Abnormalities of bile acids in serum and bile from patients with myotonic muscular dystrophy

1. Serum bile acids in seven patients with adult type myotonic dystrophy and 22 normal persons were quantitatively analysed by gas-liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for cholesterol, gamma-glutamyltransferase and bilirubin. There was no bile obstruction in any patient. 2. Dexoycholic acid values in all mothers of patients with congenital type myotonic dystrophy were three times (2.1 mumol/l) that of the control (0.7 mumol/l). 3. Uncommon bile acids were detected in the patients' sera. One of them appeared to be dihydroxymono-oxocholanic acid, having a longer side chain. Another one appeared to be dihydroxycholanic acid, with a steroid-nucleus structure similar to chenodeoxycholic acid and with a longer side chain. 4. Biliary bile acids from three patients and one normal person were also analysed, and this revealed a remarkable decrease in ursodeoxycholic acid in the patients. 5. The presence of bile acid abnormality in patients with myotonic muscular dystrophy is proposed.

Steroids as substrates for cholesterol: oxygen oxidoreductase, with special reference to 3beta-hydroxy bile acids

Cholesterol: oxygen oxidoreductase [EC 1.1.3.6] from Brevibacterium sterolicum (ATCC 21387) was found to catalyze the oxidation of steroids such as sterols, steroid hormones, and bile acids having a free C-3beta hydroxyl group. However, the enzyme was inactive towards estradiol and estriol and had a weak activity towards steroids with functional groups adjacent to the 3beta-hydroxyl group on the steroid nucleus. Variation in the length of the side chain of 3beta-hydroxy steroids had no marked effect on the activity. 3beta-Hydroxy bile acids with delta4 or delta5 were oxidized to almost the same extent as cholesterol. In contrast, 3beta-hydroxy bile acids without delta4 or delta5 were oxidized only to the extent of 1.4--2.1%. 3 beta-Hydroxychol-4 or 5-enoic acid was oxidized in the same way as cholesterol. This enzyme is useful as a simple tool for identification of 3 beta-hydroxy groups of bile acids.

[Carcinogenic effect of the 3-di-(hydroxymethyl-)amino-6-(5-nitro-2-furylethenyl-)1,2,4-triazines in Panfuran-S on mice]

The carcinogenic activity of Panfuran-S containing 3-di-(hydroxymethyl-)amino-6-(5-nitro-2-furylethenyl-)1,2,4-triazine (DHNT) orally administered to mice for 35 weeks was studied. DHNT produced malignant tumors of the forestomach in the highest incidence and also, in decreasing order of frequency, of the duodenum and/or jejunum, esophagus and urinary bladder. Forestomach squamous cell carcinomas were produced dose-dependently in mice receiving more than 350 ppm DHNT and rose to 100% in mice receiving 3,500 ppm. The incidence of duodenal and/or jejunal adenocarcinomas were 8 of 28 mice (29%) receiving 1,750 ppm and 10 of 17 mice (59%) receiving 3,500 ppm. The incidence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma was 3 of 11 mice (11%) receiving 1,750 ppm and that of urinary bladder transitional cell carcinoma was 2 of 28 mice (7%) receiving 1,750 ppm and 1 of 17 mice (6%) receiving 3,500 ppm DHNT.