Fluorenone and 2-benzoylfluorenone: different short-term effects on drug-metabolizing liver enzymes and on cell proliferation

Role of oxygenases in guiding diverse metabolic pathways in the bacterial degradation of low-molecular-weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: a review

Widespread environmental pollution by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) poses an immense risk to the environment. Bacteria-mediated attenuation has a great potential for the restoration of PAH-contaminated environment in an ecologically accepted manner. Bacterial degradation of PAHs has been extensively studied and mining of biodiversity is ever expanding the biodegradative potentials with intelligent manipulation of catabolic genes and adaptive evolution to generate multiple catabolic pathways. The present review of bacterial degradation of low-molecular-weight (LMW) PAHs describes the current knowledge about the diverse metabolic pathways depicting novel metabolites, enzyme-substrate/metabolite relationships, the role of oxygenases and their distribution in phylogenetically diverse bacterial species.

Effects of different mitogens on intrasplenic liver tissue transplants in comparison to orthotopic liver

Ectopic liver cell transplants, when compared to orthotopic liver, can serve as a tool to study topic influences on liver cell differentiation, multiplication, function and responsiveness to xenobiotics. The aim of the present study was to evaluate, if characteristic effects of mitogens are exerted in both liver and intrasplenic liver cell transplants in a similar manner. Fetal liver tissue suspensions were transplanted into the spleens of adult male syngenic rats. Four months later, transplant recipients and controls were treated with fluorene (FEN), fluorenone (FON), 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF), N-nitrosodibenzylamine (NDBA) or the solvent 48 hours before sacrifice. The following parameters were assessed within livers and spleens: mitotic activity of hepatocytes, glycogen content, cytochrome P450 (P450) isoforms expression, P450 mediated monooxygenase functions, tissue content of lipid peroxides (LPO) and of reduced and oxidized glutathione (GSH; GSSG). In both orthotopic livers and intrasplenic transplants FEN, FON or NDBA administration increased the mitotic activity of the hepatocytes. Treatment with the mitogens caused a distinct and characteristic induction of the P450 isoforms expression and of the respective monooxygenase functions in the livers and (with certain differences) also in the transplants. FEN and FON slightly increased, AAF and NDBA reduced liver glycogen content. The latter effect was also seen in the transplants. NDBA administration caused a slight increase in tissue LPO content in livers, but not in spleens. Additionally, AAF or NDBA treatment led to an elevation of liver (but not of spleen) GSH and GSSG concentrations. The results of the present investigation show that characteristic effects of mitogens on orthotopic liver occur with certain differences also in ectopic liver cell transplants.

Photolysis of PAHs in aqueous phase by UV irradiation

The photooxidation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was investigated in an aqueous ethanolic solution irradiated with a medium-pressure mercury lamp in laboratory photoreactors equipped with a quartz immersion well. Degradation photolysis of fluorene was more efficient than sensitized photolytic oxidation in the presence of TiO2 suspensions. Photolysis kinetics was dependent on molecular weight and the presence and type of substituents. During the photolytic degradation of fluorene and its derivatives, 9-fluorenone and its corresponding derivatives, which were more resistant to photolysis, were formed.

Transplantation of fetal liver tissue suspension into the spleens of adult syngenic rats: effects of various mitogens and cytotoxins on cytochrome P450 (P450) isoforms expression and on P450 mediated monooxygenase functions

Syngenic fetal liver tissue suspensions were transplanted into the spleens of adult male Fisher 344 inbred rats. Four months after surgery, transplant recipients and age matched control rats were treated with various mitogens (fluorene [FEN], fluorenone [FON] and 2-acetylaminofluorene [AAF]) or cytotoxins (allyl alcohol [AAL], bromobenzene [BBZ] and carbon tetrachloride [CCl4]) or the respective solvents 24 or 48 hours before sacrifice. The expression of three cytochrome P450 (P450) isoforms, 1A1, 2B1 and 3A2, within spleens and livers was assessed by immunohistochemistry and P450 mediated monooxygenase functions in spleen and liver 9000 g supernatants by the model reactions ethoxyresorufin O-deethylation (EROD), ethoxycoumarin O-deethylation (ECOD), and ethylmorphine N-demethylation (EMND). The orthotopic livers of both solvent treated transplant recipients and control rats displayed only in few lobules a slight P450 1A1, but in all lobules a moderate P450 2B1 and 3A2 expression, all mainly located in the hepatocytes around the central veins. Correspondingly, regular EROD, ECOD and EMND activities were observed. Each of the three mitogens increased the P450 1A1 expression in the hepatocytes of the perivenous zones of the liver lobules. FON administration caused an additional P450 1A1 immunostaining in the periportal areas, and AAF treatment a P450 1A1 expression in bile duct epithelia. Also the staining for P450 2B1 and 3A2 in the hepatocytes of the perivenous and intermediate zones of the liver lobules was intensified after treatment with any of the mitogens. The three model reactions were significantly increased within the livers after FEN and FON administration, whereas after AAF treatment only ECOD was enhanced, EROD remained unaffected and EMND was decreased. The cytotoxin AAL caused small lesions and fatty degeneration of hepatocytes only in some periportal areas. BBZ only produced a perivenous necrosis of single cells, whereas CCl4 caused complete necrosis of the centrilobular parenchyma. Immunohistochemically, AAL administration led to an increase in the P450 2B1 expression in the perivenous hepatocytes, whereas the staining for P450 1A1 was not affected and that for P450 3A2 was even decreased in the periportal areas. Due to AAL treatment EROD and EMND activities were not affected and ECOD activity was increased. BBZ administration caused a P450 1A1 expression in the periportal hepatocytes but a decrease in this staining of the perivenous cells. The number of hepatocytes positively stained for P450 2B1 and 3A2 in the perivenous and intermediate zones was diminished in comparison to the livers of solvent treated rats. After BBZ treatment, EROD and EMND activities were decreased, ECOD activity was not affected. CCl4 administration caused a strong reduction in the expression of all three P450 isoforms and in the activity of all three model reactions. Spleens of control rats displayed almost no P450 isoforms expression and P450 mediated monooxygenase functions, without as well as after treatment with the mitogens or cytotoxins. Similar to adult liver, the hepatocytes in the transplant containing spleens showed nearly no P450 1A1, but a noticeable P450 2B1 and 3A2 expression. No staining was observed within the bile duct cells of the intrasplenic transplants.

Mitogenic short-term effects on hepatocytes and adrenocortical cells: phenobarbital and reserpine compared to carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic fluorene derivatives

The adrenal cortex has a low physiologic cell renewal and shows only a moderate cell replication even after contralateral adrenalectomy. Although rather unsusceptible to the malignancy-inducing action of carcinogens, a single oral dose of various tumorigenic xenobiotics induced an additive mitotic response of adrenocortical cells studied after 48 h. Presently we report on three different response patterns in rats. First, a selective mitostimulation of the zona glomerulosa occured after reserpine associated with a loss of body weight, thymus and liver weight. These are unspecific stress effects and occur also after exogenous ACTH. Second, hepatomitogenic and liver-enlarging congeners, e.g. fluorene (FEN), fluorenone (FON) and 4-benzoyl-FON, but also the genotoxic 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) and 2,4,7-trinitro-FON induced a selective mitotic response of the zona fasciculata (ZF). After the lowest effective dose of FEN or FON the afore-mentioned effects occured simultaneously, but were absent in the high dose group (only studied with fluorene). The 2-benzyl and 2-benzoyl-substituted derivatives were ineffective at all. Third, a bizonal response was found only after phenobarbital (PB) or the lowest effective FEN dose. The preventive action of a low PB dose on the 2-AAF-induced ZF response indicates a modified metabolism. We conclude that the rapid mitotic ZF response is an endogenously mediated net effect of interactions between metabolic and various adaptive mechanisms. The latter are reported to be activated in a stressor-dependent manner and converge in the adrenals. In this way the early mitotic ZF response could reflect indirectly 'specific' proliferation-prone properties of xenobiotics.

New metabolites in the degradation of fluorene by Arthrobacter sp. strain F101

Identification of new metabolites and demonstration of key enzyme activities support and extend the pathways previously reported for fluorene metabolism by Arthrobacter sp. strain F101. Washed-cell suspensions of strain F101 with fluorene accumulated 9-fluorenone, 4-hydroxy-9-fluorenone, 3-hydroxy-1-indanone, 1-indanone, 2-indanone, 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl) propionate, and a compound tentatively identified as a formyl indanone. Incubations with 2-indanone produced 3-isochromanone. The growth yield with fluorene as a sole source of carbon and energy corresponded to an assimilation of about 34% of fluorene carbon. About 7.4% was transformed into 9-fluorenol, 9-fluorenone, and 4-hydroxy-9-fluorenone. Crude extracts from fluorene-induced cells showed 3,4-dihydrocoumarin hydrolase and catechol 2,3-dioxygenase activities. These results and biodegradation experiments with the identified metabolites indicate that metabolism of fluorene by Arthrobacter sp. strain F101 proceeds through three independent pathways. Two productive routes are initiated by dioxygenation at positions 1,2 and 3,4, respectively. meta cleavage followed by an aldolase reaction and loss of C-1 yield the detected indanones. Subsequent biological Baeyer-Villiger reactions produce the aromatic lactones 3,4-dihydrocoumarin and 3-isochromanone. Enzymatic hydrolysis of the former gives 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl) propionate, which could be a substrate for a beta oxidation cycle, to give salicylate. Further oxidation of the latter via catechol and 2-hydroxymuconic semialdehyde connects with the central metabolism, allowing the utilization of all fluorene carbons. Identification of 4-hydroxy-9-fluorenone is consistent with an alternative pathway initiated by monooxygenation at C-9 to give 9-fluorenol and then 9-fluorenone. Although dioxygenation at 3,4 positions of the ketone apparently occurs, this reaction fails to furnish a subsequent productive oxidation of this compound.