Signatures of cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase deficiency in poplar lignins

A series of transgenic poplars down-regulated for cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) was analyzed by thioacidolysis. Among the lignin-derived monomers, the indene compounds that were recently shown to originate from sinapaldehyde incorporated into lignins through 8-O-4-cross-coupling, were found to increase as a function of CAD deficiency level. While these syringyl markers were recovered in substantial amounts in the most severely depressed lines, the markers for coniferaldehyde incorporation were recovered in only low amounts. In conjunction with these additional sinapaldehyde units and relative to the control samples, lignins in CAD-deficient poplar lines had less conventional syringyl-units and beta-O-4-bonds and more free phenolic groups. We found that almost half of the polymers in the most deficient lines could be solubilized in alkali and at room temperature. This unusual behavior suggests that lignins in CAD-deficient poplars occur as small, alkali-leachable lignin domains. That mainly sinapaldehyde incorporates into the lignins of CAD-deficient poplars suggests that the recently identified sinapyl alcohol dehydrogenase (SAD), which is structurally distinct from the CAD enzyme targeted herein, does not play any substantial role in constitutive lignification in poplar.

The Arabidopsis thaliana REDUCED EPIDERMAL FLUORESCENCE1 gene encodes an aldehyde dehydrogenase involved in ferulic acid and sinapic acid biosynthesis

Recent research has significantly advanced our understanding of the phenylpropanoid pathway but has left in doubt the pathway by which sinapic acid is synthesized in plants. The reduced epidermal fluorescence1 (ref1) mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana accumulates only 10 to 30% of the sinapate esters found in wild-type plants. Positional cloning of the REF1 gene revealed that it encodes an aldehyde dehydrogenase, a member of a large class of NADP(+)-dependent enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of aldehydes to their corresponding carboxylic acids. Consistent with this finding, extracts of ref1 leaves exhibit low sinapaldehyde dehydrogenase activity. These data indicate that REF1 encodes a sinapaldehyde dehydrogenase required for sinapic acid and sinapate ester biosynthesis. When expressed in Escherichia coli, REF1 was found to exhibit both sinapaldehyde and coniferaldehyde dehydrogenase activity, and further phenotypic analysis of ref1 mutant plants showed that they contain less cell wall-esterified ferulic acid. These findings suggest that both ferulic acid and sinapic acid are derived, at least in part, through oxidation of coniferaldehyde and sinapaldehyde. This route is directly opposite to the traditional representation of phenylpropanoid metabolism in which hydroxycinnamic acids are instead precursors of their corresponding aldehydes.

An inhibitor of mitochondrial complex I, rotenone, inactivates proteasome by oxidative modification and induces aggregation of oxidized proteins in SH-SY5Y cells

In Parkinson's disease, characteristic pathological features are the cell death of nigrostriatal dopamine neurons and the formation of Lewy bodies composed of oxidized proteins. Mitochondrial dysfunction and aggregation of abnormal proteins have been proposed to cause the pathological changes. However, the relation between these two factors remains to be clarified. In this study, the effects of mitochondrial dysfunction on the oxidative modification and accumulation of proteins were analyzed using an inhibitor of mitochondrial complex I, rotenone, and antibodies against acrolein- and dityrosine-modified proteins. Under conditions inducing mainly apoptosis in neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells, rotenone markedly increased oxidized proteins, especially those modified with acrolein, even though the increase in intracellular reactive oxygen and nitrogen species was only transient and was not so marked. In addition, the activity of the proteasome system degrading oxidized proteins was reduced profoundly after treatment with rotenone. The 20S beta subunit of proteasome was modified with acrolein, to which other acrolein-modified proteins were found to bind, as shown by coprecipitation with the antibody against 20S beta subunit. These results suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction, especially decreased activity of complex I, may reduce proteasome activity through oxidative modification of proteasome itself and aggregation with other oxidized proteins. This mechanism might account for the accumulation of modified protein and, at least partially, for cell death of the dopamine neurons in Parkinson's disease.

Nϵ-(3-Methylpyridinium)lysine, a Major Antigenic Adduct Generated in Acrolein-modified Protein

Acrolein, a representative carcinogenic aldehyde, that could be ubiquitously generated in biological systems under oxidative stress shows facile reactivity with a nucleophile such as a protein. In this study, to gain a better understanding of the molecular basis of acrolein modification of protein, we characterized the acrolein modification of a model peptide (the oxidized B chain of insulin) by electrospray ionization-liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method and established a novel acrolein-lysine condensation reaction. In addition, we found that this condensation adduct represented the major antigenic adduct generated in acrolein-modified protein. To identify the modification site and structures of adducts generated in the acrolein-modified insulin B chain, both the acrolein-pretreated and untreated peptides were digested with V8 protease and the resulting peptides were subjected to electrospray ionization-liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. This technique identified nine peptides, which contained the acrolein adducts at Lys-29 and the N terminus, and revealed that the reaction of the insulin B chain with acrolein gave multiple adducts, including an unknown adduct containing two molecules of acrolein per lysine. To identify this adduct, we incubated N(alpha)-acetyllysine with acrolein and isolated a product having the same molecular mass as the unknown acrolein-lysine adduct. On the basis of the chemical and spectroscopic evidence, the adduct was determined to be a novel pyridinium-type lysine adduct, N(epsilon)-(3-methylpyridinium)lysine (MP-lysine). The formation of MP-lysine was confirmed by amino acid analysis of proteins treated with acrolein. More notably, this condensation adduct appeared to be an intrinsic epitope of a monoclonal antibody 5F6 that had been raised against acrolein-modified protein.

Ischemic insult exacerbates acrolein-induced conduction loss and axonal membrane disruption in guinea pig spinal cord white matter

Cellular destruction following ischemic insult may be due to secondary injury mechanisms, not the oxygen-glucose deprivation itself. We have examined the effect of acrolein, an aldehyde product of lipid peroxidation (LPO) and oxidative stress, on the axons in isolated guinea pig spinal cord white matter following ischemic insult. We have found that acrolein at 50 microM, which is unharmful to spinal cord when applied alone, causes action potential conduction failure and membrane disruption following 1 to 2 h of exposure when applied during the reperfusion period. Ischemic insult also exacerbates the effect of acrolein at 200 microM, which does inflict functional and anatomical damage when applied alone. Unlike metabolic poisoning, acrolein-mediated damage is not a function of axonal size and does not affect the refractoriness in response to dual and multiple stimuli. These results indicate that spinal cord axons, in addition to experiencing elevated free radicals, are more vulnerable to acrolein attack when the level of oxygen and glucose is low. We conclude that free radicals and lipid peroxidation in general, and acrolein in specific, may play a critical role in cellular destruction and functional loss in such injury.

Alpha-tocopherol content and alpha-tocopherol transfer protein expression in leukocytes of children with acute leukemia

Alpha-tocopherol (a form of vitamin E) is a fat-soluble vitamin that can prevent lipid peroxidation of cell membranes. This antioxidant activity of alpha-tocopherol can help to prevent cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis and cancer. We investigated the alpha-tocopherol level and the expression of alpha-tocopherol transfer protein (alpha-TTP) in the leukocytes of children with leukemia. The plasma and erythrocyte alpha-tocopherol levels did not differ between children with leukemia and the control group. However, lymphocytes from children with leukemia had significantly lower alpha-tocopherol levels than lymphocytes from the controls (58.4 +/- 39.0 ng/mg protein versus 188.9 +/- 133.6, respectively; p < 0.05), despite the higher plasma alpha-tocopherol/cholesterol ratio in the leukemia group (5.83 +/- 1.64 micromol/mmol versus 4.34 +/- 0.96, respectively; p < 0.05). No significant differences in the plasma and leukocyte levels of isoprostanes (the oxidative metabolites of arachidonic acid) were seen between the leukemia patients and controls. The plasma level of acrolein, a marker of oxidative stress, was also similar in the two groups. Investigation of alpha-TTP expression by leukocytes using real-time PCR showed no difference between the two groups. These findings suggest that there may be comparable levels of lipid peroxidation in children with untreated leukemia and controls, despite the reduced alpha-tocopherol level in leukemic leukocytes.

Acrolein-sequestering ability of endogenous dipeptides: characterization of carnosine and homocarnosine/acrolein adducts by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Acrolein (ACR), the carbonyl toxin produced by lipid peroxidation, is significantly increased in Alzheimer's disease brain. Since ACR is one of the most reactive and neurotoxic aldehydes, and human brain contains both carnosine (beta-alanine-L-histidine) and homocarnosine (gamma-aminobutyryl-L-histidine), the aim of this work was first to evaluate the quenching ability of the two peptides towards ACR and then to characterize their reaction products by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS; infusion experiments; positive-ion mode). The reaction progress of ACR with carnosine or homocarnosine was studied in phosphate buffer, by monitoring ACR consumption (by reverse-phase LC) and formation of the reaction products by ESI-MS/MS at different incubation times. N-Acetylcarnosine was used as reference compound to identify the sites of reaction. Both the dipeptides were able to quench ACR by almost 60% at 1 h and by more than 85% after 3 h incubation. Different reaction products between ACR and carnosine/homocarnosine were detected after 3 and 24 h, to indicate a complex reaction pathway involving sequential addition of 1, 2 and 3 moles of ACR/mole of the dipeptide to both the beta-alanine and histidine residues. The ESI mass spectra of ACR/carnosine reaction mixtures indicate formation of several molecular species, among which the predominant are: (a) the 14-membered macrocyclic derivatives, deriving from the formation of the iminic bond between the terminal amino group followed by intramolecular Michael addition of the C(3) of the ACR moiety to histidine; (b) the N(beta)-(3-formyl-3,4-dehydropiperidino) derivatives arising from the Michael addition of two acrolein molecules to the amino group of beta-alanine, followed by an aldol condensation and dehydration.The reaction of homocarnosine with ACR follows the same pathway, giving rise to the formation of homologous adducts. The results of this study shed light on the mechanism, until now never demonstrated, through which carnosine and homocarnosine detoxify the highly reactive aldehyde acrolein in a buffer system, and represent the starting point for further studies aimed at elucidating the biological role of these dipeptides in brain.

Purification and characterization of a novel lignin peroxidase from white-rot fungus Phanerochaete sordida YK-624

We characterized kinetics and substrate oxidation of a novel lignin peroxidase (YK-LiP) isolated from white-rot fungus Phanerochaete sordida YK-624. YK-LiP enzyme was identified and purified to homogeneity by anion-exchange chromatography and gel permeation chromatography. The molecular mass of YK-LiP was approximately 50 kDa, and the absorption spectrum of YK-LiP was almost the same as that of the LiP (Pc-LiP) from Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Steady-state kinetics of veratryl alcohol oxidation by YK-LiP (unlike that by Pc-LiP) revealed a bi-reactant sequential mechanism, although reactivity of YK-LiP to various monomeric substituted aromatic compounds was similar to that of Pc-LiP. Degradation of dimeric lignin model compounds was more effective by YK-LiP than by Pc-LiP, and the oxidation rate of sinapyl alcohol oligomer by YK-LiP was much faster than that by Pc-LiP.

Induction of phase 2 enzymes by serum oxidized polyamines through activation of Nrf2: effect of the polyamine metabolite acrolein

The naturally occurring polycationic polyamines including putrescine, spermidine, and spermine play an important role in cell growth, differentiation, and gene expression. However, circulating polyamines are potential substrates for several oxidizing enzymes including copper-containing serum amine oxidase. These enzymes are capable of oxidizing serum polyamines to several toxic metabolites including aldehydes and H(2)O(2). In this study, we investigated the effects of polyamines as inducers of phase 2 enzymes and other genes that promote cell survival in a cell culture system in the presence of bovine serum. Spermidine and spermine (50 microM) increased NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) activity up to 3-fold in murine keratinocyte PE cells. Transcript levels for glutathione S-transferase (GST) A1, GST M1, NQO1, gamma-glutamylcysteine ligase regulatory subunit, and UDP-glucuronyltransferase 1A6 were significantly increased by spermidine and this effect was mediated through the antioxidant response element (ARE). The ARE from the mouse GST A1 promoter was activated about 9-fold by spermine and 5-fold by spermidine treatment, but could be inhibited by the amine oxidase inhibitor, aminoguanidine, suggesting that acrolein or hydrogen peroxide generated from polyamines by serum amine oxidase may be mediators for phase 2 enzyme induction. Elevations of ARE-luciferase expression and NQO1 enzyme activity by spermidine were not affected by catalase, while both were completely repressed by aldehyde dehydrogenase treatment. Direct addition of acrolein to PE cells induced multiple phase 2 genes and elevated nuclear levels of Nrf2, a transcription factor that binds to the ARE. Expression of mutant Nrf2 repressed the activation of the ARE-luciferase reporter by polyamines and acrolein. These results indicate that spermidine and spermine increase the expression of phase 2 genes in cells grown in culture through activation of the Nrf2-ARE pathway by generating the sulfhydryl reactive aldehyde, acrolein.

Cinnamic compound metabolism in human skin and the role metabolism may play in determining relative sensitisation potency

BACKGROUND

trans-Cinnamaldehyde and trans-cinnamic alcohol cause allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) in humans; cinnamaldehyde is a more potent sensitiser than cinnamic alcohol. These two chemicals are principal constituents of the European Standard 'Fragrance Mix', as used in patch testing diagnostics of sensitisation to fragrances by clinical dermatologists. As contact sensitisers are usually protein reactive compounds, it is hypothesised that cinnamic alcohol (not protein-reactive) is a 'prohapten' that requires metabolic activation, presumably by cutaneous oxidoreductases, to the protein-reactive cinnamaldehyde (a 'hapten'). It is postulated that cinnamaldehyde can be detoxified by aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) to cinnamic acid and/or by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) to cinnamic alcohol. Hence, a variety of metabolic pathways may contribute to the relative exposures and hence sensitising potencies of cinnamic alcohol and cinnamaldehyde.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the extent of cinnamaldehyde and cinnamic alcohol metabolism in human skin and provide evidence for the role of cutaneous ADH and ALDH in such metabolism.

METHODS

The extent of cinnamic alcohol and aldehyde metabolism was investigated in human skin homogenates and sub-cellular fractions. A high performance liquid chromatography method was used for analysis of skin sample extracts. Studies were conducted in the presence and absence of the ADH/cytochrome P450 inhibitor 4-methylpyrazole and the cytosolic ALDH inhibitor, disulfiram.

RESULTS

Differential metabolism of cinnamic alcohol and cinnamaldehyde was observed in various subcellular fractions: skin cytosol was seen to be the major site of cinnamic compound metabolism. Significant metabolic inhibition was observed using 4-methylpyrazole and disulfiram in whole skin homogenates and cytosolic fractions only.

CONCLUSIONS

This study has demonstrated that cutaneous ADH and ALDH activities, located within defined subcellular compartments, play important roles in the activation and detoxification of CAlc and CAld in skin. Such findings are important to the development of computational hazard prediction tools for sensitisation (e.g. the DEREK program) and also to dermatologists in understanding observed interindividual differences, cross-reactivities or co-sensitisation to different cinnamic compounds in the clinic.

Translesion synthesis past acrolein-derived DNA adduct, gamma -hydroxypropanodeoxyguanosine, by yeast and human DNA polymerase eta

gamma-Hydroxy-1,N(2)-propano-2'deoxyguanosine (gamma-HOPdG) is a major deoxyguanosine adduct derived from acrolein, a known mutagen. In vitro, this adduct has previously been shown to pose a severe block to translesion synthesis by a number of polymerases (pol). Here we show that both yeast and human pol eta can incorporate a C opposite gamma-HOPdG at approximately 190- and approximately 100-fold lower efficiency relative to the control deoxyguanosine and extend from a C paired with the adduct at approximately 8- and approximately 19-fold lower efficiency. Although DNA synthesis past gamma-HOPdG by yeast pol eta was relatively accurate, the human enzyme misincorporated nucleotides opposite the lesion with frequencies of approximately 10(-1) to 10(-2). Because gamma-HOPdG can adopt both ring closed and ring opened conformations, comparative replicative bypass studies were also performed with two model adducts, propanodeoxyguanosine and reduced gamma-HOPdG. For both yeast and human pol eta, the ring open reduced gamma-HOPdG adduct was less blocking than gamma-HOPdG, whereas the ring closed propanodeoxyguanosine adduct was a very strong block. Replication of DNAs containing gamma-HOPdG in wild type and xeroderma pigmentosum variant cells revealed a somewhat decreased mutation frequency in xeroderma pigmentosum variant cells. Collectively, the data suggest that pol eta might potentially contribute to both error-free and mutagenic bypass of gamma-HOPdG.

Initial steps of the peroxidase-catalyzed polymerization of coniferyl alcohol and/or sinapyl aldehyde: capillary zone electrophoresis study of pH effect

Capillary zone electrophoresis has been used to monitor the first steps of the dehydrogenative polymerization of coniferyl alcohol, sinapyl aldehyde, or a mixture of both, catalyzed by the horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-H(2)O(2) system. When coniferyl alcohol was the unique HRP substrate, three major dimers were observed (beta-5, beta-beta, and beta-O-4 interunit linkages) and their initial formation velocity as well as their relative abundance varied with pH. The beta-O-4 interunit linkage was thus slightly favored at lower pH values. In contrast, sinapyl aldehyde turned out to be a very poor substrate for HRP except in basic conditions (pH 8). The major dimer observed was the beta,beta'-di-sinapyl aldehyde, a red-brown exhibiting compound which might partly participate in the red coloration usually observed in cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase-deficient angiosperms. Finally, when a mixture of coniferyl alcohol and sinapyl aldehyde was used, it looked as if sinapyl aldehyde became a very good substrate for HRP. Indeed, coniferyl alcohol turned out to serve as a redox mediator (i.e. "shuttle oxidant") for the sinapyl aldehyde incorporation in the lignin-like polymer. This means that in particular conditions the specificity of oxidative enzymes might not hinder the incorporation of poor substrates into the growing lignin polymer.

Aldehyde-sequestering drugs: tools for studying protein damage by lipid peroxidation products

Elevated levels of reactive alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes (e.g. malondialdehyde, 4-hydroxynonenal and acrolein) in the affected tissues of various degenerative conditions suggest these substances are active propagators of the disease process. One experimental approach to attenuating damage by these intermediates employs 'aldehyde-sequestering drugs' as sacrificial nucleophiles, thereby sparing cell macromolecules and perhaps slowing disease progression. Drugs with demonstrated trapping activity toward lipid-derived aldehydes include various amine compounds such as aminoguanidine, carnosine and pyridoxamine. We have focused on identifying scavengers of acrolein, perhaps the most toxic aldehyde formed during lipid peroxidation cascades. Various phthalazine compounds (hydralazine and dihydralazine) were found to trap acrolein readily, forming hydrazone derivatives in a rapid Schiff-type reaction. These compounds strongly protect against acrolein-mediated toxicity in isolated hepatocytes.

Serum protein acrolein adducts: utility in detecting oxidant stress in hemodialysis patients and reversal using a vitamin E-bonded hemodialyzer

Accumulating evidence indicates that protein modification by acrolein is one of the major hallmarks of atherosclerosis. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the serum acrolein-modified protein adduct (Acr) level in end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and to elucidate the efficacy of vitamin E-bonded hemodialyzer in reducing Acr in a crossover trial. A significant increase in Acr was found in ESRD patients compared with healthy controls (p <.001). In ESRD, the Acr level of those patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) was significantly higher compared with the non-DM group (p <.05). Forty-one ESRD patients who exhibited Acr levels higher than the mean value in ESRD were treated by vitamin E-bonded hemodialyzer for 6 months. After 6 months of treatment, Acr levels were decreased to those found in healthy individuals (p <.001). When hemodialyzers were switched back from vitamin E bonded to the original regular ones, Acr levels increased to nearly their initial levels after 3 months (p <.001), compared with the 6 month time point. These results suggest the potential of Acr as an oxidative stress marker in ESRD, and that vitamin E-bonded hemodialyzer treatment is a reasonable approach to reduce oxidative stress in ESRD.

Mutagenesis by acrolein-derived propanodeoxyguanosine adducts in human cells

Acrolein, which is widely spread in the environment and is produced by lipid peroxidation in cells, reacts with DNA to form two exocyclic 1,N2-propanodeoxyguanosine (PdG) adducts. To establish their relative contribution to the acrolein mutagenicity, the genotoxic properties of alpha-OH-PdG and gamma-OH-PdG together with their model DNA adduct, PdG, were studied in human cells. DNA adducts were incorporated site-specifically into a SV40/BK virus origin-based shuttle vector and replicated in xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A (XPA) cells. Analysis of progeny plasmid revealed that alpha-OH-PdG and PdG strongly block DNA synthesis and that both adducts induced base substitutions with G --> T transversions predominating. Primer extension studies, catalyzed by the 3'-->5' exonuclease-deficient Klenow fragment of Escherichia coli pol I, revealed limited extension from the 3' primer termini opposite these two adducts. In contrast, gamma-OH-PdG did not strongly block DNA synthesis or miscode in XPA cells. Primer extension from a dC terminus opposite gamma-OH-PdG was much more efficient than that opposite alpha-OH-PdG or PdG. These results indicate that the minor alpha-OH-PdG adduct is more genotoxic than the major gamma-OH-PdG. Furthermore, experiments using a HeLa whole cell extract indicate that all three DNA adducts are not efficiently removed from DNA by base excision repair.

Peptidyl aldehydes as reversible covalent inhibitors of protein tyrosine phosphatases

Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) are a large family of enzymes that catalyze the hydrolytic removal of the phosphoryl group from phosphotyrosyl (pY) proteins. PTP inhibitors provide potential treatment of human diseases/conditions such as diabetes and obesity as well as useful tools for studying the function of PTPs in signaling pathways. In this work, we have shown that certain aryl-substituted aldehydes act as reversible, slow-binding inhibitors of modest potency against PTP1B, SHP-1, and a dual-specificity phosphatase, VHR. Attachment of the tripeptide Gly-Glu-Glu to the para position of cinnamaldehyde resulted in an inhibitor (Cinn-GEE) of substantially increased potency against all three enzymes (e.g., K(I) = 5.4 microM against PTP1B). The mechanism of inhibition was investigated using Cinn-GEE specifically labeled with (13)C at the aldehyde carbon and (1)H-(13)C heteronuclear single-quantum coherence spectroscopy. While Cinn-GEE alone showed a single cross-peak at delta 9.64 ((1)H) and delta 201 ((13)C), the PTP1B/Cinn-GEE complex showed three distinct cross-peaks at delta 7.6-7.8 ((1)H) and 130-137 ((13)C). Mutation of the catalytic cysteine (Cys-215 in PTP1B) into alanine had no effect on the cross-peaks, whereas mutation of a conserved active-site arginine (Arg-221 in PTP1B) to alanine abolished all three cross-peaks. Similar experiments with Cinn-GEE that had been labeled with (13)C at the benzylic position revealed a change in the hybridization state (from sp(2) to sp(3)) for the benzylic carbon as a result of binding to PTP1B. These results rule out the possibility of a free aldehyde, aldehyde hydrate, or hemithioacetal as the enzyme-bound inhibitor form. Instead, the data are consistent with the formation of an enamine between the aldehyde group of the inhibitor and the guanidine group of Arg-221 in the PTP1B active site. These aldehydes may provide a general core structure that can be further developed into highly potent and specific PTP inhibitors.

Polymerization of monolignols by redox shuttle-mediated enzymatic oxidation: a new model in lignin biosynthesis I

Lignin is one of the most abundant biopolymers, and it has a complex racemic structure. It may be formed by a radical polymerization initiated by redox enzymes, but much remains unknown about the process, such as how molecules as large as enzymes can generate the compact structure of the lignified plant cell wall. We have synthesized lignin oligomers according to a new concept, in which peroxidase is never in direct contact with the lignin monomers coniferaldehyde and coniferyl alcohol. Instead, manganese oxalate worked as a diffusible redox shuttle, first being oxidized from Mn(II) to Mn(III) by a peroxidase and then being reduced to Mn(II) by a simultaneous oxidation of the lignin monomers to radicals that formed covalent linkages of the lignin type. Furthermore, a high molecular mass polymer was generated by oxidation of coniferyl alcohol by Mn(III) acetate in a dioxane and water mixture. This polymer was very similar to natural spruce wood lignin, according to its NMR spectrum. The possible involvement of a redox shuttle/peroxidase system in lignin biosynthesis is discussed.

Kinetic analysis of the reactions of 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide and acrolein with glutathione, mesna, and WR-1065

The kinetics of the reactions of glutathione (GSH) with 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4OOH-CP) and acrolein, a metabolite of 4OOH-CP, were investigated in a cell-free medium (pH approximately 7.5) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The ability of the thiol drugs, sodium 2-mercaptoethane sulfonate (mesna) and S-2-(3-aminopropylamino)ethanethiol (WR-1065), to affect the reactions of cellular GSH with the alkyalting agents was also studied. The amount of unreacted thiols in the various reactions was determined by derivatization with monobromobimane, followed by separation of fluorescent-labeled thioether adducts using high-pressure liquid chromatography. The second-order rate constants (k(2)) for reactions of GSH, mesna, and WR-1065 with 4OOH-CP in solution were 38 +/- 5, 25 +/- 5, and 880 +/- 50 M(-1) s(-1), respectively. The corresponding k(2) for reactions of GSH, mesna, and WR-1065 with acrolein were 490 +/- 100, 700 +/- 150, and >2000 M(-1) s(-1), respectively. The apparent rate constants for reactions of cellular GSH with acrolein and 4OOH-CP were smaller than those obtained in solution. Assuming that the k(2) is the same inside and outside cells, we estimate the first-order rate constant (k(1)) for transfer of 4OOH-CP and acrolein across the cell membrane as approximately 0.01 and approximately 0.04 s(-1), respectively. WR-1065 was more effective than mesna in blocking depletion of cellular GSH (because it passes into the cell more quickly and has higher reaction rates with the alkylators than the latter compound). When WR-1065 and mesna were used together, the protection against cellular depletion of GSH was additive. Our results are relevant to the administration of thiol drugs with high-dose alkylating agents.

Measurement of 4-hydroxylation of ifosfamide in human liver microsomes using the estimation of free and protein-bound acrolein and codetermination of keto- and carboxyifosfamide

PURPOSE

The aim of the present study was to determine the turnover (4-hydroxylation and N-dechloroethylation) of ifosfamide in a total of 25 human liver microsomal preparations in which the codetermination of keto- and carboxyifosfamide as well as the calculation of free and protein-bound acrolein was carried out for the first time.

METHODS

The 4-hydroxylation of ifosfamide was estimated by using acrolein (free and protein-bound) and a newly developed procedure involving the codetermination of keto- and carboxyifosfamide (LC/MS). The ifosfamide N-dechloroethylation was determined as the sum of 2- and 3-dechloroethylifosfamide (LC/MS).

RESULTS

Using the usual estimation of liberated free acrolein in 25 human liver microsomal preparations, the 4-hydroxylation of ifosfamide amounted to 0.28+/-0.16 nmol/min. nmol(P450). However, after calculating the 4-hydroxylation as the sum of free and protein-bound acrolein and keto- and carboxyifosfamide, a ninefold higher activity (2.40+/-0.73 nmol/min. nmol(P450)) was found. The percentage of the inactive metabolites keto- (25/25) and carboxyifosfamide (5/25) in the 4-hydroxylation amounted to only 0.79-5.25% (mean 2.90%). The ifosfamide N-dechloroethylation (mean 0.21+/-0.11 nmol/min. nmol(P450)) determined as the sum of 2- and 3-dechloroethylifosfamide was estimated as 8.3+/-4.3% of the total ifosfamide turnover. The application of the relative substrate-activity factor (RSF)-approach and the calculation of the contribution of various isoforms in the ifosfamide 4-hydroxylation yielded the following results: CYP 3A4: 58+/-31%, CYP 2A6: 25+/-15%, and CYP 2C9: 5+/-2% of the total measured 4-hydroxylation. A correlation between 4-hydroxylation and the N-dechloroethylation rates of ifosfamide and the activities of isoenzymes indicates the involvement of both CYP 3A4 ( P=0.026) and CYP 2C9 ( P=0.012) in the 4-hydroxylation reaction and of CYP 3A4 ( P<0.01) in the N-dechloroethylation reaction.

CONCLUSIONS

The estimation of protein-bound acrolein should be included in the calculation of the ifosfamide 4-hydroxylation besides liberated free acrolein. Because of the small amounts of the inactive metabolites keto- and carboxyifosfamide, the exclusive determination of acrolein only (free and protein-bound) seems to suffice for the calculation of total ifosfamide hydroxylation. Using this method the hepatic in vitro turnover of ifosfamide was estimated as 92% for 4-hydroxylation (CYP 3A4 and CYP 2A6 mediated) and 8% for N-dechloroethylation (CYP 3A4 mediated), and in this way, a relative overestimation of the N-dechloroethylation of ifosfamide on the whole metabolism is avoided.

Changes in urinary bladder cytokine mRNA and protein after cyclophosphamide-induced cystitis

Cyclophosphamide (CYP)-induced cystitis alters micturition function and produces reorganization of the micturition reflex. This reorganization may involve cytokine expression in the urinary bladder. These studies have determined candidate cytokines in the bladder that may contribute to the reorganization process. An RNase protection assay was used to measure changes in rat bladder cytokine mRNA [interferon-gamma (IFN)-gamma, interleukin-1alpha/beta (IL-1alpha/beta), IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha/beta (TNF-alpha/beta)] after acute (4 h), intermediate (48 h), or chronic (10 day) cystitis. The correlation between bladder cytokine mRNA and protein expression was also determined by immunoassay. Although at each time point after cystitis significant changes in bladder cytokine mRNA were observed, the magnitude differed (acute > intermediate > chronic). Acute cystitis demonstrated the most robust changes (P </= 0.005; IL-1beta, 330-fold increase; IL-2, 20-fold increase; IL-4, 8-fold increase; IL-6, 80-fold increase) in cytokine mRNA expression and TNF-alpha or TNF-beta mRNA were only increased (2-10-fold) after acute cystitis. More modest increases in cytokine mRNA expression were observed after 48-h or 10-day cystitis. Cytokine protein expression generally paralleled that of mRNA. Increased cytokine expression after CYP-induced cystitis, alone or in combination with other inflammatory mediators or growth factors, may contribute to altered lower urinary tract function after cystitis.

Genotoxic mechanism for the major acrolein-derived deoxyguanosine adduct in human cells

Acrolein, widely distributed in the environment and also produced endogenously, forms deoxyguanosine adducts in DNA. The genotoxicity of the major acrolein-dG adduct, 8alpha and 8beta isomers of 3H-8-hydroxy-3-(beta-D-2'-deoxyribofuranosyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropyrido[3,2-a]purine-9-one (gamma-OH-PdG), and the model adduct, PdG, which lacks the hydroxy group of gamma-OH-PdG, was investigated in human cells. The adducts were site-specifically incorporated into a SV40/BK origin-based shuttle vector. Estimated efficiencies of translesion DNA synthesis were 73% for gamma-OH-PdG and 25% for PdG when compared with dG control. Gamma-OH-PdG was marginally miscoding (<or=1%), inducing G-->T and G-->A base substitutions in HeLa and xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A (XP-A) and variant (XP-V) cells. There was no significant difference in the miscoding frequency when the adduct was inserted in the leading or lagging strand. PdG was more miscoding than gamma-OH-PdG by inducing targeted base substitutions (G-->T, A, or C) at a frequency of 7.5% in XP-A cells. Thus, the authentic major adduct, gamma-OH-PdG, is less blocking to DNA synthesis and less miscoding than the model adduct, PdG.

Iridals are a novel class of ligands for phorbol ester receptors with modest selectivity for the RasGRP receptor subfamily

Since 1990, the National Cancer Institute has performed extensive in vitro screening of compounds for anticancer activity. To date, more than 70 000 compounds have been screened for their antiproliferation activities against a panel of 60 human cancer cell lines. We probed this database to identify novel structural classes with a pattern of biological activity on these cell lines similar to that of the phorbol esters. The iridals form such a structural class. Using the program Autodock, we show that the iridals dock to the same position on the C1b domain of protein kinase C delta as do the phorbol esters, with the primary hydroxyl group of the iridal at the C3 position forming two hydrogen bonds with the amide group of Thr12 and with the carbonyl group of Leu 21 and the aldehyde oxygen of the iridal forming a hydrogen bond with the amide group of Gly23. Biological analysis of two iridals, NSC 631939 and NSC 631941, revealed that they bound to protein kinase C alpha with K(i) values of 75.6 +/- 1.3 and 83.6 +/- 1.5 nM, respectively. Protein kinase C is now recognized to represent only one of five families of proteins with C1 domains capable of high-affinity binding of diacylglycerol and the phorbol esters. NSC 631939 and NSC 631941 bound to RasGRP3, a phorbol ester receptor that directly links diacylglycerol/phorbol ester signaling with Ras activation, with K(i) values of 15.5 +/- 2.3 and 41.7 +/- 6.5 nM, respectively. Relative to phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate, they showed 15- and 6-fold selectivity for RasGRP3. Both compounds caused translocation of green fluorescent protein tagged RasGRP3 expressed in HEK293 cells, and both compounds induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2, a downstream indicator of Ras activation, in a RasGRP3-dependent fashion. We conclude that the iridals represent a promising structural motif for design of ligands for phorbol ester receptor family members.

Immunohistochemical detection of lipid peroxidation products, protein-bound acrolein and 4-hydroxynonenal protein adducts, in actinic elastosis of photodamaged skin

Acrolein and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) are both byproducts of a lipid peroxidation reaction. Actinic elastosis in photodamaged skin of aged individuals is characterized by the accumulation of fragmented elastic fibers in the sun-exposed areas. To study whether a lipid peroxidation reaction is involved in the accumulation of altered elastic fibers in actinic elastosis, skin specimens obtained from sun-damaged areas were immunohistochemically examined using the antibodies against acrolein and HNE. Both antibodies were found to react with the accumulations of elastic material. Double immunofluorescence labeling demonstrated that acrolein/elastin and HNE/elastin were colocalized in the actinic elastosis. Western blot analysis showed that the polypeptide with a molecular weight of 62 kDa reacted with anti-acrolein, anti-HNE and anti-elastin antibodies. The results suggest that acrolein and HNE may be associated with actinic elastosis.

The last step of syringyl monolignol biosynthesis in angiosperms is regulated by a novel gene encoding sinapyl alcohol dehydrogenase

Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD; EC 1.1.1.195) has been thought to mediate the reduction of both coniferaldehyde and sinapaldehyde into guaiacyl and syringyl monolignols in angiosperms. Here, we report the isolation of a novel aspen gene (PtSAD) encoding sinapyl alcohol dehydrogenase (SAD), which is phylogenetically distinct from aspen CAD (PtCAD). Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based enzyme functional analysis and substrate level-controlled enzyme kinetics consistently demonstrated that PtSAD is sinapaldehyde specific and that PtCAD is coniferaldehyde specific. The enzymatic efficiency of PtSAD for sinapaldehyde was approximately 60 times greater than that of PtCAD. These data suggest that in addition to CAD, discrete SAD function is essential to the biosynthesis of syringyl monolignol in angiosperms. In aspen stem primary tissues, PtCAD was immunolocalized exclusively to xylem elements in which only guaiacyl lignin was deposited, whereas PtSAD was abundant in syringyl lignin-enriched phloem fiber cells. In the developing secondary stem xylem, PtCAD was most conspicuous in guaiacyl lignin-enriched vessels, but PtSAD was nearly absent from these elements and was conspicuous in fiber cells. In the context of additional protein immunolocalization and lignin histochemistry, these results suggest that the distinct CAD and SAD functions are linked spatiotemporally to the differential biosynthesis of guaiacyl and syringyl lignins in different cell types. SAD is required for the biosynthesis of syringyl lignin in angiosperms.

The last step of syringyl monolignol biosynthesis in angiosperms is regulated by a novel gene encoding sinapyl alcohol dehydrogenase

Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD; EC 1.1.1.195) has been thought to mediate the reduction of both coniferaldehyde and sinapaldehyde into guaiacyl and syringyl monolignols in angiosperms. Here, we report the isolation of a novel aspen gene (PtSAD) encoding sinapyl alcohol dehydrogenase (SAD), which is phylogenetically distinct from aspen CAD (PtCAD). Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based enzyme functional analysis and substrate level-controlled enzyme kinetics consistently demonstrated that PtSAD is sinapaldehyde specific and that PtCAD is coniferaldehyde specific. The enzymatic efficiency of PtSAD for sinapaldehyde was approximately 60 times greater than that of PtCAD. These data suggest that in addition to CAD, discrete SAD function is essential to the biosynthesis of syringyl monolignol in angiosperms. In aspen stem primary tissues, PtCAD was immunolocalized exclusively to xylem elements in which only guaiacyl lignin was deposited, whereas PtSAD was abundant in syringyl lignin-enriched phloem fiber cells. In the developing secondary stem xylem, PtCAD was most conspicuous in guaiacyl lignin-enriched vessels, but PtSAD was nearly absent from these elements and was conspicuous in fiber cells. In the context of additional protein immunolocalization and lignin histochemistry, these results suggest that the distinct CAD and SAD functions are linked spatiotemporally to the differential biosynthesis of guaiacyl and syringyl lignins in different cell types. SAD is required for the biosynthesis of syringyl lignin in angiosperms.

Acrolein induces activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor of human keratinocytes for cell death

Acrolein, which is a highly reactive formaldehyde generated by lipid peroxidation, can affect skin and cause various disorders. The effect of exposure of human keratinocytes to acrolein on cell surface-oriented signal transduction into cells was examined. Incubation of human keratinocytes with a relatively low concentration (50 microM) of acrolein caused a prompt and selective induction of tyrosine phosphorylation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) as a 180-kDa molecule during the period from 5-30 min after the start of incubation. This early event was followed by an increase in the density and number of phosphotyrosine-containing proteins during the period from 60-120 min after the start of incubation. The catalytic activity of EGFR as measured by the levels of autophorphorylation and phosphorylation of an exogenously added substrate, casein, in in vitro kinase assay, greatly increased as early as 1 min after the start of incubation and then decreased gradually 30 min later. MAP family kinases, including ERK, JNK, and p38 kinase, and the potentially downstream transcription factor c-Jun were all promoted for phosphorylation/activation during a period of 5-30 min. Selective prompt phosphorylation/activation of EGFR followed by phosphorylation of MAP family kinases and c-Jun and their blockade by a specific EGFR inhibitor, AG1478, suggested that activation of EGFR is the major, and possibly single, cell surface element for intracellular signal transduction in acrolein-treated cells. Incubation of human keratinocytes with 50 microM of acrolein induced atypical apoptosis with morphologic apoptotic features with low-grade oligonucleoside-sized DNA fragmentation. Partial inhibition of such a cytopathic effect of acrolein on human keratinocytes by preincubation with AG1478 suggests the involvement of an EGFR-mediated signal pathway for atypical apoptosis. These results provide new information on acrolein-induced cell surface-oriented signal transduction to human keratinocytes, and this information may be useful for understanding the pathogenesis of a number of skin diseases in response to environmental acrolein and acrolein-generating ultraviolet irradiation.

Caffeine potentiation of allyl alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity. II. In vitro study

We examined the effects of caffeine (C) on allyl alcohol (AA)- and acrolein (A)-induced hepatotoxicity on freshly-isolated, rat hepatocytes obtained from livers of adult, male, Sprague-Dawley rats. Isolated rat hepatocytes in suspension were incubated in each test with one of the following: 0, 1.0, or 2.5 mM of AA alone; or with 0, 2.5, or 5 mM of C alone; or a combination of AA and C at the same range of concentrations as used alone, for 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes at 37 degrees C. A dose- and time-dependent potentiation of cytotoxicity as measured by cellular viability (using trypan blue exclusion) were observed. The AA (2.5 mM)-induced lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage observed after 60 minutes incubation was completely prevented when pretreated for 15 minutes with 4-methylpyrazole (MP) (0.5 mM). Such pretreatment, even with a double dose of 4-MP, only partially, and not significantly, prevented LDH leakage when the hepatocytes were incubated with a mixture of 2.5 mM AA and 5 mM C. The depletion of hepatocyte nonprotein sulfhydryl (NPSH) content caused by AA was further enhanced in the presence of C, as early as 15 minutes after their exposure. The AA-induced increase in lipid peroxidation was also potentiated by C; however, potentiation started later, and only after sufficient depletion of NPSH (mostly glutathione) occurred resulting from the presence of AA plus C. A significant loss of protein sulfhydryls in rat hepatocytes could be noted following a 60-minute incubation period with either AA (1 mM) or AA (1 mM) plus C (5 mM). Similarly, C produced a dose-and time-dependent potentiation of A-induced liver cytotoxicity, which was preceded by severe loss of NPSH content within 15 minutes of exposure, whereas the potentiation of lipid peroxidation (LPO) resulting from A plus C was found to be a relatively late event, as with AA plus C. Furthermore, combined treatment with AA and C produced a significantly higher cytotoxicity (as measured by cellular viability) than that due to the combined treatment with A plus C based on equimolar concentration. These results suggest that two increased bioactivation pathways of AA involving the P-450 mixed-function oxidase system resulting from C may be involved in the potentiation of AA hepatotoxicity.

Influence of caffeine on allyl alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. I. In vivo study

Cotreatment of rats with a low hepatotoxic dose (30.7 mg/kg, i.p.) of allyl alcohol (AA) and a higher, but nontoxic, dose (150 mg/kg, oral) of caffeine (CF) potentiated the hepatotoxicity of AA. This was verified by significantly higher levels of plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity and histopathologically greater severity of lesions in the periportal hepatocytes than those due to AA alone. Treatment of rats with 4-methylpyrazole (4-MP) (0.5 mmol/kg, i.p.) (an inhibitor liver alcohol dehydrogenase) for 30 minutes, followed by similar cotreatment with AA and CF, completely prevented the elevation of plasma levels of ALT and histological damage induced by cotreatment with CF and AA 24 hours following their administration. Severe liver damage induced by cotreatment with CF and AA was further, markedly enhanced by phenobarbital pretreatment (80 mg/kg, i.p., 3 days). Thus, extensive necrosis of periportal hepatocytes was noted, as well as edema and accumulation of inflammatory cells in the necrotic foci caused by such pretreatment. The depression of hepatic nonprotein sulfhydryls resulting from CF plus AA was much more severe than that caused by AA or CF alone and appeared as early as 30 minutes after administration. However, much less marked depletion of protein thiols was observed following similar treatments. Significant increase in lipid peroxidation (as measured by melondialdehyde [MDA] formation) was also observed in rat liver but only 24 hours after administration. The production ofMDA in the rat liver was significantly higher after administration of AA plus CF than after administration of AA alone. Pretreatment of rats with phenobarbital further significantly enhanced the formation of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNP)-reactive metabolite(s) (measured as DNP-acrolein adduct equivalents) in rat liver induced by AA (30.7 mg/kg) plus CF (150 mg/kg) within 1 hour following such treatment. Cotreatment with AA and a higher dose of CF resulted in significantly higher excretion of urinary thioethers or mercapturic acids than in rats treated with AA alone. Thus, these data suggest that an increased bioactivation pathway of acrolein involving a P450 mixed-function oxidase system caused by CF may be involved in such potentiating effects of CF on AA-induced hepatotoxicity in rats.

Red blood cells inhibit activation-induced cell death and oxidative stress in human peripheral blood T lymphocytes

Red blood cells (RBCs) are known to perform one prominent function: to carry and deliver oxygen to the tissues. Earlier studies, however, suggested a role for RBCs in potentiating T-cell proliferation in vitro. Here it is shown that the presence of RBCs in cultures of stimulated human peripheral blood lymphocytes strengthens T-cell proliferation and survival. Analysis of phosphatidylserine externalization and DNA fragmentation showed that RBCs inhibit T-cell apoptosis. This inhibition correlated with a reduction in CD71 but not CD95 expression. RBCs enhanced T-cell proliferation and survival upon activation with phytohemagglutinin and with OKT3 antibodies. Studies aimed at characterizing the cellular and molecular basis of the protection afforded to T cells by RBCs showed that (1) optimal protection required intact RBCs and red cell/T-cell contact but not monocytes; (2) RBCs markedly reduced the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species; and (3) RBCs inhibited the formation of protein-bound acrolein, a peroxidation adduct in biologic systems. Overall, these data indicate that human RBCs protect T cells from activation-induced cell death, at least in part by reducing the pro-oxidant state, and suggest a role for RBCs as conceivable modulators of T-cell homeostasis.

Glutathione depletion in rat hepatocytes: a mixture toxicity study with alpha, beta-unsaturated esters

1. Glutathione (GSH) depletion is often reported as an early cytotoxic effect, caused by many reactive organic chemicals. In the present study, GSH depletion in primary rat hepatocytes was used as an in vitro effect-equivalent to measure the toxic potency of alpha,beta-unsaturated esters (acrylates and methacrylates). 2. When these compounds were administered as a mixture, GSH depletion was dose additive. The result of the mixture study shows that GSH depletion may be a useful effect-equivalent for the risk assessment of mixtures of alpha,beta-unsaturated esters. 3. To get more insight in the underlying mechanisms of GSH depletion, the metabolism of two esters was investigated in greater detail. One of them, allyl methacrylate, was metabolized to acrolein. This metabolic pathway can explain the high potency of allyl methacrylate to deplete GSH despite its low intrinsic chemical reactivity.

Polyamine cytotoxicity in the presence of bovine serum amine oxidase

The toxicity of extracellular spermine, determined in the presence of fetal calf serum, was studied using three cell lines: FM3A, L1210, and NIH3T3 cells. Amine oxidase in fetal calf serum produces aminodialdehyde generating acrolein spontaneously, H(2)O(2), and ammonia from spermine. Spermine toxicity was prevented by aldehyde dehydrogenase, but not by catalase. Similar concentrations of spermine and acrolein were needed to produce toxicity. Other aldehydes (formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and propionaldehyde) and hydrogen peroxide were less toxic than acrolein. Spermidine and 3-aminopropanal, which produces acrolein, also exhibited severe cytotoxicity. The degree of cytotoxicity of spermine, spermidine, and 3-aminopropanal was nearly parallel with the amount of acrolein produced from each compound. Thus, it was deduced that acrolein is a major toxic compound produced from polyamines (spermine and spermidine) by amine oxidase.

Responses to the major acrolein-derived deoxyguanosine adduct in Escherichia coli

Acrolein, a reactive alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehyde found ubiquitously in the environment and formed endogenously in mammalian cells, reacts with DNA to form an exocyclic DNA adduct, 3H-8-hydroxy-3-(beta-D-2'-deoxyribofuranosyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropyrido[3,2-a]purine-9-one (gamma-OH-PdG). The cellular processing and mutagenic potential of gamma-OH-PdG have been examined, using a site-specific approach in which a single adduct is embedded in double-strand plasmid DNA. Analysis of progeny plasmid reveals that this adduct is excised by nucleotide excision repair. The apparent level of inhibition of DNA synthesis is approximately 70% in Escherichia coli DeltarecA, uvrA. The block to DNA synthesis can be overcome partially by recA-dependent recombination repair. Targeted G --> T transversions were observed at a frequency of 7 x 10(-4)/translesion synthesis. Inactivation of polB, dinB, and umuD,C genes coding for "SOS" DNA polymerases did not affect significantly the efficiency or fidelity of translesion synthesis. In vitro primer extension experiments revealed that the Klenow fragment of polymerase I catalyzes error-prone synthesis, preferentially incorporating dAMP and dGMP opposite gamma-OH-PdG. We conclude from this study that DNA polymerase III catalyzes translesion synthesis across gamma-OH-PdG in an error-free manner. Nucleotide excision repair, recombination repair, and highly accurate translesion synthesis combine to protect E. coli from the potential genotoxicity of this DNA adduct.

Cigarette smoke impairs neutrophil respiratory burst activation by aldehyde-induced thiol modifications

Exposure to airborne pollutants such as tobacco smoke is associated with increased activation of inflammatory-immune processes and is thought to contribute to the incidence of respiratory tract disease. We hypothezised that cigarette smoke (CS) could synergize with activated inflammatory/immune cells to cause oxidative injury or result in the formation of unique reactive oxidants. Isolated human neutrophils were exposed to gas-phase CS, and the production of nitrating and chlorinating oxidants following neutrophil stimulation was monitored using the substrate 4-hydroxyphenylacetate (HPA). Stimulation of neutrophils in the presence of CS resulted in a reduced oxidation and chlorination of HPA, suggesting inhibition of NADPH oxidase or myeloperoxidase (MPO), the two major enzymes involved in inflammatory oxidant formation. Peroxidase assays demonstrated that neutrophil MPO activity was not significantly affected after CS-exposure, leaving the NADPH oxidase as a likely target. The inhibition of neutrophil oxidant formation was found to coincide with depletion of cellular GSH, and a similar modification of critical cysteine residues, such as those in NADPH oxidase components, might be involved in reduced respiratory burst activity. As alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes such as acrolein have been implicated in thiol modifications by CS, we exposed neutrophils to acrolein prior to stimulation, and observed inhibition of NADPH oxidase activation in relation to GSH depletion. Additionally, translocation of the cytosolic components of NADPH oxidase to the membrane, a necessary requirement for enzyme activation, was inhibited. Protein adducts of acrolein (or related aldehydes) could be detected in several neutrophil proteins, including NADPH oxidase components, following neutrophil exposure to either CS or acrolein. Alterations in neutrophil function by exposure to (environmental) tobacco smoke may affect inflammatory/infectious conditions and thereby contribute to tobacco-related disease.

Acrolein is increased in Alzheimer's disease brain and is toxic to primary hippocampal cultures

Accumulating evidence implicates oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Increased lipid peroxidation, decreased levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, and increased levels of 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE), F(2)-isoprostanes, and F(4)-neuroprostanes are present in the brain in AD. Acrolein, an alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydic product of lipid peroxidation, is approximately 100 times more reactive than HNE and recently was demonstrated in neurofibrillary tangles in the brain in AD. In three brain regions of 10 AD patients compared with 8 age-matched control subjects, we found increased mean extractable acrolein, with the increases reaching statistical significance in the amygdala and hippocampus/parahippocampal gyrus. In hippocampal neuron cultures, acrolein was neurotoxic in a time- and concentration-dependent manner and more toxic than HNE at 5 microM concentrations of each. Acrolein exposure led to a significant concentration-dependent increase in intracellular calcium concentrations. Collectively, these data show that acrolein is increased in the brain in AD and demonstrate neurotoxicity mechanisms that might be important in the pathogenesis of neuron degeneration in AD.

The antihypertensive hydralazine is an efficient scavenger of acrolein

Recent work indicates the highly toxic alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehyde acrolein is formed during the peroxidation of polyunsaturated lipids, raising the possibility that it functions as a 'toxicological second messenger' during oxidative cell injury. Acrolein reacts rapidly with proteins, forming adducts that retain carbonyl groups. Damage by this route may thus contribute to the burden of carbonylated proteins in tissues. This work evaluated several amine compounds with known aldehyde-scavenging properties for their ability to attenuate protein carbonylation by acrolein. The compounds tested were: (i) the glycoxidation inhibitors, aminoguanidine and carnosine; (ii) the antihypertensive, hydralazine; and (iii) the classic carbonyl reagent, methoxyamine. Each compound attenuated carbonylation of a model protein, bovine serum albumin, during reactions with acrolein at neutral pH and 37 degrees C. However, the most efficient agent was hydralazine, which strongly suppressed carbonylation under these conditions. Study of the rate of reaction between acrolein and the various amines in a protein-free buffered system buttressed these findings, since hydralazine reacted with acrolein at rates 2-3 times faster than its reaction with the other scavengers. Hydralazine also protected isolated mouse hepatocytes against cell killing by allyl alcohol, which undergoes in situ alcohol dehydrogenase-catalysed conversion to acrolein.

[The bindings of typical aldehydes pollutants with cell DNA]

The bindings of 3 kinds of aidehyde pollutants, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, with both prokaryotic and eukaryotic DNA, and their genotoxic effect and mechanism were conducted by the shifts of maximum UV absorption peak to determine binding effects and by HPLC to determine binding sites in vitro model system. The shifts of maximum UV absorption peak of prokaryotic DNA contaminated by 3 kinds of aldehyde pollutants are not significant; but after the DNA extracted from prokaryotic bacteria reacting with formaldehyde in tube, the shifts of maximum UV absorption peak of DNA are significant; the shifts of maximum UV absorption peak of eukaryotic DNA contaminated by 3 kinds of aldehyde pollutants are significant also. The reacition of acetaldehyde with dG reduced by NaBH4 was separated and detected by HPLC, the product was determined qualitatively as N2-ethaldeoxyguanosine adduct. The 3 kinds of aldehyde pollutants could bind with cellular DNA to express genotoxic effects; and the N2 site of deoxyguanosine is the possible covalent binding site.

Acrolein, a product of lipid peroxidation, inhibits glucose and glutamate uptake in primary neuronal cultures

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Increased lipid peroxidation, decreased levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, and increased levels of 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE), F(2)-isoprostanes, and F(4)-neuroprostanes are present in the brain in patients with AD. Acrolein, an alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydic product of lipid peroxidation has been demonstrated to be approximately 100 times more reactive than HNE and is present in neurofibrillary tangles in the brain in AD. We recently demonstrated statistically significant elevated concentrations of extractable acrolein in the hippocampus/parahippocampal gyrus and amygdala in AD compared with age-matched control subjects. Concentrations of acrolein were two to five times those of HNE in the same samples. Treatment of hippocampal cultures with acrolein led to a time- and concentration-dependent decrease in cell survival as well as a concentration-dependent increase in intracellular calcium. In cortical neuron cultures, we now report that acrolein causes a concentration-dependent impairment of glutamate uptake and glucose transport in cortical neuron cultures. Treatment of cortical astrocyte cultures with acrolein led to the same pattern of impairment of glutamate uptake as observed in cortical neuron cultures. Collectively, these data demonstrate neurotoxicity mechanisms of arolein that might be important in the pathogenesis of neuron degeneration in AD.

Nonoxidative protein glycation is implicated in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with superoxide dismutase-1 mutation

To assess a role for oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), we analyzed the immunohistochemical localization of 8-hydroxy2'-deoxyguanosine (OHdG) as a nucleic acid oxidation product, acrolein-protein adduct and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE)-protein adduct as lipid peroxidation products, Nepsiloncarboxymethyl-lysine (CML) as a lipid peroxidation or protein glycoxidation product, pentosidine as a protein glycoxidation product, and imidazolone and pyrraline as nonoxidative protein glycation products in the spinal cord of three familial ALS patients with superoxide dismutase(SOD 1) A4V mutation, six sporadic ALS patients, and six age-matched control individuals. The spinal cord sections of the control cases did not show any distinct immunoreactivities for these examined products. In the familial ALS cases, intense immunoreactivities for pyrraline and CML were confined to the characteristic Lewy body-like hyaline inclusions, and imidazolone immunoreactivity was located in the cytoplasm of the residual motor neurons. No significant immunoreactivities for other examined products were detected in the familial ALS spinal cords. In the sporadic ALS cases, intense immunoreactivities for pentosidine, CML and HNE-protein adduct were seen in the cytoplasm of the degenerated motor neurons, and OHdG immunoreactivity was located in the cell nuclei of the residual neurons and glial cells. The present results indicate that oxidative reactions are involved in the disease processes of sporadic ALS, while there is no evidence for increased oxidative damage except for CML deposition in the familial ALS spinal cords. Furthermore, it is likely that the accumulation of pyrraline and imidazolone supports a nonoxidative mechanism in SOD1-related motor neuron degeneration.

Identification of a CYP84 family of cytochrome P450-dependent mono-oxygenase genes in Brassica napus and perturbation of their expression for engineering sinapine reduction in the seeds

CYP84 is a recently identified family of cytochrome P450-dependent mono-oxygenases defined by a putative ferulate-5-hydroxylase (F5H) from Arabidopsis. Until recently F5H has been thought to catalyze the hydroxylation of ferulate to 5-OH ferulate en route to sinapic acid. Sinapine, a sinapate-derived ester in the seeds, is antinutritional and a target for elimination in canola meal. We have isolated three F5H-like genes (BNF5H1-3) from a cultivated Brassica napus, whose amphidiploid progenitor is considered to have arisen from a fusion of the diploids Brassica rapa and Brassica oleracea. Two cultivated varieties of the diploids were also found to contain BNF5H3 and additionally either BNF5H1 or BNF5H2, respectively. Whereas all three are >90% identical in their coding sequence, BNF5H1 and BNF5H2 are closer to each other than to BNF5H3. This and additional data suggest that the two groups of genes have diverged in an ancestor of the diploids. B. napus showed maximal F5H expression in the stems, least in the seeds, and subtle differences among the expression profiles of the three genes elsewhere. Transgenic B. napus with cauliflower mosaic virus 35S-antisense BNF5H contained up to 40% less sinapine, from 9.0 +/- 0.3 mg in the controls to 5.3 +/- 0.3 mg g(-1) seed. F5H from Arabidopsis and a similar enzyme from sweetgum (Liquidamber styraciflua) has recently been shown to have coniferaldehyde hydroxylase activity instead of F5H activity. Thus the supply of 5-OH coniferaldehyde or 5-OH ferulate has a bearing on sinapine accumulation in canola seeds.

Deuterium isotope effects and product studies for the oxidation of N(omega)-allyl-L-arginine and N(omega)-allyl-N(omega)-hydroxy-L-arginine by neuronal nitric oxide synthase

The nitric oxide synthases (NOS), which require heme, tetrahydrobiopterin, FMN, FAD, and NADPH, catalyze the O2-dependent conversion of L-arginine to L-citrulline and nitric oxide. N(omega)-Allyl-L-arginine, a mechanism-based inactivator of neuronal NOS, also is a substrate, producing L-arginine, acrolein, and H2O (Zhang, H. Q.; Dixon, R. P., Marletta, M. A.; Nikolic, D.; Van Breemen, R.; Silverman, R. B. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1997, 119, 10888). Two possible mechanisms for this turnover are proposed, one initiated by allyl C-H bond cleavage and the other by guanidino N H cleavage, and these mechanisms are investigated with the use of N(omega)-allyl-L-arginine (1), N(omega)-[1,1-(2)H2]allyl-L-arginine (7), N(omega)-allyl-N(omega)-hydroxy-L-arginine (2) and N(omega)-[1,1-(2)H2]allyl-N(omega)-hydroxy-L-arginine (8) as substrates. Significant isotope effects on the two kinetic parameters, kcat and kcat/Km, are observed in case of 1 and 7 during turnover, but not with 2 and 8. No kinetic isotope effects are observed for either compound in their role as inactivators. These results support a mechanism involving initial C-H bond cleavage of N(omega)-allyl-L-arginine followed by hydroxylation and breakdown to products.

Catalytic efficiencies of allelic variants of human glutathione S-transferase Pi in the glutathione conjugation of alpha, beta-unsaturated aldehydes

The catalytic efficiencies of the allelic variants of human glutathione (GSH) S-transferase Pi (hGSTP1-1), which differ in their primary structures by the amino acids in positions 104 (isoleucine or valine) and/or 113 (alanine or valine), in the GSH conjugation (detoxification) of acrolein and crotonaldehyde have been determined. The k(cat)/K(m) values for hGSTP1-1 isoforms I104,A113 (IA), I104, V113 (IV), V104,A113 (VA) and V104,V113 (VV) toward acrolein were 129+/-3, 116+/-3, 128+/-4 and 92+/-3 mM(-1) s(-1), respectively. The catalytic efficiencies of the hGSTP1-1 variants IA, IV, and VA in the GSH conjugation of acrolein were statistically significantly higher (at P=0.05) compared with the VV isoform. On the other hand, the catalytic efficiencies of the hGSTP1-1 isoforms IA, IV, VA and VV toward crotonaldehyde (16+/-2, 12+/-1, 17+/-2, and 12+/-2 mM(-1)s(-1), respectively) were not statistically significantly different from each other. Our results suggest that hGSTP1-1 polymorphism may be an important factor in differential susceptibility of individuals to the toxic effects of acrolein, which is a widely spread environmental pollutant and generated endogenously during metabolic activation of anticancer drug cyclophosphamide.

Glycerol metabolism in Lactobacillus collinoides: production of 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde, a precursor of acrolein

Lactobacillus collinoides is a lactic acid bacterium commonly found in fermenting apple juice. Although this bacterium is not particularly involved in malolactic conversion, the presence of L. collinoides in cider may have serious consequences on the product. L. collinoides is indeed considered to be responsible for the transformation of glycerol to 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde (3-HPA), a precursor of acrolein that spoils the product quality by generating bitter tastes. The purpose of our work was to evaluate the influence of environmental and culture conditions on the conversion of glycerol to 3-HPA in L. collinoides, and to obtain a DNA probe of the gene coding for glycerol dehydratase, the enzyme responsible for this conversion.

5-hydroxyconiferyl aldehyde modulates enzymatic methylation for syringyl monolignol formation, a new view of monolignol biosynthesis in angiosperms

S-Adenosyl-L-methionine-dependent caffeate O-methyltransferase (COMT, EC 2.1.1.6) has traditionally been thought to catalyze the methylation of caffeate and 5- hydroxyferulate for the biosynthesis of syringyl monolignol, a lignin constituent of angiosperm wood that enables efficient lignin degradation for cellulose production. However, recent recognition that coniferyl aldehyde prevents 5-hydroxyferulate biosynthesis in lignifying tissue, and that the hydroxylated form of coniferyl aldehyde, 5-hydroxyconiferyl aldehyde, is an alternative COMT substrate, demands a re-evaluation of the role of COMT during monolignol biosynthesis. Based on recombinant aspen (Populus tremuloides) COMT enzyme kinetics coupled with mass spectrometry analysis, this study establishes for the first time that COMT is in fact a 5-hydroxyconiferyl aldehyde O-methyltransferase (AldOMT), and that 5-hydroxyconiferyl aldehyde is both the preferred AldOMT substrate and an inhibitor of caffeate and 5-hydroxyferulate methylation, as measured by K(m) and K(i) values. 5-Hydroxyconiferyl aldehyde also inhibited the caffeate and 5-hydroxyferulate methylation activities of xylem proteins from various angiosperm tree species. The evidence that syringyl monolignol biosynthesis is independent of caffeate and 5-hydroxyferulate methylation supports our previous discovery that coniferyl aldehyde prevents ferulate 5-hydroxylation and at the same time ensures a coniferyl aldehyde 5-hydroxylase (CAld5H)-mediated biosynthesis of 5-hydroxyconiferyl aldehyde. Together, our results provide conclusive evidence for the presence of a CAld5H/AldOMT-catalyzed coniferyl aldehyde 5-hydroxylation/methylation pathway that directs syringyl monolignol biosynthesis in angiosperms.

Identification of acrolein from the ozone oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids

By-products of lipoperoxidation reactions may be associated with the genesis or the progression of several diseases as arteriosclerosis, diabetes and cancer, among many others. Acrolein, at first a widely distributed environmental pollutant, is currently known as a compound capable of being generated as a result of metabolic reactions within biological systems, highly toxic and the most electrophilic of the alpha, beta-unsaturated aldehydes formed during lipoperoxidation. In the present study: 1. The separation of acrolein and malondialdehyde was achieved at alkaline pH with the use of high voltage capillary electrophoresis in uncoated fused-silica capillaries. 2. It was demonstrated how the oxidation of fatty acids (arachidonic/linoleic) with ozone generates, in dose-dependent form, acrolein as one of the by-products of the lipoperoxidation process. The oxidation of open human erythrocyte membranes with ozone also generated acrolein. 3. After aldolic condensation, aldol-acrolein derivative has a positive reaction with 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA) and shows a maximum absorption at 498 nm. This novel characteristic is used in its identification after the separation of the by-products. 4. It is possible to suggest that in the classic reaction of the denominated thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), when used as an indicator of the degree of peroxidation in biological systems, a portion of acrolein could be present but dwarfed by the TBA-MDA adduct.

Pharmacological and molecular evidence for kinin B1 receptor expression in urinary bladder of cyclophosphamide-treated rats

1. In the present study, we developed an experimental model of cystitis induced by cyclophosphamide (CYP). In order to characterize des-Arg9-BK-induced contraction on the urinary bladder (UB) during the development of inflammation and to quantify kinin B1 receptor gene expression using a quantitative RT - PCR technique. 2. In the presence of peptidase inhibitors captopril (10 microM), DL-thiorphan (1 microM) and DL-2-mercaptomethyl-3-guanidino-ethylthiopropanoic acid (MERGEPTA 5 microM), bradykinin (BK) (0.3 - 3,000 nM) evoked a concentration-dependent contraction of rat UB which was not different between the CYP- and vehicle-treated groups. Unlike BK, des-Arg9-BK (0.3 - 100,000 nM) did not contract UB from vehicle-treated rats but contracted vigorously bladder strips from CYP-treated rats 14, 24 and 168 h after treatment. In UB of 24 h treated rat, the pD2 value of des-Arg9-BK was 7.3+/-0.1. 3. The cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor indomethacin (3 microM) reduced by 30% the maximal response of des-Arg9-BK. Both the kinin B1 receptor antagonists des-Arg9-[Leu8]BK (10 microM) and des-Arg10-Hoe 140 (10 microM) produced a rightward shift of the concentration-response curve to des-Arg9-BK yielding pKB values of 6.8+/-0.2 and 7.2+/-0.1, respectively, whilst the kinin B2 receptor antagonist Hoe 140 (1 microM) had no effect. 4. After CYP treatment, mRNA coding for the kinin B1 receptor appeared predominantly in UB. In this organ, the induction was progressive, reaching a maximum 48 h after CYP treatment. 5. In conclusion, the present study provides strong evidence for an induction of kinin B1 receptors in UB of CYP-treated rats. This was associated at a molecular level with an increase in mRNA expression of the gene coding for the kinin B1 receptor. This kinin receptor displayed the whole features of a classical rat kinin B1 receptor.

Current status of acrolein as a lipid peroxidation product

There is increasing evidence that aldehydes generated endogenously during lipid peroxidation contribute to the pathophysiologic effects associated with oxidative stress in cells and tissues. A number of reactive lipid aldehydes, such as 4-hydroxy-2-alkenals and malondialdehyde, have been implicated as causative agents in cytotoxic processes initiated by the exposure of biologic systems to oxidizing agents. Recently, acrolein (CH2 = CH-CHO), a ubiquitous pollutant in the environment, was identified as a product of lipid peroxidation reactions. The basis for this finding is an experimental approach that provides a measure of acrolein bound to lysine residues of protein. The identification of acrolein as an endogenous lipid-derived product suggests an examination of the possible role of this aldehyde as a mediator of oxidative damage in a variety of human diseases.

Protein-bound acrolein: a novel marker of oxidative stress in Alzheimer's disease

Several lines of evidence support the role of oxidative stress, including increased lipid peroxidation, in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Lipid peroxidation generates various reactive aldehydes, such as 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE), which have been detected immunochemically in AD, particularly in neurofibrillary tangles, one of the major diagnostic lesions in AD brains. A recent study demonstrated that acrolein, the most reactive among the alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehyde products of lipid peroxidation, could be rapidly incorporated into proteins, generating a carbonyl derivative, a marker of oxidative stress to proteins. The current studies used an antibody raised against acrolein-modified keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) to test whether acrolein modification of proteins occurs in AD. Double immunofluorescence revealed strong acrolein-KLH immunoreactivity in more than half of all paired helical filament (PHF)-1-labeled neurofibrillary tangles in AD cases. Acrolein-KLH immunoreactivity was also evident in a few neurons lacking PHF-1-positive neurofibrillary tangles. Light acrolein-KLH immunoreactivity occurred in dystrophic neurites surrounding the amyloid-beta core, which itself lacked acrolein-KLH staining. The pattern of acrolein-KLH immunostaining was similar to that of HNE. Control brains did not contain any acrolein-KLH-immunoreactive structures. The current results suggest that protein-bound acrolein is a powerful marker of oxidative damage to protein and support the hypothesis that lipid peroxidation and oxidative damage to protein may play a crucial role in the formation of neurofibrillary tangles and to neuronal death in AD.

Biochemical characterization, molecular cloning and expression of laccases - a divergent gene family - in poplar

The nature of the enzyme(s) involved in the dehydrogenative polymerization of lignin monomers is still a matter of debate. Potential candidates include laccases which have recently received attention due to their capacity to oxidize lignin monomers and close spatial and temporal correlation with lignin deposition. We have characterized two H2O2-independent phenoloxidases with approximate molecular masses of 90 kDa and 110 kDa from cell walls of Populus euramericana xylem that are capable of oxidizing coniferyl alcohol. The 90-kDa protein was purified to apparent homogeneity and extensively characterized at the biochemical and structural levels. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a plant laccase purified to homogeneity from a lignifying tissue of an angiosperm. The cDNA clones corresponding to the 90-kDa and 110-kDa proteins, lac90 and lac110, were obtained by a PCR-based approach using specific oligonucleotides derived from peptide sequences. Sequence analysis indicated that lac90 and lac110 encoded two distinct laccases. In addition, heterologous screening using an Acer pseudoplatanus laccase cDNA enabled us to obtain three additional cDNAs (lac1, lac2, lac3) that did not correspond to lac90 and lac110. The five laccase cDNAs correspond to a highly divergent multigene family but Northern analysis with gene-specific probes indicated that all of the genes are exclusively and abundantly expressed in stems. These results highlight the polymorphism of plant laccases by an integrated biochemical and molecular approach, and provide the tools that will enable us to clearly determine the function of these enzymes in plants by molecular and genetic approaches.