SYNTHESIS OF AN ABNORMAL RIBONUCLEIC ACID IN THE PRESENCE OF PROFLAVINE

Acridine-induced subcellular and functional changes in isolated human hepatocytes in vitro

Acridines are nucleic acid intercalating compounds with properties relating to the complexity of their structure. Tetrahydroaminoacridine (tacrine, Cognex), a simple acridine, is a reversible inhibitor of cholinesterase activity available for the symptomatic treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Tacrine therapy causes sporadic elevations of aminotransferases in humans, and tacrine alters protein synthesis and ribosomal structure under short-term in vitro exposures in isolated hepatocytes from humans and other species. There is no clear relationship between transaminase elevation and liver damage in humans, and prolonged drug exposure to animals does not result in hepatic insult. Subcellular alterations have been described in isolated human and rodent hepatocytes, including degranulation and vesiculation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), aggregation of electron-dense structures within the ER, altered nuclei and nucleoli and detrimental structural and functional effects to mitochondria. Whether these changes in hepatocyte morphology and function are unique to tacrine or not is unknown, as human hepatocytes exposed to more complex acridines have not been characterized. In this study, we extended the results of in vitro studies with tacrine to acridine orange, 9-aminoacridine, quinacrine and proflavin. In primary human hepatocytes, these compounds caused a similar reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential with parallel ultrastructural changes. The 1-hydroxy and 7-hydroxy tacrine metabolites, acridine hydrochloride and acridine 9-carboxylic acid, and the non-acridine cholinesterase inhibitor eserine, did not induce characteristic subcellular ER changes but damaged mitochondria structure, reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and were cytotoxic. These data indicate that the tacrine-like subcellular changes in hepatocytes are reproducible with other acridines and cause mitochondrial dysfunction in human hepatocytes.

Immunological and chemotherapeutic prevention and control of oncogenic viruses

Computed tomographic (CT) and surgical findings were correlated retrospectively in 51 patients with preoperative diagnoses of prolactin-secreting pituitary microadenomas. Twenty-four had microadenomas at surgery. Twenty-eight had identifiable discrete lesions. Of these, 18 had microadenomas and 10 did not; these two groups could not be distinguished reliably. Six patients with proven microadenomas had normal CT scans. Focal hypodense lesions, sellar floor erosion, infundibulum displacement, gland height greater than 8 mm, and an abnormal diaphragma sellae configuration are neither sensitive nor specific findings of microadenoma. A significant number of patients with proven microadenomas had few or none of these abnormalities. Thus, recognition of prolactin microadenoma is seldom possible by CT alone, even with high-resolution direct coronal imaging.

Cellular RNA and influenza-virion RNA are synthesized from different pyrimidine-nucleoside-triphosphate pools in chick-embryo cells

Chick embryo cells infected with an influenza A (fowl plague) virus have been labelled with (3H)-uridine for different lengths of time. Virion RNA and cellular RNA have been separated by specific hybridization with a surplus of unlabelled viral complementary RNA and RNase digestion. The ratio of the specific radioacticity in the UMP and CMP moieties of both types of RNA has been determined. Since the rate of approach to equilibrium of CMP to UMP labelling of both types of RNA is completely different it is concluded that cellular and virion RNA are synthesized using different pyrimidine nucleoside triphosphate pools.

Stimulation of incorporation of nucleic acid precursors into HeLa cells caused by proflavine

1. The effect of proflavine and other acridines on the incorporation of precursors into the nucleic acids of HeLa cells was examined. 2. Relatively low concentrations (50mum) of proflavine completely inhibited incorporation of precursors into DNA, but allowed a small extent of incorporation into RNA. 3. Acridine-resistant incorporation into RNA was unaffected by actinomycin D at 2mug./ml. and persisted even at high concentrations (500mum) of many acridines. 4. A few combinations of acridine and precursor, notably 250mum-proflavine and [(14)C]adenine, caused a stimulation of incorporation. 5. The proflavine-stimulated incorporation was into alkali-stable di- and tri-nucleotides. 6. It was concluded that the effect was due to the preferential inhibition of degradation of a fraction of RNA that normally turned over, thus allowing small radioactive oligonucleotides to accumulate in the cells.

Effects of acriflavine on the mitochondria and kinetoplast of Crithidia fasciculata. Correlation of fine structure changes with decreased mitochondrial enzyme activity

The effects of acriflavine on the fine structure and function of the mitochondria and the kinetoplast in Crithidia fasciculata have been investigated. A mitochondrial fraction was prepared by differential centrifugation of cells broken by grinding with neutral alumina. Isolated mitochondria or intact cells revealed by spectrophotometric measurements the presence of cytochromes a + a(3), b, c(555) and o. After cells were grown in acriflavine for 3-4 days, the fine structure of the mitochondria and their cytochrome content were affected. Cells grown in 5.0 microM acriflavine had a threefold decrease in cytochrome a + a(3) and decreased respiratory activity. The mitochondrial preparation from these cells had a fivefold decrease in cytochrome a + a(3) and a less but significant decrease of other cytochromes present. There was also a decrease in the mitochondrial enzyme activities of NADH, succinic and L-alpha-glycerophosphate oxidases, and succinic and L-alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenases. Dyskinetoplastic cells could be demonstrated after growth in 1.0 microM acriflavine. At 5 microM, 80-90% of the cells were dyskinetoplastic. The kinetoplastic DNA was condensed, nonfibrillar, and did not incorporate thymidine-(3)H. The mitochondria in these cells had few cristae and were shorter and more swollen than the controls. Acriflavine may induce the fine structure effects we have observed and may affect the formation of the mitochondria in C. fasciculata.

The effect of proflavine on HeLa cells

1. The effect of proflavine on the metabolism of RNA, DNA and protein of HeLa cells was studied. 2. The synthesis of RNA, DNA and protein was progressively inhibited by concentrations of proflavine up to 43mum. 3. There was no simple relationship between the degrees of inhibition of synthesis of RNA, DNA and protein by increasing concentrations of proflavine: the synthesis of RNA was most readily inhibited, and the synthesis of protein was relatively insensitive. 4. A concentration of 22mum-proflavine inhibited synthesis of RNA and DNA and caused a progressive loss of RNA from both nucleus and cytoplasm without any accompanying loss of DNA or dry weight from the cells. 5. The rapidly labelled RNA in the nucleus was preferentially degraded and was not transferred in a stable form to the cytoplasm.