• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.13-18
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• 1996

One mechanism of free-radical production by ethanol is suggested to be through the intracellular conversion of XDH to XO by increased ratio of NADH to NAD. The major mechanism for physiological compensation of cytosolic NADH/NAD balance is the malate/aspartate shutfie. Therefore, it is important to develop the method to improve the efficiency of malate/aspartate shuttle in ethanol metabolism. In the present study, various amino acids and organic acid involved in the shuttle were tested for their functional efficiency in modulating shuttle in the ethanol-perfused rat liver. The rate of ethanol oxidation in the liver perfused with aspartate alone or aspartate in combination with pyruvate, respectively, was increased by about 10% compared to control liver, but not in the tissues perfused with glummate, cysteine or pyruvate alone. Though glummate, cysteine and pyravate did not affect the ethanol oxidation significanfiy, they showed some suppresive effect on the ethanol-induced radical generation monitored by protein carbonylation analysis. Among the tested components, aspartate is confirmed to be the most efficient as a metabolic regulator for both ethanol oxidation and ethanol-induced oxidative stress in our perfusion system. These effects of aspartate would result from NAD recycling by its supplementation through the coupled aspartate aminotransferase/malate dehydrogenase reactions and the malate-aspartate shuttle.

• BMB Reports
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• v.56 no.7
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• pp.385-391
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• 2023

Aspartate-glutamate carrier 2 (AGC2, citrin) is a mitochondrial carrier expressed in the liver that transports aspartate from mitochondria into the cytosol in exchange for glutamate. The AGC2 is the main component of the malate-aspartate shuttle (MAS) that ensures indirect transport of NADH produced in the cytosol during glycolysis, lactate oxidation to pyruvate, and ethanol oxidation to acetaldehyde into mitochondria. Through MAS, AGC2 is necessary to maintain intracellular redox balance, mitochondrial respiration, and ATP synthesis. Through elevated cytosolic Ca²⁺ level, the AGC2 is stimulated by catecholamines and glucagon during starvation, exercise, and muscle wasting disorders. In these conditions, AGC2 increases aspartate input to the urea cycle, where aspartate is a source of one of two nitrogen atoms in the urea molecule (the other is ammonia), and a substrate for the synthesis of fumarate that is gradually converted to oxaloacetate, the starting substrate for gluconeogenesis. Furthermore, aspartate is a substrate for the synthesis of asparagine, nucleotides, and proteins. It is concluded that AGC2 plays a fundamental role in the compartmentalization of aspartate and glutamate metabolism and linkage of the reactions of MAS, glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, amino acid catabolism, urea cycle, protein synthesis, and cell proliferation. Targeting of AGC genes may represent a new therapeutic strategy to fight cancer.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.181-187
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• 1997

The purpose of this work was to investigate pharmacokinetics of alcohol as a function of dose and time of administration of ethanol. The pharmacokinetics of alcohol 15 min after and before oral administration of aspartate-containing compositions to rats were also evaluated. The retention time of acetaldehyde, alcohol and isopropyl alcohol an internal standard in gas chromatogram was 3.6, 6.0 and 10.5 min, respectively. The maximum concentration of alcohol $(C_{max})$ and area under the blood concentration (AUC) were significanly increased as a function of ethanol dose in a nonlinear fashion. The significant diurnal variation of alcohol pharmacokinetics was also noted, showing fast metabolism and elimination when given orally in the night time. When APAP was given after administration alcohol (1g/kg) to rats, AUC and $C_{max}$ were increased when compared to alcohol only. However, AUC and $C_{max}$ were decreased when aspartate or standard complex compositions containing aceaminophen (APAP, 250mg). sodium L-aspartate(25 mg), dl-methionine (125 mg) and anhydrous caffeine (25 mg) was orally given by coupling malate/asparate shuttle in hepatocyte. The blood alcohol concentration profiles between aspartate and standard complex compositions were similar when given before or after administration alcohol (1g/kg) to rats. No significant difference of administration sequence was observed. However, it was noted that AUC and $C_{max}$ of standard complex compositions given before alcohol administration were significantly lower when compared with alcohol only. Based on these findings, dose, time of administration and composition of drugs to improve alcohol metabolism and elimination were considered to be important in the pharmacokinetics of alcohol. The administration sequence of drug compositions and alcohol might be also considerd.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.39-44
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• 2018

In 1923, Dr. Warburg had observed that tumors acidified the Ringer solution when 13 mM glucose was added, which was identified as being due to lactate. When glucose is the only source of nutrient, it can serve for both biosynthesis and energy production. However, a series of studies revealed that the cancer cell consumes glucose for biosynthesis through fermentation, not for energy supply, under physiological conditions. Recently, a new observation was made that there is a metabolic symbiosis in which glycolytic and oxidative tumor cells mutually regulate their energy metabolism. Hypoxic cancer cells use glucose for glycolytic metabolism and release lactate which is used by oxygenated cancer cells. This study challenged the Warburg effect, because Warburg claimed that fermentation by irreversible damaging of mitochondria is a fundamental cause of cancer. However, recent studies revealed that mitochondria in cancer cell show active function of oxidative phosphorylation although TCA cycle is stalled. It was also shown that blocking cytosolic NADH production by aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibition, combined with oxidative phosphorylation inhibition, resulted in up to 80% decrease of ATP production, which resulted in a significant regression of tumor growth in the NSCLC model. This suggests a new theory that NADH production in the cytosol plays a key role of ATP production through the mitochondrial electron transport chain in cancer cells, while NADH production is mostly occupied inside mitochondria in normal cells.