title: Biological effects of the dihydroorotate dehydrogenase inhibitor polyporic acid, a toxic constituent of the mushroom Hapalopilus rutilans, in rats and humans.
abstract: Inhibitors of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHO-DH), such as brequinar or leflunomide, have been intensively tested for their antitumour and immunomodulating effects. Polyporic acid (PA) from the mushroom Hapalopilus rutilans (H. r.) also is a DHO-DH inhibitor (50% inhibitory concn., IC50, 10(-4)-10(-3) M). As three people had been poisoned following ingestion of H. r. we wanted to investigate the effects of PA in rats and in cell cultures. Rats given PA via probang (100-800 mg/ kg) within 24 h developed strongly reduced locomotor activity, depressed visual placing response and impaired wire manoeuvre. Laboratory investigation of blood revealed hepatorenal failure, metabolic acidosis as well as hypokalaemia and hypocalcaemia. All symptoms closely paralleled the effects seen in the poisoned people. Proliferation of cultured cells (including rat brain neurons and glia, fibroblasts, tumour cells) was depressed at 10(-4)-10(-3) M PA. We conclude that the intoxication of people poisoned with H. r. is due to the high content of the DHO-DH inhibitor PA.
authors.affiliation: Martin-Luther-Universität, Medizinische Fakultät, Institut für Medizinische Immunologie, Halle, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kraft
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Keilhoff
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miersch
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wend
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Riemann
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hirschelmann
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Holzhausen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Langner
mesh_terms: D000363:Agaricales / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D016227:Benzoquinones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects; D000090722:Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009145:Mushroom Poisoning / Q000209:etiology*; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D044925:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-CH Group Donors; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D016227:Benzoquinones; D000090722:Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase; C118527:polyporic acid; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D044925:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-CH Group Donors