Expression of cytochrome P450b and P450e genes in small intestinal mucosa of rats following treatment with phenobarbital, polyhalogenated biphenyls, and organochlorine pesticides

Cancer chemotherapy with indole-3-carbinol, bis(3'-indolyl)methane and synthetic analogs

Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) conjugates are phytochemicals expressed in brassica vegetables and have been associated with the anticancer activities of vegetable consumption. I3C and its metabolite bis(3'-indolyl)methane (DIM) induce overlapping and unique responses in multiple cancer cell lines and tumors, and these include growth inhibition, apoptosis and antiangiogenic activities. The mechanisms of these responses are complex and dependent on cell context. I3C and/or DIM activate or inactivate multiple nuclear receptors, induce endoplasmic reticulum stress, decrease mitochondrial membrane potential, and modulate multiple signaling pathways including kinases. DIM has been used as a template to synthesize a series of 1,1-bis(3'indolyl)-1-(substituted aromatic)methanes (i.e. C-DIMs) which are also cytotoxic to cancer cells and tumors. Some of the effects of C-DIMs resemble those reported for DIM analogs; however, structure-activity studies with the aromatic ring has resulted in generation of highly unique receptor agonists. For example, p-trifluoromethylphenyl, p-t-butylphenyl and p-biphenyl analogs activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma), and p-methoxyphenyl and p-phenyl compounds activate nerve growth factor-induced-Balpha (NGFI-Balpha, Nur77) orphan nuclear receptor. The effects of C-DIMs on PPARgamma and Nur77 coupled with their receptor-independent activities has resulted in the development of a novel group of multi-targeted anticancer drugs with excellent potential for clinical treatment of cancer.

Basal and inducible CYP1 mRNA quantitation and protein localization throughout the mouse gastrointestinal tract

The CYP1A1, CYP1A2, and CYP1B1 enzymes are inducible by benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD); metabolism of BaP by these enzymes leads to electrophilic intermediates and genotoxicity. Throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, we systematically compared basal and inducible levels of the CYP1 mRNAs by Q-PCR, and localized the CYP1 proteins by immunohistochemistry. Cyp1(+/+) wild-type were compared with the Cyp1a1(-/-), Cyp1a2(-/-), and Cyp1b1(-/-) single-knockout and Cyp1a1/1b1(-/-) and Cyp1a2/1b1(-/-) double-knockout mice. Oral BaP was compared with intraperitoneal TCDD. In general, maximal CYP1A1 mRNA levels were 3-10 times greater than CYP1B1, which were 3-10 times greater than CYP1A2 mRNA levels. Highest inducible concentrations of CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 occurred in proximal small intestine, whereas the highest basal and inducible levels of CYP1B1 mRNA occurred in esophagus, forestomach, and glandular stomach. Ablation of either Cyp1a2 or Cyp1b1 gene resulted in a compensatory increase in CYP1A1 mRNA - but only in small intestine. Also in small intestine, although BaP- and TCDD-mediated CYP1A1 inductions were roughly equivalent, oral BaP-mediated CYP1A2 mRNA induction was approximately 40-fold greater than TCDD-mediated CYP1A2 induction. CYP1B1 induction by TCDD in Cyp1(+/+) and Cyp1a2(-/-) mice was 4-5 times higher than that by BaP; however, in Cyp1a1(-/-) animals CYP1B1 induction by TCDD or BaP was approximately equivalent. CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 proteins were generally localized nearer to the lumen than CYP1B1 proteins, in both squamous and glandular epithelial cells. These GI tract data suggest that the inducible CYP1A1 enzyme, both in concentration and in location, might act as a "shield" in detoxifying oral BaP and, hence, protecting the animal.

Expression, microsomal and mitochondrial activities of cytochrome P450 enzymes in brain regions from control and phenobarbital-treated rabbits

Expression and monooxygenase activity of various cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes along with constitutive androstane (CAR) and the pregnane X (PXR) receptors were investigated in the brain of control and phenobarbital-treated rabbits (80 mg/kg for 4 days). RT-PCR analysis, using specific primers, demonstrated that in control rabbits mRNAs of CYP 2A10, 2B4/5 and 3A6 were expressed, though to a different extent, in the liver, as well as in brain cortex, midbrain, cerebellum, striatum, hippocampus and hypothalamus, whilst CYP2A11 and 4B1 were not expressed in the hypothalamus. CAR was expressed in liver and all the brain regions examined, whereas the PXR was expressed only in liver and cortex. Real time RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that in vivo treatment with phenobarbital, in contrast with what happened in liver, did not induce the expression of CYP 2B4/5 mRNA in cortex, midbrain and cerebellum. NADPH cytochrome c reductase and some other enzymatic activities markers of CYP 2A, 2B, 3A and 4B activities were studied in liver microsomes as well as in microsomes and mitochondria of brain cortex, midbrain and cerebellum of control and phenobarbital-treated rabbits. In contrast to what was observed in liver, phenobarbital treatment did not induce the aforementioned monooxygenase activities in brain. However, we cannot exclude that a longer phenobarbital treatment may lead to a significant induction of CYP activities in brain. These findings indicated that brain CYPs, despite the presence of CAR, were resistant to phenobarbital induction, indicating a possible different regulation of these enzymes between brain and liver.

Calcitriol regulates the expression of the genes encoding the three key vitamin D3 hydroxylases and the drug-metabolizing enzyme CYP3A4 in the human fetal intestine

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The human fetal jejunum has been shown to harbour the vitamin D3 (D3) nuclear receptor (VDRn) and to be responsive to calcitriol/1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3[1,25(OH)2D3] through modulation of proliferation and differentiation processes. The aim of the study was to evaluate the presence as well as the effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 exposure on the expression levels of the three key D3-hydroxylase gene transcripts (25-hydroxylase, CYP27A; 24-hydroxylase, CYP24; 1alpha-hydroxylase, CYP27B1) as well as that of the 1,25(OH)2D3-responsive endobiotic/xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme CYP3A4 (which is also considered a major detoxifiying enzyme) in the human proximal and distal intestine.methods Specimens from normal fetuses ranging from 15 to 20 weeks of gestation were obtained following elective termination of normal pregnancies. Intestinal explants were cultured for a period of 24 h or 48 h with 10-7 m 1,25(OH)2D3. All data were compared to paired-control cultures without 1,25(OH)2D3. Total RNA was extracted and cDNA synthesized by RT-PCR. The cDNA obtained was amplified by radioactive PCR, the signal intensity evaluated by densitometric analyses and expressed in relation to the levels of GAPDH.

RESULTS

Data indicate that VDRn, the three D3-hydroxylases as well as CYP3A4 are expressed in all segments of the human fetal small intestine and in the colon. Basal expression levels of VDRn, CYP27A, CYP24 and CYP3A4 were found to be similar in the proximal, median and distal jejunum as well an in the proximal and distal colon. In contrast, basal 1alpha-hydroxylase CYP27B1 expression levels were found to be 65% higher in the colon than in the small intestine (P < 0.02). The 1alpha-hydroxylase was also found to be sensitive to 1,25(OH)2D3 with a 31% decrease in its expression levels within 24 h of 1,25(OH)2D3 exposure to reach a 55% decrease after 48 h of incubation in the presence of the hormone (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the levels of the 25-hydroxylase gene transcript were also decreased by 10% within the first 24 h and by 29% after 48 h of incubation in the presence of 1,25(OH)2D3 (P < 0.003). VDRn expression levels were also found to be reduced following incubation in the presence of 1,25(OH)2D3. In contrast, exposure to 1,25(OH)2D3 contributed to a 4.8 fold increase in the expression of the 24-hydroxylase gene transcript within the first 24 h of exposure (P < 0.03), and to a highly significant induction (24, 22 and 1.5 fold over basal values) of the CYP3A4 gene transcript in 3 of the 4 specimens studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, the data illustrate that at mid-gestation 1,25(OH)2D3 is fully active in the modulation of all D3-hydroxylases in the human developing intestine. They also show that the detoxifying enzyme CYP3A4 is not only present along the intestinal tract but is also sensitive to 1,25(OH)2D3, indicating that the hormone may be a key element in intestinal development and in the maintenance of the intestinal mucosa integrity in the basal state and in response to damage-inducing agents.

Differential effects of phenobarbital on the constitutive and inducible expression of P450 2B and 3A subfamilies in sheep tissues

The activity and expression of cytochromes P450 were determined in liver, kidneys, lungs, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and caecum of adult Lacaune sheep. High expression of total P450, benzphetamine and erythromycin demethylase activities, and P450 2B isoforms, as two distinct proteins that were detected and called P4502 Bm and P4502 Bx, was found in the lungs (in addition to liver). By contrast, the P450 3A subfamily was only expressed in liver and duodenal mucosa of untreated sheep. Phenobarbital (PB) treatment led to significant increases in all measured hepatic parameters and in total P450 of each investigated organ with the exception of ileum and caecum. Benzphetamine demethylase activity increased in liver and kidneys, correlating with the expression of the two P450 2B proteins, which were also induced in duodenum and ileum. By contrast, benzphetamine demethylase activity and expression of the P450 2B isoforms in lungs were unchanged by PB treatment. Erythromycin demethylation activity and P450 3A subfamily expression was increased only in liver of PB-treated sheep.Key words: phenobarbital, sheep, cytochromes P450, inducibility, tissue distribution.

Gastrointestinal absorption of drugs: methods and studies

Physico-chemical descriptors of drug molecules are often not adequate in predicting their oral bioavailability. In vitro methods can be useful in evaluating some of the different factors contributing to bioavailability. While physical parameters such as drug solubility may effect oral bioavailability, in most cases, the major determining factors are likely to be metabolism, and absorption at the intestinal level. Metabolism may be preabsorptive, as with peptides, or during absorption, particularly as a result of the activity of the intracellular enzyme CYP3A4. Absorption may be transcellular (membrane diffusion, carrier-mediated, endocytosis) or paracellular, while p-glycoprotein activity in the apical cell membrane may limit bioavailability by expelling drugs from the mucosal cells. Knowledge of the absorption mechanism is important in determining formulation strategies. The different in vitro techniques used to study absorption have advantages and disadvantages. Ussing chambers can be useful to measure bidirectional transport, but most studies use simple salt media, and full tissue viability is doubtful. Caco-2 cell monolayers are human cells, but the system is static, and gives very low rates of transport, and exagerated enhancement of the paracellular route compared with small intestine. The rat everted gut sac incubated in tissue culture medium maintains tissue viability and gives reliable data, although it is a closed system. In situ perfusion gives no information on events at the cellular level, and absorption may be reduced by anaesthesia and surgical manipulation. In vivo perfusion in man, with multichannel tubes, gives valuable data, but is not practical for screening. Pharmacokinetic modelling can also give useful data such as the existence of different absorption sites. Permeability values from the literature show that for small hydrophilic molecules, which pass by the paracellular route, the improved everted sac gives values close to those for humans, while values with Caco-2 cells are orders of magnitude lower.

The gut-enriched Krüppel-like factor suppresses the activity of the CYP1A1 promoter in an Sp1-dependent fashion

The gut-enriched Krüppel-like factor (GKLF) is a newly identified zinc finger-containing transcription factor. Recent studies indicate that GKLF binds to a core DNA sequence of 5'-(G/A)(G/A)GG(C/T)G(C/T)-3', which is found in an endogenous cis element, the basic transcription element (BTE) of the cytochrome P-450IA1 (CYP1A1) promoter. The present study characterizes the ability of GKLF to regulate CYP1A1 expression. By electrophoretic mobility gel shift assay (EMSA) and methylation interference assay, GKLF was found to bind BTE in a manner similar to several other transcription factors known to interact with BTE including Sp1 and BTEB. Cotransfection studies in Chinese hamster ovary cells showed that GKLF inhibited the CYP1A1 promoter in a dose- and BTE-dependent manner. The same experiments also revealed that BTE was responsible for a significant portion of the CYP1A1 promoter activity. EMSA of nuclear extracts from Chinese hamster ovary cells showed that Sp1 and Sp3 were two major proteins that interacted with BTE. Additional cotransfection studies showed that GKLF inhibited Sp1-mediated activation of the CYP1A1 promoter. In contrast, GKLF enhanced Sp3-dependent suppression of the same promoter. Moreover, the ability of GKLF to inhibit Sp1-dependent transactivation was in part due to physical interaction of the two proteins. These findings indicate that GKLF is a negative regulator of the CYP1A1 promoter in a BTE-dependent fashion and that this inhibitory effect is in part mediated by physical interaction with Sp1.

Cellular distribution of N-acetyltransferase activity in the rat small intestine

The cellular distribution of AcCoA:arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT; EC 2.3.1.5) activities was examined in the rat small intestine to determine if heterogeneous cellular distribution contributes to preferential tumor development in the colonic region after exposure to heterocyclic amines (HAs). A chelation/elution method was used to preferentially isolate villus-tip, mid-villus, and crypt enterocytes. Monomorphic (NAT1) and polymorphic (NAT2) activities were determined using N-acetylprocainamide and N-acetamidobenzoic acid formation, respectively. Sucrase-isomaltase (SI) activity was used to confirm that a villus, mid-villus, and crypt cell gradient had been obtained. Utilizing this marker of villus enrichment, a 4- to 10-fold gradient was achieved. NAT1 and NAT2 activities followed this gradient, with the highest NAT activity occurring in the fraction with the highest SI activity. The ratio of NAT2:NAT1 remained essentially constant along the gradient, indicating a similar pattern of expression for both enzymes. This pattern of cellular distribution for the NATs is similar to that reported for cytochrome P450s. This apparent preferential expression of NAT in the villus cells may result in delivery of bioactivated HAs to the lower regions of the intestines as the villus-tip cells are extruded into the intestinal lumen and enter the fecal stream.

Differentiation status of cultured murine keratinocytes modulates induction of genes responsive to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin

Primary murine keratinocytes were cultured in a chemically defined, serum-free medium which facilitated manipulation of their differentiation status. Exposure of basal cell and differentiating cultures to >/= 0.1 nM 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) preferentially elevated 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase specific activities in differentiating cultures (28-fold versus 4-fold increases after 36 h of exposure). Semiquantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses demonstrated the presence of constitutive mRNA transcripts corresponding to four known TCDD-inducible genes (e.g., Cyp1a1, Cyp1b1, Ahd4, and Nmo1) in both differentiating and proliferating cultures of murine keratinocytes. All four genes were induced in differentiating cultures following exposure to TCDD. No induction occurred in comparably treated basal cell cultures. Indirect immunofluorescence analyses demonstrated the presence of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) proteins in both basal and differentiating keratinocytes. Both proteins appeared to be associated with the nucleus and their nuclear association was independent of prior exposure to TCDD. These studies suggest that AHR activation in murine skin is regulated as a function of the keratinocyte differentiation program.

Patterns of gene expression along the crypt-villus axis in mouse jejunal epithelium

BACKGROUND

There is considerable interest in gene expression along the crypt-villus axis of the small intestinal epithelium, particularly in the identification of genes expressed in intestinal crypts.

METHODS

In an attempt to identify crypt-expressed genes, single-stranded cDNA made from normal mouse jejunal epithelium was used in subtractive hybridization against single-stranded cDNA from epithelium from which crypt cells were depleted by 2,000 rads of gamma irradiation. Partial DNA sequence and in situ hybridization of 72 resulting clones were determined.

RESULTS

The sequence of 45 clones matched previously published genes. Gene expression patterns fell into three categories: expression throughout the crypt-villus axis, expression restricted to the villus, and expression restricted to the crypt. Clones in the first two categories could be further divided into three subgroups: those with uniform expression, those with an increasing gradient of expression, and those with a decreasing gradient of expression along the crypt-villus axis. Twenty two clones showed a stronger expression in crypt and lower villus cells, four of these were differentially localized to the crypt. Two of the crypt localized clones were uniformly expressed throughout the crypt, expression of one was stronger in the lower crypt, and expression of the remaining clone was enhanced Paneth cells. We report the full-length cDNA sequence of the Paneth-cell-enhanced clone.

CONCLUSIONS

The screen isolated crypt-expressed genes that may prove useful tools in the study of crypt biology. In a companion report, we characterize one of the crypt clones.

Decreased intestinal CYP3A in celiac disease: reversal after successful gluten-free diet: a potential source of interindividual variability in first-pass drug metabolism

BACKGROUND

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A is constitutively expressed in human intestinal villi and may account for significant "first-pass" prehepatic metabolism of a number of drugs in the intestine. Celiac disease results in small intestinal atrophy. We hypothesized that this would result in a loss of CYP3A.

METHODS

Formalin-fixed jejunal biopsy specimens taken from nine patients with celiac disease at variable times before and after treatment with a gluten-free diet were immunoperoxidase stained after incubation with anti-CYP3A4 rabbit antisera (1:2000 dilution). The amount of immunoreactive CYP3A was determined by two observers who were blinded to the treatment states of the patients. Staining intensity was graded on a numerical scale from 1 to 4+ on the basis of intensity of staining in individual enterocytes, as well as the total number of enterocytes stained.

RESULTS

Slides of biopsy specimens from all nine untreated patients with celiac disease were graded 1. Treatment with a gluten-free diet was associated with a significant increase in CYP3A immunoreactive protein in small bowel biopsy specimens (p < 0.05, Wilcoxon signed-rank test).

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that patients with celiac disease have low intestinal CYP3A immunoreactivity and that treatment with a gluten-free diet is associated with an increase in intestinal CYP3A immunoreactive protein. Our findings suggest that intestinal disease and variability in intestinal CYP3A activity might be an unexamined variable that may contribute to interindividual variability in drug disposition.

A cytochrome P4502B form is the major bioactivation enzyme for the pyrrolizidine alkaloid senecionine in guinea pig

1. We have purified three P450s from the liver of the phenobarbital (PB)-treated guinea pig in order to evaluate the role of these enzymes in pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) metabolism. 2. PB treatment of guinea pig increased the hepatic microsomal conversion of the PA senecionine (SN) to the pyrrolic metabolite (+/-)6,7-dihydro-7-hydroxy-1-hydroxymethyl-5H-pyrrolizine (DHP), an activation product, and SN N-oxide, a detoxification product by 224 and 70% respectively. 3. Reconstitution of a PB-inducible guinea pig P4502B isoform (M(r) = 57,512 by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry) in a reconstituted system metabolized SN to DHP and SN N-oxide at rates of 1.98 and 1.45 min-1 respectively. A second purified guinea pig P450, a 2C-type isoform (M(r) = 56,496 by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry), produced SN N-oxide from SN at the rate of 13.3 min-1 but catalyzed little DHP formation. The third guinea pig P450, an apparent 3A type (M(r) = 54-56,000 by SDS-PAGE), lost its catalytic activity towards SN during the final purification process. 4. Immunoinhibition of microsomal SN metabolism by rabbit antibodies raised against the guinea pig P4502B, 2C and 3A isoforms indicated that the 2B played the most important role (> 70% of the total metabolism) in bioactivation of SN in both the untreated or PB-treated guinea pig, whereas 2C and 3A seemed to exhibit little (around 13%) PA metabolism. P4502B, along with flavin-containing monooxygenase, also contributed to the detoxification of SN in both the untreated (34%) and PB-treated (40%) guinea pig. 5. This study suggests that the putative P4502B form plays the most important role in SN bioactivation in guinea pig.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs): environmental impact, biochemical and toxic responses, and implications for risk assessment

Commercial polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and environmental extracts contain complex mixtures of congeners that can be unequivocally identified and quantitated. Some PCB mixtures elicit a spectrum of biochemical and toxic responses in humans and laboratory animals and many of these effects resemble those caused by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and related halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, which act through the aryl hydrocarbon (Ah)-receptor signal transduction pathway. Structure-activity relationships developed for PCB congeners and metabolites have demonstrated that several structural classes of compounds exhibit diverse biochemical and toxic responses. Structure-toxicity studies suggest that the coplanar PCBs, namely, 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (tetraCB), 3,3',4,4',5-pentaCB, 3,3',4,4',5,5'-hexaCB, and their monoortho analogs are Ah-receptor agonists and contribute significantly to the toxicity of the PCB mixtures. Previous studies with TCDD and structurally related compounds have utilized a toxic equivalency factor (TEF) approach for the hazard and risk assessment of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD) and polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDF) congeners in which the TCDD or toxic TEQ = sigma([PCDFi x TEFi]n)+sigma([PCDDi x TEFi]n) equivalent (TEQ) of a mixture is related to the TEFs and concentrations of the individual (i) congeners as indicated in the equation (note: n = the number of congeners). Based on the results of quantitative structure-activity studies, the following TEF values have been estimated by making use of the data available for the coplanar and monoortho coplanar PCBs: 3,3',4,4',5-pentaCB, 0.1; 3,3',4,4',5,5'-hexaCB, 0.05; 3,3',4,4'-tetraCB, 0.01; 2,3,3',4,4'-pentaCB, 0.001; 2,3',4,4',5-pentaCB, 0.0001; 2,3,3',4,4',5-hexaCB, 0.0003; 2,3,3',4,4',5'-hexaCB, 0.0003; 2',3,4,4',5-pentaCB, 0.00005; and 2,3,4,4',5-pentaCB, 0.0002. Application of the TEF approach for the risk assessment of PCBs must be used with considerable caution. Analysis of the results of laboratory animal and wildlife studies suggests that the predictive value of TEQs for PCBs may be both species- and response-dependent because both additive and nonadditive (antagonistic) interactions have been observed with PCB mixtures. In the latter case, the TEF approach would significantly overestimate the toxicity of a PCB mixture. Analysis of the rodent carcinogenicity data for Aroclor 1260 using the TEF approach suggests that this response is primarily Ah-receptor-independent. Thus, risk assessment of PCB mixtures that uses cancer as the endpoint cannot solely utilize a TEF approach and requires more quantitative information on the individual congeners contributing to the tumor-promoter activity of PCB mixtures.

Effects of enteral nutrition and ethanol on cytochrome P450 distribution in small intestine of male rats

BACKGROUND

Alcohol and nutrition are important factors regulating hepatic cytochrome P450 isozymes. The current studies were conducted to determine if intestinal P450 isozymes were similarly regulated.

METHODS

Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were infused intragastrically with control or ethanol-containing diets. Western blot analysis was used to study CYP1A, CYP2B, and CYP3A isozymes in microsomes of three regions of the small intestine and liver.

RESULTS

Compared with rats eating standard rat food, rats receiving the total enteral nutrition diet had reduced expression of several P450 isozymes in the intestine, especially in the jejunal region. Two CYP1A forms were detected by Western blot analysis in the small intestine with electrophoretic mobilities corresponding to hepatic CYP1A1 and CYP1A2. These forms appeared to be differentially regulated. Long-term ethanol treatment resulted in reduction of CYP3A and CYP1A apoprotein levels in the jejunal region.

CONCLUSIONS

The P450 isozymes examined displayed differing intestinal distributions, responded to dietary manipulations, and were affected by ethanol treatment in a fashion not coordinated with that observed for hepatic isozymes.

Activation of the anti-cancer drug ifosphamide by rat liver microsomal P450 enzymes

The NADPH-dependent metabolism of ifosphamide catalyzed by rat liver microsomes was investigated in order to identify individual P450 enzymes that activate this anti-cancer drug and to ascertain their relationship to the P450 enzymes that activate the isomeric drug cyclophosphamide. Pretreatment of rats with phenobarbital or clofibrate increased by up to 8-fold the activation of both ifosphamide and cyclophosphamide catalyzed by isolated liver microsomes. Studies using P450 form-selective inhibitory antibodies demonstrated that constitutively expressed P450s belonging to subfamily 2C (forms 2C11/2C6) make significant contributions to the activation of both oxazaphosphorines in uninduced male rat liver microsomes, while the phenobarbital-inducible P450 2B1 was shown to be a major catalyst of these activations in phenobarbital-induced microsomes. Pretreatment of rats with dexamethasone increased liver microsomal activation of ifosphamide approximately 6-fold without a corresponding effect on cyclophosphamide activation rates. Ifosphamide activation catalyzed by dexamethasone-induced liver microsomes was minimally inhibited by anti-P450 2B or anti-P450 2C antibodies, but was selectively inhibited by anti-P450 3A antibodies. Selective inhibition of liver microsomal ifosphamide activation was also effected by the macrolide antibiotic triacetyloleandomycin, an inhibitor of several dexamethasone-inducible 3A P450s. These studies establish that a dexamethasone-inducible family 3A P450 can make an important contribution to rat liver microsomal ifosphamide activation, and suggest that dexamethasone pretreatment might provide a useful approach for modulation of ifosphamide metabolism in order to improve its therapeutic efficacy in cancer patients.

Expression and regulation of cytochrome P-450I genes (CYP1A1 and CYP1A2) in the rat alimentary tract

Cytochrome P-450 (P450) enzymes in the mucosa of the alimentary tract may be involved in the activation and/or inactivation of ingested xenobiotics and procarcinogens. Since the multiple P450 enzymes have overlapping substrate specificities and, in some cases, similar antigenic determinants, definitive identification of P450 genes that are expressed in various tissues requires molecular analysis. In this study, a sensitive and specific polymerase chain reaction assay along with hybridization analysis was used to examine the expression of the CYP1A gene family in the rat alimentary tract. CYP1A1 mRNA was expressed throughout the alimentary tract in untreated rats, as determined by the polymerase chain reaction. However, Northern blot analysis detected CYP1A1 mRNA and enzymatic activity only in small intestine and liver, with greater amounts in intestine. After treatment with beta-naphthoflavone, CYP1A1 mRNA and enzymatic activity was markedly induced in each alimentary tissue including esophagus, fore-stomach, glandular stomach, small intestine and colon. A single dose of inducer resulted in a rapid rise in CYP1A1 mRNA which was shown by nuclear run-on assays to be primarily due to an increase in transcription of the CYP1A1 gene. CYP1A2 mRNA was detected in significant amounts only in glandular stomach following induction although the polymerase chain reaction assay identified low levels of CYP1A2 mRNA in several other tissues. The definitive identification of the CYP1A genes that are expressed in alimentary tissue will allow the design of experiments to investigate the importance of these enzymes in the metabolism of carcinogens, and ultimately carcinogenesis, in the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, these data suggest that the aromatic hydrocarbon receptor, which mediates transcriptional induction of multiple genes by xenobiotics, is expressed through the alimentary tract.

Tissue-specific expression, induction, and inhibition through metabolic intermediate-complex formation of guinea pig cytochrome P450 belonging to the CYP2B subfamily

The tissue-specific expression and induction of P450GP-1, a constitutive form of cytochrome P450 of the guinea pig classified into the CYP2B subfamily, were studied. Prior to these studies, a P450 form (P450GP-1 PB) was purified from phenobarbital-treated guinea pigs and the properties were compared with those of the P450GP-1. This form was judged to be the same as P450GP-1 existing in untreated animals by comparisons of their N-terminal amino acid sequences, peptide maps, and affinities toward anti-P450GP-1 antibody. Immunostaining of P450GP-1 revealed that the lung and small intestine as well as the liver of untreated guinea pigs contain P450GP-1, while none or only small amounts of this P450 form were observed in the kidney, heart, spleen, urinary bladder, and testis. The amount of liver P450GP-1 protein expressed in untreated guinea pigs was estimated to be 19.4% of the total cytochrome P450 and this form was increased 1.7-fold by phenobarbital treatment. Similarly, intestinal P450GP-1 was increased by phenobarbital treatment. However, lung P450GP-1 was not increased by the treatment. It was also observed that the liver P450GP-1 is induced with SKF-525A to the same extent as with phenobarbital. On the other hand, dexamethsone, p,p'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, and isosafrole showed no or only a weak ability to increase the liver P450GP-1 content. The drug-metabolizing activities in the liver microsomes of SKF-525A-pretreated guinea pigs were lower than those in phenobarbital-treated animals, although the P450GP-1 protein was induced equally by these treatments. The low activities of SKF-525A-treated animals in the drug metabolisms were attributed to the formation of the metabolic-intermediate complex between P450GP-1 and SKF-525A metabolite. These results permitted us to conclude that the tissue specificity in the expression of guinea pig P450 belonging to the CYP2B subfamily and the inducibility with chemicals are similar to those of rat CYP2B1, although the constitutive expression of guinea pig liver P450GP-1 is much higher than that of CYP2B1.

Induction of cytochrome P450IA genes (CYP1A) by omeprazole in the human alimentary tract

Cytochrome P450 enzymes are capable of converting procarcinogens into either active mutagens or inactive metabolites. Because the distribution of these enzymes may be important for tissue susceptibility to procarcinogens, the expression and induction of CYP1A genes in the human alimentary tract were investigated. Endoscopic biopsy specimens were obtained from buccal mucosa, esophagus, gastric body, antrum, duodenum, and colon of 6 healthy volunteers before and 1 week after taking 20 mg of omeprazole daily. Tissue specimens were analyzed for the presence of CYP1A1 and 1A2 transcripts using hybridization methods and the polymerase chain reaction. P450-dependent enzymatic activity was assessed by deethylation of ethoxyresorufin. CYP1A1 messenger RNA (mRNA) and ethoxyresorufin activity were present constitutively in the duodenum of each volunteer. Omeprazole (20 mg/day for 1 week) induced CYP1A1 mRNA and enzymatic activity in 5 of 6 volunteers. The one individual who did not initially respond had a marked increase in both mRNA and enzymatic activity after receiving 60 mg of omeprazole daily for 1 week. After treatment with omeprazole, two individuals had low levels of CYP1A1 mRNA in several other alimentary tissues as well as low levels of CYP1A2 mRNA in the duodenum. The expression and induction by a pharmaceutical agent of CYP1A genes may have implications for intestinal metabolism of ingested xenobiotics including procarcinogens.

Lactase gene expression during early development of rat small intestine

Expression of lactase messenger (m) RNA and protein in rat small intestine during fetal and postnatal development was analyzed using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Lactase mRNA was first identified at 18 days of development, and lactase protein was first detected at day 20. Lactase mRNA and protein were present along the entire villus. Lactase mRNA increased, reaching a maximum at day 20. Just before birth a decrease in lactase mRNA was observed. In newborn intestine, lactase mRNA was present only from the base of the villus up to the mid-villus region and was undetectable up to the villus tips. Lactase protein continued to be expressed along the entire villus. These data show that expression of lactase mRNA and protein do not parallel, indicating a posttranscriptional control in fetal development. Lactase gene transcription is initiated late in gestation concomitant with villus formation and is exclusively seen in villus epithelial cells. The restriction after birth of lactase mRNA expression to cells at the villus base suggests the occurrence of a previously unknown step in postnatal differentiation of the enterocyte.

Distinct induction profiles of three phenobarbital-responsive mouse liver cytochrome P450 isozymes

The dose- and time-responses of three liver cytochrome P450 (P450) isozymes to 1,4-bis-[2-(3,5-dichloropyridyloxy)]benzene (TCPOBOP) and phenobarbital (PB) were studied in DBA/2 mice at activity, protein and mRNA levels. We found that the maximal induction ranged from about 3-fold (P4502a-4/5) and 5-fold (P4502c-x) to more than 50-fold (P4502b-10). Only P4502a-4/5 and associated mRNA displayed a biphasic time-response after TCPOBOP induction: a transient increase occurring 3-8 hr after administration with a subsequent decline at 24 hr before the maximal induction at 72 hr. The changes in P450 isozyme content reflected those in mRNA levels suggesting that the induction by TCPOBOP and PB is controlled largely at pretranslational stages. The isozyme P4502c-x and associated immunoinhibited benzphetamine N-demethylase and testosterone 16 beta-hydroxylase activities were induced half-maximally by 6-30 times smaller doses of TCPOBOP and by three to four times smaller doses of PB than isozymes P4502a-4/5, P4502b-10 or related activities. Furthermore, larger doses of TCPOBOP decreased the expression of P4502c-x to sub maximal levels. Our data show that the three isozymes, although all inducible by TCPOBOP and PB, have distinct dose dependencies and different time-responses to induction. This indicates that the induction by TCPOBOP and PB of P450s belonging even to the same subfamily may proceed by different mechanisms.

Oxidative metabolism of estrogens in rat intestinal mitochondria

Intestinal epithelial cells are capable of metabolizing a wide variety of exogenous substrates. To determine how this metabolic capacity may affect endogenous substances such as steroid hormones, we examined the ability of rat gut epithelial preparations to hydroxylate estradiol at the C-2 position. Utilizing a site-specific tritium exchange assay, an active estrogen 2-hydroxylase system was shown to be localized to gut mitochondria throughout the intestine, with enzymatic activities comparable to the activity in crude hepatic homogenates of non-induced animals (0.2 nmol/min/mg protein). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry confirmed the formation of C-2 hydroxylated estrogens by these mitochondrial preparations. The enzyme system was shown to involve a saturable monooxygenase, utilizing NADH (preferably) or NADPH in a protein- and time-dependent fashion. The Michaelis-Menten constant for this pathway was approximately 150 microM. Enzyme activity decreased by 20% in the presence of carbon monoxide, and was largely unaffected by organic P450 inhibitors such as alpha-naphthoflavone, metyrapone, and SKF-525A. These studies suggest that intestinal mitochondria are able to contribute to the oxidative metabolism of endogenous estrogens circulating within the enterohepatic pool.

Messenger RNA sorting in enterocytes. Co-localization with encoded proteins

This study describes the intracellular compartmentalization of three different mRNAs in the polarized rat fetal enterocyte. They encode proteins that are known to be localized within different regions of the epithelial cell namely (i) the apical, membrane-bound glycoprotein, lactase-phlorizin hydrolase (lactase), (ii) the mitochondrially localized enzyme, carbamoylphosphate synthetase (CPS), and (iii) the cytoplasmically localized enzyme, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK). These mRNAs are found in close proximity to their respective protein products, i.e. the apical membrane, mitochondria and cytoplasm, respectively. The significance of these observations is twofold; (i) they indicate that mRNAs are sorted into specific domains of the cytosol of intestinal epithelial cells; and (ii) they imply the presence of two distinct pathways of mRNA targeting one that allows transport of mRNAs that are translated on ribosomes associated with the rough endoplasmic reticulum (lactase mRNA), and the other that allows sorting of mRNAs that are translated on free polysomes (CPS and PEPCK mRNA).

A markedly diminished pleiotropic response to phenobarbital and structurally-related xenobiotics in Zucker rats in comparison with F344/NCr or DA rats

Phenobarbital (PB) and certain structurally-related compounds induce a variety of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes in many strains of rats. Thus, following administration of PB (300, 500 ppm), barbital (BB, 1500 ppm) or 5-ethyl-5-phenylhydantoin (EPH, 500 ppm), CYP2B1-mediated benzyloxyresorufin O-dealkylase activity and epoxide hydrolase activity were profoundly induced in female DA and F344/NCr rats. In contrast, outbred female lean and obese Zucker rats showed markedly reduced CYP2B1 responses (less than 15% and less than 5% of those observed in the female DA or F344/NCr rat) to PB (doses less than or equal to 300 ppm), BB (1500 ppm) or EPH (500 ppm). In parallel studies, profound increases in RNA levels coding for CYP2B1, glutathione S-transferases Ya/Yc (alpha subclass), or epoxide hydrolase were detected in the female F344/NCr rat following treatment with PB (300 ppm), BB (1500 ppm) or EPH (500 ppm). In contrast, lean Zucker rats showed a strong response only to the highest dose of PB (500 ppm), implying that the diminished response in the Zucker rats may occur at some pretranslational level. Similar studies with lower doses of PB, EPH or BB in male lean Zucker rats showed a decreased response, relative to that in male F344/NCr rats. However, this insensitivity was not as profound as that observed in the female Zucker rats. In fact, the response to PB-type inducers in male or female Zucker rats is probably most clearly explained as a shift of the dose-response curve sharply to the right (decreased responsiveness, compared to F344/NCr or DA rats of the same sex). This decreased responsiveness of female lean Zucker rats to induction of CYP2B1, relative to that of F344/NCr rats, was also observed with the structurally-diverse PB-type inducers clonazepam, clotrimazole and 2-hexanone. In contrast, the female Zucker rat (obese or lean) displayed a pronounced response to induction of CYP1A-mediated ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activity by beta-naphthoflavone, a prototype inducer of CYP1A1 and CYP1A2. The Zucker rat would thus appear to represent a potentially exploitable genetic model for examining the mechanism of enzyme induction by the myriad xenobiotics which induce a PB-type response.

Effects of cooked brussels sprouts on cytochrome P-450 profile and phase II enzymes in liver and small intestinal mucosa of the rat

Male Wistar rats were given semi-synthetic diets supplemented with 0, 2.5, 5 and 20% cooked Brussels sprouts for 2, 7, 14 or 28 days. The effects on several cytochrome P-450 enzymes and phase II enzymes (glutathione S-transferase (GST), glucuronyl transferases 1 and 2 (GT1 and GT2) and DT-diaphorase (DTD)) in the liver and small intestinal mucosa were investigated. From 2 days of exposure onwards Brussels sprouts induced P4501A2 and--to a lesser extent--P4501A1 apoprotein levels in the liver, whereas in the small intestine markedly enhanced P4502B apoprotein levels could be detected. No enhanced P4503A apoprotein levels were observed. The 5 and 20% sprouts diets increased the intestinal pentoxyresorufin depentylation (PROD, 4.5-9-fold), and the hydroxylation of testosterone at the 16 alpha- and 16 beta-site (2.6-4.2-fold) after 2 days of exposure. In addition, the 20% sprouts died also enhanced the intestinal ethoxyresorufin deethylation (EROD) activity (c. 5-fold), the hepatic EROD and PROD activities (c. 2-fold) and the formation of 6 beta-hydroxytestosterone (c. 1.6-fold); the formation of 2 alpha-hydroxytestosterone in the liver was decreased (to c. 70% of the control value). GST activity was induced both in the liver (5 and 20% diet) and intestine (20% diet only) throughout the experiment. The 20% sprouts diet enhanced the hepatic DTD and GT1 activities, whereas the GT2 activity was decreased. The induction of DTD in the small intestine after 2 days (2.5-3.2-fold with 5 and 20% sprouts diets, respectively) diminished during the experiment. These results indicate that dietary exposure to cooked Brussels sprouts for only 2 days can change the metabolic activities of several phase II enzymes and cytochrome P-450 enzymes, of which P4502B is the predominant form induced in the small intestine.

Small intestinal cytochromes P450

Small intestinal cytochromes P450 (P450) provide the principal, initial source of biotransformation of ingested xenobiotics. The consequences of such biotransformation are detoxification by facilitating excretion, or toxification by bioactivation. P450s occur at highest concentrations in the duodenum, near the pylorus, and at decreasing concentrations distally--being lowest in the ileum. Highest concentrations occur from midvillus to villous tip, with little or none occurring in the crypts of Lieberkuehn. Microsomal P4503A, 2C8-10, and 2D6 forms have been identified in human small intestine, and P450s 2B1, possibly 2B2, 2A1, and 3A1/2 were located in endoplasmic reticulum of rodent small intestine, while P4502B4 has been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from rabbit intestine. Some evidence indicates a differential distribution of P450 forms along the length of the small intestine and even along the villus. Rat intestinal P450s are inducible by xenobiotics--with phenobarbital (PB) inducing P4502B1, 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC) inducing P4501A1, and dexamethasone inducing two forms of P4503A. Induction is most effectively achieved by oral administration of the agents, and is rapid--aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) was increased within 1 h of administration of, for example, 3-MC. AHH, 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase (ECOD), and 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) have been used most frequently as substrates to characterize intestinal P450s. Dietary factors affect intestinal P450s markedly--iron restriction rapidly decreased intestinal P450 to beneath detectable values; selenium deficiency acted similarly but was less effective; Brussels sprouts increased intestinal AHH activity 9.8-fold, ECOD activity 3.2-fold, and P450 1.9-fold; fried meat and dietary fat significantly increased intestinal EROD activity; a vitamin A-deficient diet increased, and a vitamin A-rich diet decreased intestinal P450 activities; and excess cholesterol in the diet increased intestinal P450 activity. The role of intestinal P450 in toxifying or detoxifying specific xenobiotics has been clearly demonstrated to only a limited extent. However, elevated intestinal P450 levels have been indirectly linked to gastrointestinal cancer. Intestinal metabolism of 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol produces intestinal lesions with consequent systemic bacterial infection.

Epidemiology of Great Lakes bald eagles

Historical data are provided to support the hypothesis that organochlorine chemicals introduced into the Great Lakes ecosystem following World War II are the cause of reproductive loss among bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in the basin. This is supported with data on concurrent population fluxes of extrabasin North American bald eagle populations and the European white-tailed sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicillus) where the same chemicals were produced and released. Organochlorine chemicals appear as a unique stress on Great Lakes bald eagle populations when compared with stresses on successful populations of bald eagles continentwide. Shoreline birds bear significantly higher concentrations of these persistent toxics than inland birds. Association between contaminated prey and elevated concentrations of PCBs, DDT, and DDE in Great Lakes bald eagles are presented. A fledging ratio is used to support the hypothesis that maternal prezygotic exposure affects the viability of embryos and chicks. The ratio of the mean number of fledglings per successful territory to the mean number of fledglings per active territory, when the numerator is greater than 1.4, provides an index of exposure to contaminants by parental animals and affected offspring. When the ratio is greater than 2, parental exposure to organochlorine chemicals should be considered. The adverse effects of prezygotic exposure to the same contaminants in other animal species dependent upon Great Lakes fish, and extrabasin bald eagle populations dependent upon contaminated fish, provide consistency to the argument. The mechanism of action of the organochlorine chemicals further strengthens the causal argument indicting DDT, DDE, and PCBs. A strong association between DDT/DDE and bald eagle reproductive success is provided. However, the role of PCBs is not ruled out. Only data for total PCB concentrations in bald eagle tissue are available, and until specific PCB congeners are quantified there will be uncertainty concerning PCB's role in the Great Lakes bald eagle's lack of success.

Protooncogene expression in rat liver by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)

1. The expression of 10 protooncogenes was studied in control rat liver and at various times after exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), a known tumour promoter. 2. The expression of protooncogenes in liver is more pronounced in those rats treated with PCB beginning at weaning ('weanlings') than in adult rats. 3. The RNA levels of c-Ha-ras, c-raf, c-yes, c-erbA and c-erbB are elevated after PCB feeding. 4. Nuclear run-on transcription analysis revealed that the altered expression of the protooncogenes is transcriptionally regulated. 5. In one group the prompt rise of the protooncogene transcription rate is followed by a decline (c-Ha-ras, c-raf c-yes). In a second group a further increase in transcription at later feeding times (c-erbA, c-erbB) was observed. 6. A correlation between the altered expression of these protooncogenes and the action of PCB as a tumour promotor remains to be determined.

Induction of cytochrome P450 and other drug metabolizing enzymes in rat liver following dietary exposure to Aroclor 1254

Selected drug metabolizing activities were measured in female F344/NCr rats exposed to graded dietary concentrations of Aroclor 1254 (1 to 1000 ppm) for 7 days or to lower concentrations of Aroclor (1 to 10 ppm) for up to 28 days. Following the 7-day exposure, the hepatic O-dealkylation of ethoxyresorufin (ETR), mediated primarily by cytochrome P450IA, was increased 60-, 10-, and 4-fold by 33, 10, and 3 ppm Aroclor, respectively. In rats exposed to 10 and 3 ppm Aroclor for 28 days, this activity was increased approximately 30- and 10-fold, respectively. Hepatic ETR O-dealkylase activities correlated with Aroclor concentrations in the livers of exposed rats (r = 0.99, p less than 0.01). Although the O-dealkylation of benzyloxyresorufin was highly increased by 7-days dietary exposure to 1000 ppm Aroclor, the levels of Aroclor necessary for detection of induction were substantially higher than those required for detection of ETR O-dealkylase induction. Examination of the non-P450-mediated drug metabolizing activities, epoxide hydrolase and DT-diaphorase, similarly showed limited (approximately 10-fold) increases. In contrast, aldehyde dehydrogenase (benzaldehyde, NADP+) activity was highly increased (greater than 40-fold) at 1000 ppm, however this activity was increased to only a limited extent at lower Aroclor concentrations (e.g. approximately 3-fold at 33 ppm). These results support the potential use of cytochrome P450 activities as potential biomarkers for environmental exposure to PCBs and related compounds.

Induction of cytochrome P-450IA1, IA2, IIB1, IIB2 and IIE1 by broccoli in rat liver and colon

Ingestion of broccoli or other cruciferous vegetables inhibits the induction of cancer by chemicals and modifies some cytochrome P-450 enzyme activities. The effect of dietary broccoli on the levels of P450IA and IIB mRNA and proteins in rat liver and colon has been studied. Rats were fed a ten percent broccoli diet for 7 days. The expression of the cytochrome P-450 forms was altered to a different extent in the liver and colon. The level of total P450IA mRNA in the liver was increased by the broccoli together with the P450IA1 and IA2 proteins. Colonic P450IA1 mRNA and protein were induced by the broccoli diet, whereas only P450IA2 protein and not mRNA was detectable in colon, but the protein level was unaffected by the broccoli diet. Liver P450IIB and IIE1 proteins were increased by the broccoli diet, whereas the level of P450IIB mRNAs was not affected. In contrast, the P450IIB mRNA levels were reduced but the protein levels were increased in colon and we suggest that a feedback mechanism caused the decrease of the P450IIB mRNAs levels. Because the ratio between activation and deactivation may be an important risk determinant, we conclude that the protective effect of the broccoli diet on chemically induced tumors in rodents may be caused by the broccoli-induced changes in P450IA and IIB associated enzyme activities.

Tissue-specific induction of the carcinogen inducible cytochrome P450 isoform, P450IAI, in colonic epithelium

The epithelial cells of the gastrointestinal tract have the capacity to engage in biotransformation of ingested chemicals. A principal component of phase I metabolism of xenobiotics is the family of hemeproteins referred to as cytochrome(s) P450. The presence of cytochrome P450 isoforms was examined by Western blot analysis in the epithelial cells of the colon and proximal small intestine of male rats following oral administration with either beta-naphthoflavone or phenobarbital. The appearance of beta-naphthoflavone-inducible cytochrome P450IAI was observed in the colon and small intestine. The appearance of this cytochrome P450 isoform was concurrent with increases (up to 150-fold) in cytochrome P450-related O-deethylation of 7-ethoxycoumarin and 7-ethoxyresorufin in both tissues. Following administration of phenobarbital, cytochrome P450IIBI was identified immunochemically in the small intestine. However, this isozyme could not be detected in colon. These data suggest that the epithelial cells of the proximal small intestine respond to beta-naphthoflavone and phenobarbital in a manner similar to the liver, whereas colonic epithelial cells may have a greater capacity to respond to P450IAI-type inducers such as beta-naphthoflavone. Evidence exists that differences in cytochrome P450 isozyme composition can affect the ultimate metabolic fate of ingested chemicals, including carcinogens, and thus a role for colonic P450-dependent monooxygenase activity in the biogenesis of cancer in this tumor-susceptible tissue is suggested.

Regulation of sucrase-isomaltase gene expression along the crypt-villus axis of rat small intestine

The expression of sucrase-isomaltase mRNA was investigated along the crypt-villus axis of rat small intestine using differentially isolated cells and in situ hybridization. A partial rat sucrase-isomaltase cDNA was cloned which coded for a protein that was predicted to be 88% homologous to those encoded by the rabbit and human cDNAs. Southern blot analysis of rat genomic DNA indicated that the cDNA hybridized to a single gene. Northern blots of RNA extracted from subpopulations of intestinal epithelial cells that were isolated from villus and crypt compartments showed that this cDNA hybridized to a 6.5 kb band predominantly in villus RNA. In situ hybridization using 35[S]-labeled RNA probes demonstrated that autoradiographic grains were detected over eptithelial cells located on villi with the greatest number of grains located at the crypt-villus junction and in the lower to mid-villus region; from mid-villus to the villus tip there was a decline in sucrase-isomaltase mRNA. We conclude that expression of sucrase-isomaltase as enterocytes emerge from intestinal crypts is regulated primarily at the level of mRNA accumulation which, most likely, is a result of activation of sucrase-isomaltase gene transcription.

Induction of hepatic and extrahepatic cytochrome P-450 and monooxygenase activities by N-substituted imidazoles

1. Seven N-substituted imidazoles, with abilities to induce rat hepatic cytochrome P-450 from 1.5- to 4-fold after 3 days of treatment (75 mg/kg daily), were investigated for their concurrent inductive effect in kidney, intestine and lung. 2. The ability of a compound to induce cytochrome P-450 in the liver did not correlate with the ability to induce in extrahepatic tissues, the highest magnitude hepatic inducer (clotrimazole) having little inductive effect in other organs. 3. Induction of cytochrome P-450 concentration was greater in kidney and intestine than in lung but, with the exception of the two imidazoles bearing either a benzyl or a 2-naphthylmethyl substituent, the degree of induction in the extrahepatic organs did not approach that seen in liver. 4. Different monooxygenase activities were preferentially induced by the individual N-substituted imidazoles in a single tissue, and activities induced by a compound in one tissue were not uniformly induced by that compound in other tissues. Induction of activities did not always correlate with an increase in cytochrome P-450 concentration.

Immunohistochemical localization of ethanol-inducible P450IIE1 in the rat alimentary tract

To determine whether P450IIE1, a microsomal P450 enzyme inducible by ethanol in the liver, is also present and inducible in the alimentary tract, corresponding frozen tissue sections were prepared from rats pair-fed liquid diets containing 36% of total calories as either ethanol or carbohydrate (control) for 3 weeks. Immunohistochemical staining was performed using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method after tissue sections were reacted with antibody against human P450IIE1. In control animals, immunoreactive P450IIE1 was detected only in duodenal and jejunal villous cells. After ethanol treatment, the content of P450IIE1 increased in duodenal and jejunal villi, and the enzyme was now also found in squamous epithelial cells of the cheek mucosa, tongue, esophagus, and forestomach, and in surface epithelium of the proximal colon. P450IIE1 was neither expressed nor induced by alcohol in the epithelium of stomach fundic and antral mucosa, ileum, distal colon, and rectum. When considered together with the xenobiotic activation properties of P450IIE1, these results may partly explain why alcohol abuse is a risk factor for cellular damage or cancer or both in those alimentary tract tissues in which P450IIE1 is inducible by chronic ethanol intake.

Selective detection of mRNA forms encoding the major phenobarbital inducible cytochromes P450 and other members of the P450IIB family by the RNAse A protection assay

The identification of P450 mRNAs in a tissue poses the problem that members of the same P450 gene family share a high sequence homology. Studies based on oligomer probes rely on a probe covering only a few base pairs. In contrast in our study on the expression of the P450IIB gene family we used in vitro-generated antisense transcripts, covering several hundred base pairs, of the hypervariable and constant regions of the P450IIB1 and P450IIB2 cDNA, in the RNAse A protection assay of mRNA isolated from various tissues. RNAse A concentrations were adjusted to a level where this enzyme still yielded distinct fragments for a defined P450IIB1 antisense/P450IIB2 sense heteroduplex, which contained 24 scattered mismatches within a stretch of 285 nucleotides. In contrast nuclease S1 was not useful for the detection of mismatches within this heteroduplex. With this highly sensitive RNAse A protection assay we were able to distinguish between the expression of P450IIB1 and the expression of P450IIB2 in several organs. Our results strongly support earlier studies on the tissue specific expression of these enzymes, which had used oligomer probes (Omiecinski, C. J., 1986, Nucleic Acids Res. 14, 1525-1539). Moreover we detected the constitutive hepatic expression of a P450IIB gene which was distinct from P450IIB1 and IIB2. In addition we identified a P450IIB mRNA which was expressed at high levels in the preputial gland but not in the liver or any other organ tested.

Long-term maintenance of the adult pattern of liver-specific expression for P-450b, P-450e, albumin and alpha-fetoprotein genes in intrasplenically transplanted hepatocytes

Hepatocytes isolated from livers of Fischer 344 rats and transplanted into the spleens of rats from the same strain survived for at least 15 mo in the absence of immunosuppressive drugs. Hepatocytes attached themselves only in the red pulp of the spleen, most commonly in clumps without a discernible structure. Throughout the 15-mo period, intrasplenically transplanted hepatocytes expressed cytochrome P-450b, P-450e and albumin messenger RNAs, whereas alpha-fetoprotein messenger RNA was not expressed. In addition, the relative expression of albumin and P-450 genes was similar to that in liver. For example, albumin messenger RNA was expressed to higher levels than P-450b or e messenger RNAs. Northern blots hybridized with oligonucleotides specific for P-450b or P-450e showed that, as in liver, both P-450b and P-450e genes were induced in response to phenobarbital. Quantitative slot-blot hybridizations performed at 15 days and 1, 6, and 15 mo after hepatocyte transplantation revealed that cytochrome P-450b and P-450e messenger RNAs were induced about 20- to 30-fold by a single dose of phenobarbital. This level of induction was also similar to that observed in liver. Hence, intrasplenically transplanted hepatocytes represent a unique system in which hepatocytes, cultured in an extrahepatic in vivo environment, maintain for at least 15 mo a pattern of expression for these four liver genes similar to that in the adult liver. Moreover, these studies suggest that neither the organization of liver into acini nor a specific zonal sinusoidal microenvironment is necessary for adult hepatocytes to respond to phenobarbital with induction of P-450b and P-450e genes.

Metabolism of drugs and other xenobiotics in the gut lumen and wall

Metabolism in the gut lumen and wall can decrease the bioavailability and the pharmacological effects of a wide variety of drugs. Bacterial flora in the gut, the environmental pH and oxidative or conjugative enzymes present in the intestinal epithelial cells can all contribute to the process. Bacterial biotransformation is greatest in the colon, while gut wall metabolism is generally highest in the jejunum and decreases distally. Gut wall metabolism may be induced or inhibited by dietary or environmental xenobiotics or by co-administered drugs. Recent evidence suggests that some drugs, food-derived mutagens and other xenobiotics can be metabolized by gut flora and/or gut wall enzymes to reactive species which may cause tumors.

Sequence of a chicken phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P450 cDNA: regulation of two P450 mRNAs transcribed from different genes

The nucleic acid and derived amino acid sequences of a chicken phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P450 cDNA clone, pCHP7, are presented. The amino acid sequence shares 92% identity with that of a previously characterized chicken cytochrome P450 cDNA clone, pCHP3. The two clones, pCHP7 and pCHP3, represent two distinct mRNAs of 2.2 and 3.5 kb and appear to be transcribed from separate cytochrome P450 genes. Sequence comparisons with P450s from mammalian species indicate that the chicken P450s are most closely related to the IIC subfamily. According to the cytochrome P450 nomenclature (Nebert et al., 1989), the chicken P450 gene encoding the 3.5-kb mRNA is termed P450IIF1 and the P450 gene encoding the 2.2-kb mRNA is designated P450IIF2. When chick embryos were treated with 2-allyl-2-isopropylacetamide, the levels of the 3.5- and 2.2-kb P450 mRNAs in liver were elevated maximally by about 100-fold, while phenobarbital treatment resulted in a maximal increase of about 50-fold. These increases in mRNA levels were accompanied by a less than sixfold increase in the corresponding gene transcription rates. The results indicate that the increase in the amount of these two mRNAs is due to both transcriptional activation of the P450 genes and to a marked post-transcriptional mechanism. By contrast, the drug-induced hepatic mRNA levels for 5-aminolevulinate synthase, the rate-controlling enzyme of the heme biosynthetic pathway, could be accounted for predominantly by activation of gene transcription. A close correlation was observed between the time courses of hepatic mRNA accumulation for cytochrome P450 and 5-aminolevulilnate synthase following drug treatment of chick embryos. In adult hens it was demonstrated that a tissue-specific drug induction of cytochrome P450 mRNAs occurred with levels being substantially elevated in the liver, kidney, and small intestine. The mRNA for 5-aminolevulinate synthase was also drug-induced in the same tissue-specific fashion. The results are compatible with the gene for 5-aminolevulinate synthase being activated in response to an increased cytochrome P450 heme requirement.