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Previously, it was shown that depletion and stabilization of the mucosal mast cell around the time of challenge were very effective in reducing delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions in the small intestine of the rat. The role of mucosal mast cells in the early component of intestinal DTH reaction was further investigated in this study. In vivo small intestinal vascular leakage and serum levels of rat mast cell protease II (RMCP II) were determined within 1 h after intragastric challenge of rats that had been sensitized with dinitrobenzene 5 days before. A separate group of rats was used to study vasopermeability in isolated vascularly perfused small intestine after in vitro challenge. To investigate the effects of mast cell stabilization on the early events of the DTH reaction, doxantrazole was used. The influence of sensory nerves was studied by means of neonatal capsaicin-induced depletion of sensory neuropeptides. Within 1 h after challenge, a significant increase in vascular permeability was found in vivo as well as in vitro. This was associated with a DTH-specific increase in RMCP II in the serum, indicating mucosal mast cell activation. In addition, doxantrazole treatment and caspaicin pretreatment resulted in a significant inhibition of the DTH-induced vascular leakage and an increase in serum RMCP II. These findings are consistent with an important role for mucosal mast cells in early vascular leakage changes of intestinal DTH reactions. In addition, sensory nervous control of mucosal mast cell activation early after challenge is demonstrated.

Intestinal microvascular permeability was studied in the isolated vascularly perfused small intestine of the rat by arterial injection of tracer molecules and collection of venous samples. The injection mixture contained a rhodamine-labeled dextran and a fluorescein-labeled dextran or free fluorescein. Pharmacokinetic analysis, based on statistical moment theory, of the tracer outflow concentration-time curve and the application of either the well-stirred model (WSM) or parallel tube model (PTM) was used to assess vasopermeability. The results indicate that the experimental system cannot be considered a pure WSM or a PTM. No different intrinsic clearance (Clint,i) values were found by applying the two models: Clint,i (in ml/min) = 1.23 +/- 0.14 (radius 0.5 nm); 0.44 +/- 0.09 (radius 1.4 nm); 0.31 +/- 0.08 (radius 2.2 nm); 0.02 +/- 0.01 (radius 6.0 nm); and 0 (radius 20.8 nm). Infusion of histamine (10(-5)-10(-3) M) and destruction of the endothelium via perfusion with distilled water increased the permeability for the tracers. We have established a technique for measurement of microvascular permeability characteristics in the rat small intestine. Histamine-induced changes and destruction of the endothelium can be detected in a quantitatively reliable way.

This study was performed to establish relationships between the structure of 2,5-bis(1-aziridinyl)-1,4-benzoquinones (BABQs) bearing different substituents at the 3- and 6-position and their acute toxic effects in rat hepatocytes. The cell viability, loss of cellular glutathione (GSH+GSSG) and loss of ATP were followed during 4 h of incubation of freshly isolated hepatocytes. The toxicity of these compounds (100 microM) was predicted better by their reactivity with GSH than by their redox cycling in rat liver microsomes. The time of 50% loss of viability (LT50) correlated very well with the time of 50% depletion of ATP (AT50). LT50 could be adequately predicted by using the electronic field parameter (Ftotal) describing the electron withdrawing or donating properties for all the substituents on the quinone-nucleus. 7-(Di)halogen-substituted BABQs that all very rapidly depleted cellular glutathione showed significant differences in AT50 as well as in LT50. This suggests that alterations in ATP levels are important for explaining the differences in cytotoxicity of these compounds.

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of glutathione depletion and alterations in the energy status in the induction of acute cytotoxicity to freshly isolated rat hepatocytes. Depletion of intracellular glutathione by diethyl maleate and phorone to levels below 5% of control did not induce loss of viability nor loss of intracellular ATP. Ethacrynic acid, a compound known to deplete mitochondrial GSH in addition to cytosolic GSH, induced cell killing after depletion of ATP, next to GSH depletion. The results confirmed that depletion of intracellular glutathione alone does not necessarily result in cell killing. Only when glutathione depletion is succeeded by reduction in ATP levels, loss of cell viability is observed. The relationship between alterations in the energy status and the induction of cell death was further substantiated by inhibition of glycolytic and mitochondrial ATP generation. Treatment of hepatocytes either with iodoacetic acid to inhibit glycolysis (in hepatocytes from fed rats) or with potassium cyanide to inhibit mitochondrial respiration (in hepatocytes from both fed and fasted rats) revealed that depletion of intracellular ATP could lead to lethal cell injury. The susceptibility of cells to metabolic inhibition was better reflected by the rate of reduction in the energy charge than by the reduction of ATP alone. In conclusion, our results suggest that alterations of the energy status may be a critical event in the induction of irreversible cell injury. Depletion of cellular GSH is only cytotoxic when followed by a reduction of the energy charge.

The contribution of the rat small intestine to systemic and presystemic elimination of l-dopa was studied. When l-dopa was administered into the vascular perfusate, a systemic extraction ratio of 0·38 was found, the major part being decarboxylated to dopamine. The intestinal l-dopa clearance was estimated to be 171 mL min−1 kg−1. Thus, l-dopa intestinal clearance in rat represents up to at least 20% of the total body clearance. After luminal administration of l-dopa 83–88% of the administered dose was absorbed within 60 min. The total amount of l-dopa appearing in the vascular perfusate increased more than proportionally to the increase in the dose. In contrast, the amount of dopamine increased less than proportionally to the dose. As a result, the intestinal first pass appeared to be strongly dose-dependent. Since the total percentage absorbed from the lumen was independent of the administered dose and the total amount that appeared in the vascular perfusate increased linearly with the dose, the dose dependency was probably due to saturation of intestinal l-dopa decarboxylation.

In this study the effect of metabolism of menadione (2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone) on ATP generation in isolated rat hepatocytes was investigated. Menadione-induced cytotoxicity correlated well with the depletion of ATP. Loss of viability lagged approximately 25 min behind the depletion of ATP. Our results suggest that depletion of ATP may be mediated by interference with glycolysis and protein breakdown, resulting in a lack of oxidizable substrates for ATP generation. (i) Menadione reduced proteolysis to 27% of control after 60 min of incubation. (ii) Increased glycogenolysis was not accompanied by accumulation of glycolytic end-products. The increased levels of glucose 6-phosphate were mainly metabolized to glucose. (iii) Menadione induced a time- and concentration-dependent inhibition of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity, although no accumulation of glycolytic intermediates was found. The data presented suggest that glycolysis may be inhibited upstream of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. (iv) Suppletion of metabolic substrates (pyruvate, oxaloacetate, and glutamine) postponed the menadione-induced ATP depletion and delayed the onset of cell killing. The protecting effect of these metabolic substrates could be reversed by atractyloside, an inhibitor of the ADP/ATP translocase. The temporary protection of metabolic substrates suggests that additional mechanisms (e.g., cofactor depletion, mitochondrial damage, enzyme inactivation) may play a role in menadione-induced ATP depletion. The present study substantiates the critical role of ATP depletion in menadione-induced cell death.

The toxicity of aziridinylbenzoquinones may occur by a number of mechanisms, including oxidative stress caused by redox cycling and the activation of the aziridine groups. Isolated hepatocytes were used to assess the relationship between the redox status of NADP(H) associated with oxidative stress, the level of NAD(H) closely linked with DNA repair and the cytotoxicity of three 2,5-bis(aziridinyl)-1,4-benzoquinones (BABQ). Exposure of hepatocytes to the BABQ TW13 (200 microM) and TW25 (100 microM), which are able to arylate and to redox cycle, resulted in increased intracellular NADP+ from0.3 nmol/mg protein to 1.5 nmol/mg protein within 60 min. The increase in intracellular NADP+ was followed by the onset of cell death by 180 min. In contrast, exposure to lower concentrations of TW13 (100 microM), TW25 (50 microM) and carboquone (100-200 microM) (which neither arylates nor redox cycles via a one-electron reduction) resulted in a less pronounced (1.0 nmol/mg) increase in NADP+ and there was no evidence of cell death within the 180 min incubation. BABQ had a concentration dependent effect on intracellular NAD+. Exposure of hepatocytes to TW13 (200 microM) and TW25 (100 microM) resulted in a decrease in intracellular NAD+ from2.7 to1.0 nmol/mg protein within 60 min. At concentrations of the BABQ where the level of NAD+ remained1.0 nmol/mg protein after 30 min, the hepatocytes remained viable at 180 min. These changes in intracellular pyridine nucleotides suggests two mechanisms may be involved in BABQ cytotoxicity. At high concentrations, aziridinylbenzoquines may cause cytotoxicity via oxidative stress following redox cycling. At lower concentrations however, the predominant pyridine nucleotide change is a prolonged depletion of NAD+, suggesting extensive DNA damage which may lead to delayed cell death.

The influence of variation of perfusion flow rate on the renal clearance of p-aminohippuric acid and 1-naphthol was studied with an isolated perfused rat kidney preparation. Kidney functions were well maintained at low perfusion flow rates by the use of a fluorocarbon emulsion to increase the oxygen capacity of the perfusion buffer. Renal extraction of p-aminohippuric acid decreased with increasing perfusion flow. Our data show that at high perfusion flow rates maximal extractable perfusion flow forms only a small part of the total perfusion flow. 1-Naphthol is rapidly metabolized to its glucuronide and sulfate conjugate in the isolated perfused rat kidney. Using PAH as a marker for the maximal extractable perfusion flow, 1-naphthol could be regarded as a high-extraction compound even at high perfusion flow rates. Our results suggest that p-aminohippuric acid clearance, rather than total perfusion flow rate, should be used as the measure of maximal extractable blood flow for the estimation of extraction ratio in the isolated perfused kidney of compounds excreted or metabolized by the proximal tubules.

The biochemical mechanism of cytotoxicity, induced by the quinoid compound 2-methyl 1,4-naphthoquinone (menadione), was investigated in hepatocytes freshly isolated from fasted and fed rats. Hepatocytes from fasted rats were significantly more vulnerable to the toxicity of menadione than hepatocytes from fed rats. Menadione (150 μ m ) induced a 50% loss of viability of cells (LT 50 ) from fasted rats after 55 min of incubation, whereas a LT 50 of 80 min was observed after exposure of hepatocytes from fed rats to menadione. Glutathione and NADPH levels were rapidly depleted by menadione metabolism. This depletion was sustained during the incubation period. No significant differences were found in the time course and extent of the menadione-induced glutathione and NADPH depletion in hepatocytes of both nutritional states. Menadione also affected the energy status of the hepatocytes. The ATP content of cells from fasted rats decreased to 50% (AT 50 ) within 18 min of exposure to menadione, whereas a 50% loss of ATP content of hepatocytes from fed rats was reached at 65 min. In contrast to depletion of glutathione and NADPH, the time course and extent of menadione-induced ATP depletion correlated well with the time of onset and rate of cell killing. Our results suggest that menadione metabolism may interfere with both mitochondrial and glycolytic ATP production. Depletion of ATP might be a critical step in menadione-induced cytotoxicity.

Glucuronidation of various substrates in hepatic, intestinal and renal microsomes of control, phenobarbital (PB), 3-methylcholanthrene (3MC) and Aroclor-1254 (A1254) pretreated rats was investigated. UDPGT activities tested could be divided in four groups on the basis of their tissue distribution and induction by PB or 3MC in liver microsomes. GT1 activities (1-naphthol, benzo(a)pyrene-3,6-quinol) are induced by 3MC in liver microsomes and are present in all tissues investigated. GT2 activities (morphine, 4-hydroxybipheynl) are induced by PB in liver microsomes and appear to be restricted to the liver and the intestine. UDPGT activity towards bilirubin, although induced by PB, can be detected in hepatic, intestinal and renal microsomes. UDPGT activity towards fenoterol is restricted to the liver and intestine and is not induced by PB, 3MC or A1254. The presence of inducible immunoreactive UDPGT isoenzymes in microsomes of liver, intestine and kidney of control and induced rats was demonstrated by immunoblot analysis using rabbit anti-rat liver-GT1 antibodies. Induction of both 54 and 56 kDa polypeptides in hepatitis, intestinal and renal microsomes by 3MC or A1254 was observed. Purification of UDPGT (1-naphthol as substrate) from intestinal microsomes to apparent homogeneity yielded a polypeptide with an apparent molecular weight of 54-56 kDa. The results indicate that 54 and 56 kDa UDPGT polypeptides are the major A1254 inducible isoenzymes in intestinal and renal microsomes. An increase in immunoreactive protein is correlated with a biochemically measurable increase in glucuronidation capacity for GT1 substrates.

Two cell isolation procedures, i.e. a scraping/collagenase-treatment and a new vibration procedure in EDTA containing medium, were used to isolate intestinal epithelial cells. In both cell populations the metabolism of 7-ethoxycoumarin and 7-hydroxycoumarin was studied. Moreover, the time course and extent of induction of both steps in the biotransformation were investigated after oral 3-methylcholanthrene pretreatment of the rats. Twenty four hours after 3-methylcholanthrene pretreatment (20 mg kg-1) monooxygenase activity was induced about 6-fold and 2.5-fold when studied with cells of the vibratory and enzymic procedures, respectively. Control 7-ethoxycoumarin deethylase activity and 7-hydroxycoumarin glucuronidation were about the same when comparing both methods for cell-isolation. The formation of glucuronides in cells (both methods) is significantly lowered by 3-MC pretreatment, while sulphation remains unaffected. Results indicate that using enzymic treatment of mucosal scrapings, cell-populations are obtained containing relatively more differentiated (tip) cells. A number of advantages of the new (vibration) method are: better recovery, viability and reproducibility.

Several 2,5-bis(1-aziridinyl)-1,4-benzoquinones (BABQs) can be activated to alkylating species by reduction of the quinone moiety. On the other hand, cytotoxicity of these compounds can be induced by redox cycling. A series of BABQs and their methylated analogues (BMABQs) with different substituents at the 3- and 6-position was synthesized in order to investigate the influence of the substituents on the reduction of the quinone moiety and on the generation of superoxide anion radicals with rat liver microsomes. Superoxide anion production (SAP) ranged from 3.7 +/- 0.1 to 742 +/- 74 nmoles/min/mg protein with quinone concentrations of 10 nmoles/ml. NADPH-oxidation was measured under the same conditions and it correlated well (r = 0.88, P less than 0.001) with SAP. It ranged from 1.4 +/- 0.2 to 494 +/- 60 nmoles/min/mg protein. SAP for 22 B(M) ABQs showed a good correlation with the summated electronic substituent constant sigma para.total (r = 0.86, P less than 0.001). It can be concluded that superoxide anion production by 22 B(M)ABQs in rat liver microsomes can be predicted from structural features of the compounds.

Rat intestinal epithelial cells were isolated by EDTA-chelation, combined with gentle shaking (modified Weiser procedure) or with strong longitudinal vibration (Harrison/Webster procedure). Both methods yield large numbers of viable cells and are relatively easy to use. Electronmicroscopical and biochemical data indicate that cell fractions from different levels of the villous region can be obtained only by the modified Weiser procedure. When strong mechanical forces are involved (Harrison-Webster procedure) the villus epithelium is released according to an all-or-nothing process. The biotransformational capacity of cell fractions, obtained from different levels of the villi by the modified Weiser procedure, was investigated. It was shown that the rate of metabolism of 7-ethoxycoumarin and 1-naphthol was substantially higher in lower villous cells than in cells isolated from the upper villous region. O-Deethylation of 7-ethoxycoumarin decreases from 145 +/- 13 pmole/min mg cell protein (72 +/- 4% conjugated) in lower villous cells to 62 +/- 12 pmole/min mg cell protein (37 +/- 6% conjugated) in tip cells. Glucuronidation of 1-naphthol decreased from 495 +/- 23 pmole/min mg cell protein (lower villous cells) to 137 +/- 13 pmole/min mg cell protein (tip cells).

Using the isolated vascularly fluorocarbon emulsion perfused rat small intestine some factors which determine the extent of the intestinal glucuronidation of 1-naphthol to 1-naphthol-beta-D-glucuronide were studied. Increasing the luminal 1-naphthol concentration resulted in a concomitant increase in the 1-naphthol appearance in the vascular perfusate. In contrast, the total appearance of 1-naphthol-beta-D-glucuronide increased less than proportional to the increase in the luminal 1-naphthol concentration. About 88% of the total amount of 1-naphthol-beta-D-glucuronide excreted was released into the vascular perfusate. The capacity-limited intestinal glucuronide efflux is most likely due to saturation of the excretory mechanism for 1-naphthol-beta-D-glucuronide. Decreasing the vascular flow rate influenced both the appearance of 1-naphthol and 1-naphthol-beta-D-glucuronide in the vascular perfusate, whereas the appearance of 1-naphthol-beta-D-glucuronide in the luminal perfusate was essentially flow-independent. A noradrenaline-induced change in the haemodynamic state of the vascular bed (with the total flow kept constant) resulted in a marked decrease in the naphthol vascular concentration. The vascular 1-naphthol-beta-D-glucuronide concentration was only slightly affected. These results indicate that changes in blood flow and blood flow distribution within the intestinal wall can affect the extent of presystemic intestinal metabolism by interfering with the absorption of the parent compound and the efflux of formed conjugates. These parameters can be of paramount importance for causing variable intestinal first-pass effects of drugs in vivo.

Drug metabolic capacity in liver microsomes of 14 rat inbred strains was investigated. Cytochrome P-450 content as well as the following enzyme activities were measured: NADPH cyt. c(P-450) reductase (Red.), aminopyrine N-demethylase (APDM), ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase (ECOD), 1-naphthol: UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (NGT) and hydrolysis of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA; measured at pH 5.5 and pH 7.4). All enzymes measured were found to exhibit statistically significant inter-strain differences. In males the enzyme activities varied over a 7.3-fold (ECOD) to 1.4-fold (cytochrome P-450) range. Other inter-strain differences were generally larger than 2-fold: ASA-hydrolysis at pH 5.5 and 7.4 (3.9- and 3.3-fold variation, respectively), NGT and Red. (2.1-fold variation) and APDM (1.8-fold variation). In females similar, but somewhat smaller inter-strain differences were observed. Correlations between different enzyme activities were generally poor (correlation coefficients r less than 0.7). An exception was the correlation between ASA-hydrolysis at pH 5.5 and pH 7.4 (r = 0.79). We conclude that ASA hydrolysis at pH 5.5 and 7.4 is mediated by the same enzyme or by coregulated enzymes and that all other activities are mediated by different or differentially regulated enzymes. Based on analysis of variance and subsequent inter-strain comparisons, all strains appear to express a unique profile of liver microsomal drug metabolism. No two strains are identical with respect to all activities measured. We suggest that differences between inbred rat strains and particularly the difference in balance between different enzymes in various strains can be used advantageously in pharmacological and toxicological experiments.

The glucoronidation of fenoterol (Berotec®, Partusisten®) in isolated rat hepatocytes and enterocytes was investigated. Two different glucuronides, fenoterol para -glucuronide and fenoterol meta -glucuronide, were formed in proportions, that were constant over the concentration range investigated (0–1 mM). The fraction of para -glucuronide formed was 0.40 ± 0.01 for hepatocytes and 0.54 ± 0.01 for enterocytes. Fenoterol consists of a racemic mixture of SS ′ (+)fenoterol and RR′ (−)fenoterol. The maximum glucuronidation rate of the (−)enantiomer ( V max = 3.6 ± 0.3 nmol/min/mg in hepatic microsomes and 3.4 ± 0.1 nmol/min/mg in intestinal microsomes) is significantly lower than the same values of the (+)isomer ( V max = 6.7 ± 0.8 nmol/min/mg in hepatic microsomes and 5.8 ± 0.4 nmol/min/mg in intestinal microsomes). K m app -values for the (−)enantiomer were lower than for the (+)enatiomer. Similar, but less pronounced, differences in V max were observed in isolated cells: V max = 148 ± 13 and 372 ± 50 pmol/min/mg [(−)fenoterol in hepatocytes and enterocytes], V max = 173 ± 12 and 444 ± 57 pmol/min/mg [(+)fenoterol in hepatocytes and enterocytes]. Calculation of intrinsic metabolic clearance (Cl int = V max /K m app ) from the cellular data suggests that the (+)enantiomer may be more efficiently eliminated by liver metabolism in vivo than the (−)enantiomer. This can result in stereoselective first-pass metabolism of the fenoterol enantiomers.

Using an isolated vasculary perfused rat small intestine we studied the role of luminal flow rate and intraluminal binding on the absorption of 1-naphthol (1-N) and the intestinal metabolism of 1-N to 1-naphthol-beta-D-glucuronide (1-NG). Raising the luminal perfusion rate resulted in a decrease in the luminal 1-N extraction ratio and an increase in the luminal 1-N clearance Cllum. The dependency of Cllum on flow rate appeared to conform to a convective diffusion model. A differential susceptibility of 1-N absorption and the total 1-NG appearance to the luminal flow rate resulted in a flow-dependent first-pass effect of 1-N. Next, the effect of intraluminal binding on 1-N disposition was studied in experiments in which albumin was added to the luminal perfusion fluid. The unbound concentration, as the driving force for the uptake of 1-N, seems not to be rate-limiting for the appearance of 1-NG. The total appearance of 1-NG in the presence of albumin was greater than would be anticipated from the free concentration of 1-N. As a result the extent of presystemic extraction increased with increasing albumin concentration. The precise mechanisms responsible for the phenomenona are not entirely clear. Consideration of the heterogeneity in the glucuronidation capacity along the rat small intestine and along the crypt-villus axis can help to explain the obtained results.

Glucuronidation of 1-naphthol was studied in mucosal cells isolated from the rat intestine. Glucuronidation was directly dependent on the supply of extracellular carbohydrates. Basal glucuronidation (ca. 0.3 nmoles/min X mg cell protein) was increased 2- to 3-fold by adding glucose or fructose to the incubation medium. Saturation of glucuronidation was achieved by adding 0.3 mM glucose, while saturation by fructose was not reached at concentrations below 2 mM. No carbohydrate reserves able to support glucuronidation appear to be present in intestinal cells, since no difference in glucuronidation was observed between cells prepared from fasted (18 or 42 h) and control rats. Glucuronidation was decreased by adding D-galactosamine to the incubation medium, but only when extracellular glucose was present. Various chemicals which are known to inhibit glucuronidation in hepatocytes (ethanol, diethyl ether, sorbitol) did not influence the glucuronidation of 1-naphthol in isolated intestinal cells. Only when ethanol was added to mucosal cells in the absence of extracellular glucose was a small decrease in glucuronidation observed.