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The purpose of this study was to determine the comparative activities of three methylxanthines, i.e., 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine (caffeine), 1,3-dimethylxanthine (theophylline), and 3,7-dimethylxanthine (theobromine) on developmental growth of the mammary gland in ovarian-hormone treated, mature nulliparous female Balb/c mice. When caffeine or theophylline was administered daily (via drinking water, 500 mg/L) for 30 days to 17 beta-estradiol/progesterone-treated intact or ovariectomized mice, a significant (p less than 0.05) enhancement of hormone-induced mammary gland lobulo-alveolar differentiation was observed. Caffeine or theophylline thus accelerated and/or intensified mammae lobulo-alveolar differentiation induced by the ovarian steroids. In contrast, theobromine (500 mg/L drinking water) did not significantly modify this developmental process. The stimulatory effect of caffeine and theophylline on mammae development was comparable quantitatively. In an effort to determine whether or not the stimulatory effect of caffeine or theophylline was directly on the mammary gland, small slow-release Elvax-40P pellets containing these methylxanthines were implanted directly into the mammary gland of mice concurrently treated with estrogen and progesterone. No significant stimulatory effect of caffeine or theophylline (or theobromine) was observed. Furthermore, the addition of methylxanthines (caffeine, 100 microM) to the culture media of whole mouse mammary glands (organ cultures) did not enhance lobulo-alveolar differentiation induced by mammotrophic hormones. Thus, while a consistent significant stimulatory effect of caffeine and theophylline on mammary lobulo/alveolar differentiation was observed when the methylxanthines were consumed orally (drinking water), no direct effect of these methylxanthines, when placed directly into the mammary gland or in culture media, on mammae development was observed. These data demonstrate that certain methylxanthines (e.g., caffeine and theophylline) but not others (e.g., theobromine) can significantly enhance mammotrophic hormone-induced mammary lobulo-alveolar differentiation in female Balb/c mice, an effect that appears not to be manifested via a direct action of the methylxanthines on the mammary gland.

Poisoning with tropine alkaloids from cultivated plants and pharmaceuticals is an uncommon cause of delirium and coma. We report a patient with a toxic delirium following ingestion of the tropine alkaloid-containing root of Datura innoxia. Thin-layer chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry confirmed the presence of atropine and scopolamine in samples of the ingested root. Routine clinical toxin screens may not include an assay for tropine alkaloids. A specific tropine alkaloid assay may provide supporting evidence. The clinical, electroencephalographic, and therapeutic aspects of anticholinergic poisoning are discussed.

A dog was treated for fleas with the application of pennyroyal oil obtained by the owner at a health food store. Vomiting ensued within 2 hours, and despite emergency treatment, the dog died within 48 hours. At necropsy, pennyroyal oil was determined to be the cause of death.

Adult and kit male and female natural dark ranch mink (Mustela vison) were fed a conventional diet supplemented with 0, 500, 1,000, or 1,500 ppm zinc, as ZnSO4.7H2O, for 144 days. No marked adverse effects were observed in feed consumption, body weight gains, hematologic parameters, fur quality, or survival. Zinc concentrations in liver, kidney, and pancreas of the mink increased in direct proportion to the zinc content of the diet. Histopathologic examination of the livers, kidneys, and pancreata revealed no lesions indicative of zinc toxicosis. The results indicate that mink can tolerate at least 1,500 ppm dietary zinc, as ZnSO4.7H2O, for several months without apparent adverse effects.

Mink were fed diets that contained 0, 34, or 102 ppb (micrograms/kg) aflatoxins with or without 0.5% hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS) and/or 1.0% activated charcoal (AC) for 77 days. Consumption of the diet that contained 34 ppb aflatoxins was lethal to 20% of the mink, while 102 ppb dietary aflatoxins resulted in 100% mortality within 53 days. The addition of AC to the diet containing 102 ppb aflatoxins reduced mortality and increased survival time of the mink while the addition of HSCAS, alone or in combination with AC, prevented mortality. Histologic examination of livers and kidneys from the mink demonstrated liver lesions ranging from extremely severe in mink fed 102 ppb aflatoxin to mild to moderate in those that received 34 ppb aflatoxins. The addition of HSCAS and/or AC to the diets that contained 102 ppb aflatoxins reduced or essentially eliminated histopathologic lesions in the livers. No histopathologic alterations associated with the dietary treatments were observed in the kidneys.

To assess the potential for mycotoxin contamination of the human food supply following the 1988 U.S. drought, 92 grain food samples were purchased from retail outlets in the summer of 1989 and surveyed for aflatoxin B1, zearalenone, and deoxynivalenol (DON [vomitoxin]) by monoclonal antibody-based competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Only one sample (buckwheat flour) was found to contain aflatoxin B1 (12 ng/g), whereas zearalenone was found in 26% of the samples at a mean concentration of 19 ng/g. In contrast, the DON ELISA was positive in 50% of the samples at a detection level of 1.0 micrograms/g. Between 63 and 88% of corn cereals, wheat flour/muffin mixes, rice cereals, and corn meal/muffin mixes yielded positive results for DON, whereas 25 to 50% of oat cereals, wheat- and oat-based cookies/crackers, corn chips, popcorn, and mixed-grain cereals were positive for DON. The mean DON content of the positive samples was 4.0 micrograms/g, and the minimum and maximum levels were 1.2 and 19 micrograms/g, respectively. When positive ELISA samples were also analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography, a strong correlation between the two methods was found. The presence of DON in the two highest samples, corn meal and mixed-grain cereal, which contained 19 and 16 micrograms/g, respectively, was quantitatively confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results indicated that DON was present in 1989 retail food products at concentrations that exceeded those found in previous market surveys and that have been experimentally associated with impaired animal health.

The capacity of N-oxidized metabolites of 4,4'-methylenebis(2-chloroaniline) (MBOCA) to form hemoglobin (Hb) adducts was determined in vitro, and the formation of Hb adducts following in vivo administration of MBOCA was assessed with or without prior induction of cytochrome P-450 enzymes with phenobarbital or beta-naphthoflavone. Hb adduct formation was determined by electron-capture GLC of MBOCA as the heptafluorobutyryl derivative following mild acid hydrolysis of protein-bound MBOCA. The method was confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with selected ion monitoring. N-hydroxy- and mononitroso-MBOCA, but not MBOCA itself, formed adducts to rat and human Hb in vitro in a dose-related manner. Binding was inhibited by cysteine and glutathione but not oxidized glutathione or methionine. Intravenous administration of as little as 0.04 mumol/kg N-hydroxy-MBOCA to rats resulted in measurable formation of MBOCA-Hb adducts (0.9 ng/50 mg Hb). Intraperitoneal administration of 0.5-50 mg/kg MBOCA to rats, and subcutaneous administration of 5-500 mg/kg MBOCA to rats and 4-100 mg/kg to guinea pigs resulted in dose-related formation of Hb adducts. MBOCA-Hb remained elevated in blood for greater than 10 weeks following a single subcutaneous dose in guinea pigs. Pretreatment of rats with phenobarbital induced microsomal benzphetamine N-demethylase (BND) activity and resulted in a small increase in in vitro N- and ortho-hydroxylation of MBOCA, but did not increase in vivo Hb adducts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Oxidized metabolites of 4,4'-methylenebis(2-chloroaniline) (MBOCA) were tested for direct mutagenicity in a Salmonella typhimurium assay and for effects on gap-junctional communication of WB-F344 rat liver cells. The mutagenicities of the N-hydroxy, mononitroso and o-hydroxy (ring) metabolites of MBOCA were assayed without adding activating enzyme systems, using the frame-shift sensitive strain TA98 and the base pair substitution sensitive strain TA100. The mutagenicity of the hydroxylamine was demonstrated by a linear increase in the formation of mutant colonies in both strains, with a formation of two revertants/nmol by TA98 and 21 revertants/nmol by TA100. The mononitroso metabolite showed a slight positive effect on TA100, but effects were masked by its cytotoxicity towards this strain. This metabolite was neither mutagenic nor cytotoxic to TA98. The o-hydroxy and the dinitroso metabolites were negative for mutagenicity at concentrations up to 50 and 500 micrograms/plate, respectively. The effects of parent MBOCA and N-hydroxy, mononitroso and o-hydroxy metabolites on cell-cell communication were determined by a scrape loading/fluorescent dye transfer technique. Cytotoxicity was assessed by determination of colony-forming efficiency and lactate dehydrogenase release. MBOCA itself caused an inhibition of dye transfer at concentrations of 7.5, 11.3 and 15 nmol/ml, whereas measures of cytotoxicity were not seen until 15 and 30 nmol/ml for LDH release and plating efficiency, respectively. None of the oxidized metabolites were active in inhibiting dye transfer at non-cytotoxic concentrations.

A litter of 5-week-old Doberman Pinschers with pustular dermatitis was treated dermally with a hexachlorophene-containing emulsion. Shortly after a second treatment, all of the puppies developed neurologic signs consisting of muscle tremors, ataxia, and apparent muscle weakness. The clinical history and signs, histologic lesions within the central nervous system, and measurement of hexachlorophene in liver and kidney tissue confirmed a diagnosis of hexachlorophene toxicosis.

The increasing sophistication of toxicologic analyses offered by veterinary diagnostic laboratories provides the practitioner with a valuable resource for the diagnosis of companion and exotic animal toxicoses. The availability of such testing is a valuable service that can be offered to veterinary clientele. Appropriate and timely toxicologic testing may permit more successful treatment of affected patients and protect animals and humans from hazardous exposure that might occur if a responsible toxicant goes unrecognized. Perhaps the most critical point to keep in mind, however, is that no matter how sophisticated the toxicologic laboratory is, a correct diagnosis is dependent upon the submission of appropriate biologic and environmental samples.

Inductively coupled argon plasma emission spectroscopy was used to measure Al, As, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mg, Mn, Hg, Mo, P, K, Se, Na, Tl, and Zn in canine specimens (70 serum, 270 liver, and 200 kidney). Mean concentrations of each of these elements in detectable amounts in these samples were established, and histograms of the concentration distributions of elements in the samples were developed.

Previous studies from this laboratory reported that 3H-labeled metabolites with half-lives of more than 24 hours may remain in the plasmaa of women receiving an intravenous injection of 3H norethindrone or 3H mestranol. To confirm the presence of these metabolites, blood samples were collected for five days after injection of 3H norethindrone or 3H mestranol; 3H representing metabolites of norethindrone disappeared with half-life values of 42 to 84 hours (mean 67 hours), while 3H representing metabolites of mestranol declined with an average half-life of 45 hours (range 37 to 65 hours). When the 3H-labeled drugs were administered orally, metabolites of similar half-life were formed. Because these compounds exist for several days after a single administration and since oral contraceptive drugs are normally taken daily, the possiblity of the accumulation of 3H in the plasm of women receiving several consecutive doses of 3H norethindrone was investigated. The results of this study show a stepwise accumulation of the 3H metabolites when 3H norethindrone was administered in six daily oral doses. However, the 3H levels declined from the peak on the sixth and last day of the treatment at a rate equivalent to those previously measured after intravenous or oral administration.

Rat hepatic mitochondrial permeability and succinate + valinomycin-dependent swelling were studied in the presence of hydroxy derivatives of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBOHs), Aroclor 1254 (ARO) and combinations of both. PCBOHs with two or more chlorines and pKas greater than 8.0 (PCBOH I) induced passive swelling in a potassium acetate-sucrose medium (pH 7.2), maximally stimulated succinate respiration, and suppressed ADP-stimulated H+ uptake. Mono- and certain dichlorinated biphenylols with similar high pKas (PCBOH II) were ineffective. Para-hydroxy PCBs with chlorines substituted in the 3,5 positions and with pKas near 6.8 (PCBOH III) inhibited succinate + valinomycin swelling and ADP-stimulated H+ and oxygen uptake. The efficacy of both PCBOH I and III derivatives required the presence of a hydroxyl moiety and increased directly with the degree of chlorination. Coplanarity was not a determining factor for PCBOH I compounds. ARO activated succinate + valinomycin swelling at low concentrations (3-25 nmol/mg protein) but inhibited at higher concentrations (greater than 40 nmol/mg). Activating concentrations of ARO potentiated the influence of PCBOHs on mitochondria. The uncoupling effects of the PCBOHs and ARO involved permeability changes of the inner membrane, respiratory inhibition, or combinations of both.

Nitrogen balance and the efficiency of retaining assimilated dietary nitrogen (biological value) were evaluated in Aroclor 1254-treated (ARO) rats and in vehicle-treated, pair-fed (PF) and ad libitum-fed (AF) rats (150-190 g). ARO-treated rats (300 mg/kg/day, po on 4 consecutive days) lost weight and consumed less chow than the AF group while the weight of the PF rats was not different from those of either the ARO or AF groups. The nitrogen balance and the biological value for the ARO rats were also significantly less than those of the AF rats whereas the PF controls were not different. The ingested calories (expressed in kcal/(kg body wt)0.73) by the ARO and PF rats were equal, but were less than those of the AF group. The ARO and PF groups excreted the same amounts of fecal nitrogen which were less than the fecal nitrogen excretion by the AF rats. The absorbed fraction of the ingested nitrogen was the same among all groups, which indicated that the digestibility and absorption of the dietary nitrogen were not changed. By contrast, the ARO group excreted the same amount of urinary nitrogen and urea as AF rats while the PF group excreted significantly less urinary nitrogen than the latter controls. Thus, the loss of nitrogen by the ARO group was attributed to increased excretion of urinary nitrogen, most likely as urea, in relation to the nitrogen intake. The nitrogen retention and balance in rats with ARO exposure are similar to the response in rats fed a diet of low biological value except that the influence of ARO on nitrogen metabolism occurred during the postabsorption phase.

Blood levels of free, sulfate, and glucuronide conjugates of norethindrone (NE) and its ring A reduced metabolites 17alpha-ethynyl-5beta-estrane-3alpha, 17beta-diol and 17alpha-ethynyl-5alpha-estrane-3alpha, 17beta-diol were measured in a female volunteer who received six consecutive daily doses of 2.5 mg. of NE and in four female volunteers undergoing chronic treatment with Orthonovum 2 mg. (2 mg. of NE and 0.1 mg. of mestranol [ME]). The blood levels were quantified by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry. During treatment for 6 days with 2.5 mg. of NE daily, the 3 hour blood levels of NE and the ring A reduced metabolites increased in a stepwise fashion. During long-term treatment the concentrations of NE, NE sulfate, and the conjugates of the ring A reduced metabolites were seen to build up to a peak at approximately the midpoint of the treatment phase of each cycle, and drop to near baseline during the time when no drug was administered. Individuals varied as to their tendency to accumulate the drug and metabolites, and as to the relative proportion of metabolites formed.

3beta-Hydroxypregn-5-en-20-one (pregnenolone) and NAD+ were incubated with a solubilized preparation of the coupled enzyme 3beta-hydroxysteroid:NAD(P) oxidoreductase-3-ketosteroid delta4,delta5-isomerase (3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase: delta5-isomerase) from the mitochondrial fraction of human placenta. Unconverted pregnenolone, pregn-4-ene-3,20-dione (rogesterone), and a small but detectable amount of pregn-5-ene-3,20-dione were isolated from the medium by Sephadex LH-20 chromomatography. The identification of pregn-5-ene-3,20-dione, confirmed by mass fragmentography, has provided the first direct evidence for the formation of the hypothetical delta5,3-ketone intermediate in the conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone. When tritium-labeled pregnenolone and [4-14C]pregnenolone were incubated simultaneously the 3H:14C ratio in isolated pregn-5-ene-3,20-dione was 4.6 times greater than in isolated progesterone and pregnenolone, indicating a kinetic isotope effect in the enzymatic isomerization of tritium-labeled pregn-5-ene-3,20-dione. Exposure of the enzyme to two steroids which inhibit the overall enzyme reaction, 2alpha-cyano-17beta-hydroxy-4,4,17alpha-trimethylandrost-5-en-3-one (cyanoketone) and 3-hydroxyestra-1,3,5(10),6,8-pentaen-17-one (equilenin), increased the relative yield of labeled pregn-5-ene-3,20-dione as well as the recovery of radioactivity remaining as unconverted pregnenolone, suggesting that both the dehydrogenase and isomerase activities were inhibited. Exposure of the enzyme to equilenin increased the ratio of isolated pregn-5-ene-3,20-dione radioactivity to progesterone radioactivity as progesterone synthesis was inhibited. Equilenin also diminished the tritium isotope effect on the isomerase reaction. Both findings suggest that it is possible to inhibit the isomerase to a greater extent than the dehydrogenase. In order to measure the rate of progesterone produced by the coupled enzymes, we have modified a radiochemical method which involves precipitation of pregnenolone by digitonin. Digitonin precipitation proved to be effective in separating unconverted pregnenolone from the steroid products of both enzyme reactions, progesterone and pregn-5-ene-3,20-dione. Neither the steroidal inhibitors nor the kinetic isotope effect altered the accuracy of the method for routine measurement of the overall rate of conversion of delta5,3beta-hydroxysteroid to delta4,3-ketosteroid.

Reference ranges for element concentrations in livers and kidneys of "healthy" mink of known age, sex, and coat color and fed a conventional diet were determined. After euthanasia and removal of the pelts, liver and kidney samples were collected from 174 mink and analyzed for 22 elements using inductively coupled argon plasma emission spectroscopy. The diet of the mink was also analyzed for element concentrations. Descriptive statistics of element concentrations for livers and kidneys of the mink are given and compared with dietary element concentrations.

Percutaneous (pc) absorption, disposition, and excretion of 14C-MBOCA (4,4'-methylenebis(2-chloroaniline) ) were investigated in male beagle-type dogs by HPLC and compared to intravenously (iv) administered controls. Following application of 115 muCi MBOCA to a 25 cm2 area of the skin, no measurable radioactivity was detected in blood for the subsequent 24-hr period, but 14C-MBOCA and metabolites were excreted in urine and bile. During the 24-hr collection period, a total of 1.3% of the administered dose was recovered in the urine (0.4% of which was unchanged MBOCA). At 24 hr 0.62% of the dose was recovered in gallbladder bile. Approximately 90% of the administered dose was recovered in skin at the application site. Liver, kidney, and fat were the tissues with highest radioactivity. After a bolus iv injection, MBOCA disappeared rapidly from blood (t 1/2 beta = 0.70 hr). In the 24 hr following iv injection, 46% of the administered dose was excreted in urine (0.54% of which was unchanged MBOCA). At 24 hr 32% of the dose was recovered in gallbladder bile. Tissue radioactivity was 10-20 X higher after iv than pc administration and highest in liver, kidney, fat, and lung. The results demonstrated in a canine model that skin absorption was a viable route of entry for MBOCA and that unmetabolized MBOCA was a small percentage (0.4-0.5%) of the total urinary excretion. MBOCA was rapidly and extensively metabolized and excreted in urine and bile following both iv and pc administration.

In order to investigate the influence of flow and, thus, substrate delivery, on the ability of lung to metabolize foreign compounds, the disappearance of circulating [3H]benzo[a]pyrene ([3H]B[a]P) and the appearance of B[a]P metabolites was monitored in isolated rat lungs from control and 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC) pretreated rats perfused at low (10 ml/min) and high (45 ml/min) flows. Increasing the flow or 3-MC pretreatment hastened the disappearance of B[a]P from the perfusion medium reservoir and increased the rate of appearance of total metabolites. However, these manipulations affected the appearance of individual metabolites in the medium in different ways. For example, in lungs from control rats the rate of appearance of 7,8-dihydrodiol (7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydro-B[a]P) (7,8-DHD) in the perfusion medium was markedly increased by increasing flow while that of B[a]P-1,6-quinone was minimally affected. In addition, increasing flow increased the concentration of some B[a]P metabolites, such as 4,5-dihydrodiol (4,5-dihydroxy-4,5-dihydro-B[a]P) (4,5-DHD) in the lung tissue of control rats at the end of the perfusion period, but did not effect much change in the concentration of these metabolites in lungs from 3-MC-pretreated rats. The results show that flow, as well as 3-MC pretreatment, may alter the rate at which metabolism of foreign compounds occurs and the temporal profile of metabolites produced by the intact lung.

Fast atom bombardment (FAB) is useful for the characterization of all major metabolites of the analgesic acetaminophen (APAP). It is particularly useful for providing mass spectra of the polar glucuronide and sulfate conjugates which eluded identification by field desorption and other more conventional methods of ionization. A protocol is described for the use of FAB in the identification of urinary APAP metabolites isolated by reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) following therapeutic dosages of the drug. A tentative set of recommendations for the off-line use of HPLC and FAB is directed towards solving problems encountered when using these two analytical techniques in concert. In addition, a method for calculating the signal to background ratio (S/B) for analyte peaks in FAB spectra from selected relative ion intensities is proposed. Examples are presented that show the potential of S/B as an empirical parameter for judging the quality of FAB spectra.

Inhibition of Na,K-ATPase by cardiac glycosides is at least partially antagonized by K+. The kinetics of the antagonism, however, appear complicated because K+ is capable of reducing both association and dissociation rate constants for the glycoside-enzyme interaction. In order to better understand the effect of K+, inhibition of partially purified Na,K-ATPase obtained from rat brain, guinea-pig heart and rat heart by ouabain, digoxin, digoxigenin, dihydrodigoxin and cassaine were compared in the presence of 1, 3 or 10 mM K+. Higher concentrations of K+ caused a parallel shift to the right in the concentration-inhibition curves for these compounds. For ouabain or digoxin, the extent of the shift was minimal with rat brain enzyme, intermediate with guinea-pig heart enzyme and more substantial with rat heart enzyme. For digoxigenin, dihydrodigoxin or cassaine, the extent of the shift was substantial in all enzyme preparations. These results could not be explained from either the affinity of the enzyme for the compound or its lipid solubility alone. The concentrations of these compounds required to cause a 50 percent inhibition of enzyme activity were markedly different with rat brain enzyme, but relatively similar with rat heart enzyme. The effects of K+, which depend on the source of the enzyme and chemical structures of the compounds, have to be considered in studies on comparative effects of various compounds on Na,K-ATPase, [3H]ouabain binding, sodium pumping and the force of myocardial contraction.

Acetaminophen (APAP) produces proximal tubular necrosis in the Fisher 344 rat. This lesion may result from the covalent binding of reactive intermediates of APAP to cellular macromolecules when glutathione (GSH) is sufficiently depleted. Experiments were designed to evaluate the ability of the kidney to convert APAP to reactive electrophilic metabolites capable of depleting renal GSH by quantifying GSH concentrations in isolated perfused kidneys perfused with APAP. Perfusion without APAP reduced (3 X 10(-5) -3 X 10(-5) M) to the perfusion medium further reduced renal GSH content. Treatment of rats with polybrominated biphenyls enhanced the ability of 3 X 10(-8) M APAP to deplete GSH. In contrast, treatment with piperonyl butoxide reduced the depletion of GSH produced by 3 X 10(-5) M APAP. At 3 X 10(-5) M APAP, the glucuronic acid, sulfate and the mercapturic acid conjugates were excreted by the isolate perfused kidneys. After treatment with polybrominated biphenyls, mercapturic acid excretion increased 4-fold, whereas the glucuronic acid and sulfate conjugate excretions were unaffected. These data suggest that the kidney can produce an electrophilic metabolite of APAP which can combine with and deplete renal GSH. An electrophilic metabolite of APAP produced by the kidney may initiate APAP induced renal necrosis.

Inductively coupled argon plasma spectroscopy was used to generate multielement profiles of bovine serum (n = 607), liver (n = 229), and kidney (n = 90) samples submitted to the Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory at Michigan State University, East Lansing. The presented frequency distribution histograms of element concentrations in the different samples provided a data base for diagnostic interpretations and illustrated some of the advantages, as well as limitations, of inductively coupled argon plasma for this purpose.

An aqueous extract of the heartwood of black walnut (Juglans nigra) was given via stomach tube to 10 horses. Eight developed Obel grade 3 or 4 laminitis within 12 hr. Limb edema and mild sedation were the only other clinical signs observed. One horse was euthanized due to severe signs. The other 7 recovered within 6 days. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of aqueous extracts of heartwood, bark and nuts of black walnut identified juglone in the bark and nuts, but not in the heartwood. It was concluded that the aqueous extract of heartwood is laminogenic to horses, but the active ingredient is not juglone.

Aliquots of a pooled serum sample (bovine) were agitated in Vacutainer tubes (serum or clot tubes) for 0, 2, 8 and 32 hr to determine if Vacutainer tubes had any effect on serum trace element concentrations. The sera were analyzed for Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Na and Zn by the inductively coupled argon plasma emission spectrometer. The Zn concentration in sera was significantly increased over time, and the Cu and Fe concentrations were significantly decreased. Most of these artifacts became apparent within the first 2 hrs of exposure to the Vacutainer tubes. Changes in Cu, Mg and Na concentrations were not detected.

The influence of Aroclor 1254 (ARO) treatment or pair-feeding (PF) on gluconeogenesis and urea synthesis and on isolated hepatic mitochondria was studied in rats of different ages. ARO (300 mg/kg, po on 4 consecutive days) induced variable weight loss in young (153 +/- 10 g (initial wt), -10.9%), intermediate-age (195 +/- 10 g, -17.0%), and old (232 +/- 23 g, -4.9%) rats. Isolated mitochondria contained equal amounts of cytochromes aa3, b, c1 and c with exception that c1 and c were lower in the young ARO rats than in the PF controls. Mitochondria from ARO rats, which lost more weight than ad libitum-fed (AF) rats, showed suppression of ADP-stimulated H+ and oxygen uptake and succinate plus valinomycin maximal swelling in a potassium acetate and sucrose medium. Mitochondria from young ARO rats absorbed less incident light than mitochondria from PF or AF rats. Maximally swollen mitochondria from intermediate-age ARO rats, contracted more rapidly with antimycin addition than those from PF or AF controls. These findings showed greater permeability of ARO mitochondria to impermeable and accumulated ions. In contrast, mitochondria from ARO rats without significant weight loss showed activation of ADP-stimulated H+ and oxygen uptake and maximal swelling in comparison to mitochondria from AF and PF rats, but contracted like these controls after the antimycin addition. Urea synthesis in ARO rats, which lost 9.9% of initial body wt (173 +/- 6 g) and experienced a nitrogen deficit (Ebner et al., 1986), was significantly increased 12 min postinjection of NH4 acetate, and was greater than the urea level in AF rats at this time point. In comparison, gluconeogenesis was significantly increased in AF rats 12 min postinjection of NH4 acetate and was greater than in ARO rats at this time point. These differences were also observed when the data were expressed as the rate of glucose or urea appearance in peripheral blood per 100 g body wt. In PF rats, blood glucose and urea concentrations were intermediate to and indistinguishable from the ARO and AF groups. These data demonstrate that hepatic mitochondria from ARO rats that experienced a significant loss of body weight were suppressed and more permeable to ions than AF and PF controls. These mitochondrial properties may have predisposed the ARO rats toward urea formation rather than glucose synthesis and nitrogen retention.

An in vitro microsomal mixed function oxidase enzyme system was used to study the phase I metabolism of 4,4'-methylenebis(2-chloroaniline) (MBOCA) by dog, guinea pig, and rat liver. TLC with color development and autoradiography, and HPLC with detection by UV absorbance and radioactivity flow monitoring were utilized to isolate metabolites. Reference standards of the N-oxidized metabolites were prepared by oxidation of MBOCA with 3-chloroperoxybenzoic acid and structures confirmed by mass spectrometry and proton NMR. These were utilized to identify the N-hydroxy and nitroso metabolites of MBOCA isolated from the microsomal incubations by comparison of their HPLC retention times and mass spectra. The structure of the o-hydroxy metabolite (ring, ortho to the amine) isolated from the microsomal incubations was elucidated by mass spectrometry and proton NMR. N- and o-hydroxylations of MBOCA were shown to increase with incubation time, microsomal protein, substrate, and NADPH concentration, and were inhibited by 2,3-dichloro-6-phenylphenoxyethylamine, an inhibitor of the microsomal mixed function oxidase enzyme system. Guinea pig liver microsomes oxidized MBOCA to the N-hydroxy metabolite predominantly, whereas the dog liver formed predominantly the o-hydroxylated metabolite, with significant amounts of the hydroxylamine as well. The rat liver formed lesser amounts of the N- and o-hydroxylated metabolites, but larger numbers of other polar compounds.

During attempts to isolate and identify an endogenous ligand for the glycoside binding sites on Na+,K+-ATPase, bovine adrenal glands were found to contain a potent inhibitor of isolated Na+,K+-ATPase. The inhibitory principle was extracted from adrenal cortex, following homogenization in NaHCO3 solution and separation on a Sephadex G-10 column. The active principle was recovered from a fraction which eluted from the column after the 3H2O peak. The extract inhibited isolated Na+,K+-ATPase and the specific [3H]ouabain binding reaction. Sensitivity of the enzyme to the inhibitory action of the extract was species and tissue dependent; however, the pattern and the magnitude of the sensitivity were different from those of the digitalis glycosides. Moreover, the inhibitory principle failed to inhibit sodium pump activity, estimated from ouabain inhibitable 86Rb+ uptake by guinea pig brain slices. The activity of the extract to inhibit isolated Na+,K+-ATPase was stable under acidic condition but was lost rapidly at neutral pH, and could be eliminated by EDTA. In an acidic medium, the inhibitory principle had an absorption maximum at 244 nm which shifted to 264 nm and decayed rapidly at neutral pH. By using mass spectrometry, the principle was identified to be ascorbic acid, which has been shown previously to inhibit isolated Na+,K+-ATPase under appropriate conditions. Because ascorbic acid was incapable of inhibiting the sodium pump in intact cells, this inhibitor of the isolated enzyme does not appear to be the endogenous ligand which regulates sodium pump activity in vivo.

The initial binding of N-fluorenylacetamide (2-FAA) and its N-hydroxy metabolite N-hydroxyl-N-2-fluorenylacetamide (N-OH-2-FAA) within the hepatic genome and the effect of ingestion of a 2-FAA-containing (0.05% wt/wt) diet on this binding were examined in the male noninbred Sprague-Dawley rat. Ingestion of 2-FAA for 2 weeks reduced the amount of newly bound carcinogen up to 80%. The extent of this decrease was significantly greater in rats treated with a single injection of 2-FAA when compared to one of N-OH-2-FAA. The distribution of carcinogen within the genome was measured after fractionation of chromatin by DNase II digestion followed by selective MgCl2 precipitation. Two hours after a single injection of N-OH-2-FAA, the amount of carcinogen bound per milligram DNA in the presumed template-active chromatin fraction was 16 times that bound to DNA of the presumed template-repressed chromatin fraction. The amount bound to DNA in the nuclease-resistant chromatin was equal to that observed in the DNA of the presumed template-active fraction. Most (85%) of the total bound carcinogen was located on less than 25% of the total DNA. Evaluation of the amount of carcinogen bound to the N-2 or C-8 positions of guanine demonstrated a significant inverse correlation between the amount bound to a DNA fragment and the percent of that binding occurring at the N-2 position. DNA of the repressed chromatin fraction had the largest N-2/C-8 ratio when compared to the ratios seen in both the expressed chromatin and the nuclease-resistant chromatin DNA. Pretreatment of rats with 2-FAA when compared to one of N-OH-2-FAA. The distribution of carcinogen within the genome was measured after fractionation of 66:667-672.

T-61 is a commonly used euthanasic agent containing N-[2-[m-methoxyphenyl)-2-ethyl-buty1(1)]-gamma-hydroxybutyramid e (embutramide), 4,4'methylenebis(cyclohexyl-trimethylammonium iodide), and tetracaine hydrochloride. In order to confirm the exposure of animals and man to T-61, a procedure was developed for identification and quantification of embutramide in tissues and body fluids. Tissue was homogenized in acetonitrile (CH3CN) and the drug partitioned into methylene chloride (CH2Cl2) from aqueous CH3CN at neutral pH and at pH 9. The drug was purified by gel permeation chromatography in cyclohexane/CH2Cl2 (85:15). Embutramide was identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry on a 0.25 mm x 15 m fused silica capillary column of 0.25 micron DB-5, programmed from 215 to 275 degrees C at 25 degrees/min with El ionization at 70 ev. Quantification was selected ion monitoring of m/z 135, 190 and 293. Embutramide was examined in brain, lung, liver, kidney, skeletal muscle, urine, bile, eye fluid and blood of bovine, canine, caprine, feline, ovine and porcine species.

A computer system (MSSMET), using methylene unit retention indices for an off-line reverse library search analysis of selected ion chromatograms from gas chromatography-mass spectrometry data, has been applied to the qualitative and quantitative determination of urinary steroids. Several published methods for the isolation and derivatization of urinary steroids were evaluated for reproducibility using fused silica capillary column gas chromatography. Using a procedure that gave the greatest reproducibility, MSSMET analyses of urinary steroids were evaluated with packed (3-m 3% OV-101) and capillary (50-m OV-101 WCOT fused silica) columns. Most urinary steroids could be accurately quantitated using the packed column. However, urinary steroids with similar mass spectra and retention behavior on a packed column (i.e., androsterone and etiocholanolone, or 3 alpha, 11 beta, 17 alpha, 21-tetrahydroxy-5 beta-pregnane-20-one and 3 alpha, 11 beta, 17 alpha, 21-tetrahydroxy-5 alpha-pregnane-20-one) were completely separated using the capillary column and could be reproducibly quantitated with a 2-sec scan cycle time (10-15 data points across a peak) but not with a longer scan cycle time. Overloading was the major problem encountered with the fused silica capillary column.

4,4'-Methylenebis(2-chloroaniline) (MBOCA) metabolism in canine liver and kidney slices was investigated using HPLC to separate the metabolites. Liver slices metabolized 5-10% of the 14C-MBOCA in 60 min and produced seven metabolites resolved by HPLC. The major metabolite, representing approximately 80% of the metabolism, was 2-amino-5-[(4-amino-3-chlorophenyl)methyl]-3-chlorophenyl hydrogen sulfate, previously identified as the major urinary metabolite in dogs. An MBOCA-glucoside was identified by mild acid hydrolysis, which released MBOCA and glucose. An O-glucuronide was characterized as labile to beta-glucuronidase, stabile to arylsulfatase, and mild acid. It was formed in increased amounts when 2,6-dichloro-4-nitrophenol (DCNP) was added to the incubation. Two other glucuronide metabolites were labile to mild acid and beta-glucuronidase, stabile to arylsulfatase, and were formed in decreased amounts in the presence of D-(+)-galactosamine (D-gal) and p-nitrophenyl sulfate (PNPS). Renal cortical slices metabolized 3-5% of the 14C-MBOCA in 90 min, producing six metabolites. Based on retention time and lability to hydrolysis, three of these, the MBOCA-glucoside, a glucuronide, and 2-amino-5-[(4-amino-3-chlorophenyl)methyl]-3-chlorophenyl hydrogen sulfate were also found as kidney metabolites. One additional sulfur-containing metabolite was labile to mild acid and arylsulfatase. The major kidney metabolite represented 25-40% of the metabolism and was unaffected by mild acid, beta-glucuronidase, arylsulfatase, DCNP, and D-gal. Covalent binding in liver slices was 20-27 pmol/mg of wet weight/60 min and in kidney was 9-13 pmol/mg of wet weight/90 min.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

During the 1986 lambing season, 33 Michigan sheep producers submitted all lambs that had died before weaning to the Michigan State University Diagnostic Laboratory for necropsy. Inductively coupled argon plasma emission spectroscopy was used to measure 22 elements in the liver of 888 of the lambs submitted. Mean concentrations of each element were established and compared with literature values of established deficient, normal, and toxic concentrations. Mean values in milligrams per kilogram of wet weight were as follows: Al, 3.843; As, less than 1; Ba, 0.176; Ca, 128.2; Cr, 0.778; Cu, 56.82; Fe, 491.6; Hg, less than 2; K, 2,150; Mg, 138.4; Mn, 2.776; Mo, 0.489; Na, 1,384; P, 2,583; Pb, 1,453; Sb, less than 1; Tl, less than 5; Zn, 68.31. In only 11 lambs did the liver contain As, B, Cd, Co, Hg, Sb, Se, or Tl in detectable concentrations.

Perinatal exposure to polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) increased the hepatic microsomal metabolism of estradiol, estrone, and ethynylestradiol in vitro. Pretreatment with PBBs decreased the effect of estradiol administered exogenously on uterine estrogen cytosolic receptor concentration. The effect of exogenous estradiol on uterine weight and uterine RNA content was also reduced by perinatal exposure to PBBs. Therefore, metabolism of estrogens is altered by PBBs.

Since the original studies of Patak et al. in 1975 revealed that the antihypertensive and natriuretic effects of furosemide were markedly blunted or abrogated by indomethacin in both normotensive and hypertensive man, it has been postulated that the ameliorative effects of furosemide in human essential hypertension might be mediated by release of intrarenal prostaglandins. To study the direct effects of furosemide on prostaglandin biosynthesis and release, slices of rabbit renal medulla were incubated in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer, glucose 10 mM, 1-14C-arachidonic acid (AA) 10 microM, HSA /g/100 ml, 30 min 37 degrees C. Measurements were made of radioactive AA leads to PGE2, and total endogenous immunoreactive PGE2 production (iPGE2) with and without the addition of furosemide (10 microgram/ml) to the media. In the absence of furosemide AA leads to PGE2 was 73 +/- 22 nmol/30 min/g and in the presence of furosemide it fell to 30 +/- 4 nmol/30min/g. iPGE2 was 33 +/- / ng/30 min/mg and decreased to 25 +/- 3 mg with furosemide. These results indicate that the natriuresis and antihypertensive effect of furosemide in vivo, which is associated with a significant increase in urinary PGE2, is not the result of a direct stimulation of furosemide on prostaglandin synthesis but may result from a decrease in PGE metabolism, conversion to another biologically active prostaglandin or possibly be a reflection of events secondary to a direct effect of furosemide on renal hemodynamics and electrolyte excretion.

Sodium vanadate is a potent inhibitor of Na-K-adenosine triphosphatase. p-Aminohippurate (PAH) and tetraethylammonium accumulation in rat renal cortical slices was inhibited by vanadate in a dose-dependent manner at medium vanadate concentrations from 10(-6) to 10(-3) M. Inhibition was reversible at vanadate concentrations less than 1.5 x 10(-5) M. The slice content of vanadium (7.5-325 micrometer V/g wt. of tissue) was linearly related to medium vanadate concentrations ranging from 10(-5) to 10(-3) M. The ability of slices to generate glucose and ammonia was not impaired by medium vanadate concentrations up to 5 x 10(-4) M, a concentration that maximally inhibited organic ion accumulation. Increasing medium K+ concentrations potentiated vanadate inhibition of PAH accumulation which correlated with inhibition of sodium pump activity, as determined by 42K+ uptake. Intraperitoneal administration of vanadate (1 or 5 mg V/kg) to rats produced a profound diuresis and natriuresis during the 1st hr. Inhibition of PAH accumulation of renal slices from these rats was related to tissue vanadium concentrations. These data suggest that vanadate exerts its action on proximal tubule transport of PAH via inhibition of Na-K-adenosine triphosphatase.