Case report: renal excretion of gastrografin following rectal administration

Renal excretion of water soluble iodinated contrast media following oral administration has often been described but no reports describing renal excretion following rectal administration of such contrast have previously been described. We describe a case of renal excretion of diatrizoate methylglucamine (Gastrografin, Schering) following a diagnostic 'gastrografin enema' in a woman with caecal carcinoma.

Allogeneic bone-marrow transplantation without protective isolation in adults with malignant disease

Bone-marrow transplant (BMT) patients are severely immunocompromised immediately after the procedure and they are commonly nursed in strict protective isolation to reduce the risk of both infection and graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). We have studied a consecutive series of patients to see whether protective isolation is of benefit as prophylaxis against infectious complications of BMT. 50 consecutive patients who had malignant disease and received their first BMT from siblings or unrelated donors were nursed in standard single rooms with visitors instructed to wash their hands. A subset of 20 patients living locally spent a median of 25 days in hospital after BMT; they also spent some time at home on a median of 8 days before engraftment and 3 patients went home on more than 90% of their hospital days. 16 patients (32%) had positive bacterial cultures and/or focal infection. Gram-positive bacteraemia was found in 12 subjects (24%) but there were no gram-negative or deep fungal infections. Grade II or III acute GvHD developed in 17 patients (34%). There were no deaths from infection or acute GvHD. Transplant-related mortality was 6% in the first 100 days and 18% overall with a median follow-up of 22 months. Our mortality data compare favourably with those from institutions with strict isolation procedures. We conclude that BMT may be safely completed in some institutions without either protective isolation or the need to confine patients continuously in hospital.

Metabolism of glycerol by mature boar spermatozoa

Mature boar spermatozoa oxidized glycerol to carbon dioxide in the absence of any detectable activity of glycerol kinase. With triosephosphate isomerase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase inhibited by the presence of 3-chloro-1-hydroxypropanone (CHOP), dihydroxyacetone phosphate accumulated in incubates when glycerol-3-phosphate was the substrate, but not when it was glycerol. Both dihydroxyacetone and glyceraldehyde could be used as substrates; in the presence of CHOP, dihydroxyacetone phosphate and fructose-1,6-bisphosphate accumulated when dihydroxyacetone was the substrate, but not when it was glyceraldehyde. The metabolic pathways glycerol----glyceraldehyde----glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetone----dihydroxyacetone phosphate have been shown to operate in these cells.

The male antifertility activity of 6-chloro-6-deoxyglucose

6-Chloro-6-deoxy[U-14C]glucose is not metabolised by mature boar spermatozoa nor has it any specific inhibitory action on their metabolic activity in vitro. The compound is metabolised by the male rat and the identification of two urinary metabolites as alpha-chlorohydrin and 3-chlorolactate confirmed that (S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde is produced by this species in vivo. A tissue distribution study revealed that radioactivity from 6-chloro-6-deoxy[U-14C]glucose was more concentrated in rat caudal spermatozoa than in any other of the major tissues.

Granulocytic sarcoma of the ovary. An unusual case presentation

We report an unusual occurrence of granulocytic sarcoma presenting as an ovarian mass in a 46-year-old woman with a history of dysplastic nevus syndrome. During workup of the ovarian mass, the diagnosis of acute myelogenous leukemia was made. A fine-needle aspirate of the ovarian mass showed granulocytic sarcoma. The patient died of complications of the acute leukemia a short time later. A postmortem examination was performed, which confirmed the nature of the ovarian mass as a granulocytic sarcoma. Material was obtained for flow cytometry, immunohistochemical and histochemical studies, and electron microscopy. Ploidy analysis of the tumor showed it to be diploid with an S phase of 4.8% and a G2 + M ratio of 0.5%. To our knowledge, there is only one previous report of a primary ovarian presentation of granulocytic sarcoma, and only four cases in which granulocytic sarcoma was diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration cytology. The association between dysplastic nevus syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia in this case is discussed with reference to a review of the metachronous association between melanoma and leukemia as described in the literature.

Metabolism of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate by mature boar spermatozoa

Mature epididymal boar spermatozoa converted glucose and fructose to carbon dioxide and lactate and maintained high concentrations of ATP. In the presence of (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin these processes were inhibited and there was an accumulation of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate. With fructose-1,6-bisphosphate as the substrate, the concentration of ATP was maintained, carbon dioxide was evolved and dihydroxyacetone phosphate accumulated. Cells pre-incubated with (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin did not maintain ATP levels, evolved less carbon dioxide and produced dihydroxyacetone phosphate. Assays of incubates in which fructose-1,6-bisphosphate was used as the substrate showed the presence of equilibrium quantities of fructose-6-phosphate and glucose-6-phosphate which were not detected when either fructose or glucose were used as substrates. [14C]Fructose and [14C]glucose were not produced from [14C]fructose-1,6-bisphosphate in spermatozoal incubates which had or had not been pre-incubated with (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin. Evidence is presented that a high concentration of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate leads to the formation of fructose-6-phosphate and glucose-6-phosphate but not of fructose and/or glucose.

Zoobenthic variability associated with a flood and drought in the Hawkesbury estuary, New South Wales: Some consequences for environmental monitoring

Changes in the Hawkesbury zoobenthos associated with a major flood and drought are described and comparisons made in the patterns of change among estuarine reaches and among sites within reaches. The consequences for environmental monitoring and management are discussed. Replicate grab samples were taken from four sites in each of the lower, middle and upper reaches. Reductions in the mean number of species per grab (S) following the flood were significant only in the lower reaches and at one site in the middle reaches. Increases in S accompanied the drought in all reaches but intra-reach variation in temporal patterns occurred in both S and in the most abundant species found. Thus, major weather events are associated with temporal changes whose patterns differ on both small and large spatial scales. Consequently, the results from fixed-factor sampling designs, which are widely used, may be unrepresentative of other areas. Unfortunately, the alternative approach of stratified random sampling will probably be both prohibitively expensive and difficult to implement in the complex estuarine benthic habitat. Further, short-term studies will probably be grossly unrepresentative of natural temporal variation. Attempts to reduce expenses by using only one or two abundant species as characterising communities or as indicators of physicochemical conditions may be unreliable because of variation in both time and space in dominant species and the lack of pollution-response knowledge for local species.

Hemopoietic origin of factor XIII A subunits in platelets, monocytes, and plasma. Evidence from bone marrow transplantation studies

Factor XIII A subunit (FXIIIA) is found in plasma, platelets, and monocytes. The hemopoietic contributions to FXIIIA in these components were studied in patients transplanted with marrows from donors with different FXIIIA phenotypes. In three patients with successful engraftment (by DNA genotyping, red cell phenotyping, and cytogenetic studies) platelet and monocyte FXIIIA changed to donor phenotypes with hematologic recovery. Thus, FXIIIA in platelets and monocytes is synthesized de novo and/or from their progenitor cells. Plasma FXIIIA phenotype change after transplantation was more complex. Patient I changed from phenotype 1-1 (one electrophoretically fast band) to 1-2 (three bands) in 115 d; patients 2 and 3 did not change completely from phenotype 1-2 to 1-1 in up to 458 d, but did show enrichment of the fastest band. Thus, while there is a definite contribution of donor hemopoiesis to plasma FXIIIA, another source of recipient FXIIIA appears to be present to delay or prevent the phenotype change.

Treatment of advanced Hodgkin's disease with high dose melphalan and autologous bone marrow transplantation

Twenty patients with Hodgkin's disease which had relapsed at least once after chemotherapy, were treated with melphalan 140-220 mg/m2 i.v. followed by reinfusion of non-cryopreserved autologous bone marrow. Four patients (20%) remain alive and disease-free 28, 45, 52, and 96 months after treatment respectively. There were no treatment-related deaths. This appears to be the only reported series of patients treated with a single agent in this situation. The results are comparable to those achieved by multi-agent regimens with autologous or allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

Dose-rate effects of mammary tumor development in female Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to X and gamma radiation

Mammary tumour development was followed in two experiments involving a total of 2229 female Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to various doses of X or gamma rays at different dose rates. The data for another 462 rats exposed to tritiated water in one of these experiments were also analyzed. The incidence of adenocarcinomas and fibroadenomas at a given time after exposure increased linearly in proportion to total radiation dose for most groups. However, no significant increase in adenocarcinomas was observed with chronic gamma exposures up to 1.1 Gy, and the increase in fibroadenomas observed with chronic gamma exposures at a dose rate of 0.0076 Gy h-1 up to an accumulated dose of 3.3 Gy was small compared to that observed after acute exposures. The incidence of all mammary tumors increased almost linearly with the log of dose rate in the range 0.0076 to 26.3 Gy h-1 for 3 Gy total dose of gamma rays. The effects of X rays appeared to be less influenced by dose rate than were the effects of gamma rays.

Oxidative metabolic activity of boar spermatozoa: a system for assessing anti-glycolytic activity of potential inhibitors in vitro

The oxidative metabolic capability of mature boar spermatozoa has been determined in vitro. The high rate of oxidation of fructose, glucose, glycerol, glycerol-3-phosphate and lactate to CO2 and the optimization of incubation conditions indicates that these cells could constitute a model system for investigating the anti-glycolytic activity of potential male anti-fertility agents. The effects of several chemical agents on the oxidative metabolism of boar spermatozoa are reported.

Double autologous bone marrow transplantation for acute myelogenous leukemia in a patient treated for Hodgkin's disease

A 30-year-old man developed acute myelogenous leukemia nearly 3 years after treatment of Hodgkin's disease with radiation and three chemotherapy combinations. Remission was induced with one cycle of high-dose Ara-C therapy. Three cycles of consolidation chemotherapy were given. The patient then had two autologous bone marrow transplants, the first after conditioning with 5 Gy total body irradiation, the second after Melphalan 140 mg/m2. The procedures were well tolerated, although hematological reconstitution was very slow after the second autotransplant. The patient has been disease-free for over 4 years. Such patients may be more vulnerable to transplant-related complications because of their previous exposure to chemotherapy and radiation, which may damage several organs including the bone marrow. This report demonstrates that patients with secondary acute myelogenous leukemia may tolerate a double autotransplant procedure and achieve durable remissions.

Is the nephrotoxicity of (R)-3-chlorolactate in the rat caused by 3-chloropyruvate?

1. When (R, S)-[3-36 Cl]chlorolactate was administered to male rats, two radioactive constituents were excreted in the urine. These were identified as 36Cl- and [3-36 Cl]chlorolactate which was subsequently shown to be essentially the (S)-isomer. 2. Analysis of the urinary oxalate content from rats receiving either (R)- or (S)-3-chlorolactate revealed that elevated levels were produced by the (R)-isomer whereas normal levels followed the administration of the (S)-isomer. 3. Treatment of (R,S)-3-chlorolactate with a modified Fenton's oxidizing system produced oxalate and an intermediate which was identified as 3-chloropyruvate. 4. 3-Chloropyruvate is a potent nephrotoxin in the rat producing a brief phase of diuresis when administered, increasing the urinary excretion of oxalate and inhibiting the oxidative metabolic capability of rat kidney tubules and rat kidney mitochondria in vitro. 5. Both (R)-3-chlorolactate and 3-chloropyruvate were shown to be inhibitors of the commercially-available pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. 6. 3-Chloropyruvate inhibits kidney mitochondrial metabolism possibly at the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex level and appears to be a metabolite of (R)- but not (S)-3-chlorolactate.

Staging laparotomy in Hodgkin's disease: a community hospital experience

Between 1977 and 1984, 50 patients with Hodgkin's disease underwent a staging laparotomy performed by nine surgeons in a community hospital. Adequate procedures were performed in 80% of cases compared to staging laparotomies done between 1969 and 1976 when only 40% were properly performed. Abdominal lymphangiogram had a false-negative rate of 0 but a false positive rate of 70%. Clinical stage III disease was significantly downstaged at laparotomy (65% of cases). Postoperative complication rate was 4% and there were no operative deaths. A subset of patients not requiring laparotomy have been identified. Because the quality of staging laparotomy and lymphangiography was variable, we encourage all centres treating patients with Hodgkin's disease to review their own experience with these techniques before making individual patient treatment decisions.

Chloroplast transformation in Chlamydomonas with high velocity microprojectiles

Bombardment of three mutants of the chloroplast atpB gene of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with high-velocity tungsten microprojectiles that were coated with cloned chloroplast DNA carrying the wild-type gene permanently restored the photosynthetic capacity of the algae. In most transformants of one of the mutants, a fragment with a 2.5-kilobase deletion was restored to normal size by a homologous replacement event; in about 25 percent of the transformants the restored restriction fragment was 50 to 100 base pairs smaller or larger than that of wild type. About one-fourth of the transformants of this mutant contained unintegrated donor plasmid when first examined. This plasmid persisted in four different transformants after 65 cell generations of continuous liquid culture but was lost from all transformants maintained on plates of selective medium. The restored wild-type atpB gene remains in all transformants as an integral part of the chloroplast genome and is expressed and inherited normally.

Inhibitory effects of (S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde on the metabolic activity of boar spermatozoa in vitro

(S)-alpha-Chlorohydrin and 3-chloro-1-hydroxyacetone inhibited the oxidative metabolism of fructose by boar spermatozoa only after a period of incubation in which they presumably underwent conversion to (S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde, an inhibitor of sperm glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase. With glycerol as substrate, 3-chloro-1-hydroxyacetone had a similar effect, (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin was ineffective while (R,S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde was immediately effective with either substrate. All three compounds caused the accumulation of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate from fructose but not from glycerol which led to the conclusion that inhibition of triosephosphate isomerase was also associated with the anti-glycolytic action of (S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde. (S)-3-Chlorolactaldehyde caused the depletion of ATP in incubates of boar spermatozoa metabolizing fructose but not glycerol. This suggests that futile substrate cycling may play an important function in the anti-glycolytic action of (S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde and/or that boar spermatozoa can synthesize ATP from glycerol by a mechanism not involving the glycolytic pathway.

Pathologic Malgaigne fracture following pelvic irradiation. A case report

A 48-year-old woman developed symptomatic superior and inferior pubic rami fractures with a concomitant subluxation of the ipsilateral sacroiliac joint three years after pelvic irradiation for a gynecologic malignancy. Pathologic pelvic fractures (PPF) caused by irradiation may be difficult to distinguish from those caused by metastatic disease. PPF produce prolonged disability.

Inhibition of triosephosphate isomerase in boar spermatozoa by (S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde

Mature epididymal boar spermatozoa converted fructose and glycerol to carbon dioxide but in the presence of 3-chloro-1-hydroxyacetone these oxidations were inhibited. When the substrate was fructose, there was an increase in the amounts of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate but these glycolytic intermediates did not accumulate when glycerol was the substrate. Examination of enzyme activities in mature boar spermatozoa incubated with 3-chloro-1-hydroxyacetone, which is metabolised in vitro to (S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde, confirmed that glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and triosephosphate isomerase were both inhibited to equivalent degrees by this metabolite.

The renal toxicity of (R)-3-chlorolactate in the rat

The renal toxicity of (R,S)-3-chlorolactate has been shown to be due to the (R)-isomer which, when administered to rats, induces diuresis and glucosuria. The metabolic activity of isolated tubule cells, prepared from rat kidney, was inhibited by (R)-3-chlorolactate and the action of the compound was localised as affecting mitochondrial metabolism. Studies with kidney mitochondria pin-pointed the site of action as being involved with the oxidative metabolism of malate but not the inhibition of mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase. The effects of oxalate, a metabolite of (R)-3-chlorolactate, and of (R,S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde on renal tubule cells was investigated. While some degrees of inhibition of metabolic activity were evident, these compounds were not responsible for the toxic effects produced by (R)-3-chlorolactate.

Mechanism of inhibition of fructolysis in ram spermatozoa by chlorinated antifertility agents

When ejaculated ram spermatozoa were incubated with (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin (up to 0.25 mM) the oxidative metabolism of fructose to carbon dioxide was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner. This appears to be due to inhibition of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase which leads to the accumulation of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, dihydroxyacetone phosphate and, to a lesser extent, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate. (R)-alpha-Chlorohydrin (10 mM) had no significant effect on the oxidative metabolism of fructose. The inhibition of the oxidative metabolism of fructose by (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin (0.1 mM) was not immediate but was detected after incubation for 15 min. By contrast, (R,S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde (5 mM) caused an immediate inhibition of this metabolic pathway. 1-Chloro-3-hydroxyacetone (0.5 mM) immediately decreased the oxidative metabolism of fructose which resulted in the accumulation of key fructolytic intermediates in a manner comparable to that produced by (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin. At a concentration of 20 mM, 6-chloro-6-deoxyglucose had no significant effect on the metabolic activity of ram spermatozoa. We suggest that the anti-fructolytic actions of (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin and 1-chloro-3-hydroxyacetone are mediated via a common metabolite, (S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde, and that the inactivity of 6-chloro-6-deoxyglucose is due to the inability of ram spermatozoa to metabolise this chlorinated sugar to (S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde.

Inhibition of fructolytic enzymes in boar spermatozoa by (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin and 1-chloro-3-hydroxypropanone

When boar spermatozoa were incubated with the (S)-isomer of the male antifertility agent alpha-chlorohydrin the activity of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase was inhibited. The (R)-isomer had no significant effect on the activity of this enzyme whereas (R,S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde caused an inhibition of its activity and also in that of lactate dehydrogenase. The in vitro production of (S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde, the active metabolite of (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin, was attempted by incubating boar spermatozoa with 1-chloro-3-hydroxypropanone. Preliminary results lead us to propose that this compound is converted into (S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde as well as to another metabolite which is an inhibitor of other enzymes within the fructolytic pathway.

Bone marrow transplantation for acute monocytic leukemia following the treatment of Hodgkin's disease

A 32-year-old woman developed acute monocytic leukemia within a year of treatment for Hodgkin's disease with chemotherapy and radiation. Residual leukemia was present in the bone marrow after two induction courses of high-dose Ara-C. She received a bone marrow transplant from an HLA- and DR-identical sister and remains in complete remission more than 2 years after transplantation. Only one other instance of a remission greater than 2 years after transplantation for secondary acute leukemia could be found in the literature. Although bone marrow transplantation may be carried out successfully in these patients, it is possible that they may be more vulnerable to transplant-related complications because of their previous exposure to chemotherapy and radiation. Only further study can clarify this matter and determine the best time for the procedure and which regimen should be used.

A microcomputer controlled hand assessment system used for clinical measurement

To improve the objectivity of clinical assessment of hand function, a microcomputer controlled system of force transducers has been developed and used to study twenty normal subjects and thirty-eight patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. The parameters measured were grip and individual finger forces, pan and kettle handle grip and lift force, key twist torque, lateral pinch force, and individual finger pulp pinch forces.

‘Power’ grip forces were found to be remarkably similar in the left and right hands as indeed was the contribution made by each finger to the total force. Pan grip and lift forces were also similar in left and right hands, but the grip force was far greater than the lift force in both normals and patients. Kettle grip forces were much less than the lift force in normal subjects, while patients gripped the kettle with almost as much force as they used to lift it.

Patients were weaker than normals exerting roughly one third of the forces of normals in all modes of measurement. There were different styles of lifting demonstrated by the patient group.

Production of (S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde from (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin by boar spermatozoa and the inhibition of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase in vitro

The (S)-isomer of the male antifertility agent alpha-chlorohydrin was metabolized by mature boar spermatozoa in vitro to (S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde. This oxidative process, which did not occur when (R)-alpha-chlorohydrin was offered as a substrate, was catalysed by an NADP+-dependent dehydrogenase that converts glycerol to glyceraldehyde. (S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde, produced by this metabolic reaction or when added to suspensions of boar spermatozoa, was a specific inhibitor of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase as assessed by the accumulation of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and the triosephosphates. When glycerol and (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin were added concomitantly to boar spermatozoa in vitro, the presence of glycerol decreased the degree of inhibition of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Extracts of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase that were obtained from boar spermatozoa incubated with (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin or (R,S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde showed significant reductions in their enzymic activity.

The anti-glycolytic action of (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin on epididymal bovine spermatozoa in vitro

(S)-alpha-Chlorohydrin interferes with glycolysis in bovine spermatozoa whereas the (R)-isomer is ineffective. The action of the (S)-isomer, which involves inhibition of the reaction catalysed by glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, is not immediate but is evident only after a brief period of incubation with the spermatozoa. This inhibitory action is prevented when glycerol is present suggesting that the mechanism of action of (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin requires its oxidation to (S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde which is the active metabolite. Addition of racemic 3-chlorolactaldehyde to bovine spermatozoa caused immediate inhibition of glycolysis. It is proposed that the action of (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin in bovine spermatozoa is similar to that observed in the spermatozoa of other species in being a two-stage process; first, its oxidation to (S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde, and then inhibition of the glycolytic enzyme by this metabolite.

Occurrence of mammary tumors in rats after exposure to tritium beta rays and 200-kVp X rays

The RBE for tritium was estimated in reference to 200-kVp X rays, using acceleration of breast tumor appearance in the female Sprague-Dawley rat as the end-point. Chronic X-ray doses of 0.3-2.0 Gy were delivered over 10 days. Intraperitoneal injections of tritiated water ranging in concentrations from 45 to 370 MBq/100 g body wt were administered, followed by four additional injections at 2-day intervals and half of the initial concentrations. Seventy-five percent of the total tritium dose was delivered to the mammary gland within the first 10 days and 95% within the first 20 days after the start of the tritium exposure. RBE estimations were based on various criteria including the tumor incidence per Gy at 450 days postirradiation and the time required to induce tumors in 50% of the animals at risk. The results suggest that tritium beta rays are about 1.1-1.3 times more effective than chronic 200-kVp X rays for acceleration of the appearance of rat mammary tumors. However, the uncertainties involved in these calculations are such that the effects of tritium beta rays could not be reliably distinguished from those of chronic 200-kVp X rays. Measured differences in RBE values were slightly larger for the comparison between acute and chronic X rays than for the comparison between chronic tritium beta rays and chronic X rays.

The action of (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin and 6-chloro-6-deoxyglucose on the metabolism of guinea pig spermatozoa

(S)-alpha-Chlorohydrin inhibits the conversion of fructose to lactate by mature guinea pig spermatozoa in vitro. At a concentration of 2mM, there is a specific inhibition of glyceraldehyde-phosphate dehydrogenase resulting in the accumulation of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, dihydroxyacetone phosphate and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and a concomitant decrease in the concentration of endogenous lactate. (R,S)-[3-36Cl]-alpha-Chlorohydrin is metabolised by the spermatozoa to 3-chlorolactaldehyde of unknown configuration. Exogenous (R,S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde (2mM) is an inhibitor of glyceraldehyde-phosphate dehydrogenase in guinea pig spermatozoa, whereas (R)-alpha-chlorohydrin (10mM) has no significant effect on the metabolism of fructose. 6-Chloro-6-deoxyglucose (10mM) inhibits glyceraldehyde-phosphate dehydrogenase in guinea pig spermatozoa in vitro and is metabolised to 3-chlorolactaldehyde which is presumably the (S)-isomer. The anti-glycolytic actions of (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin and 6-chloro-6-deoxyglucose in guinea pig spermatozoa are suggested to be due to the action of a common metabolite, (S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde.

The action of (R)- and (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin and their metabolites on the metabolism of boar sperm

The action of (R,S)-alpha-chlorohydrin in inhibiting glycolysis in boar sperm is due to the (S)-isomer. Its effect on the concentrations of glycolytic intermediates suggests that the pathway is inhibited at the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase reaction. alpha-Chlorohydrin is oxidized by boar liver homogenates via 3-chlorolactaldehyde to 3-chlorolactate. Racemic mixtures of both compounds, and a proposed metabolite, 3-chloropyruvate, inhibit the oxidative metabolism of fructose, lactate and pyruvate possibly by interfering with processes occurring within the sperm mitochondria. It is proposed that the toxic action of these metabolites account for the effects of (R)-alpha-chlorohydrin on sperm motility, as this compound possesses no antifertility activity of itself.

The effect of alpha-chlorohydrin on the oxidation of fructose by rabbit spermatozoa in vitro

(R,S)-alpha-Chlorohydrin inhibits the oxidative metabolism of fructose in mature rabbit spermatozoa in vitro. This effect is not noticeable at concentrations of the compound up to 10 mM, is evident at 50 mM but at 100 mM is apparently accompanied by cell damage. At a concentration of 50 mM, (R,S)-alpha-chlorohydrin causes the specific inhibition of the enzyme glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and is metabolised by the spermatozoa to 3-chlorolactaldehyde of unknown configuration. Exogenous (R,S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde (5 mM and 10 mM) appears to inhibit glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase in rabbit spermatozoa as well as affecting other metabolic pathways. The ineffectiveness of (R,S)-alpha-chlorohydrin as an anti-fertility agent in male rabbits may be due to the inability of the spermatozoa to produce a sufficient amount of the inhibitory metabolite (S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde.

Phase II study of 9-10 anthracene-dicarboxaldehyde bis(4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl) hydrazone dihydrochloride (CL216,942; ADAH) in patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma

A phase II study of ADAH was conducted in thirty patients with biopsy-prove metastatic or recurrent colorectal carcinoma in order to define its benefits and toxicity. Doses were adjusted by leukocyte nadirs. No patients met the criteria for complete or partial response.

Formation of the active antifertility metabolite of (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin in boar sperm

The male antifertility agent (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin (I) is metabolized by boar sperm to (S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde (II) by an enzyme that is involved in the oxidation of glycerol to glyceraldehyde. The presence of glycerol decreases the activity of this enzyme towards (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin in vitro thereby preventing the formation of (S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde, an inhibitor of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase in boar sperm.

The fate of N-methyl-N'-(hydroxymethyl)thiourea in the rat

1. The fate of N-methyl-N'-(hydroxy[14C]methyl)thiourea (MHT) has been studied in the male Sprague-Dawley rat. The compound is degraded to N-methylthiourea and formaldehyde. 2. N-Methylthiourea is excreted as a urinary metabolite whereas the formaldehyde is not excreted, either in the urine or the expired air, but is metabolized via formate to CO2. 3. At least 50% of an i.p. dose (100 mg/kg) of MHT is excreted unchanged and some of this undergoes hydrolysis within the urine to N-methylthiourea and formaldehyde. Production of formaldehyde leads to the formation of the urinary artefact N-(hydroxymethyl)urea. 4. Tissue-distribution studies with 14C-MHT have shown that radioactivity is selectively associated with the thyroid gland. A preliminary investigation has indicated that MHT has anti-thyroid hormone activity as it lowers the thyroxine in rat serum.

Antifertility actions of alpha-chlorohydrin in the male

Non-steroidal chemicals that affect male fertility have been known for over 25 years but only one compound, alpha-chlorohydrin, possesses most of the attributes of an ideal male contraceptive. In the male rat, for example, continuous daily oral administration of low doses produces an almost immediate and continuous antifertility response that ceases when treatment is withdrawn. Such a dose regime does not interfere with libido, is apparently not toxic and the action is specific towards mature sperm. Furthermore, the action of the compound is species-specific: it is effective in the rat, ram, boar, guinea pig, hamster, rhesus monkey and upon ejaculated human sperm but it is ineffective in the mouse and the rabbit. High doses of alpha-chlorohydrin can be neurotoxic, nephrotoxic and, in rats, lead to prolonged or permanent infertility. However, the antifertility response and the toxicity of racemic alpha-chlorohydrin may be due, respectively, to the separate enantiomers. No other antifertility chemical has been investigated to such an extent as alpha-chlorohydrin; this article reviews the progress that has been achieved with alpha-chlorohydrin during the past six years.

The effect of the isomers of alpha-cholorohydrin and racemic beta-chlorolactate on the rat kidney

The (R)- and (S)-isomers of the male antifertility agent alpha-chlorohydrin have been synthesized. When administered to rats, the (R)-isomer induced a period of diuresis and glucosuria, whereas the (S)-isomer, which possesses the antifertility activity, had no detrimental action on the kidney. Neither of the isomers of alpha-chlorohydrin nor those of an active analogue, 3-amino-1-chloropropan-2-ol, had any inhibitory activity on the oxidative metabolism of glucose or lactate in isolated kidney tubules. However, beta-chlorolactate, a metabolite common to both compounds, inhibited the oxidation of glucose, lactate, pyruvate and glutamate to CO2. It is proposed that the antifertility action of the (S)-isomers of alpha-chlorohydrin and 3-amino-1-chloropropan-2-ol is unrelated to the renal toxicity of the (R)-isomers, a toxic action involving the inhibition of oxidative metabolism by (S)-beta-chlorolactate or a further product of this metabolite.

Some observations on the urinary excretion of glycine conjugates by laboratory animals

1. An isotope dilution assay has been developed for measuring the amount of conjugated glycine present in urine. The average daily excretion of conjugated glycine by male and female mouse, rat, guinea-pig and rabbit has been determined. 2. The glycine conjugates excreted by the four species have been identified. All species excreted only benzoylglycine and phenylacetylglycine. 3. The metabolism of [carboxy-14C]benzoic acid and [1-14C]phenylacetic acid has been investigated in the Sprague-Dawley rat. When administered over a range of concn. from 10 microgram/kg to 1g/kg, benzoic acid is converted to hippuric acid while phenylacetic acid is converted to phenylacetylglycine and phenylacetylglutamine. 4. Neither the rate of excretion nor the composition of the urinary metabolites arising from each acid is changed when low doses of one acid are co-administered with a high dose of the other. 5. The origin of the conjugated benzoic and phenylacetic acids is discussed.

Formaldehyde metabolism by the rat: a re-appraisal

1. The metabolism of [14C]formaldehyde has been investigated in the male Sprague-Dawley rat. It is extensively oxidized to CO2 and formate, which is excreted in the urine. 2. Two radioactive compounds isolated from the urine of rats dosed with [14C]formaldehyde have been identified as N-hydroxymethylurea and N,N'-bis-(hydroxymethyl)urea, and shown to be urinary artefacts. 3. Previous studies of the metabolism of formaldehyde by rats have been re-appraised. Differences in the rate of oxidation of formaldehyde in various strains of rats result in the excretion of different urinary metabolites and, in some cases, formaldehyde. Excretion of formaldehyde leads to the formation of several artefacts depending on the components present in the urine.

Inhibition of fructolysis in boar spermatozoa by the male antifertility agent (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin

The (S)-isomer of the male antifertility agent alpha-chlorohydrin strongly inhibited the oxidative metabolism of fructose by boar spermatozoa in vitro. The result of this action, which has been deduced to be an inhibition of glyceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase, caused an accumulation of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate and the triosephosphates, and a decrease in substrate-level phosphorylation with a concomitant lowering of the energy charge potential of the spermatozoa. The (R)-isomer of alpha-chlorohydrin had no inhibitory activity on fructolysis. A study of the comparative metabolism of (R)-[3-36Cl]-alpha-chlorohydrin and (R,S)-[3-36Cl]-alpha-chlorohydrin by boar spermatozoa showed that it is the (S)-isomer that specifically undergoes a process of oxidative metabolism to (R)-3-chlorolactaldehyde. It is proposed that this endogenous oxidation product, which has the same absolute configuration as the substrate for glyceraldehyde-phosphate dehydrogenase, is the active metabolite of (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin that inhibits this enzyme. Exogenous (R,S)-3-chlorolactaldehyde inhibited the oxidative metabolism of fructose by boar spermatozoa, apparently by a mechanism similar to that of (S)-alpha-chlorohydrin.

The comparative metabolism of 2-bromoethanol and ethylene oxide in the rat

1. The metabolism of 2-bromo[U-14C]ethanol an [U-14C]ethylene oxide has been studied in the rat. 2. As both compounds give rise to similar amounts of two urinary metabolites, identified as S-(2-hydroxyethyl)cysteine and N-acetyl-S-(2-hydroxyethyl)cysteine, it is proposed that 2-bromoethanol is converted into ethylene oxide in vivo. 3. A minor metabolite of 2-bromoethanol has been identified as N-acetyl-S-(carboxymethyl)cysteine. 4. The metabolism of bromoacetaldehyde and bromoacetic acid has been investigated; N-acetyl-S-(carboxymethyl)cysteine had been shown to be a common urinary metabolite. 5. An oxidative metabolic pathway is proposed for 2-bromoethanol, via bromoacetaldehyde and bromoacetic acid, to N-acetyl-S-(carboxymethyl)cysteine.

The metabolism of 1,3-dibromopropane by the rat

1. The metabolism of 1,3-dibromopropane had been investigated in the rat. Two conjugated metabolites have been isolated from the urine and identified as S-(3-hydroxypropyl)cysteine and N-acetyl-S-(3-hydroxypropyl)cysteine. 2. An oxidation product, identified as beta-bromolactic acid, has been isolated as a urinary metabolite. 3. 1,3-dibromopropane is not excreted unchanged in expired air or in the urine. Approx. 15% of the dose (100 mg/kg) is excreted as metabolic products over 50 h and 3.5% as CO2 within 6 h, indicating that oxidation is the main route of detoxication.

The fate of oxalic acid in the Wistar rat

1. An established procedure for determining oxalate in human urine has been modified for rat urine. The daily excretion of oxalate by the male Wistar rat is 570-650 microgram. 2. Oxalate excretion in rat urine following i.p. administration of [14C]oxalic acid (1-70 mg/kg) has been studied. The rate and degree of excretion are dose-dependent. 3. The excretion of urinary oxalate by the rat has been quantified after administration of two oxalate-producing xenobiotics, alpha-chlorohydrin and 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane. 4. Oxalate inhibits the metabolism of glucose and lactate by isolated rat kidney tubules in vitro.

1,2-Dichloropropane: metabolism and fate in the rat

1. The metabolism of 1,2-dichloropropane in the rat has been investigated. The major urinary metabolite has been isolated and identified as N-acetyl-S-(2-hydroxypropyl)cysteine. Two minor metabolites of 1,2-dichloropropane have been identified as beta-chlorolactate and N-acetyl-S-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)cysteine. 2. The fate of 1-chloro-2-hydroxypropane, a proposed intermediate metabolite of 1,2-dichloropropane, has been investigated. Apart from its known urinary metabolite, N-acetyl-S-(2-hydroxypropyl)cysteine, two oxidative metabolites were detected. These were identified as beta-chlorolactaldehyde and beta-chlorolactate. 3. A pathway is proposed for the metabolism and fate of 1,2-dichloropropane in the rat. This accounts for previous observations made for the fate of radioactivity from administration of 1,2-dichloro[1-14C]propane. 4. The microbial and mammalian metabolism of several halogen-containing foreign compounds is discussed.