In vivo formation of beta-oxidized metabolites of leukotriene E4 in the rat

Elevated cysteinyl leukotriene excretion in experimental glomerulonephritis

The involvement of cysteinyl leukotrienes (LT) in the etiology of glomerulonephritis (GN) was investigated in a rat model of nephrotoxic serum nephritis in which renal function, morphology, LTC4 synthase activity and urinary cysteinyl LT excretion were monitored over seven days. Significant alterations in renal function and morphology were evident on day 1 in nephritic rats, with a 12% decline in creatinine clearance, a greater than three-fold increase in urinary protein excretion and histologic evidence of basement membrane thickening. Urinary LTC4 excretion in the nephritic rats was elevated at this time to 140 +/- 38 pg/hr (P < 0.01) compared to undetectable levels in control animals. On days 3 and 7, while proteinuria intensified and glomerular filtration remained depressed, LTC4 excretion declined 14% (NS) and 79% (P < 0.05), respectively. The temporal changes in urinary LTC4 excretion were paralleled by concomitant alterations in LTC4 synthase activity in renal cortical microsomes, where an 84% (P < 0.01) drop in enzyme activity occurred from day 1 to day 7 in the nephritic group. This data provides the first measurement of urinary cysteinyl LT excretion and altered LTC4 synthase activity in a model of experimental GN and supports an early role for LT's in the development of subsequent functional changes.

Simultaneous determination of leukotrienes B4 and E4 in whole blood and of leukotriene E4 in urine of rabbit by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

Sulfidopeptide leukotrienes E4 (LTE4) and B4 (LTB4) were simultaneously extracted from rabbit whole blood with acetonitrile. LTC4 and LTD4 were converted to LTE4 by gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and leucine-amino peptidase before extraction. LTE4 was extracted from urine with C18 Sep-Pak cartridges. The compounds were resolved and quantitated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a diode-array detector; in selected cases the collected fractions were assayed for LTB4 and LTE4 by specific enzyme immunoassay (EIA). The correlation factor of the measured increase in LTE4 concentrations and addition of incremental amounts of LTC4 to blood was r = 0.998; slope of 1.05 +/- 0.01 (mean +/- S.D.). Concentrations of LTE4 measured by HPLC correlated with those obtained with EIA (r = 0.996; slope = 0.98 +/- 0.03 and r = 0.991; slope = 0.97 +/- 0.04 in blood and urine, respectively). For blood LTB4 the correlation of HPLC versus EIA was r = 0.990; slope = 1.12 +/- 0.04. The method described is accurate and reproducible, allowing measurement of both LTB4 and LTE4 in whole blood after a single extraction procedure. Simultaneous measurement of these metabolites after specific stimulation or in pathological conditions is recommended for in vivo investigations of LTs production.

Leukotrienes in bile during the early and the late airway responses after allergen challenge of sensitized rats

The Brown Norway rat produces high levels of IgE in response to active immunization and develops both early and late airway constrictor responses after subsequent allergen challenge. We have used this model of allergic asthma to investigate the temporal relationship between the in vivo synthesis of peptidoleukotrienes (peptido-LTs) and the late response. Brown Norway rats that had been sensitized by injection of ovalbumin 2 to 3 wk prior to the commencement of the experiment were subjected to bile duct cannulation and tracheal intubation. The rats were challenged 2 h later by intratracheal instillation of ovalbumin. Lung resistance was measured before and at frequent intervals after antigen challenge. Biliary peptido-LTs (LTC4, LTD4, LTE4, and N-acetyl-LTE4) were measured by a combination of high pressure liquid chromatography and radioimmunoassay in bile samples collected for a period of 1 h before instillation of ovalbumin, and between zero and 1 h, 1 and 4 h, 4 and 6 h, and 6 and 8 h, subsequently. All of the 10 rats subjected to antigen challenge developed early responses. Of these, six also developed late responses, whereas two died about 1 h after challenge. The levels of peptido-LTs excreted in bile between 4 and 8 h after antigen challenge (corresponding in time to the late responses) were about four times higher in the ovalbumin-instilled rats that developed late responses (n = 6) than in the ovalbumin-sensitized control rats that had been subjected to instillation of saline (n = 6; p < 0.02).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Metabolism of cysteinyl leukotrienes by the isolated perfused rat kidney

The metabolism of cysteinyl leukotrienes by the isolated perfused rat kidney was investigated. For this purpose LTC4, LTD4 or LTE4 were studied in separate experiments. The isolated perfused rat kidney metabolized all cysteinyl leukotrienes to the final metabolite N-acetyl-LTE4. In the presence of 5% albumin 50% of LTC4 was metabolized to LTD4 (22%), LTE4 (15%) and N-acetyl-LTE4 (13%) within 60 min. Excretion of radioactivity into urine was less than 1%. In contrast, in the absence of albumin, LTC4 was completely metabolized within 45 min to N-acetyl-LTE4, the sole and final metabolite of LTC4 found in the perfusion medium as well as in urine. After 60 min 19% and 42% of total radioactivity were found in the perfusion medium and in urine, respectively. Isolated glomeruli metabolized LTC4 to LTD4 and to LTE4 but not to N-acetyl-LTE4 at a rate comparable to the rate observed by the isolated perfused kidney in the absence of albumin. In contrast to isolated glomeruli isolated tubuli metabolized LTE4 to N-acetyl-LTE4 at a rate comparable to that observed by the isolated perfused kidney in the absence of albumin. The present study shows that the isolated perfused rat kidney metabolizes cysteinyl leukotrienes to the sole and final metabolite N-acetyl-LTE4. In the presence of albumin metabolism is slowed down and excretion of N-acetyl-LTE4 into urine is prevented.

Metabolism of cysteinyl leukotrienes in monkey and man

The proinflammatory cysteinyl leukotrienes are inactivated in primates by (a) intravascular degradation, (b) hepatic and renal uptake from the blood circulation, (c) intracellular metabolism of leukotriene E4 (LTE4), and (d) biliary and renal excretion of LTC4 degradation products. We have analyzed cysteinyl leukotriene metabolites excreted into bile and urine of the monkey Macaca fascicularis and of man. In both species, hepatobiliary leukotriene elimination predominated over renal excretion. In a representative healthy human subject at least 25% of the administered radioactivity were recovered from bile and 20% from urine within 24 h. In monkey and man intravenous administration of 14,15-3H2-labeled LTC4 resulted in the biliary and urinary excretion of labeled LTE4, omega-hydroxy-LTE4, omega-carboxy-LTE4, omega-carboxy-dinor-LTE4, and omega-carboxy-tetranor-dihydro-LTE4. Small amounts of N-acetyl-LTE4 were detected in human urine only. Oxidative metabolism of LTE4 proceeded more rapidly in the monkey resulting in the formation of higher relative amounts of omega-oxidized leukotrienes in this species as compared to man. [3H]H2O amounted to less than 2% of the administered dose in monkey and human bile and urine samples. Incubation of isolated human hepatocytes with [3H2]LTC4, [3H2]LTD4, and [3H2]LTE4 showed that only [3H2]LTE4 underwent intracellular oxidative metabolism resulting in the formation of omega- and beta-oxidation products. N-Acetylated LTE4 derivatives were not detected as products formed by human hepatocytes. By a combination of reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and radioimmunoassay, endogenous LTE4 and N-acetyl-LTE4 were detected in human urine in concentrations of 220 +/- 40 and 24 +/- 3 pM, corresponding to 12 +/- 1 and 1.5 +/- 0.2 nmol/mol creatinine, respectively (mean +/- SEM; n = 10). Endogenous LTD4 and LTE4 were detected in human bile (n = 3) in concentrations between 0.2-0.9 nM. Our results demonstrate that LTD4 and LTE4 are major LTC4 metabolites in human bile and/or urine and may serve as index metabolites for the measurement of endogenously generated cysteinyl leukotrienes. Moreover, omega-oxidation and subsequent beta-oxidation from the omega-end contribute to the metabolic degradation of LTE4 not only in monkey but also in man.

Inhibition of leukotriene omega-oxidation by isonicotinic acid hydrazide (isoniazid)

Metabolism of leukotrienes via omega-oxidation represents a major degradative and inactivating pathway of these biologically active icosanoids. Isonicotinic acid hydrazide (isoniazid) inhibited this process in rats in vivo, in the isolated perfused rat liver, and in hepatic microsomes. The in vivo catabolism of leukotriene E4 via N-acetyl-leukotriene E4 to its omega-oxidized metabolites was inhibited by 50% or 71% using single intravenous isoniazid doses of 0.6 mmol or 1.0 mmol/kg body mass, respectively. Isoniazid interfered with leukotriene catabolism at the initial omega-oxidation step, resulting in an accumulation of N-acetyl-leukotriene E4. Analogous although weaker inhibition of leukotriene omega-oxidation in vivo was observed by pretreatment with isonicotinic acid 2-isopropylhydrazide and monoacetyl hydrazine. In the isolated perfused liver, isoniazid at concentrations varying over 0.2-10 mM decreased the omega-oxidation of cysteinyl leukotrienes dose-dependently by up to 94%. omega-Oxidation of both leukotriene E4 and leukotriene B4 by rat liver microsomes was inhibited by isoniazid, isonicotinic acid 2-isopropylhydrazide, and monoacetyl hydrazine with half-maximal concentrations in the range of 5-15 mM. Our measurements indicate that the impairment of leukotriene omega-oxidation by isoniazid involves both cytochrome-P450-dependent enzyme systems responsible for omega-oxidation of leukotriene E4 and leukotriene B4. In effect, under isoniazid treatment one can expect a prolongation of the proinflammatory actions of endogenously produced leukotrienes.