Modulation of haemocyanin oxygen affinity: properties and physiological implications in a changing world

Crustacean haemocyanin oxygen affinity may be modified through changes in concentration of various inorganic and organic allosteric modulators. These may act in both positive and negative directions, increasing or decreasing haemocyanin oxygen affinity, and assist both in oxygen loading at the gills and oxygen release in the tissues. Inorganic ions, except for Mg(2+), do not normally influence cooperativity or the Bohr effect, whereas most of the organic modulators decrease cooperativity without affecting the Bohr coefficient. Several new findings on the influence of sulphide and thiosulphate are reviewed together with evidence for unidentified factors that decrease haemocyanin oxygen affinity. The physiological implications of all these findings are discussed in the context of maintaining a flexible response to a changing environment.

Adding magnesium to the silver-gill binding model for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss; 2-17 g) were exposed to approximately 0.1 microM silver as AgNO3 for 3 to 4 h in synthetic, ion-poor water (20 microM Ca, 100 microM Na, 150 microM Cl, pH 7) to which was added Mg, Ca, or thiosulfate (S2O3). Gills were extracted and assayed for Ag using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Up to 210 mM Mg (fourfold the concentration of Mg in seawater) did not reduce accumulation of Ag by trout gills. The conditional equilibrium stability constant (K) for Mg at silver-binding sites on the gills was calculated to be log K(Mg-gillAg) = 3.0, or approximately half-as-strong binding as for Ca at these sites. The inclusion of the Mg-gill stability constant into the original Ag-gill binding model increases the flexibility of the model, although the competitive effects of Mg are only important in sodium-poor systems.

Interruption of the MnO2 oxidative process on dopamine and L-dopa by the action of S2O3(2-)

The oxidation effects of Mn2+, Mn3+ or MnO2 on dopamine can be studied in vitro and, therefore, this offers a model of the auto-oxidation process that appears naturally in neurons causing Parkinson's disease. The use of MnO, as an oxidizer in aqueous solution at pH 7 causes the oxidation of catecholamines (L-dopa, dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline) to melanin. However, this work shows that, in water at pH 6-7, the oxidation of catecholamines by MnO2 in the presence of sodium thiosulphate (Na2S2O3) occurs by other mechanisms. For dopamine and L-dopa, MLCT complexes were formed with bands at 312, 350 (sh), 554 (sh) nm, and an intense band at 597 nm (epsilon approximately/= 4 x 10(3) M(-1) cm(-1)) and at ca. 336, 557 (sh) nm, and an intense band at 597 nm (epsilon approximately 6 x 10(3) M(-1) cm(-1)), respectively. The latter transitions were assigned to d(pi)-->pi*-SQ. Noradrenaline and adrenaline do not form this blue complex in solution, but generate soluble oxidized compounds. The resonance Raman spectra of these complexes in solution showed bands at 950, 1006, 1258, 1378, 1508 and 1603 cm(-1) for the complex derivation of L-dopa and at 948, 1010, 1255, 1373, 1510 and 1603 cm(-1) for the dopamine-derived compound. The most intense Raman band at ca. 1378 cm(-1) was assigned to C-O stretching with major C1-C2 characteristics and indicated that dopamine and L-dopa do not occur complexed with manganese in the catecholate or quinone form, but suggests an intermediate compound such as an anionic o-semiquinone (SQ-), forming a complex such as [Mn(II)(SQ-)3]-. All enhanced Raman frequencies are characteristic of the benzenic ring without the participation of the aminic nitrogen. A mechanism is proposed for the formation of the dopamine and L-dopa complexes and a computational simulation was performed to support it.

Inhibitors of ethylene synthesis inhibit auxin-induced stomatal opening in epidermis detached from leaves of Vicia faba L

Using leaf epidermis from Vicia faba, we tested whether auxin-induced stomatal opening was initiated by auxin-induced ethylene synthesis. Epidermis was dark-incubated in buffered KNO3 containing 0.1 mM alpha-napthalene acetic acid or 1 mM indole-3-acetic acid. Maximum net opening was ca. 4 micron after 6 h. Opening was reversed by 20 microM ABA, 0.1 mM CaCl2. 1-Aminocyclopropane carboxylic acid (ACC) synthase catalyzes synthesis of ACC, the immediate precursor to ethylene. Auxin-induced stomatal opening was fully inhibited by 10 microM 1-aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG), an ACC synthase inhibitor. In solutions containing AVG, auxin-induced opening was restored in a concentration-dependent manner by exogenous ACC, but not in control solutions lacking an auxin. ACC-mediated reversal of AVG-inhibition of stomatal opening was inhibited by alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB), an inhibitor of ACC oxidase, the last enzyme in the ethylene biosynthetic pathway, by 10 microM silver thiosulfate (STS), an inhibitor of ethylene action, and by 20 microM ABA, 0.1 mM CaCl2. CoCl2, an inhibitor of ethylene synthesis, also inhibited auxin-induced opening. Both STS and CoCl2 inhibited opening induced by light or by fusicoccin, but neither light- nor fusicoccin-induced opening was inhibited by AVG. These results support the hypothesis that auxin-induced stomatal opening is mediated through auxin-induced ethylene production by guard cells.

Novel activation of non-selective cationic channels by dinitrosyl iron-thiosulfate in PC12 cells

Low molecular mass dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNICs) are nitrosating agents and it is known that the dinitrosyl iron moiety can be transferred to proteins. The aim of the present study was to determine if the formation of protein-bound dinitrosyl iron can modulate ionic channel activity. In PC12 cells, dinitrosyl iron-thiosulfate (50 microM) caused irreversible activation of a depolarizing inward current (IDNIC). IDNIC was partially inhibited by the metal chelator diethyldithiocarbamate (DETC, 1 mM), but not by the reducing/denitrosylating agent dithiothreitol (DTT, 5 mM). The activation of IDNIC was not reproduced by application of nitric oxide (NO., 100 microM), S-nitrocysteine (200 microM) or ferrous iron-thiosulfate (50 microM), and was not prevented by the irreversible guanylyl cyclase inhibitor 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo-[4, 3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, 1 microM). Similarly, intracellular perfusion of dinitrosyl iron-thiosulfate (100 microM) did not result in activation of IDNIC. Ion replacement experiments show that the DETC-sensitive component of IDNIC is a non-selective cationic current. In accordance, IDNIC was blocked by antagonists of receptor-operated calcium entry, gadolinium (25 microM) and SK&F 96365 (25 microM). Single-channel measurements from outside-out patches reveal that the DETC-sensitive component of IDNIC is an inward current carried by a cationic channel having a conductance of 50 pS. The present observations suggest that the formation of ion channel-bound dinitrosyl iron represents another mechanism of regulation of ion channel activity by NO.-related species, which may be particularly important in pathophysiological processes where NO. is overproduced.

Validation of thiosulfate for neutralization of acidified sodium chlorite in microbiological testing

At low pH, acidified sodium chlorite (ASC) has antimicrobial activity against a variety of foodborne contaminants. To evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of ASC at specific time points posttreatment, it is necessary to halt the action of the disinfectant by removing residual chlorite or by increasing the pH. In this study, thiosulfate was investigated at varying concentrations for its effect on microbial survival and was investigated at a concentration of 0.1% in the presence of ASC for its effect on the antimicrobial and chemical activity of the test solution. Additionally, sodium thiosulfate was tested in two buffering systems, buffered peptone water (BPW) and Butterfield's phopshate buffer (BPB), for its ability to inactivate ASC chemistry. The results of this study show that, at a concentration of 0.1%, sodium thiosulfate has no deleterious effect on Escherichia coli survival and is effective in halting the antimicrobial action of ASC by eliminating the production of residual chlorite. The BPW alone and BPB in combination with thiosulfate were found to be effective inactivators of ASC chemistry.

In vitro effects of anionic sulfur compounds on the spectrophotometric properties of native DNA

Several anionic sulfur compounds are recognized as efficacious pretreatments for sulfur mustard (HD) poisoning. Our intent was to see if pretreatment compounds had a direct effect on DNA, a site where HD damage is thought to occur. A modification of the method of Szinicz et al. (Arzneim.-Forsch. 1981; 31: 1,713-1,717) was used to analyze the UV/VIS spectrum (205-400 nm) (n = 6) of calf thymus DNA (10-15 x 10(3) kDa) in the absence or presence of increasing concentrations of sodium thiosulfate, sodium 2-aminoethanethiosulfonate (thiotaurine), sodium metabisulfite or sodium sulfate. All compounds produced concentration-dependent absorbance decreases primarily at 212 nm, but also at 259 nm, with the exception of sodium sulfate. For example, 8.36 x 10(-4) M sodium thiosulfate reduced the absorbance of DNA at 212 nm by >60%. The kinetics of sulfur compounds on native DNA need further study. We propose that these anionic sulfur compounds interact with DNA possibly by changing the topology of this macromolecule. Effects may be due to interactions of these sulfur compounds at higher concentrations with DNA, with resulting ligand-DNA supercoiling. This process could protect against HD intoxication, which is caused in part by the uncoiling of DNA.

Protection by two complexing agents, thiosulphate and dissolved organic matter, against the physiological effects of silver nitrate to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in ion-poor water

Adult rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were exposed in ion-poor water ( approximately 50 microM Ca) to silver added as AgNO(3) or to AgNO(3) plus either thiosulphate (Na(2)S(2)O(3)) or dissolved organic matter (DOM). The effects of these exposures were assessed through repetitive blood sampling over 4 days. Trout exposed to 0.1 microM AgNO(3) alone accumulated large amounts of Ag on their gills and in their plasma, showed progressive losses of plasma Na and Cl, and had elevated concentrations of plasma glucose. In one set of exposures trout exposed to AgNO(3) alone also had increased cough rates, slightly higher ventilation rates, somewhat lower arterial oxygen tensions, and increased blood lactate concentrations. In contrast, trout exposed to 0.1 microM AgNO(3) plus 5 microM thiosulphate or 35 mg C l(-1) DOM accumulated less Ag on their gills and in their plasma, and showed no adverse ionoregulatory or respiratory effects due to Ag. These results demonstrate ionoregulatory and sometimes respiratory effects in fish exposed to ionic Ag(+) in ion-poor water, depending on water chemistry, and demonstrate the protective effects of synthetic and natural complexing agents through a reduction in the amount of ionic Ag(+) available to bind at the gills.

Protection against systemic poisoning by mustard gas, di(2-chloroethyl) sulphide, by sodium thiosulphate and thiocit in the albino rat

The lethal effects of mustard gas, di(2-chloroethyl) sulphide, in the albino rat have been counteracted by Thiocit, a mixture of sodium thiosulphate and trisodium citrate in the ratio 10:1, administered intraperitoneally in a dose of 2.75 g./kg. Thiocit afforded complete protection against greater than the median lethal dose of mustard gas whether given 10 min. before or 10 min. after mustard gas and raised the LD50 of mustard gas by approximately three times. The protection appeared whether the total dose of Thiocit was given in one injection or serially over 30 min. The effective doses of sodium thiosulphate and of Thiocit in rats were of the order of 3.0 g./kg. Sodium thiosulphate alone and Thiocit have been administered in single doses by slow infusion, by stomach tube and in drinking water. Both have shown activity by all routes of administration, but activity was greatest by intraperitoneal injection. The use of Thiocit in conjunction with mustard gas therapy is suggested.

The effects of sulfur, thiol, and thiol inhibitor compounds on arsine-induced toxicity in the human erythrocyte membrane

The mechanism of arsine (AsH(3)) toxicity is not completely understood. The first cytotoxic effect of AsH(3) is disruption of ion homeostasis, with a subsequent hemolytic action. The only accepted treatment for AsH(3) toxicity is exchange transfusion of the blood. In this study the effect of sulfur, sulfur compounds, thiol-containing compounds, and thiol inhibitors on AsH(3)-induced disruption of membrane transport and hemolysis in human erythrocytes was investigated in vitro. Elemental sulfur, sodium thiosulfate, 5, 5'-dithio-bis(2-nitrobenzoic acid), and meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid were successful in delaying hemolysis, but the most successful agent was the sulfhydryl inhibitor, N-ethylmaleimide (NEM). This indicated that sulfhydryl groups, possibly membrane sulfhydryls, are major factors in the hemolytic mechanism of AsH(3). Measuring intracellular ion concentrations tested the effect of NEM on AsH(3)-induced disruption of membrane transport. AsH(3) alone caused all ions tested to flow with their concentration gradients: Intracellular K+ and Mg++ decreased, whereas Na+, Cl-, and Ca++ increased. NEM was unable to prevent ion loss except for Ca++, whose increase was prevented for 1 h after AsH(3) treatment. The influx of Ca++ in AsH(3)-treated erythrocytes is an irreversible event leading to hemolysis. Reduction of oxygenated hemoglobin to carboxyhemoglobin completely inhibited AsH(3)-induced hemolysis. In addition, AsH(3) and NEM had no direct chemical interactions. We concluded that membrane sulfhydryl groups are likely targets of AsH(3) toxicity, with NEM being able to prevent AsH(3)-induced hemolysis.

Synthesis of glucose oxidase and catalase by Aspergillus niger in resting cell culture system

The synthesis of glucose oxidase and catalase by Aspergillus niger was investigated using a resting cell culture system without growth being established. Calcium carbonate induced the synthesis of both enzymes and calcium chloride inhibited it. The optimal pH for the biosynthesis of glucose oxidase and catalase was 6.0 and 5.7, respectively. The effects of other bivalent cations, reductive compounds and metabolic products on enzyme synthesis were also tested. The biosynthesis of glucose oxidase and catalase was promoted by MnCO3, thioglycolic acid, pyroracemic acid and gluconic acid.

Spatially constrained skin electroporation with sodium thiosulfate and urea creates transdermal microconduits

Controlled transport of molecules through the skin's main barrier, the stratum corneum (SC), is a long standing goal of transdermal drug delivery. Traditional, needle-based injection provides delivery of almost any water soluble compound, by creating a single large aqueous pathway in the form of the hollow core of a needle, through which drug is delivered by pressure-driven flow. We extend previous work to show that SC-spanning microconduits (here with diameters of about 200 microm) can be created in vivo by skin electroporation and low-toxicity, keratolytic molecules (here sodium thiosulfate and urea). A single microconduit in isolated SC can support volumetric flow of the order of 0.01 ml s(-1) by a pressure difference of only 0.01 atm (about 10(2) Pa), demonstrating that the SC barrier has been essentially eliminated within this microscopic area.

Induction of ascorbate peroxidase by ethylene and hydrogen peroxide during growth of cultured soybean cells

In cultured soybean cells, a transient ethylene burst in the pre-stationary phase was followed by an induction of ascorbate peroxidase (AsPOX) in the stationary phase. Treatment of cells with the ethylene antagonist, silver thiosulfate (STS), resulted in the suppression of enzyme activity. Application of the ethylene releasing agent 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid (CEPA) in the medium led to an increased enzyme activity when treated in the pre-stationary phase. On the contrary, a remarkable inhibitory effect on enzyme activity was elicited by 1,3-dimethyl-2-thiourea (DMTU), trapping the hydrogen peroxide generated when treated in the stationary phase. Likewise, a steady level of AsPOX transcript was reduced by STS treatment. Furthermore, its effect appeared to be more rapid and prominent during the pre-stationary phase. It is suggested that the induction of AsPOX in cultured soybean cells during the stationary phase could result, at least in part, by the hydrogen peroxide generated as a result of preceding ethylene production.

Cisplatin combined with tiopronin or sodium thiosulfate: cytotoxicity in vitro and antitumor activity in vivo

We have previously reported that the thiol compound tiopronin protects rat kidneys in vitro against the toxic activity of cisplatin. The influence of tiopronin and sodium thiosulfate (STS) on the cytotoxicity of cisplatin has been investigated on P388 leukemic cells in vitro after 3 days. The combination has also been investigated in vivo in BDF1 mice bearing a P388 s.c. tumor. In contrast to STS, tiopronin did not significantly reduce the cytotoxic activity of cisplatin in vitro and nor did it affect the uptake of platinum (cisplatin-derived), binding to DNA or the percentage of interstrand cross-links (%ISCL) formation. The co-administration of cisplatin (4 mg/kg) and tiopronin (150 and 300 mg/kg) to BDF1 female mice bearing a s.c. P388 tumor produced a significant reduction in tumor growth similar to that of a single 6 mg/kg dose of cisplatin. Interestingly, pre-incubation in vitro of either tiopronin or STS for 2 h with the species formed from cisplatin by hydrolysis demonstrated their ability in inhibiting the cytotoxicity of these reactive platinum products. These results indicate that tiopronin does not reduce the cytotoxicity of cisplatin in vitro, as STS does. This may be, at least partly, because of a different effect of the two thiol compounds on the cellular uptake and binding of platinum to DNA. Notably, tiopronin substantially reduced tumor growth in mice treated with a non-toxic dose of cisplatin (p < or = 0.0277), suggesting some positive influence of this thiol compound on the antitumor properties of cisplatin. The ability of tiopronin to protect in vitro against the cytotoxicity of the aquation products of cisplatin may be related to its nephroprotective effect.

Alkali metal ions protect mitochondrial rhodanese against thermal inactivation

Incubation of bovine liver mitochondrial rhodanese in dilute, reducing solutions at temperatures ranging between 30 and 45 degreesC conduced to a rapid loss of enzymatic activity. This inactivation was substantially reduced in the presence of millimolar concentrations of alkali metal ions, divalent cations (including Mg2+, Ca2+, and Ba2+) were ineffective. The extent of protection afforded by monovalent cations was highly dependent on their ionic radii, with K+ and Na+ ions being the most effective protective agents. The protection afforded by a number of anions, including thiosulfate, could be totally ascribed to the presence of the accompanying monovalent cation. The overall results indicate that K+ and Na+, at concentrations and temperatures within the physiological range, substantially contribute to the stabilization of the functional structure of rhodanese.

Nitric oxide does not initiate but potentiates glucose-induced insulin secretion in pancreatic beta-cells

The role of nitric oxide (NO) in glucose-induced insulin secretion was studied in pancreatic beta-cells, HIT-T15. A role for NO is suggested since glucose stimulated NO production in a concentration-dependent manner. NG-monomethyl-L-arginine, a potent inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, significantly inhibited glucose-induced nitric oxide production as well as insulin release in HIT-T15. Furthermore, this inhibitory effect can be reversed by sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a well known NO donor. While SNP alone did not stimulate insulin release, it potentiated the secretory response of HIT-T15 cells to glucose by approximately two-fold. Potentiation by SNP appears to be mediated by NO, since (i) the potentiation was completely abolished by 10 microM hemoglobin, a scavenger of NO; and (ii) was not affected by rhodanese plus sodium thiosulphate. Neither hemoglobin alone nor the combination of rhodanese and sodium thiosulphate had any effect on glucose induced insulin release. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that glucose-induced formation of NO may potentiate the effect of glucose by a positive feedback mechanism.

Sirohaem sulfite reductase and other proteins encoded by genes at the dsr locus of Chromatium vinosum are involved in the oxidation of intracellular sulfur

The sequence of the dsr gene region of the phototrophic sulfur bacterium Chromatium vinosum D (DSMZ 180) was determined to clarify the in vivo role of 'reverse' sirohaem sulfite reductase. The dsrAB genes encoding dissimilatory sulfite reductase are part of a gene cluster, dsrABEFHCMK, that encodes four small, soluble proteins (DsrE, DsrF, DsrH and DsrC), a transmembrane protein (DsrM) with similarity to haem-b-binding polypeptides and a soluble protein (DsrK) resembling [4Fe-4S]-cluster-containing heterodisulfide reductase from methanogenic archaea. Northern hybridizations showed that expression of the dsr genes is increased by the presence of reduced sulfur compounds. The dsr genes are not only transcribed from a putative promoter upstream of dsrA but primary transcripts originating from (a) transcription start site(s) downstream of dsrB are also formed. Polar insertion mutations immediately upstream of dsrA, and in dsrB, dsrH and dsrM, led to an inability of the cells to oxidize intracellularly stored sulfur. The capability of the mutants to oxidize sulfide, thiosulfate and sulfite under photolithoautotrophic conditions was unaltered. Photoorganoheterotrophic growth was also unaffected. 'Reverse' sulfite reductase and DsrEFHCMK are, therefore, not essential for oxidation of sulfide or thiosulfate, but are obligatory for sulfur oxidation. These results, together with the finding that the sulfur globules of C. vinosum are located in the extracytoplasmic space whilst the dsr gene products appear to be either cytoplasmic or membrane-bound led to the proposal of new models for the pathway of sulfur oxidation in this phototrophic sulfur bacterium.

Hypoxia induced by Na2S2O4 increases [Na+]i in mouse glomus cells, an effect depressed by cobalt. Experiments with Na+-selective microelectrodes and voltage-clamping

The intracellular sodium concentration ([Na+]i) and resting potential (Em) of cultured mouse glomus cells (clustered and isolated) were simultaneously measured with intracellular Na+-sensitive and conventional, KCl-filled, microelectrodes. Results obtained in clustered and isolated cells were similar. During normoxia (PO2 122 Torr), [Na+]i was 12-13 mM corresponding to a Na+ equilibrium potential (ENa) of about 58 mV. Em was about -42 mV. Hypoxia, induced by Na2S2O4 1 mM (PO2 10 Torr), depolarized the cells by about 20 mV, [Na+]i increased by 21 mM and ENa dropped to about 35 mV. One millimolar of CoCl2 depressed, or blocked, the effects of Na2S2O4 on [Na+]i but did not affect hypoxic depolarization. Voltage-clamping at -70 mV, while delivering pulses of different amplitudes, produced only small (about 10 pA) and slow TTX-insensitive inward currents. Fast and large (TTX-sensitive) inward currents were not detected. The cell conductance (measured with voltage ramps) was less than 1 nS. It was not affected by hypoxia but was depressed by cobalt. Voltage ramps elicited small inward currents in control and hypoxic solutions that were much smaller than those induced by barium (presumably enhancing calcium currents). Also, normoxic and hypoxic currents had lower thresholds and their troughs were at more negative voltages than in the presence of Ba2+. All currents were blocked by 1 mM CoCl2 suggesting that, at this concentration, cobalt exerted a nonspecific effect on glomus membrane channels. Hypoxia induced a large [Na+]i increase (presumably through inflow), but very small voltage-gated inward currents. Thus, Na+ increases (inflow) probably occurred by disturbing a Na+/K+ exchange mechanism and not by activation of voltage-gated channels.

In vivo effects of anti-inducers of the cysteine regulon in Salmonella typhimurium

Growth on readily utilizable sulfur sources reduces expression of the cysteine regulon in Salmonella typhimurium. Inhibition of serine transacetylase by cysteine and direct actions of the anti-inducers sulfide and thiosulfate are responsible for reduction of expression. In order to evaluate individual contributions of each mechanism, the inhibitory effects of Na2S and Na2S2O3 were studied in strains with or without the capacity to synthesize cysteine from these compounds, using a transcriptional fusion to the cysDNC operon. In a cysK cysM strain, although cysteine synthesis from sulfide and thiosulfate was blocked, Na2S and Na2S2O3 efficiently reduced expression of the cysDNC operon. The inhibitory effect observed in this mutant was equivalent to 70-100% of that found in a strain carrying the fusion in a wild-type context grown in the same conditions. The actions of sulfide and thiosulfate as anti-inducers seem therefore to be responsible for most of the reduction of expression caused by these agents in vivo.

Antimicrobial activity of organic thiosulfates (Bunte salts)

A number of organic thiosulfates (Bunte salts) were prepared from appropriate primary bromides or iodides. In the case of substrates with long aliphatic chains, an addition of benzyltrimethylammonium chloride as phase transfer catalyst was very successful. The Bunte salts obtained were tested for antibacterial and fungicidal activity by means of the agar disc-diffusion method and by assignation of the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC). It was found that the microorganisms Proteus vulgaris, Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus showed the highest sensitivity. Biological activity of the compounds studied was dependent on the length of the aliphatic chain. Among the investigated compounds, aliphatic thiosulfates with 10-13 carbon atom chain were the most potent.

The role of ethylene in the development of constant-light injury of potato and tomato

The role of ethylene in the development of constant-light injury of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) was investigated. In one study, silver thiosulfate (STS) was applied to the foliage of four potato cultivars growing under constant light. Leaf area and shoot dry mass of 'Kennebec' and 'Superior', cultivars normally injured by constant light, were greater (P < 0.05) than those of control plants given foliar applications of distilled water. Examination of STS-treated 'Kennebec' leaflets revealed significantly less injury (necrotic spotting and reduced starch content) than the water-treated controls. 'Norland' and 'Denali', cultivars tolerant of constant light, exhibited no differences in growth between treatments. In a second study, injury (necrotic spotting and reduced starch content) was induced in leaflets of 'Denali' when exposed to spray applications of 0.5 mmol L-1 ethephon or air containing 0.5 to 0.8 microL L-1 ethylene. In a third study, three genotypes of 'Ailsa Craig' tomato were grown under constant light. Leaves of the normal 'Ailsa Craig' exhibited epinasty, reduced chlorophyll concentration, and reduced starch content. Leaves of a mutant 'Ailsa Craig', containing the Never ripe mutation, did not exhibit epinasty but exhibited the same amount of reduced chlorophyll concentration and starch content as normal plants. Leaves of a transgenic 'Ailsa Craig', containing an antisense gene of 1-aminocyclopropane 1-carboxylate (ACC) oxidase, were epinastic, but chlorophyll concentration and starch content were greater than in leaves of normal and mutant plants. These results suggest that transgenic plants were more tolerant of constant light than the other genotypes. Evidence from these studies indicates that ethylene, combined with constant light, has an important role in the development of constant-light injury.

Mutagenicity and cytotoxicity of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in the MN-11 murine tumor cell line

There is increasing evidence that endogenously generated reactive oxygen (ROS) and reactive nitrogen (RNS) species at sites of inflammation and in tumors may be genotoxic. We have developed a murine tumor model (MN-11) in which mutations at the hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) locus, arising both in vitro and in vivo, can be detected. In the present report, we describe an in vitro study of the ability of ROS and RNS to induce mutations in our model system. 137Cs radiation and radiomimetic drugs caused a dose-dependent increase in mutant frequency. At D0, radiation induced about 170 mutants per 10(5) viable cells, compared to 50 and 95 for streptonigrin and bleomycin, respectively. H2O2 induced a lower frequency of mutants, 20-30 per 10(5), for enzymatically generated or bolus, respectively. For the following treatments, mutant frequency at 50% survival is shown. Incubation with human granulocytes induced a low frequency of mutants (about 15 per 10(5)). RNS was tested using a series of NO-donating drugs. Spermine/NO. induced cytotoxicity but no mutants while S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine induced a low level, 10 per 10(5). Both release nitrogen monoxide spontaneously, with a t1/2 < 3 h. Glyceryl trinitrate and sodium nitroprusside are two drugs that were slowly metabolized by MN-11 cells (> 12 h). Glyceryl trinitrate induced about 20 per 10(5) while nitroprusside induced 50 per 10(5). Our results indicate that RNS can readily induce mutations detectable in MN-11 cells. At equicytotoxic doses, the induced mutant frequency varied considerably for different drugs, suggesting that different states of nitrogen monoxide (such as NO+ or NO.) may be generated and these may vary in their mutagenic/cytotoxic potential.

Medium-reductant directed expression of methyl coenzyme M reductase isoenzymes in Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum (strain deltaH)

Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum was grown in a chemostat under various controlled conditions in the presence of either sodium sulfide or sodium thiosulfate. After establishment of the steady state, cells were taken and examined for expression of the mRNA transcripts coding for the different forms of methyl coenzyme M reductase (MCR) and methylene tetrahydomethanopterin dehydrogenase (MDH). MCR isoenzyme II expression varied most markedly. Expression was found not only to depend on known parameters temperature, pH and gassing rate, but also on the medium composition, especially the reductant present.

Mitochondrial and cytosolic rhodanese from liver of DAB-treated mice. III. Inhibition kinetic studies

Rhodanese (thiosulphate:cyanide sulphurtransferase) shows distinctive mitochondrial and cytoplasmic activities in several models of tumorigenesis. To investigate the basis for these differences, the enzyme was purified from mitochondrial and cytosolic liver fractions of mice treated with the carcinogen p-dimethyl-aminoazobenzene (DAB) and some inhibition kinetic studies were carried out. When both substrates were assayed at inhibitory levels, non-competitive inhibition was observed for the second substrate at variable concentrations, the reversible connection between both substrates was attained by the instability of the second enzyme form. It is suggested that the enzyme might be changing from an unstable ES form to a more stable sulphur substituted intermediate as a consequence of DAB treatment. Sulphite was a competitive inhibitor vs thiosulphate for rhodanese isolated from normal liver and a hyperbolic activator for the enzyme isolated from liver of DAB-treated animals.

Prevention of fetal and maternal cyanide toxicity from nitroprusside with coinfusion of sodium thiosulfate in gravid ewes

Coadministration of sodium thiosulfate with sodium nitroprusside (SNP) to children and adults prevents increases in cyanide concentrations during anesthesia or long-term SNP infusions. We wondered whether maternally administered sodium thiosulfate would prevent increases in fetal red cell cyanide concentrations in gravid ewes receiving SNP infusions. Under anesthesia, the fetal head was delivered through a lateral hysterotomy for catheterization of the jugular vein; the fetus was left in utero. Six control ewes near term received SNP at 25 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 for 4 h. Norepinephrine was used to maintain maternal mean arterial pressure at 80% baseline values. Six experimental ewes received the same treatment except that sodium thiosulfate was infused with SNP (1 g sodium thiosulfate per 100 mg SNP). Serial red cell cyanide concentrations in ewes and fetuses were followed. One control fetal death resulted from abruptio placenta, and this ewe and fetus were excluded from analysis. An additional control ewe and fetus died from apparent cyanide poisoning late during the course of the experiment. While control ewes and fetuses suffered progressive increases in red cell cyanide concentrations into the toxic range, experimental ewes and fetuses never developed toxic red cell cyanide levels (ewes P < .003, fetuses P < .004). These data, if applicable to humans, suggest that coadministration of sodium thiosulfate with SNP to pregnant women at doses currently in use for nonpregnant patients will prevent fetal, as well as maternal, cyanide toxicity.

The role of endogenous ethylene in the expansion of Helianthus annuus leaves

The possible role of ethylene in leaf expansion of the primary leaves of sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus) was studied. Our lowest application of ethephon promoted expansion of primary leaves. Higher concentrations of ethephon, and a range of concentrations of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid, increased endogenous ethylene concentration and caused a reduction in the area of the primary leaves. The inhibition in leaf expansion induced by ethephon and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid was reversed by pretreating the plants with an inhibitor of ethylene action, namely silver thiosulphate. Treating leaves with lower concentrations of aminoethoxyvinylglycine reduced ethylene production and stimulated leaf expansion. This effect of aminoethoxyvinylglycine could be nullified by pretreating the plants with 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid. Treatment with silver thiosulphate enhanced leaf expansion. This indicates that endogenous ethylene normally plays a significant role in leaf expansion. Flooded and gravistimulated plants produced more ethylene and had smaller leaves. This could suggest that the increased ethylene is the main cause of the slowed leaf growth, however, only in some cases were we able to partially reverse the effect of flooding with silver thiosulphate. This indicates that there are probably many factors, in addition to increased ethylene, that inhibit leaf expansion in flooded and gravistimulated plants.

Methanethiosulfonate derivatives inhibit current through the ryanodine receptor/channel

To identify regions of the ryanodine receptor (RyR) important for ion conduction we modified the channel with sulfhydryl-reacting compounds. After addition of methanethiosulfonate (MTS) compounds channel conductance was decreased while other channel properties, including channel regulation by ATP, caffeine, or Ca, were unaffected. The site of action was accessible to the MTS compounds from the cytoplasmic, but not the luminal, side of the channel. In addition, the hydrophilic MTS compounds were only effective when the channel was open, suggesting that the compounds covalently modify the channel from within the water-filled ion conducting pathway. The decrease in channel current amplitude occurred in a step-wise fashion and was irreversible and cumulative over time, eventually leading to the complete block of channel current. However, the time required for each consecutive modification during continuous exposure to the MTS compounds increased, suggesting that successive modification by the MTS compounds is not independent. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the channel forms a wide vestibule on the cytoplasmic side and contains a much smaller opening on the luminal side. Furthermore, our results indicate that the MTS compounds can serve as functional markers for specific residues of the RyR to be identified in molecular studies.

The effect of sodium thiosulfate on ototoxicity and pharmacokinetics after cisplatin treatment in guinea pigs

The effect of sodium thiosulfate (STS) on the pharmacokinetics and ototoxicity of cisplatin (CDDP) was investigated in guinea pigs. Animals received three intramuscular injections of 7.5 mg/kg CDDP separated by intervals of 5 days with or without STS (1,000 mg/kg) administered intraperitoneally immediately and 1 h after each injection of CDDP or 3 and 6 h later. When administered alone, CDDP caused total outer hair cell (OHC) loss in the basal and second turns of the cochlea. In the group administered CDDP and STS, damage to the OHCs was mild when STS was given concurrently, but was severe when STS was given 3 and 6 h later. Pharmacokinetics measured as free and total platinum (Pt) concentrations in plasma and total Pt concentration in perilymph was not affected after administration of STS with CDDP. These results suggest that an inactive Pt-thiosulfate complex is formed in plasma and is measured as a free Pt component which enters the perilymph via the blood-cochlear barrier. Two possible mechanisms are proposed by which STS reduces ototoxicity: entry of CDDP into target cells such as OHCs and strial marginal cells or binding to intracellular macromolecules of these cells is prevented.

Bactericidal activities of povidone-iodine against Mycobacterium

Three standard strains of Mycobacterium (M. tuberculosis H37Rv, M. avium ATCC15769 and M. kansasii ATCC12478) and 15 clinical isolates of Mycobacterium (7 M. tuberculosis, 2 M. avium, 3 M. kansasii, 1 M. intracellulare, 1 M. chelonae subsp. abscessus and 1 M. gordonae) were selected in order to study the bactericidal activities of povidone-iodine (PVP-I) drug substance and a commercially available PVP-I solution (Isodine solution) against Mycobacterium. After the bacilli had been exposed to the disinfectant solution at concentrations of 0.1 or 0.02% with 2% human serum for various incubation periods from 30 to 120 s, the PVP-I drug substance was inactivated by addition of 0.5% sodium thiosulfate. In the case of the commercially available PVP-I solution, a mixture of 10% Tween 80, 3% soybean lecithin and 0.5% sodium thiosulfate was used as inactivator. It was demonstrated that the 3 standard strains were completely inactivated within 30 s by 0.1% PVP-I drug substance and that the 15 clinical isolates were almost killed by 0.1% commercially available PVP-I solution within 60 s. As a result, the commercially available PVP-I product appeared to be a useful agent as disinfectant against all the tested species of Mycobacterium.

Mutagenic activity of some coal-derived humic compounds evaluated by the Ames test

Two coal-derived humic substances (Sulcis and South Africa, Eniricerche, Italy) have been evaluated for their mutagenic activity on TA98 and TA100 Salmonella typhimurium strains, either in presence or in absence of metabolic activation (S9). Both compounds showed no effect on the two strains, as observed with natural humic acid (Fluka). After chlorination, coal-derived humic acids induced a strong dose-related increase in the number of revertants on TA100 without S9, whose extent was directly proportional to the chlorination ratios. Such effect was completely suppressed when a sodium thiosulfate solution (10%) was added at the end of the chlorination period (about 90 h). The analogies with natural humic acid mutagenicity are discussed.

In vitro characterization of constitutive CysB proteins from Salmonella typhimurium

Expression of the cysteine regulon in Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli is controlled by the LysR-type transcriptional activator CysB and by the inducer N-acetyl-L-serine. Sulphide and thiosulphate are anti-inducers. Two highly purified constitutive CysB proteins, CysB(T149M) and CysB(T149P), were found to bind to the cysJIH, cysK and cysP promoters, to activate transcription from the cysJIH and cysK promoters in the absence of N-acetyl-L-serine, and to be insensitive to the effects of anti-inducers. At 10 mM MgCl2, the in vitro transcription activity of CysB(T149M) was maximal without N-acetyl-L-serine, but that of CysB(T149P) was increased by inducer. At 2 mM MgCl2, both proteins were fully active without inducer. A third mutant protein, CysB(W166R), was totally inactive at 10 mM MgCl2, but gave constitutive expression of the cysK and cysJIH promoters at 2 mM MgCl2. Surprisingly, wild-type CysB was also constitutive for the cysK promoter at 2 mM mgCl2 but not at 10 mM MgCl2; it required inducer for cysJIH promoter activation at both concentrations. Mutagenic studies indicated that this difference between promoters is due to the distance between activation site half-sites, which are separated by 1 bp in the cysJIH promoter and by 2 bp in the cysK promoter. We speculate that inducer acts to decrease the distance between the binding domains of two CysB subunits that interact with an activation site. In vitro activities of wild-type and mutant CysB proteins correlated much better with in vivo behaviour at 2 mM than at 10 mM MgCl2, suggesting that the former is the more physiological concentration.

The gene promoter for a bean abscission cellulase is ethylene-induced in transgenic tomato and shows high sequence conservation with a soybean abscission cellulase

Bean leaf abscission (organ separation) correlates with the de novo accumulation of a pI9.5 cellulase and its mRNA. Overlapping genomic clones encoding the bean abscission cellulase (BAC) were isolated and partially sequenced. In addition, a genomic clone for a soybean abscission cellulase (SAC) was identified and the sequence compared to the BAC genomic sequence. Two 5'-upstream regions are particularly well conserved in the two sequences. Of special interest here is the region between -1 and -200 in the BAC promoter which is highly conserved in the SAC gene. Particle gun bombardment with a BAC promoter construct containing 210 bp of BAC sequence 5' to the transcription start site was sufficient to drive abscission-specific and ethylene and auxin-regulated transient expression in bean. In addition to the transient expression assay, expression was examined in stably transformed tomato. A similar -210 bp BAC promoter construct supported a low level of ethylene-inducible reporter gene expression in tomato leaf abscission zones and adjacent petioles but not in ethylene-treated stem tissue or fruit. Expression from the -210 promoter in tomato abscission zones was inhibited by silver thiosulfate, an ethylene action inhibitor, and was partially inhibited by treatment with auxin.

Antidotal effect of dihydroxyacetone against cyanide toxicity in vivo

Potassium cyanide (CN) intoxication in mice was found to be effectively antagonized by dihydroxyacetone (DHA), particularly if administered in combination with another CN antidote, sodium thiosulfate. Cyanide-induced convulsions were also prevented by DHA treatment, either alone or in combination with thiosulfate. Injection (i.p.) of DHA (2 g/kg) 2 min after or 10 min before CN (s.c.) increased LD50 values of CN(8.7 mg/kg) by factors of 2.1 and 3.0, respectively. Treatment with a combination of DHA and thiosulfate after CN increased the LD50 by a factor of 2.4. Pretreatment with a combination of DHA and thiosulfate (1 g/kg) increased the LD50 of CN to 83 mg/kg. Administration of alpha-ketoglutarate (2.0 g/kg), but not pyruvate, 2 min after CN increased the LD50 of CN by a factor of 1.6. Brain, heart and liver cytochrome oxidase activities were also measured following in vivo CN treatment with and without DHA. Pretreatment with DHA prevented the inhibition of cytochrome oxidase activity by CN and treatment with DHA after CN accelerated the recovery of cytochrome oxidase activity, especially in brain and heart homogenates. DHA is a physiological agent and, therefore, could prove to be a safe and effective antidote for CN, particularly in cases of fire smoke inhalation in which a combination of CN and carbon monoxide is present. In these cases the normally used antidote, sodium nitrite, to induce methemoglobin so as to trap the CN, is contraindicated because some of the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood will have already been diminished by carbon monoxide.

Effect of thiosulphate as electron acceptor on glucose and xylose oxidation by Thermoanaerobacter finnii and a Thermoanaerobacter sp. isolated from oil field water

During glucose and xylose fermentation, Thermoanaerobacter finnii was observed to produce lactate, acetate, H2 and CO2, with ethanol being the major end product. Thermoanaerobacter strain SEBR 5268, an isolate from an oil field, also produced a similar range of end products from glucose and xylose fermentation, with the exception that both ethanol and lactate were the major products of sugar metabolism. Both these strains were able to reduce thiosulphate to sulphide in the presence of these two substrates, with acetate being the dominant metabolite in that case. In addition, a faster growth rate and increased cell yield were obtained in the presence of thiosulphate, than in its absence. The higher concentrations of acetate produced in the presence of thiosulphate rather than without any electron acceptor indicated that more ATP was generated from substrate-level phosphorylation. These results have implications for our understanding of the breakdown of carbohydrates present in organic matter found in the natural ecological niches of Thermoanaerobacter species (sulphide-, elemental sulphur- or sulphate-rich thermal hot springs and oil fields).

In vitro and animal studies of sodium thiosulfate as a potential chemoprotectant against carboplatin-induced ototoxicity

When carboplatin (cis-diammine-1,1-cyclobutane-dicarboxylato-platinum) delivery to brain tumors is optimized with osmotic blood-brain barrier disruption (BBBD), high frequency hearing loss can result. Treatment with sodium thiosulfate (STS) blocked carboplatin cytotoxicity against the LX-1 human small cell lung carcinoma cell line in vitro. STS decreased carboplatin-induced ototoxicity in a guinea pig model, as determined by electrophysiological measurements and analysis of inner ear outer hair cell numbers. Protection was found when STS was administered up to 8 h subsequent to carboplatin but not 24 h after carboplatin. In a rat model of osmotic BBBD, STS was neurotoxic when given immediately after BBBD but not when given 60 min after BBBD, when the barrier is reestablished. Thus, delayed administration of STS may provide a mechanism to reduce the cochlear toxicity caused by BBBD-enhanced carboplatin delivery to the brain.

Oxygen dependence of hepatocyte susceptibility to mitochondrial respiratory inhibitors

Most zone 3 specific hepatotoxins or their metabolites are mitochondrial toxins, and yet the susceptibility of hepatocytes to respiratory inhibitors at the low O2 concentrations found in zone 3 is not known. Potassium cyanide (CN) and antimycin A (AA) were found to be 5- and 2-fold more cytotoxic at 1% than at 95% O2, respectively. CN also inhibited the respiration of hepatocytes 36% more at 1% O2 than at 95% O2; however, AA inhibited the respiration to the same level at 1% and 95% O2. CN but not AA depleted ATP levels of hepatocytes more extensively at 1% than at 95% O2. The CN-trapping agents dihydroxyacetone, glyceraldehyde, alpha-ketoglutarate and pyruvate prevented CN-induced cytotoxicity more effectively at 95% O2 than at 1% O2. In contrast, thiosulfate was less effective in preventing CN toxicity at 95% than at 1% O2. Hepatocyte thiocyanate formation from CN and thiosulfate was much faster at 1% than at 95% O2, suggesting that rhodanese, the mitochondrial enzyme that forms thiocyanate from CN and thiosulfate, is more effective at 1% O2 than at 95% O2.

Do 'chlorine covers' exert a sustained bactericidal effect on the bacterial hand flora?

Treatment of skin with chlorine generates 'chlorine covers' which, in a previous study, exerted significant sustained bactericidal effects against transient skin flora on the upper arm and forearm. In this investigation, this effect was studied on both the transient and resident flora of the hands using test models for the evaluation of hand disinfectants as agreed upon in Austria and Germany. Chlorine covers were generated by bathing hands in a solution of 2% sodium tosylchloramide for 1 min. Subsequently, this cover was destroyed on one, randomly selected, hand by bathing it in a solution of 0.5% sodium thiosulphate for 15 s. The amount of chlorine on the fingertips of chlorinated hands was 2.2 +/- 0.4 micrograms/cm2; that on subsequently dechlorinated hands was 0.2 +/- 0.1 microgram/cm2. In experiments with artificially contaminated hands (Escherichia coli), the kinetics of bacterial die-off were the same on both hands. Also, in experiments with resident flora, the kinetics of bacterial die-off did not suggest bacterial reductions that increase with the duration of contact with the chlorine cover. It was concluded that with the test models used, a significant sustained antimicrobial effect of the chlorine cover could not be demonstrated on hands.

[Water disinfection: comparative activities of ozone and chlorine on a wide spectrum of bacteria]

Ozone and chlorine are agents that disinfect by destroying, neutralizing or inhibiting the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. The treatment of drinking water with ozone has shown to be more efficient against spores of Bacillus subtilis. It was observed that the ozone already in dose of 0.35 mg/l produced the reduction of at least 5 log in populations of approximately 1 x 10(6) cells/ml of Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella typhi, Yersinia enterocolitica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aeromonas hydrophila, Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. With a dose of 0.50 mg/l of chlorine, the reduction was much smaller for the tested microorganisms (except Vibrio cholerae), while the effect of 2 mg/l of chlorine was similar to the ozone treatment. For spores of Bacillus subtilis, the reduction observed with ozone concentrations of 0.35 and 0.70 mg/l was of almost 3 log, while no considerable effect was obtained with chlorine in the tested conditions. Our results have shown that both disinfectans were consumed during the treatment period, probably because of the own water demand and the added bacterial mass.

Effect of atropine on cyanide-induced acute lethality in mice

The effects of atropine on acute lethality induced by cyanide were investigated in mice. The LD50 value of cyanide (s.c. injection) was 8.4 (7.6-9.3) mg/kg. However, the LD50 value of cyanide (s.c.) was significantly increased by 1.5-fold when atropine (32 mg/kg) was injected s.c. in mice. Furthermore, the combined administration of atropine (32 mg/kg), Ca2+ (500 mg/kg) and sodium thiosulfate (1 g/kg) tremendously increased the LD50 value by 5.6-fold in mice although sodium thiosulfate or Ca2+ alone increased the LD50 2.5- or 1.5-fold. On the other hand, although the LD50 value of cyanide (intracerebroventricular injection (i.v.t.)) was 52.0 (47.4-57.0) micrograms/brain, the LD50 value of cyanide (i.v.t.) was significantly increased by 1.3- or 1.61-fold in mice 10 min after s.c. injection of atropine (32 mg/kg) or Ca2+ (500 mg/kg). Furthermore, the combined administration of atropine and Ca2+ increased the LD50 value of cyanide by 2.1-fold. These results suggest that atropine inhibits cyanide-induced acute lethality and promotes the antagonistic effect of thiosulfate and Ca2+ in mice.

Cloning of a tomato polygalacturonase expressed in abscission

Abscission, organ separation, is accompanied by cell wall breakdown in separation layer cells. In tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), ethylene-induced abscission is correlated with an increase in polygalacturonase (PG) and endo-beta-1,4-D-glucanase (cellulase) activity. We have identified a putative, abscission-specific cDNA clone for PG, pTAPG1. The TAPG1 cDNA has 43% identity at the amino acid level with the tomato fruit PG. Genomic blot analysis suggests that the gene for TAPG1 is a member of a small subfamily of PG genes that is distinct from the tomato fruit PG. The TAPG1 cDNA hybridizes to mRNA expressed during the course of ethylene-induced leaf and flower abscission. A high level of PG transcript accumulation coincides with the occurrence of abscission. Auxin, an abscission inhibitor, and silver thiosulfate, an ethylene action inhibitor, suppressed accumulation of mRNA in leaf abscission zones complementary to the TAPG1 cDNA. Expression of TAPG1 transcripts is several-fold higher in flower abscission zones than in leaf abscission zones. The identification of cDNAs that encode abscission-specific PG provide and additional tool to study the regulation of abscission and cell wall dissolution in separation layer cells.

Evaluation of protective effects of sodium thiosulfate, cysteine, niacinamide and indomethacin on sulfur mustard-treated isolated perfused porcine skin

Sulfur mustard (bis(2-chloroethyl)sulfide, HD), a bifunctional alkylating agent, causes severe cutaneous injury, including cell death, edema and vesication. However, the mechanisms underlying HD-induced cutaneous toxicity remain undefined. The isolated perfused porcine skin flap (IPPSF) has been utilized to investigate dermal toxic compounds and pharmacological intervention. In this study, 4 compounds with different pharmacological mechanisms were tested for their ability to prevent the dark basal cell formation, vesication and vascular response charcteristic of exposure to HD in the IPPSF. Reduction of HD-induced dark basal cells was observed in IPPSFs perfused with sodium thiosulfate and cysteine, which are HD scavengers; niacinamide, a possible NAD+ stabilizer and an inhibitor of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase; or indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, respectively. Treatments with niacinamide and indomethacin, but not sodium thiosulfate or cysteine, resulted in an inhibition of the vascular response in IPPSF exposed to HD. Microvesicles caused by HD were only partially prevented in the indomethacin-perfused IPPSFs. These data suggest that none of these agents alone would be successful antivesicant agents and different mechanisms are involved in production of HD-induced dark basal cells, microvesicles and the vascular response; unfortunately, blocking of the cellular toxicity as evidenced by dark basal cell formation did not prevent vesication, suggesting that other mechanisms must be operative and that there is a multistep, biochemical process that leads to a final lesion.

The comparative effects of sodium thiosulfate, diethyldithiocarbamate, fosfomycin and WR-2721 on ameliorating cisplatin-induced ototoxicity

The efficacies of four agents in ameliorating cisplatin-induced ototoxicity were investigated. Hamsters were given a series of 5 cisplatin injections (3 mg/kg/injection once every other day, i.p.) either alone or in combination with 1600 mg/kg/injection sodium thiosulfate (STS), 300 mg/kg/injection diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC), 18 mg/kg/injection WR-2721, or 300 mg/kg/injection fosfomycin (n = 10/group). Ototoxicity was assessed electrophysiologically by auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) and anatomically by cochlear histology. The greatest auditory protection was given by STS, followed by DDTC. WR-2721 and fosfomycin did not provide any protection. All of the animals in the STS and DDTC groups survived, while some fatalities occurred in the fosfomycin, WR-2721, and cisplatin-only groups. Thus, the agents that were protective against ototoxicity were also protective against mortality. The ABRs also provided evidence of cisplatin-induced neuropathy. In summary, STS and DDTC hold promise for ameliorating the ototoxic effects of cisplatin chemotherapy and the hamster proved to be an excellent model of cisplatin ototoxicity.

Assessment of sulfur mustard interaction with basement membrane components

Bis-2-chloroethyl sulfide (sulfur mustard, HD) is a bifunctional alkylating agent which causes severe vesication characterized by slow wound healing. Our previous studies have shown that the vesicant HD disrupts the epidermal-dermal junction at the lamina lucida of the basement membrane. The purpose of this study was to examine whether HD directly modifies basement membrane components (BMCs), and to evaluate the effect of HD on the cell adhesive activity of BMCs. EHS laminin was incubated with [14C]HD, and extracted by gel filtration. Analysis of the [14C]HD-conjugated laminin fraction by a reduced sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylaminde gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed the incorporation of radioactivity into both laminin subunits and a laminin trimer resistant to dissociation in reduced SDS-PAGE sample buffer, suggesting direct alkylation and cross-linking of EHS laminin by [14C]HD. Normal human foreskin epidermal keratinocytes were biosynthetically labeled with [35S]cysteine. 35S-labeled laminin isoforms, Ae.B1e.B2e. laminin and K.B1e.B2e. laminin (using the nomenclature of Engel), fibronectin, and heparan sulfate proteoglycan were isolated by immunoprecipitation from the cell culture medium, treated with HD or ethanol as control, and then analyzed by SDS-PAGE. On reduced SDS gels, these three BMCs not treated with HD showed the typical profile of dissociated subunits. However, HD treatment caused the appearance of higher molecular weight bands indicative of cross-linking of subunits within these BMCs. The HD scavengers sodium thiosulfate and cysteine prevented the cross-linking of BMC subunits by HD. Finally, tissue culture dishes coated with laminin or fibronectin were treated with HD or ethanol as a control, and human keratinocytes were plated on the BMC-coated surfaces. After 20 h of incubation, it was observed that cell adhesion was decreased significantly on the BMC-coated surfaces treated with HD. As expected, the preincubation of HD with cysteine diminished the HD inhibition of cell adhesion. Thus, HD alkylates adhesive macromolecules of the basement membrane zone and inhibits their cell adhesive activity. These findings support the hypothesis that the alkylation of basement membrane components by HD destabilizes the epidermal-dermal junction in the process of HD-induced vesication. The failure of the HD-alkylated BMCs to support the attachment of keratinocytes might also contribute to the slow reepithelialization of the wound site which is characteristic of HD-induced blistering.

Antidotal effect of sodium thiosulfate in mice exposed to acrylonitrile

Although acute acrylonitrile (ACN) toxicity is very profound, the mechanism of its toxicity and immediate lethality is unclear. Many have suggested that ACN or its reactive metabolite acts directly at the target tissues, while others have implicated the release of CN ions from the parent compound as the toxic moiety. Since sodium thiosulfate (STS) is both an effective cyanide antidote and neutralizing agent capable of binding to reactive chemicals or metabolites, its antidotal role was investigated in mice exposed to 60 mg/kg intraperitoneal (IP) ACN injection. Treatment with an IP injection of 400 mg/kg of STS from 10 to 30 minutes before ACN administration protected animals from ACN-induced lethality. All mice appeared normal after prophylactic treatment with STS and showed no ill effects from ACN exposure. Similar data was observed when STS was administered 10 and 30 minutes after ACN administration. Non-protein sulfhydryl (NPSH) concentration was determined in the brain, kidneys, and liver of the mice exposed to a single or multiple doses of STS and ACN. The levels of NPSH were significantly lowered by ACN in the liver (45% of the control), and kidneys (51% of the control), whereas in the brain NPSH levels were least affected and decreased modestly (85% of the control) following either acute or chronic administration of acrylonitrile. The data indicate a marked protective effect of STS either before or after ACN exposure and this STS-induced antidotal response does not involve GSH in the brain.

Mn(2+)-activated luminescence of the photoprotein obelin

The light emission of obelin may be initiated by Mn2+ under alkaline conditions. The luminescence takes place in a pH range from 7 to 12 with a sharp optimum at 11.75. The first-order rate constant for Mn(2+)-activated luminescence decay is more than 9 s-1, while that for Ca(2+)-activated luminescence decay is only 6.9 s-1. The Mn2+ concentration-effect curve for obelin determined with simple dilutions of manganese salt is a sigmoid curve. The slope of the curve is moderately dependent on the pH and was not more than 1 within the pH range tested. The maximal light emission, which is initiated by 3.6 x 10(-5) M Mn2+ at pH 11.75 was about 10% of the maximal Ca(2+)-activated luminescence. Mg2+ ions inhibit the Mn(2+)-activated luminescence of obelin. The addition of OH. and O2- scavengers did not influence the Mn(2+)-activated luminescence, but when singlet oxygen quenchers were added, the Mn(2+)-dependent light emission was inhibited. This suggests that the 1O2 might be formed and itself be responsible for chromophore oxidation attended with light emission. NEM and Na2S2O4 inhibit the Mn(2+)-initiated light emission of obelin completely, showing that endogenous hydroperoxide and SH-group(s) of the photoprotein are essential for both Ca(2+)-activated and Mn(2+)-activated light emission of obelin.

Cyanide antagonism with carrier erythrocytes and organic thiosulfonates

Previous studies reported that resealed erythrocytes containing rhodanese (CRBC) and NA2S2O3 rapidly metabolize cyanide to the less toxic thiocyanate both in vitro and in vivo. This provided a new conceptual approach to prevent and treat cyanide intoxication. Although the rhodanese-containing carrier cells with thiosulfate as the sulfur donor were efficacious, this approach has potential disadvantages, as thiosulfate has limited penetration of cell membrane and product inhibition of rhodanese can occur due to inorganic sulfite accumulation. In order to circumvent substrate limitation and product inhibition by sodium thiosulfate, organic thiosulfonates were explored. These thiosulfonates have higher lipid solubility than thiosulfate and therefore can replenish the depleted sulfur donor, as they can readily penetrate cell membranes. Also, product inhibition of rhodanese is less apt to occur. This change in sulfur donors should greatly enhance cyanide detoxication, replenish the sulfur donor, and minimize product inhibition of rhodanese. Present studies demonstrate the enhanced efficacy of exogenous organic thiosulfonates over sodium thiosulfate in the CRBC antidotal system to detoxify the lethal effects of cyanide either alone or in combinations with exogenously administered NaNO2. Murine carrier erythrocytes containing purified bovine liver rhodanese were administered intravenously into male Balb/C mice. Subsequently, butanethiosulfonate (BTS) or Na2S2O3 (ip), and NaNO2 (sc) were co-administered prior to KCN (sc). Potency ratios, derived from the LD50 values, were compared in groups of mice treated with CRBC-Na2S2O3 or CRBC-BTS either alone or in combination with NaNO2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)