Effects of Aminotriazole on Lung Toxicity of Paraquat Intoxicated Mice

Paraquat중독에 의한 폐독성에 미치는 Aminotriazole의 영향

Background: Paraquat, a widely used herbicide, is extremely toxic, causing multiple organ failure in humans. Paraquat especially leads to irreversible progressive pulmonary fibrosis, which is related to oxygen free radicals. However, its biochemical mechanism is not clear. Natural mechanisms that prevent damage from oxygen free radicals include changes in glutathione level, G6PDH, superoxide dismutase(SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. The authors think catalase is closely related to paraquat toxicity in the lungs Method: The effects of 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole(aminotriazole), a catalase inhibitor, on mice administered with paraquat were investigated. We studied the effects of aminotriazole on the survival of mice administered with paraquat, by comparing life spans between the group to which paraquat had been administered and the group to which a combination of paraquat and aminotriazole had been administered. We measured glutathion level, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase(G6PDH), superoxide dismutase(SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase(GPx) in the lung tissue of 4 groups of mice: the control group, group A(aminotriazole injected), group B(paraquat administered), group C(paraquat and aminotriazole administered). Results: The mortality of mice administered with paraquat which were treated with aminotriazole was significantly increased compared with those of mice not treated with aminotriazole. Glutathione level in group B was decreased by 20%, a significant decrease compared with the control group. However, this level was not changed by the administration of aminotriazole(group C). The activity of G6PDH in all groups was not significantly changed compared with the control group. The activities of SOD, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase(GPx) in the lung tissue were significantly decreased by paraquat administration(group B); catalase showed the largest decrease. Catalase and GPX were significantly decreased by aminotriazole treatment in mice administered with paraquat but change in SOD activity was not significant(group C). Conclusion: Decrease in catalase activity by paraquat suggests that paraquat toxicity in the lungs is closely related to catalase activity. Paraquat toxicity in mice is enhanced by aminotriazole administration, and its result is related to the decrease of catalase activity rather than glutathione level in the lungs. Production of hydroxyl radicals, the most reactive oxygen metabolite, is accelerated due to increased hydrogen peroxide by catalase inhibition and the lung damage probably results from nonspecific tissue injury of hydroxyl radicals.

연구배경 : Paraquat는 광범위 제초제로서 널리 사용하고 있으나, 중독시 치명적인 중독 증상을 일으킨다. 특히 폐에서는 진행성 불가역성 폐섬유종을 일으키는데, 이의 기전으로 산소유리기와 관계가 있으나 아직은 생화학적 기전이 명확하지 않다. paraquat에 의한 산소유리기가 생기면 glutathione의 변화와 G6PDH, SOD, catalase 및 glutathione peroxidase등의 효소 활성의 변화가 생길 것으로 생각되며, 특히 catalase가 많이 관여할 것으로 생각되어진다. 방법 : Catalase 억제제인 aminotriazole을 사용하여 paraquat만 쓰는 것과 paraquat와 aminotriazole을 같이 투여할때 생쥐의 생존율을 알아보고, 실험군을 정상대조군, Group A(aminotriazole투여군), Group B(paraquat 투여군), Group C(paraquat와 amino-triazole 병합투여군) 4군으로 나누어 폐조직에서 glutathione량, G6PDH, SOD, catalase 및 glutathione peroxidase활성도를 측정하여 비교했다. 결과 : Paraquat와 aminotriazole 병합 투여군의 생존율이 paraquat투여군보다 현저히 감소하였고, paraquat 투여로 인하여 폐 glutathione량은 정상대조군에 비해 20%정도 감소 되었으나, aminotriazole의 투여로 인한 폐 glutathione량의 변화는 없었다. Paraquat투여로 폐 SOD, catalase 및 glutathione peroxidase활성이 모두 유의한 감소를 나타냈는데, 특히 catalase가 가장 큰 효소활성 감소를 나타냈으며, paraquat와 aminotriazole병합투여군에서는 catalase와 glutathione peroxidase활성이 paraquat단독투여군에 비하여 유의한 효소활성감소를 나타냈고, SOD는 효소활성의 변화가 감지되지 않았다. 결론 : Paraquat투여시 catalase활성이 유의하게 감소되는 점으로 보아 paraquat독성이 catalase활성과 밀접하게 연관되는 것으로 사료되며, 또한 paraquat의 독성이 aminotriazole의 병합 투여로 더욱 증가되어 나타나는데, 이러한 결과는 aminotriazole투여로 catalase활성의 감소가 크게 나타나나 glutathione량의 변화는 없는 점으로 보아 aminotriazole투여에 의한 paraquat독성의 증가는 총 폐 glutathione량의 변화에 의한 영향보다는 catalase활성감소에 의한 결과로 생각된다. Paraquat와 aminotriazole를 병합 투여하여 catalase활성이 억제되면 증가된 과산화수소로 hydroxyl radicals이 생성되고, 이에 의한 폐 세포손상이 유발되어 나타나는 것으로 사료된다.