Synthesis of L-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid

The ameliorative effects of L-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylate on acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in mice

The aim of the study was to investigate the ameliorative effects and the mechanism of action of l-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylate (OTC) on acetaminophen (APAP)-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Mice were randomly divided into six groups: normal control group, APAP only treated group, APAP + 25 mg/kg OTC, APAP + 50 mg/kg OTC, APAP + 100 mg/kg OTC, and APAP + 100 mg/kg N-acetylcysteine (NAC) as a reference control group. OTC treatment significantly reduced serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels in a dose dependent manner. OTC treatment was markedly increased glutathione (GSH) production and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) activity in a dose dependent manner. The contents of malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxynonenal in liver tissues were significantly decreased by administration of OTC and the inhibitory effect of OTC was similar to that of NAC. Moreover, OTC treatment on APAP-induced hepatotoxicity significantly reduced the formation of nitrotyrosin and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling positive areas of liver tissues in a dose dependent manner. Furthermore, the activity of caspase-3 in liver tissues was reduced by administration of OTC in a dose dependent manner. The ameliorative effects of OTC on APAP-induced liver damage in mice was similar to that of NAC. These results suggest that OTC has ameliorative effects on APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in mice through anti-oxidative stress and anti-apoptotic processes.

Selenazolidines as novel organoselenium delivery agents

Two new classes of selenazolidine-4(R)-carboxylic acids (2-oxo and 2-methyl-SCAs) were synthesized and characterized. Both were designed as latent forms of selenocysteine, intended to provide a chemically superior delivery form for selenium. The prodrugs may be clinically useful when selenium supplementation at supranutritional levels is indicated, such as in cancer chemoprevention.

Purification and some properties of a novel racemase, which racemizes 2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid and 5-oxoproline, from Flectobacillus sp. strain B-1

A novel racemase active toward 2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid was purified 310-fold with 5% recovery to near homogeneity from a crude extract of Flectobacillus sp. B-1, which had been isolated as a bacterium being able to assimilate (S)-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid. The molecular weight was estimated to be 92,000 by gel filtration. The purified preparation migrated as a single band of molecular weight 49,000 upon SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme exhibited maximum activity at pH 8.0 and 45 degrees C. The enzyme also racemized 5-oxoproline but did not act on proline and 4-hydroxyproline. The enzyme apparently had no coenzyme requirement. The enzyme activity was inhibited to 62-100% by SH-blocking reagents such as HgCl2, AgNO3, PCMB, iodoacetamide, N-ethylmaleimide and N-bromosuccinimide.

Catabolism of cysteine, cystine, cysteinesulfinate, and OTC by isolated perfused rat hindquarter

The metabolism of cysteine and related compounds was investigated in the isolated perfused hindquarter of the rat. An erythrocyte-based perfusion medium was used; use of a perfluorochemical emulsion, FC-43, resulted in apparent chemical oxidation of cysteine, whereas bovine erythrocytes did not appear to contribute significantly to the metabolism of cysteine. Rat skeletal muscle perfused with L-[35S]cysteine, L-[35S]cystine, L-[35S]cysteinesulfinate, or L-2-oxo-[35S]thiazolidine-4-carboxylate (OTC) for 2 h produced [35S]sulfate and [35S]taurine. In all cases, the partitioning of cysteine or cysteinesulfinate between metabolism to taurine and sulfate was similar, suggesting that cysteine metabolism in hindquarter may occur via formation and catabolism of cysteinesulfinate by either cysteinesulfinate decarboxylase or aspartate (cysteine-sulfinate) aminotransferase. However, the activity of cysteine dioxygenase was extremely low, suggesting that the conversion of cysteine to cysteinesulfinate may have been non-enzymatic.

Mechanisms of nitrate-induced vasodilatation and tolerance

Nitrovasodilators have been found to relax vascular smooth muscle by stimulating soluble guanylate cyclase and thus by increasing the formation of cyclic GMP (cGMP). This nucleotide is responsible for relaxation, most likely by decreasing cytosolic free Ca2+ by one or several mechanisms. Repeated administration of organic nitrates causes tolerance development characterized by a diminished relaxing effect and an attenuated rise in cGMP. Experiments in isolated circular strips from bovine coronary arteries were performed in order to study the mechanism of tolerance development. It was found that after nitroglycerin (NG) pretreatment the response of the coronary strips to NG was less sensitive with respect to relaxation and increases in cGMP. These strips were also cross-tolerant against isosorbide-5-mononitrate, which by itself caused only little tolerance. With NG, the degree of tolerance development depended on the time and the concentration of NG pre-exposure. NG was found to stimulate guanylate cyclase (GC) in coronary supernatant provided that cysteine was added to the incubation medium. As in the intact strips, activation of GC by NG was attenuated when supernatants were preincubated with NG. It was found that addition of cysteine during incubation lessened the degree of desensitization but did not prevent it completely. Similarly, in coronary strips, tolerance development was lower when N-acetylcysteine was present during pre-exposure of the strips with NG. Considerably more effective in preventing tolerance development by about 50% was L-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylate (OTC), a substance that easily penetrates into the cell and is transformed into cysteine by 5-oxo-prolinase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alteration of precocene II-induced hepatotoxicity by modulation of hepatic glutathione levels

Precocene II (6,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethyl-2H-benzo[b]pyran), an insect growth regulator that is structurally related to several naturally occurring carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic alkenylbenzenes, is genotoxic and produces hepatic centrolobular necrosis in rats. This investigation was conducted to evaluate the effects of modulation of hepatic glutathione levels on the toxicity of precocene II. Administration of a toxic dose of precocene II (175 mg/kg) to male Sprague-Dawley rats rapidly depleted hepatic GSH, produced histopathological changes in the liver, and induced increases in serum aminotransferase activity. Concurrent administration of the cysteine pro-drug L-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (OTC) prevented these toxic effects of precocene II. In contrast, pretreatment of rats with DL-buthionine-SR-sulfoximine (BSO), an inhibitor of glutathione synthesis, potentiated the toxicity of an otherwise non-toxic dose of precocene II (100 mg/kg). These results indicate that glutathione is important for protection from precocene II-induced hepatotoxicity.

Role of glutathione in the toxicity of the sesquiterpene lactones hymenoxon and helenalin

Hymenoxon and helenalin are toxic sesquiterpene lactones present in the toxic range plants Hymenoxys odorata and Helenium microcephalum. Helenalin (25 mg/kg) or hymenoxon (30 mg/kg) administered to immature male ICR mice caused a rapid decrease in hepatic glutathione levels and were lethally toxic to greater than 60% of the animals within 6 d. L-2-Oxothiazolidine 4-carboxylate (OTC), a compound that elevates cellular glutathione levels, administered to mice 6 or 12 h before either helenalin or hymenoxon protected against hepatic glutathione depletion and the lethal toxicity of these toxins. OTC administered at the same time as the sesquiterpene lactones was not protective, suggesting that the critical events against which glutathione is protective occur within the first 6 h. In primary rat hepatocyte cultures, hymenoxon and helenalin (4-16 microM) caused a rapid lethal injury as determined by the release of lactate dehydrogenase. Cotreatment of cultures with N-acetylcysteine at high concentrations (4 mM) afforded significant protection against lethal injury by both toxins. In contrast, BCNU, which inhibits glutathione reductase, or diethylmaleate, which depletes hepatocellular glutathione, potentiated the hepatotoxicity of helenalin and hymenoxon in monolayer rat hepatocytes. These studies suggest that the in vivo and in vitro toxicity of hymenoxon and helenalin is strongly dependent on hepatic glutathione levels, which hymenoxon and helenalin rapidly deplete at very low concentrations.

Intracellular cysteine and glutathione delivery systems

Glutathione functions in catalysis, metabolism, transport, and reductive processes and in protection of cells by destruction of free radicals, reactive oxygen intermediates, and other toxic compounds of endogenous and exogenous origin. It also functions as a storage and transport form of cysteine. Depletion of glutathione (effectively accomplished by inhibition of its synthesis) increases sensitivity to radiation and to certain toxic compounds and is of value in combination with radiation therapy or chemotherapy in situations in which cell selectivity can be achieved. Increased cellular levels of glutathione protect cells against radiation and certain toxic compounds. Glutathione levels can be increased by administration of cysteine or of glutathione, but these approaches are not entirely satisfactory. Cellular glutathione levels can be increased by supplying substrate for gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase or for glutathione synthetase. L-2-Oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylate is well transported into many cells and is converted by 5-oxoprolinase to cysteine, a substrate of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase. gamma-Glutamylcysteine and related compounds are effectively transported, especially into renal cells, thus providing substrate for glutathione synthetase; higher than normal levels of glutathione can be achieved because this enzyme is not significantly inhibited by glutathione, whereas gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase is feedback-inhibited. Derivatives of glutathione that are effectively transported into cells (glutathione itself is not) offer another means of increasing glutathione levels. The monoethyl ester of glutathione (in which the glycine carboxyl group is esterified) is well transported in vivo into liver and kidney and into cultured fibroblasts and lymphoid cells. Glutathione levels much higher than usual can be obtained by this procedure, which protects lymphoid cells against the lethal effects of irradiation and mice against acetaminophen, and which therefore may be a relatively safe way to increase cellular resistance to radiation and certain toxic compounds.

Origin and turnover of mitochondrial glutathione

Mitochondrial glutathione in liver does not arise by intramitochondrial synthesis, but rather from the cytoplasm, by a process characterized by slow net transport and more rapid exchange transport.