pregnane X receptor and constitutive androstane receptor modulate differently CYp3A-mediated metabolism in earlyand late-stage cholestasis

AIM To ascertain whether cholestasis affects the expression of two CYP3 A isoforms(CYP3 A1 and CYP3 A2) and of pregnane X receptor(PXR) and constitutive androstane receptor(CAR).METHODS Cholestasis was induced by bile duct ligation in 16 male Wistar rats; whereas 8 sham-operated rats were used as controls. Severity of cholestasis was assessed on histological examination of liver sections, and serum concentrations of albumin, AST, ALT, GGT, ALPK and bilirubin. Gene and protein expressions of PXR, CAR, CYP3 A1 and CYP3 A2 were assessed by means of q RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. Alterations in CYP3 A activity were measured by calculating the kinetic parameters of 4-OH and 1'-OH-midazolam hydroxylation, marker reactions for CYP3 A enzymes.RESULTS The m RNA and protein expression of CYP3 A1 increased significantly in mild cholestasis(P < 0.01). At variance, m RNA and protein expression of CYP3 A2 didn't change in mild cholestasis, whereas the expression and activity of both CYP3 A1 and CYP3 A2 decreased dramatically when cholestasis became severe. Consistently with these observations, the nuclear expression of both PXR and CAR, which was measured because they both translocate into the cell nucleus after their activation, virtually disappeared in the late stage of cholestatic injury, after an initial increase. These results indicate that early-and late-stage cholestasis affects CYP3 Amediated drug metabolism differently, probably as consequence of the different activation of PXR and CAR.CONCLUSION Early-and late-stage cholestasis affects CYP3 Amediated drug metabolism differently. PXR and CAR might be targeted therapeutically to promote CYP3 Amediated liver detoxification.

Signaling control of the constitutive androstane receptor （CAR）

The constitutive androstane receptor （CAR, NRll3） plays a crucial role in the regulation of drug metabolism, energy homeostasis, and cancer development through modulating the transcription of its numerous target genes. Different from prototypical nuclear receptors, CAR can be activated by either direct ligand binding or ligand-independent （indirect） mechanisms both initiated with nuclear translocation of CAR from the cytoplasm. In comparison to the well-defined ligand-based activation, indirect activation of CAR appears to be exclusively involved in the nuclear translocation through mecha- nisms yet to be fully understood. Accumulating evi- dence reveals that without activation, CAR forms a protein complex in the cytoplasm where it can be func- tionally affected by multiple signaling pathways. In this review, we discuss recent progresses in our under- standing of the signaling regulation of CAR nuclear accumulation and activation. We expect that this review will also provide greater insight into the similarity and difference between the mechanisms of direct vs. indirect human CAR activation.

Constitutive androstane receptor induced-hepatomegaly and liver regeneration is partially via yes-associated protein activation

The constitutive androstane receptor(CAR, NR3 I1) belongs to nuclear receptor superfamily.It was reported that CAR agonist TCPOBOP induces hepatomegaly but the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. Yes-associated protein(YAP) is a potent regulator of organ size. The aim of this study is to explore the role of YAP in CAR activation-induced hepatomegaly and liver regeneration.TCPOBOP-induced CAR activation on hepatomegaly and liver regeneration was evaluated in wildtype(WT) mice, liver-specific YAP-deficient mice, and partial hepatectomy(PHx) mice. The results demonstrate that TCPOBOP can increase the liver-to-body weight ratio in wild-type mice and PHx mice.Hepatocytes enlargement around central vein(CV) area was observed, meanwhile hepatocytesproliferation was promoted as evidenced by the increased number of KI67+cells around portal vein(PV)area. The protein levels of YAP and its downstream targets were upregulated in TCPOBOP-treated mice and YAP translocation can be induced by CAR activation. Co-immunoprecipitation results suggested a potential proteineprotein interaction of CAR and YAP. However, CAR activation-induced hepatomegaly can still be observed in liver-specific YAP-deficient(Yape/e) mice. In summary, CAR activation promotes hepatomegaly and liver regeneration partially by inducing YAP translocation and interaction with YAP signaling pathway, which provides new insights to further understand the physiological functions of CAR.

Identification of CAR/RXR<i>α</i>Hetero-dimer Binding Sites in the Human Genome by a Modified Yeast One-Hybrid Assay

The constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) is a transcription factor that belongs to the nuclear receptor superfamily. CAR binds as a heterodimer with the retinoid X receptor α (RXRα) to CAR response elements (CAREs) and regulates the expression of various drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters. To identify CAR/RXRα binding sites in the human genome, we performed a modified yeast one-hybrid assay that enables rapid and efficient identification of genomic targets for DNA-binding proteins. DNA fragments were recovered from positive yeast colonies by PCR and sequenced. A motif enrichment analysis revealed that the most frequent motif was a direct repeat (DR) of RGKTCA-like core sequence spaced by 4 bp. Next, we predicted 149 putative CAR/RXRα binding sites from 414 unique clones, by searching for DRs, everted repeats (ERs) and inverted repeats (IRs) of the RGKTCA-like core motif. Based on gel mobility shift assays, the CAR/RXRα heterodimer could directly interact with the 108 predicted sequences, which included not only classical CAREs but also a wide variety of arrangements. Furthermore, we identified 17 regulatory polymorphisms on the CAR/RXRα-binding sites that may influence individual variation in the expression of CAR-regulated genes. These results provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the physiological and pathological actions of CAR/RXRα het-erodimers.

A brief history of the discovery of PXR and CAR as xenobiotic receptors

The nuclear receptors pregnane X receptor(PXR) and constitutive androstane receptor(CAR) were cloned and/or established as xenobiotic receptors in 1998.Due to their activities in the transcriptional regulation of phase I and phase II enzymes as well as drug transporters,PXR and CAR have been defined as the master regulators of xenobiotic responses.The discovery of PXR and CAR provides the essential molecular basis by which drugs and other xenobiotic compounds regulate the expression of xenobiotic enzymes and transporters.This article is intended to provide a historical overview on the discovery of PXR and CAR as xenobiotic receptors.

Atypical functions of xenobiotic receptors in lipid and glucose metabolism

Xenobiotic receptors are traditionally defined as xenobiotic chemical-sensing receptors,the activation of which transcriptionally regulates the expression of enzymes and transporters involved in the metabolism and disposition of xenobiotics.Emerging evidence suggests that“xenobiotic receptors”also have diverse endobiotic functions,including their effects on lipid metabolism and energy metabolism.Dyslipidemia is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease,diabetes,obesity,metabolic syndrome,stroke,nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD),and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH).Understanding the molecular mechanism by which transcriptional factors,including the xenobiotic receptors,regulate lipid homeostasis will help to develop preventive and therapeutic approaches.This review describes recent advances in our understanding the atypical roles of three xenobiotic receptors:aryl hydrocarbon receptor(AhR),pregnane X receptor(PXR),and constitutive androstane receptor(CAR),in metabolic disorders,with a particular focus on their effects on lipid and glucose metabolism.Collectively,the literatures suggest the potential values of AhR,PXR and CAR as therapeutic targets for the treatment of NAFLD,NASH,obesity and diabetes,and cardiovascular diseases.

Nuclear receptors and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease:An update

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)has become the leading cause of chronic liver disease in adults and children worldwide.The symptoms of NAFLD range from simple steatosis and non-alcoholic stea-tohepatitis(NASH)to hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis,even ultimately develops to hepatocellular carcinoma.Nuclear receptors(NRs)are a superfamily of ligand-activated transcription factors,most of which are ligand-activated that control cellular homeostasis in the liver and other tissues.A growing number of studies demonstrated the important role of NRs in NAFLD.In this review,the current findings on the role of NRs in NAFLD are summarized and future perspectives to target NRs for NAFLD are discussed.