Xenobiotics, initial

Mullen, P.W. (1978) Immunopharmacological considerations in Reye s syndrome a possible xenobiotic initiated disorder. Biochem. Pharmacol, y 27,145. 

The known beneficial effects of retinoids on malignancies are assumed to relate to retinoid receptor-mediated antipromoting and anti-initiating effects. The latter appeals to be influenced by interference of several xenobiotics with different steps of the retinoid metabolism in the target cell. Of the carotenoids, (3-carotene is the most potent retinol precursor, yet being... 

Metabolic pathways containing dioxygenases in wild-type strains are usually related to detoxification processes upon conversion of aromatic xenobiotics to phenols and catechols, which are more readily excreted. Within such pathways, the intermediate chiral cis-diol is rearomatized by a dihydrodiol-dehydrogenase. While this mild route to catechols is also exploited synthetically [221], the chirality is lost. In the context of asymmetric synthesis, such further biotransformations have to be prevented, which was initially realized by using mutant strains deficient in enzymes responsible for the rearomatization. Today, several dioxygenases with complementary substrate profiles are available, as outlined in Table 9.6. Considering the delicate architecture of these enzyme complexes, recombinant whole-cell-mediated biotransformations are the only option for such conversions. E. coli is preferably used as host and fermentation protocols have been optimized [222,223]. 

These have already been noted in the context of hydroxyl radical-initiated oxidations, and reference should be made to an extensive review by Worobey (1989) that covers a wider range of abiotic oxidations. Some have attracted interest in the context of the destruction of xenobiotics, and reference has already been made to photochemically induced oxidations. 

In a classical study, it was shown that during bacterial oxidation of benzene to catechol both atoms of oxygen came from 62 (Gibson et al. 1970). This initiated the appreciation of the role of dioxygenases in the degradation of aromatic xenobiotics, and many examples are given in Chapter 8, Parts 1 and 2. 

MnP is the most commonly widespread of the class II peroxidases [72, 73], It catalyzes a PLC -dependent oxidation of Mn2+ to Mn3+. The catalytic cycle is initiated by binding of H2O2 or an organic peroxide to the native ferric enzyme and formation of an iron-peroxide complex the Mn3+ ions finally produced after subsequent electron transfers are stabilized via chelation with organic acids like oxalate, malonate, malate, tartrate or lactate [74], The chelates of Mn3+ with carboxylic acids cause one-electron oxidation of various substrates thus, chelates and carboxylic acids can react with each other to form alkyl radicals, which after several reactions result in the production of other radicals. These final radicals are the source of autocataly tic ally produced peroxides and are used by MnP in the absence of H2O2. The versatile oxidative capacity of MnP is apparently due to the chelated Mn3+ ions, which act as diffusible redox-mediator and attacking, non-specifically, phenolic compounds such as biopolymers, milled wood, humic substances and several xenobiotics [72, 75, 76]. 

The majority of early publications that can be reasonably identified as comprising immunotoxicology reported altered resistance to infection in animals exposed to various environmental or industrial chemicals. Authors logically concluded that xenobiotic exposure suppressed immune function since the immune system is ultimately responsible for this resistance to infection. Subsequent studies demonstrated that suppression of various cellular and functional endpoints accompanied or preceded increased sensitivity to infection, and that administration of known immunosuppressants likewise decreased host resistance. The human health implications of these studies, that chemical exposure reduced resistance to infection, drove the initial focus of many immunotoxicologists on functional suppression, and provided the theoretical and practical underpinnings of immunotoxicity testing. 

Metabolism. Metabolism is directly influenced by both the region a material is initially absorbed into, and by distribution (both the rate and the pattern). Rate determines whether the primary enzyme systems will handle the entire xenobiotic dose, or if these are overwhelmed. Pattern determines which routes of metabolism are operative. 

Most microalgal toxicity tests procedures recommend the use of initial cellular concentrations of 104 cells mL 1. This cellular concentration should be selected because it is the minimum cellular concentration that can be measured in haematocytometers (Neubauer chambers). Furthermore, natural cellular concentrations in non-polluted conditions (in marine environments) are often below the concentration mentioned. The importance of cellular density at the beginning of the test has been demonstrated for certain toxicants [43]. The lower the cellular concentration, the higher the sensitivity of the test, at least for certain types of xenobiotics, such as heavy metals. 

The implications of PXR-mediated gene regulation for drug metabolism and drug interadion have been recognized since the initial cloning of this xenobiotic receptor. 

Either Transwell inserts or side-by-side diffusion chambers can be used for transport studies. Bode et al. have provided an excellent review on this subject [60], Briefly, cells are incubated for 30-60 min with a buffer solution. To initiate the transport study, a transport buffer containing the drug under investigation is added to either the apical or the basal chamber depending on the transport direction of interest. At predetermined time points, the respective receiver chamber is sampled and the withdrawn volume is replaced with the same volume of fresh buffer. The permeability coefficient (Papp) is calculated and the ratio of /apP in the basolateral-to-apical direction versus that in the apical-to-basolateral direction gives the efflux ratio. These sort of transport experiments are well suited to determine if drugs/xenobiotics are substrates of the placental efflux proteins. 

N-dealkylation results from an alkyl substitution on an aromatic molecule, which is one of the first places where microorganisms initiate catabolic transformation of atrazine, a xenobiotic molecule (Fig. 15.2). It is a typical example of a reaction leading to transformation of pesticides like phenyl ureas, acylanihdes, carbamates, s-tri-azines, and dinitranilines. The enzyme mediating the reaction is a mixed-function oxidase, requiring a reduced nicotinamide nucleotide as an H donor. 

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