Lack of change in the levels of liver and kidney cytochrome P-450 isozymes in p53+/- knockout mice treated with N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine

The impact of p53 on DNA damage and metabolic activation of the environmental carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene: effects in Trp53(+/+), Trp53(+/-) and Trp53(-/-) mice

The tumour suppressor p53 is one of the most important cancer genes. Previous findings have shown that p53 expression can influence DNA adduct formation of the environmental carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) in human cells, indicating a role for p53 in the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1-mediated biotransformation of BaP in vitro. We investigated the potential role of p53 in xenobiotic metabolism in vivo by treating Trp53(+/+), Trp53(+/-) and Trp53(-/-) mice with BaP. BaP-DNA adduct levels, as measured by (32)P-postlabelling analysis, were significantly higher in liver and kidney of Trp53(-/-) mice than of Trp53(+/+) mice. Complementarily, significantly higher amounts of BaP metabolites were also formed ex vivo in hepatic microsomes from BaP-pretreated Trp53(-/-) mice. Bypass of the need for metabolic activation by treating mice with BaP-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide resulted in similar adduct levels in liver and kidney in all mouse lines, confirming that the influence of p53 is on the biotransformation of the parent compound. Higher BaP-DNA adduct levels in the livers of Trp53(-/-) mice correlated with higher CYP1A protein levels and increased CYP1A enzyme activity in these animals. Our study demonstrates a role for p53 in the metabolism of BaP in vivo, confirming previous in vitro results on a novel role for p53 in CYP1A1-mediated BaP metabolism. However, our results also suggest that the mechanisms involved in the altered expression and activity of the CYP1A1 enzyme by p53 in vitro and in vivo are different.

Regulation of constitutive mouse hepatic cytochromes P450 and growth hormone signaling components by 3-methylcholanthrene

3-Methylcholanthrene (MC) activates the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and increases expression of cytochrome P450 (P450) enzymes such as CYP1A1. MC also decreases expression of CYP2C11, the major hepatic P450 in male rats that is regulated by pulsatile growth hormone (GH) secretion via a pathway partially dependent on signal transducer and activator of transcription 5b (STAT5b). If disruption of this GH signaling pathway is important for MC's ability to suppress CYP2C11 transcription, we hypothesize that MC suppresses other male-specific genes (e.g., mouse Cyp2d9) regulated by pulsatile GH with STAT5b dependence. We examined the time course of MC's effects on hepatic P450s and GH signaling components in male C57BL/6 mice. P450 content, heme content, and NADPH P450 oxidoreductase activity were induced 2.3-, 1.8-, and 1.3-fold, respectively, by MC. MC dramatically induced CYP1A1 mRNA, protein, and catalytic activity. MC caused a 42% decrease in CYP2D9 protein, a 28% decrease in CYP2D9 mRNA, and a 27% decrease in testosterone 16alpha-hydroxylation activity. MC caused a pronounced decrease in CYP3A protein; however, there was no apparent change in testosterone 6beta-hydroxylation activity, and changes in mRNA levels for CYP3A forms were relatively small. Expression of GH receptor and major urinary protein 2, a gene regulated by GH with STAT5b dependence, was decreased by MC at the mRNA level. These results show that MC suppresses mouse Cyp2d9, a pulsatile GH- and STAT5b-dependent male-specific gene, via a pretranslational mechanism that may involve disrupted GH signaling. Mouse CYP3A protein levels are dramatically decreased by MC via a mechanism that is not yet understood.

Differences in susceptibility to N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine-induced urinary bladder carcinogenesis between SD/gShi rats with spontaneous hypospermatogenesis and SD/cShi rats with spontaneous hydronephrosis

Differences in susceptibility to N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN)-induced urinary bladder carcinogenesis between two substrains of male Sprague-Dawley rats were examined. One substrain was SD/gShi, which has spontaneous hypospermatogenesis, and the other was SD/cShi, which is a sister strain of SD/gShi, and has normal testis but spontaneous hydronephrosis. SD/gShi rats had a lower incidence of urinary bladder tumors and had lower 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine labeling indices in the urinary bladder epithelium than SD/cShi rats when BBN was given. SD/gShi rats had significantly lower urinary concentrations of N-butyl-N-(3-carboxypropyl)nitrosamine (BCPN), which is a metabolite and proximate carcinogen of BBN. In vitro analysis also showed significantly less BCPN formation, using an S9 mix derived from the liver and kidney, in SD/gShi rats than in SD/cShi rats. BCPN formation in vitro was markedly inhibited by non-selective cytochrome P450 (CYP) inhibitors, but not alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor. However, analysis of CYP proteins including hepatic CYP1A1/2, 2B1/2, 2E1, and 3A2 and renal CYP2E1 and 3A2 revealed no significant variation in levels in either tissue in the groups. There were also no significant intergroup differences in the mutagenicity of carcinogens, including heterocyclic amines and N-nitrosamines, activated by CYP1A1/2 and CYP2E1 and/or CYP2B1/2, respectively. These results suggest that SD/gShi rats are less susceptible to BBN, possibly because less BCPN is produced by CYP isoforms other than those investigated. A contribution of CYP4B1 to the strain difference is also possible.

Gene expression in the lung of p53 mutant mice exposed to cigarette smoke

We showed previously that p53 mutations play a role in cigarette smoke-related carcinogenesis not only in humans but also in A/J mice. In fact, (UL53-3 x A/J)F(1) mice, carrying a dominant-negative germ-line p53 mutation, responded to exposure to environmental cigarette smoke more efficiently than their wild-type (wt) littermate controls in terms of molecular alterations, cytogenetic damage, and lung tumor yield. To clarify the mechanisms involved, we analyzed by cDNA array the expression of 1,185 cancer-related genes in the lung of the same mice. Neither environmental cigarette smoke nor the p53 status affected the expression of the p53 gene, but the p53 mutation strikingly increased the basal levels of p53 nuclear protein in the lung. Environmental cigarette smoke increased p53 protein levels in wt mice only. The p53 mutation enhanced the expression of positive cell cycle regulators in sham-exposed mice, which suggests a physiologic protective role of p53. In environmental cigarette smoke-exposed mice, the p53 mutation resulted in a lack of induction of proapoptotic genes and in overexpression of genes involved in cell proliferation, signal transduction, angiogenesis, inflammation, and immune response. Mutant mice and wt mice reacted to environmental cigarette smoke in a similar manner regarding genes involved in metabolism of xenobiotics, multidrug resistance, and protein repair. Irrespective of the p53 status, environmental cigarette smoke poorly affected the expression of oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and DNA repair genes. Taken together, these findings may explain the increased susceptibility of p53 mutant mice to smoke-related alterations of intermediate biomarkers and lung carcinogenesis.