Etlingera pavieana extract attenuates TNF-α induced vascular adhesion molecule expression in human endothelial cells through NF-κB and Akt/JNK pathways.

The aim of this study was to determine whether ethanol extracts of Etlingera pavieana rhizomes (EPE) can inhibit the expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in TNF-α-stimulated human vascular endothelial cells. EPE significantly reduced ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression in a concentration-dependent manner. EPE also suppressed phospho-IκB level and nuclear translocation of NF-κB. EPE significantly inhibited phosphorylation of JNK and c-Jun, a major component of AP-1, but had no effects on ERK and p38 MAPK pathways. Akt phosphorylation was increased in the presence of EPE, and wortmannin and SP600125 reversed the inhibitory effects of EPE on ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression. Furthermore, the active EPE constituents 4-methoxycinnamyl p-coumarate and trans-4-methoxycinnamaldehyde attenuated TNF-α-induced expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1. Taken together, our data indicate that EPE protects against vascular inflammation in endothelial cells, in part via NF-κB and Akt/JNK signalings. In future studies, E. pavieana may be developed as a therapeutic agent or dietary supplement for treating and preventing inflammatory diseases.

Structure-activity relationship and in vitro inhibition of human cytochrome CYP2A6 and CYP2A13 by flavonoids.

Cigarette smoking is one of the major risk factors of various diseases including respiratory diseases and lung cancer. While the liver-specific CYP2A6 is associated with the nicotine clearance and smoking addiction, the metabolic activation of the tobacco-specific nitrosamine by lung-specific CYP2A13 can lead to lung tumorigenesis.It has been reported that inhibition of CYP2A6 and CYP2A13 enzymes by flavonoids constituents could be an aids in smoking cessation. This study demonstrates the inhibition activity of kaempferol and myricetin and the structure-function relationship of these two flavonoids and previously isolated flavonoids from Vernonia cinerea and Pluchea indica against both enzymes.Kaempferol could inhibit CYP2A6 with Kic value of 1.77 ± 0.47 µM while inhibit CYP2A13 with Kic value of 0.12 ± 0.01 µM. Myricetin could inhibit CYP2A6 with Kic value of 4.06 ± 0.52 µM while inhibit CYP2A13 with Kic value of 1.88 ± 0.03 µM.Molecular docking indicated that CYP2A13 enzyme has strong hydrophobic interaction with ring B of flavonoids compared to CYP2A6 enzyme. The presence of the hydroxyl group at C3 position of ring C and the hydroxyl group at C5' of ring B affected inhibitory activity on both enzymes.

Effects of Vernonia cinerea Compounds on Drug-metabolizing Cytochrome P450s in Human Liver Microsomes.

Vernonia cinerea has been widely used in traditional medicines for various diseases and shown to aid in smoking abstinence and has anticancer properties. V. cinerea bioactive compounds, including flavonoids and hirsutinolide-type sesquiterpene lactones, have shown an inhibition effect on the nicotine-metabolizing cytochrome P450 2A6 (CYP2A6) enzyme and hirsutinolides reported suppressing cancer growth. In this study, V. cinerea ethanol extract and its bioactive compounds, including four flavonoids and four hirsutinolides, were investigated for an inhibitory effect on human liver microsomal CYPs 1A2, 2A6, 2B6, 2C8, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6, 2E1, and 3A4 using cocktail inhibition assays combined with LC-MS/MS analysis. Among tested flavonoids, chrysoeriol was more potent in inhibition on CYP2A6 and CYP1A2 than other liver CYPs, with better binding efficiency toward CYP2A6 than CYP1A2 (Ki values in competitive mode of 1.93 ± 0.05 versus 3.39 ± 0.21 µM, respectively). Hirsutinolides were prominent inhibitors of CYP2A6 and CYP2D6, with IC50 values of 12-23 and 15-41 µM, respectively. These hirsutinolides demonstrated time-dependent inhibition, an indication of mechanism-based inactivation, toward CYP2A6. Quantitative prediction of microsomal metabolism of these flavonoids and hirsutinolides, including half-lives and hepatic clearance rate, was examined. These findings may have implications for further in vivo studies of V. cinerea. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Inhibition of human cytochromes P450 2A6 and 2A13 by flavonoids, acetylenic thiophenes and sesquiterpene lactones from Pluchea indica and Vernonia cinerea.

The human liver cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2A6 and the respiratory CYP2A13 enzymes play role in nicotine metabolism and activation of tobacco-specific nitrosamine carcinogens. Inhibition of both enzymes could offer a strategy for smoking abstinence and decreased risks of respiratory diseases and lung cancer. In this study, activity-guided isolation identified four flavonoids 1-4 (apigenin, luteolin, chrysoeriol, quercetin) from Vernonia cinerea and Pluchea indica, four hirsutinolide-type sesquiterpene lactones 5-8 from V. cinerea, and acetylenic thiophenes 9-11 from P. indica that inhibited CYP2A6- and CYP2A13-mediated coumarin 7-hydroxylation. Flavonoids were most effective in inhibition against CYP2A6 and CYP2A13, followed by thiophenes, and hirsutinolides. Hirsutinolides and thiophenes exhibited mechanism-based inhibition and in irreversible mode against both enzymes. The inactivation kinetic KI values of hirsutinolides against CYP2A6 and CYP2A13 were 5.32-15.4 and 0.92-8.67 µM, respectively, while those of thiophenes were 0.11-1.01 and 0.67-0.97 µM, respectively.

Inhibition effects of Vernonia cinerea active compounds against cytochrome P450 2A6 and human monoamine oxidases, possible targets for reduction of tobacco dependence.

The human cytochrome P450 2A6 (CYP2A6) and monoamine oxidases (MAO-A and MAO-B), catalyzing nicotine and dopamine metabolisms, respectively, are two therapeutic targets of nicotine dependence. Vernonia cinerea, a medicinal plant commonly used for treatment of diseases such as asthma and bronchitis, has been shown reducing tobacco dependence effect among tobacco users. In the present study, we found eight active compounds isolated from V. cinerea that comprise inhibitory activity toward CYP2A6 and MAO-A and MAO-B enzymes using activity-guided assays, with coumarin as substrate of CYP2A6 and kynuramine of MAOs. These compounds were three flavones (apigenin, chrysoeriol, luteolin), one flavonol (quercetin), and four hirsutinolide-type sesquiterpene lactones (8α-(2-methylacryloyloxy)-hirsutinolide-13-O-acetate, 8α-(4-hydroxymethacryloyloxy)-hirsutinolide-13-O-acetate, 8α-tigloyloxyhirsutinolide-13-O-acetate, and 8α-(4-hydroxytigloyloxy)-hirsutinolide-13-O-acetate). Modes and kinetics of inhibition against the three enzymes were determined. Flavonoids possessed strong inhibitory effect on CYP2A6 in reversible mode, while inhibition by hirsutinolides was mechanism-based (NADPH-, concentration-, and time-dependence) and irreversible. Inhibition by hirsutinolides could not be reversed by dialysis and by addition of trapping agents or potassium ferricyanide. Flavonoids inhibited MAOs with variable degrees and were more prominent in inhibition toward MAO-A than hirsutinolides, while two of hirsutinolides inhibited MAO-B approximately comparable to two flavonoids. These results could have implications in combination of drug therapy for smoking cessation.

Structure­function relationships of inhibition of mosquito cytochrome P450 enzymes by flavonoids of Andrographis paniculata.

The cytochrome P450 monooxygenases are known to play a major role in pyrethroid resistance, by means of increased rate of insecticide detoxification as a result of their overexpression. Inhibition of detoxification enzymes may help disrupting insect detoxifying defense system. The Anopheles minimus CYP6AA3 and CYP6P7 have shown pyrethroid degradation activity and been implicated in pyrethroid resistance. In this study inhibition of the extracts and constituents of Andrographis paniculata Nees. leaves and roots was examined against benzyloxyresorufin O-debenzylation (BROD) of CYP6AA3 and CYP6P7. Four purified flavones (5,7,4'-trihydroxyflavone, 5-hydroxy-7,8-dimethoxyflavone, 5-hydroxy-7,8,2',3'-tetramethoxyflavone, and 5,4'-dihydroxy-7,8,2',3'-tetramethoxyflavone), one flavanone (5-hydroxy-7,8-dimethoxyflavanone) and a diterpenoid (14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide) containing inhibitory effects toward both enzymes were isolated from A. paniculata. Structure­function relationships were observed for modes and kinetics of inhibition among flavones, while diterpenoid and flavanone were inferior to flavones. Docking of flavones onto enzyme homology models reinforced relationships on flavone structures and inhibition modes. Cell-based inhibition assays employing 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-y-l)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) cytotoxicity assays revealed that these flavonoids efficiently increased susceptibility of CYP6AA3- and CYP6P7-expressing Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells to cypermethrin toxicity, due to inhibition effects on mosquito enzymes. Thus synergistic effects on cypermethrin toxicity of A. paniculata compounds as a result of enzyme inhibition could be useful for mosquito vector control and insecticide resistance management in the future.

Mechanism-based inactivation of cytochrome P450 2A6 and 2A13 by Rhinacanthus nasutus constituents.

  Human cytochrome P450 CYP2A6 and CYP2A13 catalyze nicotine metabolisms and mediate activation of tobacco-specific carcinogens including 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL). In this study, we found rhinacanthins A, B, and C isolated from Rhinacanthus nasutus potentially inhibited coumarin 7-hydroxylation mediated by reconstituted purified recombinant CYP2A6 and CYP2A13. Rhinacanthins A-C are mechanism-based inactivators of CYP2A6 and CYP2A13 as they cause concentration, time and NADPH-dependent inhibition. Among the three rhinacanthins, rhinacanthin-B possessed highest inhibitory potency against CYP2A13 with apparent KI and kinact of 0.16 µM and 0.1 min(-1), respectively, while values of 0.44 µM and 0.12 min(-1) were found against CYP2A6. Rhinacanthin-C had least inhibition potency, with apparent KI and kinact of 0.97 µM and 0.07 min(-1) for CYP2A6, respectively, and values of 1.68 µM and 0.05 min(-1) for CYP2A13. Rhinacanthin-A inhibited CYP2A6 and CYP2A13 with apparent KI values of 0.69 and 0.42 µM, respectively and apparent kinact of 0.18 and 0.06 min(-1), respectively. The inhibition of both enzymes by rhinacanthins A-C could not be prevented by addition of trapping agents or reversed by dialysis or potassium ferricyanide. These findings demonstrated that rhinacanthins A-C, which are 1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives, irreversibly inhibited CYP2A6 and CYP2A13 in a mechanism-based inhibition mode.

Modeling of Anopheles minimus Mosquito NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (CYPOR) and mutagenesis analysis.

Malaria is one of the most dangerous mosquito-borne diseases in many tropical countries, including Thailand. Studies in a deltamethrin resistant strain of Anopheles minimus mosquito, suggest cytochrome P450 enzymes contribute to the detoxification of pyrethroid insecticides. Purified A. minimus CYPOR enzyme (AnCYPOR), which is the redox partner of cytochrome P450s, loses flavin-adenosine di-nucleotide (FAD) and FLAVIN mono-nucleotide (FMN) cofactors that affect its enzyme activity. Replacement of leucine residues at positions 86 and 219 with phenylalanines in FMN binding domain increases FMN binding, enzyme stability, and cytochrome c reduction activity. Membrane-Bound L86F/L219F-AnCYPOR increases A. minimus P450-mediated pyrethroid metabolism in vitro. In this study, we constructed a comparative model structure of AnCYPOR using a rat CYPOR structure as a template. Overall model structure is similar to rat CYPOR, with some prominent differences. Based on primary sequence and structural analysis of rat and A. minimus CYPOR, C427R, W678A, and W678H mutations were generated together with L86F/L219F resulting in three soluble Δ55 triple mutants. The C427R triple AnCYPOR mutant retained a higher amount of FAD binding and increased cytochrome c reduction activity compared to wild-type and L86F/L219F-Δ55AnCYPOR double mutant. However W678A and W678H mutations did not increase FAD and NAD(P)H bindings. The L86F/L219F double and C427R triple membrane-bound AnCYPOR mutants supported benzyloxyresorufin O-deakylation (BROD) mediated by mosquito CYP6AA3 with a two- to three-fold increase in efficiency over wild-type AnCYPOR. The use of rat CYPOR in place of AnCYPOR most efficiently supported CYP6AA3-mediated BROD compared to all AnCYPORs.

Inhibition against mosquito cytochrome P450 enzymes by rhinacanthin-A, -B, and -C elicits synergism on cypermethrin cytotoxicity in Spodoptera frugiperda cells.

Rhinacanthus nasutus (Acanthaceae) is a shrub reported to contain insecticidal activities. The current study was conducted to determine whether R. nasutus constituents could inhibit benzyloxyresorufin O-debenzylation (BROD) mediated by CYP6AA3 and CYP6P7. Both enzymes have shown pyrethroid degradation activity and been implicated to play role in pyrethroid resistance in Anopheles minumus (Theobald) mosquito, a malaria vector. Three compounds, rhinacanthin-A, -B, and -C that exhibited potent inhibitory activity were isolated and purified from aerial part of R. nasutus. Their kinetic parameters and modes of inhibition were determined. Rhinacanthin-B was the most potent inhibitor in in vitro inhibition assay and exhibited mechanism-based inhibition against both CYP6AA3 and CYP6P7. Rhinacanthin-C which is a major compound of R. nasutus reversibly inhibited both enzymes in vitro with 2-4 folds less inhibitory potency than rhinacanthin-B. In contrast, rhinacanthin-A reversibly inhibited CYP6AA3, but inhibition against CYP6P7 was a mechanism-based inhibition type. Where mechanism-based inhibition was found, the inhibition showed characteristic of time-, concentration-dependence, and requirement of NADPH. Using 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-y-l)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) cytotoxicity assay in intact Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells, the three compounds increased susceptibility of CYP6AA3- and CYP6P7-expressing cells to cypermethrin cytotoxicity because of inhibition effect on mosquito enzymes. The combined inhibition effect on mosquito cytochrome P450 enzyme and synergistic effect on cypermethrin cytotoxicity of the three R. nasutus compounds could be beneficial for resistance management strategies in mosquito vector control.

Characterization of mosquito CYP6P7 and CYP6AA3: differences in substrate preference and kinetic properties.

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases are involved in insecticide resistance in insects. We previously observed an increase in CYP6P7 and CYP6AA3 mRNA expression in Anopheles minimus mosquitoes during the selection for deltamethrin resistance in the laboratory. CYP6AA3 has been shown to metabolize deltamethrin, while no information is known for CYP6P7. In this study, CYP6P7 was heterologously expressed in the Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) insect cells via baculovirus-mediated expression system. The expressed CYP6P7 protein was used for exploitation of its enzymatic activity against insecticides after reconstitution with the An. minimus NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase enzyme in vitro. The ability of CYP6P7 to metabolize pyrethroids and insecticides in the organophosphate and carbamate groups was compared with CYP6AA3. The results revealed that both CYP6P7 and CYP6AA3 proteins could metabolize permethrin, cypermethrin, and deltamethrin pyrethroid insecticides, but showed the absence of activity against bioallethrin (pyrethroid), chlorpyrifos (organophosphate), and propoxur (carbamate). CYP6P7 had limited capacity in metabolizing λ-cyhalothrin (pyrethroid), while CYP6AA3 displayed activity toward λ-cyhalothrin. Kinetic properties suggested that CYP6AA3 had higher efficiency in metabolizing type I than type II pyrethroids, while catalytic efficiency of CYP6P7 toward both types was not significantly different. Their kinetic parameters in insecticide metabolism and preliminary inhibition studies by test compounds in the flavonoid, furanocoumarin, and methylenedioxyphenyl groups elucidated that CYP6P7 had different enzyme properties compared with CYP6AA3. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Anti-inflammatory effect of ethyl acetate extract from Cissus quadrangularis Linn may be involved with induction of heme oxygenase-1 and suppression of NF-κB activation.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Cissus quadrangularis (family: Vitaceae) has been widely used in traditional herbal medicine for the treatment of hemorrhoids, gastric ulcers and bone healing. In the present study, we determined the anti-inflammatory activity and the molecular mechanism of the ethyl acetate extract of Cissus quadrangularis stem (CQE) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The inhibitory effect of CQE on LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) production was evaluated in conditioned media. Cell viability was monitored by MTT assay. Protein and mRNA expressions were determined by RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis, respectively. RESULTS: CQE potently inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells in a dose-dependent manner. The mRNA and protein expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were suppressed also by CQE as was p65 NF-κB nuclear translocation. Further study demonstrated that CQE by itself induced heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) gene expression at the protein and mRNA levels in dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, the inhibitory effects of CQE on NO production were abrogated by a HO-1 inhibitor, zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP). CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, these results suggest that CQE exerts an anti-inflammatory effect in macrophages, at least in part, through the induction of HO-1 expression. These findings provide the scientific rationale for anti-inflammatory therapeutic use of Cissus quadrangularis stem.

Mosquito NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase: kinetics and role of phenylalanine amino acid substitutions at leu86 and leu219 in CYP6AA3-mediated deltamethrin metabolism.

The NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (CYPOR) enzyme is a membrane-bound protein and contains both FAD and FMN cofactors. The enzyme transfers two electrons, one at a time, from NADPH to cytochrome P450 enzymes to function in the enzymatic reactions. We previously expressed in Escherichia coli the membrane-bound CYPOR (flAnCYPOR) from Anopheles minimus mosquito. We demonstrated the ability of flAnCYPOR to support the An. minimus CYP6AA3 enzyme activity in deltamethrin degradation in vitro. The present study revealed that the flAnCYPOR purified enzyme, analyzed by a fluorometric method, readily lost its flavin cofactors. When supplemented with exogenous flavin cofactors, the activity of flAnCYPOR-mediated cytochrome c reduction was increased. Mutant enzymes containing phenylalanine substitutions at leucine residues 86 and 219 were constructed and found to increase retention of FMN cofactor in the flAnCYPOR enzymes. Kinetic study by measuring cytochrome c-reducing activity indicated that the wild-type and mutant flAnCYPORs followed a non-classical two-site Ping-Pong mechanism, similar to rat CYPOR. The single mutant (L86F or L219F) and double mutant (L86F/L219F) flAnCYPOR enzymes, upon reconstitution with the An. minimus cytochrome P450 CYP6AA3 and a NADPH-regenerating system, increased CYP6AA3-mediated deltamethrin degradation compared to the wild-type flAnCYPOR enzyme. The increased enzyme activity could illustrate a more efficient electron transfer of AnCYPOR to CYP6AA3 cytochrome P450 enzyme. Addition of extra flavin cofactors could increase CYP6AA3-mediated activity supported by wild-type and mutant flAnCYPOR enzymes. Thus, both leucine to phenylalanine substitutions are essential for flAnCYPOR enzyme in supporting CYP6AA3-mediated metabolism.

NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase from the mosquito Anopheles minimus: kinetic studies and the influence of Leu86 and Leu219 on cofactor binding and protein stability.

NADPH-cytochrome c oxidoreductase from the mosquito Anopheles minimus lacking the first 55 amino acid residues was expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified enzyme loses FMN, leading to an unstable protein and subsequent aggregation. To understand the basis for the instability, we constructed single and triple mutants of L86F, L219F, and P456A, with the first two residues in the FMN domain and the third in the FAD domain. The triple mutant was purified in high yield with stoichiometries of 0.97 FMN and 0.55 FAD. Deficiency in FAD content was overcome by addition of exogenous FAD to the enzyme. Both wild-type and the triple mutant follow a two-site Ping-Pong mechanism with similar kinetic constants arguing against any global structural changes. Analysis of the single mutants indicates that the proline to alanine substitution has no impact, but that both leucine to phenylalanine substitutions are essential for FMN binding and maximum stability of the enzyme.