Effect of Heat Treatment on Dietary Fiber: Interlaboratory Study

The effects of thermal treatments on the dietary fiber composition of cereal and potato samples were studied at 8 laboratories using different analytical methods. Thermal treatments included extrusion cooking for cereals, and boiling and frying for potatoes. No changes in the amounts of dietary fiber or starch were observed in the extruded samples. Heat-treated potato samples contained significantly more water-insoluble dietary fiber (cellulose) and less starch than did raw potato. However, this may be due, at least in part, to the sample preparation procedure rather than the heat treatment alone. The study indicates that gravimetric and sequential hydrolysis methods give similar results, but the variation in most cases is still wide. Further standardization of methods is evidently needed, especially if legislative measures for setting limits on the fiber content of foods are to be introduced. Standardization of starch analysis should also be of primary importance in future work on carbohydrate methodology. This can be concluded from the variation in results concerning this extremely important food constituent. It should be noted that the sample matrix in the present study was simpler than that of complex meals or diets.

Metabolism of tresperimus by rat aorta semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO)

Tresperimus (Cellimis), a new immunosuppressive agent, is mainly eliminated in the rat through metabolism, in which the oxidative deamination of the primary amine of the drug plays a major role. We have previously demonstrated in vivo the significant involvement of semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) in this reaction. Rat aorta, a tissue with one of the highest specific SSAO activities, was tested as a new in vitro model to elucidate tresperimus metabolism, using a combination of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses. The metabolites resulting from the main metabolic pathway of the drug were formed in rat aorta homogenates. The use of various SSAO, lysyl oxidase and monoamine oxidase inhibitors confirmed that SSAO is predominantly involved in the main site of tresperimus metabolism but also in every metabolic pathway of the drug, including deamination of tresperimus metabolites M3 (desaminopropyl derivative of tresperimus) and M6 (guanidinohexylamine). A microsomal fraction of the rat aorta was used to characterize tresperimus deamination. The moderate affinity of membrane-bound SSAO for tresperimus, with a Km value of 66 microM, was counterbalanced by a catalytic efficiency superior to that of certain physiological substrates of SSAO, such as methylamine. The rat aorta provided an interesting model with which to study tresperimus metabolism, highlighting the important role that SSAO could play as a phase I oxidative enzyme in the metabolism of certain exogenous amines at the vascular level.

Catalysis by hen egg-white lysozyme proceeds via a covalent intermediate

Hen egg-white lysozyme (HEWL) was the first enzyme to have its three-dimensional structure determined by X-ray diffraction techniques. A catalytic mechanism, featuring a long-lived oxocarbenium-ion intermediate, was proposed on the basis of model-building studies. The 'Phillips' mechanism is widely held as the paradigm for the catalytic mechanism of beta-glycosidases that cleave glycosidic linkages with net retention of configuration of the anomeric centre. Studies with other retaining beta-glycosidases, however, provide strong evidence pointing to a common mechanism for these enzymes that involves a covalent glycosyl-enzyme intermediate, as previously postulated. Here we show, in three different cases using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, a catalytically competent covalent glycosyl-enzyme intermediate during the catalytic cycle of HEWL. We also show the three-dimensional structure of this intermediate as determined by X-ray diffraction. We formulate a general catalytic mechanism for all retaining beta-glycosidases that includes substrate distortion, formation of a covalent intermediate, and the electrophilic migration of C1 along the reaction coordinate.

Genetically engineered yeast cells and their applications

The first generation of yeast expression systems relies on inducible expression cassettes borne by multicopy plasmids for production of unmodified human P450s and on the endogenous NADPH-P450 reductase to support activities. A second generation of engineered yeast involved targeted genomic modifications allowing overexpression of the yeast reductase and coexpression of human cytochrome b5 and of a phase II enzyme such as epoxide hydrolase. These features allow improved P450 turnover numbers and simulation of some phase I-phase II couplings. In the third generation, the human reductase was substituted for the yeast reductase by genome engineering. Simultaneously, induction procedures were optimized to reach high P450 specific contents. Dramatic improvements (1000-fold) of yeast-expressed P450 activities have thus been obtained. To get more insight into complex metabolic events, such as that of a typical pollutant: benzo[a]pyrene, an approach was designed which involves a complementary use of yeast expression and computer simulations.

Interaction between the carboxyl groups of Asp127 and Asp129 in the active site of Escherichia coli phosphofructokinase

The pH dependence of the enzymic properties of the phosphofructokinase from Escherichia coli was compared to those of two mutants in which one carboxyl group of the active site has been removed from either Asp127 or Asp129. All measurements of activity were made in the presence of allosteric activator ADP or GDP to eliminate any cooperative process. Asp129 is a crucial residue for the activity of phosphofructokinase since its conversion to Ser decreases the catalytic activity by 2-3 orders of magnitude in both the forward and reverse reactions, but the ionization of Asp129 is not directly related the pH dependence of phosphofructokinase activity. This pH dependence is however modified by the Asp129----Ser mutation, which decreases the pK of another residue, Asp127, by as much as pH of 1.5. The side chain of Asp127 has the catalytic role proposed earlier: its deprotonated form acts as a base in the forward reaction, and its protonated form acts as an acid in the reverse reaction. The protonated form of Asp127 is also required for the binding of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. The electrostatic interaction between the carboxyl groups of Asp127 and Asp129 seems different in free phosphofructokinase to that in enzyme/substrate complexes, suggesting that a conformational change occurs upon substrate binding. The pH dependence of phosphofructokinase activity involves one other ionizable group with a pK of approximately 6 which does not belong to the side chains of Asp127 or Asp129.

Substrate antagonism in the kinetic mechanism of E. coli phosphofructokinase-1

In the presence of its allosteric activator GDP, the major phosphofructokinase-1 from Escherichia coli K12 follows Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The kinetic behavior observed at steady-state using different concentrations of the substrates ATP and fructose-6-phosphate and the pattern of inhibition by the substrate analogs adenylyl-(beta, gamma-methylene)-diphosphonate and D-arabinose-5-phosphate are consistent with a random sequential mechanism in rapid equilibrium, rather than with an ordered binding as was suggested earlier. However, ATP and fructose-6-phosphate do not bind independently to the same active site, since the apparent affinity for one substrate is decreased about 20-fold when the other substrate is already bound. The antagonism between ATP and fructose-6-phosphate shows that a negative interaction occurs during the reaction with E. coli phosphofructokinase-1 which must be considered in addition to its allosteric properties.

Occupational allergic contact dermatitis caused by nitroglycerin

Irritant contact dermatitis caused by occupational contact with nitroglycerin has been known since the end of the last century. Nitroglycerin is an allergen, and the transdermal drug delivery systems for nitroglycerin recently used to treat angina pectoris have sensitized. 4 patients with allergic contact dermatitis caused by nitroglycerin from explosives are described, and 1 patient who was sensitized by transdermal nitroplaster. On patch testing, dynamite and/or the explosive components nitroglycerin, ethylene glycol dinitrate and dinitrotoluene gave allergic reactions. The following concentrations and vehicles are suggested for patch testing: nitroglycerin 0.5-2% pet., dinitrotoluene and ethylene glycol dinitrate 0.1-0.5% pet. Persons exposed to nitroglycerin at work should try to avoid skin contact by using protective gloves. It is advisable that those who have become allergic to nitroglycerin should wear disposable protective gloves when handling explosives.

Diethylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone): a novel highly potent inhibitor of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase with promising properties for potential chemotherapeutic use

Diethylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) (DEGBG), a novel analog of the antileukemic agent methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG) was synthesized. It was found to be the most powerful inhibitor of yeast S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) so far studied (Ki approx. 9 nM). This property, together with the finding that the compound is a weaker inhibitor of intestinal diamine oxidase than are MGBG and its glyoxal, ethylglyoxal and ethylmethylglyoxal analogs, makes the compound a promising candidate as a polyamine antimetabolite for chemotherapy studies. DEGBG was also found to potentiate the antiproliferative effect of the ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor alpha-difluoromethyl ornithine against mouse L1210 leukemia cells in vitro. DEGBG increased several-fold the intracellular putrescine concentration of cultured L1210 cells, just as MGBG and its ethylglyoxal analog are known to do. The results strongly suggest that DEGBG is worth further studies. Combined with previous studies, they also made possible the construction of some empirical rules concerning the structure-activity relationships of bis(guanylhydrazone) type inhibitors of AdoMetDC. The identity of DEGBG was confirmed by a single-crystal X-ray analysis and by 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy. It consisted of the same isomer as MGBG and several of its analogs are known to consist of.

Chronic exposure to dexamethasone induces hypomethylation of ornithine decarboxylase genes in a human myeloma cell line

Chronic exposure of a human myeloma cell line to dexamethasone resulted in a selection of cells resistant to the growth-inhibitory action of the glucocorticoid. Upon acute exposure of the parental myeloma cells to dexamethasone growth inhibition was associated with depression of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC, EC 4.1.1.17) activity. However, in cells adapted to grow in the presence of micromolar concentrations of dexamethasone, ODC activity was fully comparable to that in the parental cells. Restriction enzyme analyses with the two isoschizomers HpaII and MspI as well as with the methylation-sensitive CfoI, indicated that the otherwise heavily methylated ODC gene(s) were rendered hypomethylated in the myeloma cells resistant to dexamethasone. This hypomethylation within and/or around ODC genes was associated with a 2-4-fold enhancement of accumulation of ODC mRNA.

Human myeloma cells acquire resistance to difluoromethylornithine without overproducing ornithine decarboxylase

An exposure of a human myeloma cell line to 2-difluoromethylornithine the mechanism-based inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.17), resulted in a selection of tumor cells readily growing in the presence of 4 mM difluoromethylornithine, a concentration that swiftly halted the growth of the parental cells. Determination of the intracellular polyamines revealed that there were measurable amounts of putrescine and spermidine in the resistant cells. Restriction enzyme analyses of genomic DNA isolated from the resistant cells indicated that the gene dosage for ornithine decarboxylase was not increased to any appreciable extent. Similarly, the accumulation of mRNA was unaltered. The resistant myeloma cells, however, displayed arginase (EC 3.5.3.1) activity that was roughly ten times higher than that in the parental cells.

Mouse and human ornithine decarboxylase genes. Methylation polymorphism and amplification

With the use of the isoschizomeric restriction endonucleases HpaII and MspI, we found that mouse tumour ornithine decarboxylase (ODC; EC 4.1.1.17) genes are extensively methylated. ODC genes in L1210 mouse leukaemia cells were apparently more methylated than in Ehrlich ascites carcinoma, as revealed by the use of HpaII endonuclease, yet the digestion of genomic DNA isolated from these two murine tumour cell lines with MspI, which cleaves at a CCGG sequence, also with internally methylated cytosine, resulted in an apparently identical restriction pattern. It is possible that the amplification of ODC genes in Ehrlich ascites-carcinoma cells in response to 2-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) was associated with hypomethylation, or that less-methylated genes were amplified. A human myeloma (Sultan) cell line only revealed three separate hybridization signals when cleaved with HpaII. One of these signals was amplified under the pressure of DFMO. When cleaved with MspI, these three HpaII fragments disappeared and were replaced by a double signal of 2.3-2.4 kilobase-pairs (kbp) in size. The amplified ODC sequences in the Sultan myeloma cell line apparently originated from chromosome 2, as indicated by a unique hybridization signal in a 5.8 kbp HindIII fragment specific for the human ODC locus on chromosome 2. A comparison of different human cells, the Sultan myeloma, a lymphocytic B-cell leukaemia (Ball), normal mononuclear leucocytes and leucocytes obtained from leukaemia patients, revealed interesting differences in the methylation of ODC genes. The use of two restriction endonucleases (HpaII and CfoI), the cleavage site for both of which contains a CG sequence and which only cleave when cytosine is unmethylated, indicated that ODC genes in the lymphocytic leukaemia cells were much less methylated than those in the normal leucocytes or in the Sultan cells.

Human myeloma cells acquire resistance to difluoromethylornithine by amplification of ornithine decarboxylase gene

Stepwise increments of the concentration of 2-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), a mechanism-based irreversible inhibitor of mammalian ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), resulted in a selection of cultured human IgG-myeloma cells (Sultan cell line) capable of growing in the presence of up to 3 mM-DFMO. This capacity was associated with 10-fold increase in ODC activity in the dialysed extracts of drug-resistant myeloma cells, markedly enhanced synthesis rate for ODC enzyme molecules, as revealed by a 20 min [35S]methionine labelling of cellular proteins, followed by specific immunoprecipitation and SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, dose-dependently increased expression of ODC mRNA in resistant cells (effective dose causing 50% inhibition), dose-dependent amplification of ODC gene sequences in a 9-kilobase-pairs EcoRI genomic DNA fragment, and (v) a 10-fold increase in the ED50 (effective dose causing 50% inhibition) for the anti-proliferative action of DFMO in these myeloma cells. These results represent one of the few gene amplifications described in cultured human cells.

Biochemical properties and crystal structure of ethylmethylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) sulfate--an extremely powerful novel inhibitor of adenosylmethionine decarboxylase

Ethylmethylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) (EMGBG) sulfate, an analog of the well-known anti-leukemic drug methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone), was synthesized. It was shown to be an extremely powerful competitive inhibitor of eukaryotic S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase, with an apparent Ki value 12 nM. Thus, it appears to be the most powerful known inhibitor of the enzyme, being almost an order of magnitude more powerful than the corresponding ethylglyoxal derivative. It neither inhibited the proliferation of mouse L1210 leukemia cells in vitro, nor did it potentiate the growth inhibition produced by alpha-difluoromethyl ornithine. In this respect, its properties are closely related to those of dimethylglyoxal, ethylglyoxal and propylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazones), while in striking contrast to those of the antiproliferative glyoxal and methylglyoxal analogs. EMGBG also inhibited intestinal diamine oxidase activity (Ki 0.7 microM). EMGBG sulfate was crystallized from water, giving orthorhombic crystals (space group Pbcn). Their crystal and molecular structure was determined by X-ray diffraction methods. The carbon-nitrogen double bonds between the ethylmethylglyoxal part and the aminoguanidine moieties were found to have the same configuration as they are known to have in the salts of glyoxal, methylglyoxal and propylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazones). The glyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) chain of the EMGBG cation deviated strongly from planarity, thus differing dramatically from the corresponding chains of the glyoxal, methylglyoxal and propylglyoxal analogs.

Biochemical characterization of propylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone). Facile synthesis of monoalkylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazones)

Propylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) sulfate, a novel analog of the well-known antileukemic drug methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone), has been prepared from 2,2-dibromopentanal, and the compound has been characterized biochemically. Although it is a powerful inhibitor of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase, its Ki value (0.2 microM) is considerably higher than that of ethylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) (0.06 microM). The compound is only poorly taken up by tumor cells, and its accumulation is not stimulated by a prior exposure of the tumor cells to difluoromethylornithine, a compound that causes polyamine depletion. Thus, the uptake characteristics of the compound are similar to those of ethylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone), but in striking contrast to those of methylglyoxal and glyoxal bis(guanylhydrazones). Since the configuration of the double bonds in glyoxal, methylglyoxal and propylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazones) has been shown to be identical, the different uptake characteristics are probably only due to differences in side chain size and/or hydrophobicity.

Different efflux rates may determine the cellular accumulation of various bis(guanylhydrazones)

Three bis(guanylhydrazones) (those of methylglyoxal, glyoxal and ethylglyoxal) were compared for their affinity for the putative polyamine carrier and for their cellular retention in L1210 mouse leukaemia cells. All the bis(guanylhydrazones) inhibited equally effectively the uptake of spermidine by the tumour cells, indicating that the compounds had roughly equal affinity for the polyamine carrier. The fact that methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) and glyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) were much more effectively concentrated in the animal cells than was ethylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) was obviously attributable to the finding that the efflux rate of ethylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) greatly exceeded that of the other bis(guanylhydrazones). The rate of efflux of the drugs was slowed down if the tumour cells were treated with 2-difluoromethylornithine before exposure to the bis(guanylhydrazones). These results suggest that intracellular binding of the bis(guanylhydrazones) determines their cellular accumulation.

Malignant mixed Müllerian tumor of the fallopian tube: report of a case with 5-year survival

The literature reveals a total of only 25 cases of malignant mixed Müllerian tumor of the fallopian tube. Another case is presented; the patient is well and without evidence of disease more than 5 years after the operative treatment. She also received postoperatively adjuvant cytostatic treatment with cyclophosphamide, vincristine, adriamycin, and external radiation therapy. An aggressive mode of treatment is recommended in this rare disease due to the usually very poor prognosis.

Effect of heat treatment of dietary fiber: interlaboratory study

The effects of thermal treatments on the dietary fiber composition of cereal and potato samples were studied at 8 laboratories using different analytical methods. Thermal treatments included extrusion cooking for cereals, and boiling and frying for potatoes. No changes in the amounts of dietary fiber or starch were observed in the extruded samples. Heat-treated potato samples contained significantly more water-insoluble dietary fiber (cellulose) and less starch than did raw potato. However, this may be due, at least in part, to the sample preparation procedure rather than the heat treatment alone. The study indicates that gravimetric and sequential hydrolysis methods give similar results, but the variation in most cases is still wide. Further standardization of methods is evidently needed, especially if legislative measures for setting limits on the fiber content of foods are to be introduced. Standardization of starch analysis should also be of primary importance in future work on carbohydrate methodology. This can be concluded from the variation in results concerning this extremely important food constituent. It should be noted that the sample matrix in the present study was simpler than that of complex meals or diets.

Structure of the oligosaccharide chains in human alpha 1-protease inhibitor

Two glycopeptides were obtained from alpha 1-protease inhibitor after extensive pronase digestion and chromatography on Bio-Gel P-10 and concanavalin A-Sepharose. these glycopeptides were characterized by compositional analysis and sequential exoglycosidase digestion followed at each step by methylation analysis. The partially methylated alditol acetates obtained were resolved by gas chromatography and identified by mass spectrometry. The proposes structures of the oligosaccharide moieties of the glycopeptides are given below. (formula: see text) The relative amounts of the two glycopeptides isolated from concanavalin A-Sepharose suggest that each protein molecule contains four carbohydrate chains; one large chain (A) and three small chains (B).

The stereochemical configuration of lysobisphosphatidic acid from rat liver, rabbit lung and pig lung

Lysobisphosphatidic acid known also as bis(monoacyl-glycerol)phosphate, was isolated from liver of rats treated with Triton WR1339, and from rabbit and pig lung. Alkaline hydrolysates of all these samples of lysobisphosphatidic acid were essentially similar and contained phosphorus, total glycerol, free glycerol, total glycerophosphates, beta-glycerophosphate, total alpha-glycerophosphates, sn-glycero-1-phosphate and sn-glycero-3-phosphate in a molar ratio of 1.0 : 2.0 : 1.0 : 1.0 :0.6 : 0.4 : 0.38 : 0.04. This proves that the backbone of the principal lysobisphosphatidic acid from all three sources has the structure of 1-sn-glycerophospho-1-sn-glycerol.

Fatty chains of different lipid classes of Semliki forest virus and host cell membranes

Semliki Forest virus was grown in BHK-21 cells. The major classes of phospho-and glycolipids of the virus were analyzed for the compositions of fatty acids, aldehydes, and sphingosine bases, and the major glycerophospholipids were analyzed for the relative proportions of alkenyl-acyl, alkyl-acyl, and diacyl forms. All viral lipid classes proved to be mixtures of several molecular species. Each class contained a characteristic mixture of fatty chains, which was different in all other classes. All viral lipid classes resembled their counterparts of the host plasma membrane and also those of the endoplasmic reticulum. The gangliosides of the virus and the plasma membrane proved to be similar even at the level of individual molecular species. The number of certain lipid molecules in an average virion was less than the number of the protein molecules.

On the structure of cytolipin R, a ceramide tetrahexoside hapten from rat lymphosarcoma

Cytolipin R, a ceramide tetrahexoside isolated from rat lymphosarcoma, was studied by sequential hydrolysis with specific glycosidases which revealed the anomeric configurations of the glycosidic bonds. Sugar linkages were established by combined gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry of the partially methylated alditol acetates prepared after permethylation and hydrolysis of the intact lipid. Results indicated the structure of cytolipin R to be N-acetylgalactosaminyl(beta1-->3)galactosyl(alpha1-->3) galactosyl(beta1-->4)glucosyl ceramide. Cytolipin K (globoside I) differs in having a -galactosyl(alpha1-->4)galactosyl- internal linkage, and this difference must account for the immunological differences between cytolipin K and cytolipin R.