Proteomic mapping of bezafibrate-treated human hepatocytes in primary culture using two-dimensional liquid chromatography.

Peroxisome proliferators have been extensively studied in rodents and are known to induce liver tumors, whereas the effects of these compounds are not very clearly identified in humans when they are widely exposed to herbicides, plasticizers, solvents or drugs such as the lipid-lowering fibrate bezafibrate (BEZA). We assessed the effect of BEZA on human hepatocyte proteome. Hepatocyte proteins, including those membrane-associated, were successfully extracted and separated using 2D-liquid chromatography (PF2D, Beckman coulter). Proteins that were regulated by ≥ 1.5 fold compared to controls were identified by mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF, Bruker Daltonics) and SwissProt bank search. BEZA modified the expression of proteins involved in various metabolic pathways as well as in cell homeostasis. No marker of peroxisome proliferation was obtained but surprisingly the expression of proteins involved in liver carcinogenicity was modulated. The co-treatment of cultures with N-acetylcysteine modified the set of proteins regulated by BEZA, either by a potentiation or an inhibition of the effects. Our study points out that the hepatocellular redox environment has to be taken into account when using fibrates in therapeutics.

Regulation of CYP4A expression by bezafibrate in primary culture of rat and human hepatocytes: interspecies difference and influence of N-acetylcysteine.

The effects of fibrates on cytochrome P450 4A (CYP4A) expression have not been clearly evaluated in human hepatocytes, human being reported as a non-responsive species. We have evaluated the effects of clofibrate, bezafibrate (BEZA), WY-14643, nafenopin and ciprofibrate at the concentration of 250 microM on CYP4A expression in primary cultures of rat and human hepatocytes. BEZA greatly induced mRNA expression in both species. Eight out of 10 human cultures responded to BEZA 250 microM. CYP4A-dependent activity was increased in rat, but not in human hepatocytes. The antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (Nac) enhanced the inducing effect of BEZA on mRNA expression, this potentialization being higher in human compared to rat hepatocytes. By contrast, Nac decreased the inducing effect of BEZA on CYP4A-dependent activity in rat and had either no effect or decreased the activity in BEZA-treated human hepatocytes. In conclusion, the cellular environment appears as an important parameter to take into account when studying CYP4A induction and could partly explain interspecies differences in the complex regulation of CYP4A expression.