• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.9-15
• /
• 1996

We studied the effects of a single, combined and mixed exposure of benzene, toluene and xylene on the activities of rat liver microsomal AHH, ADH and ALDH, and the excretion of their metabolites in urine. The AHH activities of the rats treated in combination and mixture were slightly higher and/or similar to those rats treated with single solvent, while the reverse effects were observed for ADH and ALDH. Similar effects were observed when the metabolites were examined in urine (p < 0.01). These results suggest that each solvent might interJkre the induction and action of ADH and ALDH, and decrease the excretion of their metabolites into urine.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.3 no.4
• /
• pp.351-355
• /
• 1998

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of protein and dietary fiber levels on the activities of ehanol metabilizing enzymes of the brain in acute and chronic ethanol-treated rats. Male Sprague-Dwley rats were fed on diets containing two levels of protein(7%, 20%)) with two levels of fiber(5%, 105) for 5 weeks. Rats were orally administered 40% (v/v) ethanol(5g/body weight) 90 min before decapitation in the acute ethanol-treated groups and 25% (v/v) ethanol (5g/kg body weight) once a day for 5 weeks in the chronic ethnol-treated groups. Cytosilic alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activities were higher than those of mitochondrial ADH. The ADH activities were increased by 20% protein and %% fiber levels in the diet in two fractions , but were decreased by chronic ethanol treatment. Mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activities did not change by ethanol treatment but were increased by the 20% protein level. However, cytosilic ALDH activities were decreased by chronic ethanol treatment at the 5% fiber level and did not change with protein levels. Both ALDH activities were higher in the 10% fiber groups than the 5% fiber groups. Cytochrome P-450 contents were significantly increased in the chronic ethanol-treated groups but xanthine oxidase (XO) activities did not change. P-450 contents and XO activities were significantly decreased in both the low protein and fiber groups.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.45 no.12
• /
• pp.736-741
• /
• 2012

Certain members of the cytochromes P450 superfamily metabolize polyunsaturated long-chain fatty acids to several classes of oxygenated metabolites. An approach based on in silico analysis predicted that Streptomyces peucetius CYP107N3 might be a fatty acid-metabolizing enzyme, showing high homology with epoxidase enzymes. Homology modeling and docking studies of CYP107N3 showed that oleic acid can fit directly into the active site pocket of the double bond of oleic acid within optimum distance of $4.6{\AA}$ from the Fe. In order to confirm the epoxidation activity proposed by in silico analysis, a gene coding CYP107N3 was expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified CYP107N3 was shown to catalyze $C_9-C_{10}$ epoxidation of oleic acid in vitro to 9,10-epoxy stearic acid confirmed by ESI-MS, HPLC-MS and GC-MS spectral analysis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.268-273
• /
• 2000

To investigate an effect of the ethanol extract of Lycium chinense(EELC) on the activities of enzymes scavenging oxygen free radicals or detoxicating alcohol. The ground Lycium chinense was extracted with 30% edible ethanol and then diluted with 6% ethanol to contain 2% EELC(w/v). Three different groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats had taken a drink EELC, ethanol(ETH) or water(control), respectively for 2 months. At the end of experimental period, the animals were sacrificed and obtained the following findings. The EELC-treated animals showed the highest activity of hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase among three groups. The activities of xanthine oxidase and cytochrome p-450 from EELC treatment group were lower than those from ETH-treated group. However, the activity of superoxide dismutase was higher in the EELC-treated group than the ETH-treated(p<0.005). Furthermore, hepatic alcohol or aldehyde dehydrogenase activity, and glutathione content and glutathione peroxidase were significantly higher in EELC-treated animals than in ETH-treated those. The activity of glutathione S-transferase in liver was appeared the orderly higher value in EELC, ETH and control-treated group. As the result, EELC may affect the reduction of oxygen free radical production and help the detoxication of ethanol.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.28 no.10
• /
• pp.1196-1202
• /
• 2005

Omeprazole (OMP) is a proton pump inhibitor used as an oral treatment for acid-related gastrointestinal disorders. In the liver, it is primarily metabolized by cytochrome P-450 (CYP450) isoenzymes such as CYP2C19 and CYP3A4. 5-Hyroxyomeprazole (5-OHOMP) and omeprazole sulfone (OMP-SFN) are the two major metabolites of OMP in human. Cimetidine (CMT) inhibits the breakdown of drugs metabolized by CYP450 and reduces, the clearance of coad-ministered drug resulted from both the CMT binding to CYP450 and the decreased hepatic blood flow due to CMT. Phenobarbital (PB) induces drug metabolism in laboratory animals and human. PB induction mainly involves mammalian CYP forms in gene families 2B and 3A. PB has been widely used as a prototype inducer for biochemical investigations of drug metabolism and the enzymes catalyzing this metabolism, as well as for genetic, pharmacological, and toxicological investigations. In order to investigate the influence of CMT and PB on the metabolite kinetics of OMP, we intravenously administered OMP (30 mg/kg) to rats intraperitoneally pretreated with normal saline (5 mL/kg), CMT (100 mg/kg) or PB (75 mg/kg) once a day for four days, and compared the pharmacokinetic parameters of OMP. The systemic clearance ($CL_{t}$) of OMP was significantly (p<0.05) decreased in CMT-pretreated rats and significantly (p<0.05) increased in PB-pretreated rats. These results indicate that CMT inhibits the OMP metabolism due to both decreased hepatic blood flow and inhibited enzyme activity of CYP2C19 and 3A4 and that PB increases the OMP metabolism due to stimulation of the liver blood flow and/or bile flow, due not to induction of the enzyme activity of CYP3A4.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.13 no.1_2
• /
• pp.95-101
• /
• 1997

Ethyl carbamate (EC) is a potent teratogen in rodents and is present at low concentration in fermented foods and alcohol beverages. It has been well hypothesized that some metabolic products are responsible for the teratogenic effects of the compound. In the present study, the effects of phenobarbital (PB) on EC-induced embryotoxicity were investigated in SD rats. Six groups were constructed: EC 300 (EC 300 mg/kg/day), EC 600 (EC 600 mg/kg/day), EC 600+PB (EC 600 mg/kg/day and PB 80 mg/kg/day), PB (PB 80 mg/kg/day), DR (dietary restriction, 8 g/day/rat) and a control group. Rats of the EC 600+PB group were pretreated with phenobarbital intraperitoneally for three days to induce cytochrome P450 enzymes, followed by oral administration of EC for two consecutive days. The incidence of fetal deaths in the EC 600+PB group was higher than that of the EC 600 group(42.7 vs. 14.3%). The incidence of fetal realformations in the EC 600+PB group was higher than that of the EC 600 group (external; 7.0 vs. 4.1%, visceral; 31.4 vs. 11.3%, skeletal; 11.1 vs. 6.5%). There was no embryotoxicity in the control, EC 300, PB and DR groups. These results show that the pretreatment with phenobarbital augments EC-induced embryotoxicity in rats, indicating an evidence that metabolic activation by cytochrome P450 may be the major pathway of EC to its embryotoxic forms.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.301-309
• /
• 2007

Paecilomyces tenuipes (PT), one of the Ascomycetes family, has been used for medicinal purposes due to its broad pharmacological activities. The present study was undertaken to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of PT water extracts against $CCl_4$-induced hepatotoxicity in primary cultures of adult rat hepatocytes. When the extract of PT was directly added into the culture medium at 1, 2, and 5 mg/ml, the extracts not only reduce the $CCl_4$-induced elevation of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase, and lipid peroxide, but also protect cultured hepatocytes from $CCl_4$-induced reduction of reduced glutathione, glutathione reductase, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase. In addition, the effects of PT water extracts on cytochrome P450 enzymes were relatively marginal, indicating that the hepatoprotective effects of PT extract against $CCl_4$-induced toxicity might not be due to the inhibition of $CCl_4$ activation. In conclusion, the PT extracts were effective in protecting against $CCl_4$ induced hepatotoxicity in hepatocyte cultures, at least in part, by scavenging free radicals, and by modulating enzyme systems involved in cellular oxidative stress.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.20 no.12
• /
• pp.1832-1842
• /
• 2007

Cytochrome P450 aromatase is responsible for the biosynthesis of estrogen. It is also responsible for the endogenous production of 19-nortestosterone (nandrolone), an anabolic androgen unique to pigs. Plasma concentrations of 19-nortestosterone are highest between two and four weeks after birth in male pigs. In the present study, the physiology of 19-nortestosterone was investigated by measuring the mRNA levels of steroidogenic enzymes, estrogen receptors and androgen receptor in the tissues of growing pigs. The expression of aromatase, 17${\alpha}$-hydroxylase and 3${\beta}$-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in the testes of male piglets increased between birth and two weeks of age, and then decreased progressively. Similar developmental expressional patterns were observed for 17${\alpha}$-hydroxylase and 3${\beta}$-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in the ovaries of female piglets, but without significant aromatase expression. The major form of aromatase expressed in the testes of piglets was identified as type I. Expression of estrogen receptor-${\alpha}$ and -${\beta}$and androgen receptor genes was also detected in both testes and ovaries. A transient elevation of androgen receptor mRNA in male piglets at two weeks of age was also observed in testes. Significant expression of the androgen receptor gene, but not of estrogen receptor-${\alpha}$ and -${\beta}$ genes, was also demonstrated in adipose tissue and muscle. We conclude that the observed increase in the testicular expression of aromatase in male pigs could account for the production of large amounts of 19-nortestosterone at between two and four weeks of age in males. Androgen receptor and 19-nortestosterone appeared to be important for testicular development and might contribute to sexual dimorphism in body composition and muscle development in juvenile pigs.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.21 no.3 s.54
• /
• pp.245-253
• /
• 2006

We reported previously that glucagon decreased alpha- and pi-class glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEN) protein levels in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. The present study examines the effects of Protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor, KT5720, on the glucagon-mediated decrease in expression of GSTs and mEN. To assess cell viability. lactate dehydrogenase release and MTT activity were examined in hepatocytes treated KT5720. Cell viability was significantly decreased in a concentration dependent manner after incubation with KT5720 at the concentrations of 1 $\mu$M or above for 24 h, which was inhibited by the cytochrome P450 inhibitor SKF-525A. In contrast, another PKA inhibitor H89 (up to 25 $\mu$M) was not toxic to hepatocytes. The glucagon-mediated decrease in expression of alpha- and pi-class GSTs and mEH was completely inhibited by 25 $\mu$M H89 and attenuated by 0.1 $\mu$M KT5720. This study demonstrates that KT5720 may cause cytotoxicity in rat hepatocytes through cytochrome P450-dependent bioactivation. The present study implicates PKA in mediating the inhibitory effect of glucagon on expression of alpha- and pi- class GSTs and mEH.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.239-245
• /
• 2004

KR-31543, (2S,3R,4S)-6-amino-4-[N-(4-chlorophenyl)-N-(2 -methyl-2H-tetrazol-5-ylmethyl) amino]-3,4-dihydro-2-dimethoxymethyl-3-hydroxy-2-methyl-2H-1-benzopyran, is a new neuroprotective agent for preventing ischemia-reperfusion damage. This study was performed to identify the metabolic pathway of KR-31543 in human liver microsomes and to characterize cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes that are involved in the metabolism of KR-31543. Human liver microsomal incubation of KR-31543 in the presence of NADPH resulted in the formation of two metabolites, M1 and M2. M1 was identified as N-(4-chlorophenyl)-N-(2-methyl-2H-tetrazol-5-ylmethyl)amine on the basis of LC/MS/MS analysis with a synthesized authentic standard, and M2 was suggested to be hydroxy-KR-31543. Correlation analysis between the known CYP enzyme activities and the rates of the formation of M 1 and M2 in the 12 human liver microsomes have showed significant correlations with testosterone 6$\beta$-hydroxylase activity (a marker of CYP3A4). Ketoconazole, a selective inhibitor of CYP3A4, and anti-CYP3A4 monoclonal antibodies potently inhibited both N-hydrolysis and hydroxylation of KR-31543 in human liver microsomes. These results provide evidence that CYP3A4 is the major isozyme responsible for the metabolism of KR-31543 to M1 and M2.