Related Methylxanthines Research Articles

Antioxidant behaviour of caffeine: Efficient scavenging of hydroxyl radicals

Considerable controversy exists in the literature regarding the toxicity of coffee, including its possible carcinogenic and anticarcinogenic properties. This study reports on the reaction of 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine (caffeine) with the hydroxyl radical (·OH), as investigated by electron spin resonance (ESR) spin trapping. The ·OH was generated by the Fenton reaction (Fe 2+ + H 2O 2) as well as by the reaction of chromium(V) with H 2O 2. The results show that caffeine effectively scavenges ·OH with a reaction rate constant of ∼ 5.9 × 10 9 m −1 sec −1 that is comparable with those of other efficient ·OH radical scavengers. ESR measurements provide evidence that a caffeine-derived oxygen-centred radical is formed in the reaction of caffeine with ·OH and suggest a biochemical basis for the understanding of the reported anticarcinogenic properties of caffeine and related methylxanthine compounds.

Potentiation of cisplatin cytotoxicity by methylxanthines in vitro

The ability of two supposed DNA-repair inhibitors to modulate cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity in a human ovarian cancer cell line (CAOV-3) and a human cervical cancer cell line (Me-180) was investigated using a short-term chemosensitivity assay based on bioluminescence of cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Cisplatin concentrations bracketing the reported peak plasma concentration (2.5 micrograms/ml) were used and the 50% inhibitory concentrations were determined by linear regression of log-transformed survival data. At 2.5 mM, the methylxanthine caffeine enhanced cisplatin sensitivity 2.9-fold in CAOV-3 cells and 2.7-fold in Me-180 cells. At 2.5 mM, pentoxifylline, a closely related methylxanthine, increased cisplatin sensitivity 2.9-fold in CAOV-3 cells and 3.4-fold in Me-180 cells. Chemical modification of cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity by assumed inhibition of DNA-repair mechanisms may hold promise for clinical application in the treatment of gynecological cancer.

Independent control of channel closure and block of open channels by methylxanthines at acetylcholine receptors in frog.

1. A series of related methylxanthines were studied for their effects on the kinetics of decay of end-plate currents (e.p.c.s) and miniature end-plate currents (m.e.p.c.s) at motor end-plates of the frog. 2. Isobutyl methylxanthine (IBMX, 50 microM-3 mM) produced a concentration-dependent depression of the peak e.p.c. and m.e.p.c. amplitude and a change in the kinetics of e.p.c. and m.e.p.c. decay from the normal single-exponential to a double-exponential function. Drug effects of this nature are generally attributed to open-channel blockade. 3. After wash-out of IBMX, the decay of the e.p.c. or m.e.p.c. was restored to a single-exponential function but with a significantly prolonged time constant. 4. Caffeine or theophylline derivatives (0.1-4 mM), during exposure to drug, produced effects similar to those observed after the application of IBMX; namely a prolongation of the time course of e.p.c.s and m.e.p.c.s without changing the single-exponential nature of the function. 5. Computer simulations were made of the m.e.p.c.s in IBMX. The effects of IBMX could be fitted to the sequential model of channel block only if the prolonged time constant observed upon wash-out was used for the rate constant of channel closure. Independent calculations of the rate constant of channel closure during IBMX application were in agreement with those measured during wash-out. 6. The theophylline derivative 8-phenyltheophylline, a selective adenosine receptor blocker with minimal effects on phosphodiesterase (PDE), increased the time constant of e.p.c. decay in a manner similar to theophylline and caffeine. Non-xanthine PDE inhibitors, either had no effect on m.e.p.c. decay (papaverine) or decreased the time constant of decay (RO 20-1724). It is thus unlikely that PDE inhibition is responsible for the post-junctional effects of IBMX. 7. IBMX (50 microM-2 mM) increased quantal ACh release in the virtual absence of extracellular calcium and also increased the efficacy of adenosine derivatives in inhibiting ACh release. Adenosine (10-100 microM) or 2-chloroadenosine (1-10 microM) had no effect on the time constant of e.p.c. decay nor did these adenosine receptor agonists alter the post-junctional actions of IBMX. The effects of IBMX on end-plate channel kinetics are thus not due to the blockade of adenosine receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Genotoxicity of theobromine in a series of short-term assays

Theobromine (3,7-dimethylxanthine) was evaluated for genotoxic activity in a series of in vitro assays. Theobromine was not mutagenic in the Ames assay up to a maximum concentration of 5000 μg/plate either with or without S9 activation. The compound also failed to induce significant levels of chromosome aberrations in CHO cells (with and without S9 activation) or transformation in Balb/c-3T3 cells. At the maximum tolerated concentration theobromine increased the frequency of TK −/− mutants in mouse lymphoma L5178Y cells. Increased frequencies were observed both with and without S9 activation and they were reproducible in 2 independent experiments. Statistically significant increases in SCEs were obtained in human lymphocytes and in CHO cells under nonactivation test conditions. The spectrum of results in this battery of tests indicate that theobromine treatment results in the expression of genotoxic potential in some assays and the observed activity appears qualitatively and quantitatively similar to that of caffeine, a closely related methylxanthine.

Caffeine inhibition of aflatoxin production: mode of action.

Evaluation of caffeine and a number of related methylxanthines indicated that the ability of the compound to inhibit growth and aflatoxin production by Aspergillus parasiticus is highly specific and does not involve an inhibition of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase. Supplementation of the culture medium with purine bases, nucleosides, and nucleotides suggested that the inhibition of fungal growth could be partially overcome by adenine or guanine but that the purines had little effect on the inhibition of aflatoxin production. Likewise, increasing the levels of trace minerals did not overcome the inhibition of toxin production. Electron microscopic evaluation of caffeine-treated and -untreated cultures indicated that the compound produced observable changes in the ultrastructure of the fungus.

An assay for inorganic orthophosphate in the presence of alkaloids and related drugs

There have been many reported techniques for the determination of inorganic orthophosphate, largely utilising the formation of a yellow complex between the phosphate and a molybdenum salt, and the formation of a blue chromophore on reduction of the complex. The method of Fiske and Subbarow (1) employs l-amino-Znaphthol-Csulphonic acid as the reducing agent, and this technique is still widely used. Modifications to the basic procedure have included the direct measurement of the yellow phosphomolybdate complex to avoid reduction of susceptible compounds (2) and the extraction of the phosphomolybdate complex with organic solvents to prevent interference by inorganic ions (3, 4). Atkinson et al. (5), reported that incorporation of the non-ionic detergent Cirrasol ALN-WF, formerly called Lubrol-W, into the acid ammonium molybdate reagent prevented the interference in the phosphate assay by a number of simple compounds that adversely affect the conventional methods. Our studies on the effects of certain pharmacological agents on the active transport of calcium in muscle tissue, have led us to look for a reliable and simple method of determining levels of inorganic phosphate in the presence of alkaloids and related methyl xanthines, since these compounds form a white precipitate in the presence of phosphate and acid ammonium molybdate which renders the conventional assay inoperable.

Metabolism of methionine and biosynthesis of caffeine in the tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.).

1. Caffeine biosynthesis was studied by following the incorporation of 14C into the products of L-[Me-14C]methionine metabolism in tea shoot tips. 2. After administration of a 'pulse' of L-[Me-14C]methionine, almost all of the L-[Me-14C]methionine supplied disappeared within 1 h, and 14C-labelled caffeine synthesis increased throughout the experimental periods, whereas the radioactivities of an unknown compound and theobromine were highest at 3 h after the uptake of L-[Me-14C]methionine, followed by a steady decrease. There was also slight incorporation of the label into 7-methylxanthine, serine, glutamate and aspartate, disappearing by 36 h after the absorption of L-[Me-14C]methionine. 3. The radioactivities of nucleic acids derived from L-[Me-14C]methionine increased rapidly during the first 12 h incubation period and then decreased steadily. Sedimentation analysis of nucleic acids by sucrose-gradient centrifugation showed that methylation of nucleic acids in tea shoot tips occurred mainly in the tRNA fraction. The main product among the methylated bases in tea shoot tips was identified as 1-methyladenine. 4. The results indicated that the purine ring in caffeine is derived from the purine nucleotides in the nucleotide pool rather than in nucleic acids. A metabolic scheme to show the production of caffeine and related methylxanthines from the nucleotides in tea plants is discussed.

Thin-layer chromatography of caffeine and related methylxanthines

Thin-layer chromatography of caffeine and related methylxanthines