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After World War II, large amounts of ammunition were dumped in surface waters worldwide, potentially releasing harmful and toxic compounds to the environment. To study their degradation, ammunition items dumped in the Eastern Scheldt in The Netherlands were surfaced. Severe damage due to corrosion and leak paths through the casings were observed, making the explosives in the ammunition accessible to sea water. Using novel techniques, the concentrations of ammunition-related compounds in the surrounding seabed and in the seawater were analyzed at 15 different locations. In the direct vicinity of ammunition, elevated concentrations of ammunition-related compounds (both metals and organic substances) were found. Concentrations of energetic compounds ranged from below the limit of detection (LoD) up to the low two-digit ng/L range in water samples, and from below the LoD up to the one-digit ng/g dry weight range in sediment samples. Concentrations of metals were found up to the low microgram/L range in water and up the low ng/g dry weight in sediment. However, even though the water and sediment samples were collected as close to the ammunition items as possible, the concentrations of these compounds were low and, as far as available, no quality standards or limits were exceeded. The presence of fouling, the low solubility of the energetic compounds, and dilution by the high local water current were concluded to be the main causes for the absence of high concentrations of ammunition-related compounds. As a conclusion, these new analytical methods should be applied to continuously monitor the Eastern Scheldt munitions dump site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Four enzymes were purified to homogeneity from human liver cytosol and were demonstrated to be responsible for carbonyl reduction of the tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-methylnitrosamino-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). 2. Carbonyl reductase (EC 1.1.1.184), a member of the short-chain dehydrogenase reductase (SDR) superfamily, was compared with three isoenzymes of the aldo-keto reductase (AKR) superfamily in terms of enzyme kinetics, co-substrate dependence and inhibition pattern. 3. AKR1C1, 1C2 and 1C4, previously designated as dihydrodiol dehydrogenases (DD1, DD2 and DD4), showed lower K[sub m] (0.2, 0.3 and 0.8 mM respectively) than did carbonyl reductase (7 mM), whereas carbonyl reductase exhibited the highest enzyme efficiency (V[sub max]/K[sub m]) for NNK. Multiplication of enzyme efficiencies with the relative quantities of individual enzymes in cytosol resulted in a rough estimate of their contributions to total alcohol metabolite formation. These were ~ 60% for carbonyl reductase, 20% each for AKR1C1 and 1C2, and 1% for AKR1C4. 4. Except for AKR1C4, the enzymes had a strong preference for NADPH over NADH, and the highest activities were measured with an NADPH-regenerating system. Carbonyl reductase activity was extensively inhibited by menadione, rutin and quercitrin, whereas medroxyprogesterone acetate, phenolphthalein and flufenamic acid were potent inhibitors of AKR1C1, 1C2 and 1C4. 5. In conclusion, cytosolic members of the SDR and AKR superfamilies contribute to reductive NNK detoxification in human liver, the enzymes responsible being carbonyl reductase and aldoketo reductases of the AKR1C subfamily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metyrapone is known as an inhibitor of the oxidative drug metabolism in vitro. We have used the exhalation analysis as a tool to study the influence of this inhibitor on the demethylation ofC-methacetin in vivo. In parallel we investigated the reductive metabolism of metyrapone in mice by measuring the concentrations of metyrapone and its reduced metabolite metyrapol with a HPLC-method. 50 mg of metyrapone/kg b. wt. resulted in a 90% inhibition ofCO exhalation when given 2 min before the exhalation analysis was started. The prolongation of the intervals between i.p. metyrapone and substrate administration leads to a diminution of the in vivo inhibition. We found that the hepatic metyrapone concentration falls rapidly and passes the detection limit at 120 min. Transiently metyrapol reaches a maximal concentration 15 min after the application of metyrapone. The rapid reduction of metyrapone was confirmed in vitro with fresh mouse liver homogenates. The administration of metyrapol itself in vivo causes a decrease inCO exhalation, too. TheCO exhalation curves after metyrapol correspond to the curves after metyrapone, when sufficient time was allowed for its reduction to metyrapol. It can be concluded that not only metyrapone itself but also its reductive metabolite metyrapol is an effective, however weaker inhibitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By means of the breath test technique the cascade from O-demethylations to CO was investigated after pretreatment of mice with warfarin, phenobarbital, cobaltous chloride, sodium vanadate and metyrapone. It was the intention to examine the validity of the technique with respect to cytochrome P-450 activity. Therefore three different radioactive labeled substrates, i.e., hydrogen carbonate, formate and xenobiotics, were applied at three different levels of the one-carbon pathway and were utilized to demonstrate possible interference of the modifiers with the sequence from O-demethylation to CO. Real in vivo information about a modified cytochrome P-450 system can be obtained using model substrates carefully selected with regard to the type of expected modification of the monooxygenase system. In addition, a parallel monitoring of the consecutive reaction sequence by measuring the conversion of formate to CO is necessary in order to guarantee the validity of the in vivo technique in visualizing the activity of the hepatic monooxygenase system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]