TOXICITY OF ATRAZINE AND RELATED TO TESTICULAR, TISSUE DAMAGING ENZYME LEVELS IN POECILIA SPHENOPS

Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the toxic effects of Atrazine (ATZ) on the enzyme levels in Poecilia sphenops.Methods: The cytosolic testicular enzyme and tissue-damaging enzyme activity were measured in Poecilia sphenops was exposed to 3 sub-lethal concentrations (1.25, 2.5 and 5 mg/l) of atrazine for 100days and control was also maintained. The toxic effects of ATZ to Poecilia sphenops were assessed through testicular marker enzyme, tissue-damaging enzyme level.Results: The activities of testicular functional enzyme ALP, ACP, SDH, LDH, G6PDH and tissue-damaging the activities of glutamate oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamate pyruvic transaminase (GPT) activity levels were altered in treated groups compared with that of the control.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that atrazine induces tissue damage in terms of enhanced enzyme activity and testicular enzyme activity in Poecilia sphenops. Atrazine has toxicity to the reproductive system in Poecilia sphenops.

The Effect of Cisplatin on Blood Ammonia Elevation by Alanyl-Glutamine Supplementation

Background: Although there are many clinical studies in which the beneficial effect of glutamine formulation on mucositis induced by chemo/radiotherapy was evaluated, the results are sometimes conflicting with the report of clinical deterioration. Then, we hypothesized that chemotherapy may increase the incidence of hyperammonemia without comparable change of major parameters of hepatic/renal disorder. Methods: To verify our hypothesis, we examined the increase in blood ammonia level with 1-h intravenous infusion of alanyl-glutamine on day 1–4 after cisplatin (CDDP) administration in rats and assessed the correlation with hepatic/renal parameters. Results: Hepatic parameters (glutamate-oxaloacetic transaminase [GOT] and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase [GPT]) with CDDP did not change until day 3 and only GOT increased on day 4. Renal parameters (plasma creatinine, blood urea nitrogen) with CDDP continuously increased up to day 4. Alanyl-glutamine infusion significantly elevated blood ammonia level of CDDP rats with the peak on day 3, although the same dose did not change that of control rats. Conclusion: These results indicates that CDDP enhances the increase in blood ammonia level by glutamine supplementation without correlating with primary parameters for hepatic/renal dysfunction.

Hepatoprotective Effects of Taiwan Folk Medicine: Wedelia chinensis on Three Hepatotoxin-induced Hepatotoxicity

The hepatoprotective effects of a Taiwanese crude herb, Hwang-hua-mih-tsay (Wedelia chinensis (Osbeck) Merr.), were investigated. Acute hepatitis was induced by three hepatotoxins: carbon tetrachloride and acetaminophen in mice, and D(+)-galactosamine in rats. After treatment with W. chinensis (300 mg/kg, p.o.) at 2,6 and 10 hours, a reduction in the elevation of serum glutamate oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) and glutamate pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) levels was observed at 24 hrs after hepatotoxins were administered. These serological observations were confirmed by histopathological examinations. A microscopic examination of the liver showed a marked improvement in groups receiving W. chinensis. In order to further confirm the hepatoprotective effect of W. chinensis, all pharmacological and histopathological effects were compared with Bupleurum chinense DC. (family Umbelliferae), a well documented antihepatotoxicity herb. It was concluded that W. chinensis has a definite hepatoprotective effect against liver injuries.

Genetic study of glutamate oxaloacetic transaminase in soybean

A four-band electrophoretic zymogram for glutamate oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT, EC 2.6.1.1) is observed in mature soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) seed. The zymogram pattern has a cluster of three bands (Rf's of 0.26, 0.29, and 0.32) and a single band. No variation was observed in the cluster of three bands. The fourth band has three variants that are controlled by a single locus, Got, with three alleles. They are designated as Got-a (Rf = 0.52), Got-b (Rf = 0.54), and Got-c (Rf = 0.57), respectively. In the wild soybean, G. soja (Sieb. & Zucc), the Got-a allele was found in four accessions from South Korea (PI 407.194, PI 407.269, PI 407.270, and PI 504.286; frequency 4/187). The Got-c allele also was found in four G. soja accessions from South Korea (PI 407.184, PI 407.207, PI 407.222, and PI 407.225; frequency 4/187). All other G. soja accessions examined carry the Got-b allele (frequency 179/187). All the G. max cultivars and accessions examined are homozygous for the Got-b allele (frequency 320/321) except for cv. Hardee, in which two seeds were homozygous for the Got-c allele. Linkage tests show that the Got locus segregates independently of the Ap, Dia1, Dia2, Idh1, Pgd2, and W1 loci. No linkage was detected when isozyme loci other than Got were tested (Am3–W1, Ap–W1, Dia1–W1, Pgd–W1, Dia1–Idh1, Pgd2–Idh1, and Ap–Idh2). Key words: soybean, glutamate oxaloacetic transaminase, GOT, electrophoresis, isozymes.

FURTHER EVIDENCE FOR A POLYMORPHISM IN GAMETIC SEGREGATION IN THE TETRAPLOID TREEFROG HYLA VERSICOLOR USING A GLUTAMATE OXALOACETIC TRANSAMINASE LOCUS

ABSTRACT Intra- and interspecific cross combinations between the tetraploid treefrog Hyla versicolor, and between H. versicolor and the diploid treefrog Hyla chrysoscelis were performed. Progeny phenotypes resulting from these crosses were examined electrophoretically using a polymorphic glutamate oxaloacetic transminase (GOT-1) locus, to determine the mechanism of chromosome segregation in H. versicolor, and to test theoretical expectations for isozyme expression in interspecific (2n × 4n or 4n × 2n) hybrids. In some intraspecific tetraploid crosses progeny phenotypes fit a disomic mode of segregation, whereas in other crosses a tetrasomic mode of segregation was the most probable. Additional crosses produced phenotypic ratios that conformed to either a disomic or tetrasomic mode of segregation. These results suggest that a polymorphism, with respect to segregation of gametes, exists in H. versicolor, resulting from differences in chromosome pairings during meiosis I. This polymorphism in gametic segregation occurred in both sexes. Certain crosses, however, produced phenotypic ratios that did not conform to any chromosome segregation model. Progeny phenotypes observed from most interspecific crosses conformed to expected interspecific isozyme staining intensity models. Symmetrical heterozygotes, representing either a single dose for both alternate alleles or double doses for both alternate alleles, were also observed. Such phenotypes are unexpected in triploid progeny. A null allele was postulated to account for the aberrant segregation ratios and phenotypes observed in certain intra- and interspecific crosses.