Identification and interspecies characterization of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase isoforms catalyzing acacetin glucuronidation using recombinant UGT enzymes and microsomes

Objective:To explore the glucuronic acid metabolism of acacetin in human liver and intestinal microsomes to better characterize human uridine 5'-diphospho (UDP)-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) isoforms.In addition,interspecies comparisons were performed to identify the most appropriate experimental animal model for an in vivo study.Methods:Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) were used to confirm the successful biosynthesis of acacetin-7-O-glucuronide.Human isoforms of UGT and isozyme-specific chemical inhibitors were used for recombinant assays.Acacetin glucuronidation kinetics were assessed by combining acacetin with recombinant human UGT isoforms or with microsomes from humans or experimental animals.Kinetic differences between species were assessed in vitro using the same approach.Results:We identified multiple UGT isoforms that facilitated acacetin glucuronidation,and found that UGT1A1 was the major isoform that catalyzed this process.Acacetin-7-O-glucuronide formation exhibited clear substrate inhibition kinetics when combined with recombinant UGTs or with liver/intestinal microsomes derived from humans,monkeys,rats,mice,dogs,or pigs.Intrinsic metabolic clearance values of human intestinal microsomes were two-fold greater than those of human liver microsomes.Among the evaluated species,the Km value of dog microsomes (0.86 μM) was greatest in acacetin glucuronidation,while mice exhibited the highest CLint value,5.05 mL/min/mg.The CLint values of microsomes derived from monkeys and minipigs were 1.99 mL/min/mg and 2.12 mL/min/mg,respectively,exhibiting similar intrinsic metabolic clearance activity to that observed in humans.Conclusion:Monkey may represent a suitable model for experimental studies of acacetin pharmacokinetics owing to a high sequence homology of UGT1A1 and similar UGT1A1 glucuronidation activity to humans.

Inhibitory effect of the combination of notoginseng total saponins and safflower total flavonoids on UDP-glucuronosyltransferases 1A1, 1A4, and 2B7 in human liver microsomes

In the present study, the potential inhibition behaviors of notoginseng total saponins(NS), safflower total flavonoids(SF), and their combination(CNS) towards three major isoforms of UDP-glucuronosyltransferases(UGTs) in human liver microsomes(HLMs) were investigated to study the mechanism of the synergistic effect of CNS.Etoposide, trifluoperazine and azidothymidine were selected as the probe drugs to elucidate the activities of UGT1A1, 1A4 and 2B7 by UPLC-MS/MS method, respectively.The results showed that CNS, NS and SF significantly inhibited the activities of UGT1A1, 1A4 and 2B7(P<0.05) with the IC_(50) values less than 30 mg/mL.Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of CNS towards UGT1A1, 1A4 and 2B7 were stronger than those of NS and SF(P<0.05).In conclusion, the combination of NS and SF could increase their inhibitory effects on UGT1A1, 1A4 and 2B7 activities in HLMs and might be conducive to reduce the phase II metabolism of the effective constituents in CNS.The potential herb-drug interactions of CNS based on UGT enzymes provided a useful experimental basis for its further research and development.

A highly selective fluorescent probe for real-time imaging of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A8 in living cells and tissues

Uridine diphosphate(UDP)-glucuronosyltransferases(UGTs)are enzymes involved in the biotransformation of important endogenous compounds such as steroids,bile acids,and hormones as well as exogenous substances including drugs,environmental toxicants,and carcinogens.Here,a novel fluorescent probe BDMP was developed based on boron-dipyrromethene(BODIPY)with high sensitivity for the detection of UGT1A8.The glucuronidation of BDMP not only exhibited a redemission wavelength(lex/lem=500/580 nm),but also displayed an excellent UGT1A8-dependent fluorescence signal with a good linear relationship with UGT1A8 concentration.Based on this perfect biocompatibility and cell permeability,BDMP was successfully used to image endogenous UGT1A8 in human cancer cell lines(LoVo and HCT15)in real time.In addition,BDMP could also be used to visualize UGT1A8 in tumor tissues.These results suggested that BDMP is a promising molecular tool for the investigation of UGT1A8-mediated physiological function in humans.

Effects of diammonium glycyrrhizinate on hepatic and intestinal UDP-Glucuronosyltransferases in rats: Implication in herb-drug interactions

Glycyrrhizin is a major bioactive component of liquorice, which exerts multiple biochemical and pharmacological activities and is frequently used in combination with other drugs in the clinic. Mycophenolate mofetil(MMF), an immunosuppressant widely used in transplant patients, is metabolized by UDP-glucuronyltransferases(UGTs). Although significant evidence supports that glycyrrhizin could interact with the cytochrome P450s(CYPs), few studies have addressed its effects on UGTs. The present study aimed at investigating the regulatory effects of diammonium glycyrrhizinate(GLN) on UGTs in vitro and in vivo. We found that long-term administration of GLN in rats induced overall metabolism of MMF, which might be due to the induction of UGT1A protein expression. Hepatic UGT1A activity and UGT1A mRNA and protein expression were significantly increased in GLN-treated rats. UGT1A expression levels were also increased in the intestine, contradicting with the observed decrease in intestinal UGT1A activities. This phenomenon may be attributed to different concentrations of glycyrrhetinic acid(GA) in liver and intestine and the inhibitory effects of GA on UGT1A activity. In conclusion, our study revealed that GLN had multiple effects on the expression and activities of UGT1A isoforms, providing a basis for a better understanding of interactions between GLN and other drugs.

真核表达肝药酶UGT1A9可溶重组蛋白方法探索

UDP-葡萄糖醛酸基转移酶(UGTs)是人体重要的肝脏药物代谢酶,其底物选择性、催化机制等研究因难以获得可溶性全酶而受到限制.本研究以制备UGT1A9可溶重组蛋白为研究目标,通过筛选重组蛋白表达体系、融合标签种类及linker长度,优化重组蛋白表达纯化条件和方法,实现了重组UGT1A9的大量制备.HEK293F细胞分泌表达的His8-MBP-NSAS-UGT1A9(氨基酸25-466)重组蛋白经Ni-TED亲和纯化介质从培养基上清液中分离,洗脱产物经SDS-PAGE、Western blot及MS检测鉴定为目的蛋白,通过Bradford法测得重组蛋白最终产量为2 mg/L,纯度达到95%以上.本研究建立了一种人源药物代谢酶UGT1A9的可溶重组蛋白表达纯化方法,为UGT1A9及UGTs同工酶的药物代谢、催化机制及结构解析研究奠定基础.

Disparities of conjugating protective enzyme activities in the colon of patients with adenomas and carcinomas

AIM:To investigate the metabolic enzymatic capacity of the colon mucosa to detoxify noxious carcinogenic compounds.METHODS:We investigated the activity of 2 conjugating enzymes-the microsomal uridine glucuronosyltransferase(UGT)and the cytosomal glutathione S-transferase(GST)in the uninvolved mucosa of the colon transversum and sigmoideum in patients with adenomatous polyps and colorectal cancer.Biopsies were taken from the mucosa during colonoscopies which were done for clinical(diagnostic)reasons.After storage,the biopsy material was homogenized and after differential centrifugation the enzyme assays were performed with 4-nitrophenol(UGT)and 1-chloro 2,4-dinitrobenzene(GST)as substrates.RESULTS:About 48 patients were included of which28 had adenomas and 20 had colorectal carcinomas confirmed by histopathology.Enzyme activities were expressed as nmol/mg per minute protein for the GST and as pmol/mg per minute protein for the UGT.Analysis of variance(F-test)indicated that both enzymes were more widely distributed in adenoma than in cancer patients.The means±SD were smaller for cancer patients:GST for adenomas 268±152 vs 241±69 for carcinomas and UGT for adenomas 197±200 vs 150±86 for carcinomas.CONCLUSION:Compared to patients with adenomatous colon polyps those with colorectal carcinoma exhibited a lower capacity of detoxifying enzyme metabolism and their activities clustered over a smaller range.

In Vivo Interaction of Morphine and Diclofenac

The number of studies on possible pharmacokinetic interactions between opioid analgesics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which are commonly used in combination for the treatment of chronic pain, is limited. In rats, the major metabolic pathway of morphine is glucuronidation to morphine-3-glucuronide (M3G) by UDP-glucuronosyltransferase. In this study, we investigated the influence of diclofenac (NSAID) on the formation of M3G in vitro using rat liver tissue homogenates. Competitive inhibition of M3G formation by diclofenac was observed with an average Ki of 19.9 μM. Because these in vitro findings suggested that a pharmacokinetic interaction occurs in vitro , we investigated whether diclofenac inhibits the glucuronidation of morphine in rats. A single dose of diclofenac increased serum concentrations of both morphine and M3G and showed a higher analgesic efficacy in the Von Frey test. Furthermore, diclofenac caused a net decrease in morphine urine concentrations, but the excretion of M3G through biliary and urinary routes was unchanged. These results demonstrated that in contrast to in vitro data a single dose of diclofenac did not alter the glucuronidation of morphine in vitro .

Modulation of NRF2 and UGT1A expression by epigallocatechin-3-gallate in colon cancer cells and BALB/c mice

Background Green tea is an important source of flavonoids in human diets and epidemiological data correlate green tea consumption with a reduced cancer risk. Given its complicated properties at effective concentrations, we put epigallocatechin-3-gallate （EGCG） that previously reported on its anti-proliferative activities against several cancer cell lines on our research agenda to further examine the mechanism of its chemopreventive potential. Methods RNA interference （RNAi） expression vector pSilencer 3.1-H1 was used to construct recombinant nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2 （Nrf2）-targeting RNAi plasmids. EGCG （5 μg/ml） was added into the culture fluid of cells before and after transfection. RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of uridine 5＇-diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase （UGT）IA in cells. Forty male BALB/c mice were assigned to four groups： a normal unexposed control and three groups treated with varying doses of EGCG. Four weeks later, the mice were sacrificed, and their colon tissues were subjected to mRNA and protein expression of Nrf2 and UGT1A via RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis. Results EGCG up-regulated the expression of Nrf2 and increased the level of UGT1A in cells. The blockade of Nrf2 activity via RNA intervention largely attenuated the induction of UGT1A expression by EGCG. In mice, the mRNA and protein levels of Nrf2 and UGT1A detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting increased （both P 〈 0.05 compared with the control）. This increase in Nrf2 expression also had a positive correlation with an increased UGT1A expression. Conclusions EGCG mediated its effect in part by inducing the NRF2 signaling pathway and increasing UGT1A expression. Both in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated the role of NRF2 and UGT1A expression in the potential use of EGCG as a possible chemopreventive agent and supported further study of EGCG for cancer treatment.

Genetics of Gallstone Disease and Their Clinical Significance: A Narrative Review

Gallstone(GS)disease is common and arises from a combination of genetic and environmental factors.Although genetic abnormalities specifically leading to cholesterol GSs are rare,there are clinically significant gene variants associated with cholesterol GSs.In contrast,most bilirubin GSs can be attributed to genetic defects.The pathogenesis of cholesterol and bilirubin GSs differs greatly.Cholesterol GSs are notably influenced by genetic variants within the ABC protein superfamily,including ABCG8,ABCG5,ABCB4,and ABCB11,as well as genes from the apolipoprotein family such as ApoB100 and ApoE(especially the E3/E3 and E3/E4 variants),and members of the MUC family.Conversely,bilirubin GSs are associated with genetic variants in highly expressed hepatic genes,notably UGT1A1,ABCC2(MRP2),ABCC3(MRP3),CFTR,and MUC,alongside genetic defects linked to hemolytic anemias and conditions impacting erythropoiesis.While genetic cases constitute a small portion of GS disease,recognizing genetic predisposition is essential for proper diagnosis,treatment,and genetic counseling.