In vitro: |
Chem Res Toxicol. 2004 May;17(5):702-8. | Metabolic formation of DHP-derived DNA adducts from a representative otonecine type pyrrolizidine alkaloid clivorine and the extract of Ligularia hodgsonnii hook.[Pubmed: 15144228] | Plants that contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are widely distributed, and PAs have been shown to be genotoxic and tumorigenic in experimental animals. Our recent mechanistic studies indicated that riddelliine, a tumorigenic retronecine type PA, induced tumors via a genotoxic mechanism mediated by the formation of a set of eight 6,7-dihydro-7-hydroxy-1-hydroxymethyl-5H-pyrrolizine (DHP)-derived DNA adducts. However, it is not known if this mechanism is general to PAs of other types.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
In this study, we report that the metabolism of clivorine, a tumorigenic Otonecine type PA, by F344 rat liver microsomes results in DHP formation. When incubations were conducted with clivorine in the presence of calf thymus DNA, eight DHP-derived DNA adducts were formed. The Ligularia hodgsonnii Hook plant, an antitussive traditional Chinese medicine, was found to contain Otonecine type PAs with clivorine being predominant. DHP and DHP-derived DNA adducts were also obtained when microsomal incubations were conducted with extracts of L. hodgsonnii Hook. This is the first report that DHP-derived DNA adducts are formed from the metabolic activation of Otonecine type PA and that these DHP-derived DNA adducts are potential biomarkers of PA exposure and PA-induced tumorigenicity.
CONCLUSIONS:
These results also provide evidence that the principal metabolic activation pathway of clivorine leading to liver genotoxicity and tumorigenicity is (i) formation of the corresponding dehydropyrrolizidine (pyrrolic) derivative through oxidative N-demethylation of the necine base followed by ring closure and dehydration and (ii) binding of the pyrrolic metabolite to DNA leading to the DNA adduct formation and tumor initiation. | Drug Metab Dispos. 2000 Dec;28(12):1475-83. | Characterization of rat liver microsomal metabolites of clivorine, an hepatotoxic otonecine-type pyrrolizidine alkaloid.[Pubmed: 11095586] |
METHODS AND RESULTS:
The metabolism of the hepatotoxic Otonecine-type pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA), clivorine, was investigated using rat liver microsomes. Furthermore, tissue-bound pyrroles were also determined to be present after microsomal incubation of clivorine. Clivoric acid has not been previously identified, and DHR and 7, 9-diGSH-DHR were found, for the first time, as metabolites of an Otonecine-type PA, while 7-GSH-DHR was previously reported by us to be a microsomal metabolite of clivorine.
CONCLUSIONS:
The present definitive identification of four pyrrolic ester-related metabolites of clivorine and indirect determination of bound pyrroles provide the strongest evidence to date to support the hypothesis that the formation of an unstable pyrrolic ester plays a key role in Otonecine-type PA-induced hepatotoxicity. |
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