Skip to main content
Log in

Affinity of UDP-glucuronyl-transferase for several substrates and for chloramphenicol

  • Published:
Research in Experimental Medicine

Summary

There exists clinical evidence that coupling of chloramphenicol with glucuronic acid is impaired in severe liver disease. To evaluate the theoretical basis of these observations the affinity of UDP-glucuronyl transferase to chloramphenicol was estimated in comparison with other substrates of the enzyme by determining the Michaelis-Menten constants.

The initial velocities of the glucuronyl transferase reactions were used to establish the Michaelis-Menten constants with the aid of Lineweaver-Burk plots. TheK m values were: p-nitrophenol 5.9 × 10−4 M, bilirubin 1.5 × 10−4 M, chloramphenicol 4.5 × 10−4 M, estradiol 2.0 × 10−4 M and UDP-glucuronic acid 1.8 × 10−3 M. Chloramphenicol acted as a competitive substrate on the glucuronidation of p-nitrophenol and estradiol.

Concluding from theK m values the affinity of chloramphenicol to UDP-glucuronyl transferase is only moderately smaller than that of natural substrates of the enzyme.

Zusammenfassung

Bei schweren Leberkrankheiten ist der Spiegel des nicht an Glucuronsäure gekoppelten Chloramphenicols bei Gabe durchschnittlicher Dosen erhöht. Um zu prüfen, ob die Affinität von UDP-Glucuronyltransferase zu Chloramphenicol so hoch ist, daß es mit den natürlichen Substraten des Enzyms in Konkurrenz treten und sich bei einer Verminderung der Enzymaktivität im Serum in ungekoppelter Form anhäufen kann, wurden die Michaelis-Menten-Konstanten für die folgenden Substrate bestimmt: p-Nitrophenol, Bilirubin, Oestradiol, UDP-Glucuronsäure und Chloramphenicol.

Die Anfangsgeschwindigkeiten der Glucuronidierungsreaktionen wurden für die Bestimmung der Michaelis-Menten-Konstanten mit Hilfe von Lineweaver-Burk-Diagrammen eingesetzt. DieK m -Werte der einzelnen Substrate waren: p-Nitrophenol 5,9 × 10−4 M, Bilirubin 1,5 × 10−4 M, Chloramphenicol 4,5 × 10−4 M, Oestradiol 2,0 × 10−4 M und UDP-Glucuronsäure 1,8 × 10−3 M. Chloramphenicol wirkte als kompetitives Substrat bei der Verwendung von Substratgemischen.

DieK m -Werte zeigen, daß die Affinität von UDP-Glucuronyltransferase zu Chloramphenicol nur unwesentlich geringer ist als zu natürlichen Substraten des Enzyms.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Best, W. R.: Chloramphenicol-associated blood dyscrasias. J. Amer. med. Ass.201, 181–188 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Beutler, E.: Drug induced anemia. Fed. Proc.31, 141–146 (1972)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Brown, R. B., Grodsky, G. M., Carbone, J. V.: Intracellullar distribution of tritiated bilirubin during hepatic uptake and excretion. Amer. J. Physiol.207, 1237–1241 (1964)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Glazko, A. J., Wolf, L. M., Dill, W. A., Bratton, C. C.: Biochemical studies on chloramphenicol (chloromycetin). Tissue distribution and excretion studies. J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther.96, 445–459 (1949)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Halac, E., Reff, A.: Studies on bilirubin UDP-glucuronyltransferase. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.)139, 328–343 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Jardetzky, O.: Studies on the mechanism of action of chloramphenicol. I. Conformation of chloramphenicol in solution. J. biol. Chem.238, 2498–2508 (1963)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Kunin, C. M., Glazko, A. J., Finland, M.: Persistence of antibiotics in blood of patients with acute renal failure. II. Chloramphenicol and its metabolic products in the blood of patients with severe renal disease or hepatic cirrhosis. J. clin. Invest.38, 1498–1508 (1959)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Lucier, G. W., McDaniel, O. S., Matthews, H. B.: Microsomal rat liver UDP-glucuronyltransferase: Effects of piperonyl butoxide and other factors on enzyme activity. Arch. Biochem. Biophys.145, 520–530 (1971)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Lueders, K. K., Kuff, E. L.: Spontaneous and detergent activation of glucuronyltransferase in vitro. Arch. Biochem. Biophys.120, 198–203 (1967)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Martelo, O. J., Manyan, D. R., Smith, U. S.: Chloramphenicol and bone marrow mitochondria. J. Lab. clin. Med.74, 927–940 (1969)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Mowat, A. P., Arias, I. M.: Partial purification of hepatic UDP-glucuronyltransferase. Studies of some of its properties. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.)212, 65–78 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Rao, G. S., Rao, M. L., Breuer, H.: Partial purification and kinetics of 16-glucuronyltransferase from the cytosol of human liver. Biochem. J.118, 625–634 (1970)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Suhrland, L. G., Weisberger, A. S.: Chloramphenicol toxicity in liver and renal disease. Arch. intern. Med.112, 747–754 (1963)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Van Roy, F. P., Heirwegh, K. P. M.: Determination of bilirubin glucuronide and assy of glucuronyltransferase with bilirubin as acceptor Biochem. J.107, 507–518 (1968)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Vazques, D., Monro, R. E.: Effects of some inhibitors of protein synthesis on the binding of aminoacyl-t-RNA to ribosomal subunits. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.)142, 155–173 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Weichselbaum, T. E.: Accurate and rapid method for determination of proteins in small amounts of blood, serum and plasma. Amer. J. clin. Path.10, 40–49 (1946)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Weisberger, A.: Mechanism of action of chloramphenicol. J. Amer. med. Ass.209, 97–103 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Linhart, P. Affinity of UDP-glucuronyl-transferase for several substrates and for chloramphenicol. Res. Exp. Med. 163, 241–249 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01851671

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01851671

Key words

Schlüsselwörter

Navigation