The conjugative metabolism of 4-methylumbelliferone and deconjugation to the parent drug examined by isolated perfused liver and in vitro liver homogenate of rats

We examined the disposition of 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU) and its conjugative metabolites, glucuronide (4-MUG) and sulfate (4-MUS), using a single-pass rat liver perfusion system. When 4-MU was delivered, the steady-state hepatic extraction ratio for 4-MU was very high (approximately 1.0) and its conjugative metabolites, 4-MUG and 4-MUS, appeared to a large extent in the effluent perfusate. The biliary excretion rate of the 4-MUG conjugated from 4-MU was 44% of the infusion rate at the steady-state, whereas those of 4-MU and 4-MUS were less than 1% of the infusion rate. When 4-MUG was delivered, the steady-state hepatic extraction ratio for 4-MUG was very low (less than 0.05) and the removal rate of 4-MUG from the perfusate was almost identical to the excretion rate of 4-MUG into the bile, while 4-MU and 4-MUS were slightly excreted into the bile (1% of the total biliary excretion rate), suggesting that a little deconjugation of 4-MUG to 4-MU occurred in the liver. Similarly, 4-MU and 4-MUS were not detectable in the effluent perfusate. The apparent extraction ratio (Eapp) for the intracellularly conjugated 4-MUG was approximately twenty times higher than that for the pre-conjugated 4-MUG. This discrepancy between the values of Eapp for the intracellularly conjugated and pre-conjugated 4-MUG might be attributed mainly to the diffusional barrier for the metabolite between the blood and hepatocytes, as suggested in the previous simulation (J. Pharmacokin, Biopharm., 15, 399 (1987].(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Shuttles for translocation of NADH in isolated liver cells from fed rats during oxidation of xylitol.

Translocation of xylitol-derived NADH via malate-aspartate and alpha-glycerophosphate shuttles was studied in liver cells isolated from fed rats. In bicarbonate medium amino-oxyacetate, rotenone and antimycin A, were equally efficient in depressing the xylitol removal. Incubation of cells in nonbicarbonate medium did not affect the rate of xylitol removal. In this medium amino-oxyacetate and antimycin A, but not rotenone, inhibited xylitol removal. Xylitol inhibited the lactate accumulation found when the cells were incubated without any exogenous substrates. Glucose was the main end product of xylitol oxidation. In nonbicarbonate medium ketogenesis was high, whereas in bicarbonate medium a low rate of ketone body formation was found. Xylitol had no effect on the rate of ketone body formation in either medium tested. Xylitol markedly decreased the ATP and Pi contents of the cells, but no change in the ATP/ADP x Pi ratio or the rate of oxygen consumption was found. The results suggest that NADH formed during xylitol oxidation is translocated to the mitochondria mainly through the malate-aspartate shuttle and only when this shuttle is inhibited does the alpha-glycerophosphate shuttle transfer NADH. Intramitochondrial reactions which form NADH and FADH2 are also suggested to be important regulators of the activity of the alpha-glycerophosphate shuttle.     

Pharmacologic analysis of 7-O-ethyl-fangchinoline-induced vasodilation properties in isolated perfused common carotid arteries of Wistar Kyoto rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Using the cannula insertion method, we investigated vascular effects of 7-O-ethyl-fangchinoline (TJN-220) derived from tetrandrine in isolated and perfused common carotid arteries of Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). A single dose of TJN-220 caused a vasodilation in a dose-related manner in arteries preconstricted by phenylephrine. The vasodilation was not inhibited by propranolol, a potent beta-adrenoceptor antagonist. A potent alpha-antagonist bunazosin inhibited the vasoconstriction to norepinephrine while TJN-220 did not modify the norepinephrine-induced constriction, indicating TJN-220 had no alpha-blocking activity. A potent calcium entry blocker, diltiazem, markedly attenuated the KCl-induced vasoconstriction, and TJN-220 slightly but significantly attenuated the KCl-induced one in large doses. The vasodilation of TJN-220 was not abolished after removing the endothelium by an intraluminal administration of saponin, although the ACh-induced dilation was completely abolished by it. A comparison of vascular responses in WKY and SHR revealed no significant differences. From these results, it is concluded that 1) a new tetrandrine derivative, TJN-220 has relatively long-lasting vasorelaxant properties, 2) the dilatory effects might not be related to adrenergic, muscarinic or endothelium-dependent mechanisms, and 3) the effects might partially be due to calcium entry antagonistic properties.     

Vanadate-stimulated release of hepatic lipase activity from liver.

Vanadate stimulated the release of rat hepatic lipase activity from liver slices into an incubation medium in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Insulin, however, failed to have this stimulatory action, and the release by heparin was recognized, but was not additive to that by vanadate. Amiloride, an inhibitor of tyrosine kinase in some receptors and of the Na+/H+ exchange system suppressed the vanadate-stimulated release. Biochanin A, a different type of tyrosine kinase inhibitor than amiloride, also suppressed the effect of vanadate. The stimulation by vanadate was clearly preserved in Na(+)-, K(+)-, or Ca(2+)-free medium, suggesting that neither the Na+/H+ exchange system, Na+, K(+)-adenosine triphosphatase, nor Ca(2+)-influx into cells is involved in the action of this substance. These results suggest that vanadate-stimulated release of the enzyme activity is associated with the activation of the tyrosine kinase activity.     

Rapid determination of amino acids by high-performance liquid chromatography: release of amino acids by perfused rat liver.

Perfused rat liver can be considered as one of the most suitable ex vivo models for studies of liver metabolism. To assess the possible effect of L-carnitine and some of its acyl esters on proteolysis in the rat liver, the amino acid derivatization and high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of Tapuhi et al. [Anal. Biochem., 115 (1981) 123] was modified.     

Submitochondrial distribution of basic drugs in the isolated perfused lung

To clarify the mechanism by which basic drugs accumulate in the lung mitochondria, the binding selectivity of drugs to different submitochondrial components of the perfused rat lung was examined. The accumulation of basic drugs was the highest in the mitochondrial outer membrane fraction. The drug accumulation in this fraction increased with lipid solubility and was dose-dependent. It appears then that selective binding sites for basic drugs are present in the mitochondrial outer membrane.     

Analysis of novel imidazoles from isolated perfused rabbit heart by two high-performance liquid chromatographic methods.

The paper reports two analytical high-performance liquid chromatographic methods to detect and quantify cardiac-derived histidyl derivatives. Method A relies on relative hydrophobicities as a basis of separation. Method B is an ion-pairing method in which the compounds are eluted in an entirely different order. Fractions collected from method A have been co-eluted in admixture in method B with authentic reference compounds. Thus the existence of the following imidazole ring-containing compounds derived from heart have been confirmed: N-acetylhistidine, N-acetyl-1-methylhistidine, N-acetylcarnosine, N-acetylhomocarnosine, homocarnosine, anserine, carnosine, balenine. Compounds were found in both tissue samples and perfusates.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic method to resolve and determine lipopolysaccharide sub-groups of Escherichia coli endotoxin in isolated perfused rat liver perfusate.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for resolving heterogeneous preparations of fluorescently labelled endotoxin derived from Escherichia coli (Serotype 0111:B4) into separate lipopolysaccharide sub-groups. The endotoxin was chromatographed on an analytical gel permeation column using a mobile phase of acetonitrile (20%, v/v) and 100 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.75). Four fluorescent peaks were resolved, representing sub-groups of markedly different molecular sizes. Three of the four sub-groups contained the core polysaccharide 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate, confirming that they contained lipopolysaccharide. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labelled endotoxins derived from Vibrio cholerae and Salmonella minnesota chromatographed using the same system eluted with distinctly different patterns of peaks from each other and from E. coli. Extraction of E. coli FITC-endotoxin from a buffer solution using a phenol-diethyl ether method and subsequent chromatography allowed the determination of three of the four fluorescent sub-groups over the concentration range 1-15 micrograms/ml.     

Accumulation mechanism of basic drugs in the isolated perfused rat lung

The mechanism of the accumulation of basic drugs was investigated by isolated rat lung perfusion. Treatment with various metabolic inhibitors or non-basic drugs did not affect the accumulation of a basic drug in the lung, but a second basic drug inhibited the accumulation of the first basic drug depending on its lipid solubility. The basic drug already accumulated was rapidly displaced by the second drug except for poorly lipid-soluble basic drugs and non-basic drugs. The ability of a second basic drug to displace the first basic drug was well correlated with its ability to inhibit accumulation. From the Scatchard plot, at least two independent sets of binding sites for basic drugs were found to be present in the isolated perfused lung. The maximum binding capacity for each basic drug was similar in both sites. These results indicate that specific common binding sites for basic drugs, which do not contribute to the active transport system, exist in the lung tissues and the affinity to the sites depends on the lipid solubility of the basic drugs.     

Determination of antiviral nucleoside analogues AM365 and AM188 in perfusate and bile of the isolated perfused rat liver using HPLC

Development, validation and application of an HPLC assay for new antiviral nucleoside analogues AM365 and AM188 in isolated perfused rat liver perfusate and bile were performed. An analytical column (Phenosphere-NEXT, 250 x 4.6 mm, C(18), 4 microm, Phenomenex) was used in tandem with a guard column (4 x 3 mm, C(18), Phenomenex) and operated at 25 degrees C. The mobile phase [methanol:10 mmol/L sodium orthophosphate buffer (pH 7.0), 15:85, v/v] was pumped at 1 mL/min. The signal from a diode array detector was collected from 190 to 300 nm. The chromatogram was processed at 220 and 252 nm for AM365 and AM188, respectively. The HPLC method was validated by six intraday and seven interday runs. Standard curves were linear in the range 0.125-8.00 microg/mL for AM365 and AM188, and the lower limit of quantification for AM365 and AM188 was 0.125 microg/mL. Mean interday precision and accuracy of IPL perfusate quality control samples were within 8.8%, and mean intraday precision and accuracy were within 13.1%. The assay has been successfully used in the study of metabolism and disposition of AM365 in the isolated perfused rat liver.