Yoshihiko Funae

We investigated the expressional regulation of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2D isoforms in rat brain by toluene. Toluene (10 mmol/kg) was injected intraperitoneally into male rats daily for 3 days. CYP2D4 level in the brain was determined by Western blotting. The level of CYP2D4 in the brain and the catalytic activity specific for this isoform were significantly increased by toluene administration. The expressions of CYP2D mRNAs in the brain were quantified by real time PCR. The mRNA level of CYP2D4 increased similar to the expression of the protein and enzymatic activity. These results showed that CYP2D4 was transcriptionally induced by toluene administration for 3 days. This is the first report that subacute exposure to toluene activated the expression of CYP2D4 mRNA in the brain. The response of CYP2D4 expression to toluene is thought to relates to the regulation of the physiological and pharmacological functions of CYP2D isoforms in the brain.

The blood glucose lowering effects in KK-Ay mice with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) receiving daily an intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of Zn(II) complexes with maltol, L-threonine, and picolinic acid for 14 days were estimated under the same conditions, and dose-dependent blood glucose lowering effects in the dose range of 0.2-3.0 mg Zn/kg body weight were found. Among them, the bis(maltolato)Zn(II) complex exhibited the highest blood sugar lowering effect at the dose of 3.0 mg Zn/kg. The improvement of DM was confirmed with oral glucose tolerance tests as well as blood HbA1c levels after the administration of the three Zn(II) complexes at the dose of 3.0 mg Zn/kg. For the purpose of the clinical trial of the complexes in the future, we examined the toxic effects of these three Zn(II) complexes in regard of the LD50 values and hepatic cytochrome P450 levels. The LD50 values of the three Zn(II) complexes exhibited high values compared with that of ZnCl2. No changes of both CYP1A1 and CYP2E1 levels in the liver of KK-Ay mice treated with the three Zn(II) complexes were observed. The obtained results will be important when the complexes are tried for clinical use.

Cytochrome P-4502E1 (CYP2E1) is an important enzyme because of its unique ability to convert many substrates to cytotoxins. The increased production of reactive intermediates by elevated enzyme concentrations leads to various pathological conditions. Therefore, it is important to detect induced CYP2E1 levels in alcoholic individuals to avoid xenobiotic-promoted liver injury. In the present investigation, we detected CYP2E1 mRNA levels of mononuclear cells obtained from 10 ml of blood by using competitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Mononuclear cells were obtained from healthy individuals who did and did not drink habitually and patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Complementary DNA synthesis was performed with RNA obtained from mononuclear cells by reverse transcription-PCR. Competitive PCR of CYP2E1 was performed with the sense (5'-CTGCAACGTCATA-GCCGACA-3') and antisense (5'-TCCATTTCCACGAGCAGGCA-3') primer and competitor DNA. Competitive PCR of beta-actin also was performed. Electrophoresis was scanned, and each band was digitized. The concentration of CYP2E1 and beta-actin mRNA was calculated from the ratio of competitor DNA. In healthy individuals who did and did not drink habitually, CYP2E1 mRNA levels were 103.3 copies/microl RNA and 101.7 copies/microl RNA, respectively. In actively drinking patients with ALD, CYP2E1 mRNA levels were 103.5 copies/microl RNA, but those levels decreased to 101.7 copies/microl RNA after 4 days of abstinence. No significant difference was observed in CYP2E1 mRNA levels between alcoholic fibrosis and cirrhosis. As control, we measured beta-actin mRNA levels in mononuclear cells in all samples. The mean value of beta-actin mRNA was 104.3 copies/microl RNA in all cases, which included patients with ALD. The results demonstrated that it is possible to measure the CYP2E1 mRNA levels of mononuclear cells in a 10 ml blood sample. The CYP2E1 mRNA level in mononuclear cells increases during drinking and decreases in abstinence for a short period of 3 to 4 days. It is concluded that CYP2E1 mRNA level may be used as an effective marker for alcoholic intake.

Human intestinal microsomes were found to catalyze dealkylation and hydroxylation of an antihistamine ebastine and the former was shown to be mediated by intestinal CYP3A. Ebastine hydroxylase was purified from monkey intestinal microsomes and it was identified as a CYP4F isoform by the amino acid sequence. CYP4F cDNAs were then cloned from human intestine and expressed in yeast. A novel CYP4F (4F12) only exhibited the high activity of the hydroxylation, however, its actual contribution in human microsomes was only partial (about 20%) when judged by immunoinhibition study using anti-CYP4F antibody. From a marked inhibition of ebastine hydroxylation by arachidonic acid, CYP2J2 was speculated to involve in the hydroxylation. In fact, anti-CYP2J antibody inhibited 70% of ebastine hydroxylation. The finding above that human intestinal CYP2J and CYP4F as well as CYP3A play an important role in the drug metabolism extends the concept of studies of the drug metabolism in the intestine, the organ being enrolled in the first pass effect.

Osteogenic Disorder Shionogi (ODS) rats, which cannot synthesize ascorbic acid due to a deficiency of L-gulonolactone oxidase, become scorbutic when not supplied with dietary ascorbic acid. We used the deficient rats to study the effects of ascorbic acid on the amount of cytochrome P450 enzymes in liver microsomes. The total amount of hepatic cytochrome P450 in ODS rats deprived of ascorbic acid was lower by ∼40%, whereas ODS rats fed with ascorbic acid and the wild strain had the same level of total hepatic cytochrome P450. Western blot analysis for various forms of cytochrome P450 in liver microsomes indicated that the amount of CYP1A2 was significantly higher in ascorbic acid deficient rats. On the other hand, amounts of CYP2B2 and 3A were lower, and those of CYP2E1 and CYP2C6/11 were unaffected. In accordance with the higher amount of CYP1A2, Northern blot analysis showed increased expression of CYP1A2 mRNA. The capacity of microsomes to produce mutagens from 2-amino-6-methyl-dipyrido[1, 2-a:3', 2'-d]imidazole acetate (Glu-P-1) and 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4, 3-b]indole acetate (Trp-P-2) was higher in scorbutic ODS rats by the Ames test. These results indicate that the effects of ascorbic acid deficiency on the expression of cytochrome P450 in ODS rat livers are form-specific and that the increased CYP1A2 is associated with increased metabolic activation of promutagens in the scorbutic state.