 doses (100, 300, and 1000 mg/kg body weight (bw)/d). The no observed effect level for CFE in this study was considered to be 1000 mg/kg bw/d. A prenatal developmental toxicity study conducted at 3 doses (250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg bw/d) in female Sprague-Dawley rats resulted in no treatment-related external, visceral, or skeletal fetal abnormalities, and no treatment-related maternal or pregnancy alterations were seen at and up to the maximum dose tested. CFE was not associated with any toxicity or adverse events.


1993 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy G. Hackett ◽  
John J. Kotyk ◽  
Hideji. Fujiwara ◽  
Eugene W. Logusch

Author(s):  
Nurarita Fadila Zesiorani ◽  
Effionora Anwar

Objective: This study aims to formulate and characterize a transfersome apple peel extract, formulate it into a gel, and compare it with a control gelmade without transfersome.Methods: Both gels were evaluated, stability tested, and penetration tested using Franz diffusion cells on the skin of female Sprague-Dawley rats. Thetransfersome preparations were formulated with different concentrations of the active substance, quercetin: 0.5% (F1); 0.7% (F2), and 1.0% (F3).Results: Based on the characterization results, F1 was selected as the optimum gel formulation because it had spherical morphology, a Dmean volume of106.44±2.70 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.078±0.01, a zeta potential of −49.96±2.05 mV, and a drug efficiency entrapment percentage of 78.78±0.46%.The cumulative amount of quercetin that was penetrated with the transfersome gel was 1514.41±26.31 μg/cm2, whereas the penetration with thecontrol gel extract was 1133.62±18.96 μg/cm2. The cumulative percentages of the penetrated gel transfersome and gel extract were 78.40±1.89%and 49.89±0.88%, respectively. The fluxes of transfersome gel and control gel extract were 52.33±0.11 μg/cm²/hrs and 40.89±0.68 μg/cm²/hrs,respectively.Conclusions: Based on these results, it can be concluded that the gel with transfersome exhibited better penetration than the gel extract alone.


1990 ◽  
Vol 122 (2) ◽  
pp. 168-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Om P. Sharma ◽  
Shafiq A. Khan ◽  
Gerhard F. Weinbauer ◽  
Mohammed Arslan ◽  
Eberhard Nieschlag

Abstract The effects of androgens on the bioactivity and molecular composition of pituitary FSH were examined in intact and GnRH antagonist-suppressed male rats. Eight groups of adult Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to the following treatments: antagonist (75 μg/day by osmotic minipumps; sc), testosterone-filled Silastic implants (3×5 cm, sc), dihydrotestosterone-filled Silastic implants (3×5 cm, sc), E2 benzoate (15 μg/day, sc), and combined administration of antagonist with either steroid for 3 weeks. At the end of the treatment period, pituitaries were dissected out and homogenised. FSH content was determined in the pituitary extracts by an in vitro bioassay and a radioimmunoassay. Individual pituitary extracts from rats treated with vehicle, testosterone and testosterone + antagonist were subjected to isoelectric-focusing on sucrose density gradients performed in the pH range from 3.5 to 7.0. Individual isoelectric-focusing fractions (100-120) were analysed for bioactive and immunoreactive FSH. Treatment with antagonist, E2 or antagonist + E2 caused a significant decrease in pituitary FSH, whereas testosterone and dihydrotesterone alone or in combination with antagonist prevented the decrease in pituitary FSH. The effects of all treatments on both bioactive and immunoreactive FSH were similar. Testosterone treatment not only maintained FSH synthesis but also altered the molecular composition of pituitary FSH. Following treatment with testosterone there was a shift of maximal FSH bioactivity to the more acidic pH range. On the other hand, less bioactivity was recovered than corresponding immunoreactivity in the higher pH region, resulting in significantly reduced ratios of bioactivity to immunoreactivity of FSH. No significant differences were found in the isoelectric-focusing profiles or bioactivity to immunoreactivity ratios of pituitary FSH in animals treated with testosterone alone or in combination with antagonist. The results demonstrate that testosterone not only maintained the synthesis of both bioactive and immunoreactive FSH in male rats, but also influences the molecular composition of pituitary FSH. These effects of testosterone on pituitary FSH appear not to be mediated through hypothalamic GnRH.


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