scholarly journals Non-enzymic hydrolysis of bilirubin mono- and diglucuronide to unconjugated bilirubin in model and native bile systems. Potential role in the formation of gallstones

1987 ◽  
Vol 242 (2) ◽  
pp. 323-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
W Spivak ◽  
D DiVenuto ◽  
W Yuey

Pigment gallstones contain considerable amounts of unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) in the form of calcium bilirubinate and/or bilirubin polymers. Since more than 98% of bile pigments are excreted as conjugates of bilirubin, the source of this UCB needs to be identified. By using a rapid h.p.l.c. method, we compared the non-enzymic hydrolysis of bilirubin monoglucuronide (BMG) and bilirubin diglucuronide (BDG) to UCB in model bile and in native guinea-pig bile. Model biles containing 50 microM solutions of pure BMG and BDG were individually incubated in 25 mM-sodium taurocholate (NaTC) and 0.4 M-imidazole/5 mM-ascorbate buffer (TC-BUF) at 37 degrees C. Over an 8 h period, BMG hydrolysis produced 4-6 times more UCB than BDG hydrolysis. At pH 7.4, 25% of the BMG was converted into UCB, whereas only 4.5% of BDG was converted into UCB. Hydrolysis rates for both BMG and BDG followed the pH order 7.8 greater than 7.6 approximately equal to 7.4 greater than 7.1 Incubation with Ca2+ (6.2 mM) at pH 7.4 in TC-BUF resulted in precipitated bile pigment which, at 100 X magnification, appeared similar to precipitates seen in the bile of patients with pigment gallstones. At pH 7.4, lecithin (crude phosphatidylcholine) (4.2 mM) was a potent inhibitor of hydrolysis of BMG and BDG. The addition of a concentration of cholesterol equimolar with that of lecithin eliminated this inhibitory effect. Guinea-pig gallbladder bile incubated with glucaro-1,4-lactone (an inhibitor of beta-glucuronidase) underwent hydrolysis similar to the model bile systems. The non-enzymic hydrolysis of bile pigments, especially BMG, may be an important mechanism of bile-pigment precipitation and, ultimately, of gallstone formation.

1980 ◽  
Vol 185 (3) ◽  
pp. 583-591 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Hechtman ◽  
Zarin Kachra

The effects of surfactants on the human liver hexosaminidase A-catalysed hydrolysis of Gm2 ganglioside were assessed. Some non-ionic surfactants, including Triton X-100 and Cutscum, and some anionic surfactants, including sodium taurocholate, sodium dodecyl sulphate, phosphatidylinositol and N-dodecylsarcosinate, were able to replace the hexosaminidase A-activator protein [Hechtman (1977) Can. J. Biochem.55, 315–324; Hechtman & Leblanc (1977) Biochem. J.167, 693–701) and also stimulated the enzymic hydrolysis of substrate in the presence of saturating concentrations of activator. Other non-ionic surfactants, such as Tween 80, Brij 35 and Nonidet P40, and anionic surfactants, such as phosphatidylethanolamine, did not enhance enzymic hydrolysis of Gm2 ganglioside and inhibited hydrolysis in the presence of activator. The concentration of surfactants at which micelles form was determined by measurements of the minimum surface-tension values of reaction mixtures containing a series of concentrations of surfactant. In the case of Triton X-100, Cutscum, sodium taurocholate, N-dodecylsarcosinate and other surfactants the concentration range at which stimulation of enzymic activity occurs correlates well with the critical micellar concentration. None of the surfactants tested affected the rate of hexosaminidase A-catalysed hydrolysis of 4-methylumbelliferyl N-acetyl-β-d-glucopyranoside. Both activator and surfactants that stimulate hydrolysis of Gm2 ganglioside decrease the Km for Gm2 ganglioside. Inhibitory surfactants are competitive with the activator protein. Evidence for a direct interaction between surfactants and Gm2 ganglioside was obtained by comparing gel-filtration profiles of 3H-labelled GM2 ganglioside in the presence and absence of surfactants. The results are discussed in terms of a model wherein a mixed micelle of surfactant or activator and GM2 ganglioside is the preferred substrate for enzymic hydrolysis.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 553-556 ◽  
Author(s):  
FIRMINO F. RUBALTELLI ◽  
ANTONELLA NOVELLO ◽  
LUCIA ZANCAN ◽  
MARIA TERESA VILEI ◽  
MAURIZIO MURACA

Objective. To differentiate between Crigler-Najjar (CN) disease types 1 and 2. Design. The patterns of serum bilirubins, bile pigment composition, and phenobarbital response were studied. Patients. Three infants, affected by high serum unconjugated bilirubin concentrations, previously classified as type 1 CN. Methods. Serum and bile bilirubin pigment composition, both before and after phenobarbital (PB) treatment, were determined by alkaline methanolysis and high-pressure liquid chromatography. PB was given for at least 3 weeks by oral administration (5 mg/kg bw per day). Results. No diconjugated bilirubin was found either before or after PB treatment in the serum of the three studied infants. In two patients traces of monoconjugated bilirubin were detected before PB therapy, and the ratio of conjugated/total bilirubin (percent) was increased by the PB response. In the third patient, traces of monoconjugated bilirubin appeared only after PB administration. However, the serum unconjugated bilirubin concentration decreased significantly only in the second patient, following the second cycle of PB treatment, leading to the diagnosis of type 2 CN. The analysis of the methyl ester derivatives of bile pigments was also performed on bile samples obtained in two patients by Entero-Test (R) both before and after PB treatment. An absolute increment in monoesterified bilirubin concentration was found after PB administration, although the percent concentration increased in one case and decreased in the other. No diesterified bilirubin was detected in the bile samples. Conclusions. The present results show that in types 1 and 2 CN disease it is possible to detect traces of monconjugated but not diconjugated bilirubin both in serum and in bile. Whereas PB treatment is effective in slightly increasing the serum monoconjugated bilirubin concentration even in type 1 CN disease, the diagnosis of type 1 or 2 is based on finding a substantial decrease of serum unconjugated bilirubin following PB administration.


1985 ◽  
Vol 225 (3) ◽  
pp. 787-805 ◽  
Author(s):  
W Spivak ◽  
M C Carey

We describe a facile and sensitive reverse-phase h.p.l.c. method for analytical separation of biliary bile pigments and direct quantification of unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) and its monoglucuronide (BMG) and diglucuronide (BDG) conjugates in bile. The method can be ‘scaled up’ for preparative isolation of pure BDG and BMG from pigment-enriched biles. We employed an Altex ultrasphere ODS column in the preparative steps and a Waters mu-Bondapak C18 column in the separatory and analytical procedures. Bile pigments were eluted with ammonium acetate buffer, pH 4.5, and a 20 min linear gradient of 60-100% (v/v) methanol at a flow rate of 2.0 ml/min for the preparative separations and 1.0 ml/min for the analytical separations. Bile pigments were eluted in order of decreasing polarity (glucuronide greater than glucose greater than xylose conjugates greater than UCB) and were chemically identified by t.l.c. of their respective ethyl anthranilate azo derivatives. Quantification of UCB was carried out by using a standard curve relating a range of h.p.l.c. integrated peak areas to concentrations of pure crystalline UCB. A pure crystalline ethyl anthranilate azo derivative of UCB (AZO . UCB) was employed as a single h.p.l.c. reference standard for quantification of BMG and BDG. We demonstrate that: separation and quantification of biliary bile pigments are rapid (approximately 25 min); bile pigment concentrations ranging from 1-500 microM can be determined ‘on line’ by using 5 microliters of bile without sample pretreatment; bilirubin conjugates can be obtained preparatively in milligram quantities without degradation or contamination by other components of bile. H.p.l.c. analyses of a series of mammalian biles show that biliary UCB concentrations generally range from 1 to 17 microM. These values are considerably lower than those estimated previously by t.l.c. BMG is the predominant, if not exclusive, bilirubin conjugate in the biles of a number of rodents (guinea pig, hamster, mouse, prairie dog) that are experimental models of both pigment and cholesterol gallstone formation. Conjugated bilirubins in the biles of other animals (human, monkey, pony, cat, rat and dog) are chemically more diverse and include mono-, di- and mixed disconjugates of glucuronic acid, xylose and glucose in proportions that give distinct patterns for each species.


2015 ◽  
Vol 308 (1) ◽  
pp. G42-G55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marvin D. Berman ◽  
Martin C. Carey

Metastable and equilibrium phase diagrams for unconjugated bilirubin IXα (UCB) in bile are yet to be determined for understanding the physical chemistry of pigment gallstone formation. Also, UCB is a molecule of considerable biomedical importance because it is a potent antioxidant and an inhibitor of atherogenesis. We employed principally a titrimetric approach to obtain metastable and equilibrium UCB solubilities in model bile systems composed of taurine-conjugated bile salts, egg yolk lecithin (mixed long-chain phosphatidylcholines), and cholesterol as functions of total lipid concentration, biliary pH values, and CaCl2 plus NaCl concentrations. Metastable and equilibrium precipitation pH values were obtained, and average pKa values of the two carboxyl groups of UCB were calculated. Added lecithin and increased temperature decreased UCB solubility markedly, whereas increases in bile salt concentrations and molar levels of urea augmented solubility. A wide range of NaCl and cholesterol concentrations resulted in no specific effects, whereas added CaCl2 produced large decreases in UCB solubilities at alkaline pH values only. UV-visible absorption spectra were consistent with both hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions between UCB and bile salts that were strongly influenced by pH. Reliable literature values for UCB compositions of native gallbladder biles revealed that biles from hemolytic mice and humans with black pigment gallstones are markedly supersaturated with UCB and exhibit more acidic pH values, whereas biles from nonstone control animals and patients with cholesterol gallstone are unsaturated with UCB.


1980 ◽  
Vol 186 (3) ◽  
pp. 693-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
S G Blumenthal ◽  
T Stucker ◽  
R D Rasmussen ◽  
R M Ikeda ◽  
B H Ruebner ◽  
...  

1. A densitometric method has been developed for the quantification of azodipyrroles derived from dog bile pigments treated with diazotized ethyl anthranilate. 2. This method was used to estimate the bilirubins in bile and meconium from foetuses of 14-36 weeks gestation. 3. The proportion of the bilirubins in foetal bile changed during gestation. (a) No bile pigments were found until 14 weeks. (b) Between 14 and 15 weeks bilirubin-IX beta was the only bile pigment detected. (c) At 16-17 weeks some unconjugated bilirubin-IX alpha was found in the bile, but up to 20 weeks bilirubin-IX beta was the predominant bilirubin in the bile. (d) At about 20 weeks glucose, xylose, and an unidentified bilirubin-IX alpha monoconjugate were found in the bile. (e) Between 20 and 23 weeks bilirubin-IX alpha glucuronide appeared in the bile. (f) At 30 weeks monoconjugates of bilirubin-IX alpha were the predominant bilirubins in the bile. (g) Only in full-term foetuses was bilirubin-IX alpha monoglucuronide the major bilirubin derivative.


1963 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 110-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Ekholm ◽  
T. Zelander ◽  
P.-S. Agrell

ABSTRACT Guinea pigs, kept on a iodine-sufficient diet, were injected with Na131I and the thyroids excised from 45 seconds to 5 days later. The thyroid tissue was homogenized and separated into a combined nuclear-mitochondrial-microsomal fraction and a supernatant fraction by centrifugation at 140 000 g for one hour. Protein bound 131iodine (PB131I) and free 131iodide were determined in the fractions and the PB131I was analysed for monoiodotyrosine (MIT), diiodotyrosine (DIT) and thyroxine after hydrolysis of PB131I. As early as only 20 minutes after the Na131I-injection almost 100% of the particulate fraction 131I was protein bound. In the supernatant fraction the protein binding was somewhat less rapid and PB131I values above 90% of total supernatant 131I were not found until 3 hours after the injection. In all experiments the total amount of PB131I was higher in the supernatant than in the corresponding particulate fraction. The ratio between supernatant PB131I and pellet PB131I was lower in experiments up to 3 minutes and from 2 to 5 days than in experiments of 6 minutes to 20 hours. Hydrolysis of PB131I yielded, even in the shortest experiments, both MIT and DIT. The DIT/MIT ratio was lower in the experiments up to 2 hours than in those of 3 hours and over.


1992 ◽  
Vol 267 (20) ◽  
pp. 14027-14032
Author(s):  
V Gopalan ◽  
A Pastuszyn ◽  
W R Galey ◽  
R.H. Glew

1963 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 341-343
Author(s):  
M Alice Brown ◽  
James R Woodward ◽  
Floyd DeEds

Abstract The amount of naturally occurring methanol in fruit must be known so that the quantity left as fumigation residue can be determined. In a study of methanol content of raisins, which had given inconsistent results, the raisins were subjected to different conditions of treatment immediately prior to methanol determination. Conditions that favored pectin esterase activity gave higher values for methanol content than conditions known to inactivate enzymes. Evidence was also obtained that both chemical and enzymic hydrolysis of methyl ester groups of pectic materials occur during analysis.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document