TY - JOUR
T1 - Anethole dithiolethione lowers the homocysteine and raises the glutathone levels in solid tissues and plasma of rats
T2 - A novel non-vitamin homocysteine-lowering agent
AU - Giustarini, Daniela
AU - Fanti, Paolo
AU - Sparatore, Anna
AU - Matteucci, Elena
AU - Rossi, Ranieri
PY - 2014/5/15
Y1 - 2014/5/15
N2 - High homocysteine (Hcys) levels are suspected to contribute to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease and of other chronic conditions. Failure of B vitamins to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular events while lowering the Hcys levels, has prompted the search for alternative treatments. We tested the ability of anethole dithiolethione (ADT) to lower the Hcys levels in rats and we explored possible underlying mechanisms. Parenteral administration of 10 mg/kg ADT to normal rats for 3 days lowered the Hcys levels between 51.4% and 31.5% in kidneys, liver, testis and plasma. Concomitantly, glutathione (GSH) increased between 112% and 28% in kidneys, brain, liver and plasma whereas protein thiolation index decreased 30%. In hyperhomocysteinemic rats, the plasma Hcys levels dropped 70% following a single ip injection of 10 mg/kg ADT, while they decreased 55% following oral administration of 2 mg/kg/day ADT for one week. Significant additive effects occurred when sub-therapeutic doses of ADT and folic acid were used in combination. To test the possible mechanism(s) of these actions, we perfused isolated rat livers and kidneys with albumin-bound Hcys, the prevalent form of plasma Hcys, and physiological thiols and disulfides at different ratios. In both organ preparations, the elimination rate of albumin-bound Hcys was progressively faster as the amount of reduced thiols was increased in the perfusate. These findings indicate that ADT shifts the redox ratio of GSH and other thiols with their oxidized forms toward the reduced forms, thus favoring the dissociation of albumin-bound Hcys and its transfer to renal and hepatic cells for further processing.
AB - High homocysteine (Hcys) levels are suspected to contribute to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease and of other chronic conditions. Failure of B vitamins to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular events while lowering the Hcys levels, has prompted the search for alternative treatments. We tested the ability of anethole dithiolethione (ADT) to lower the Hcys levels in rats and we explored possible underlying mechanisms. Parenteral administration of 10 mg/kg ADT to normal rats for 3 days lowered the Hcys levels between 51.4% and 31.5% in kidneys, liver, testis and plasma. Concomitantly, glutathione (GSH) increased between 112% and 28% in kidneys, brain, liver and plasma whereas protein thiolation index decreased 30%. In hyperhomocysteinemic rats, the plasma Hcys levels dropped 70% following a single ip injection of 10 mg/kg ADT, while they decreased 55% following oral administration of 2 mg/kg/day ADT for one week. Significant additive effects occurred when sub-therapeutic doses of ADT and folic acid were used in combination. To test the possible mechanism(s) of these actions, we perfused isolated rat livers and kidneys with albumin-bound Hcys, the prevalent form of plasma Hcys, and physiological thiols and disulfides at different ratios. In both organ preparations, the elimination rate of albumin-bound Hcys was progressively faster as the amount of reduced thiols was increased in the perfusate. These findings indicate that ADT shifts the redox ratio of GSH and other thiols with their oxidized forms toward the reduced forms, thus favoring the dissociation of albumin-bound Hcys and its transfer to renal and hepatic cells for further processing.
KW - Anethole dithiolethione
KW - Hyperhomocysteinemia
KW - Protein-bound homocysteine
KW - Thiols
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U2 - 10.1016/j.bcp.2014.03.005
DO - 10.1016/j.bcp.2014.03.005
M3 - Article
C2 - 24637238
AN - SCOPUS:84899428994
VL - 89
SP - 246
EP - 254
JO - Biochemical Pharmacology
JF - Biochemical Pharmacology
SN - 0006-2952
IS - 2
ER -