Thiamine triphosphate and thiamine triphosphatase activities: from bacteria to mammals

In most organisms, the main form of thiamine is the coenzyme thiamine diphosphate. Thiamine triphosphate (ThTP) is also found in low amounts in most vertebrate tissues and can phosphorylate certain proteins. Here we show that ThTP exists not only in vertebrates but is present in bacteria, fungi, plants and invertebrates. Unexpectedly, we found that in Escherichia coli as well as in Arabidopsis thaliana, ThTP was synthesized only under particular circumstances such as hypoxia (E. coli) or withering (A. thaliana). In mammalian tissues, ThTP concentrations are regulated by a specific thiamine triphosphatase that we have recently characterized. This enzyme was found only in mammals. In other organisms, ThTP can be hydrolyzed by unspecific phosphohydrolases. The occurrence of ThTP from prokaryotes to mammals suggests that it may have a basic role in cell metabolism or cell signaling. A decreased content may contribute to the symptoms observed during thiamine deficiency.Received 7 March 2003; received after revision 11 April 2003; accepted 14 April 2003     

Parathion metabolism in rat liver and kidney slices

Zusammenfassung Es werden quantitative Angaben über die Bildung von Paraoxon aus Parathion und seine weitere Aufspaltung durch Inkubation mit Leber- und Nierenschnitten und Rattendarm gemacht. Unter der Voraussetzung, dass die Inkubation der Gewebeschnitte im wesentlichen den Verhältnissen im Organismus entsprechen, würde das die Umwandlung bewirkende Enzymsystem im Verlaufe von 24 h etwa 75% des anwesenden Parathions zu Paraoxon überführen.     

Thiamine diphosphatase in rat small intestine

Summary TDPase is located mostly in the proximal portion of the small intestine and its activity, like that of ALPase, decreased markedly in thiamine deficiency. The decreased enzyme activities were restored after thiamine or vitamin D₃. Kinetic and other studies of the purified enzyme indicated the identity of the two enzymes.Acknowledgment. We thank Miss.T. Yagura and Miss.H. Kuroda for technical assistance.     

Nucleotide metabolism in the rat liver following whole-body X-irradiation

Summary Evidence has been presented to show that, like synthesis of RNA, syntheses of ribonucleotide precursors of RNA in the rat liver were stimulated for 6–18 h following whole-body X-irradiation (1000 R).     

Thiamine and its mono-, di-, and triphosphoric esters content of normal rat tissues

Riassunto L'uso di un nuovo metodo cromatografico per la separazione della Tiamina e dei suoi esteri mono, di, e trifosforico nei tessuti animali ha permesso di definire, per la prima volta in termini quantitativi, la presenza del trifosfato nei tessuti stessi. L'organo più ricco di questo estere è il fegato, seguito dal cuore, dal rene e dal cervello nell'ordine.     

Thiamin turnover rate in some areas of rat brain and liver: A preliminary note

Summary Thiamin turnover rates in some nervous structures and liver of rats were evaluated in a steady state condition, using thiamin-¹⁴C as a tracer. The radioactivity contents were analyzed by means of a mamillary type compartmental model. Excluding the liver, turnover rate values of the nervous structures were ordered in the following sequence: sciatic nerve (0.58 g/g·h)>cerebellum>hypothalamus>midbrain>corpus striatum>cerebral cortex (0.16 g/g·h).The mathematical section of this work, developed by V.C. and C.R., was supported by C.N.R., Rome, through the Laboratorio di Analisi numerica, Pavia, Italy. We express our thanks to Prodotti Roche, Milan, for the generous gift of labelled and unlabelled thiamin.     

Thiamin turnover rate in some areas of rat brain and liver: a preliminary note.

Thiamin turnover rates in some nervous structures and liver of rats were evaluated in a steady state condition, using thiamin- 14C as a tracer. The radioactivity contents were analyzed by means of a mamillary type compartmental model. Excluding the liver, turnover rate values of the nervous structures were ordered in the following sequence: sciatic nerve (0.58 microgram/g . h) less than cerebellum less than hypothalamus less than midbrain less than corpus striatum less than cerebral cortex (0.16 microgram/g . h).     

Restraint stress induced changes in rat liver and serum metallothionein and in Zn metabolism

Summary 24 h of a psychogenic stress (restraint) caused a strong increase of liver metallothionein (MT) levels. 3 h of stress were sufficient to induce an increase in liver MT, measured 21 h later, but the increase was much lower than in continuously restrained rats. Stress induction of liver MT was not due to food deprivation, since rats deprived for 24 h showed lower MT levels than stressed ones. Zn on MT presented the same qualitative but not quantitative pattern of response as MT protein. Liver cytosolic Zn was increased by restraint in spite of their being no decrease in serum Zn. Any treatment altered serum MT. Liver and serum MT were not correlated. The present results demonstrate that basically psychogenic stresses increased liver but not serum MT levels. No positive evidence for a relationship between corticosterone secretion and MT induction was found.     

Restraint stress induced changes in rat liver and serum metallothionein and in Zn metabolism

24 h of a psychogenic stress (restraint) caused a strong increase of liver metallothionein (MT) levels. 3 h of stress were sufficient to induce an increase in liver MT, measured 21 h later, but the increase was much lower than in continuously restrained rats. Stress induction of liver MT was not due to food deprivation, since rats deprived for 24 h showed lower MT levels than stressed ones. Zn on MT presented the same qualitative but not quantitative pattern of response as MT protein. Liver cytosolic Zn was increased by restraint in spite of their being no decrease in serum Zn. Any treatment altered serum MT. Liver and serum MT were not correlated. The present results demonstrate that basically psychogenic stresses increased liver but not serum MT levels. No positive evidence for a relationship between corticosterone secretion and MT induction was found.     

Effect of praseodymium on drug metabolism in rat liver smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum

Summary A small i.v. dose (3 mg/kg) of a light lanthanon, praseodymium, impairs the drug metabolizing capacity of both the smooth and rough fractions of rat liver endoplasmic reticulum. This decrease in the activity of drug metabolizing enzymes and in the amount of cytochromes P-450 and b₅ is more pronounced in the rough endoplasmic reticulum fraction.     

In vitro metabolism of ethionine, N-acetyl-ethionine and N-acetylmethionine by rat liver microsomes.

Rat liver microsomes deacetylated N-acetylethionine and N-acetyl-methionine to ethionine and methionine. The deacetylation of N-acetylmethionine was more rapid than the deacetylation of N-acetylethionine. Ethionine was slowly converted to ethionine sulfoxide by the microsomal preparations. N-Acetylethionine and N-acetylmethionine were not oxidized by the microsomes.     

Protein turnover in skeletal muscle and liver of rats bearing the Walker 256 carcinoma

Résumé Les protéines des tissus de rats ont été marquées au moyen del-Lysine-4, 5-H3. Une inoculation de Carcinome Walker 256 a été effectuée 7 jours après. Des observations de perte de protéines radioactives indiquent que chez les rats avec tumeur la dégradation des protéines du gastrocnémius augmente celle des protéines du foie, diminue et que celle du soléus n'est pas modifiée.

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This work was supported by the Scottish Hospital Endowments Research Trust.     

Kinetics of the pulmonary clearance of inhaled cadmium and its accumulation in rat liver and kidneys]

Pulmonary clearance rate of cadmium (Cd), inhaled in the form of an aerosol of Cd acetate, is very slow (half-life 53 days). However, results demonstrate that an important part of Cd cleared from the lung is recovered in liver and kidney. Liver binds this metal rapidly but to a limited extent, whereas renal accumulation is slow but continuous throughout the three months following exposure.