Clotrimazole, an inhibitor of benzo[a]pyrene metabolism and its subsequent glucuronidation, sulfation, and macromolecular binding in BALB/c mouse cultured keratinocytes

Development of an efficient insecticide substrate and inhibitor screening system of insect P450s using fission yeast

Metabolic resistance is one of the most frequent mechanisms of insecticide resistance, characterized by an increased expression of several important enzymes and transporters, especially cytochrome P450s (CYPs). Due to the large number of P450s in pests, determining the precise relationship between these enzymes and the insecticide substrates is a challenge. Herein, we developed a luminescence-based screening system for efficient identification of insecticide substrates and insect P450 inhibitors. We recombinantly expressed Bemisia tabaci CYP6CM1vQ (Bt CYP6CM1vQ) in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe and subsequently permeabilized the yeast cells to convert them into "enzyme bags". We exploited these enzyme bags to screen the activity of twelve luciferin substrates and identified Luciferin-FEE as the optimal competing probe that was further used to characterize the metabolism of eight candidate commercial insecticides. Among them, Bt CYP6CM1vQ exhibited notable activity against pymetrozine and imidacloprid. Their binding modes were predicted by homology modeling and molecular docking, revealing the mechanisms of the metabolism. We also tested the inhibitory effect of eight known P450 inhibitors using our system and identified letrozole and 1-benzylimidazole as showing significant activity against Bt CYP6CM1vQ, with IC₅₀ values of 23.74 μM and 1.30 μM, respectively. Their potential to be developed as an insecticide synergist was further proven by an in vitro toxicity assay using imidacloprid-resistant Bemisia tabaci. Overall, our luciferin-based enzyme bag method is capable of providing a robust and efficient screening of insect P450 substrates and, more importantly, inhibitors to overcome the resistance.

Cytochrome p450: a target for drug development for skin diseases

Enzymes of the cytochrome P450 (P450 or CYP) super family are the most versatile and important class of drug-metabolizing enzymes that are induced in mammalian skin in response to xenobiotic exposure. At the same time, CYP have numerous important roles in endogenous and exogenous substrate metabolism in the skin. For example, they participate in the metabolism of therapeutic drugs, fatty acids, eicosonoids, sterols, steroids, vitamin A, and vitamin D, to name a few. In addition, in some skin diseases, for example in psoriasis, many CYP are elevated. CYP are the target of special interest in the development of drugs for skin diseases because most, if not all, drugs available in the armamentarium of the dermatologists are either substrate, inducer, or inhibitor of this enzyme family. The functional significance of drug metabolism in skin and the implication of CYP in skin pathology and therapy is an area for future investigation. A detailed insight into the mechanism of action of various cutaneous CYP, being capable of modulating the drug bioavailability, will be helpful in the development of better strategies for novel therapy against constantly increasing skin disorders. This brief review discusses some of these perspectives and suggests additional work in this research area with regard to the expression and modulation of CYP in mammalian skin as well as their implication in dermatological disorders and the therapy of skin diseases.

Systemic uptake and cutaneous disposition of pentachlorophenol in a sequential exposure scenario: effects of skin preexposure to benzo[a]pyrene

Characterizing interactions caused by sequential skin exposures to various environmental toxicants can be critical for a meaningful risk assessment. To assess sequential chemical exposure effect on chemical cutaneous disposition and systemic uptake of a toxicant, [(14)C]pentachlorophenol (PCP) was topically administered in three porcine skin models (in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro) at 40 micro g/cm(2) with or without skin preexposure to benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a known human carcinogen and cutaneous cytochrome P-450 (CYP450) inducer. In the mass balance studies, BaP skin preexposure was found to enhance (14)C absorption in all three models with detectable in vivo effect during the first several days. Total 8-h absorption was tripled by skin preexposure to BaP in the ex vivo (1.1 to 3.2%) and in vitro (0.20 to 0.66%) systems. As seen in the extended in vivo studies, total absorption was 50-57% regardless of exposure conditions, suggesting the prolonged observation period may conceal existing impact of potentially modified disposition processes, such as cutaneous metabolism, on systemic absorption. Skin preexposure to the skin CYP450 inducer BaP largely changed label penetration depth and distribution pattern in cutaneous tissues and decreased (14)C concentration in skin and fat. Additionally, BaP preexposure altered (14)C systemic tissue disposition, suggesting that altered cutaneous PCP disposition may eventually change the toxicity profile (cutaneous vs. systemic risk). The preliminary tissue distribution and systemic absorption data suggested that skin preexposure to BaP may considerably modify cutaneous biotransformation rate and thus deserves further investigation. The dermal model-dependent impacts of expected skin biotransformation manipulation by preexposure to chemicals such as BaP on cutaneous disposition and systemic uptake of environmental toxicants such as PCP need to be considered in risk assessment.

Biosynthesis of 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) in rat skin

A rapid and sensitive radiometric assay was developed for the measurement of 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) biosynthesis in rat skin extract. The formation of PAP35S from sodium 35sulfate and ATP was quantified by the transfer of the 35sulfate to minoxidil by rat liver minoxidil sulfotransferase (MST). The assay is sensitive enough for the detection of as little as 2 pmol of PAP35S. The PAPS-generating system showed a pH optimum of 8.6, with an apparent Km value of 1 mM for the ATP-Mg2+ complex and 68 microM for sodium 35sulfate. ATP and Mg2+, present individually or together in equimolar concentrations, were inhibitory above 8 mM. Excess (or free) ATP was a competitive inhibitor with respect to the ATP-Mg2+ complex; the apparent Ki measured was 0.32 mM. The specific activity of the PAPS-generating system, measured in rat skin cytosol was 0.15 nmol PAPS/min/mg protein. The importance of PAPS generation in detoxification and bioactivation of xenobiotics in skin is discussed.

Inhibition of rat hepatic aryl sulphotransferase IV by dihydrodiol derivatives of benzo[a]pyrene and naphthalene

1. Although neither the (+)- nor (-)-enantiomer of trans-benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol was a substrate for aryl sulphotransferase IV from rat liver, both enantiomers inhibited the enzyme-catalysed sulphation of 1-naphthalene-methanol with Ki values of 3.7 +/- 0.4 microM for the (+)-enantiomer, and 4.4 +/- 0.3 microM for the (-)-enantiomer. 2. Based on the magnitude of the Ki values, the binding affinity of these dihydrodiols for the aryl sulphotransferase was significantly greater than that for the corresponding phenolic derivatives of benzo[a]pyrene. That is 7-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene and 8-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene were both substrates for aryl sulphotransferase IV, with apparent Km values of 280 +/- 41 microM and 370 +/- 72 microM, respectively. 3. Both (+)- and (-)-trans-naphthalene-1,2-dihydrodiols were also inhibitors of aryl sulphotransferase IV, but with higher Ki values than would be expected from previously determined apparent Km and Ki values for (R)-(-)- and (S)-(+)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-naphthols, respectively.

The use of cultured epithelial and endothelial cells for drug transport and metabolism studies

In an effort to develop novel strategies for delivery of drug candidates arising from rational drug design and recombinant DNA technology, pharmaceutical scientists have begun to employ the techniques of cell culture to study drug transport and metabolism at specific biological barriers. This review describes some of the general factors that should be considered in developing a cell culture model for transport studies and metabolism studies. In addition, we review in detail the recent progress that has been made in establishing, validating, and using cell cultures of epithelial barriers (e.g., cells that constitute the intestinal, rectal, buccal, sublingual, nasal, and ophthalmic mucosa as well as the epidermis of the skin) and the endothelial barriers (e.g., brain microvessel endothelial cells).

Benzo[a]pyrene-DNA-adducts and monooxygenase activities in mice treated with benzo[a]pyrene, cigarette smoke or cigarette smoke condensate

Synchronous fluorescence spectrophotometry (SFS), developed to study benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide(BPDE)-DNA, was used to measure the in vivo formation of DNA-adducts in genetically responsive C57BL/6 (B6) and non-responsive DBA/2 (D2) mice. Treatment with cigarette smoke by inhalation for 3-16 days, or i.p. injection of cigarette smoke condensate or neutral fraction did not lead to detectable levels of BPDE-DNA-adducts in either lungs or liver, although aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity, an indicator of benzo[a]pyrene (BP) metabolism, was clearly induced in lungs of B6 mouse. A dose-dependent amount of BPDE-DNA-adducts in lung and somewhat less in liver was found after i.p. injection with BP (20-80 mg/kg). Mice treated with vehicle or 4 mg/kg of BP were negative for adducts by SFS. In B6 mice AHH was induced both in lungs and livers while there was no AHH induction in D2 mice although the levels of BPDE-DNA-adducts were somewhat higher than in B6 mice. Thus, no clear correlation seems to exist between AHH activity and the formation of BPDE-DNA-adducts. Also, according to our results SFS can be used to quantitate adduct-formation in in vivo animal studies.