Retinoids activate RXR/CAR-mediated pathway and induce CYP3A

Retinoids and carotenoids are frequently used as antioxidants to prevent cancer. In this study, a panel of retinoids and carotenoids was examined to determine their effects on activation of RXR/CAR-mediated pathway and regulation of CYP3A gene expression. Transient transfection assays of HepG2 cells revealed that five out of thirteen studied retinoids significantly induced RXRα/CAR-mediated activation of luciferase activity that is driven by the thymidine kinase promoter linked with a PXR binding site in the CYP3A4 gene [tk-(3A4)₃-Luc reporter]. All-trans retinoic acid (RA) and 9-cis RA were more effective than CAR agonist TCBOPOP in induction of the tk-(3A4)₃-Luc reporter. Addition of retinoid and TCBOPOP further enhanced the inducibility and the induction was preferentially mediated by RXRα/CAR and RXRγ/CAR heterodimer. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay showed that retinoids recruit RXRα and CAR to the proximal ER6 and distal XREM nuclear receptor response elements of the CYP3A4 gene promoter. The experimental data demonstrate that retinoids can effectively regulate CYP3A gene expression through the RXR/CAR-mediated pathway.     

Retinoids induce cytochrome P450 3A4 through RXR/VDR-mediated pathway

A panel of retinoids and carotenoids was screened as potential inducers of CYP3A4 through the RXR/VDR-mediated signaling pathway. Transient transfection assays revealed that 3 out of 12 retinoids screened transactivated RXR/VDR and induced CYP3A4 reporter activity. These three retinoids are the active metabolites of retinoids, 9-cis-retinal, 9-cis-retinoic acid (9-cis-RA), and all-trans-retinoic acid (all-trans-RA). 9-cis-RA and all-trans-RA preferentially transactivated the RXR/VDR heterodimers and RXR homodimers. Retinoids and VDR agonist 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃, but not PXR or CAR activator, could induce Cyp3a11 mRNA level in hepatocytes derived from PXR/CAR-double null mouse. Moreover, retinoids induced CYP3A4 enzyme activity in HepG2 human hepatoma and Caco-2 human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells. A direct role of retinoid-mediated CYP3A4 induction through RXR/VDR was proved by the results that 9-cis-retinal, 9-cis-RA, and all-trans-RA recruited RXR and VDR to CYP3A4 regulatory region pER6 (proximal everted repeat with a 6-nucleotide spacer) and dXREM (distal xenobiotic-responsive enhancer module). Thus, using various approaches, we have unequivocally demonstrated that retinoids transactivate RXR/VDR heterodimers and RXR homodimers and induce CYP3A expression at mRNA as well as enzyme activity levels in both liver and intestinal cells. It is possible that retinoids might alter endobiotic metabolism through CYP3A4 induction in vivo.     

Regulation of CYP3A4 and CYP2B6 expression by liver X receptor agonists

The liver X receptor (LXR) agonists, 24(S),25-epoxycholesterol and T0901317, were previously shown to be capable of inducing CYP3A expression in primary cultured rodent hepatocytes through activation of the pregnane X receptor (PXR). In this study, the abilities of these two LXR agonists to regulate CYP3A4 and CYP2B6 mRNA expression in primary cultures of human hepatocytes were evaluated. Treatment with 10 or 30 microM of the endogenous oxysterol, 24(S),25-epoxycholesterol, had no effect on CYP3A4 mRNA content in five preparations of primary cultured human hepatocytes, while 30 microM 24(S),25-epoxycholesterol treatment increased CYP2B6 mRNA content by approximately two-fold. By comparison, treatment with the synthetic LXR agonist, T0901317, potently increased CYP3A4 and CYP2B6 mRNA levels in the human hepatocyte cultures, producing multi-fold increases at 10nM. Using a HepG2-based transactivation assay, T0901317 activated human PXR with an EC(50) approximately 20nM, which was more than 10-fold lower than that of the potent PXR ligand, SR-12813, while treatment with 24(S),25-epoxycholesterol failed to induce reporter expression in this assay. Therefore, while 24(S),25-epoxycholesterol-mediated PXR activation and CYP3A induction does not appear to be conserved from rodent to human, T0901317 is among the most potent known activators of human PXR.     

Constitutive androstane receptor transactivates the hepatic expression of mouse Dhcr24 and human DHCR24 encoding a cholesterogenic enzyme 24-dehydrocholesterol reductase

Phenobarbital treatment has long been known to influence serum and hepatic cholesterol levels in rodents and humans. Constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, mediates various biological actions of phenobarbital. We have thus investigated whether CAR transactivates cholesterogenic genes in livers. Activation of CAR in mouse livers and cultured human hepatocytes increased mRNA levels of mouse Dhcr24 and human DHCR24, both of which encode 24-dehydrocholesterol reductase (DHCR24) catalyzing the last step of cholesterol biosynthesis. CAR transactivated the expression of these genes in reporter assays with cultured hepatoma cells. Furthermore, we have identified a DR4 (direct repeat separated by 4 nucleotides) motif in the human DHCR24 distal promoter as a binding site of CAR/retinoid X receptor α (RXRα) heterodimer. We have also demonstrated that the heterodimer of pregnane X receptor (PXR)/ RXRα binds to the DR4 motif and that human DHCR24 reporter gene is transactivated by the ligand-activated PXR. These results suggest a role of xenobiotic-responsive nuclear receptor CAR, and also possibly PXR, in cholesterol biosynthesis in the liver of mice and humans.     

孕烷X受体(PXR)对药物代谢途径的调控

目的 从孕烷X受体（PXR）对药物代谢途径的调控入手,在代谢性药物相互作用、PXR在CYP3A4调控中的作用及其调控机制等方面作分析和阐述。方法 结合近年来国内外相关文献进行评述。结果 PXR是CYP3A4的主要转录调控因子,药物通过PXR介导的信号通路调节CYP3A4的表达是影响药物体内代谢变化的重要途径。结论 就临床药物而言,由PXR介导的CYP3A4酶蛋白表达的改变可造成合用药物药效的减弱甚至丧失,因此必须引起广大临床药师的足够重视。     

豆腐果苷对人孕烷X受体介导的CYP3A4和MDR1的转录调节作用

目的:建立和验证人孕烷X受体(human pregnant X receptor,hPXR)介导的CYP3A4、MDR1药物诱导剂的体外筛选体系,考察豆腐果苷对hPXR介导的CYP3A4、MDR1的转录调节作用。方法:利用构建的双荧光素酶报告基因系统,将表达载体和报告载体共转染HepG2细胞,以10μmol/L利福平为阳性对照,用不同浓度(0.004、0.04、0.4μmol/L)豆腐果苷处理48h后裂解细胞进行双荧光素酶活性检测。结果:不同浓度的豆腐果苷均不能通过激活hPXR来介导CYP3A4和MDR1表达上调,各浓度处理组的双荧光素酶比活性值与DMSO溶媒组差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论:成功构建了hPXR介导的CYP3A4和MDR1药物诱导剂的体外筛选体系,并发现豆腐果苷不能通过激活hPXR介导CYP3A4和MDR1的表达上调。     

灯盏花素对张氏肝细胞中CYP3A4和CYP2C19的影响和机制

目的：观察灯盏花素对人张氏肝细胞中孕烷X受体（PXR）及细胞色素P450 3A4（CYP3A4）和细胞色素P450 2C19（CYP2C19） mRNA和蛋白表达的影响,初步探讨灯盏花素对CYP3A4和CYP2C19的影响及其作用机制。方法： MTT法检测不同浓度的灯盏花素对张氏肝细胞活力的影响;采用实时荧光定量PCR（RT-qPCR）检测不同浓度灯盏花素对张氏肝细胞中PXR、CYP3A4及CYP2C19 mRNA的表达;采用Western-blot检测不同浓度的灯盏花素对CYP3A4和CYP2C19蛋白的表达影响。结果： MTT结果表明不同浓度的灯盏花素处理张氏肝细胞24 h、48 h后的IC₅₀分别为9 768.8、1 372.8 μmol·L^-1,IC₁₀分别为2 689.2、154.4 μmol·L^-1;RT-qPCR结果表明灯盏花素对CYP3A4和PXR mRNA的影响呈抑制作用,对CYP2C19 mRNA的影响呈不同程度的促进作用;Western-blot结果表明灯盏花素对CYP3A4蛋白的影响呈抑制作用,对CYP2C19蛋白的影响呈促进作用。结论：灯盏花素对CYP3A4的抑制作用可能通过抑制PXR途径;对CYP2C19的促进作用可能不经PXR通路。     

旱莲草单体对人孕烷X受体调控CYP3A4转录表达的调节作用

目的 研究旱莲草5种中药单体木犀草素、芹菜索、槲皮素、刺囊酸和蟛蜞菊内酯是否可以通过PXR的激活而诱导CYP3A4转录表达.方法 采用MTT法检测5种中药单体对人结肠癌细胞系LSI74T细胞的毒性,采用脂质体瞬时转染的方法,在LSI74T细胞中同时转入人PXR表达质粒、CYP3A4报告质粒以及内参质粒,建立双荧光报告基因体系,与不同浓度及不同给药时间的中药单体共同孵育,检测细胞中荧光素酶.结果 5种中药单体对LS174T的IC50值分别为木犀草素(71.08±5.35) μmol/L、芹菜素(185.54±9.57)μmol/L、槲皮素(112.68±8.34) μmol/L、蟛蜞菊内酯(36.01±9.37) μmol/L、刺囊酸(26.04±5.62) μmol/L.刺囊酸(5、10和20μmol/L)分别诱导PXR调控的CYP3A4表达(1.52±0.31)倍、(1.95±0.31)倍和(2.57±0.23)倍,蟛蜞菊内酯(5、10和20 mol/L)分别诱导PXR调控的CYP3A4表达(1.57±0.30)倍、(1.91±0.25)倍和(2.14±0.51)倍,木犀草素、槲皮素、芹菜素在试验的浓度范围内不能明显诱导LS174T细胞中PXR调控的CYP3A4表达.在不同给药时间试验中,10 μmol/L和20μmol/L的刺囊酸在12 ～ 48 h能诱导PXR调控的CYP3A4表达,诱导能力随时间的延长而呈增强的趋势,各浓度的最大诱导倍数均在48 h出现;10 μmol/L和20μmol/L的蟛蜞菊内酯只能在12～24 h诱导PXR调控的CYP3A4表达,在48 h时2个浓度组均出现诱导表达倍数的下调.结论 刺囊酸和蟛蜞菊内酯在LS174T细胞系中可以通过激活PXR诱导CYP3A4转录表达,而木犀草素、芹菜素、槲皮素无此作用.     

The pregnane X receptor binds to response elements in a genomic context-dependent manner, and PXR activator rifampicin selectively alters the binding among target genes.

The pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a key regulator of genes encoding several major types of cytochrome P450 enzymes and transporters (e.g., multidrug resistance-1, MDR1); therefore, PXR contributes significantly to drug-drug interactions. PXR binds to response elements and confers transactivation. Several target genes such as CYP3A4 and 3A7 contain two PXR elements (distant and proximal) that are separated by more than 7000 nucleotides in the genome. Disruption of the distant element causes a 73% decrease of the reporter activity, whereas inactivation of the proximal element decreases by only 53%. This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that PXR differentially binds to the elements with the distant enhancer being bound to a higher extent. To test this hypothesis, a stable transfected line (hPXR-HRE) was prepared to constitutively express human PXR and harbor a chromatinized CYP3A4-ER6 reporter. This line responded to rifampicin and dexamethasone similarly as hepatocytes based on the relative potency and activation kinetics. Contrary to the hypothesis, chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments showed that the genomic fragment harboring the proximal element was preferably precipitated over the fragment containing the distant element in the CYP3A4 gene, but the opposite was true with the CYP3A7 gene. In addition, the promoters from the MDR1 and CYP2B6 genes were abundantly present in the PXR immunocomplexes from the vehicle-treated cells. However, such abundant interactions were markedly diminished when cells were treated with PXR activator rifampicin. These findings suggest that PXR binding is dependent on the genomic context and PXR activators modulate such bindings.     

Arsenite and its metabolites, MMA and DMA, modify CYP3A4, PXR and RXR alpha expression in the small intestine of CYP3A4 transgenic mice

Arsenic is an environmental pollutant that has been associated with an increased risk for the development of cancer and several other diseases through alterations of cellular homeostasis and hepatic function. Cytochrome P450 (P450) modification may be one of the factors contributing to these disorders. Several reports have established that exposure to arsenite modifies P450 expression by decreasing or increasing mRNA and protein levels. Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4), the predominant P450 expressed in the human liver and intestines, which is regulated mainly by the Pregnane X Receptor-Retinoid X Receptor alpha (PXR-RXR alpha) heterodimer, contributes to the metabolism of approximately half the drugs in clinical use today. The present study investigates the effect of sodium arsenite and its metabolites monomethylarsonous acid (MMA^III) and dimethylarsinous acid (DMA^III) on CYP3A4, PXR, and RXR alpha expression in the small intestine of CYP3A4 transgenic mice. Sodium arsenite treatment increases mRNA, protein and CYP3A4 activity in a dose-dependent manner. However, the increase in protein expression was not as marked as compared to the increase in mRNA levels. Arsenite treatment induces the accumulation of Ub-protein conjugates, indicating that the activation of this mechanism may explain the differences observed between the mRNA and protein expression of CYP3A4 induction. Treatment with 0.05 mg/kg of DMA^III induces CYP3A4 in a similar way, while treatment with 0.05 mg/kg of MMA^III increases mostly mRNA, and to a lesser degree, CYP3A4 activity. Sodium arsenite and both its metabolites increase PXR mRNA, while only DMA^III induces RXR alpha expression. Overall, these results suggest that sodium arsenite and its metabolites induce CYP3A4 expression by increasing PXR expression in the small intestine of CYP3A4 transgenic mice.     

Vitamin E activates gene expression via the pregnane X receptor

Tocopherols and tocotrienols are metabolized by side chain degradation via initial omega-oxidation and subsequent beta-oxidation. omega-Oxidation is performed by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes which are often regulated by their substrates themselves. Results presented here show that all forms of Vitamin E are able to activate gene expression via the pregnane X receptor (PXR), a nuclear receptor regulating a variety of drug metabolizing enzymes. In HepG2 cells transfected with the human PXR and the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) gene linked to two PXR responsive elements, CAT activity was most strongly induced by alpha- and gamma-tocotrienol followed by rifampicin, delta-, alpha- and gamma-tocopherol. The inductive efficacy was concentration-dependent; its specificity was underscored by a lower response when cotransfection with PXR was omitted. Up-regulation of endogenous CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 mRNA was obtained by gamma-tocotrienol, the most potent activator of PXR, with the same efficacy as with rifampicin. This points to a potential interference of individual forms of Vitamin E with the metabolism and efficacy of drugs.