Original Article

Different effects of nine clausenamide ennatiomers on liver glutathione biosynthesis and glutathione S-transferase activity in mice

Yu-qun Wu, Li-de Liu, Hua-ling Wei, Geng-tao Liu

Abstract

Aim: To study the effects of nine synthetic clausenamide with different stereo structures on liver glutathione (GSH) biosynthesis and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity in mice.
Methods: The nine test compounds were racemic mixtures and their ennatiomers of clausenamide, neoclausenamide and epineoclausenamide. Mice were administered clausenamide 250 mg/kg once daily for 3 consecutive days, ig, and were killed 24 h after the last dosing. The mouse liver cytosol GSH and GST were determined with related biochemical methods.
Results: Nine clausenamides exhibited different effects on liver GSH and GST. Of nine clausenamides, only (+) and (±)clausenamide markedly increased liver cytosol GSH content. The mechanism of increasing liver GSH content of (+)clausenamide is mainly due to stimulating the key limiting enzyme γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS) activity for GSH biosynthesis. The other test clausenamides had no such effect on liver GSH. All of the nine clausenamides induced a significant increase of GST activity.
Conclusion: The effects of clausenamide ennatiomers on liver GST and GSH varied with the alterations of their spatial structures. (+)Clausenamide stimulated liver GSH biosynthesis through enhancing γ-GCS activity.
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