Complexation of cytochrome P-450 isozymes in hepatic microsomes from SKF 525-A-induced rats

Potassium ferricyanide-elicited reactivation of steroid hydroxylase activities, in hepatic microsomes from SKF 525-A-induced male rats, was used as an indicator of complex formation between individual cytochrome P-450 isozymes and the SKF 525-A metabolite. Induction of male rats with SKF 525-A (50 mg/kg for three days) led to apparent increases in androst-4-ene-3,17-dione 16 beta- and 6 beta-hydroxylation to 6.7- and 3-fold of control activities. Steroid 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity was decreased to 0.8-fold of control and 16 alpha-hydroxylation was unchanged. Ferricyanide-elicited dissociation of the SKF 525-A metabolite-P-450 complex revealed an even greater induction of 16 beta- and 6 beta-hydroxylase activities (to 1.8- and 1.6-fold of activities in the absence of ferricyanide). Androst-4-ene-3,17-dione 16 alpha-hydroxylase activity increased 2-fold after ferricyanide but 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity was unaltered. An antibody directed against the male-specific cytochrome P-450 UT-A decreased androst-4-ene-3,17-dione 16 alpha-hydroxylase activity to 13% of control in hepatic microsomes from untreated rats. In contrast, 16 alpha-hydroxylase activity in microsomes from SKF 525-A-induced rats, before and after dissociation with ferricyanide, was reduced by anti UT-A IgG to 32 and 19% of the respective uninhibited controls. Considered together, these observations strongly suggest that the phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P-450 isozymes PB-B and PCN-E are present in an inactive complexed state in microsomes from SKF 525-A-induced rat liver. Further, the increased susceptibility of androst-4-ene-3,17-dione 16 alpha-hydroxylase activity to inhibition by an antibody to cytochrome P-450 UT-A, following ferricyanide treatment of microsomes, suggests that this male sexually differentiated enzyme is also complexed after in vivo SKF 525-A dosage. In contrast, the constitutive isozyme cytochrome P-450 UT-F, which is active in steroid 7 alpha-hydroxylation, does not appear to be complexed to any extent in microsomes from SKF 525-A-induced rats.     

Hepatic microsomes from beer fed rats contain a cytochrome P-450 metabolic intermediate complex.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) 2E1 (CYP2E1) is induced by pure ethanol following its chronic administration, and commercial alcoholic beverages, whose major constituent is ethanol, are generally assumed to have a similar effect on this isoform of CYP450. Recently, we serendipitously discovered that beer administered to rats for six weeks had only a minimal inductive effect on hepatic microsomal CYP2E1 activity, while rats on 10% ethanol had CYP2E1 levels five-fold greater than controls. The daily ethanol intake levels for the beer fed and 10% ethanol fed rats were equivalent. In addition, CYP450 spectral features of microsomes from beer fed and ethanol fed rats were markedly different. Spectral examination of microsomes from beer fed rats revealed that about 40% of the total CYP450 content existed in the form of a metabolic intermediate (MI) complex, while no evidence was found for MI complex formation in microsomes of ethanol fed rats. We conclude that beer contains an unidentified component(s) that apparently blocks the typical ethanol induction of CYP2E1 and form an MI complex with CYP450.     

Induction of renal cytochrome P-450 in hepatic microsomes of diabetic rats

We purified two forms of cytochrome P-450 which was induced in hepatic microsomes of diabetic male rates treated with streptozotocin. One of these corresponded to P-450j. The other form, designated P450 DM-2, had a minimum molecular weight 53000 and a CO-reduced absorption maximum at 452 nm. The P450 DM-2 efficiently catalyzed the omega- and (omega-1)-hydroxylation of lauric acid, but was not efficient in metabolizing aminopyrine, 7-ethoxycoumarin, aniline, N-nitrosodimethylamine, or testosterone. The NH2-terminal sequence of P450 DM-2 was identical to that of P450 K-5, the major renal cytochrome P-450. Both forms gave very similar electrophoretic patterns of proteolytic digests. P450 DM-2 and P450 K-5 are closely related forms.     

Phosphorylation of hepatic phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P-450.

The major phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P-450 purified from rat liver, a member of family II of the cytochrome P-450 gene superfamily, is rapidly phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase. The phosphorylation reaches greater than 0.5 mol phosphate/mol P-450 after 5 min and is accompanied by a decrease in enzyme activity. The serine residue in position 128 was shown to be the sole phosphorylation site and a conformational change of the protein was indicated by a shift of the carbon monoxide difference spectrum of the reduced cytochrome from 450 to 420 nm. Comparison of amino acid sequences of various cytochrome P-450 families revealed a highly conserved arginine residue in the immediate vicinity of the phosphorylated serine residue which constitutes the kinase recognition sequence. It also revealed that only the members of the cytochrome P-450 family II carry this kinase recognition sequence. To find out whether this phosphorylation also occurs in vivo, the exchangeable phosphate pool of intact hepatocytes derived from phenobarbital-pretreated rats was labeled with 32Pi followed by an incubation of the cells with the membrane-permeating dibutyryl-cAMP or with the adenylate cyclase stimulator glucagon to activate endogenous kinase. As a result, a microsomal polypeptide with the same electrophoretic mobility as cytochrome P-450 became strongly labeled. Peptide mapping and immunoprecipitation with monospecific antibodies identified this protein as the major phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P-450. It becomes phosphorylated at the same serine residues as in the cell-free phosphorylation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

A phenobarbital-inducible hepatic mitochondrial cytochrome P-450 immunochemically related to microsomal P-450b

We have purified and characterized a phenobarbital (PB)-inducible hepatic mitochondrial cytochrome P-450 (P-450), termed P-450mt4, which is distinctly different from the previously characterized mitochondrial isoforms. The level of induction of P-450mt4 by PB in the male livers is nearly 20-fold, as against a marginal induction in the female livers, suggesting that it may be a male predominant isoform. P-450mt4 shows a close resemblance to microsomal P-450b (the major PB-inducible form) with respect to electrophoretic migration (apparent molecular mass of 50 kDa) and immunological cross-reactivity, although it exhibits a distinct isoelectric pH (pI 6.9 vs 6.5 for P-450b), peptide fingerprint pattern, and amino acid composition. Further, the N-terminal sequence analysis shows over 90% positional identity (39 out of 42) between P-450mt4 and P-450b, suggesting that it is a close relative of the P-450 IIB gene family. In vitro reconstitution experiments show that P-450mt4 can metabolize a wide range of substrates such as benzphetamine, (dimethylamino)antipyrine, aflatoxin B1, and vitamin D3, exclusively in the presence of mitochondrial-specific ferredoxin and ferredoxin reductase as electron carriers. P-450mt4 is translated as a 53-kDa precursor, which is transported into mitochondria under in vitro conditions and processed into a mature 50-kDa protein. These results provide conclusive evidence for the occurrence of a male-specific P-450 belonging to the IIB gene family in rat liver mitochondria.     

The induction of cytochrome P-450 and monooxygenase activities in the chick embryo by 2-acetylaminofluorene

Administration of 2-acetylaminofluorence to chick embryos increases the cytochrome P-450 level 3.4 fold but causes no increase in total epoxide hydrase activity or other microsomal electron transport enzymes. The induction response shows some similarity to that elicited by phenabarbitone both in terms of the monooxygenase activities induced and their inhibition characteristics. Induction of a specific cytochrome P-450 subform by this agent may increase its detoxification and in part account for the resistance of avian species to its hepatocarcinogenic effect.     

Inactivation of rat hepatic cytochrome P-450 by spironolactone

Administration of antimineralocorticoid spironolactone (SPL) to rats results in modest destruction of hepatic cytochrome P-450 with parallel loss of heme. This process is accentuated by pretreatment with dexamethasone (DEX), an inducer of cytochrome P-450p and is associated with marked functional loss of cytochrome P-450p-dependent hydroxylases. Cytochrome P-450 destruction may be replicated in vitro when microsomes from DEX-pretreated rats are incubated with SPL and NADPH and is impaired when these rats are given triacetyloleandomycin, an inhibitor of cytochrome P-450p. In vitro SPL-mediated cytochrome P-450 destruction is accompanied by a loss of heme, which appears to be converted to reactive intermediates which covalently bind to microsomes or are converted to polar metabolites.     

Interactions of prostaglandins with hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450

The spectral changes associated with the addition of prostaglandins (PGs) to hepatic microsomes from guinea pigs and rats were examined. PGA₁, PGA₂, PGE₁, PGE₂, PGF_1α and PGF_2α when added to guinea pig liver microsomes exhibited type I spectra. The binding affinities as determined from spectral dissociation constants (K_s) were highest with PGA₁ and PGA₂. With liver microsomes from control or 3-methyl-cholanthrene (MC)-treated rats, PGs did not yield type I spectra; however, in this case a $\text{weak}$ spectrum, designated here as type “II” was at times observed, With microsomes from phenobarbital (Pb)-treated rats only PGA₁ and PGA₂ yielded type I spectra; again in absence of type I spectrum, a weak type “II” was occasionally observed. The addition of PGA₁ and PGA₂ to liver microsomes from Pb-treated rats inhibited the microcomal mediated hydroxylation of hexobarbital. The inhibition by PGA₁ was competitive; the K_i = 8.2 × 10^?4 M was found to be similar in magnitude to the K_s = 7.3 × 10^?4 M of PGA₁ observed with rat liver microsomes. These observations suggested that PGs particularly of the A series interact with the hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase system.     

The occurrence of multiple forms of cytochrome P-450 in hepatic microsomes from untreated rats and mice

The hepatic microsomes of rat and mice were subfractionated by the procedure of Dallner. When a 1.3 M sucrose lower layer was used for the two-step discontinuous gradient, no differences in spectral characteristics were noted between subfractions, though the smooth fractions (SER) had higher oxidative activity towards the substrates tested. When lower layers of 1.05, 1.1 or 1.15 M sucrose were used, the SER isolated contained cytochrome P-450 with significantly different spectral characteristics from that of the rough fraction (RER). The SER cytochrome P-450 had a wavelength maximum in the carbon-monoxide reduced difference spectrum that was significantly lower (ca. 1.0 nm) than that in the RER. In addition, the type I:CO-reduced spectral ratio of these fractions is significantly elevated. These data indicate that liver microsomes from untreated rats and mice contain more than one cytochrome P-450 and that these cytochromes may be located in different parts of the endoplasmic reticulum.     

Leukotriene B4 metabolism by hepatic cytochrome P-450

Leukotriene B4 (LTB) was found to be metabolized by suspensions of rat liver microsomes in the presence of NADPH and oxygen. The rate of LTB metabolism was also measured in reconstituted systems of both micelles and phospholipid vesicles containing cytochrome P-450-LM2, NADPH cytochrome P-450 reductase, and cytochrome b5. A 1 microM concentration of LTB was metabolized by rat hepatic microsomes at a rate of 4 pmol LTB/min/nmole P-450, and by vesicle and micelle reconstituted systems at 3 pmole/min/nmole P-450-LM2. At this rate a 10 g rat liver exposed to 1 microM LTB can metabolize 30 micrograms per hour. In that the leukotrienes are pharmacologically active at nanomolar concentrations, hepatic metabolism may be an important pathway of leukotriene inactivation.     

Hepatic cytochrome P-450 in chronically hypoxemic rats

The basal level of hepatic cytochrome P-450 and its inducibility by phenobarbital pretreatment have been found to be enhanced by chronic hypoxemia. Pentobarbital sleeping times were decreased in parallel to changes in levels of cytochrome P-450. The increase in level of hepatic cytochrome P-450 in chronically hypoxemic rats occurred despite the increased levels of hepatic heme oxygenase which previously were associated with the chronic hemoglobinemia of the hypoxemic state. Chronically hypoxemic rats may provide a useful model for study of control of hepatic heme and hemoprotein metabolism.     

Differential oxidase activity of hepatic and pulmonary microsomal cytochrome P-450 isozymes after treatment with cytochrome P-450 inducers.

Phenobarbital, 3-methylcholanthrene, acetone and pyrazole were used as inducers of cytochrome P450 and the NADPH-dependent oxidase activity (O-2 production) of pulmonary and hepatic microsomes was determined. Oxidase activity of microsomes from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats was significantly decreased as compared to that of controls when expressed on the basis of cytochrome P450 content (30% decrease for liver, 60% decrease for lung). The oxidase activity of liver microsomes from pyrazole-treated rats showed a significant increase, whereas phenobarbital treated microsomes had average superoxide-generating activity. The contribution of cytochromes CYP 1A, CYP 2B and CYP 2E1 to superoxide-generating activity was investigated using monoclonal antibodies. Monoclonal antibody 1-91-3 against CYP 2E1 inhibited superoxide generation by 58% in liver microsomes from pyrazole-treated rats. Monoclonal antibodies 1-7-1 and 2-66-3 against CYP 1A and CYP2B, respectively, had no effect on superoxide generation. These results indicate that different cytochrome P450 isoforms are mainly responsible for differential superoxide generating activities of microsomes and complement the reconstitution study of Morehouse and Aust. Furthermore, our study indicates that CYP 1A1, induced by 3-MC, demonstrates an unusually low oxidase activity.     

Regulation of hepatic cytochrome P-450 during infectious disease.

During episodes of infectious disease the mixed function oxidase system is depressed and the capacity of the liver to metabolize drugs can be compromised in both animals and humans. The depression that occurs during viral infections is mediated via the production of interferon. This action of interferon requires the synthesis of an intermediate protein(s) yet to be identified. Using an oligonucleotide probe for a unique sequence in cytochrome P-450LA omega we have now shown that the mRNA for this isozyme is depressed following the administration of interferon inducers. The magnitude in the loss of mRNA corresponds to the magnitude of the loss in the levels of this isozyme. This depression is observed within 6 h of interferon exposure. It is concluded that the decrease in drug metabolism during viral infections is caused by an interferon-mediated loss in mRNA and subsequent cytochrome P-450 synthesis in the liver.     

Circadian rhythm of rat hepatic cytochrome P-450 reductase.

The activity of cytochrome P-450 reductase was measured in liver microsomes prepared from adult male rats which had been surgically adrenalectomized, pinealectomized, pinealectomized-adrenalectomized, or sham adrenalectomized-pinealectomized and from intact controls. Rats of each class were killed at 1, 4, 6, 10 hours after the beginning of the light period and 1, 4, 6, 10 hours after the lights were turned off (dark period). The activity of cytochrome P-450 reductase shows a significant diurnal variation in the control group with minimum and maximum at 1 and 10 hours after dark, respectively. The rhythm was altered in the animals surgically treated and the average reductase activity was decreased.     

Metabolism of valproic acid by hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450

Incubation of valproic acid with rat liver microsomes led to the formation of 3-, 4- and 5-hydroxy-valproic acid. The latter two metabolites, which have been characterized previously from in vivo studies, may be regarded as products of fatty acid ω-1 and ω hydroxylation, respectively. 3-Hydroxy-valproic acid, however, had been thought to derive from the β-oxidation pathway in mitochondria. Conversion of valproic acid to all three metabolites in microsomes required NADPH (NADH was less effective), utilized molecular oxygen, was suppressed by inhibitors of cytochrome P-450 and was stimulated (notably at C-3 and C-4) by phenobarbital pretreatment of the rats. It is concluded that rat liver microsomal cytochrome P-450 catalyzes ω-2 hydroxylation of valproic acid, a reaction not detected previously with fatty acids in mammalian systems, and that the product, 3-hydroxyvalproic acid, should not be used to assess in vivo metabolism of valproate via the β-oxidation pathway.     

Mutagenic activation of 2-acetylaminofluorene by guinea-pig liver homogenates: essential involvement of cytochrome P-450 mixed-function oxidases

2-Acetylaminofluorene (AAF) was highly mutagenic to Salmonella typhimurium strain TA98, when activated by a liver post-mitochondrial supernatant fraction (S9 fraction) from guinea-pigs, in spite of the resistance of this species to AAF carcinogenesis and the low capacity of the liver of this species for N-hydroxylation of AAF. The mutagenicity was comparable to or higher than that resulting from activation by mouse- or rat-liver S9 fraction, and was not enchanced by treatment with cytochrome P-450 inducers, a combination of phenobarbital and 5,6-benzoflavone. In an attempt to understand this unexpected result we examined whether a cytochrome P-450 mixed-function oxidase system participated in the mutagenic activation of AAF by guinea-pig liver, as it does in the case of mouse liver. The mutagenic activation was: (1) completely dependent on the addition of a co-factor, NADPH, to the mutation assay system, (2) completely suppressed by antiserum against NADPH--cytochrome c reductase, and (3) sensitive to a cytochrome P-450 inhibitor, 7,8-benzoflavone. These results indicate that the cytochrome P-450 enzyme system is essentially involved even in the mutagenic activation of AAF by guinea-pig-liver S9 fraction. Based on both the present and other data, the mechanism of the mutagenic activation is discussed to explain the observed high mutagenic potential of AAF in the presence of guinea-pig-liver S9 fraction.