Preferential alcoholic embryopathy: effects of liquid diets.

Our initial report of a preferential expression of experimental alcoholic embryopathy affecting the male offspring contiguous in utero to male siblings of Long-Evans rats was based on gavage administration of alcohol to pregnant rats without regard to isocaloric, pair-fed exposure paradigms. In this study, pregnant Long-Evans rats were given 35% ethanol-derived calories (EDC) in one of two different liquid diets: 1) a liquid alcohol diet based on Sustacal, a flavored liquid food formulated for human nutritional standards; and 2) a high-protein liquid rodent diet devised by Lieber and DeCarli (L&D). The diets were administered from day 6 to 15 of gestation. Pregnant rats were pair-fed liquid diets containing 0% EDC, but isocalorically balanced to 35% EDC with either sucrose (Sustacal) or maltose-dextrin (L&D). A fifth group of pregnant rats was given access ad libitum to standard certified laboratory rodent diet and served as free-fed controls. On day 20 of gestation, all pregnant rats were euthanized and the products of conception examined by standard teratologic techniques. Pregnant animals fed Sustacal-based diets consistently consumed fewer calories per kilogram body weight per day from day 6 to 15 of gestation (i.e., they were significantly calorie-deprived during pregnancy) as compared with the standard laboratory-diet-fed controls or those consuming L&D diets. Body weights of rats consuming Sustacal diets (both 0 and 35% EDC) were significantly lower throughout gestation when compared with all other groups. Higher (> 150 mg/dl) blood alcohol levels were attained by rats consuming 35% EDC in Sustacal diet as compared with L&D (100 mg/dl) diets.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of intrauterine position on the hepatic microsomal polysubstrate monooxygenase and cytosolic glutathione S-transferase activity, plasma sex steroids and relative organ weights in adult male and female Long-Evans rats.

The intrauterine position of rat fetuses between siblings of the same or opposite sex has been reported to alter sexually dimorphic behavioral and reproductive traits in the adult. The intrauterine fetal position of adult rats is identified by a three letter code as mMm (a male, M, located between two male siblings, m-m) and fFf (a female, F, positioned between two females, f-f). This study sought to determine whether intrauterine location affected the hepatic polysubstrate monooxygenase and glutathione S-transferase activity, plasma sex steroid levels and organ weights in adult Long-Evans rats. The hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 content was higher in females located in utero between two male littermates (mFm) than in females positioned between two females (fFf). NADPH cytochrome c reductase activity was higher in mMm males (positioned in utero between two males) than in fMf males (males contiguous to two female littermates) and female rats. Hepatic microsomal testosterone 2 alpha- and 6 beta-hydroxylase activity was undetectable in fFf female but both activities were measurable in mFm female rats. Testosterone 7 alpha-hydroxylase and 5 alpha-reductase activity was higher in females than in males, and higher in fFf than in mFm females. Glutathione S-transferase activity was not altered by fetal contiguity in male and female rats. Adult mMm males had a higher plasma testosterone level and relative gonadal weight, and lower plasma estradiol concentration than fMf males. The plasma progesterone concentration of fFf female was lower than that of mFm female rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alcohol preference and hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase activity in adult Long-Evans rats is affected by intrauterine sibling contiguity.

Alcohol preference and hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase activity in adult rats are known to be sexually dimorphic. Intrauterine sibling contiguity (the intrauterine position of a fetus relative to adjacent siblings of the same or opposite sex) alters selected reproductive, behavioral and enzymatic sexual dimorphisms via intersibling sex hormone transfer. We postulated that sibling contiguity would affect alcohol preference and hepatic alcohol metabolism in adult rats. The results of our study demonstrate that adult mMm male Long-Evans rats (genetic male rat developing in utero between two male siblings) had significantly lower ethanol preference, attained higher blood alcohol levels after standard ethanol "challenge" doses and had significantly lower hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase activity than either male siblings developing in utero between two females (fMf) or genetic females developing between two males or between two females (mFm or fFf). Hepatic cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase activity was higher in adult female than male rats regardless of nearest neighbor siblings. It is suggested that the differences in ethanol preference and hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase activity between the adult mMm and fMf male rats is due to differences in prenatal hormonal environment which can modulate sexual dimorphisms in alcohol intake and metabolism in the adult.

The effect of dexamethasone, insulin and triiodothyronine on microsomal NADPH-cytochrome-c (P-450) reductase in primary cultures of isolated hepatocytes.

NADPH-cytochrome-c (P-450) reductase, a flavoprotein, is a constituent of the hepatic microsomal polysubstrate monooxygenase and catalyzes the transfer of electrons from NADPH to cytochrome P-450. The hormonal regulation of NADPH-cytochrome-c reductase activity and protein has been examined in insolated hepatocytes cultured as monolayers for 48 h in Waymouth's MB752/1 medium fortified with insulin, dexamethasone and triiodothyronine. No similarity between the response of NADPH-cytochrome-c reductase and of tyrosine aminotransferase and malate dehydrogenase activity to dexamethasone and triiodothyronine treatment could be detected. In the absence of hormones about 65% of the original NADPH-cytochrome-c reductase activity and protein estimated by the immunochemical staining technique was retained. Culture of hepatocytes in insulin (10.0 mU/ml) or dexamethasone (100 nM) alone but not triiodothyronine improved the retention of reductase activity and protein. Only when hepatocytes were cultured in insulin, triiodothyronine and dexamethasone could NADPH-cytochrome-c reductase activity and protein be maintained at the original level. Dexamethasone alone was found to enhance consistently retention of reductase protein, but not reductase activity, to approximately the same level as in freshly isolated hepatocytes. The results suggest that microsomal NADPH-cytochrome-c reductase activity and protein can be maintained in isolated hepatocytes at the original level by culturing the cells in dexamethasone, insulin and triiodothyronine.

Assay of hepatic microsomal testosterone hydroxylases by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for the assay of the hepatic microsomal polysubstrate monooxygenase catalyzed hydroxylation of testosterone is described. The metabolites are extracted from the incubation mixture with dichloromethane and the extract is washed with dilute alkali and water, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate, and evaporated to dryness. The residue is dissolved in methanol and an aliquot analyzed. The products are separated by reverse-phase chromatography with a methanol/water/tetrahydrofuran gradient and quantitated at 240 nm by the internal standard technique. The assay does not use radioactively labeled testosterone and can measure hydroxylase activity in microsomal samples containing less than 1.0 mg protein. At least seven products, 2 alpha-, 2 beta-, 6 beta-, 7 alpha-, 16 alpha-, and 16 beta-hydroxytestosterone and androstenedione, are resolved by HPLC. The major products formed by microsomes from untreated adult male rats are 2 alpha- (not 2 beta-) and 16 alpha-hydroxytestosterone and androstenedione which constituted 60% of the total products, followed by 6 beta-, 7 alpha-, and smaller quantities of 2 beta- and 16 beta-hydroxytestosterone. The carrier of the substrate in the incubation mixture was found to affect significantly the metabolite pattern and total activity, and of the several solvents studied methanol yielded the highest total activity. Since the 6 beta-, 7 alpha-, and 16 alpha-hydroxylation of testosterone is catalyzed by distinct forms of cytochrome P-450, this assay which measures seven products may serve as a useful qualitative probe of the cytochrome P-450 population of the monooxygenase.

Position-specific oxygenation of benzo(a)pyrene by different forms of purified cytochrome P-450 from rabbit liver.

High-pressure liquid chromatography was used to detect oxygenated products of benzo[a]pyrene formed in a reconstituted microsomal mixed-function oxidase system containing cytochrome P-450 (P-450LM), phospholipid, and NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase (NADPH: ferricytochrome oxidoreductase, EC 1.6.2.4). Three cytochrome fractions purified from a single source, hepatic microsomes from phenobarbital-treated rabbits, were studied; the various forms of the cytochrome are designated by their relative electrophoretic mobilities. The total benzo[a]pyrene oxygenation rate was greatest for P-450LM1,7, intermediate for P-450LM2, and least for P-450LM4. The phenolic products were eluted in two peaks, A and B, that contained primarily 9-hydroxy- and 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene, respectively. The ratio of peak A to peak B phenols was 0.11 for P-450LM2 and 0.45 for P-450LM4. Thus, the relative amounts of the various phenols formed by these two cytochrome fractions differ markedly. The positional specificity of the hydroxylation is also indicated by large differences in the fluorescence spectra of the phenolic products formed by the two cytochromes. P-450LM2 and P-450LM4 did not form benzo[a]pyrene dihydrodiols, thereby showing that benzo[a]pyrene oxide hydratase activity was absent from these purified preparations. Ninety percent of the phenols formed by P-450LM1,7 were eluted in peak B; the metabolites produced by this preparation also included dihydrodiols, thus indicating the presence of hydratase activity. The positional specificities of different forms of cytochrome P-450 may channel polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism into the various activation and detoxification pathways and thereby help determine the cytotoxic and carcinogenic activity of these compounds.

Purified liver microsomal cytochrome P-450. Separation and characterization of multiple forms.

During the purification of rabbit liver microsomal cytochrome P-450 (P-450LM), evidence was obtained for the occurrence of at least four distinct forms. These were distinguished by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis after treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate in the presence or absence of mercaptoethanol and were shown to have characteristic spectra as the reduced carbon monoxide complexes. They are designated by their relative electrophoretic mobilities. P-450LM2, which was purified to apparent homogeneity, is induced by phenobarbital and has a subunit molecular weight of 50,000. P-450LM4, which was also extensively purified, is induced by beta-naphthoflavone and has a molecular weight of 54,000. P-450LM1,7, which is induced neither by phenobarbital nor beta-naphthoflavone, is a mixtureMIXTURE OF ABOUT EQUAL AMOUNTS OF TWO FORMS WITH MOLECULAR WEIGHTS OF 47,000 AND 60,000 RESPECTIVELY. Some preparations were obtained containing primarily P-450LM1 or P-450LM7. Benzphetamine, ethylmorphine, and p-nitroanisole are hydroxylated preferentially by P-450LM2, and benzpyrene by P-450LM1,7. Biphenyl is hydroxylated in both positions 2 and 4 by all of the preparations, but the latter position is strongly favored by the action of P-450LM2. Testosterone is hydroxylated primarily in position 16alpha by P-450LM2 and in position 6beta by P-450LM1,7. Although the occurrence of additional forms of the cytochrome with highly similar electrophoretic behavior is not ruled out, it appears that the presence of these forms differing in subunit molecular weight may account for the variety of catalytic activities attributed to this pigment of liver microsomes.