Bile acids influence hepatic chemiluminescence in normal and oxidative-stressed rats

Study of the interaction between oxygen and bile salts

The interaction between molecular oxygen and bile salts, previously observed using chemiluminescence techniques, is studied in this paper by electrochemical techniques to further highlight the nature of the interaction. A shift of half-wave potential of the first polarographic wave for the reduction of molecular oxygen was observed in solutions in the presence of bile salts. The shift could be related to different phenomena, such as adsorption of bile salt molecules on the mercury electrode, irreversibility of the oxygen reduction reaction, pH of the solution. Experimental results suggest the exclusion of the above mentioned processes and outline the occurrence of a direct interaction between oxygen and bile salts, where the hydrophobic face of bile salt monomers and/or small aggregates are involved, enhancing so dismutation of superoxide ion produced at the electrode. The presence of bile salts in solutions containing triphenylphosphine oxide, a hydrophobic surfactant, increases also the wave of reduction of molecular oxygen. As a consequence bile salts, beside the well-assessed physiological roles, can behave as oxygen carrier and as antioxidant, preventing the oxidation of biological compounds by superoxide ion.

Attenuation of endogenous oxidative stress-induced cell death by cytochrome P450 inhibitors in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes

This study reports an examination of the effects of endogenous oxidative stress on primary cultures of rat hepatocytes. To produce endogenous oxidative stress, 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (ATZ) and mercaptosuccinic acid (MS), which are known to inhibit catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities, respectively, were used. When ATZ or MS was used alone, the extent of cell injuries was negligible, but a combination of the two agents resulted in cell death as assessed by trypan blue exclusion after 24 h of incubation. Cell death was accompanied by an approximately 5.8-fold the increase in the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and showed chromatin condensation and DNA fragmentation. These deleterious effects were time dependent in that no significant change was detected up to 6 h. Treatment with SKF or 1-aminobenzotriazole, which are inhibitors of cytochrome P450, greatly attenuated this cell death as well as prevented chromatin condensation and DNA fragmentation. N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine at 1 mM had no inhibitory effects on these changes. These findings suggest that endogenous oxidative stress under these conditions induced cell death that resembles apoptosis and that endogenous oxidative stress was directly related to the cytochrome P450 enzyme system in this system.