European proficiency study with control serum for the tumor marker CA 19-9 measured on different test systems.

BACKGROUND: Reliable and precise CA 19-9 testing is required for the long-term follow-up of patients with pancreatic carcinoma during therapy. The aim of this longitudinal proficiency study was to evaluate the comparability, linearity, and precision of CA 19-9 determinations performed in different laboratories using currently available test systems under routine conditions. METHODS: During the one year study period, 15 laboratories applied 7 different tests and included a liquid BIOREF control serum with pancreatic carcinoma derived CA 19-9 in their routine testing and quality control procedures. The results were collected centrally and evaluated statistically. RESULTS: The comparability of CA 19-9 results is limited especially when different tests are used, albeit, some tests show a good correlation: The CA 19-9 values obtained by different laboratories using different test systems vary up to a factor of 2. The precision of CA 19-9 determinations was acceptable in most laboratories with coefficients of variation ranging between very low 3.2% and high 17.8%. The imprecision was slightly increased when automatic dilution procedures of the analysers were used. CONCLUSIONS: The comparability of CA 19-9 test results must be improved. The precision is acceptable in most cases. In order to monitor key performance parameters, every laboratory should participate in external quality assessment schemes and should perform a routine internal quality control with a control serum independent from the test kit manufacturer.

Multicentre evaluation of performance of C-reactive protein analysis over a one-year period.

This communication deals with a longitudinal evaluation of C-reactive protein (CRP) analysis during a one-year period using a single lot of liquid control sera (3 levels) (BIOREF-CRP levels 1, 2 and 3) in different laboratories. A total of 652 sets of data were returned from 20 participating laboratories using 13 different reagent-measuring device combinations. The use of the control materials was defined in a standard operating procedure. Data was returned to the organizers on a monthly basis and questions could be asked or problems presented during the evaluation period. Although the performance of different reagents varied, the control materials were shown to be stable over the whole of the evaluation period when stored at 4-7 degrees C in a refrigerator/cold room. Typical problems were encountered, examples of which are presented here in graphical and tabular form.

Differentiation-induced increase in Clostridium botulinum C3 exoenzyme-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation of the small GTP-binding protein Rho.

The specific [32P]ADP-ribosylation by Clostridium botulinum exoenzyme C3 was used to study differentiation-dependent changes in the regulation of the low-molecular-mass GTP-binding protein Rho. Differentiation of F9 teratocarcinoma cells to neuronal-like cells by treatment with retinoic acid and dibutyryl-adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate [(Bt)2cAMP] increased the C3-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation of RhoA proteins in cytosolic and membrane fractions by about threefold and sixfold, respectively. Phenotypical differentiation of F9 cells was not required for increase in ADP-ribosylation. Increase in ADP-ribosylation after (Bt)2cAMP and retinoic acid treatments was blocked by cycloheximide, indicating the requirement of protein biosynthesis. As deduced from specific rho mRNA amounts and from Western analysis with a monoclonal RhoA antibody, the stimulation in the [32P]ADP-ribosylation of Rho was not caused by an increased de-novo synthesis of Rho proteins. GDP increased the ADP-ribosylation of membrane-associated Rho from non-differentiated, but not from differentiated F9 cells. GTP[S] decreased ADP-ribosylation of membranous Rho from differentiated and much less from non-differentiated F9 cells. Differentiation-dependent increase in ADP-ribosylation of cytosolic Rho was reversed by protein phosphatase type-1. Treatment with SDS (0.01%) which releases Rho from complexation with guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor, increased ADP-ribosylation both in differentiated and non-differentiated cells, indicating no differentiation-specific change of such complexes. In total, our data indicate that the induction of the differentiation process in F9 cells is accompanied by changes in the regulation of cytosolic and membrane-associated Rho proteins.

Cysteine-specific ADP-ribosylation of actin.

Incubation of lysate from human polymorphonucleated neutrophils and human platelets with [32P]NAD resulted in the labeling of a 42-kDa protein. Phosphodiesterase (Crotalus durissus) released 5'-AMP from the radiolabeled protein. The 42-kDa protein was identified as actin by binding to DNAse-I, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and partial proteolysis. The rate of ADP-ribosylation was greater with [32P]ADP-ribose than with [32P]NAD, indicating a non-enzymic modification. ADP-ribose also modified actin in the actin-DNAase-I complex, but denatured actin was not modified by ADP-ribose. Only cytoplasmic beta/gamma-actin isoforms were non-enzymically ADP-ribosylated but not muscle alpha-actin. The acceptor amino acid was identified as a cysteine residue whereas the bacterial ADP-ribosyltransferase C. perfringens iota toxin catalyzes incorporation of ADP-ribose to Arg177 of actin. Alkylation of cysteine residues of actin with N-ethylmaleimide prevented subsequent non-enzymic ADP-ribosylation but not the toxin catalyzed modification. Non-enzymically ADP-ribosylated actin was further modified by C. perfringens iota toxin. The F-actin stabilizing mycotoxin phalloidin blocked the non-enzymatic ADP-ribosylation and, conversely, ADP-ribosylation inhibited the phalloidin-induced polymerization of ADP-ribosylated actin. The data indicate that cytoplasmic actin is non-enzymically ADP-ribosylated by ADP-ribose at a cysteine residue to inhibit actin polymerization.

Urinary metabolites of benzbromarone in man.

Benzbromarone [3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxyphenyl)-(2-ethyl-3-benzofuranyl)-ketone) is a widely used uricosuric drug which was reported to be metabolized by successive debromination. Recently, however, it was reported that benzbromarone is not debrominated but hydroxylated at the ethyl side chain. The presented paper describes further studies on the metabolism of the drug in man. The metabolites were identified in urine samples from two different patients intoxicated suicidally with high doses of benzbromarone after cleavage of conjugates, extraction and derivatization by acetylation using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The following five metabolites could be identified besides the unchanged benzbromarone (BB): hydroxy-alkyl-BB, oxo-BB, two isomers of hydroxyaryl-BB and hydroxy-methoxy-aryl-BB. Therefore, the following two phase I metabolic pathways can be postulated: successive oxidation of the ethyl side chain and one- and twofold hydroxylation of the benzofuran ring followed by methylation of one of the hydroxy groups. Benzbromarone and its metabolites are excreted in urine partly in a conjugated form. Debrominated metabolites could not be detected, although the concentrations of benzbromarone and its metabolites were very high in the urine samples studied.

The valency state of absorbed iron appearing in the portal blood and ceruloplasmin substitution.

(1) Attempts to determine the redox-state of the absorbed iron, which appeared in the portal blood when the free iron-binding capacity was previously saturated, indicate that about 30-90% of this iron was in the ferrous state. This effect was particularly prominent after luminal administration of ferrous iron, but was also seen when iron was given in the ferric state. (2) Total iron absorption is significantly higher in ceruloplasmin-substituted copper-deficient animals as compared to copper-deficient controls. (3) The appearance rate of absorbed iron in the portal blood of copper-deficient animals increased several times immediately after the intravenous infusion of ceruloplasmin. (5) The distribution of absorbed iron was changed due to the ceruloplasmin substitution: it was increased in the reticulocytes (+66%), plasma (+400%) and the body (+112%), whereas in the liver it was decreased by about 78%. (5) In iron-deficient rats intravenously injected ceruloplasmin did not increase iron absorption. (6) The conclusion was drawn that, as for the entrance into the mucosa from the luminal side, also for the release at the contraluminal side into the portal blood, the ferrous state of iron is favoured and that ceruloplasmin accelerates the release into the portal blood by catalyzing the oxidation of ferrous iron due to its high Fe(II): oxygen oxidoreductase (EC 1.16.3.1) activity.

Dependence of intestinal iron absorption on the valency state of iron.

1. In rats iron was absorbed after administration into the gut lumen as ferric iron bound to serum albumin, to nitrilotriacetic acid, and to 8-OH-quinoline sulfonic acid, or as isolated diferri-transferrin. 2. Iron absorption from 59Fe-labelled transferrin was inhibited by the addition of rat plasma. 3. The inhibitory component in the rat plasma turned out to be ceruloplasmin (ferrous iron oxidase, EC 1.16.2.1). 4. The absorption of iron from these ferric iron complexes was also inhibited by addition to the incubation medium of ferrozine, a strong anionic Fe(II)-ligand. 5. Uptake and absorptive utilization of transferrin-bound ferric iron was decreased after a prewash of the gut lumen and could be restored by the addition of ascorbate to the incubation medium. 6. The conclusion was drawn from these results that luminal reduction precedes ferric iron absorption and that this is a prerequisite for the uptake into the mucosa.

Influence of phosphate, sulfonic, and sulfamic acids on sulfoconjugate release in the vascularly perfused mouse small intestine.

An in vitro vascularly and luminally perfused preparation of the murine small intestine was used to investigate the interference of isethionate, cyclamate and HEPES (N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N'-2-ethanesulfonic acid) with the luminal transport of the isoprenaline-sulfoconjugate as well as with the basolateral transport of naphthol-sulfoconjugate. The sulfonates and sulfamates when administered from the luminal as well as from the contraluminal side of the epithelium inhibited the transport of isoprenaline-sulfoconjugate. Inhibition of the naphthol-sulfoconjugate transport across the contraluminal epithelial membrane was less pronounced, but a countertransport phenomenon could be induced with cyclamate in the vascular medium. The presence of phosphate at the luminal side is essential for the transport of the isoprenaline-sulfoconjugate across the luminal membrane. This is not the case for bicarbonate. The conclusion is drawn that different transport systems for sulfoconjugates exist in the luminal and in the contraluminal membranes of the intestinal mucosa, which can be inhibited by structurally related compounds. The luminal transport system can be activated from the luminal side by phosphate.

Effects of vasopressin on electrolyte transport across isolated colon from normal and dexamethasone-treated rats.

Vasopressin enhanced the absorption of Na+ and Cl- across the short-circuited colon descendens from normal rats. This effect of vasopressin results from an increase in the mucosal to serosal movement of Na+ and Cl- and a decrease in the serosal to mucosal movement of Cl- and was accompanied with a decrease in the short-circuit current (ISC). Neither the base-line absorption of Na+ and Cl-, the vasopressin-induced increase in Na+ and Cl- absorption nor the decrease in ISC were inhibited by amiloride in the colon from normal rats. Colon descendens from rats treated for 3 days with dexamethasone had remarkably higher transmural potential difference (p.d.), tissue conductance (Gt) and ISC. The absorption of Na+ across the short-circuited colon descendens from dexamethasone-treated rats was increased 3-fold when compared to colon from normal rats. The absorption of Cl- in normal rats was reversed to Cl- secretion in treated rats. Amiloride rapidly and reversibly decreased the p.d., Gt and ISC in colon from dexamethasone-treated rats. The transport of Na+ was nearly completely inhibited by amiloride in treated rats. In contrast to its enhancing effects on Na+ absorption in colon from normal rats vasopressin did not enhance Na+ absorption in colon from dexamethasone-treated rats. This enhancement of Cl- absorption by vasopressin was retained in colon from treated rats. This enhancement of Cl- transport was due solely to a decrease in the serosal to mucosal movement of Cl- and was accompanied with a decrease in ISC and Gt. The results support the hypothesis that vasopressin causes inhibition of the electrogenic secretion of Cl- in colon from dexamethasone-treated rats. Furthermore, the results suggest that the increase in the mucosal to serosal movement of Na+ and Cl- and the decrease in the serosal to mucosal movement of Cl- in colon from normal rats are caused by independent effects of vasopressin.

Vectorial release of sulfoconjugates in the vascularly perfused mouse small intestine.

Sulfoconjugates are formed from various xenobiotics and drugs in the vascularly perfused mouse small intestine. They can be grouped according to the sidedness of their release from the epithelium. Conjugates of paracetamol and salicylamide, like 1-naphthol-sulfate, are released exclusively into the vascular medium, whereas those of diethylstilbestrol, ethinyl-estradiol and isoprenaline appear only in the luminal perfusion medium. It is concluded from these results that selective anion transport systems for sulfoconjugates exist in the brush-border membrane as well as in the basolateral membrane of the enterocyte.

Conjugation of 1-naphthol and transport of 1-naphthol-conjugates in the vascularly perfused small intestine of the mouse.

A method is described which allows the simultaneous vascular and luminal perfusion of the murine small intestine. This preparation was used for the investigation of 1-naphthol conjugation in the gut and the sidedness of conjugate release. The viability of this preparation can be maintained for more than 1 hr as indicated by morphological controls, measurement of tissue metabolism and the transport of 3-O-methyl-glucose against a concentration gradient. When 100 microM 1-naphthol was administered on the luminal side, it was conjugated at a constant rate, yielding 1-naphthyl-glucuronide and 1-naphthyl-sulfate in a molar ratio of 1:2. Both metabolites were excreted into the blood at the contraluminal side of the epithelium. The results are discussed with respect to the sidedness of intestinal transport systems for anionic conjugates of xenobiotics and drugs.

[Effect of 2-hydroxyestradiol-17beta on NADPH-dependent electron transfer in rat liver microsomes in vitro (author's transl)]. / Wirkung von 5-Hydroxyöstradiol-17beta auf den NADPH-abhängigen Elektronentransport

If rat liver microsomes are incubated with NADPH and 2-hydroxyestradiol-17beta in vitro, the following is observed: 1. Inhibition of lipid peroxidation, 2.inhibition of cytochrome P-450 reduction, and 3.inhibition of cytochrome b5 reduction. Beyond this the catechole inhibits lipid peroxidation of liposomes in vitro. These phenomena can be explained by interaction of different states of oxidation of the estrogen with the NADPH-cytochrome reductase and with 0-2 radicals, which leads to terminal "uncoupling" of microsomal electron transport.