Properties and Classes of Chemicals that Induce ALA-Synthetase

Properties and Classes of Chemicals that Induce ALA-Synthetase 

The chemicals that induce hepatic porphyria in man, animals, or chick embryo cells in culture consist of a wide variety of organic compounds that differ in physiologic activity. They include, for example, the central nervous depressants such as the barbiturates, sulfonme-thanes, and glutethimides the anticonvulsant methsuximide the central nervous stimulant bemegride the fungicides griseofulvin and hexachlorobenzene some chlorinated insecticides and the isoprenoid terpenes and steroids [2,10,11,24,25]. 

The most active compounds for induction have the following properties They are relatively water-insoluble, lipid-soluble molecules. They are most often nonplanar. If they contain esters or amides, these groups are sterically hindered [10]. 

The inducing compounds may be divided into four classes on the basis of their constituent groups—barbiturate, collidine, steroid, and miscellaneous [25]. 

In the collidine class there are possibly two groups, D and E (Fig. 4), capable of induction. The compound containing group E is )S-methyl glutaric acid diethyl ester. The compound containing groups D and E is DDC, a powerful inducer. 

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