Biological effects of the dihydroorotate dehydrogenase inhibitor polyporic acid, a toxic constituent of the mushroom Hapalopilus rutilans, in rats and humans

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.