title: Investigation of the mechanism of hepatotoxicity of N-methylformamide in mice: effects on calcium sequestration in hepatic microsomes and mitochondria and on hepatic plasma membrane potential.
abstract: N-Methylformamide is an antitumour drug with hepatotoxic properties. Three potential targets for hepatocellular toxic lesions caused by N-methylformamide were investigated: the mitochondrial and microsomal Ca2+ pumps and the functional integrity of the plasma membrane. The administration of N-methylformamide to mice caused a dramatic decrease in the ability of the liver mitochondria to sequester [45Ca2+]. This effect was dose-dependent and was not caused by dimethylformamide, N-hydroxymethylformamide or formamide. The microsomal Ca2+ pump was not affected by N-methylformamide. Incubations of isolated mitochondria with N-methylformamide for 1 hr also led to the inhibition of the Ca2+ sequestration. Incubation of isolated mouse hepatocytes with N-methylformamide did not cause changes in plasma membrane potential as measured using the lipophilic cation triphenylmethylphosphonium. Of the three targets studied, the mitochondrial Ca2+ pump may be the one through which N-methylformamide triggers the events leading ultimately to hepatic necrosis.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D005559:Formamides / Q000633:toxicity*; D007700:Kinetics; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005559:Formamides; D002118:Calcium; C002950:methylformamide