Oxidative damage and stress response from ochratoxin a exposure in rats

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin found in some cereal and grain products. It is a potent renal carcinogen in male rats, although its mode of carcinogenic action is not known. Oxidative stress may play a role in OTA-induced toxicity and carcinogenicity. In this study, we measured several chemical and biological markers that are associated with oxidative stress response to determine if this process is involved in OTA-mediated toxicity in rats. Treatment of male rats with OTA (up to 2 mg/ 24 h exposure) did not increase the formation of biomarkers of oxidative damage such as the lipid peroxidation marker malondialdehyde in rat plasma, kidney, and liver, or the DNA damage marker 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2' deoxyguanosine in kidney DNA. However, OTA treatment (1 mg/kg) did result in a 22% decrease in alpha-tocopherol plasma levels and a 5-fold increase in the expression of the oxidative stress responsive protein haem oxygenase-1, specifically in the kidney. The selective alteration of these latter two markers indicates that OTA does evoke oxidative stress, which may contribute at least in part to OTA renal toxicity and carcinogenicity in rats during long-term exposure.

Activation of cytochrome P450 gene expression in the rat brain by phenobarbital-like inducers

Oxidative biotransformation, coupled with genetic variability in enzyme expression, has been the focus of hypotheses interrelating environmental and genetic factors in the etiology of central nervous system disease processes. Chemical modulation of cerebral cytochrome P450 (P450) monooxygenase expression character may be an important determinant of in situ metabolism, neuroendocrine homeostasis, and/or central nervous system toxicity resulting from exposure to neuroactive drugs and xenobiotic substances. To examine the capacity of the rat brain to undergo phenobarbital (PB)-mediated induction, we developed reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction methods and evaluated the effects of several PB-like inducers on P450 and microsomal epoxide hydrolase gene expression. Animals treated i.p. with four daily doses of PB demonstrated markedly induced levels of CYP2B1, CYP2B2, and CYP3A1 mRNA in the striatum and cerebellum. In contrast, 1 or 2 days of PB treatment resulted in unchanged or even slightly decreased levels of CYP2B1 and CYP2B2 in the brain, although the latter treatments produced marked induction of the corresponding genes in the liver. Only slight increases in epoxide hydrolase RNA levels resulted in brains of PB-treated animals. Substantial activation of cerebral CYP2B1, CYP2B2, and CYP3A1 mRNA levels also resulted when animals were treated with the neuroactive drugs diphenylhydantoin and amitryptiline, and with the potential PB-like xenobiotic inducers trans-stilbene oxide and diallyl sulfide, whereas dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane was less efficacious. Although the time course of the induction response is delayed in brain relative to that required for the liver, these results clearly establish that brain P450s are markedly PB inducible.

[Drug and psychological therapies in chronic subjective tinnitus. Meta-analysis of therapeutic effectiveness]

A metaanalysis on pharmacological and psychological treatment reports was conducted in order to evaluate the overall effectiveness of these treatment conditions in chronic tinnitus. A totality of 109 treatment studies published between 1976 and 3/1995 and meeting minimal inclusion criteria was located, but only 24 studies reporting sufficient information could be analyzed. The methodological quality of the studies was evaluated by a coding scheme, and the resulting index of effectiveness has been weighted by this standard as well as by sample size. Effect sizes of pharmacological studies were ES = 1.27 and by this higher than the ones for psychological studies with ES = 0.88. This finding is attenuated by high (unspecific) placebo effects of ES = 0.65 in pharmacological studies compared to ES = 0.10 in psychological studies. In general, patients from psychological studies further improve after treatment in cases where catamnestic measurements have been conducted.

Use of aggregating brain cell cultures to study developmental effects of organophosphorus insecticides

Aggregating brain cell cultures of fetal rat telencephalon can be grown in a chemically defined medium for extended periods of time. After a phase of intense mitotic activity, these three-dimensional cell cultures undergo extensive morphological differentiation, including synaptogenesis and myelination. To study the developmental toxicity of organophosphorus compounds (OP), aggregating brain cell cultures were treated with parathion. Protein content and cell type-specific enzyme activities were not affected up to a concentration of 10(5) M. Gliosis, characterized by an increased staining for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), was observed in immature and in differentiated cells. In contrast, uridine incorporation and myelin basic protein (MBP) immunoreactivity revealed strong differences in sensitivity between these two developmental stages. These results are in agreement with the view that in vivo the development-dependent toxicity is not only due to changes in hepatic detoxification, but also to age-related modifications in the susceptibility of the different populations of brain cells. Furthermore, they underline the usefulness of histotypic culture systems with a high developmental potential, such as aggregating brain cell cultures, and stress the importance of applying a large range of criteria for testing the developmental toxicity of potential neurotoxicants.

Maturation-dependent effects of chlorpyrifos and parathion and their oxygen analogs on acetylcholinesterase and neuronal and glial markers in aggregating brain cell cultures

An in vitro model, the aggregating brain cell culture of fetal rat telencephalon, has been used to study the maturation-dependent sensitivity of brain cells to two organophosphorus pesticides (OPs), chlorpyrifos and parathion, and to their oxon derivatives. Immature (DIV 5-15) or differentiated (DIV 25-35) brain cells were treated continuously for 10 days. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory potency for the OPs was compared to that of eserine (physostigmine), a reversible AChE inhibitor. Oxon derivatives were more potent AChE inhibitors than the parent compounds, and parathion was more potent than chlorpyrifos. No maturation-dependent differences for AChE inhibition were found for chlorpyrifos and eserine, whereas for parathion and paraoxon there was a tendency to be more effective in immature cultures, while the opposite was true for chlorpyrifos-oxon. Toxic effects, assessed by measuring protein content as an index of general cytotoxicity, and various enzyme activities as cell-type-specific neuronal and glial markers (ChAT and GAD, for cholinergic and GABAergic neurons, respectively, and GS and CNP, for astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, respectively) were only found at more than 70% of AChE inhibition. Immature compared to differentiated cholinergic neurons appeared to be more sensitive to OP treatments. The oxon derivates were found to be more toxic on neurons than the parent compounds, and chlorpyrifos was more toxic than parathion. Eserine was not neurotoxic. These results indicate that inhibition of AChE remains the most sensitive macromolecular target of OP exposure, since toxic effects were found at concentrations in which AChE was inhibited. Furthermore, the compound-specific reactions, the differential pattern of toxicity of OPs compared to eserine, and the higher sensitivity of immature brain cells suggest that the toxic effects and inhibition of AChE are unrelated.

Threshold of toxicological concern for chemical substances present in the diet: a practical tool for assessing the need for toxicity testing

The de minimis concept acknowledges a human exposure threshold value for chemicals below which there is no significant risk to human health. It is the underlying principle for the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation on substances used in food-contact articles. Further to this, the principle of Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) has been developed and is now used by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) in their evaluations. Establishing an accepted TTC would benefit consumers, industry and regulators, since it would preclude extensive toxicity evaluations when human intakes are below such threshold, and direct considerable time and cost resources towards testing substances with the highest potential risk to human health. It was questioned, however, whether specific endpoints that may potentially give rise to low-dose effects would be covered by such threshold. In this review, the possibility of defining a TTC for chemical substances present in the diet was examined for general toxicity endpoints (including carcinogenicity), as well as for specific endpoints, namely neurotoxicity and developmental neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity and developmental toxicity. For each of these endpoints, a database of specific no-observed-effect levels (NOELs) was compiled by screening oral toxicity studies. The substances recorded in each specific database were selected on the basis of their demonstrated adverse effects. For the neurotoxicity and developmental neurotoxicity databases, it was intended to cover all classes of compounds reported to have either a demonstrated neurotoxic or developmentally neurotoxic effect, or at least, on a biochemical or pharmacological basis were considered to have a potential for displaying such effects. For the immunotoxicity endpoint, it was ensured that only immunotoxicants were included in the database by selecting most of the substances from the Luster et al. database, provided that they satisfied the criteria for immunotoxicity defined by Luster. For the developmental toxicity database, substances were selected from the Munro et al. database that contained the lowest NOELs retrieved from the literature for more than 600 compounds. After screening these, substances showing any effect which could point to developmental toxicity as broadly defined by the US were recorded in the database. Additionally, endocrine toxicity and allergenicity were addressed as two separate cases, using different approaches and methodology. The distributions of NOELs for the neurotoxicity, developmental neurotoxicity and developmental toxicity endpoints were compared with the distribution of NOELs for non-specific carcinogenic endpoints. As the immunotoxicity database was too limited to draw such a distribution of immune NOELs, the immunotoxicity endpoint was evaluated by comparing immune NOELs (or LOELs-lowest-observed-effect levels-when NOELs were not available) with non-immune NOELs (or LOELs), in order to compare the sensitivity of this endpoint with non-specific endpoints. A different methodology was adopted for the evaluation of the endocrine toxicity endpoint since data currently available do not permit the establishment of a clear causal link between endocrine active chemicals and adverse effects in humans. Therefore, this endpoint was analysed by estimating the human exposure to oestrogenic environmental chemicals and evaluating their potential impact on human health, based on their contribution to the overall exposure, and their estrogenic potency relative to endogenous hormones. The allergenicity endpoint was not analysed as such. It was addressed in a separate section because this issue is not relevant to the overall population but rather to subsets of susceptible individuals, and allergic risks are usually controlled by other means (i.e. labelling) than the Threshold of Toxicological Concern approach. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)

The application of in vitro data in the derivation of the acceptable daily intake of food additives

The acceptable daily intake (ADI) for food additives is commonly derived from the NOAEL (no-observed-adverse-effect level) in long-term animal in vivo studies. To derive an ADI a safety or uncertainty factor (commonly 100) is applied to the NOAEL in the most sensitive test species. The 100-fold safety factor is considered to be the product of both species and inter-individual differences in toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics. Although in vitro data have previously been considered during the risk assessment of food additives, they have generally had no direct influence on the calculation of ADI values. In this review 18 food additives are evaluated for the availability of in vitro toxicity data which might be used for the derivation of a specific data-derived uncertainty factor. For the majority of the food additives reviewed, additional in vitro tests have been conducted which supplement and support the short- and long-term in vivo toxicity studies. However, it was recognized that these in vitro studies could not be used in isolation to derive an ADI; only when sufficient in vivo mechanistic data are available can such information be used in a regulatory context. Additional short-term studies are proposed for the food additives which, if conducted, would provide data that could then be used for the calculation of data-derived uncertainty factors.

The naturally occurring food mycotoxin fumonisin B1 impairs myelin formation in aggregating brain cell culture

The effects of subchronical applications of the mycotoxin Fumonisin B1 (FB1) were analyzed in vitro, using aggregating cell cultures of fetal rat telencephalon as a model. As cells in the aggregates developed from an immature state to a highly differentiated state, with synapse and compact myelin formation, it was possible to study the effects of FB1 at different developmental stages. The results showed that FB1 did not cause cell loss and it had no effects on neurons. However it decreased strongly the total content of myelin basic protein, the main constituent of the myelin sheath, during the myelination period (DIV 18-28). The loss of myelin was not accompanied by a loss of oligodendrocytes, the myelinating cells. However FB1 had effects on the maturation of oligodendrocytes, as revealed by a decrease in the expression of galactocerebroside, and on the compaction of myelin, as shown by a reduction of the expression of the mnyelin/oligodendrocyte glycoprotein MOG. The content of the cytoskeletal component glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was decreased in differentiated astrocytes, exclusively, while neurons were not affected by 40 microM of FB1 applied continuously for 10 days. In summary, FB1 selectively affected glial cells. In particular, FB1 delayed oligodendrocyte development and impaired myelin formation and deposition.

Increased vulnerability of neurones and glial cells to low concentrations of methylmercury in a prooxidant situation

Using reaggregating rat brain cell cultures at two different stages of differentiation, we examined the biochemical effects of a 10-day treatment with nanomolar concentrations of methylmercuric chloride (monomethylmercury), in the presence or absence of promoters of hydroxyl radical formation (10 microM copper sulphate plus 100 microM ascorbate). A decrease in total protein content accounted for the general cytotoxicity of these compounds, whereas selective effects were assessed by determining the activities of cell type-specific enzymes. Methylmercury, up to 100 nM, as well as the copper ascorbate mixture, when applied separately, induced no general cytotoxicity, and only slight effects on neuronal parameters. However, when applying 100 nM methylmercury and the copper-ascorbate mixture together, a drastic decrease in neuronal and glial parameters was found. Under these conditions, the content of reactive oxygen species, assessed by 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin oxidation, increased greatly, while the activities of antioxidant enzymes decreased. In the presence of copper and ascorbate, differentiated cultures appeared more resistant than immature ones to low methylmercury concentrations (1-10 mM), but did undergo similar changes in both cell type-specific and antioxidant enzyme activities at 100 nM methylmercury. These results suggest that in prooxidant conditions low doses of mercury can become much more deleterious for the central nervous system.

The coffee-specific diterpenes cafestol and kahweol protect against aflatoxin B1-induced genotoxicity through a dual mechanism

The diterpenes cafestol and kahweol (C&K) have been identified in animal models as two potentially chemoprotective agents present in green and roasted coffee beans. It has been postulated that these compounds may act as blocking agents by producing a co-ordinated modulation of multiple enzymes involved in carcinogen detoxification. In this study, we investigated the effects of C&K against the covalent binding of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) metabolites to DNA. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with increasing amounts of a mixture of C&K in the diet (0-6200 p.p.m.) for 28 and 90 days. A dose-dependent inhibition of AFB1 DNA-binding was observed using S9 and microsomal subcellular fractions from C&K-treated rat liver in an in vitro binding assay. Significant inhibition was detected at 2300 p.p.m. and maximal reduction of DNA adduct formation to nearly 50% of the control value was achieved with 6200 p.p.m. of dietary C&K. Two complementary mechanisms may account for the chemopreventive action of cafestol and kahweol against aflatoxin B1 in rats. A decrease in the expression of the rat activating cytochrome P450s (CYP2C11 and CYP3A2) was observed, as well as a strong induction of the expression of the glutathione-S-transferase (GST) subunit GST Yc2, which is known to detoxify highly the most genotoxic metabolite of AFB1. These data and the previously demonstrated effects of C&K against the development of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced carcinogenesis at various tissue sites suggest the potential widespread effect of these coffee components against chemical carcinogenesis.

The ADI as a basis to establish standards for pesticide residues in food products for infants and children

Pesticides are widely used in agriculture to control a variety of detrimental organisms. As a consequence, low but measurable amounts of residues may be found in the food supply including food intended for infants and young children. This has been the cause of some alarm since it is difficult for the general public to understand the magnitude of health risk associated with the consumption of food contaminated with low levels of potentially toxic chemicals. In this context safety-based regulations for pesticide residues that ensure the protection of infants and young children are of crucial importance. In this article we discuss the applicability of the ADI to infants and children with regards to pesticides and outline a proposal which has been devised to establish residue limits for finished baby food products.

Effects of the naturally occurring food mycotoxin ochratoxin A on brain cells in culture

The potential of ochratoxin A (OTA) to damage brain cells was studied by using a three-dimensional cell culture system as model for the developing brain. Aggregating cell cultures of foetal rat telencephalon were tested either during an early developmental period, or during a phase of advanced maturation, over a wide range of OTA concentrations (0.4 nM to 50 microM). By monitoring changes in activities of cell type-specific enzymes (ChAt and GAD, for cholinergic and GABAergic neurones, respectively, GS for astrocytes and CNP for oligodendrocytes), the concentration-dependent toxicity and neurodevelopmental effects of OTA were determined. OTA proved to be highly toxic, since a 10-day treatment at 50 nM caused a general cytotoxicity in both mature and immature cultures. At 10 nM of OTA, cell type-specific effects were observed: in immature cultures, a loss in neuronal and oligodendroglial enzyme activities, and an increase in the activity of the astroglial marker glutamine synthetase were found, Furthermore, at 2 and 10 nM of OTA, a clustering of microglial cells was observed. In mature cultures, OTA was somewhat less potent, but caused a similar pattern of toxic effects. A 24 h-treatment with OTA resulted in a concentration-dependent decrease in protein synthesis, with IC50 values of 25 nM and 33 nM for immature and mature cultures respectively. Acute (24 h) treatment at high OTA concentrations (10 to 50 microM) caused a significant increase in reactive oxygen species formation, as measured by the intracellular oxidation of 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin. These results suggest that OTA has the potential to be a potent toxicant to brain cells, and that its effects at nanomolar concentrations are primarily due to the inhibition of protein synthesis, whereas ROS seem not to be involved in the toxicity mediated by a chronic exposure to OTA at such low concentrations.

Placental glutathione S-transferase (GST-P) induction as a potential mechanism for the anti-carcinogenic effect of the coffee-specific components cafestol and kahweol

The coffee specific diterpenes cafestol and kahweol (C + K) have been reported to be anti-carcinogenic in several animal models. It has been postulated that this activity may be related to their ability to induce glutathione S-transferases (GSTs). We investigated the influence of a mixture of C + K, incorporated at various levels in the diet of Sprague-Dawley rats, on the expression of different hepatic GST iso-enzymes. Liver samples were examined using isoform-specific GST substrates and antibodies, and highly selective oligomers were employed to determine effects at the RNA level. A dose-dependent increase in general GST activity was observed in male and female animals following 28 or 90 days of treatment. A time-course study demonstrated that the maximal effect was observed within 5 days of treatment. Little or no effect was found on the activity of GST alpha and mu iso-enzymes. The most striking observation was a dose-dependent induction of placental glutathione S-transferase (GST-P) which could be demonstrated at the mRNA, protein and enzymatic levels. This effect was observed in both male and female rats. The maximal induction was attained within 5 days of treatment with C + K, remained elevated with continued treatment, but was reversible on withdrawal of treatment. Immunohistochemical examination of liver slices revealed a strong even distribution of GST-P expression throughout the acinus at the highest dose of C + K, while at lower doses the induction of GST-P occurred predominantly in periportal hepatocytes. There was no indication of the presence of preneoplastic foci and, furthermore, the effect of C + K on the GST-P was completely reversible. These findings indicate that the anticarcinogenic mechanism of C + K may involve a specific induction of GST-P and suggest a potential role for GST-P in detoxifying carcinogenic compounds.

Limits for pesticide residues in infant foods: a safety-based proposal

A review of safety procedures for regulating pesticide residues in food commodities has demonstrated that maximum residue levels established by national and international bodies may not be suitable for direct application to finished infant products. We have developed a safety-based strategy specifically aimed at setting limits for pesticide residues in baby foods. The approach is based on the acceptable daily intake (ADI) together with the application, when necessary, of an additional uncertainty factor to account for the potential higher sensitivity of infants to toxicants. The need for this extra factor is dependent on the toxicological information available and may be particularly important for pesticides with a neurotoxic potential. Using this strategy we have evaluated safety-based residue limits for finished products based on a standard food intake pattern of a 4-month-old infant. For most of the pesticides examined the estimated limits fell within a range which can be controlled through existing quality assurance systems. This scientific approach appears usable in practice and is intended as a basis for stimulating discussions aimed at evaluating the need for new limits to ensure the optimal quality of infant products with respect to pesticide safety. This assessment demonstrates that for a number of pesticides there is a need for adequate developmental studies to provide assurance that the current ADI is appropriate for infants. A consequence may be the necessity for enhanced analytical sensitivity for the determination of pesticide residues in infant foods which would be compatible with limits based on an infant-adjusted ADI.

Regional distribution and expression modulation of cytochrome P-450 and epoxide hydrolase mRNAs in the rat brain

In the present study, we developed a very sensitive, semiquantitative assay based on the reverse transcriptase-coupled polymerase chain reaction to measure, in a region-selective manner, mRNA expression patterns within the brain for microsomal epoxide hydrolase and several cytochrome P-450s (P-450s) known to be induced by prototypic agents in other tissues. The P-450s assessed included the polyaromatic hydrocarbon-inducible CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 systems, together with the phenobarbital-inducible P-450s, CYP2B1, CYP2B2, CYP3A1, which were examined 18 hr after a single intraperitoneal dose of the respective inducing agents. Highly region-specific patterns of expression were evident for P-450 mRNAs within the rat brain. In the control, uninduced brain, CYP1A1 mRNAs were readily detected in the striatum and in the hypothalamus, and to a lesser extent in the other regions examined. The regional pattern of expression was similar for CYP1A2; however, a major difference was noted in the olfactory bulbs, characterized by a relatively high level of CYP1A2 mRNA but correspondingly low levels of CYP1A1. Within the brain regions examined, the highest content of CYP2B1 and CYP2B2 mRNAs were present in the striatum and in the cerebellum, whereas CYP3A1 levels varied only slightly across the respective regions. In contrast to the P-450s, microsomal epoxide hydrolase mRNAs were expressed at relative homogeneous amounts throughout the brain. beta-Naphthoflavone markedly increased the CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 mRNA contents of each brain region investigated, although this agent did not affect levels of epoxide hydrolase. At 18 hr post-treatment with phenobarbital, an optimal time period for hepatic induction, brain expression was characterized by a complex pattern of effects, with increased levels noted for CYP2B1 mRNA content in the medulla oblongata, midbrain, and cortex, but decreased contents measured in the cerebellum, the hypothalamus, and the striatum. In each of these respective regions, CYP2B2 content was profoundly decreased whereas epoxide hydrolase expression was slightly increased by the same treatment. These results establish that the central nervous system actively expresses a number of different biotransformation gene products in a regional specific and inducer-dependent manner, and suggest that for tissues exhibiting low regenerative capacity, like the brain, such reactions are likely to be of critical toxicological significance.

Gastro-oesophageal reflux in children: comparison of different durations, positions and sleep-awake periods of pH monitoring in the same patient

A group of 72 children (mean age: 21.7 months, range: 14 days-19 years) with symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux were investigated by 22 h pH monitoring. Using a Proxeda software, we compared, in the same patient, the specificity and sensitivity of pH monitoring during 3 h, 6 h, 12 h, 12 nocturnal hours and 3 postprandial hours, as well as the influence of position and the sleep and alert periods. Results showed that all the short pH monitorings were statistically less sensitive than 22 h pH monitoring (P < 0.025). As regards specificity, only the 12 nocturnal hours pH monitoring was not statistically different from the 22 h pH monitoring. Gastro-oesophageal reflux was more frequent when the patient was awake than during sleep. pH monitoring seemed more reliable in the recumbent than in the upright position. We conclude that long-term pH monitoring (22 h) is the test of choice to diagnose gastro-oesophageal reflux because it included sleep and alert periods as well as different positions.

Phase I and phase II xenobiotic reactions and metabolism of the food-borne carcinogen 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline in aggregating liver cell cultures

Aggregating fetal liver cell cultures were tested for their ability to metabolize xenobiotics using ethoxycoumarin-O-deethylase (ECOD), as marker of phase I metabolism, and glutathione S-transferase (GST), as marker for phase II reactions. Significant basal activities, stable over 14 days in culture were measured for both ECOD and GST activities. The prototype cytochrome P450 inducers, 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC) and phenobarbital (PB), increased ECOD and GST activities reaching an optimum 7 days after culturing, followed by a decline in activity. This decline was partially prevented by 1% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) added chronically to the culture medium. DMSO was also found to induce ECOD activity and to a lesser extent GST activity. Furthermore, it potentiated in a dose-dependent manner the induction of ECOD by PB. The food-borne carcinogen 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) is metabolically transformed through a number of pathways in vivo. It was therefore used to examine the metabolic capacity in fetal and adult liver cell aggregates. Metabolism of MeIQx was mainly through N2-conjugation, resulting in formation of the N2-glucuronide and sulfamate conjugates for non-induced fetal liver cells. These metabolites were also found in large amounts in non-induced adult liver cells. Low levels of cytochrome P450-mediated ring-hydroxylated metabolites were detected in both non-induced fetal and adult liver cells. After induction with arochlor (PCB) or 3-MC, the major pathway was ring-hydroxylation (cytochrome P450 dependent), followed by conjugation to beta-glucuronic or sulfuric acid. The presence of the glucuronide conjugate of N-hydroxy-MeIQx, a mutagenic metabolite, suggested an induction of P450 CYP1A2. The metabolism of MeIQx by liver cell aggregates is very similar to that observed in vivo and suggests that aggregating liver cell cultures are a useful model for in vitro metabolic studies in toxicology.

Effects of pseudorabies virus on the neuronal properties of PC12 cells

The effect of pseudorabies virus on neuronal functions was investigated in PC12 cells. During the period investigated, choline acetyltransferase was not affected, while the acetylcholinesterase activity declined steadily starting at 12 h post infection (p.i.), reaching its minimal level of 40% of the control value at 24 h p.i. In contrast, the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase, the key enzyme in catecholamine synthesis, increased to 150% of the control level by 15 h p.i., dropping off slowly with the appearance of viral cytopathology. In parallel, the infection induced, by a process independent of the extracellular Ca2+, an increased release of dopamine at 11 h p.i., followed by noradrenaline at 20 h p.i. In the infected cells, the intracellular content of catecholamine was maintained only in the presence of a high amount of catecholamine precursors in the culture medium. Three plaque-forming units per cell was the minimal multiplicity of infection required to obtain the maximal changes in enzyme activities; higher multiplicities induced more rapidly the maximal effects on tyrosine hydroxylase and acetylcholinesterase. Inhibition of DNA synthesis did not prevent the increase in tyrosine hydroxylase activity; however, protein synthesis was required. In conclusion, infection of the PC12 cells with pseudorabies virus induced significant changes in catecholaminergic and cholinergic metabolism, indicating the ability of this virus to interfere selectively with specialized neuronal functions.