Depletion of rat hepatic glutathione and inhibition of microsomal trans-2-enoyl-CoA reductase activity following administration of a dec-2-ynol and dec-2-ynoic acid.

The effects of administration of dec-2-ynol and dec-2-ynoic acid on the hepatic glutathione (GSH) content and hepatic microsomal trans-2-enoyl-CoA reductase activity were examined in rat. Both compounds, when administered ip, caused a marked depletion of GSH levels and a corresponding inactivation of trans-2-enoyl-CoA reductase activity in both a time- and dose-dependent manner. The dec-2-ynoic acid caused greater hepatotoxicity than dec-2-ynol based on serum alanine transaminase activity. Based on the observations that (a) the alcohol did not interact with GSH in the presence or absence of cytosol, (b) the spectral manifestation of the interaction between GSH and the alcohol occurred only when NAD+ was added to the reaction mixture containing the cytosol and reactants, and (c) a similar absorbance spectrum was obtained following the interaction between aldehyde and GSH, it was concluded that dec-2-ynol is converted to an electrophile, dec-2-ynal, which causes depletion of GSH. The decrease in GSH content following administration of the acid appears to be due to activation of the acid to the electrophile, dec-2-ynoyl CoA, which then interacts with GSH, resulting in its depletion, based on the in vitro observations that (a) the acid did not interact with GSH in the presence or absence of cytosol, and (b) the spectral manifestation of interaction between GSH and dec-2-ynoyl CoA occurred both nonenzymatically and enzymatically in the presence of rat liver glutathione S-transferase (Sigma). Bovine serum albumin stimulated the enzymatic reaction. Comparable to the effects on GSH were the effects of dec-2-ynol, dec-2-ynal, dec-2-ynoic acid, and dec-2-ynoyl CoA on the microsomal trans-2-enoyl-CoA reductase activity in vitro. While the alcohol had no effect on the enzyme activity, its electrophilic product, the aldehyde, was a potent inhibitor. Similarly, the acid did not inhibit the enzyme activity unless the acid was present at high concentration; however, its electrophilic product, the CoA thioester, was a very potent inhibitor at very low concentration.