Immunochemical studies on the contribution of NADPH cytochrome P-450 reductase to the cytochrome P-450-dependent metabolism of arachidonic acid

Phase I and phase II ocular metabolic activities and the role of metabolism in ophthalmic prodrug and codrug design and delivery

While the mammalian eye is seldom considered an organ of drug metabolism, the capacity for biotransformation is present. Compared to the liver, the metabolic capabilities of the eye are minuscule; however, phase I and phase II metabolic activities have been detected in various ocular structures. The careful consideration of ocular tissue metabolic processes within the eye has important implications for controlling the detoxification of therapeutic agents and for providing the potential for site-specific bio-activation of certain drug molecules, thus enabling significant improvements in drug efficacy and the minimization of side-effect from either local or systemic drug delivery to the eye. Knowledge of these processes is important to prodrug and codrug development and to researchers involved in the design, delivery and metabolism of ophthalmic drugs. This present article reviews the progress in ocular prodrug and codrug design and delivery in light of ocular metabolic activities.

Compound heterozygous mutations of cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase gene (POR) in two patients with Antley-Bixler syndrome

Antley-Bixler syndrome (ABS) is characterized by skeletal defects including craniosynostosis and radiohumeral synostosis. Although mutations in the FGFR2 gene have been found in some patients called ABS, genetic heterogeneity of this syndrome has been proposed. We have previously reported three ABS patients with unique abnormalities in steroidogenesis (apparent decreased activity of 17alpha-hydroxylase, 17,20-lyase, and 21-hydroxylase). Decreased activity of lanosterol 14alpha-demethylase has also been described in an ABS patient. Since all these enzymes require cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (encoded by POR) as an electron donor, we studied POR in two unrelated ABS patients with abnormal steroidogenesis. Direct sequencing of POR revealed that both patients had compound heterozygous mutations (1329insC and R454H in a male patient, 1698insC and R454H in a female patient). The two insertional mutations were assumed to generate truncated and unstable mRNAs. The R454H mutation was assumed to be deleterious because the R454 resides in the FAD-binding domain and is highly conserved among diverse species. Our results demonstrate that mutations in POR cause the ABS phenotype with autosomal recessive inheritance and with characteristic abnormalities in steroidogenesis.

Cytochrome P450-dependent arachidonic acid metabolism in human kidney

Cytochrome P450-dependent arachidonic acid metabolism in human kidney cortex from several postmortem subjects has been characterized. Using HPLC and GC/MS, four cytochrome P450-arachidonic acid metabolites were tentatively but not unequivocally identified as epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET), dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acid (DHT) and 19- and 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids, suggesting the involvement of two major cytochrome P450 enzymes, epoxygenase and omega/omega-1 hydroxylases. This pattern of metabolism was similar to that found in rabbit and rat kidneys. The formation of these metabolites was dependent on the presence of NADPH and inhibited by IgG of NADPH-cytochrome P450 (c) reductase. Immunologic studies of renal cytochrome P450 epoxygenase demonstrated that antibodies prepared against human-purified hepatic cytochrome P450 epoxygenase recognized renal enzyme protein and inhibited the enzyme activity by 92%. In contrast, control immunoglobulin did not inhibit renal cytochrome P450 epoxygenase. Antibody inhibition of renal cytochrome P450 epoxygenase demonstrated a degree of conservation of both enzyme proteins between liver and kidney. Antibodies against lauric acid omega/omega-1 hydroxylases (P450 omega) inhibited the formation of omega/omega-1 hydroxylase products, 19- and 20-HETEs. Identical qualitative patterns of arachidonic acid metabolites were observed in all cortical microsomes studied. Interindividual variations were observed in the cytochrome P450-dependent arachidonic acid metabolism, and the activities ranged from 0.031 to 5.027 nmol arachidonic acid converted/mg protein/30 min. which is about a 150-fold difference. However, when the specific activities for total cytochrome P450-dependent arachidonic acid metabolism were calculated, two separate groups could be distinguished, high and low metabolizers of arachidonic acid.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Expression of heme oxygenase in hemopoiesis

Heme oxygenase has been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from detergent solubilized adult human liver microsomes. Treatment of microsomes with Triton X-100, sodium cholate and subsequent batchwise DEAE-cellulose, 2', 5' ADP-sepharose 4B, Sepharose CLB and hydroxylapatite column resulted in 17% yield of the purified heme oxygenase. The reconsituted system of heme oxygenase, composed of heme oxygenase, NADPH cytochrome c (P450) reductase and biliverdin reductase was equiactive with 1 mM NADPH and 4 nM NADH and showed complete dependence on added heme for catalytic activity. The Km values for NADPH and NADH were .046 and .526 mM, respectively. While NADPH concentration was held constant, the Km value for heme was 1.01 microM with a specific activity of 583 unit/mg protein. The activity of the reconstituted heme oxygenase system was not affected by preincubation with heavy metals despite their inhibitory effect of NADPH cytochrome c (P450) reductase and biliverdin reductase. However, the metalloporphyrins of these heavy metals were found to be strong inhibitors of the reconsituted system with Ki values of 0.015, 0.6, 2.3 and 5 microM for Sn-, Co-, Zn- and Mg- protoporphyrins, respectively. Similarly, the sulfhydryl inactivating reagents, HgCl2, iodoacetamide and p-chloromercurylbenzoate, inhibited the reconstituted heme oxygenase activity. Rabbits were immunized with purified human liver heme oxygenase and the resulting antibody preparation was used to examine the species specificity of the enzyme. Microsomal protein with a molecular weight of 32,000 from rat and human liver as well as HepG2 cells were identified on dot and Western blots by their reaction with the anti-heme oxygenase similar to the purified enzyme protein. Anti-heme oxygenase precipitated quantitatively, the entire heme oxygenase of rat liver microsomes obtained from animals maintained on standard diet. The human bone marrow microsomal heme oxygenase activity was also quantitatively precipitated by this antibody. Antibody inhibition of rat and human heme xoygenase demonstrated a degree of conservation of both enzyme proteins between the species. As judged by Western blotting, the anti-heme oxygenase recognized only a single protein in spleen, liver, kidney, brain, heart, bone marrow, integtine and corneal epithelium. The human heme oxygenase cDNA was isolated by screening a cDNA library in the Okayama-Berg vector with a rat liver cDNA and was subjected to nucleotide sequence analysis. The deducted human heme oxygenase is also composed of 288 amino acids with a molecular mass of 32,800 Da.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

12(R)-hydroxyicosatetraenoic acid: a cytochrome-P450-dependent arachidonate metabolite that inhibits Na+,K+-ATPase in the cornea

When corneal microsomes were incubated with arachidonic acid in the presence of an NADPH-generating system, four polar metabolites (compounds A-D) were formed. Synthesis of these metabolites could be inhibited by carbon monoxide, SKF 525A, and anti-cytochrome c reductase antibodies. One of the metabolites, compound C, was found to inhibit partially purified Na+,K+-ATPase from the corneal epithelium in a dose-dependent manner with an ID50 of approximately 50 nM. After compound C was purified by TLC and HPLC, it was found to have a UV absorption spectrum with a maximum absorbance at 236 nm suggesting the presence of a conjugated diene. Mass spectrometric analysis using positive- and negative-ionization modes was carried out on derivatized compound C that had been synthesized from a mixture of specifically labeled ([5,6,8,9,11,12,14,15-2H8]arachidonic acid) and unlabeled arachidonic acid. Abundant fragment ions were consistent with compound C being a monooxygenated derivative of arachidonic acid with a hydroxyl substituent at carbon-12 of the icosanoid backbone; all deuterium atoms from [2H8]arachidonate were retained in the structure. Oxidative ozonolysis yielded products indicating double bonds between carbons at positions 10 and 11 and positions 14 and 15 of the 20-carbon chain. Compound C was, therefore, characterized as a 12-hydroxyicosatetraenoic acid. However, only 12(R) isomer was found to be an inhibitor of the Na+,K+-ATPase from the corneal epithelium, suggesting that the biologically active compound C was 12(R)-hydroxy-5,8,10,14-icosatetraenoic acid. Such an inhibitor of Na+,K+-ATPase synthesized in the cornea may have an important role in regulating ocular transparency and aqueous human secretion.