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The serotonergic neurotoxicity of 3,4-(+/-)-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) appears dependent upon systemic metabolism because direct injection of MDMA into the brain fails to reproduce the neurotoxicity. MDMA is demethylenated to the catechol metabolite N-methyl-alpha-methyldopamine (N-Me-alpha-MeDA). Thioether (glutathione and N-acetylcysteine) metabolites of N-Me-alpha-MeDA are neurotoxic and are present in rat brain following s.c. injection of MDMA. Because multidose administration of MDMA is typical of drug intake during rave parties, the present study was designed to determine the effects of multiple doses of MDMA on the concentration of neurotoxic thioether metabolites in rat brain. Administration of MDMA (20 mg/kg s.c.) at 12-h intervals for a total of four injections led to a significant accumulation of the N-Me-alpha-MeDA thioether metabolites in striatal dialysate. The area under the curve (AUC)(0-300 min) for 5-(glutathion-S-yl)-N-Me-alpha-MeDA increased 33% between the first and fourth injections and essentially doubled for 2,5-bis-(glutathion-S-yl)-N-Me-alpha-MeDA. Likewise, accumulation of the mercapturic acid metabolites was reflected by increases in the AUC(0-300 min) for both 5-(N-acetylcystein-S-yl)-N-Me-alpha-MeDA (35%) and 2,5-bis-(N-acetylcystein-S-yl)-N-Me-alpha-MeDA (85%), probably because processes for their elimination become saturated. Indeed, the elimination half-life of 5-(N-acetylcystein-S-yl)-N-Me-alpha-MeDA and 2,5-bis-(N-acetylcystein-S-yl)-N-Me-alpha-MeDA increased by 53 and 28%, respectively, between the first and third doses. Finally, although the C(max) values for the monothioether conjugates were essentially unchanged after each injection, the values increased by 38 and approximately 50% for 2,5-bis-(glutathion-S-yl)-N-Me-alpha-MeDA and 2,5-bis-(N-acetylcystein-S-yl)-N-Me-alpha-MeDA, respectively, between the first and fourth injections. The data indicate that neurotoxic metabolites of MDMA may accumulate in brain after multiple dosing.

The selective serotonergic neurotoxicity of 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) depends on their systemic metabolism. We have recently shown that inhibition of brain endothelial cell gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT) potentiates the neurotoxicity of both MDMA and MDA, indicating that metabolites that are substrates for this enzyme contribute to the neurotoxicity. Consistent with this view, glutathione (GSH) and N-acetylcysteine conjugates of alpha-methyl dopamine (alpha-MeDA) are selective neurotoxicants. However, neurotoxic metabolites of MDMA or MDA have yet to be identified in brain. Using in vivo microdialysis coupled to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy and a high-performance liquid chromatography-coulometric electrode array system, we now show that GSH and N-acetylcysteine conjugates of N-methyl-alpha-MeDA are present in the striatum of rats administered MDMA by subcutaneous injection. Moreover, inhibition of gamma-GT with acivicin increases the concentration of GSH and N-acetylcysteine conjugates of N-methyl-alpha-MeDA in brain dialysate, and there is a direct correlation between the concentrations of metabolites in dialysate and the extent of neurotoxicity, measured by decreases in serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindole acetic (5-HIAA) levels. Importantly, the effects of acivicin are independent of MDMA-induced hyperthermia, since acivicin-mediated potentiation of MDMA neurotoxicity occurs in the context of acivicin-mediated decreases in body temperature. Finally, we have synthesized 5-(N-acetylcystein-S-yl)-N-methyl-alpha-MeDA and established that it is a relatively potent serotonergic neurotoxicant. Together, the data support the contention that MDMA-mediated serotonergic neurotoxicity is mediated by the systemic formation of GSH and N-acetylcysteine conjugates of N-methyl-alpha-MeDA (and alpha-MeDA). The mechanisms by which such metabolites access the brain and produce selective serotonergic neurotoxicity remain to be determined.

3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and 3,4-methyl-enedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) are widely abused amphetamine derivatives that target the serotonin system. The serotonergic neurotoxicity of MDA and MDMA seems dependent on their systemic metabolism. 5-(Glutathion-S-yl)-alpha-methyldopamine [5-(GSyl)-alpha-MeDA] and 2,5-bis(glutathion-S-yl)-alpha-methyldopamine [2,5-bis(GSyl)-alpha-MeDA], metabolites of MDA and MDMA, are also selective serotonergic neurotoxicants and produce behavioral and neurochemical changes similar to those seen with MDA and MDMA. We now show that 5-(GSyl)-alpha-MeDA and 2,5-bis(GSyl)-alpha-MeDA are more potent than MDA and MDMA (K(i) = 69, 50, 107, and 102 microM, respectively) at inhibiting 5-hy-droxytryptamine (serotonin) transport into SK-N-MC cells transiently transfected with the human serotonin transporter (hSERT). Moreover, 5-(GSyl)-alpha-MeDA and 2,5-bis(GSyl)-alpha-MeDA simultaneously stimulated dopamine (DA) transport into the hSERT-expressing cells, an effect attenuated by fluoxetine, indicating that stimulated DA transport was hSERT-dependent. Finally, 5-(GSyl)-alpha-MeDA and 2,5-bis(GSyl)-alpha-MeDA, and to a lesser extent MDA and MDMA, induced a concentration and time-dependent increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) in both hSERT and human dopamine transporter-transfected cells. Fluoxetine attenuated the increase in ROS generation in hSERT-expressing cells. The results are consistent with the view that the serotonergic neurotoxicity of MDA and MDMA may be mediated by the metabolism-dependent stimulation of DA transport into hSERT-expressing cells and ROS generation by redox active catechol-thioether metabolites and DA.

Although the cellular response to chemical-induced stress is relatively well characterized, particularly the response to DNA damage, factors that govern the outcome of the stress response (cell survival or cell death) are less clearly defined. In this context, the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family responds to a variety of physical and chemical stresses. The activation of MAPKs, especially the extracellular-regulated protein kinase subfamily, seems to play a causal role in death of renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (LLC-PK1) induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we show that extracellular signal receptor-activated kinase (ERK) activation may be coupled with LLC-PK1 cell death via changes in chromatin structure, which is mediated by increases in the phosphorylation of histone H3 (a post-translational modification required for both chromosome condensation and segregation during mitosis) and premature chromatin/chromosomal condensation, leading to cell death. In support of this view, 2,3,5-tris-(glutathione-S-yl)hydroquinone (TGHQ)-induced phosphorylation of histone H3 is accompanied by increases in chromatin condensation, as observed with the use of 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole-fluorescent staining, and by decreases in the sensitivity of chromatin to digestion by micrococcal nuclease. Changes in chromatin structure precede cell death. TGHQ-induced histone H3 phosphorylation and chromatin condensation are inhibited by PD098059, which selectively inhibits MAPK kinase, an upstream regulator of ERKs. Moreover, histone phosphorylation is modulated by poly(ADP-)ribosylation. Thus, the inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase with 3-aminobenzamide prevents histone H3 phosphorylation and increases cell survival, suggesting that ADP-ribosylation and histone H3 phosphorylation are coupled in this model of ROS-induced DNA damage and cell death. The coupling of histone phosphorylation with ribosylation has not been previously demonstrated.

Although the conjugation of quinones with glutathione is associated with the process of detoxication, the reaction frequently facilitates quinone-induced toxicity. Thiol conjugates of quinones retain the ability to redox cycle and generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), contributing to the biological (re)activity of a variety of polyphenolic compounds. 2-Bromo-bis(glutathion-S-yl) hydroquinone (2-Br-bis(GSyl)HQ) and 2-bromo-6-(glutathion-S-yl) hydroquinone [2-Br-6-(GSyl)HQ] are potent nephrotoxicants in rats, inducing rapid karyolysis in vivo and DNA single-strand breaks in cultured renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (LLC-PK1). We investigated the cellular and molecular responses initiated after exposure of LLC-PK1 cells to 2-Br-bis(GSyl)HQ and 2-Br-6-(GSyl)HQ. Both quinone thioethers cause the concentration-dependent formation of DNA single-strand breaks, rapidly (2-10 min) inhibit DNA synthesis, and increase the expression of gadd153, a gene responsive to growth arrest and DNA damage. The addition of catalase to LLC-PK1 cells exposed to 2-Br-6-(GSyl)HQ or 2-Br-bis(GSyl)HQ effectively prevents gadd153 induction, which is consistent with findings that the gadd153 gene is subject to redox modulation and that ROS play an important role in quinone thioether-mediated cytotoxicity. Deferoxamine pretreatment also diminishes gadd153 induction, suggesting that in renal proximal tubular epithelial cells, decreased expression of gadd153 is not dependent on the removal of hydrogen peroxide per se but rather on preventing the generation of hydroxyl radical. Chelation of intracellular calcium with ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid-acetoxy-methyl ester also reduces gadd153 induction by 2-Br-6-(GSyl)HQ and 2-Br-bis(GSyl)HQ, suggesting a role for calcium in the signaling process. Thus, 2-Br-6-(GSyl)HQ and 2-Br-bis(GSyl)HQ activate a genomic stress response via a signaling pathway that may include ROS, Ca2+, and DNA damage.

The effects of GSH (gamma-glutamylcysteinylglycine) and GSSG on intracellular calcium levels ([Ca2+]i) were investigated using fura-2-loaded dissociated brain cells from newborn rat pups. Both produced concentration-dependent increases in [Ca2+]i (EC50 values of 914.3 +/- 190.5 and 583.0 +/- 97.2 microM for GSH and GSSG, respectively), similar to that observed with N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and other agonists at the NMDA receptor. Maximum response (expressed as percentage change in [Ca2+]i relative to basal) was significantly greater for GSSG (37.5 +/- 1.6%) than for GSH (25.3 +/- 1.6%). The response to both agents was prevented or reversed by competitive (100 microM) (-)-2-amino-5- phosphonovalerate and noncompetitive (400 nM) MK-801 or 1.0 mM Mg2+ antagonists of NMDA receptor-mediated calcium entry, even at concentrations of GSH and GSSG normally producing maximal response. The idea that these effects are mediated, at least in part, by interaction with the NMDA receptor was supported by the effects of GSH and GSSG on the binding of the NMDA receptor ligand [3H]CGP-39653 to membranes isolated from hippocampal and cortical homogenates. Both GSH and GSSG displaced bound [3H]CGP-39653, with IC50 values of 0.93 +/- 0.18 and 11.02 +/- 1.22 microM, respectively, and produced an increase in the apparent Kd of binding (control, 8.92 +/- 0.83 nM, and GSH, 13.31 +/- 1.19 nM; control, 11.59 +/- 0.35 nM, and GSSG, 18.73 +/- 0.66 nM). However, both also produced modest reductions in Bmax (control, 1265 +/- 69 fmol/mg of protein, and GSH, 901 +/- 73 fmol/mg of protein; control, 1068 +/- 30 fmol/mg of protein, and GSSG, 730 +/- 18 fmol/mg of protein) and Hill slopes (GSH, 0.66 +/- 0.02; GSSG, 0.62 +/- 0.04). This suggests complex kinetics for the interaction of GSH and GSSG with the NMDA receptor. Taken together, the results suggest the potential for modulation of the NMDA receptor complex by GSH and GSSG.

Several lines of evidence suggest that the renal-specific toxicity of quinol-linked GSH conjugates is probably a result of their metabolism by gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and selective accumulation by proximal tubular cells. Transport of the resultant quinol-cysteine and/or cystein-S-ylglycine conjugate followed by oxidation to the quinone may be important steps in the mechanism of toxicity of these compounds. Factors modulating the intracellular and/or intralumenal concentration of the cystein-S-yl and cystein-S-ylglycine conjugate will, therefore, be important determinants of toxicity. We have now studied the gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase-mediated metabolism of 2-bromo-3-(glutathion-S-yl)hydroquinone. The product of this reaction, 2-bromo-3-(cystein-S-ylglycyl)hydroquinone, undergoes an intramolecular cyclization to yield a 1,4-benzothiazine derivative that retains the glycine residue. A similar cyclization reaction occurs with 2-bromo-3-(cystein-S-yl)hydroquinone, which is unstable in aqueous solutions and undergoes a pH-dependent rearrangement that requires initial oxidation to the quinone. UV spectroscopy revealed that, at neutral pH, further reaction results in the formation of a chromophore, consistent with 1,4-benzothiazine formation. This product arises via cyclization of the cysteine residue via an intramolecular 1,4 Michael addition. Further reaction results in the precipitation of a pigment that exhibits properties of a pH indicator. The pigment undergoes a marked pH-dependent bathochromic shift (approximately 100 nm); it is red in alkali (lambda max, 480 nm) and violet in acid (lambda max, 578 nm). These properties are similar to those of the trichochrome polymers that are formed during melanin biosynthesis from S-(3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine)-L-cysteine. Because the intramolecular cyclization reactions remove the reactive quinone moiety from the molecules, they may be regarded as detoxication reactions. 1,4-Benzothiazine formation represents a novel pathway that diverges from the usual route of mercapturic acid synthesis and may represent previously unrecognized and important products of quinone metabolism in vivo.

2-Bromohydroquinone was identified as a metabolite of both bromobenzene and o-bromophenol in the rat in vivo and in vitro. Identification was based on high-pressure liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Formation of 2-bromohydroquinone by rat liver microsomes from both bromobenzene and o-bromophenol was increased by treatment of rats with either phenobarbital or 3-methylcholanthrene. Covalent binding of o-bromophenol to rat liver microsomes was inhibited by glutathione and ascorbate but not by superoxide dismutase or catalase. Liver microsomes converted o-bromophenol to 2-bromohydroquinone and covalently bound material, whereas kidney and lung microsomes metabolized o-bromophenol less rapidly. Administration of 2-bromohydroquinone to rats caused a dose- and time-dependent decrease in hepatic and renal glutathione levels, an increase in blood urea nitrogen levels and histopathological changes in kidney without causing any alterations to the liver. The histological changes in the kidney were indistinguishable from those observed after either bromobenzene or o-bromophenol administration. However, the dose of 2-bromohydroquinone required to elicit a similar nephrotoxicity was less than 10% of that of bromobenzene. Thus, 2-bromohydroquinone may play a role in the nephrotoxicity observed after bromobenzene administration. Although the nature of the nephrotoxic metabolite of 2-bromohydroquinone is not known, our present results suggest that 2-bromohydroquinone or a conjugate thereof may be formed in the liver and transported to the kidney where it elicits toxicity.

The formation of potentially reactive thiols has been postulated to play a role in the nephrotoxicity caused by a number of glutathione and/or cysteine conjugates. However, the inherent reactivity of such compounds has precluded both their identification in biological systems and a determination of their actual toxicity. To this end we have synthesized 6-bromo-2,5-dihydroxy-thiophenol as a putative metabolite of nephrotoxic 2-bromohydroquinone-glutathione conjugates. The compound was prepared by the addition of sodium thiosulfate to 2-bromo-1,4-benzoquinone followed by reduction of the S-arylthiosulfate to the thiophenol. 2,5-Dihydroxy-thiophenol was similarly prepared. Structural identification was confirmed by mass spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Administration of 6-bromo-2,5-dihydroxy-thiophenol to rats (0.35 mmol/kg; intraperitoneally) caused an increase in blood urea nitrogen and histological alterations similar to those observed after 2-bromo-(diglutathion-S-yl)hydroquinone administration. 2,5-Dihydroxy-thiophenol was also nephrotoxic but at a dose of 0.6 mmol/kg. In contrast, no effects on liver pathology were observed after administration of either 6-bromo-2,5-dihydroxy-thiophenol or 2,5-dihydroxy-thiophenol and serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase levels were normal. Neither 2-, 3-, nor 4-bromothiophenol had any effect on blood urea nitrogen at doses between 0.2 and 0.8 mmol/kg (intraperitoneally) and no apparent alterations were seen in kidney slices prepared from bromothiophenol-treated rats. These findings suggest that the quinone function of 6-bromo-2,5-dihydroxy-thiophenol is necessary for the expression of toxicity. In this respect, the lower activity of NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase (EC 1.6.99.2) in renal cortex may be of toxicological significance.

The chemical reaction of 1,4-benzoquinone with glutathione results in the formation of adducts that exhibit increasing degrees of glutathione substitution. Purification of these adducts and analysis by 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed the products of the reaction to be 2-(glutathion-S-yl)hydroquinone; 2,3-(diglutathion-S-yl)hydroquinone; 2,5-(diglutathion-S-yl)hydroquinone; 2,6(diglutathion-S-yl)hydroquinone; 2,3,5-(triglutathion-S-yl)hydroquinone; and 2,3,5,6-(tetraglutatathion-S-yl)hydroquinone. The initial conjugation of 1,4-benzoquinone with glutathione did not significantly affect the oxidation potential of the compound. However, subsequent oxidation and glutathione addition resulted in the formation of conjugates that, dependent upon the position of addition, become increasingly more difficult to oxidize. Increased glutathione substitutions, which resulted in an increase in oxidation potentials, paradoxically resulted in enhanced nephrotoxicity. The triglutathion-S-yl conjugate was the most potent nephrotoxicant; the diglutathion-S-yl conjugates exhibited similar degrees of nephrotoxicity; the mono- and tetraglutathion-S-yl conjugates were not toxic. Thus, with the exception of the fully substituted isomer, the severity of renal necrosis correlated with the extent of glutathione substitution. The lack of toxicity of the fully substituted isomer is probably a consequence of its inability to alkylate tissue components. Thus, the conjugation of glutathione with quinones does not necessarily result in detoxification, even when the resulting conjugates are more stable to oxidation. The inhibition of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase by AT-125 protected against 2,3,5-(triglutathion-S-yl)hydroquinone-mediated nephrotoxicity. It is suggested that other extra-renal sites expressing relatively high levels of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase might therefore also be susceptible to hydroquinone-linked glutathione conjugate toxicity. This pathway might also contribute to the carcinogenicity and mutagenicity of certain quinones.

2-Bromo-(diglutathion-S-yl)hydroquinone [2-Br-(diGSyl)HQ] causes severe necrosis of the proximal renal tubules in the rat, elevations in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and increased urinary excretion of protein, glucose, and lactate dehydrogenase. In contrast, 2-Br-3-(GSyl)HQ, 2-Br-5-(GSyl)HQ, and 2-Br-6-(GSyl)HQ caused differentially less toxicity than the diglutathionyl conjugate. None of these conjugates had any apparent effect on liver pathology and serum glutamate-pyruvate transaminase remained within the normal range. Pretreatment of rats with probenecid, an organic anion transport inhibitor, offered only slight protection against 2-Br-(diGSyl)HQ-mediated elevations in BUN, proteinuria, or glucosuria. In contrast, quinine, an organic cation transport inhibitor, potentiated the nephrotoxicity of 2-Br-(di-GSyl)HQ. Thus, in contrast to other nephrotoxic sulfur conjugates, probenecid-sensitive organic ion transport systems do not contribute to the kidney-specific toxicity of 2-Br-(diGSyl)HQ. However, inhibition of renal gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase by AT-125 completely protected rats from the nephrotoxic effects of 2-Br-(diGSyl)HQ. Aminooxyacetic acid, an inhibitor of cysteine conjugate beta-lyase, caused a 20-25% decrease in 2-Br-(diGSyl)HQ-mediated elevations in BUN and urinary excretion parameters. The isomeric 35S conjugates covalently bound to rat kidney 10,000 x g homogenate in the order 2-Br-6-(GSyl)HQ greater than 2-Br-5-(GSyl)HQ greater than 2-Br-3-(GSyl)HQ greater than 2-Br-(diGSyl)HQ. AT-125 (0.4 mM) decreased covalent binding by 25%, 17%, 33%, and 28%, respectively. Aminooxyacetic acid (0.1 mM) inhibited covalent binding by 26%, 10%, 17%, and 17% respectively. Ascorbic acid (1.0 mM) inhibited covalent binding by 63%, 87%, 62%, and 28%, respectively, and this inhibition correlated, inversely, with the redox potential of the conjugates. Thus, the covalent binding is mediated preferentially by oxidation of the quinol moiety, although the formation of reactive thiols cannot be excluded. In addition, the initial conjugation of 2-BrHQ with GSH does not result in the formation of a less redox-active species. However, the subsequent addition of a second molecule of GSH results in the formation of a more redox-stable compound, which, paradoxically, enhances toxicity. The metabolism of 2-Br-(diGSyl)HQ by renal proximal tubular gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and trans-membrane transport of the cysteine conjugate(s) followed by oxidation of the quinol moiety is probably responsible for the target organ toxicity of this compound.

We have developed a simple experimental technique which allows the determination of the relative rates of intracellular inactivation of chemically reactive metabolites and their diffusion out of isolated rat hepatocytes. By using bromobenzene as a model compound we have demonstrated that bromobenzene-3, 4-oxide generated within hepatocytes is sufficiently stable to leave the endoplasmic reticulum in which it is formed, traverse the cytoplasm and cross the cell membrane to the external environment. The addition of varying amounts of protein, which serves as an external sink to trap the epoxide as a covalently bound adduct, permits the calculation of the relative rates at which the epoxide is inactivated within the cells and diffuses out of the cells. As much as 35% of bromobenzene-3,4-oxide is capable of leaving hepatocytes and being trapped as a covalently bound adduct to glutathione (GSH)-transferase B. The extensive diffusion of bromobenzene-3,4-oxide may play an important role in the intercellular toxicity of this compound within the liver and perhaps may contribute to extrahepatic toxicity. The addition of GSH-transferase B to isolated hepatocyte suspensions caused a decrease in the formation of the 3,4-dihydrodiol, p-bromophenol and o- and p-bromophenol glucuronides, an increase in the formation of bromobenzene GSH conjugates, but did not affect intracellular covalent binding. Kinetic analyses of the data revealed that, in the absence of GSH-transferase B, nearly all of the bromobenzene GSH conjugates are formed within hepatocytes as the epoxide is formed, whereas rearrangement of bromobenzene-3,4-oxide to p-bromophenol and hydration to bromobenzene-3,4-dihydrodiol occurs almost exclusively outside the hepatocytes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)