Triclosan inhibits testosterone biosynthesis in adult rats via inducing m6A methylation-mediated autophagy.

Triclosan is a potent antibacterial compound widely used in everyday products. Whether triclosan affects Leydig cell function in adult male rats remains unknown. In this study, 0, 50, 100, or 200 mg/kg/day triclosan was gavaged to Sprague-Dawley male rats from 56 to 63 days postpartum. Triclosan significantly reduced serum testosterone levels at ≥ 50 mg/kg/day via downregulating the expression of Leydig cell gene Lhcgr, Scarb1, Star, Cyp11a1, Hsd3b1, Cyp17a1, and Hsd17b3 and regulatory transcription factor Nr3c2 at 100-200 mg/kg. Further analysis showed that triclosan markedly increased autophagy as shown by increasing LC3II and BECN1 and decreasing SQSTM1. The mRNA m6A modification analysis revealed that triclosan significantly downregulated Fto expression at 200 mg/kg while upregulating Ythdf1 expression at 100 and 200 mg/kg, leading to methylation of Becn1 mRNA as shown by MeRIP assay. Triclosan significantly inhibited testosterone output in rat R2C Leydig cells at ≥ 5 µM via downregulating Fto and upregulating Ythdf1. SiRNA Ythdf1 knockdown can reverse triclosan-mediated mitophagy in R2C cells, thereby reversing the reduction of testosterone output. In summary, triclosan caused Becn1 m6A methylation by downregulating Fto and upregulating Ythdf1, which accelerated Becn1 translation, thus leading to the occurrence of autophagy and the decrease of testosterone biosynthesis.

Structure-activity relationship and mechanistic study of organotins as inhibitors of human, pig, and rat gonadal 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases.

Organotins have been widely used in various industrial applications. This study investigated the structure-activity relationship as inhibitors of human, pig, and rat gonadal 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (3ß-HSD). Human KGN cell, pig, and rat testis microsomes were utilized to assess the inhibitory effects of 18 organotins on the conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone. Among them, diphenyltin, triethyltin, and triphenyltin exhibited significant inhibitory activity against human 3ß-HSD2 with IC50 values of 114.79, 106.98, and 5.40 µM, respectively. For pig 3ß-HSD, dipropyltin, diphenyltin, triethyltin, tributyltin, and triphenyltin demonstrated inhibitory effects with IC50 values of 172.00, 100.19, 87.00, 5.75, and 1.65 µM, respectively. Similarly, for rat 3ß-HSD1, dipropyltin, diphenyltin, triethyltin, tributyltin, and triphenyltin displayed inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 81.35, 43.56, 55.55, 4.09, and 0.035 µM, respectively. They were mixed inhibitors of pig and rat 3ß-HSD, while triphenyltin was identified as a competitive inhibitor of human 3ß-HSD2. The mechanism underlying the inhibition of organotins on 3ß-HSD was explored, revealing that they may disrupt the enzyme activity by binding to cysteine residues in the catalytic sites. This proposition was supported by the observation that the addition of dithiothreitol reversed the inhibition caused by all organotins except for triethyltin, which was partially reversed. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the structure-activity relationship of organotins as inhibitors of human, pig, and rat gonadal 3ß-HSD. The mechanistic investigation suggests that these compounds likely exert their inhibitory effects through binding to cysteine residues in the catalytic sites.

UV-filter benzophenones suppress human, pig, rat, and mouse 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1: Structure-activity relationship and in silico docking analysis.

Benzophenone chemicals (BPs) have been developed to prevent the adverse effects of UV radiation and they are widely contaminated. 11ß-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (11ß-HSD1) catalyze the conversion of inactive glucocorticoid to active glucocorticoid, playing critical role in many physiological function. However, the direct effect of BPs on human, pig, rat, and mouse 11ß-HSD1 remains unclear. In this study, we screened the inhibitory strength of 12 BPs on 4 species, and performed the structure-activity relationship (SAR) and in silico docking analysis. The inhibitory potency of BPs was: for human 11ß-HSD1, BP6 (IC50 = 18.76 µM) > BP8 (40.84 µM) > BP (88.89 µM) > other BPs; for pig 11ß-HSD1, BP8 (45.57 µM) > BP6 (59.44 µM) > BP2 (65.12 µM) > BP (135.56 µM) > other BPs; for rat 11ß-HSD1, BP7 (67.17 µM) > BP (68.83 µM) > BP8 (133.04 µM) > other BPs; and for mouse 11ß-HSD1, BP8 (41.41 µM) > BP (50.61 µM) > other BPs. These BP chemicals were mixed/competitive inhibitors of these 11ß-HSD1 enzymes. The 2,2'-dihydroxy substitutions in two benzene rings play a key role in enhancing the effectiveness of inhibiting 11ß-HSD1, possibly via increasing hydrogen bond interactions. Docking analysis shows that these BPs bind to NADPH/glucocorticoid binding sites and forms hydrogen bonds with catalytic residues Ser and/or Tyr. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that BP chemicals can inhibit 11ß-HSD1 from 4 species, and there are subtle species-dependent difference in the inhibitory strength and structural variations of BPs.

Demethoxylation of curcumin enhances its inhibition on human and rat 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 3: QSAR structure-activity relationship and in silico docking analysis.

Curcuminoids have many pharmacological effects. They or their metabolites may have side effects by suppressing 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 3 (17ß-HSD3). Herein, we investigated the inhibition of curcuminoids and their metabolites on human and rat 17ß-HSD3 and analyzed their structure-activity relationship (SAR) and performed in silico docking. Curcuminoids and their metabolites ranked in terms of IC50 values against human 17ß-HSD3 were bisdemethoxycurcumin (0.61 µM) > curcumin (8.63 µM) > demethoxycurcumin (9.59 µM) > tetrahydrocurcumin (22.04 µM) > cyclocurcumin (29.14 µM), and those against rat 17ß-HSD3 were bisdemethoxycurcumin (3.94 µM) > demethoxycurcumin (4.98 µM) > curcumin (9.62 µM) > tetrahydrocurcumin (45.82 µM) > cyclocurcumin (143.5 µM). The aforementioned chemicals were mixed inhibitors for both enzymes. Molecular docking analysis revealed that they bind to the domain between the androstenedione and NADPH active sites of 17ß-HSD3. Bivariate correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between LogP and pKa of curcumin derivatives with their IC50 values. Additionally, a 3D-QSAR analysis revealed that a pharmacophore model consisting of three hydrogen bond acceptor regions and one hydrogen bond donor region provided a better fit for bisdemethoxycurcumin compared to curcumin. In conclusion, curcuminoids and their metabolites possess the ability to inhibit androgen biosynthesis by directly targeting human and rat 17ß-HSD3. The inhibitory strength of these compounds is influenced by their lipophilicity and ionization characteristics.

Halogenated bisphenol A derivatives potently inhibit human and rat 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1: Structure-activity relationship and molecular docking.

Chlorinated bisphenol A (BPA) derivatives are formed during chlorination process of drinking water, whereas bisphenol S (BPS) and brominated BPA and BPS (TBBPA and TBBPS) were synthesized for many industrial uses such as fire retardants. However, the effect of halogenated BPA and BPS derivatives on glucocorticoid metabolizing enzyme 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (11ß-HSD1) remains unclear. The inhibitory effects of 6 BPA derivatives in the inhibition of human and rat 11ß-HSD1 were investigated. The potencies for inhibition on human 11ß-HSD1 were TBBPA (IC50, 3.87 µM) = monochloro BPA (MCBPA, 4.08 µM) = trichloro BPA (TrCBPA, 4.41 µM) > tetrachloro BPA (TCBPA, 9.75 µM) > TBBPS (>100 µM) = BPS (>100 µM), and those for rat 11ß-HSD1 were TrCBPA (IC50, 2.76 µM) = MCBPA (3.75 µM) > TBBPA (39.58 µM) > TCBPA = TBBPS = BPS. All these BPA derivatives are mixed/competitive inhibitors of both human and rat enzymes. Molecular docking studies predict that MCBPA, TrCBPA, TCBPA, and TBBPA all bind to the active site of human 11ß-HSD1, forming hydrogen bonds with catalytic residue Ser170 except TCBPA. Regression of the lowest binding energy with IC50 values revealed a significant inverse linear regression. In conclusion, halogenated BPA derivatives are mostly potent inhibitors of human and rat 11ß-HSD1, and there is structure-dependent inhibition.

Bisphenol a alternatives suppress human and rat aromatase activity: QSAR structure-activity relationship and in silico docking analysis.

The use of alternative substances to replace bisphenol A (BPA) has been encouraged. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of BPA and 9 BPA alternatives on human and rat aromatase (CYP19A1) in human and rat placental microsomes. The results revealed that bisphenol A, AP, B, C, E, F, FL, S, and Z, and 4,4'-thiodiphenol (TDP) inhibited human CYP19A1 and bisphenol A, AP, B, C, FL, Z, and TDP inhibited rat CYP19A1. The IC50 values of human CYP19A1 ranged from 3.3 to 172.63 µM and those of rat CYP19A1 ranged from 2.20 to over 100 µM. BPA alternatives were mixed/competitive inhibitors and inhibited estradiol production in BeWo placental cells. Molecular docking analysis showed that BPA alternatives bind to the domain between heme and steroid and form a hydrogen bond with catalytic residue Met374. Pharmacophore analysis showed that there were one hydrogen bond donor, one hydrophobic region, and one ring aromatic hydrophobic region. Bivariate correlation analysis showed that molecular weight, alkyl atom weight, and LogP of BPA alternatives were inversely correlated with their IC50 values. In conclusion, BPA alternatives can inhibit human and rat CYP19A1 and the lipophilicity and the substituted alkyl size determines their inhibitory strength.

Structure-activity relationship and docking analysis of nature flavonoids as inhibitors of human and rat gonadal 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases for therapeutic purposes.

The potential inhibitory effects of flavonoids on gonadal steroid biosynthesis have gained attention due to their widespread presence in natural plant sources. Specifically, our study focused on evaluating the inhibitory efficacy of these compounds on human 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 (h3ß-HSD2) and rat homolog r3ß-HSD1, enzymes responsible for the conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone. Through our investigations, we observed that the potency of flavonoids was silymarin (IC50, 1.31 µM) > luteolin (4.63 µM) > tectorigenin > (5.86 µM), and rutin (44.12 µM) in inhibiting human KGN cell microsomal h3ß-HSD2. Similarly, the potency of flavonoids was silymarin (9.50 µM) > luteolin (11.49 µM) > tectorigenin (14.06 µM), and rutin (145.71 µM) in inhibiting rat testicular r3ß-HSD1. Silymarin, luteolin, and tectorigenin acted as mixed inhibitors of both human and rat 3ß-HSDs. Luteolin and tectorigenin were able to penetrate human KGN cells to inhibit progesterone secretion. Furthermore, docking analysis and structure-activity relationship analysis highlighted the importance of hydrogen bond formation for the inhibitory efficacy of these compounds against h3ß-HSD2 and r3ß-HSD1. Overall, this study demonstrates that silymarin exhibits the most potent inhibition of human and rat gonadal 3ß-HSDs, and significant SAR differences exist among the tested compounds.

Azole fungicides inhibit human and rat gonadal 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases: Structure-activity relationship and in silico docking analysis.

Azole fungicides are widely used in the agricultural industry to control fungal infections in crops. However, recent studies have shown that some azole fungicides inhibit the activity of 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (3ß-HSDs) in the gonads. Out of the 16 azole fungicides tested, 8 were found to inhibit human KGN cell 3ß-HSD2 with IC50 values of less than 100 µM. The strongest inhibitor was difenoconazole, with an IC50 value of 1.88 µM. In contrast, only 3 of the azole fungicides inhibited rat testicular 3ß-HSD1, which was less sensitive to inhibition. Azole fungicides potently inhibited progesterone secretion by KGN cells under basal and forskolin stimulated conditions at ≥ 5 µM. The inhibitory strength of azole fungicides was determined by their lipophilicity (LogP), molecular weight, pKa, and binding energy. A pharmacophore analysis revealed that the hydrogen bond acceptor-lipid group was a critical feature required for inhibition. Overall, these findings suggest that the use of azole fungicides have unintended consequences on reproductive health due to their inhibition of gonadal 3ß-HSDs. Key words: Azole fungicides; steroid hormones; 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase; docking analysis; lipophilicity.

Bisphenol A Analogues Inhibit Human and Rat 11ß-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase 1 Depending on Its Lipophilicity.

Bisphenol A (BPA) analogues substituted on the benzene ring are widely used in a variety of industrial and consumer materials. However, their effects on the glucocorticoid-metabolizing enzyme 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (11ß-HSD1) remain unclear. The inhibitory effects of 6 BPA analogues on the inhibition of human and rat 11ß-HSD1 were investigated. The potencies of inhibition on human 11ß-HSD1 were bisphenol H (IC50, 0.75 µM) > bisphenol G (IC50, 5.06 µM) > diallyl bisphenol A (IC50, 13.36 µM) > dimethyl bisphenol A (IC50, 30.18 µM) > bisphenol A dimethyl ether (IC50, 33.08 µM) > tetramethyl bisphenol A (>100 µM). The inhibitory strength of these chemicals on rat 11ß-HSD1 was much weaker than that on the human enzyme, ranging from 74.22 to 205.7 µM. All BPA analogues are mixed/competitive inhibitors of both human and rat enzymes. Molecular docking studies predict that bisphenol H and bisphenol G both bind to the active site of human 11ß-HSD1, forming a hydrogen bond with catalytic residue Ser170. The bivariate correlation of IC50 values with LogP (lipophilicity), molecular weight, heavy atoms, and molecular volume revealed a significant inverse regression and the correlation of IC50 values with ΔG (low binding energy) revealed a positive regression. In conclusion, the lipophilicity, molecular weight, heavy atoms, molecular volume, and binding affinity of a BPA analogue determine the inhibitory strength of human and rat 11ß-HSD isoforms.

Curcuminoids inhibit human and rat placental 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases: Structure-activity relationship and in silico docking analysis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: In traditional Chinese medicine, curcuma longa L has been applied to treat pain and tumour-related symptoms for over thousands of years. Curcuminoids, polyphenolic compounds, are the main pharmacological component from the rhizome of Curcuma longa L. Pharmacological investigations have found that curcuminoids have many pharmacological activities of anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour, and anti-metastasis. AIM OF THE STUDY: 3ß-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3ß-HSD1) catalyses the production of steroid precursors for androgens and estrogens, which play an essential role in cancer metastasis. We explored the potency and mode of action of curcuminoids and their metabolites of inhibiting 3ß-HSD1 activity and compared the species difference between human and rat. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we investigated the direct inhibition of 6 curcuminoids on human placental 3ß-HSD1 activity and compared the species-dependent difference in human 3ß-HSD1 and rat placental homolog 3ß-HSD4. RESULTS: The inhibitory potency of curcuminoids on human 3ß-HSD1 was demethoxycurcumin (IC50, 0.18 µM) > bisdemethoxycurcumin (0.21 µM)>curcumin (2.41 µM)> dihydrocurcumin (4.13 µM)>tetrahydrocurcumin (15.78 µM)>octahydrocurcumin (ineffective at 100 µM). The inhibitory potency of curcuminoids on rat 3ß-HSD4 was bisdemethoxycurcumin (3.34 µM)>dihydrocurcumin (5.12 µM)>tetrahydrocurcumin (41.82 µM)>demethoxycurcumin (88.10 µM)>curcumin (137.06 µM)> octahydrocurcumin (ineffective at 100 µM). Human choriocarcinoma JAr cells with curcuminoid treatment showed that these chemicals had similar potency to inhibit progesterone secretion under basal and 8bromo-cAMP stimulated conditions. Docking analysis showed that all chemicals bind pregnenolone-binding site with mixed/competitive mode for 3ß-HSD. CONCLUSION: Some curcuminoids are potent human placental 3ß-HSD1 inhibitors, possibly being potential drugs to treat prostate cancer and breast cancer.