Aging affects the drug metabolism systems of rat liver, kidney, colon and lung in a differential fashion

Digestive System 1

This chapter deals with the digestive system. The major and minor salivary glands and their secretions also represent and integral part of the protective mechanism of the oral cavity, and derangement of saliva production may lead to loss of integrity of the oral mucosa. Drug-induced abnormalities of taste sensation are also well-described phenomena occurring in man although human studies are necessary for the detection of these effects. Inflammation of the oral cavity may involve the buccal mucosa, the gingiva (gingivitis), the tongue (glossitis), and the peridontal tissues (peridontitis). Therapeutic agents can induce inflammatory lesions in the tongue. Moreover, a protective layer of mucus, a visco-elastic material containing high molecular weight glycoproteins produced by the major and minor salivary glands, covers the stratified squamous mucosa of the oral cavity. Salivary secretions also possess digestive enzyme activity although in herbivores and carnivores, it is usually low in contrast to high digestive enzyme activity in omnivorous species.

Oxygen radical formation during cytochrome P450-catalyzed cyclosporine metabolism in rat and human liver microsomes at varying hydrogen ion concentrations

The role of pH in uncoupling the electron-flux between oxidoreductase and cytochrome P450 (P450) or P450 and cyclosporine (CyA) and resulting in the generation of oxygen radicals was investigated in vitro in rat and human liver microsomal preparations. Since the electron-flux from NADPH to cytochrome c via oxidoreductase showed a fairly constant reduction activity from pH 7.0-9.5, the generation of oxygen radicals at the level of P450-Cyclosporine (instead of oxidoreductase-P450) was investigated. The effects of increasing pH on oxygen radical formation was measured by the thiobarbituric acid assay (TBA) and the adrenochrome reaction. The trends in oxygen radical production were correlated with benzphetamine metabolism (production of formaldehyde) and CyA metabolism (analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography). The TBA assay showed increased MDA-detected lipid peroxidation (unrelated to autooxidation) at pH < 8.0 and pH > 8.0 (rat and human, respectively) while the adrenochrome reaction showed decreased oxygen radical production. When these results were compared to benzphetamine (a substrate of P450 2B and 3A) metabolism and CyA (a substrate of P450 3A) metabolism, increased metabolism followed the pH-dependent trend of MDA-detected lipid peroxidation. Benzphetamine metabolism with formaldehyde production and depletion of parent compound during CyA metabolism were increased at pH < 8.0 in the rat samples and at pH > 8.0 in the human samples. This parallel relation suggests that the increased metabolism of CyA at lower pH in rats and higher pH in humans may be the result of favorable interactions of P450 with Cyclosporine that also result in increased oxygen radical-related lipid peroxidation.

Catalysis of the oxidation of steroid and stilbene estrogens to estrogen quinone metabolites by the beta-naphthoflavone-inducible cytochrome P450 IA family

Diethylstilbestrol (DES) or catecholestrogens are metabolized by microsomal enzymes to quinones, DES Q or catecholestrogen quinones, respectively, which have been shown to bind covalently to DNA and to undergo redox cycling. The isoforms of cytochrome P450 catalyzing this oxidation of estrogens to genotoxic intermediates were not known and have been identified in this study by (a) using microsomes of rats treated with various inducers of cytochrome P450; (b) using purified cytochrome P450 isoforms; and (c) examining the peroxide cofactor concentrations necessary for this oxidation by microsomes or pure isoenzymes. The highest rate of oxidation of DES to DES Q was obtained using beta-naphthoflavone-induced microsomes (14.0 nmol DES Q/mg protein/min) or cytochrome P450 IA1 (6.4 pmol DES Q/min/pmol P450). Isosafrole-induced microsomes or cytochrome P450 IA2 oxidized DES to quinone at one-third or one-fifth of that rate, respectively. Low or negligible rates of oxidation were measured when oxidations were catalyzed by microsomal rat liver enzymes induced by phenobarbital, ethanol, or pregnenolone-16 alpha-carbonitrile or by pure cytochromes P450 IIB1, IIB4, IIC3, IIC6, IIE1, IIE2, IIG1, or IIIA6. Cytochrome P450 IA1 also catalyzed the oxidation of 2- or 4-hydroxyestradiol to their corresponding quinones. The beta-naphthoflavone-induced microsomes and cytochrome P450 IA1 had the highest "affinity" for cumene hydroperoxide cofactor (Km = 77 microM). Cofactor concentrations above 250 microM resulted in decreased rates of oxidation. The other cytochrome P450 isoforms required much higher cofactor concentrations and were not inactivated at high cofactor concentrations. The data demonstrate that beta-naphthoflavone-inducible cytochrome P450 IA family enzymes catalyze most efficiently the oxidation of estrogenic hydroquinones to corresponding quinones. This oxidation may represent a detoxification pathway to keep organic hydroperoxides at minimal concentrations. The resulting quinone metabolites may be detoxified by other pathways. However, in cells with decreased detoxifying enzyme activities, quinones metabolites may accumulate and initiate carcinogenesis or cell death by covalent arylation of DNA or proteins.

Age-related change of free radical generation in liver and sex glands of rats

Many investigations have been made on age-related changes of lipid peroxidation in tissue homogenates and subcellular fractions. However, to date there are few reports on the age-related change of free radicals in living organs during aging. In our study, we investigated free radical concentration in liver and sex glands of different aged rats by using electron spin resonance (ESR) technique. A significant reduction of free radicals in liver and sex glands of old aged rats was observed when compared with those of young or middle-aged ones. The decrease of free radical generation during aging is discussed.

Aging alters hepatic expression of insulin receptor and c-jun mRNA in the mouse

The clear association between species and life span suggests that aging, like development, is genetically orchestrated. To explore this hypothesis, the expression of mRNA for a number of transcription regulatory and signal transduction proteins was investigated during aging of B10.RIII, C57BL/10 and B10.BR mice. mRNA for glucocorticoid receptor, CCAAT and enhancer binding protein, transcription factor Sp1 and RNA polymerase II elongation factor S-II were unchanged between 4 and 24 months of age in these mice. These factors are required for the normal transcription of many genes, perhaps explaining their steady rates of expression throughout life. Insulin-like growth factor I mRNA also remained unchanged. By contrast, mRNA for the insulin receptor and transcription factor c-jun changed significantly during aging. c-Jun mRNA decreased approximately 55% between 4 and 12 months of age and then increased by 24-25 months of age to levels approximately equal to those found in young mice. Insulin receptor mRNA increased approximately 30% by 24-25 months of age in all strains of mice. These results suggest that factors determining the steady state level of these mRNAs are altered in level or activity during aging. Assessing the causes and significance of these changes will require further study. However, our results demonstrate that alterations in the expression of specific regulatory genes occur during aging.

Age-related down regulation of hepatic cytochrome P1-450, P3-450, catalase and CuZn-superoxide dismutase RNA

The influence of age on liver gene expression was investigated in two strains of H-2 congenic mice. In B10.RIII mice (H-2r), basal P1- and P3-450 RNA levels progressively decreased 65 and 95%, respectively, between 4 and 28 months of age (P less than or equal to 0.05). Polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) induced P1- and P3-450 RNA levels decreased about 50% during this time (P less than or equal to 0.05). In contrast, in C57BL/10 mice (H-2b) little or no change was detected in basal or induced P1- or P3-450 RNA levels. CuZn-superoxide dismutase RNA decreased 80 to 90% between 4 and 9 months of age in B10.RIII mice, while a quantitatively smaller decrease of 50 to 65% was found in C57BL/10 mice (P less than or equal to 0.05). Catalase RNA decreased approximately 80% between 4 and 9 months of age in B10.RIII mice, and a similar decrease was found in C57BL/10 mice. Down regulation of these genes may explain the reduced activities of the cognate hepatic enzymes, and reduced xenobiotic metabolism found in older animals.