Investigation of the mechanism of hepatotoxicity of N-methylformamide in mice: effects on calcium sequestration in hepatic microsomes and mitochondria and on hepatic plasma membrane potential

Calcium transport, thiol status, and hepatotoxicity following N-nitrosodimethylamine exposure in mice

The hepatotoxicant N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is presumed to exert toxicity through reactive metabolites. NDMA is similar in this respect to numerous other hepatotoxicants, for which hepatotoxicity is also associated with a rapid depletion of soluble and/or protein thiols, and an inhibition of calcium transport systems. We examined the hypothesis that hepatotoxicity for NDMA is preceded by thiol depletion and/or inhibition of calcium transport in isolated liver subcellular fractions. Centrizonal liver necrosis in mice was evident at 24 but not at 12 h subsequent to intraperitoneal administration of 40 mg NDMA/kg. Hepatotoxicity was not preceded by depletion of liver protein-free sulfhydryls, nor by protein sulfhydryl depletion in liver whole homogenate, microsomal, or plasma membrane fractions. NDMA-mediated toxicity was also not preceded by inhibition of calcium uptake capability by microsomal, mitochondrial, or plasma membrane fractions. In contrast, carbon tetrachloride produced the expected rapid decrease in microsomal calcium uptake capability, followed by a centrizonal necrosis that was maximal at about 24 h. These studies suggest that the mechanism of NDMA hepatotoxicity may differ from that of a number of other hepatotoxicants (e.g., carbon tetrachloride, acetaminophen, bromobenzene) for which toxicity is also mediated through reactive metabolites.

Acrylonitrile depletes glutathione without changing calcium sequestration in hepatic microsomes and mitochondria

Acrylonitrile administered either in vivo or in vitro reduced the level of non-protein thiols, GSH and GSSG in rat liver (in vivo) and liver microsomes (in vitro). It neither influenced protein thiols nor calcium sequestration in the microsomes and mitochondria. The fact that the GSSG level was not increased indicates that a mere unoxidative depletion of GSH does not lead to impaired hepatocyte Ca homeostasis, which has been associated with decreased GSH:GSSG ratio. An opposite effect was caused by CCl4 which did not considerably change the protein and non-protein SH, but strongly decreased microsomal calcium sequestration.