Hematological alterations in propylene glycol-dosed female rats are minimal.

The effect of a single oral dose of 73 or 294 mg propylene glycol/100 g bw, in Group I or II respectively, on hematological parameters, plasma osmolality and erythrocyte morphology was investigated in groups of 6 female rats each at different time intervals after dosing. A statistically significant and progressive decrease was observed in hemoglobin, packed cell volume and red cell counts for 2 d, which returned to basal values on the 8th day. Reticulocyte counts, plasma hemoglobin and osmolality increased after PG dosing in both the groups, and the changes were more pronounced after 2 d. The osmotic fragility of erythrocytes remained unaffected after PG dosing whereas electron microscope morphology revealed rough cell surface, ruptured membranes and increased cell adherence throughout the observation period, but these features were not marked on the 8th day. These modified red cell surface characteristics could promote removal by the reticulo-endothelial system resulting in the significant increases in spleen weight in both groups.

Alterations in hepatic biochemistry of mice intoxicated with MIC, carbaryl and thiram.

The effect of different doses of methyl isocyanate (MIC), carbaryl and thiram on liver microsomal mixed-function oxygenases (MFO) was studied in adult Swiss Portan mice by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection for different durations. The LD50 dose of all three toxicants after 0.75 h of administration could increase cytochrome P-450 and cytochrome b5 contents (82-143%), and the 1/4 LD50 of these compounds could elicit the same effect after 168 h (168-393%). The 1/4 LD50 dose of thiram decreased the cytochrome P-450 content below the control level (69.62%) in 0.75 h and the same dose of MIC could decrease the cytochrome P-450 level by 40% compared to the control after 3 days of consecutive injection. The activities of drug-metabolizing enzymes (aminopyrine demethylase--NADH and NADPH-linked--and aniline hydroxylase) were found to increase with all three compounds in general. Marked changes in the activity of the marker enzyme glucose-6-phosphatase were also seen after i.p. injection if MIC, carbaryl and thiram. These findings suggested that these compounds were hepatotoxic, which could be due to their carbamylating nature.

Effect of propane-1,2-diol ingestion on carbohydrate metabolism in female rat erythrocytes.

This study was undertaken to assess the effect of propane-1,2-diol(PD) ingestion on carbohydrate metabolism in female rat erythrocytes. For this purpose, two different groups of adult albino female rats were treated orally with PD at two different dose levels of 73 and 294 mg 100 g-1 body wt. The blood samples drawn from the retro-orbital sinus prior to the treatment served as the controls, whereas the treated samples were collected at peak periods (1/2 and 2 h) 2 and 7 days after the treatment. A single dose of PD was found to elevate levels of blood glucose, lactate, pyruvate and the lactate/pyruvate ratio at the peak periods (P < 0.001) and after 2 days (P < 0.001) in both the groups. A significant (P < 0.05) increase in the contents of erythrocyte 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) was observed only at the peak periods. All these parameters returned to their base level after 7 days of treatment. The activities of hexokinase (HK), 2,3-diphosphoglycerate phosphatase (2,3-DPG Pase), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD), 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6-PGD) and aldehyde reductase II (AR II) declined markedly, whereas those of pyruvate kinase (PK) and aldose reductase increased as a result of PD ingestion. The changes in the activities of 2,3-DPG Pase and LDH were persistent up to 8 days post-treatment. The [14C]glucose flux through glycolysis and the hexose monophosphate shunt pathway in erythrocytes was found to be lowered (P < 0.001) in response to PD treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The role of propylene glycol metabolism in lactatemia in the rabbit.

Propylene glycol (1,2-propanediol PD) has been reported to significantly alter the blood parameters when administered as a drug vehicle. In this study, experiments were performed to estimate the pH, levels of PD, and its metabolites to determine the acute effect of PD in blood. PD was administered to rabbits orally in a single dose of 1 ml 28.4% aqueous solution per 100 g body weight equivalent to 38.66 mmol/kg. Whole blood pH and the levels of PD and metabolites were estimated at fast (O.O h, before feeding PD) and at 0.25, 1, and 3 h after the dose. PD elevated the concentrations of blood PD to its maximum (41.04 +/- 9.98 mmol/liter, n = 4) at 1 h; whereas blood PD is normally absent during fasting. PD significantly increased (P less than 0.01) the concentration of L-lactate in blood, which reached its plateau (2.55 +/- 0.62 mmol/liter, n = 4) at 0.25 h and was 2.45-fold higher than the observed fasted values (1.04 +/- 0.22 mmol/liter, n = 4). Production of D-lactate in blood was similarly increased significantly from 5.1 +/- 5.0 mumols/liter at fast to 150.0 +/- 30.4 mumols/liter at 3 h after oral PD (P less than 0.001, n = 4). As was observed in the fasted blood of PD treated rabbits, D-lactate levels at fast and after saline ingestion in the control animals was found either absent or too low. Despite this increase in lactate, blood pH did not alter significantly when appropriate anticoagulant, i.e., heparin + 4-methylpyrazole, was employed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The effect of propane-diols on the intestinal uptake of nutrients and brush border membrane enzymes in the rat.

The effect on rats of oral doses (38.66 mM/kg body wt) of propane-1,2-diol (PD) administered daily for 10 (Group 1), 20 (Group 2), and 30 days (Group 3) was investigated. Weight gain was initially retarded (P less than 0.05) in Group 1, but was later reversed and elevated significantly (P less than 0.05) in Groups 2 and 3 as compared with their respective controls receiving an equal volume of saline. PD showed a tendency toward enhancing the activities of various enzymes involved in terminal digestion, with the significant effect exerted in few groups on sucrase (P less than 0.05), lactase (P less than 0.05), and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (P less than 0.05) when compared with the respective controls. Absorption of D-glucose, glycine, L-aspartic acid, L-lysine, and calcium was elevated and was especially significant in Groups 2 and 3 (P less than 0.001). The structural integrity of the jejunal surface was retained for the most part. A similar examination of the effects of PD was also carried out in vitro to ascertain whether PD itself or its metabolites are involved in its action. The in vitro effects of propane-1,2-diol were compared with those of the more toxic compound propane-1,3-diol. The former exerted greater inhibitory action on the activities of the disaccharidases. The degree of inhibition was in the order sucrase much greater than lactase greater than maltase. The kinetic data revealed that inhibition by 1,2-diol in native and detergent solubilized sucrase is noncompetitive, with Ki values in the range of 0.35-0.41 M. The two diols did not alter the nutrient transport in the brush border membrane vesicles. The present work on rats indicates that PD may influence the intestinal digestive and absorptive functions in vivo and that this in vivo effect of PD is different from that observed in vitro suggesting that the nutritional and toxicological effect of PD may be mediated by different mechanisms.

Kinetics of oral propylene glycol-induced acute hyperlactatemia.

The kinetics of PD-induced HL in rat have been investigated. The data obtained indicated that PD was solely responsible for the elevation (1.83- to 4.01-fold) of blood lactate that was sustained long enough to affect considerably the normal physiological function of the system. The production of lactate increased as the dose of PD increased up to 38.66 mmole/kg, thereby obeying the Michaelis-Menten kinetics model that gave an apparent Km and Vmax as 7.14 mmole/kg and 7.50 mmole/liter/hr, respectively. The t1/2 elimination time ranged from 1.40 to 5.82 hr which followed apparent first-order kinetics. Pyrazole inhibited (Ki = 6 mumole/kg) the PD-induced HL competitively, suggesting that alcohol dehydrogenase might have played a regulatory role in the conversion of PD to lactate. The PD-induced HL in rat and the LA in human patients are two distinct biochemical entities; reasoning has been given to substantiate that HL is lower order LA. Evidence has been presented to show that PD is a suitable and effective potential agent for producing experimental HL in rat in preference to agents that are currently being used.

Kinetics of propylene glycol elimination and metabolism in rat.

The kinetics of 1,2-propanediol (PD) metabolism in vivo have been determined by employing the Michaelis-Menten rate equation; it was found that maximum metabolizing capacity was 8.33 mmole PD/kg/hr in the rat, which is equivalent to 1.06 kg/day for an average 70-kg human. The rate equation could be suitably used for optimizing the dosage schedule of a drug from the linear elimination pattern; in the present case this gave a Km value of 17.86 mmole/kg on the basis of the elimination rate of PD. The competitive inhibition of PD elimination by preadministration of pyrazole (Ki = 44 mumole/kg) demonstrated that the first step of the biotransformation of PD catalyzed by the NAD-dependent dehydrogenase might be the rate-limiting step for its in vivo metabolism. The low threshold level of the compound and significant rate of metabolism suggested that the CNS toxicity reported in clinical studies might be due to some of its metabolites such as lactaldehyde and other oxo compounds. Thus, PD could not be considered as an inert and innocuous substance.

Effect of a steroidal oral contraceptive on intestinal absorptive functions in proteins deficient rat.

The effects of steroidal oral contraceptive norethynodrel plus ethinylestradiol-3-methyl ether (SOC) at a daily dose of 5 mg: 0.06 mg per kg body weight for 28 days on intestinal absorptive functions have been investigated in protein-deficient female albino rats. The administration of this contraceptive caused significant increase in glucose and amino acids uptake but had no effect on calcium and zinc uptake in pair-fed as well as in protein-deficient rat. Further studies carried out on glucose transport system showed that the transport of sodium-dependent glucose was significantly enhanced while that of sodium-independent glucose remained unaltered in drug-treated animals. Kinetic studies of glucose transport in the presence of sodium ions revealed that SOC treatment affected the rate of uptake of glucose by elevating Vmax, but the apparent Kt value remained the same in treated and untreated animals.

Effect of medroxyprogesterone acetate on the intestinal absorptive functions in protein-deficient rat.

Effect of Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) at a dose level of 35mg/Kg body weight per week for four weeks on the intestinal uptake of nutrients viz glucose, amino acids, (alanine and leucine), calcium and zinc has been investigated in protein-deficient female rats. The administration of MPA was found to enhance significantly the uptake of glucose and amino acids in both the pair-fed and the protein-deficient rats. In contrast, calcium uptake was depressed as a result of treatment with the drug as well as protein-deficiency. The uptake of zinc was not affected on drug administration. This steroidal contraceptive caused elevation in sodium-dependent glucose uptake, while the sodium-independent uptake remained unaltered. The kinetic parameters of glucose and leucine uptake indicate that MPA might be inducing the transport carrier protein of these nutrients as elevation in Vmax of these nutrients transport system was observed following its administration.

Correlation between psychopathology and urinary steroid and biogenic amine metabolites in male schizophrenics.

In eight normals, eight anxiety neurotics and eight patients of acute schizophrenic episode, twenty-four-hour urinary excretion of each of the following was measured: (1) 17-ketosteroids (17-KS)-total, glucuronides) and sulphates, (2)17-hydroxycorticosteroids 17-KS)-total, conjugated and free, (3) Vanilamendelic acid (VMA), and (4) total indoles. In case of schizophrenics, such measurements were made before starting treatment, and after 30 days of chlorpromazine therapy. The psychopathology of schizophrenic subjects were rated on Rockland and Pollir (R. P.) scale on both occasions. Correlating the psychopathology with the biochemical values, amongst schizophrenics, R. P. score was found to show significant positive correlation with VMA and, to a lesser extent with total indoles. Schizophrenics excrated greater amount of VMA than normals and this returned to near normal levels with treatment. On the other hand, schizophrenics excreted lower amounts of most steroid fractions than normals, but amongst schizophrenics, there was no significant correlation between R. P. score arid steroid excretion.

1,2-Propanediol-induced changes in plasma and tissue lipids of rats.

Oral administration of 1,2-propanediol to rats in a daily dose of 1 ml of 28.4% aqueous solution per 100 g body weight for 30 days caused a significant decrease in the total lipids, fatty acids, phospholipids, and triglycerides of plasma, liver, and heart. The cholesterol content in plasma decreased while that in the tissues increased significantly. The accumulation of cholesterol in tissues tends to discourage long term use of 1,2-propanediol even by the oral route.