INHIBITION OF ALCOHOL DEHYDROGENASE BY FOLIC ACID AND SEVERAL OF ITS ANALOGS

THE INHIBITION OF NICOTINAMIDE-ADENINE DINUCLEOTIDE-LINKED 3-ALPHA-HYDROXY STEROID DEHYDROGENASE BY CERTAIN ANTIMETABOLIC DRUGS

1. The inhibition of NAD-linked 3alpha-hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase in vitro by some of the more therapeutically effective antimetabolic drugs has been investigated. 2. Antipurine and antifolic acid drugs inhibit this system, as does folic acid. 3. Combinations of antifolic acid drugs and folic acid itself produce an additive but not synergic inhibition. 4. Antimetabolic drugs give inhibitions that are additive to those produced by antagonistic steroid hormones.

Enzyme histochemistry of rat folic acid nephropathy

One hour after a single i.v. dose of 250 mg/kg folic acid, the straight portion of distal tubules in the outer medulla of rat kidneys showed a distinct reduction in succinate dehydrogenase, NADH2-diaphorase, glutamate dehydrogenase, cytochrome oxydase, Na+/K+-ATPase, and acid phosphatase activity. In contrast, the proximal tubules exhibited only a reduction in glutamate dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase activity. At this time the straight portion of the distal tubules, whose enzyme activity had changed, showed partly regressive epithelial changes. 24 hours after folic acid administration an even greater reduction in enzyme activity had occurred in the straight portion of distal tubules; these structures also became dilated. The adjacent collecting tubules and the corresponding proximal tubules were also severely dilated, the proximal tubules showing a loss in enzyme acitivities similar to those observed in the distal tubules. 48 hours after folic acid administration the changes largely resembled those observed after 24 hours, but were more pronounced. At this time a tubular regeneration was observed. 72 hours after folic administration extensive normalization of the histological and histochemical changes had occured. It is postulated that a disturbance of the hairpin counter-current mechanism occurs as a result of a direct, concentration-dependent effect of folic acid on the enzymes of the energy supplying metabolism. A dilation in the region of the loop of Henle and the collecting tubules occurs subsequently.

Mammalian liver alcohol dehydrogenases

Literature on the properties of liver alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) from man, horse and rat is reviewed and discussed under two major headings: 1) physical and chemical properties of ADH and 2) structure-function relationship in isoenzymes. Under the first heading are discussed: molecular weight, subunit composition catalytic sites per molecule, sulfhydryl groups, end groups, amino acid composition, role of Zn++ in the structure and function, coenzyme specificity and binding, conformational changes, substrate specificity, catalytic mechanism and recent results from x-ray crystallography of horse liver ADH. The physicochemical properties of ADH from man, horse and rat are for the most part similar. All three enzymes have identical molecular weights, similar amino acid compositions, consist of two subunits, and are all metalloenzymes containing Zn++: horse and human ADH contain one coenzyme binding site per subunit; no results are available for the rat ADH. ADH catalyses interconversion of a large variety of saturated and unsaturated aliphatic and aromatic alcohols and the corresponding aldehydes and ketones utilizing NAD(H). The physiological role of ADH is uncertain. ADH readily combines with reduced coenzymes to form binary complexes with low dissociation constants (10-7 to 10-8M); in the ternary complexes with coenzymes and substrate-competitive inhibitors, these constants are even lower. In the presence of suitable inhibitors, the enzymes can be titrated by coenzymes employing fluorometric and spectrophotometric procedures. The rate of the overall reaction catalyzed by ADH is determined by the dissociation rates of coenzymes, the slowest steps in the reaction sequence. Under the second heading are discussed: liver ADH isoenzymes of horse, man, rat, rhesus monkey and other species, and the significance of steroid activity which accounts for the distinct substrate specificity of some isoenzymes. ADH from horse liver is a heterogeneous enzyme consisting of subunits of distinct substrate specificity and primary structure. The difference in the amino acid sequence between subunit E (active with classical ADH substrates, but not with steroids) and subunit S (active also with steroids) amounts to six amino acids out of 374. Human ADH is also heterogeneous, and at least five genes code for polypeptides which, by dimerization, form different isoenzymes. Experimental evidence suggests that rat ADH is a single unique protein which, like horse liver ADH, SS, is active with steroids. The physiological significance of steroid activity of ADHs is unknown. (Four tables with comparative data and one figure are presented).