nitrophenols and harmol

2,6-Dichloro-4-nitrophenol (DCNP)-35sulfate was identified and quantified by an HPLC-radiometric assay following its biosynthesis in vitro from 35S-labeled 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate (PAP35S) by phenolsulfotransferase (PST) of rat liver cytosol. Acid hydrolysis of DCNP-35sulfate produced almost stoichiometric release of inorganic 35sulfate and DCNP. In two-substrate experiments of sulfation of p-nitrophenol (p-NP) or dopamine (prototype substrates for P and M human PST forms), 10 microM DCNP inhibited the reactions by about 15 and 78%, respectively. This contrasts with its action on PST of human origin where the P-PST was more sensitive to DCNP inhibition. In all mixed bi-substrate experiments, a reciprocal relationship between the two sulfated products was observed. Kinetic data showed that p-NP inhibited the sulfation of DCNP competitively. Likewise the sulfation of p-NP and dopamine was competitively inhibited by DCNP. However, non-competitive inhibition was observed in the sulfation of p-NP by DCNP, measured at varying concentrations of PAP35S. The above kinetic data suggest that DCNP is an alternate-substrate inhibitor of rat liver PST.

Topics: Animals; Arylsulfotransferase; Cytosol; Dopamine; Harmine; Kinetics; Liver; Nitrophenols; Rats; Sulfates

1. The isolated perfused rat liver forms three sulphated metabolites from each of the flavonoids, quercetin and catechin: these are secreted into the bile and the perfusate. 2. Quercetin gives two double conjugates, containing sulphate and glucuronic acid, and one sulphate: catechin gives one such double conjugate and two sulphates. 3. This sulphation is not inhibited by 60 microM 2,6-dichloro-4-nitrophenol which almost completely inhibits the sulphation of harmol in this perfused liver system. 4. The sulphation of harmol by the perfused liver is not inhibited by the flavonoids. 5. Unfractionated sulphotransferases from rat liver catalyse sulphate conjugation of quercetin and catechin in vitro by a reaction inhibited by pentachlorophenol or dichloronitrophenol: the flavonoids inhibit the sulphation of 4-nitrophenol by this system. 6. The results with the two systems are discussed and shown to be compatible.

Topics: Animals; Bile; Catechin; Chromatography, Thin Layer; Glucuronidase; Harmine; Hydrolysis; In Vitro Techniques; Liver; Nitrophenols; Perfusion; Quercetin; Rats; Sulfates; Sulfur Radioisotopes

Sulfation of phenols and similar low-molecular-weight substrates in the rat in vivo is a rather complex process. Besides enzyme kinetic parameters, cosubstrate availability (indirectly measured by serum sulfate concentration) and competition with glucuronidation also play a role. For some substrates extensive extrahepatic sulfation occurs, accounting for more than 50% of the total-body sulfation capacity. However, the hepatic contribution may be under-estimated when drugs are administered into the hepatic portal vein, because saturation of hepatic metabolism may occur under those conditions. Inside the liver, sulfation is located primarily in zone 1, the periportal area. This can be shown in the single-pass perfused rat liver by perfusion in either the normal or retrograde flow direction. In the rat sulfate conjugates are eliminated preferentially in urine, whereas glucuronides are excreted to a high extent in bile. Therefore, it is important to collect both bile and urine in the characterization of pharmacokinetics of conjugation in vivo. Selective inhibition of sulfation by pentachlorophenol and 2,6-dichloro-4-nitrophenol facilitates studies of the role of sulfation in elimination of its substrates, and the competition between sulfation and glucuronidation for the same substrate.

Topics: Alkaloids; Animals; Dogs; Glucuronosyltransferase; Harmine; Hymecromone; Kinetics; Liver; Liver Circulation; Nitrophenols; Pentachlorophenol; Perfusion; Phosphoadenosine Phosphosulfate; Rats; Sulfates; Sulfobromophthalein; Sulfurtransferases

The uneven distribution of the glucuronidation and sulfation activity of acetaminophen (APAP) and p-nitrophenol (PNP) in liver was studied using centrilobular and periportal regions of isolated rat hepatocytes obtained by Percoll density gradient centrifugation, in a manner similar to that for harmol reported previously. The glucuronidation of APAP and PNP occurred predominantly in the periportal region. Glucuronidation activity of APAP in the centrilobular region was not detected. This finding may reflect the existence of different forms of uridine diphosphate-glucuronyltransferase (UDPGT) for APAP and PNP. The regional difference in Km values was observed for PNP, but not for harmol as reported in the previous paper. This suggests the existence of multiple forms of UDPGT for PNP as well as the heterogeneous distribution of this enzyme in liver lobules. The sulfation rates of APAP and PNP in the centrilobular region were smaller than those in the periportal region. The regional difference of APAP sulfation was due to different Vmax values. As shown in the harmol experiment, the predominant distribution of sulfation activity of APAP and PNP in the periportal region agreed with the results in the perfused liver previously reported by other investigators but that of glucuronidation activity was at variance with them.

Topics: Acetaminophen; Animals; Cell Fractionation; Glucuronates; Harmine; In Vitro Techniques; Liver; Male; Nitrophenols; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Sulfates

The pharmacokinetics of 2,6-dichloro-4-nitrophenol (DCNP) have been studied in the rat. Upon i.v. injection the plasma decay curve of DCNP showed a rapid distribution phase. After 30 min the plasma concentration reached a value that was constant for at least 90 min, indicating very slow elimination of DCNP. The volume of distribution was 88 ml/kg and a high degree of binding (over, 99%) of DCNP in vitro to bovine serum albumin was found. The concentration of DCNP in the liver was between 30 and 50% of the plasma values. While in vivo the effect of DCNP persisted for a long time, its action was readily reversible in the single-pass perfused rat liver. In vivo, the effect of the dose of DCNP on the inhibition of sulfation of the phenolic compound harmol was investigated. Upon the i.v. injection of 26 mumole DCNP/kg an instantaneous and complete inhibition of sulfation of harmol was found. Using this property of DCNP, the rate of sulfation of harmol in vivo was evaluated in relation to the dose and the time after injection of the substrate. Saturation of sulfation apparently occurred because the consumption of inorganic sulfate was extremely small.

Topics: Animals; Harmine; In Vitro Techniques; Kinetics; Liver; Male; Nitrophenols; Perfusion; Protein Binding; Rats; Sulfates

Harmol is conjugated by glucuronidation and sulfation when it is given to the rat in vivo. In the once-through perfused rat liver preparation glucuronidation of harmol shows kinetic aberrances [Pang et al., J. Pharmac. exp. Ther. 219, 134 (1981)]. In order to further delineate the mechanism behind this, sulfation was inhibited to about 10% of control by 2,6-dichloro-4-nitrophenol. The loss of sulfation was compensated by an increase in the rate of glucuronidation, keeping the total clearance by the liver virtually constant in spite of the loss of sulfation. The inhibition of sulfation eliminated the previously observed lag-phase in the kinetics of glucuronidation; the rate of glucuronidation was now almost linear with the input concentration of the substrate harmol. The constant clearance of harmol in spite of inhibition of sulfation, the occurrence of the lag-phase in glucuronidation in the presence of sulfation, and the disappearance of this lag-phase in the absence of sulfation can be explained by either diffusion-limited metabolism of harmol or a heterogeneous sub-lobular distribution of the sulfating and glucuronidating systems. Activation of glucuronidation by harmol at high concentration can be excluded.

Topics: Alkaloids; Animals; Cholestasis; Glucuronates; Harmine; Kinetics; Liver; Male; Metabolic Clearance Rate; Nitrophenols; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Sulfates

The effect of 2,6-dichloro-4-nitrophenol, an inhibitor of the sulfation of the phenolic compound harmol in vivo, on the sulfation of other phenolic substances and on various conjugation reactions has been studied in the rat in vivo. Compounds chemically related to 2,6-dichloro-4-nitrophenol were also tested as sulfation inhibitors. 2,6-Dichloro-4-nitrophenol inhibited the sulfation of phenol while it had no effect on biliary excretion of dibromosulphthalein, glucuronidation of phenolphthalein, acetylation of procainamide ethobromide or glutathione conjugation of ethacrynic acid. It is concluded that of these conjugation reactions sulfation is inhibited selectively at the dose level used. Some phenols with chloro- or nitro-substituents effectively inhibited the sulfation of harmol but to a lesser extent than 2,6-dichloro-4-nitrophenol. Many other phenols did not affect the conjugation of harmol, which is both glucuronidated and sulfated.

Topics: Animals; Bile; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Ethacrynic Acid; Glucuronates; Harmine; Male; Nitrophenols; Phenolphthaleins; Phenols; Procainamide; Rats; Sulfates

Microsomal UDP-glucuronyltransferase and cytosolic sulphotransferase share many substrates, such as phenols and hydroxamic acids. In a search for a selective inhibitor of sulphation, several phenolic compounds were tested. 2,6-Dichloro-4-nitrophenol is introduced as a selective inhibitor of sulphation in vivo, having no effect on UDP-glucuronyltransferase activity. As substrate for both conjugating enzymes the phenolic drug harmol (7-hydroxy-1-methyl-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole) was used. In the rat in vivo 2,6-dichloro-4-nitrophenol caused almost complete inhibition of harmol sulphation after a single intraperitoneal injection (26mumol/kg) for 48h; the percentage of harmol sulphated decreased from 75% in controls to 5% in the treated rats. The percentage of harmol glucuronidated increased from 25 to 95%. Pentachlorophenol was equally effective but also highly toxic. Salicylamide had only a very-short-lasting inhibitory effect on sulphation. In vitro, 2,6-dichloro-4-nitrophenol inhibited sulphation of harmol by a rat liver postmitochondrial supernatant completely at 1mum, whereas even at 100mum it had no effect on glucuronidation of harmol. It is concluded that 2,6-dichloro-4-nitrophenol is a selective inhibitor of sulphation and, further, that its long duration of action makes it suitable for studies on the regulatory role of sulphation in some biological processes.

Topics: Animals; Bile; Glucuronosyltransferase; Harmaline; Harmine; In Vitro Techniques; Liver; Male; Nitrophenols; Pentachlorophenol; Rats; Sulfurtransferases; Time Factors