Positive skin reaction induced by 4,4'-azoxybenzenedisulfonamide in relationship to the sulfanilamide allergy

Microglial Inflammatory-Metabolic Pathways and Their Potential Therapeutic Implication in Major Depressive Disorder

Increasing evidence supports the notion that neuroinflammation plays a critical role in the etiology of major depressive disorder (MDD), at least in a subset of patients. By virtue of their capacity to transform into reactive states in response to inflammatory insults, microglia, the brain's resident immune cells, play a pivotal role in the induction of neuroinflammation. Experimental studies have demonstrated the ability of microglia to recognize pathogens or damaged cells, leading to the activation of a cytotoxic response that exacerbates damage to brain cells. However, microglia display a wide range of responses to injury and may also promote resolution stages of inflammation and tissue regeneration. MDD has been associated with chronic priming of microglia. Recent studies suggest that altered microglial morphology and function, caused either by intense inflammatory activation or by senescence, may contribute to depression and associated impairments in neuroplasticity. In this context, modifying microglia phenotype by tuning inflammatory pathways might have important translational relevance to harness neuroinflammation in MDD. Interestingly, it was recently shown that different microglial phenotypes are associated with distinct metabolic pathways and analysis of the underlying molecular mechanisms points to an instrumental role for energy metabolism in shaping microglial functions. Here, we review various canonical pro-inflammatory, anti-inflammatory and metabolic pathways in microglia that may provide new therapeutic opportunities to control neuroinflammation in brain disorders, with a strong focus on MDD.

Antigenicity of sulfanilamide and its metabolites using fluorescent-labelled compounds

In order to clarify the onset mechanisms of drug-induced allergies, three fluorescent-labelled compounds were synthesized by subjecting sulfanilamide (SA), a base compound for sulfonamides, and its active metabolites, i.e. sulfanilamide hydroxylamine and sulfanilamide nitroso, to dansylation using dansylchloride. In other words, 5-dimethylamino-N-(4-aminobenzyl)-naphthalenesulfonamide (DNS-4ABA), 5-dimethylamino-N-(4-hydroxylaminobenzyl)-1-naphthalenesulfonamide (DNS-4HABA) and 5-dimethylamino-N-(4-nitrosobenzyl)-1-naphthalenesulfonamide (DNS-4NSBA) were synthesized as model haptens. When analysed by HPLC, a conjugate of DNS-4HABA and glutathione (GSH) with nucleophilic amino acids had two peaks (P-1 and P-2). FAB-MS and 1H-NMR revealed that the DNS-4HABA-GSH conjugate consisted of sulphinamide and semimercaptal. The reactivity of GSH to DNS-4ABA, DNS-4HABA and DNS-4NSBA was quantified by HPLC using an oxidization system (horseradish peroxidase/H2O2). The results show that production of DNS-4NSBA-GSH-conjugate was four to eight times higher than that of DNS-4HABA-GSH conjugate, but that DNS-4ABA did not bind with GSH. Skin reactions were assessed using guinea pigs, and strong delayed erythema was seen with DNS-4NSBA, which bound most strongly with GSH, whereas weak delayed erythema was seen with DNS-4ABA, which did not bind with GSH. This suggests a correlation between GSH conjugate production and skin reactions. DNS-4HABA enzymatically bound with proteins in rat and guinea pig liver cytosol and microsomal fractions. The proteins that bound to DNS-4HABA were purified by HPLC and then subjected to N-terminal amino acid analysis. Ubiquitin (10 kDa) and fatty acid binding protein (30 kDa) were detected in the rat liver cytosol fraction; retinol-dehydrogenase (35 kDa) in the rat microsomal fraction; and glutathione-S-transferase B (mmu) (25 kDa) in the guinea pig liver cytosol fraction. When DNS-4HABA or DNS-4NSBA binds to proteins that play important roles in the body, unexpected adverse reactions may occur. Furthermore, by utilizing our technique using model compounds, it may be possible to identify the carrier proteins of various compounds, including pharmaceutical agents.

A comparative study of the formation of chemically reactive drug metabolites by human liver microsomes

1. The metabolism of amodiaquine (A), ethinyloestradiol (E), mianserin (M), phenytoin (Ph), sulphanilamide (S) and paracetamol (Pa) to both stable and chemically reactive, i.e. irreversibly protein bound, metabolites was investigated using microsomes prepared from histologically normal human liver obtained from eight kidney donors. 2. All drugs, except amodiaquine, were metabolized by NADPH-dependent microsomal enzymes to chemically reactive metabolites. The degree of NADPH-dependent binding varied between drugs (E, 11.5 +/- 5.8% incubated drug; M, 3.0 +/- 1.9%; Ph, 0.10 +/- 0.09%; S, 0.57 +/- 0.38%; Pa, 1.2 +/- 1.2%; mean of eight livers +/- s.d.). 3. Inclusion of glutathione (1 mM) or ascorbic acid (1 mM) in the incubation reduced the NADPH-dependent binding for all substrates, indicating the involvement of electrophilic oxidation products. 4. Binding of M and Pa correlated with each other (Spearman's r = 0.86) and with total cytochrome P-450 content (r = 0.76 and 0.78 respectively). E binding also correlated with the binding of M (r = 0.79) and Pa (r = 0.81) but not with cytochrome P-450. Binding of Ph and S did not correlate with any of the other measured metabolic parameters.

Studies of human IgE to a sulfonamide determinant

We tested the hypothesis that patients who experience immediate hypersensitivity reactions to sulfonamides (SM) express IgE that can bind to a N4-sulfonamidoyl determinant (N4-SM). Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) was coupled to CNBr-activated cellulose disks to form a matrix predominantly substituted with isourea-linked N4-SMX determinants. After incubation of human sera with these disks or bovine serum albumin substituted disks as a control, the binding of IgE was assessed with 125I-labeled antihuman IgE. The binding ratios (counts per minute SMX disks per counts per minute bovine serum albumin disks) for sera from nonallergic donors and newborn infants averaged 1.11 (+/- 0.21 SD). Sera from 10 patients with histories of apparent immediate hypersensitivity reactions to SM were studied. Ratios greater than or equal to 2.1 (greater than 4 SD above control) were detected in 70% (seven of 10). Significant binding was detected in the sera of three of seven patients with other forms of SM allergy. Preincubation with SMX (80 mmol/L) inhibited binding 7% to 35% in eight of the 10 positive sera tested. Binding of one highly reactive serum was significantly inhibited by SMX, sulfamethizole, and sulfamerazine, but not sulfanilic acid or trimethoprim. The results of this study suggest that N4-SM is a major determinant recognized by IgE to SM and that an in vitro assay capable of detecting IgE to SM has been developed.