Studies on the metabolism of unsaturated fatty acids. VIII. Induction of 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase in Escherichia coli on the addition of unsaturated fatty acids

2,4-Dienoyl-CoA reductase has been detected in crude extracts of E. coli. The reductase was shown to be induced many fold when the cells were grown in the presence of linoleic or oleic acid. The activity profile of the reductase on gel filtration was different from those of other enoyl reductases. These results suggest that there are two pathways even in E. coli for the degradation of cis-4-decenoyl-CoA, which is an intermediate in the beta-oxidation of linoleic acid, as recently proposed in rat liver.

Volatile sulfur compounds responsible for an offensive odor of the flat-head, Calliurichthys doryssus

1. The volatiles of a flat-head, Calliurichthys doryssus, which gives out a characteristic offensive odor in living time, were analyzed by gas chromatography. 2. A large quantity of volatile sulfur compounds was detected in the flat-head; of which methyl mercaptan and/or dimethyl disulfide were judged to be responsible for the offensive odor. 3. The contents of methyl mercaptan and dimethyl disulfide were much higher in skin than in muscle and viscera.

Mechanism of retention of estramustine in the rat prostate and results of a clinical trial of Estracyt in Japan

To clarify the mechanism of action of Estracyt, we performed experiments using 3H-estramustine of high specific activity. 3H-Radioactivity accumulated selectively in the ventral prostate of castrated male rats after the administration of 3H-estramustine. Estramustine and its metabolites were retained in the ventral prostate for long time periods. The uptake of 3H-radioactivity was almost totally localized in the cytosol fraction, but not in a purified receptor fraction. The apparent equilibrium dissociation constant of the estramustine binding protein was 18.9 nM, and the apparent equilibrium Bmax value was 0.76 nmoles/mg of cytosol protein. In addition, we wish to report in this paper the results of clinical trials of Estracyt studied by a cooperative research group in Japan from 1977 to 1979. It was concluded that Estracyt was effective in 89% of previously untreated prostatic cancer patients and in 38% of reactivated cancer patients.

[Double-blind comparison of L-keflex and cephalexin (Keflex) in dental infections (author's transl)]

In order to evaluate efficacy and safety of L-Keflex (granule form of sustained release cephalexin), a double blind study comparing it with Keflex (capsule of regular cephalexin) was conducted in dental infections. Evaluable cases in adults for efficacy of the drugs were 196 consisting of 97 for L-Keflex and 99 for Keflex. Those in children were 19 (8 for L-Keflex and 11 for Keflex). There were no significant differences in background of the patients and severity of the diseases between both groups (L-Keflex and Keflex groups). The daily doses used in both groups were 1,000 mg in adults and 500 mg in children, respectively. The dose was given in two divided doses for L-Keflex group and in four divided doses for Keflex group. Following are evaluation by the committee members for the study: Adults 1. Clinical response rate at final therapy day was 93.8% in L-Keflex group and 92.9% in Keflex group, showing no significant difference between both groups. 2. No significant difference in severity of subjective and objective symptoms between both groups was observed at each therapy day. 3. Side effects were found in 6.7% of 105 patients receiving L-Keflex and in 5.6% of 107 patients with Keflex, and there was no significant difference between both groups. As the side effects, gastrointestinal symptoms, rash and itching were observed, but no any other side effects were found in both groups. Children 1. As shown in the above, number of the cases enough to evaluate statistically was not obtained, but all of both groups clinically responded to the drugs. 2. As for side effects diarrhea was observed in only one patient of Keflex group consisting of 12 patients. In the patient, however, discontinuation of the drug was not required and the side effect disappeared during the therapy. From the above results, L-Keflex (granule) is judged to have more convenience than Keflex (capsule) in that (1) it can be administered with b.i.d. regimen and (2) it can be easily taken in dental patients such as patients having difficulty in opening mouth of swallowing pain.

Action of a novel nonsteroidal antiandrogen, AA560

The antiandrogenic properties of a new nonsteroidal antiandrogens, AA560 (N-2-chloromethyl-2-hydroxypropionyl)-3, 4, 5-trichloroaniline) were investigated. The ventral prostate, dorselateral prostate and coagulating gland weights in rats given AA560 at 1-9 mg/head were significantly less than those in the intact rats. The seminal vesicle weights in rats given 3-9 mg/head were significantly less than those of the intact group. In intact animals given daily 3 or 9 mg of AA560 there were significantly increases of serum FSH, LH and testosterone concentrations. In the in vivo experiment, the pretreatment with AA560 decreased the uptake of 3H-androgens in the nuclear fraction of the ventral prostate. On the other hand, a significant increase in the uptake of 3H-radioactivity in the cytosol fraction was observed. It was proved by the in vitro displacement study that AA560 inhibited the binding of 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone with a receptor protein in the prostatic cytosol.

Mutagenicity of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in the Salmonella/mammalian-microsome test

The mutagenicities of 7 pyrrolizidine alkaloids to Salmonella typhimurium TA100 were demonstrated by a modified Ames's method. The pyrrolizidine alkaloids found to be mutagenic were clivorine, fukinotoxin, heliotrine, lasiocarpine, ligularidine, LX201 and senkirkine. Pre-incubation of these alkaloids with S9 mix and bacteria in a liquid medium was essential for demonstration of their mutagenicities.

Mutagens in coffee and tea

Coffee prepared in the usual way for drinking contains a substance(s) that is mutagenic to Salmonella typhimurium TA100 without mammalian microsomal enzymes. One cup of coffee (200 ml) contains mutagen(s) inducing 1.4-4.6 X 10(5) revertants under standard conditions. Instant coffee too is mutagenic to TA100 and one cup of instant coffee prepared from 1 g of coffee powder and 200 ml of water induced 5.6-5.8 X 10(4) revertants of TA100. Caffeine-free instant coffee also has similar mutagenicity. Addition of microsomal enzymes abolished the mutagenicity. Black tea, green tea and Japanese roasted tea were also mutagenic to TA100 without S9 mix and one cup of these teas prepared in the ordinary way produced 1.7-3.8 X 10(4) revertants of TA100. Black tea and green tea were also mutagenic to TA98 in the presence of S9 mix after treatment with a glycosidase from Aspergillus niger, hesperidinase. This type of mutagen in one cup of black tea induced 2.4 X 10(5) revertants of TA98.

Effects of antiprostatic agents on 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone binding to rat hypophyseal and hypothalamic cytosol macromolecules

The binding of 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone to the hypophyseal and hypothalamic cytosol macromolecules prepared from castrated male rats was observed. The effects of antiprostatic agents on 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone binding to both hypophyseal and hypothalamic cytosol macromolecules was examined. Cyproterone acetate and chlormadionone acetate showed the significant inhibiting effects on 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone binding to 7-8 S macromolecules of cytosol from both hypophysis and hypothalamus. SCH 13521 and AA 560 did also affect 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone binding to 7-8 S macromolecules of cytosol from both tissues.

Requirement of calcium ions for cell degeneration with a toxin (vibriolysin) from Vibrio parahaemolyticus

A highly purified toxin (vibriolysin) from Vibrio parahaemolyticus caused degeneration of cell shape, such as bleb and balloon formation, of mouse myocardial cells and mouse melanoma cells in culture. An extracellular Ca2+ concentration of more than 10(-6) M was necessary for the degeneration of cell shape, but extracellular Mg2+, Na+, and K+ were not necessary. In the presence of extracellular Ca2+, vibriolysin also caused full contraction of myofibrils of mouse myocardial cells and reduction of both actin cables and tubulin networks of mouse melanoma cells. Vibriolysin also caused excess uptake of Ca2+ from the incubation medium by mouse myocardial cells and mouse melanoma cells. Chick myocardial cells, which show neither degeneration of cell shape nor full contraction of myofibrils, did not take up excess 45Ca2+ in the presence of vibriolysin. These findings suggest that the vibriolysin-induced degeneration of cell shape of mouse myocardial cells and mouse melanoma cells is due to excess uptake of Ca2+ from the incubation medium by the cells.

Bovine like-sexed male twins with chromosomal chimerism

Sex-chromosomal chimerism (XX/XY) was described in a pair of bovine like-sexed male twins. One of the twins showed malformed external genitalia, and the other was phenotypically normal. It is proposed that sex-chromosomal chimerism is associated with a choriovascular anastomosis between like-sexed twins examined and "female fetus" which may be overlooked at parturition.

Effect of hypolipidemia on testosterone-stimulated prostatic growth in castrated rats

Hypolipidemia caused by Simfibrate feeding for 3 weeks reduced responses of weight and nucleic acid contents to testosterone administration in the ventral and dorsolateral prostates of castrated rats. However, the effect of testosterone on the contents of citrate, fructose, zinc and the activity of testosterone 5alpha-reductase in the glands of castrated animals was not modified by Simfibrate feeding.

Effect of estracyt on the rat prostate

Two types of experiments were performed to elucidate the estrogenic effect of estracyt on the ventral and immature rats that had received injections of testosterone; then changes in weight of accessory rats and changes in weight of the total body, the ventral and the dorsolateral prostates, and adrenal gland, and changes in activities of testosterone 5alpha-reductase, alkaline phosphatase, and arginase of both lobes of the prostates were examined. In the second experiment, estracyt was injected into castrates rats and immature rats that had received injections of testosterone; then changes in weight of accessory sex organs were determined. Because similar changes were induced by treatment of animals with estradiol-17beta, it was concluded that the effect of estracyt on the prostates was most likely attributable to the estrogenic effect of the drug.

Free amino acids in the caput and the cauda epididymis of adult rats

To examine the content and the composition of free amino acids in the intraluminal fluid of rat epididymis, the fluids were obtained by light pressure on the dissected tissues. The amount of the total free amino acids in the pressed fluid from the caput epididymis was significantly higher than those of the cauda epididymis and the testis. Glu and Gln were predominant amino acids in the caput, and their amounts occupied more than half of the total ninhydrin reactive compounds. Such a high concentration of Glu and Gln was not observed either in the cauda or in the testis. Castration decreased Glu and increased Gln in amount. Testosterone treatment to castrated animals did not restore Glu and Gln contents in the pressed fluid from the caput epididymis to the level observed in intact rats completely. Therefore, it was assumed that a large amount of Glu in the caput was due to many factors; secretion and metabolism of epithelial cells of the gland which might be regulated by androgen, inflow of rete testis fluid, and sperm metabolism of amino acids in the epididymis. The results obtained from the caput epididymis to which the efferent duct of the testis was ligated also supported this interpretation.

3alpha-Reduction of dihydrotestosterone in human normal and hypertrophic prostatic tissues

The activity of 3alpha-reduction of dihydrotestosterone was located in both the particulate and the soluble fractions of human prostatic tissues. Activity of 3alpha-reduction was higher than that of 3beta-reduction under the incubation conditions employed; therefore, the main reductive metabolic pathway of dihydrotestosterone seemed to be the formation of 5alpha-androstane-3alpha,17beta-diol in human prostatic tissues. There was no significant difference between normal and hypertrophic prostatic tissues when the activity of 3alpha-reduction of dihydrostertosterone was compared on a wet weight basis.

Effects of testosterone and prolactin on rat prostatic weight, 5alpha-reductase, and arginase

Prostatic weights, 5alpha-reductase, and arginase activities were utilized as indexes for the effects of prolactin in short-term experiments in intact, hypophysectomized or castrated rats. Experiments were performed in which a dose-related response in the above parameters was obtained with testosterone administration in castrated mature and immature rats in order to evaluate the effects of simultaneously administered prolactin. This approach was necessitated by the failure of prolactin alone to affect the parameters listed in intact, castrated or hypophysectomized rats. It was shown that ovine prolactin may have an enhancing effect on the prostatic weight, 5alpha-reductase, and arginase activities, but that this effect is neither consistent nor striking when compared to that of testosterone.. Nevertheless, it is still possible that the long-term effects of prolactin, even if they are only of an enhancing quality, may play an important role in normal prostatic physiology and in abnormal states.

Effect of estrogen administration on activities of testosterone 5alpha-reductase, alkaline phosphatase and arginase in the ventral and the dorsolateral prostates of rats

Daily treatment with 5 or 500 mug of estradiol benzoate of male adult rats for 7 days did not change the activity of testosterone 5alpha-reductase in the ventral prostate, while the activity decreased slightly in the dorsolateral prostate. The activity of alkaline phosphatase was increased by 60% over the respective control in the ventral prostate from rats treated with the larger dose of estrogen, but the estrogen treatment did not affect the alkaline phosphatase activity in the dorsolateral prostate. On the contrary, the estrogen treatment evoked three-fold elevation in the arginase activity of the dorsolateral prostate in contrast to the decreased arginase activity in the ventral prostate following estrogen administration. From these results, it was concluded that the alterations in some enzyme activity of the ventral and the dorsolateral prostates evoked by estrogen treatment were different from those observed in the respective lobes from castrated animals, although both estrogen administration and castration induced atrophy of the tissue. Furthermore, it might be also worth-while to mention that the ventral and the dorsolateral prostates of rats responded in a different manner to estrogen administered.

Potential test systems for drugs against prostatic cancer

A number of chemotherapeutic agents have been tested in two systems which could be useful as models in the search for effective drugs for cancer of the prostate. One system involved the effects of the administered drugs on rat prostatic 5 alpha-reductase and arginase activities. Since both enzymic systems are androgen dependent and essential for prostatic function and anatomy, the effectiveness of a drug in these systems could be indicative of its value in the treatment of prostatic cancer. Michaelis constants were obtained with Lineweaver-Burk plots and the conclusions are based on a comparison of these plots with those of the controls. Thus, the following results were obtained: (a) isophosphamide, bleomycin, and procarbazine produced definite inhibition of 5 alpha-reductase in either or both the ventral and dorsolateral glands of the rat; (b) 5-fluorouracil, vincristine, bleomycin, procarbazine, adriamycin, and hexamethyl-melamine inhibited arginase activity significantly in both glands; (c) streptozotocin and 5-(3,3-dimethyl-1-triazeno)imidazole-4-carboxamide (NSC-45388) produced inhibition of arginase in the ventral gland only; (d) in contrast to the noncompetitive or uncompetitive inhibition of most of the drugs, particularly in the ventral gland, procarbazine, hexamethylmelamine, bleomycin, adriamycin, and NSC-45388 produced competitive inhibition of arginase in the dorsolateral gland; and (e) seven of the drugs led to an activation of 5 alpha-reductase (5-fluorouracil, vincristine, NSC-45388, hexamethylmelamine, CCNU, streptozotocin, and diglycolaldehyde). The second model system utilized the deposition of labeled estriol and testosterone in the dog prostate and the effects of drug therapy as a possible index of effectiveness in prostatic cancer. Streptozotocin and procarbazine definitely interfered with the deposition of both estriol and testosterone. On the basis of the data obtained, the model systems investigated by us could potentially serve as reliable indicators for the clinical use of drugs against cancer of the prostate.

Prostatic effects of a nonsteroidal antiandrogen

The possible mechanisms for the antiprostatic effects of a nonsteroidal antiandrogen, SCH 13521 (4'-nitro-3'-trifluoromethylisobutyranilide), were investigated in rats and dogs. The influence of administered SCH 13521 on the deposition of the radioactivity associated with labeled testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and estriol (E-3) in the prostate and other tissues of the dog, and rat was determined in short term experiments. SCH 13521 definitely interfered with the localization of the radioactivity of these steroids in the prostate and indicated a competitive situation between SCH 13521 and the steroids. Even though in vitro binding data were generally in accord with in vivo results, he descrepancies regarding E-3 and the more intense effects of SCH 13521 observed in vivo, as compared to those in vitro, lead us to suggest that a metabolite of the compound may also play an important competitive role in vivo. Of particular interest was the competition between SCH 13521 and estrogens in vitro (estradiol-17-beta) and in vivo (E-3). Sch 13521 greatly decreased the volume of prostatic secretion whereas id minor effects on prostatic 5-alpha-reductase and arginase activities. The latter is surprising, since both enzymes are very highly androgen-dependent. Thus, even though the mechanisms of action of SCH 13521 on the prostate may involve competition with androgens at the cellular level, we think that its competition with some estrogens points to a more complicated action than observed with other antiandrogens.