Familial dysalbuminaemic hyperthyroxinaemia: studies of albumin binding and implications for hormone action.

The abnormal intermediate-affinity T4 binding to albumin which is characteristic of familial dysalbuminaemic hyperthyroxinaemia (FDH) is dependent on buffer, temperature, and ionic composition. Scatchard analysis of T4-binding to isolated albumin preparations from FDH subjects showed that half the circulating albumin showed the higher-affinity T4 binding site, assuming one site per molecule. Using dextran-charcoal separation at 4 degrees C the T4 affinity (Kd) of purified albumin from FDH subjects was 7.5 nmol/l in phosphate and 17 nmol/l in Tris-Cl- buffer. T4 binding to FDH albumin was inhibited by a range of substances in the order: 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulphonic acid greater than merthiolate greater than propylthiouracil greater than methyl-thiouracil greater than carbimazole greater than salicylate greater than barbitone. Binding of T4 was competitively inhibited by low concentrations of dithiothreitol (DTT). The effect of DTT 0.1-0.5 nmol/l was reversed by removal of DTT by dialysis. Competition with a range of iodothyronines indicated that the 3', 5'-iodine atoms are most important for binding to this site. Serum binding of salicylate, frusemide, fenclofenac and barbituric acid, and a range of steroid hormones was similar in FDH and normal sera. Serum levels of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), were not significantly different from sex-matched controls. Nuclear [125I]-T3 binding sites in circulating lymphocytes from two FDH subjects showed affinities (Kd) of 59 and 79 pmol/l (normal 67 +/- 7 pmol/l, n = 6). These findings suggest that the highly specific binding anomaly of FDH is due to a disulphide-dependent structural change in albumin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Modulation of brain angiotensin-converting enzyme by dietary sodium and chronic intravenous and intracerebroventricular fusion of angiotensin II.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in rat brain closely resembled that in lung in its kinetics with the substrate Hip-His Leu, the inhibitors SQ 20,881 and SQ 14,225, and iun its Cl- activation profile. Modification of dietary NaCl intake was associated with marked changes in brain ACE activity. Sodium-loaded rats had lower activity of ACE in hypothalamus, striatum, and midbrain, and higher activity in spinal cord compared to controls. In sodium-restricted rats, ACE was elevated in pituitary and depressed in spinal cord. Chronic intravenous infusion of angiotensin (AII) was associated with a pattern of changes partly resembling sodium loading: ACE was depressed in hypothalamus and striatum but elevated in midbrain. After chronic intracerebroventricular infusion of AII, ACE was elevated in striatum and hippocampus, and depressed in spinal cord; a pattern of changes quite different from those associated with intravenous AII. These results show that ACE in several brain regions is sensitive to dietary sodium intake and support the hypothesis that angiotensin-containing neurons in these areas might be responsive to NaCl status of the animal. The observed changes in brain ACE do not seem to be explained in any simple manner by changes in circulating or central angiotensin II.

Familial euthyroid thyroxine excess: characterization of abnormal intermediate affinity thyroxine binding to albumin.

The abnormal high capacity T4 binding site of familial euthyroid T4 excess was separable from prealbumin and T4-binding globulin but not from albumin. We therefore compared T4 binding by albumin preparations isolated from the sera of normal and affected subjects. By equilibrium dialysis, albumin from affected subjects showed an extra T4 binding site (Kd approximately 50 nM) in addition to the T4 binding sites of normal albumin (Kd approximately 4 microM). Comparison of the estimated capacity of the additional site (200 microM) with the molar concentration of albumin suggested that only about one third of albumin molecules from affected subjects contained the extra binding site. Estimates of affinity and capacity were used to derive combining powers for the diverse classes of serum T4 binding sites. From these estimates, it appears that the presence of the abnormal site accounts for the approximate doubling of normal mean total T4 (from approximately 100 nM or 7.7 micrograms/dl to approximately 200 nM or 15.5 micrograms/dl), in order to maintain a normal free T4 in the face of the increased T4 association with albumin. Studies of [125I]T4 displacement from albumin of affected subjects showed low T3 affinity and competition by barbitone. Relative molar concentrations to give equivalent displacement of [125I]T4 were: 3,3',5,5'-tetraiodothyroacetic acid, 0.4; T4, 1.0; rT3, 4; 8-anilinonaphthalene sulfonic acid, 10; T3, 80; salicylate, 200; and barbitone, 40,000. Studies with dithiothreitol suggested that disulfide bonds were critical in maintaining the T4-albumin association. These findings indicate that familial T4 excess is due to abnormal intermediate affinity, sulfhydryl-sensitive T4 binding sites that are inseparable from the albumin found in affected subjects.

Complex competitive and non-competitive inhibition of rat lung angiotensin-converting enzyme by inhibitors containing thiol groups: captopril and SA 446.

1. The kinetics of the inhibitory action of four different angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors was evaluated in vitro with rat lung enzyme and the substrate hippuryl-histidyl-leucine. 2. Enzyme velocity against substrate concentration curves were fitted squares to hyperbolae by a weighted least squares iterative method to obtain apparent values of Km, Vmax. and K/V at each concentration of inhibitor. 3. The inhibitory constants Ki and Ki' were obtained by weighted linear regressions of K/V against i and 1/V against i respectively. 4. Teprotide was the least potent inhibitor with a Ki of near 20 nmol/l whereas captopril (SQ 14 225) and SA 446 were both approximately 10 times and MK 421 approximately 20 times more potent. 5. Two inhibitors which lacked thiol groups [teprotide or SQ 20 881 and N-(1-S-1-carboxy-3-phenylpropyl)-L-Ala-L-Pro or MK 421] produced a purely competitive pattern of inhibition with increased apparent Km but no change in apparent Vmax.. 6. Two inhibitors containing thiol groups [captopril or SQ 14 225 and 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)-3-(3-mercaptopropanoyl)-4-thiazolidine carboxylic acid or SA 446] both produced a mixed competitive and non-competitive pattern of inhibition with increased apparent Km and decreased Vmax.. 7. It is possible that thiol-containing inhibitors might produce non-competitive inhibition of converting enzyme by forming strong bonds with zinc near the active site of the enzyme.

Limitations of a new free thyroxine assay (Amerlex free T4).

We have assessed a new method of free T4 measurement (Amerlex) which uses a novel unidentified T4-labelled analogue, said to be unreactive with T4 binding proteins in serum, together with an antibody that binds both analogue and T4. Free T4 is assessed by competition with analogue for antibody binding-sites. The test method has been compared with free T4 measured by equilibrium dialysis and with a technique using an immobilized T4 antibody. All methods gave the expected free T4 levels in normal, hyperthyroid and hypothyroid subjects and normal free T4 levels with high or low levels of T4 binding globulin. However, in autosomal dominant familial euthyroid T4-excess, where T4 is abnormally bound to albumin, the test method gave apparent high free T4 levels suggestive of hyperthyroidism. In a selected group of severely-ill euthyroid patients the new method gave apparent low free T4 levels. In view of these discrepancies, binding of labelled analogue was evaluated by dextran-charcoal separation of 4 degraees C. Familial euthyroid T4-excess sera showed greater analogue binding and samples with low prealbumin concentration showed less binding than did normal sera. Despite its validity with variations in TBG, it appears that Amerlex Free T4 is influenced by lower-affinity, high-capacity T4 binding sites in serum, so that apparent free T4 concentration may vary with changes in the concentration of such sites.

A clinical evaluation of serum angiotensin converting enzyme in sarcoidosis.

Angiotensin converting enzyme was measured in the serum of 52 patients with sarcoidosis, 67 healthy control subjects and 64 patients with pulmonary and non-pulmonary diseases. The patients with sarcoidosis were classified on clinical grounds as having active or inactive disease. In 26 patients with active sarcoidosis not taking corticosteroids the mean serum ACE was significantly higher than in normal controls (P less than 0 . 001). 73% of these patients had elevated serum ACE. Only two out of 12 (17%) patients with inactive sarcoidosis not taking corticosteroids had elevated serum ACE. Serum ACE was normal in patients taking oral corticosteroids for longer than two weeks. Eighty per cent of patients with active sarcoidosis with radiological evidence of pulmonary parenchymal involvement had an elevated serum ACE compared to 25% in patients with normal chest X-rays and 60% of those with bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy. All sarcoid patients with hypercalcaemia had elevated serum ACE whereas only half of those with normal serum calcium had elevated ACE. In the patients with other thoracic and granulomatous conditions serum ACE was normal or rarely marginally elevated. Serum ACE appears to be of value in the diagnosis of active sarcoidosis.

Angiotensin converting enzyme in the brain of spontaneously hypertensive rats.

1. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) was measured in homogenates of regions of rat brain using the substrate Hip-His-Leu. 2. The enzyme resembles classical ACE in its marked Cl- dependence and inhibition by both SQ 20,881 (24 micro mol/1) and EDTA (1 mmol/1). 3. Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto controls (NT-WK) were killed at 20-22 weeks of age their brains dissected into eight regions. 4. There were marked region variations of ACE with highest levels in striatum, hippocampus, cerebellum and pituitary and lower levels in hypothalamus and cerebral cortex. 5. In three brain regions ACE was significantly lower in SHR compared to NT-WK: medulla oblongata (P < 0.05), hypothalamus (P < 0.02) and cerebral cortex (P < 0.05). In the other sites the levels were not different. 6. These region-specific differences of ACE in the SHR could lead to altered production or metabolism of central neuropeptides postulated to be involved in the control of blood pressure.

Characterization of immunoreactive angiotensin in canine cerebrospinal fluid as Des-Asp1-angiotensin II.

1. Immunoreactive angiotensin II was measured in cerebrospinal fluid of four normal dogs. 2. The migration of this immunoreactive angiotensin II on polyacrylamide-slab gel electrophoresis was identical with the migration of the heptapeptide, Des-Asp1-angiotensin II, in each case. 3. The biological activity of the material from canine cerebrospinal fluid in a pressor bioassay was similar to that of Des-Asp1-angiotensin II. 4. The pressor activity of the canine material was abolished by treating the pressor bioassay rat with a competitive antagonistic analogue, Sar1-Ala8-angiotensin II. 5. The results suggest that the biologically active immunoreactive angiotension II present in normal canine cerebrospinal fluid is composed mainly of the heptapeptide fragment of angiotensin II, Des-Asp1-angiotensin II.

The distribution of immunoreactive angiotensins I and II extracted from rat brain.

A method was developed to measure immunoreactive angiotensin I and II extracted from rat brain tissue. The angiotensin-immunoreactive materials extracted from brain tissue resembled angiotensins I and II in many of their physiochemical properties. The concentration of angiotensin-immunoreactive materials was highest in extracts of pituitary, hypothalamus and thalamus. The concentrations of angiotensin-immunoreactive materials were not decreased in extracts of brain tissue from bilaterally nephrectomized rats. The concentrations of immunoreactive materials in extracts of pituitary far exceed those which could be accounted for by the blood and suggests that these endogenous peptides may regulate the neurosecretion of antidiuretic hormone.