Biomaterial Database

A comparison of the porphyrin-inducing activity of barbiturates and benzodiazepines in chick embryo liver cells. 1980

S Zimmer, and H Taub, and G S Marks

Five benzodiazepines, flurazepam, nitrazepam, diazepam, oxazepam, and chlordiazepoxide, have been tested for porphyrin-inducing activity in chick embryo liver cell culture and for delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) synthetase inducing activity in the 17-day-old chick embryo. Flurazepam and nitrazepam were found to have considerably lower potency than secobarbital whereas diazepam, oxazepam, and chlordiazepoxide were less potent than phenobarbital in these test systems. The following conclusions were arrived at. (1) A hypnotic dose of flurazepam or nitrazepam would be less likely than a comparable dose of secobarbital to increase ALA synthetase activity in a patient with hereditary hepatic porphyria. (2) A sedative dose of diazepam, oxazepam, or chlordiazepoxide would be less likely than a comparable dose of phenobarbital to increase ALA synthetase activity in a patient with hereditary hepatic porphyria. (3) The benzodiazepines, although apparently less likely to precipitate an attack than barbiturates, should be used with great caution in porphyria patients.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008099	Liver	A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances.	Livers
D011164	Porphyrias	A diverse group of metabolic diseases characterized by errors in the biosynthetic pathway of HEME in the LIVER, the BONE MARROW, or both. They are classified by the deficiency of specific enzymes, the tissue site of enzyme defect, or the clinical features that include neurological (acute) or cutaneous (skin lesions). Porphyrias can be hereditary or acquired as a result of toxicity to the hepatic or erythropoietic marrow tissues.	Porphyria,Porphyrin Disorder,Disorder, Porphyrin,Disorders, Porphyrin,Porphyrin Disorders
D011166	Porphyrins	A group of compounds containing the porphin structure, four pyrrole rings connected by methine bridges in a cyclic configuration to which a variety of side chains are attached. The nature of the side chain is indicated by a prefix, as uroporphyrin, hematoporphyrin, etc. The porphyrins, in combination with iron, form the heme component in biologically significant compounds such as hemoglobin and myoglobin.	Porphyrin
D002478	Cells, Cultured	Cells propagated in vitro in special media conducive to their growth. Cultured cells are used to study developmental, morphologic, metabolic, physiologic, and genetic processes, among others.	Cultured Cells,Cell, Cultured,Cultured Cell
D002642	Chick Embryo	The developmental entity of a fertilized chicken egg (ZYGOTE). The developmental process begins about 24 h before the egg is laid at the BLASTODISC, a small whitish spot on the surface of the EGG YOLK. After 21 days of incubation, the embryo is fully developed before hatching.	Embryo, Chick,Chick Embryos,Embryos, Chick
D004305	Dose-Response Relationship, Drug	The relationship between the dose of an administered drug and the response of the organism to the drug.	Dose Response Relationship, Drug,Dose-Response Relationships, Drug,Drug Dose-Response Relationship,Drug Dose-Response Relationships,Relationship, Drug Dose-Response,Relationships, Drug Dose-Response
D004790	Enzyme Induction	An increase in the rate of synthesis of an enzyme due to the presence of an inducer which acts to derepress the gene responsible for enzyme synthesis.	Induction, Enzyme
D000624	5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase	An enzyme of the transferase class that catalyzes condensation of the succinyl group from succinyl coenzyme A with glycine to form delta-aminolevulinate. It is a pyridoxyal phosphate protein and the reaction occurs in mitochondria as the first step of the heme biosynthetic pathway. The enzyme is a key regulatory enzyme in heme biosynthesis. In liver feedback is inhibited by heme. EC 2.3.1.37.	Aminolevulinic Acid Synthetase,delta-Aminolevulinate Synthase,5-Aminolevulinate Synthase,delta-Aminolevulinic Acid Synthetase,5 Aminolevulinate Synthase,5 Aminolevulinate Synthetase,Acid Synthetase, Aminolevulinic,Acid Synthetase, delta-Aminolevulinic,Synthase, 5-Aminolevulinate,Synthase, delta-Aminolevulinate,Synthetase, 5-Aminolevulinate,Synthetase, Aminolevulinic Acid,Synthetase, delta-Aminolevulinic Acid,delta Aminolevulinate Synthase,delta Aminolevulinic Acid Synthetase
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001463	Barbiturates	A class of chemicals derived from barbituric acid or thiobarbituric acid. Many of these are GABA MODULATORS used as HYPNOTICS AND SEDATIVES, as ANESTHETICS, or as ANTICONVULSANTS.