孕烷X受体的翻译后修饰及其功能调控作用研究进展

孕烷X 受体（PXR）是一类配体依赖性的核受体亚家族,可感受外源物质,被多种药物激活。PXR 可转录调控多种与药物代谢 相关的药物代谢酶和药物转运体的表达,参与药物代谢调控。PXR 转录活性的变化可改变药物在体内的代谢过程,继而诱发潜在药物不 良反应,与药物药代动力学研究和临床药物治疗密切相关,并有潜力成为防治药物介导的肝损伤和逆转化疗药物耐药的新型药物靶标。 综述了目前已发现的PXR 翻译后修饰及其对PXR 功能调控机制的研究进展。     

孕烷X受体的研究进展

核受体是一类高度保守的配体依赖性转录因子家族,在哺乳动物发育、繁殖、免疫应答、心血管功能、组织生长、肿瘤形成、外源物清除及糖类和脂质代谢等生理过程中发挥重要作用。机体对外源物质的清除主要是由孕烷X受体等核受雄介导的。孕烷X受体最早是作为外源物感受器而被研究的,可以被大多数亲脂性药物等外源性化合物及一些内源性化合物如胆汁酸等结构差异很大的配体激活,进而与视黄醇类X受体等形成异源二聚体,结合在ER6、XREM等DNA元件上,调控下游靶基因（包括一相代谢酶、二相结合酶及药物转运体等基因）的表达。此外,孕烷X受体在能量代谢和免疫反应中也有重要作用,参与某些代谢疾病的发生发展,且已在动物模型中被证明是Ⅱ型糖尿病、血脂异常、肥胖症和动脉粥样硬化等代谢疾病治疗的有效靶标。我们主要就其发现、结构、组织分布、作用方式、自身表达的调节等方面的最新研究进行综述。     

Role of CYP3A4 in the regulation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor by omeprazole sulphide

Cross-talk between nuclear receptors involved in the control of drug metabolism is being increasingly recognised as a source of drug side effects. Omeprazole is a well known activator of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). We investigated the regulation of AhR by omeprazole-sulphide, a degradation metabolite of omeprazole, using CYP1A mRNA induction, reporter gene assay, receptor DNA binding, ligand binding, nuclear translocation, trypsin digests, and drug metabolism analysis in mouse Hepa-1c1c7, human HepG2 cells and primary human hepatocytes. Omeprazole-sulphide is a pure antagonist of AhR in Hepa-1c1c7 and HepG2 hepatoma cell lines. In Hepa-1c1c7 cells, omeprazole-sulphide is a ligand of AhR, inhibits AhR activation to a DNA-binding form, induces a specific pattern of AhR trypsin digestion and inhibits AhR nuclear translocation and subsequent degradation in response to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. However, in highly differentiated primary human hepatocytes treated with rifampicin an agonist of the pregnane X receptor (PXR), omeprazole-sulphide behaves as an agonist of AhR. Inhibition of drug metabolizing enzymes by ketoconazole restores the antagonist effect of omeprazole-sulphide. Metabolic LC/MS analysis reveals that omeprazole-sulphide (AhR antagonist) is efficiently converted to omeprazole (AhR activator) by cytochrome P450 CYP3A4, a target gene of PXR, in primary human hepatocytes but not in hepatoma cells in which PXR is not expressed. This report provides the first evidence for a cross-talk between PXR/CYP3A4 and AhR. In addition, it clearly shows that conclusions drawn from experiments carried out in cell lines may lead to erroneous in vivo predictions in man.     

Identification of pregnane-X receptor target genes and coactivator and corepressor binding to promoter elements in human hepatocytes

Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) studies were conducted in human hepatocytes treated with rifampicin in order to identify new pregnane-X receptor (PXR) target genes. Genes, both previously known to be involved and not known to be involved in drug disposition, with PXR response elements (PXREs) located upstream, within or downstream from their potentially associated genes, were identified. Validation experiments identified several new drug disposition genes with PXR binding sites. Of these, only CYP4F12 demonstrated increased binding in the presence of rifampicin. The role of PXR in the basal and inductive response of CYP4F12 was confirmed in hepatocytes in which PXR was silenced. We also assessed the association of PXR-coactivators and -corepressors with known and newly identified PXREs. Both PXR and the steroid receptor coactivator (SRC-1) were found to bind to PXREs in the absence of rifampicin, although binding was stronger after rifampicin treatment. We observed promoter-dependent patterns with respect to the binding of various coactivators and corepressors involved in the regulation of CYP4F12, CYP3A4, CYP2B6, UGT1A1 and P-glycoprotein. In conclusion, our findings indicate that PXR is involved in the regulation of CYP4F12 and that PXR along with SRC1 binds to a broad range of promoters but that many of these are not inducible by rifampicin.     

In silico search for single nucleotide polymorphisms in genes important in vitamin E homeostasis

Large inter-individual variation exists in the response to vitamin E supplementation, and this may influence the outcome of human studies. It is our hypothesis that genetic heterogeneity is an important determinant of vitamin E homeostasis. Therefore we have performed an in silico search for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with genes involved in vitamin E homeostasis. Based on function, the following genes were considered as candidates for vitamin E heterogeneity: c-tocopherol transfer protein (TTPA), tocopherol associated protein (TAP), lipoprotein lipase (LPL), multidrug resistance protein 2 (MDR-2), pregnane X receptor (PXR) and members of the cytochrome P450 family (CYP). Searches for coding SNPs were initiated from web based programs of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). SNP frequencies were calculated by dividing the number of annotated coding SNPs by the number of base pairs in the open reading frame. Genes for TTPA, TAP and CYP3A5 had calculated SNP frequencies between 503 and 837 base pairs per coding SNP (bp/cSNP) and so are not highly polymorphic. In contrast, cSNP frequencies in LPL, MRP2, PXR, CYP3A4 and CYP4F2 were in the range of 100 bp/cSNP and so are highly polymorphic. Thus proteins involved in specific vitamin E binding are not highly polymorphic, may not influence inter-individual variation and so may not be good candidates for population studies. Proteins involved in drug/lipid metabolism which indirectly influence vitamin E status are highly polymorphic, are likely to influence inter-individual variation and so are good candidates for population studies. We suggest that future studies are aimed at addressing the role of such SNPs in vitamin E homeostasis.     

CYP3A4 and pregnane X receptor humanized mice

Marked species differences exist in P450 expression and activities. In order to produce mouse models that can be used to more accurately predict human drug and carcinogen metabolism, P450- and xenobiotic receptor humanized mice are being prepared using bacterial artificial chromosomes (BAC) and P1 phage artificial chromosomes (PAC) genomic clones. In some cases, transgenic mice carrying the human genes are bred with null-mice to produce fully humanized mice. Mice expressing human CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP2E1, CYP2D6, CYP3A4, and CYP3A7 were generated and characterized. Studies with the CYP3A4-humanized (hCYP3A4) mouse line revealed new information on the physiological function of this P450 and its role in drug metabolism in vivo. With this mouse line, CYP3A4, under certain circumstances, was found to alter the serum levels of estrogen resulting in deficient lactation and low pup survival as a result of underdeveloped mammary glands. This hCYP3A4 mouse established the importance of intestinal CYP3A4 in the pharmacokinetics of orally administered drugs. The hCYP3A4 mice were also used to establish the mechanisms of potential gender differences in CYP3A4 expression (adult female > adult male) that could account for human gender differences in drug metabolism and response. The pregnane X receptor (PXR) is also involved in induction of drug metabolism through its target genes including CYP3A4. Since species differences exist in ligand specificity between human and mice, a PXR-humanized mouse (hPXR) was produced that responds to human PXR activators such as rifampicin but does not respond to the rodent activator pregnenalone 16alpha-carbonitrile.     

Membrane biochemistry and chemical hepatocarcinogenesis.

Biochemical membrane alterations appearing during the process of chemical carcinogenesis are described. Emphasis is put on membrane composition, structure, and biogenesis. In this presentation the knowledge gained from experimental studies of liver and skin in the process of cancer development is acknowledged. Important biochemical changes have been reported in lipid composition, fatty acid saturation, constitutional enzyme expression, receptor turnover and oligomerization. Functional consequences of the altered membrane structure is discussed within the concepts of regulation of cell proliferation, regulation of membrane receptor expression, redox control, signal transduction, drug metabolism, and multidrug resistance. Data from malignant tumours and normal tissue are addressed to evaluate the importance of the alterations for the process and for the eventual malignant transformation.