Comparison of the sex and subcellular distributions, catalytic and immunochemical reactivities of hepatic epoxide hydrolases in seven mammalian species

Sex and species differences in hepatic epoxide hydrolase activities towards cis- and trans-stilbene oxide were examined in common laboratory animals, as well as in monkey and man. In general trans-stilbene oxide was found to be a good substrate for epoxide hydrolase activity in cytosolic fractions, whereas the cis isomer was selectively hydrated by the microsomal fraction (with the exception of man, where the cytosol also hydrated this isomer efficiently). The specific cytosolic epoxide hydrolase activity was highest in mouse, followed by hamster and rabbit. Epoxide hydrolase activity in the crude 'mitochondrial' fraction towards trans-stilbene oxide was also highest in mouse and low in all other species examined. Microsomal epoxide hydrolase activity was highest in monkey, followed by guinea pig, human and rabbit, which all had similar activities. Sex differences were generally small, but where significant, male animals had higher catalytic activities than females of the same species in most cases. Antibodies raised against microsomal epoxide hydrolase purified from rat liver reacted with microsomes from all species investigated, indicating structural conservation of this protein. Antibodies directed towards cytosolic epoxide hydrolase purified from mouse liver reacted only with liver cytosol from mouse and hamster and with the 'mitochondrial' fraction from mouse in immunodiffusion experiments. Immunoblotting also revealed reaction with rat liver cytosol. The cytosolic and 'mitochondrial' epoxide hydrolases in all three mouse strains and in both sexes for each strain were immunochemically identical. The anomalies in human liver epoxide hydrolase activities observed here indicate that no single common laboratory animal is a good model for man with regard to these activities.     

Human liver cytosolic epoxide hydrolases

Human liver epoxide hydrolases were characterized by several criteria and a cytosolic cis-stilbene oxide hydrolase (cEHCSO) was purified to apparent homogeneity. Styrene oxide and five phenylmethyloxiranes were tested as substrates for human liver epoxide hydrolases. With microsomes activity was highest with trans-2-methylstyrene oxide, followed by styrene 7,8-oxide, cis-2-methylstyrene oxide, cis-1,2-dimethylstyrene oxide, trans-1,2-dimethylstyrene oxide and 2,2-dimethylstyrene oxide. With cytosol the same order was obtained for the first three substrates, whereas activity with 2,2-dimethylstyrene oxide was higher than with cis-1,2-dimethylstyrene oxide and no hydrolysis occurred with trans-1,2-dimethylstyrene oxide. Generally, activities were lower with cytosol than with microsomes. The isoelectric point for both microsomal styrene 7,8-oxide and cis-stilbene oxide hydrolyzing activity was 7.0, whereas cEHCSO had an isoelectric point of 9.2 and cytosolic trans-stilbene oxide hydrolase (cEHTSO) of 5.7. The cytosolic epoxide hydrolases could be separated by anion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The latter technique revealed a higher molecular mass for cEHCSO than for cEHTSO. Both cytosolic epoxide hydrolases showed higher activities at pH 7.4 than at pH 9.0, whereas the opposite was true for microsomal epoxide hydrolase. The effects of ethanol, methanol, tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile, acetone and dimethylsulfoxide on microsomal epoxide hydrolase depended on the substrate tested, whereas both cytosolic enzymes were not at all, or only slightly, affected by these solvents. Effects of different enzyme modulators on microsomal epoxide hydrolase also depended on the substrates used. Trichloropropene oxide and styrene 7,8-oxide strongly inhibited cEHCSO whereas cEHTSO was moderately affected by these compounds. Immunochemical investigations revealed a close relationship between cEHCSO and rat liver microsomal, but not cytosolic, epoxide hydrolase. Interestingly, cEHTSO has no immunological relationship to rat microsomal, nor to rat cytosolic epoxide hydrolase. cEHTSO from human liver differed also from its counterpart in the rat in that it was only moderately affected by tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile and trichloropropene oxide. Five steps were necessary to purify cEHCSO. The enzyme has a molecular mass (49 kDa) identical to that of rat liver microsomal epoxide hydrolase.     

Purification of microsomal epoxide hydrolase from liver of rhesus monkey: partial separation of cis- and trans-stilbene oxide hydrolase

Solubilized rhesus monkey liver microsomes were used as the starting material for the purification of epoxide (cis-stilbene oxide) hydrolase. Successive chromatography over DEAE-Sephacel followed by CM-cellulose resulted in two peaks of activity, CM A and CM B. Passage of these two eluates over separate hydroxyapatite columns resulted in two peaks of activity from CM A, HA A1, and HA A2, and one peak from CM B and HA B, with respective recoveries of 1, 7, and 0.2% of cis-stilbene oxide hydrolase activities. A similar recovery was found for benzo[a]pyrene-4,5-oxide hydrolase, while trans-stilbene oxide hydrolase activity coeluted only in HA A2. Fraction HA A1 was homogeneous as judged by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Immunoblots of the three eluates and solubilized microsomes incubated with anti-HA A1 demonstrated a single band at 49 kDa in each fraction. The three eluates were differentially affected by the inhibitors of epoxide hydrolase, trichloropropene oxide and 4-phenylchalcone oxide, and addition of Lubrol PX and phospholipid. Immunoprecipitation of HA A2 resulted in coprecipitation of cis- and trans-stilbene oxide hydrolase activity. Upon immunoprecipitation of solubilized microsomes, all the cis-stilbene oxide and benzo[a]pyrene-4,5-oxide, but only 50-60% of trans-stilbene oxide hydrolase activity was precipitated. These studies support findings with other species that (i) an immunochemically distinct cytosolic-like epoxide hydrolase exists in microsomes, and (ii) microsomal epoxide hydrolase activity can be separated during ion-exchange chromatography giving proteins with similar molecular weights and immunochemical cross-reactivity. The precipitation of cis- and trans-stilbene oxide hydrolase activity in eluate HA A2 provides convincing evidence that these isozymes are not structurally identical.     

Purification and characterization of rat-liver cytosolic epoxide hydrolase

Rat liver cytosolic epoxide hydrolase has been purified and characterized. The enzyme was purified from tiadenol-induced rat liver 540-fold with respect to trans-stilbene oxide as a substrate. Similar purification was obtained with the substrates trans-beta-ethyl styrene oxide and styrene 7,8-oxide, the specific activities decreasing in the order trans-beta-ethyl styrene oxide greater than styrene 7,8-oxide greater than trans-stilbene oxide. The enzyme exerts highest activity at pH 7.4 Km and Vmax of the pure enzyme for trans-stilbene oxide were 1.7 microM and 205 nmol x min-1 x mg protein-1 respectively. With trans-stilbene oxide as a substrate, the inhibition by organic solvents (2.5% by vol.) increased in the order ethanol less than methanol less than acetone less than isopropanol = N,N-dimethyl formamide less than acetonitrile less than tetrahydrofuran. The native enzyme, with a molecular mass of 120 kDa, consists of two 61-kDa subunits. Digestion of rat liver cytosolic and microsomal epoxide hydrolase by three proteases resulted in markedly different peptide maps. Western-blot analysis with antiserum against rat liver cytosolic epoxide hydrolase revealed a single band with the purified enzyme, and with liver cytosol from control and clofibrate-induced rats. No cross-reactivity was observed with purified rat microsomal epoxide hydrolase or microsomes. A positive reaction at the same molecular mass was obtained with liver cytosol of mouse, guinea pig, Syrian hamster and New Zealand white rabbit but not with that of green monkey.     

Purification of human liver cytosolic epoxide hydrolase and comparison to the microsomal enzyme

Epoxide hydrolase (EC 3.3.2.3) was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from human liver cytosol by using hydrolytic activity toward trans-8-ethylstyrene 7,8-oxide (TESO) as an assay. The overall purification was 400-fold. The purified enzyme has an apparent monomeric molecular weight of 58 000, significantly greater than the 50 000 found for human (or rat) liver microsomal epoxide hydrolase or for another TESO-hydrolyzing enzyme also isolated from human liver cytosol. Purified cytosolic TESO hydrolase catalyzes the hydrolysis of cis-8-ethylstyrene 7,8-oxide 10 times more rapidly than does the microsomal enzyme, catalyzes the hydrolysis of TESO and trans-stilbene oxide as rapidly as the microsomal enzyme, but catalyzes the hydrolysis of styrene 7,8-oxide, p-nitrostyrene 7,8-oxide, and naphthalene 1,2-oxide much less effectively than does the microsomal enzyme. Purified cytosolic TESO hydrolase does not hydrolyze benzo[a]pyrene 4,5-oxide, a substrate for the microsomal enzyme. The activities of the purified enzymes can explain the specific activities observed with subcellular fractions. Anti-human liver microsomal epoxide hydrolase did not recognize cytosolic TESO hydrolase in purified form or in cytosol, as judged by double-diffusion immunoprecipitin analysis, precipitation of enzymatic activity, and immunoelectrophoretic techniques. Cytosolic TESO hydrolase and microsomal epoxide hydrolase were also distinguished by peptide mapping. The results provide evidence that physically different forms of epoxide hydrolase exist in different subcellular fractions and can have markedly different substrate specificities.     

Prediction of isoprene diepoxide levels in vivo in mouse, rat and man using enzyme kinetic data in vitro and physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modelling.

The present study was designed to explain the differences in isoprene toxicity between mouse and rat based on the liver concentrations of the assumed toxic metabolite isoprene diepoxide. In addition, extrapolation to the human situation was attempted. For this purpose, enzyme kinetic parameters K(m) and V(max) were determined in vitro in mouse, rat and human liver microsomes/cytosol for the cytochrome P450-mediated formation of isoprene mono- and diepoxides, epoxide hydrolase mediated hydrolysis of isoprene mono- and diepoxides, and the glutathione S-transferases mediated conjugation of isoprene monoepoxides. Subsequently, the kinetic parameters were incorporated into a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic model, and species differences regarding isoprene diepoxide levels were forecasted. Almost similar isoprene diepoxide liver and lung concentrations were predicted in mouse and rat, while predicted levels in humans were about 20-fold lower. However, when interindividual variation in enzyme activity was introduced in the human model, the levels of isoprene diepoxide changed considerably. It was forecasted that in individuals having both an extensive oxidation by cytochrome P450 and a low detoxification by epoxide hydrolase, isoprene diepoxide concentrations in the liver increased to similar concentrations as predicted for the mouse. However, the interpretation of the latter finding for human risk assessment is ambiguous since species differences between mouse and rat regarding isoprene toxicity could not be explained by the predicted isoprene diepoxide concentrations. We assume that other metabolites than isoprene diepoxide or different carcinogenic response might play a key role in determining the extent of isoprene toxicity. In order to confirm this, in vivo experiments are required in which isoprene epoxide concentrations will be established in rats and mice.     

Cytosolic and microsomal epoxide hydrolases are immunologically distinguishable from each other in the rat and mouse

Antibodies raised to homogeneous rat liver microsomal epoxide hydrolase were used to distinguish microsomal epoxide hydrolase from epoxide hydrolase of cytosolic origin in mice and rats. Using double diffusion analysis in agarose gels, we show that anti-rat liver microsomal epoxide hydrolase forms a single precipitin line with solubilized microsomes from rat and mouse liver, but no reaction is seen with the corresponding cytosolic fractions. Rat or mouse microsomal epoxide hydrolase activity (using benzo[a]pyrene 4,5-oxide as substrate) can be completely precipitated out of solubilized preparations by the antibody, which is equipotent against rat and mouse microsomal epoxide hydrolase. No precipitation of cytosolic hydrolase activity (using trans-beta-ethyl styrene oxide as substrate) is seen with any concentration of the antibody tested. Thus, in the case of microsomal epoxide hydrolase, extensive immunological cross-reactivity exists between the two species, rat and mouse. In contrast, no cross-reactivity is detectable between cytosolic and microsomal epoxide hydrolase, even when enzymes from the same species are compared. We conclude that microsomal and cytosolic epoxide hydrolase activities represent distinct and immunologically non-cross-reactive protein species.     

Immunocytochemical analysis of soluble epoxide hydrolase and catalase in mouse and rat hepatocytes demonstrates a peroxisomal localization before and after clofibrate treatment

The intracellular localization of soluble epoxide hydrolase and catalase was investigated in hepatocytes from untreated and clofibrate-treated male C57B1/6 mice and from untreated male Sprague-Dawley rats. Polyclonal rabbit antibodies directed against purified mouse liver cytosolic epoxide hydrolase and rat liver catalase were used and their specificity ascertained by Ouchterlony immunodiffusion and immunoblotting. The IgG fraction was purified and incubated with cryosections of isolated hepatocytes or liver tissue, priorly fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde, and protein-A gold conjugates were used to visualize the antigen-antibody reaction. The soluble form(s) of epoxide hydrolase was found to be localized in the matrix of peroxisomes in hepatocytes from normal and clofibrate-treated mice and normal rats. No significant reactivity was found against plasma membrane, nuclei, mitochondria, the Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum, lysosomes, or cytosol. Catalase was also localized to peroxisomes in all samples investigated. Accordingly, both the catalase and the epoxide hydrolase activities routinely recovered in the high-speed supernatant after subfractionation of rat and mouse liver tissue mostly seemed to be due to extensive matrix leakage from peroxisomes, and this phenomenon may also be found in other species. Rat hepatocytes contained less epoxide hydrolase than mouse hepatocytes, as judged by both immunocytochemical labeling and biochemical data. Clofibrate treatment of mice decreased the labeling density of epoxide hydrolase and catalase in hepatocytes peroxisomes, as expected, and more unlabeled peroxisomes were observed.     

The effects of metyrapone, chalcone epoxide, benzil, clotrimazole and related compounds on the activity of microsomal epoxide hydrolase in situ, in purified form and in reconstituted systems towards different substrates

The influence of metyrapone, chalcone epoxide, benzil and clotrimazole on the activity of microsomal epoxide hydrolase towards styrene oxide, benzo[a]pyrene 4,5-oxide, estroxide and androstene oxide was investigated. The studies were performed using liver microsomes from rats, rabbits, mice and humans; epoxide hydrolase purified from rat liver microsomes to apparent homogeneity; and the purified enzyme incorporated into liposomes composed of egg-yolk phosphatidylcholine or total rat liver microsomal lipids. All four effectors were found to activate the hydrolysis of styrene oxide by epoxide hydrolase in situ in rat liver microsomal membranes, in agreement with earlier findings. Epoxide hydrolase activity towards styrene oxide in liver microsomes from mouse, rabbit and man was also increased by all four effectors. The most striking effect was a 680% activation by clotrimazole in rat liver microsomes. However, none of the effectors activated microsomal epoxide hydrolase more than 50% when benzo[a]pyrene 4,5-oxide, estroxide or androstene oxide was used as substrate. Indeed, clotrimazole was found to inhibit microsomal epoxide hydrolase activity towards estroxide 30-50% and towards androstene oxide 60-90%. The effects of these four compounds were found to be virtually identical in the preparations from rats, rabbits, mice and humans. The effects of metyrapone, chalcone epoxide, benzil and clotrimazole on purified epoxide hydrolase were qualitatively the same as those on epoxide hydrolase in intact microsomes, but much smaller in magnitude. These effects were increased in magnitude only slightly by incorporation of the purified enzyme into liposomes made from egg-yolk phosphatidylcholine. However, when incorporation into liposomes composed of total microsomal lipids was performed, the effects seen were essentially of the same magnitude as with intact microsomes. When the extent of activation was plotted against effector concentration, three different patterns were found with different effectors. Activation of epoxide hydrolase activity towards styrene oxide by clotrimazole was found to be uncompetitive with the substrate and highly structure specific. On the other hand, inhibition of epoxide hydrolase activity towards androstene oxide by clotrimazole was found to be competitive in microsomes. It is concluded that the marked effects of these four modulators on microsomal epoxide hydrolase activity are due to an interaction with the enzyme protein itself, but that the presence of total microsomal phospholipids allows the maximal expression leading to similar degrees of modulation as those observed in intact microsomes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

A new enzyme immunoassay of microsomal rat liver epoxide hydrolase

Antiserum against purified rat liver microsomal epoxide hydrolase was produced in the rabbit. We developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay which is reliable with regard to its analytical criteria. The concentration of epoxide hydrolase was measured in liver microsomes of control rats and animals treated with F 1379 (250 mg/kg/day) for 5, 7, 14, and 21 days. This hypolipidemic drug was able to induce strong epoxide hydrolase activity and enhance protein concentration. The gradual increase in epoxide hydrolase concentration paralleled the increase of epoxide hydrolase activity, with stabilization occurring after the 14th until the 21st day of treatment.     

Human microsomal xenobiotic epoxide hydrolase. Complementary DNA sequence, complementary DNA-directed expression in COS-1 cells, and chromosomal localization

A lambda gt11 expression library constructed from human liver mRNA was screened with an antibody against human microsomal xenobiotic epoxide hydrolase. The clone pheh32 contains an insert of 1742 base pairs with an open reading frame coding for a protein of 455 amino acids with a calculated Mr of 52,956. The nucleotide sequence is 77% similar to the previously reported rat xenobiotic epoxide hydrolase cDNA sequence. The deduced amino acid sequence of the human epoxide hydrolase is 80% similar to the previously reported rabbit and 84% similar to the deduced rat protein sequence. The NH2-terminal amino acids deduced from the human xenobiotic epoxide hydrolase cDNA are identical to the published 19 NH2-terminal amino acids of the purified human xenobiotic epoxide hydrolase protein. Northern blot analysis revealed a single mRNA band of 1.8 kilobases. Southern blot analysis indicated that there is only one gene copy/haploid genome. The human xenobiotic epoxide hydrolase gene was assigned to the long arm of human chromosome 1. Several restriction fragment length polymorphisms were observed with the human epoxide hydrolase cDNA. pheh32 was expressed as enzymatically active protein in cultured monkey kidney cells (COS-1).     

Hepatic levels of cytosolic, microsomal and 'mitochondrial' epoxide hydrolases and other drug-metabolizing enzymes after treatment of mice with various xenobiotics and endogenous compounds

This study was performed in order to study the response of epoxide hydrolases in different subcellular compartments of mouse liver to treatment with various compounds. Male C57BL/6 mice were treated with 31 different compounds--including traditional inducers of xenobiotic-metabolizing systems, liver carcinogens, stilbene derivatives, endogenous compounds and various other drugs and xenobiotics. The effects on liver somatic index; protein contents in 'mitochondria', microsomes and cytosol prepared from the liver; epoxide hydrolase activity towards trans- or cis-stilbene oxide in these three fractions; microsomal cytochrome P-450 content; cytosolic and 'mitochondrial' glutathione transferase activity and cytosolic DT-diaphorase activity were then determined. Cytosolic epoxide hydrolase activity was induced by chlorinated paraffins, di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate and clofibrate and depressed by alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate, 3-methylcholanthrene, benzil and quercitin. Radial immunodiffusion revealed similar changes in the amount of enzyme protein present, except for two cases, where the increase in amount was larger; and the enzyme seems to be inhibited by benzil. Microsomal epoxide hydrolase activity was induced by these same compounds and several others as well, including dibenzoylmethane, butylated hydroxyanisole and polychlorinated biphenyls. 'Mitochondrial' epoxide hydrolase activity towards trans-stilbene oxide was not affected by those compounds which induced the cytosolic enzyme, but increased about two-fold after treatment with 2-acetylaminofluorene, DL-ethionine, aflatoxin B1 and phenobarbital. There does not seem to be any co-regulation of different forms of epoxide hydrolase in mouse liver. In general small effects were observed on liver weight and protein contents in the different subcellular fractions. Polychlorinated biphenyls were the most potent of the 8 compounds which induced cytochrome P-450, while butylated hydroxyanisole induced cytosolic glutathione transferase activity to the highest extent. 'Mitochondrial' glutathione transferase activity was most induced by certain of the stilbene derivatives. The most potent inducers of DT-diaphorase activity were 3-methylcholanthrene, polychlorinated biphenyls and dinitrotoluene.     

Purification of hepoxilin epoxide hydrolase from rat liver

Hepoxilin epoxide hydrolase activity was demonstrated in rat liver cytosol using as substrate [1-14C] hepoxilin A3, a recently described hydroxy epoxide derivative of arachidonic acid. The enzyme was isolated and purified to apparent homogeneity using conventional chromatographic procedures resulting in 41-fold purification. The protein eluted during isoelectric focusing at a pI in the 5.3-5.4 range. The specific activity of the purified protein was 1.2 ng/microgram protein/20 min at 37 degrees C. On sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, under denaturing conditions, a molecular mass value of 53 kDa was observed. Using native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, enzyme activity corresponded to the main protein band. The purified protein used hepoxilin A3 as preferred substrate converting it to trioxilin A3. The enzyme was marginally active toward other epoxides such as leukotriene A4 and styrene oxide. The Mr, pI, and substrate specificity of the hepoxilin epoxide hydrolase indicate that this enzyme is different from the recently reported leukotriene A4 hydrolase from human erythrocytes and rat and human neutrophils and constitutes a hitherto undescribed form of epoxide hydrolase with specificity toward hepoxilin A3. Tissue screening for enzyme activity revealed that this enzyme is ubiquitous in the rat.     

Phospholipid-transfer proteins in human liver and primary liver carcinoma

Investigations have been carried out on phospholipid-transfer activity of the cytosol and the phospholipid composition of subcellular membranes from human liver and primary liver carcinoma. In both human liver and primary liver carcinoma cytosolic fractions, the transfer activity for phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and sphingomyelin has been observed for the first time. The transfer rate of PC and PE in normal human liver was almost equal, whereas sphingomyelin-transfer activity was much slower. In carcinoma cells, the transfer activity for PE and PC was significantly enhanced, while sphingomyelin transfer remained unchanged. Comparative investigations with HepG2 cultured cells have revealed a high PE-transfer activity in this cell line. Parallel with the phospholipid-transfer activity modifications in neoplasic cells, changes in the phospholipid composition of microsomes and mitochondria have been observed. The content of PC and PE in hepatocarcinoma cells was decreased in microsomes, while in the mitochondria it was increased. The possible role of the phospholipid-transfer proteins in the maintenance of membrane composition and structure is discussed.     

Differential stereoselectivity on metabolism of triphenylene by cytochromes P-450 in liver microsomes from 3-methylcholanthrene- and phenobarbital-treated rats

Metabolism of triphenylene by liver microsomes from control, phenobarbital(PB)-treated rats and 3-methylcholanthrene(MC)-treated rats as well as by a purified system reconstituted with cytochrome P-450c in the absence or presence of purified microsomal epoxide hydrolase was examined. Control microsomes metabolized triphenylene at a rate of 1.2 nmol/nmol of cytochrome P-450/min. Treatment of rats with PB or MC resulted in a 40% reduction and a 3-fold enhancement in the rate of metabolism, respectively. Metabolites consisted of the trans-1,2-dihydrodiol as well as 1-hydroxytriphenylene, and to a lesser extent 2-hydroxytriphenylene. The (-)-1R,2R-enantiomer of the dihydrodiol predominated (70 to 92%) under all incubation conditions. Incubation of racemic triphenylene 1,2-oxide with microsomal epoxide hydrolase produced dihydrodiol which was highly enriched (80%) in the (-)-1R,2R-enantiomer. Experiments with 18O-enriched water showed that attack of water was exclusively at the allylic 2-position of the arene oxide, indicating that the 1R,2S-enantiomer of the oxide was preferentially hydrated by epoxide hydrolase. Thiol trapping experiments indicated that liver microsomes from MC-treated rats produced almost exclusively (greater than 90%) the 1R,2S-enantiomer of triphenylene 1,2-oxide whereas liver microsomes from PB-treated rats formed racemic oxide. The optically active oxide has a half-life for racemization of only approximately 20 s under the incubation conditions. This study may represent the first attempt to address stereochemical consequences of a rapidly racemizing intermediary metabolite.     

Immunoquantification of epoxide hydrolase and cytochrome P-450 isozymes in fetal and adult human liver microsomes

Epoxide hydrolase and three cytochrome P-450 isozymes were immunochemically determined in microsomes from adult and fetal human liver and tentatively correlated with some enzyme activities. The P-450 isozymes 5, 8 and 9 present in adult liver could not be positively correlated with the total cytochrome P-450 concentration spectrophotometrically determined. In fetal liver microsomes, isozyme 8 could not be detected by either electrophoretic or immunochemical procedures. Isozyme 5 was the major isozyme present in the fetal liver and its concentration increased in close relation with the total P-450 level. As shown previously, arylhydrocarbon hydroxylase activity was related to the concentration of isozyme 8 in adult liver. In fetal preparations, the absence of isozyme 8 was associated with a very low arylhydrocarbon hydroxylase activity. Aldrin epoxidase and benzphetamine-N-demethylase activities were correlated with isozyme 5 concentration, but with different slopes for adult and fetal microsomes: adult preparations catalyzed these two reactions more efficiently. Conversely, the dehydroepiandrosterone 16 beta-hydroxylase, also associated with isozyme 5 concentration, was more active in fetal than in adult microsomes. Moreover, if acetanilide hydroxylase increased with isozyme 5 concentration in adult samples, no correlation occurred between activity and P-450 isozyme level in fetal microsomes. Hydroxylations of lauric acid in positions 11 and 12 and of dehydroepiandrosterone in position 16 alpha increased with total P-450 concentration but not with isozyme concentrations whatever the age considered. Lastly, epoxide hydrolase activity towards benzopyrene 4,5-oxide was closely associated with its immunochemically determined level. These results clearly suggest that multiple mechanisms are involved in the regulation of different drug-metabolizing enzymes in the human fetus.     

Leukotriene A4. Enzymatic conversion into 5,6-dihydroxy-7,9,11,14-eicosatetraenoic acid by mouse liver cytosolic epoxide hydrolase

Mouse liver homogenates transformed leukotriene A4 into a 5,6-dihydroxy-7,9,11,14-eicosatetraenoic acid. This novel enzymatic metabolite of leukotriene A4 was characterized by physical means including ultraviolet spectroscopy, high performance liquid chromatography, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. After subcellular fractionation, the enzymatic activity was mostly recovered in the 105,000 X g supernatant and 20,000 X g pellet. Heat treatment (80 degrees C, 10 min) or digestion with a proteolytic enzyme abolished the enzymatic activity in the high speed supernatant. A purified cytosolic epoxide hydrolase from mouse liver also transformed leukotriene A4 into a 5,6-dihydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid with the same physico-chemical characteristics as the compound formed in crude cytosol, but not into leukotriene B4, a compound previously reported to be formed in liver cytosol (Haeggstr?m, J., R?dmark, O., and Fitzpatrick, F.A. (1985) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 835, 378-384). These findings suggest a role for leukotriene A4 as an endogenous substrate for cytosolic epoxide hydrolase, an enzyme earlier characterized by xenobiotic substrates. Furthermore, they indicate that leukotriene A4 hydrolase in liver cytosol is a distinct enzyme, separate from previously described forms of epoxide hydrolases in liver.     

The in vivo effects of acenocoumarol, phenprocoumon and warfarin on vitamin K epoxide reductase and vitamin K-dependent carboxylase in various tissues of the rat

In rats the in vivo effects of a chronic low-dose treatment (+/- 60 micrograms/rat per day) with different coumarins (acenocoumarol, phenprocoumon and warfarin) on hepatic and non-hepatic vitamin K-dependent enzyme systems were compared. The plasma concentrations of the three coumarins differed largely but these differences were not reflected in the microsomal coumarin contents. The non-hepatic microsomes contained less than 20% of the coumarins found in liver microsomes. No substantial differences were observed between the following effects of the three anticoagulant treatments. The blood coagulation factor activities were about 10% of normal. The hepatic microsomal vitamin K epoxide reductase activity was diminished to about 35% of control values. The vitamin K epoxide reductase activities present in kidney, lung, spleen, testis and brain microsomes were less influenced by the coumarin treatments; activities ranged between 45 and 65% of normal. In the liver microsomes a 15-fold accumulation of non-carboxylated precursor proteins was found; in the non-hepatic microsomes this effect was less pronounced but still present. The hepatic vitamin K-dependent carboxylase activity was enhanced but the corresponding non-hepatic enzyme activities were slightly or not affected. In addition, the effects of a chronic low-dose warfarin treatment were compared with those after an acute high dose of the drug.     

Subcellular distribution, catalytic properties and partial purification of epoxide hydrolase in the human adrenal gland

Epoxide hydrolase in human adrenal gland was characterized with respect to catalytic properties and subcellular distribution. With human adrenal microsomes and the substrates styrene-7,8-oxide, cis-stilbene oxide, estroxide and androstene oxide the specific activities were between 1.9 and 19.0 nmol/min/mg protein. With styrene-7,8-oxide as substrate the apparent Km-value was 0.98 mM and the pH optimum was 9.2. Subcellular fractionation revealed that the bulk of the activity was confined to the endoplasmic reticulum. Different compounds known to influence rodent microsomal epoxide hydrolase activity were also tested on the human adrenal enzyme. 1,1,1-Trichloropropene-2,3-oxide (TCPO) and cyclohexene oxide (CHO) inhibited the activity while benzil and clotrimazole stimulated the activity. Partial purification of human adrenal epoxide hydrolase indicates that its molecular weight is about 51 000 and that its concentration relative total protein in the human adrenal microsomes is about 10%.     

Differential subcellular localization of endogenous and transfected soluble epoxide hydrolase in mammalian cells: evidence for isozyme variants

Endogenous, constitutive soluble epoxide hydrolase in mice 3T3 cells was localized via immunofluorescence microscopy exclusively in peroxisomes, whereas transiently expressed mouse soluble epoxide hydrolase (from clofibrate-treated liver) accumulated only in the cytosol of 3T3 and HeLa cells. When the C-terminal lie of mouse soluble epoxide hydrolase was mutated to generate a prototypic putative type 1 PTS (-SKI to -SKL), the enzyme targeted to peroxisomes. The possibility that soluble epoxide hydrolase-SKI was sorted slowly to peroxiosmes from the cytosol was examined by stably expressing rat soluble epoxide hydrolase-SKI appended to the green fluorescent protein. Green fluorescent protein soluble epoxide hydrolase-SKI was strictly cytosolic, indicating that -SKI was not a temporally inefficient putative type 1 PTS. Import of soluble epoxide hydrolase-SKI into peroxisomes in plant cells revealed that the context of -SKI on soluble epoxide hydrolase was targeting permissible. These results show that the C-terminal -SKI is a non-functional putative type 1 PTS on soluble epoxide hydrolase and suggest the existence of distinct cytosolic and peroxisomal targeting variants of soluble epoxide hydrolase in mouse and rat.