Cytotoxic reactions, mechanisms

Toremifene also undergoes oxidative metabolism to form a QM.59 The 4-hydro-xytoremifene QM has a half-life of lh at physiological pH and temperature (Table 10.2), while its half-life in the presence of GSH is approximately 6 min.59 The 4-hydroxytoremifene QM reacts with two molecules of GSH and loses chlorine to yield the corresponding di-GSH conjugate (Scheme 10.9). This reaction mechanism likely involves an electrophilic episulfonium ion intermediate, which could contribute to the potential cytotoxicity of toremifene. 

Tidd DM and Paterson AR. A biochemical mechanism for the delayed cytotoxic reaction of 6-mercaptopurine. Cancer Res 1974 34 738-746. 

Most anaphylactoid reactions are due to a direct or chemical release of histamine, and other mediators, from mast cells and basophils. Immune-mediated hypersensitivity reactions have been classified as types I-IV. Type I, involving IgE or IgG antibodies, is the main mechanism involved in most anaphylactic or immediate hypersensitivity reactions to anaesthetic drugs. Type II, also known as antibody-dependent hypersensitivity or cytotoxic reactions are, for example, responsible for ABO-incompatible blood transfusion reactions. Type III, immune complex reactions, include classic serum sickness. Type IV, cellular responses mediated by sensitised lymphocytes, may account for as much as 80% of allergic reactions to local anaesthetic. 

Yu Liping et al studies ss s inhibition of cancer. Test in vivo showed that ss could indirectly inhibit S180 cancer cells in mice with S180 cancer.Test in vitro showed that ss could directly kill cancer cells. Its mechanism may be that ss can inhibit the DNA synthesis in SI80 and YAC-1 cells and have obvious cytotoxic reaction to K562 and YAC-1 cells. 

These various cytotoxic mechanisms are represented schematically in Fig. 3. Immunologically mediated cytotoxic reactions to drugs may affect target cells in... 

In 1985, it was reported by Hsiang et al. [43] that the cytotoxic activity of 20-(S)-camptothecin (CPT III) was attributed to a novel mechanism of action involving the nuclear enzyme topo I, and this discovery of unique mechanism of action revived the interest in CPT and its analogues as anticancer agents. CPT stabilizes the covalent, reversible topo I-DNA complex leading to the inhibition of DNA synthesis in mammalian cells and interferes with the topo I breakage-reunion reaction [44]. Clinical trials and structure-activity relationships have demonstrated the requirement of the a-hydroxy group, the... 

Organic peroxides such as cumene hydroperoxide and t-butyl hydroperoxide have extensively been used as experimental agents. They provoke lipid peroxidation in hepatocytes, probably by the generation of alkoxyl and peroxyl radical intermediates after reaction with cytochrome P450. Other cytotoxic mechanisms are probably involved including protein thiol and non-protein thiol oxidation and deranged calcium homeostasis (Jewell et al., 1986). In fact, the addition of cumene hydroperoxide to isolated bUe duct cells, devoid of cytochrome P450 activity, still results in cell death but lipid peroxidation is not detectable (Parola et al., 1990). 

Aluminium toxicity is a major stress factor in many acidic soils. At soil pH levels below 5.0, intense solubilization of mononuclear A1 species strongly limits root growth by multiple cytotoxic effects mainly on root meristems (240,241). There is increasing evidence that A1 complexation with carboxylates released in apical root zones in response to elevated external Al concentration is a widespread mechanism for Al exclusion in many plant species (Fig. 10). Formation of stable Al complexes occurs with citrate, oxalate, tartarate, and—to a lesser extent— also with malate (86,242,243). The Al carboxylate complexes are less toxic than free ionic Al species (244) and are not taken up by plant roots (240). This explains the well-documented alleviatory effects on root growth in many plant species by carboxylate applications (citric, oxalic, and tartaric acids) to the culture media in presence of toxic Al concentrations (8,244,245) Citrate, malate and oxalate are the carboxylate anions reported so far to be released from Al-stressed plant roots (Fig. 10), and Al resistance of species and cultivars seems to be related to the amount of exuded carboxylates (246,247) but also to the ability to maintain the release of carboxylates over extended periods (248). In contrast to P deficiency-induced carboxylate exudation, which usually increases after several days or weeks of the stress treatment (72,113), exudation of carboxylates in response to Al toxicity is a fast reaction occurring within minutes to several hours... 

Alkylation reactions by the iminium methide species are well known in the mitomycin and mitosene literature 4,49,51-53 and are largely responsible for the cytotoxicity/antitumor activity of these compounds. As illustrated in Scheme 7.8, the electron-rich hydroquinone intermediate can also be attacked by the iminium ion resulting in either head-to-head or head-to-tail coupling. The head-to-head coupling illustrated in Scheme 7.8 is followed by a loss of formaldehyde to afford the coupled hydroquinone species that oxidizes to the head-to-head dimer upon aerobic workup. Analogous dimerization processes have been documented in the indole literature, 54-56 while the head-to-tail mechanism is unreported. In order to... 

Adults require 1-2 mg of copper per day, and eliminate excess copper in bile and feces. Most plasma copper is present in ceruloplasmin. In Wilson s disease, the diminished availability of ceruloplasmin interferes with the function of enzymes that rely on ceruloplasmin as a copper donor (e.g. cytochrome oxidase, tyrosinase and superoxide dismutase). In addition, loss of copper-binding capacity in the serum leads to copper deposition in liver, brain and other organs, resulting in tissue damage. The mechanisms of toxicity are not fully understood, but may involve the formation of hydroxyl radicals via the Fenton reaction, which, in turn initiates a cascade of cellular cytotoxic events, including mitochondrial dysfunction, lipid peroxidation, disruption of calcium ion homeostasis, and cell death. 

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