The role of aryl hydrocarbon receptor in regulation of enzymes involved in metabolic activation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a model of rat liver progenitor cells.

In contrast to hepatocytes, there is only limited information about the expression and activities of enzymes participating in metabolic activation of environmental mutagens, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), in liver progenitor cells. In rat liver "stem-like" WB-F344 cell line, sharing many characteristics with rat liver progenitor cells, PAHs are efficiently activated to their ultimate genotoxic metabolites forming DNA adducts. The present study aimed to characterize expression/activities of enzymes of two major pathways involved in the metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP): cytochrome P450 (CYP) family 1 enzymes and cytosolic aldo-keto reductases (AKRs). We report here that, apart from induction of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 expression and the corresponding enzymatic activity, both BaP and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) induced rat 3alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (AKR1C9) expression and activity. In contrast, the aldehyde reductase AKR1A1 was not induced by either treatment. Thus, both CYP1 and AKR metabolic pathways were inducible in the model of liver progenitor cells. BaP and TCDD were efficient inducers of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) expression and activity in WB-F344 cells, a principal enzyme of cellular antioxidant defense. Both compounds also induced expression of transcription factor NRF2, involved in control of enzymes protecting cells from oxidative stress. However, although BaP induced a significant formation of reactive oxygen species, it did not induce expression of heme oxygenase-1, suggesting that induction of oxidative stress by BaP was limited. Using shRNA against the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), we found that similar to CYP1A1 and CYP1B1, the AKR1C9 induction was AhR-dependent. Moreover, constitutive AKR1C9 levels in AhR-deficient rat BP8 hepatoma cells were significantly lower than in their AhR-positive 5L variant, thus supporting possible role of AhR in regulation of AKR1C9 expression. Taken together, both CYP1 and AKR1C9 appear to be AhR-regulated metabolic pathways, which may contribute to formation of pro-carcinogenic PAH metabolites in liver progenitor cells.

Reduction of doxorubicin and oracin and induction of carbonyl reductase in human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells.

In cancer cells, the drug-metabolizing enzymes may deactivate cytostatics, thus contributing to their survival. Moreover, the induction of these enzymes may also contribute to development of drug-resistance through acceleration of cytostatics deactivation. However, the principal metabolic pathways contributing to deactivation of many cytostatics still remain poorly defined. The main aims of the present study were: (i) to compare the reductive deactivation of cytostatic drugs doxorubicin (DOX) and oracin (ORC) in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells; (ii) to identify major enzyme(s) involved in the carbonyl reduction; and iii) to evaluate the activities and expression of selected carbonyl reducing enzymes in MCF-7 cells upon a short-term (48 h) exposure to either DOX or ORC. We found that MCF-7 cells were able to effectively metabolize both DOX and ORC through reduction of their carbonyl groups. The reduction of ORC was stereospecific, with a preferential formation of + enantiomer of dihydrooracin (DHO). The cytosolic carbonyl reductase CBR1 seemed to be a principal enzyme reducing both drugs, while cytosolic aldo-keto reductase AKR1C3 or microsomal reductases probably did not play important role in metabolism of either DOX or ORC. The exposure of MCF-7 cells to low (nanomolar) concentrations of DOX or ORC caused a significant elevation of reduction rates of both cytostatics, accompanied with an increase of CBR1 protein levels. Taken together, the present results seem to suggest that the accelerated metabolic deactivation of ORC or DOX might contribute to the survival of breast cancer cells during exposure to these cytostatics.