title: The effect of methionine on methotrexate metabolism in rat hepatocytes in monolayer culture.
abstract: The effect of methyl donors on the metabolism of methotrexate has been investigated in rat hepatocytes in monolayer culture. Pulse exposure to low concentrations of methotrexate (1 microM, 3h) in the absence of methionine results in the facile formation of the di- to pentaglutamates with the di- and triglutamate predominating. Further incubation after the removal of methotrexate (MTX) results in a shift to the tetra- and pentaglutamate at the expense of the shorter chain length derivatives. The same measurement in the presence of 1 mM methionine causes approx. an 80% inhibition in the formation of polyglutamates. This effect can be partially achieved when methionine is replaced by choline or betaine. No alteration in the formation of 7-hydroxymethotrexate could be detected by similar changes in methionine concentrations in the medium. The activity of the enzymes which synthesize and degrade methotrexate polyglutamates, folylpolyglutamate synthetase and gamma-glutamyl hydrolase, respectively, were the same in extracts of cells grown in the absence and in the presence of 1 mM methionine. Incubation of the hepatocytes with methionine causes a significant increase in 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolate (H4folate), 5,10-methylenehydrofolate and 10-formyltetrahydrofolate and a decrease in 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. These results suggest that the inhibition of glutamylation of methotrexate could be due in part to an elevation in reduced folates which can more effectively compete with methotrexate as a substrate for folylpolyglutamate synthetase. Inhibition in methotrexate glutamylation by methionine, betaine and choline in hepatocytes may contribute to the alleviation of hepatic toxicity by methyl donors.
authors.affiliation: Wadsworth Center for Laboratories and Research, New York State Department of Health, Albany 12201.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Priest
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Galivan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D005971:Glutamates / Q000378:metabolism; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D006900:Hydroxylation; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008715:Methionine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew
chemical_list: D005971:Glutamates; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005492:Folic Acid; D008715:Methionine; D008727:Methotrexate