Differences in the binding of 3-methylcholanthrene and phenobarbital to rat liver cytosolic and nuclear protein fractions

Suppression of the expression of the CYP2B1/2 gene by retinoic acids

The effects of 5alpha-androsten-3alpha-ol (ASE), and retinoic acids (RAs) and their precursors on the phenobarbital (PB)-mediated induction of CYP2B1 and 2B2 were examined in cultured rat hepatocytes. Two isomers of RA, 9-cis- and all-trans-RA, suppressed markedly the effect of PB on CYP2B1/2 expression, while ASE had no suppressive effect. The effect of 9-cis-RA appeared at a lower concentration than the all-trans-isomer, indicating the dominant action of the former isomer. Suppression with 9-cis-retinal was also observed, but all-trans-retinol and -retinal were without effect. These results suggest that: (1) ASE, an inverse agonist for the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), does not play a major role in the suppression of the CYP2B; (2) 9-cis-RA suppresses CYP2B induction by reducing ligand-free retinoid X-receptors (RXR) available for dimerization with the CAR; and (3) enzymes responsible for RA formation play an important role in the mechanism governing CYP2B regulation.

Phenobarbital induction of cytochrome P-450 gene expression

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Effect of L-methionine on 2-carboxybenzaldehyde reductase induction by phenobarbital in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes

Effects of phenobarbital (PB) and L-methionine on 2-carboxybenzaldehyde (CBA) reductase in rat hepatocyte primary culture were examined. Inclusion of PB in the culture medium markedly enhanced the CBA reductase activity while L-methionine, which elevates the cellular glutathione (GSH) level, suppressed the stimulatory effect of PB. This suppression, though less pronounced, was also found with other precursors of GSH biosynthesis. GSH-depletors, buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) or diethylmaleate (DEM), enhanced the CBA reductase activity suggesting that GSH plays an important role in enzyme induction.

Cytochrome P450 induction by phenobarbital (PB) is inhibited by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA): evidence that protein kinase C regulates induction

The hepatic microsomal monooxygenase system was studied in hypophysectomized male rats exposed for 24 or 48 h to PB and/or TPA, an activator of kinase C. TPA attenuated basal and PB-induced levels of P450, aniline hydroxylase (ANH), ethylmorphine demethylase (EDM) and cytochrome c reductase. Hence, PB may effect induction via the inhibition of kinase C. Supporting this is spectral evidence that PB and TPA do not bind and the fact that TPA did not decrease P450 when co-incubated with O2 and NADPH. Hemin failed to increase P450 levels previously depressed by TPA indicating that TPA acts by lowering apocytochrome levels. This is consistent with its attenuation of PB-effected increases in hepatic RNA. TPA effects were associated with increased hepatic RNA and were blocked by puromycin.

The 4-5S carcinogen binding protein binds 1-aminopyrene, 1-nitropyrene and (+)-benzo[a]pyrenediolepoxide and is found in 12 tissues of the DBA/2J mouse

Twelve tissues from the BDA/2J mouse were examined in order to assess the tissue distribution of a soluble 4-5S carcinogen binding protein (CBP). The CBP binds numerous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, regulates the expression of cytochrome P-450c and is a carrier protein of carcinogen metabolites. The highest specific binding was found in hepatic tissue (600 fmol per mg protein). The amount of CBP in the kidney and testis was about 60% of the value observed for the liver. Lower levels of CBP were observed in the reproductive tract (uterus and vagina), spleen, stomach, heart, urinary bladder, skin, large and small intestine and lung. It was shown that the CBP bound the environmental carcinogen 1-nitropyrene, its reduced metabolite 1-aminopyrene and the ultimate carcinogenic metabolite of benzo[a]pyrene or (+)-r-7,t-8-dihydroxy-t-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9, 10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene but not the smaller coplanar PCB molecule, 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl. The results suggest that (a) the CBP is not a tissue-specific protein in the mouse, (b) the ligands for the CBP are not limited to the unmetabolized procarcinogens but include both positively and negatively charged ligands, and (c) in vitro the CBP covalently binds the ultimate carcinogenic metabolite of benzo[a]pyrene.

Purification and photoaffinity labelling of a rat cytosolic binding protein specific for 3-methylcholanthrene

Rat hepatic cytosolic proteins which sediment at 4-5 S on sucrose gradients exhibit high-affinity saturable binding for the carcinogen 3-methylcholanthrene. A rat liver protein of Stokes' radius 3 nm, Mr by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis of 39,000 and with specific 3-methylcholanthrene-binding activity sedimenting at 4.5 S, has been purified 315-fold to apparent homogeneity by using affinity chromatography on a column of 1-hydroxy-3-methylcholanthrene coupled to epoxy-activated Sepharose 6B, in conjunction with two gel-filtration steps. The protein purified by this technique was shown to be associated with the observed specific 3-methylcholanthrene-binding activity by photoaffinity labelling with 1-oxo-3-methylcholanthrene.

Binding of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons to the rat 4S cytosolic binding protein: structure-activity relationships

The relative competitive binding affinities of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), benzo[e]pyrene, benzo[g, h, i]perylene, picene, 7,12-dimethylbenz [a]anthracene, 1,2,3,4-dibenz[a]anthracene, 1,2,5,6-dibenz[a]anthracene, perylene, 4H-cyclopenta[d,e,f]-phenanthrene, benz[a] anthracene, triphenylethylene and triptycene for the rat hepatic cytosolic 4S binding protein were determined using [3H]benzo[a]pyrene as the radioligand. With the exception of triphenlethylene, triptycene and 4H-cyclopenta[d,e,f]phenanthrene, the EC50 values for the remainder of these compounds were between 1.25 X 10(-7) and 2.5 X 10(-8) M with 1,2,5,6-dibenz[a]anthracene being the most active ligand. A comparison of the relative cytosolic Ah (9S) receptor binding affinities and aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) induction potencies of these hydrocarbons with their 4S protein binding affinities demonstrated the following: five compounds, namely 1,2,5,6-dibenz[a]-anthracene, 1,2,3,4-dibenz[a]anthracene, picene, benzo[a]pyrene and 3-methylcholanthrene exhibited high to moderate binding affinities for the 4S and 9S cytosolic proteins (EC50 values less than 10(-6) M) and induced AHH in rat hepatoma cells; three compounds, namely perylene, benzo[e]pyrene and benzo[g,h,i]perylene exhibited high affinities for the 4S binding protein (1.25 X 10(-7), 4.4 X 10(-8) and 2.9 X 10(-8) M, respectively) and low affinities (EC50 values greater than 10(-5) M) for the Ah receptor protein; moreover these three compounds did not induce AHH in rat hepatoma H-4-II E cells in culture. These data suggest that the 4S binding protein may not play a significant role in AHH induction although the results do not rule out a function for this protein in the transregulation of AHH and its associated cytochromes P-450.

Dissociation of cytochrome P-450 inactivation and induction

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons bind to a cytosolic receptor that translocates into the nucleus and induces the synthesis of mRNA for a subset of cytochrome P-450 isozymes. The failure to detect a "phenobarbital" receptor, however, suggests that the induction of P-450b/e, the isozymes induced by phenobarbital, is mediated by a less direct mechanism. One attractive alternative is that a receptor exists for an endogenous substance that is specifically turned over by the trace amounts of P-450b/e present in uninduced liver. Changes in the concentration of this substance caused by agents that inhibit P-450b/e would then trigger the induction response. We report here that suppressing the catalytic activities of P-450b/e for prolonged periods with 1-aminobenzotriazole, a mechanism-based irreversible inhibitor, neither induces P-450b/e nor interferes with induction of these isozymes at the level of transcription by phenobarbital. The results argue against mechanisms for the induction of P-450b/e keyed to the effective catalytic availability of these isozymes.

Induction of cytochrome P-450 by phenobarbital is mediated at the level of transcription

We have previously shown that the 43-fold induction by phenobarbital of the major phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P-450 of rat liver microsomal membranes (PB P-450) is mediated by a 20-fold increase in the amount of its mRNA in the cytoplasm. Here we demonstrate that the induction of the mRNA can be almost entirely accounted for by an increase in the rate of transcription of genes coding for PB P-450, and involves little or no change in the rates of processing, transport or degradation of the mRNA. Phenobarbital treatment resulted in no amplification or rearrangement of PB P-450 genes.

The distribution and intracellular translocation of aflatoxin B1 in isolated hepatocytes

The distribution and intracellular translocation of AFB1 in various subcellular fractions was investigated in isolated hepatocytes by pulse-chase experiments. After labeling the hepatocytes with [3H]-AFB1 (14.5 nM) for 15 min, the highest concentration of [3H]-AFB1 was found in the cytosolic fraction where 66% was bound noncovalently and 1.5% covalently. The lowest concentration of [3H]-AFB1 was found in the nuclear fraction; 36% and 4.9% were bound noncovalently and covalently respectively. When the [3H]-AFB1 loaded cells were chased with unlabeled AFB1 (1 microM), the radioactivity of [3H]-AFB1 in the cell lysate and cytosolic fraction decreased in time with an apparent rate of elimination (t1/2) of 93 min and 66 min, respectively. The levels of covalently bound AFB1 increased with time and reached a maximum at 60 min in nuclei (270%), and at 120 min in mitochondria (220%) and cytosol (430%) as compared to the zero time. Only in the microsomal fraction was there no significant increase with time in covalently bound AFB1. These results suggest that the toxin after activation by the microsomal mixed function oxidases was either detoxified or transported to other cellular organelles where covalent binding of macromolecules occurred.

An assay for the detection of specific binding of 3-methylcholanthrene to rat liver cytosolic proteins using DEAE-cellulose

A method for the detection of the specific binding of 3-methylcholanthrene to rat liver cytosolic proteins is described. The separation of the protein-bound 3-methylcholanthrene from the free 3-methylcholanthrene was achieved using a batch DEAE-cellulose technique. Extraction of the DEAE-cellulose with 0.3 M KCl allowed the selective release and measurement of the amount of protein-bound 3-methylcholanthrene. The assay was optimized for the following parameters: time of incubation with DEAE-cellulose, time required for salt extraction, protein concentration, the concentration of KCl required to elute the specific binding proteins, the amount of DEAE-cellulose required to bind the specific binding proteins, and ligand specificity. The sedimentation properties of those 3-methylcholanthrene-binding proteins which were extracted with salt from DEAE-cellulose were examined on 5 to 20% sucrose gradients; the major binding species sedimented as a broad peak at 4.5 S.

The Ah locus: correlation of intranuclear appearance of inducer-receptor complex with induction of cytochrome P1-450 mRNA

The Ah locus regulates the induction of cytochrome P1-450 by foreign chemicals such as 3-methyl-cholanthrene and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. The induction process is controlled by the cytosolic Ah receptor. The cytosolic and nuclear Ah receptors were studied in the liver from inbred C57BL/6N (Ahb/Ahb) mice, inbred DBA/2N (Ahd/Ahd) mice and heterozygotes (Ahb/Ahd) and homozygotes (Ahd/Ahd) derived from the (C57BL/6N X DBA/2N)F1 X DBA/2N backcross. After [3H-1,6]-2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (3H-TCDD) is given in vivo, the receptor in Ahb/Anb and Ahb/Ahd mice is detectable in the cytoplasm and nucleus; in Ahd/Ahd mice the receptor is not measurable in the cytosol, but is found in the nucleus at levels one fourth to one fifth of those in Ahb/Ahb mice. P1-450 (23S) mRNA content was estimated by Northern hybridization and by Rot analysis with a mouse P1-450 cloned cDNA. An excellent dose-response relationship (r = 0.99) was found between the amount of 3H-TCDD-Ah receptor complex appearing in the nucleus and the quantity of P1-450 mRNA induced in mice with all three possible Ah genotypes.