Effects of rifampicin on porphyrin metabolism in healthy volunteers.

Pregnane X receptor (PXR) is known to stimulate haem synthesis, but detailed knowledge on the effects of PXR activation on porphyrin metabolism in humans is lacking. We utilized a randomized, crossover, open (blinded laboratory) and placebo-controlled trial with 600-mg rifampicin or placebo dosed for a week to investigate the effects of PXR activation on erythrocyte, plasma, faecal and urine porphyrins. Sixteen healthy volunteers participated on the trial, but the number of volunteers for blood and urine porphyrin analyses was 15 while the number of samples for faecal analyses was 14. Rifampicin increased urine pentaporphyrin concentration 3.7-fold (mean 1.80 ± 0.6 vs. 6.73 ± 4.4 nmol/L, p = 0.003) in comparison with placebo. Urine coproporphyrin I increased 23% (p = 0.036). Faecal protoporphyrin IX decreased (mean 31.6 ± 23.5 vs. 19.2 ± 27.8 nmol/g, p = 0.023). The number of blood erythrocytes was slightly elevated, and plasma bilirubin, catabolic metabolite of haem, was decreased. In conclusion, rifampicin dosing elevated the excretion of certain urinary porphyrin metabolites and decreased faecal protoporphyrin IX excretion. As urine pentaporphyrin and coproporphyrin I are not precursors in haem biosynthesis, increased excretion may serve as a hepatoprotective shunt when haem synthesis or porphyrin levels are increased.

Rifampicin induces the bone form of alkaline phosphatase in humans.

Pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a xenobiotic-sensing nuclear receptor that regulates drug metabolism in the liver and intestine. In our clinical trials on healthy volunteers to discover novel metabolic functions of PXR activation, we observed that rifampicin, a well-established ligand for human PXR, 600 mg daily for a week, increased the plasma alkaline phosphatase (ALP) significantly compared with the placebo. Further analysis with lectin affinity electrophoresis revealed that especially the bone form of ALP was elevated. To investigate the mechanism(s) of bone ALP induction, we employed osteoblast lineage differentiated from human primary bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells. Rifampicin treatment increased ALP activity and mRNA level of bone biomarker genes (ALP, MGP, OPN and OPG). PXR expression was detected in the cells, but the expression was very low compared with the human liver. To further investigate the potential role of PXR in the ALP induction, we treated mice and rats with a rodent PXR ligand pregnenolone 16α-carbonitrile (PCN). However, PCN treatment did not increase plasma ALP activity or bone ALP mRNA expression. In conclusion, rifampicin treatment induces the bone form of ALP in the serum of healthy human volunteers. Further studies are required to establish the mechanism of this novel finding.

Effect of Vitamin K-Mediated PXR Activation on Drug-Metabolizing Gene Expression in Human Intestinal Carcinoma LS180 Cell Line.

The pregnane X receptor (PXR) is the key regulator of our defense mechanism against foreign substances such as drugs, dietary nutrients, or environmental pollutants. Because of increased health consciousness, the use of dietary supplements has gradually increased, and most of them can activate PXR. Therefore, an analysis of the interaction between drugs and nutrients is important because altered levels of drug-metabolizing enzymes or transporters can remarkably affect the efficiency of a co-administered drug. In the present study, we analyzed the effect of vitamin K-mediated PXR activation on drug metabolism-related gene expression in intestine-derived LS180 cells via gene expression studies and western blotting analyses. We demonstrated that menaquinone 4 (MK-4), along with other vitamin Ks, including vitamin K1, has the potential to induce MDR1 and CYP3A4 gene expression. We showed that PXR knockdown reversed MK-4-mediated stimulation of these genes, indicating the involvement of PXR in this effect. In addition, we showed that the expression of MDR1 and CYP3A4 genes increased synergistically after 24 h of rifampicin and MK-4 co-treatment. Our study thus elucidates the importance of drug-nutrient interaction mediated via PXR.

Saikosaponins and the deglycosylated metabolites exert liver meridian guiding effect through PXR/CYP3A4 inhibition.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Radix Bupleuri (RB), traditionally used to treat inflammatory disorders and infectious diseases, represents one of the most successful and widely used herbal drugs in Asia over the past 2000 years. Being realized the role in regulating metabolism and controlling Yin/Yang, RB is not only chosen specifically for treating liver meridian and the corresponding organs, but also believed to have liver meridian guiding property and help potentiate the therapeutic effects of liver. However, the ingredients in RB with liver meridian guiding property and the underly mechanism have not been comprehensively investigated. AIM OF STUDY: Considering the important role of CYP3A4 in first-pass metabolism and the liver exposure of drugs, the present study aimed to determine whether saikosaponins (SSs) and the corresponding saikogenins (SGs) have a role in inhibiting the catalytic activity of CYP3A4 in human liver microsomes and HepG2 hepatoma cells and whether they could suppress CYP3A4 expression by PXR-mediated pathways in HepG2 hepatoma cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effect of SSs and SGs on CYP3A4-mediated midazolam1'-hydroxylation activities in pooled human liver microsomes (HLMs) was first studied. Dose-dependent experiments were performed to obtain the half inhibit concentration (IC50) values. HepG2 cells were used to assay catalytic activity of CYP3A4, reporter function, mRNA levels, and protein expression. The inhibitory effects of SSa and SSd on CYP3A4 activity are negligible, while the corresponding SGs (SGF and SGG) have obvious inhibitory effects on CYP3A4 activity, with IC50 values of 0.45 and 1.30 µM. The similar results were obtained from testing CYP3A4 catalytic activity in HepG2 cells, which correlated well with the suppression of the mRNA and protein levels of CYP3A4. Time-dependent testing of CYP3A4 mRNA and protein levels, as well as co-transfection experiments using the CYP3A4 promoter luciferase plasmid, further confirmed that SSs and SGs could inhibit the expression of CYP3A4 at the transcription level. Furthermore, PXR protein expression decreased in a concentration- and time-dependent manner after cells were exposed to SSs and SGs. PXR overexpression and RNA interference experiments further showed that SSs and SGs down-regulate the catalytic activity and expression of CYP3A4 in HepG2 may be mainly through PXR-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: SSs and SGs inhibit the catalytic activity and expression of CYP3A4 in a PXR-dependent manner, which may be highly related to the liver meridian guiding property of RB.

Phthalates promote the invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by enhancing the interaction between Pregnane X receptor and E26 transformation specific sequence 1.

Phthalates (PAEs) are considered endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), a series of compounds able to disrupt the normal regulation of the human endocrine-system. In the present study, we investigated the roles of four PAEs, butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), and diethyl phthalate (DEP), in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. We define novel roles for the PAEs on the migration of HCC cells via their enhancing of the interaction between the pregnane X receptor (PXR) and E26 transformation specific sequence 1 (ETS-1). Our results indicate that PAEs induced the transcriptional activation of ETS-1 and PXR. PXR activated by PAEs could bind to ETS-1 directly and enhanced the activity of ETS-1, which resulted in the induction of invasion-related ETS-1 target genes. The "LXXLL" motif in the ETS-1C-terminal was essential for the interaction between PXR and ETS-1 induced by PAEs. Treatment of PAEs promoted the nuclear accumulation of ETS-1 or the recruitment of ETS-1, but not in cells expressing ETS-1 with a mutated LXXLL motif in its downstream gene promoter region, or following transfection of PXR siRNA. Treatment with the PXR antagonist ketoconazole almost completely inhibited the effects of PAEs. Moreover, PAEs enhanced the in vitro or in vivo invasion of HCC cells via PXR/ETS-1. Therefore, our results not only contribute to a better understanding of HCC, but also extended the roles of EDCs regulating human malignancies.

The influence of the long-term chemical activation of the nuclear receptor pregnane X receptor (PXR) on liver carcinogenesis in mice.

Pregnane X receptor (PXR) and constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) are nuclear receptors that are highly expressed in the liver and activated by numerous chemicals. While CAR activation by its activators, such as phenobarbital (PB), induces hepatocyte proliferation and liver carcinogenesis in rodents, it remains unclear whether PXR activation drives liver cancer. To investigate the influence of PXR activation on liver carcinogenesis, we treated mice with the PXR activator pregnenolone 16α-carbonitrile (PCN) with or without PB following tumor initiation with diethylnitrosamine (DEN). After 20 weeks of treatment, preneoplastic lesions detected by immunostaining with an anti-KRT8/18 antibody were observed in PB-treated but not PCN-treated mice, and PCN cotreatment augmented the formation of preneoplastic lesions by PB. After 35 weeks of treatment, macroscopic observations indicated that PB-treated and PB/PCN-cotreated mice had increased numbers of liver tumors compared to control and PCN-treated mice. In the pathological analyses of liver sections, all the mice in the PB and PB/PCN groups developed carcinoma and/or eosinophilic adenoma, but in the PB/PCN group, the multiplicity of carcinoma and eosinophilic adenoma was significantly reduced and the size of carcinoma showed a tendency to decrease. No mouse in the control or PCN-treated group developed such tumors. Differentially expressed gene (DEG) and gene set enrichment analyses in combination with RNA sequencing suggested the increased expression of genes related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in mice cotreated with PCN and PB compared to those treated with PB alone. Changes in the hepatic mRNA levels of epithelial marker genes supported the results of the transcriptome analyses. In conclusion, the present results suggest that PXR activation does not promote hepatocarcinogenesis in contrast to CAR and rather attenuates CAR-mediated liver cancer development by suppressing the EMT of liver cancer cells in rodents.

Orostachys japonicus ameliorates acetaminophen-induced acute liver injury in mice.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Orostachys japonicus A. Berger (O. japonicus), referred to as Wa-song in Korea is a traditional and herbal medicine. Even though it has been traditionally used to treat inflammation- and toxicity-related diseases, the effects of ethanol extract of O. japonicus (OJE) on acetaminophen (N-acetyl-p-aminophenol, APAP) overdose-induced hepatotoxicity have not been determined yet. AIM OF THE STUDY: The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of OJE against APAP-induced acute liver injury (ALI) and explore the underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mice were treated orally with OJE (50, 100, or 200 mg/kg) for seven days before APAP (300 mg/kg) injection. After 12 h of APAP treatment, serum and liver tissues were collected. An in vitro system using primary hepatocytes was also applied in this study. RESULTS: Pretreatment with OJE, especially at a dose of 200 mg/kg, reduced APAP overdose-induced ALI in mice, as evidenced by decreased serum alanine/aspartate aminotransferase levels, histopathological damage, and inflammation. Consistently, OJE pretreatment reduced the gene transcription of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A11 and CYP1A2 in livers of mice injected with or without APAP, at least in part, via inactivation of nuclear receptor pregnane X receptor (PXR). Furthermore, the role of PXR in mediating the OJE regulation of CYPs was confirmed in primary hepatocytes, which showed that OJE pretreatment inhibited PXR activity and APAP hepatotoxicity enhanced by pregnenolone 16α-carbonitrile, a mouse agonist of PXR. Besides, the antioxidative activity provided by OJE, involving increases in hepatic glutathione (GSH) content and decreases in malondialdehyde levels, has been shown to exert hepatoprotective effects in normal and injured livers. Moreover, APAP-activated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in mice liver were indirectly inhibited by pretreatment with OJE. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our findings showed that OJE attenuated APAP-induced ALI by decreasing APAP-metabolizing enzymes via inactivation of PXR and the restoration of hepatic GSH content. Therefore, OJE could be a promising hepatoprotective agent.

Impact of iron oxide nanoparticles on xenobiotic metabolism in HepaRG cells.

Iron oxide nanoparticles are used in various industrial fields, as a tool in biomedicine as well as in food colorants, and can therefore reach human metabolism via oral uptake or injection. However, their effects on the human body, especially the liver as one of the first target organs is still under elucidation. Here, we studied the influence of different representative iron oxide materials on xenobiotic metabolism of HepaRG cells. These included four iron oxide nanoparticles, one commercially available yellow food pigment (E172), and non-particulate ionic control FeSO4. The nanoparticles had different chemical and crystalline structures and differed in size and shape and were used at a concentration of 50 µg Fe/mL. We found that various CYP enzymes were downregulated by some but not all iron oxide nanoparticles, with the Fe3O4-particle, both γ-Fe2O3-particles, and FeSO4 exhibiting the strongest effects, the yellow food pigment E172 showing a minor effect and an α-Fe2O3 nanoparticle leading to almost no inhibition of phase I machinery. The downregulation was seen at the mRNA, protein expression, and activity levels. Thereby, no dependency on the size or chemical structure was found. This underlines the difficulty of the grouping of nanomaterials regarding their physiological impact, suggesting that every iron oxide nanoparticle species needs to be evaluated in a case-by-case approach.

The endothelin receptor antagonist macitentan for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension: A cross-species comparison of its cytochrome P450 induction pattern.

The dual endothelin receptor antagonist macitentan was approved in 2013 for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Macitentan is an inducer of cytochrome P450 expression in vivo in animal species but not in man. In rat and dog, changes in P450 expression manifest as autoinduction upon repeat dosing. The induction pattern, however, significantly differed between both species, and between male and female rats. While macitentan exposure steadily declined with dose in the dog, P450 induction was saturable in the rat reaching levels of 40%-60% and 60%-80% at steady-state in male and female animals, respectively. The nature and number of P450 enzymes involved in macitentan clearance were identified as a major reason for the observed species differences. In the dog, macitentan was metabolized by a single P450 enzyme, that is, Cyp3a12, whereas several members of the Cyp2c and Cyp3a families were involved in the rat. Macitentan selectively upregulated Cyp3a expression in rat, whereas the expression of the Cyp2c enzymes involved in macitentan metabolism remained mostly unchanged, eventually leading to a higher contribution of Cyp3a upon induction. Macitentan also induced CYP3A4 expression in human hepatocytes via initial activation of the human pregnane X receptor. No such induction was evident in humans at the therapeutic macitentan dose of 10 mg as shown in a clinical drug-drug interaction study with the CYP3A4 substrate sildenafil.

Ginkgolide-A attenuates bacterial translocation through activating PXR and improving antimicrobial peptide Reg 3A in experimental cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Bacterial translocation (BT) is strongly associated with disease progression and poor outcome in cirrhotic patients. The role of Pregnane X receptor (PXR) in regulating bacterial translocation in cirrhosis is unknown. We previously showed that Ginkgolide-A (GA), a natural PXR ligand, attenuated BT in cirrhotic mice by abrogating inflammation along the gut-liver-axis, and by protecting small intestinal tight junctions (TJ). Here, we aimed to investigate the effect of GA in activating PXR and associated antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in regulating BT in experimental cirrhosis. METHODS: Male Swiss albino mice were administered CCl4 (0.5 mL/kg body-weight, i.p twice a week) for 12 consecutive weeks. After the 12th week, mice were randomized and administered with GA (100-mg/kg body-weight, oral) every-day for 2 weeks. At termination, blood, gut and liver tissues were collected for molecular studies. RESULTS: GA treatment to cirrhotic mice significantly increased the expression of small intestinal PXR and Regenerating family member 3 alpha (Reg3A), which were otherwise reduced in CCl4 cirrhotic mice. Moreover, compared to naive mice a significantly reduced Lactobacillus, and increased Bacteroides and Enterococcus 16s rRNA levels were observed in the small intestine and liver of cirrhotic mice. Treatment with GA to cirrhotic mice significantly reduced intestinal overgrowth and translocation of Enterococcus and Bacteroides to the liver. Furthermore, GA treatment significantly attenuated intestinal permeability and BT marker soluble-CD14 (sCD14), which were increased in CCl4 cirrhotic mice. CONCLUSION: The study showed for the first time that, GA treatment to cirrhotic rodents attenuates BT, by improving PXR and Reg3A expression.

Clinically Relevant Cytochrome P450 3A4 Induction Mechanisms and Drug Screening in Three-Dimensional Spheroid Cultures of Primary Human Hepatocytes.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 induction is an important cause of drug-drug interactions, making early identification of drug candidates with CYP3A4 induction liability in drug development a prerequisite. Here, we present three-dimensional (3D) spheroid cultures of primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) as a novel CYP3A4 induction screening model. Screening of 25 drugs (12 known CYP3A4 inducers in vivo and 13 negative controls) at physiologically relevant concentrations revealed a 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity of the system. Three of the in vivo CYP3A4 inducers displayed much higher CYP3A4 induction capacity in 3D spheroid cultures as compared with in two-dimensional (2D) monolayer cultures. Among those, we identified AZD1208, a proviral integration site for Moloney murine leukemia virus (PIM) kinase inhibitor terminated in phase I of development due to unexpected CYP3A4 autoinduction, as a CYP3A4 inducer only active in 3D spheroids but not in 2D monolayer cultures. Gene knockdown experiments revealed that AZD1208 requires pregnane X receptor (PXR) to induce CYP3A4. Rifampicin requires solely PXR to induce CYP3A4 and CYP2B6, while phenobarbital-mediated induction of these CYPs did not show absolute dependency on either PXR or constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), suggesting its ability to switch nuclear receptor activation. Mechanistic studies into AZD1208 uncovered an involvement of the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) pathway in CYP3A4 induction that is sensitive to the culture format used, as revealed by its inhibition of ERK1/2 Tyrosine 204 phosphorylation and sensitivity to epidermal growth factor (EGF) pressure. In line, we also identified lapatinib, a dual epidermal growth factor receptor/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (EGFR/HER2) inhibitor, as another CYP3A4 inducer only active in 3D spheroid culture. Our findings offer insights into the pathways involved in CYP3A4 induction and suggest PHH spheroids for preclinical CYP3A4 induction screening.

Differential activation of human pregnane X receptor PXR by isomeric mono-methylated indoles in intestinal and hepatic in vitro models.

Dietary and microbial indoles can act as ligands and activators of pregnane X receptor (PXR), with implications in human intestinal health. In the current study, we examined the effects of simple mono-methylated indoles (MMIs) on the activity and function of PXR, using a series of human hepatic and intestinal cell models. Indoles 1-MMI and 2-MMI strongly induced CYP3A4 and MDR1 mRNAs in human intestinal adenocarcinoma cells LS180, but not in primary human hepatocytes. The levels of CYP3A4 mRNA were increased by 1-MMI and 2-MMI in wild type, but not in PXR-knock-out human hepatic progenitor HepaRG cells, implying the involvement of PXR in CYP3A4 induction by MMIs. Utilizing reporter gene assay, we observed dose-dependent activation of PXR by all MMIs, and their efficacies and potencies were comparable. Tested MMIs also displayed moderate antagonist effects on PXR, revealing about partial agonist effects of these compounds. As demonstrated using the Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay (ChIP),1-MMI increased PXR occupancy of the CYP3A4 promoter. Time-Resolved Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer revealed that MMIs are weak ligands of human PXR. Collectively, we show that MMIs are ligands and partial agonists of human PXR, which induce PXR-regulated genes in human intestinal cells.

Activation of PXR by alantolactone ameliorates DSS-induced experimental colitis via suppressing NF-κB signaling pathway.

Alantolactone (ALA) is a sesquiterpene lactone with potent anti-inflammatory activity. However, the effect of ALA on intestinal inflammation remains largely unknown. The present study demonstrated that ALA significantly ameliorated the clinical symptoms of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mice colitis as determined by body weight loss, diarrhea, colon shortening, inflammatory infiltration and histological injury. In mice exposed to DSS, ALA treatment significantly lowered pro-inflammatory mediators, including nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activation. In vitro, ALA inhibited NF-κB nuclear translocation and dose-dependently activated human/mouse pregnane X receptor (PXR), a key regulator gene in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathogenesis. However, the pocket occluding mutants of the ligand-binding domain (LBD) of hPXR, abrogated ALA-mediated activation of the receptor. Overexpression of hPXR inhibited NF-κB-reporter activity and in this setting, ALA further enhanced the hPXR-mediated inhibition of NF-κB-reporter activity. Furthermore, silencing hPXR gene demonstrated the necessity for hPXR in downregulation of NF-κB activation by ALA. Finally, molecular docking studies confirmed the binding affinity between hPXR-LBD and ALA. Collectively, the current study indicates a beneficial effect of ALA on experimental IBD possibly via PXR-mediated suppression of the NF-κB inflammatory signaling.

Functional Interaction between Pregnane X Receptor and Yes-Associated Protein in Xenobiotic-Dependent Liver Hypertrophy and Drug Metabolism.

Pregnane X receptor (PXR), a xenobiotic-responsive nuclear receptor, plays key roles in drug disposition. PXR activation induces liver hypertrophy in rodents, but the molecular mechanism of this effect remains unclear, although the PXR-mediated induction of cytochrome P450s (P450s) is proposed to be involved. Since yes-associated protein (YAP), an effector protein of the Hippo pathway, functions as a transcriptional cofactor that controls organ size via TEA domain family members (TEADs) or other transcription factors, we investigated the functional interaction of PXR with YAP in liver hypertrophy and drug metabolism in this study. The treatment of mice with a PXR activator induced liver hypertrophy, promoted nuclear YAP accumulation, and increased the expression of YAP/TEAD target genes in the liver, suggesting the coactivation of PXR and YAP. Through chronological analyses of this in vivo model, no clear association between PXR-dependent liver hypertrophy and P450 induction was observed. In reporter assays, ligand-activated PXR enhanced YAP-mediated gene transcription, whereas YAP overexpression inhibited PXR-dependent gene transcription. No clear species differences in these transcriptional interactions between humans and mice were observed. Furthermore, in human hepatocarcinoma and primary hepatocyte-like cells, YAP suppressed the expression of liver-enriched transcription factors, including hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α, PXR, the constitutive androstane receptor, and their target genes. These results suggest that YAP is involved in PXR-induced liver hypertrophy and that YAP activation interferes with gene expression associated with various liver functions. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: We have investigated the functional interaction between PXR and YAP, an effector protein of the Hippo pathway. PXR plays central roles in various liver functions including drug metabolism, and the Hippo pathway and YAP regulate organ size through interacting with several transcription factors, including TEADs. Our results suggest that YAP is involved in PXR-mediated liver hypertrophy and that YAP activation interferes with the expression of liver-enriched transcription factors and thus drug-metabolizing enzymes.

[Effects of hexabromocyclododecanes on retinoid X receptor α, pregnane X receptor and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of hexabromocyclododecanes( HBCDs) on cell proliferation and the expression of the three important cell nuclear receptor of retinoic X receptor α( RXRα), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ( PPARγ), pregnane X receptor( PXR) and their interaction in Neuro-2a(N2a). METHODS: Neuro-2a cells were treated with different concentrations of diastereoisomers, of HBCDs which were α-HBCD, ß-HBCD, γ-HBCD, respectively, and cell toxicity was analyzed using the cell counting kit-8( CCK-8) assay. The impact of HBCDs on cell cycles of Neuro-2a were analyzed by flow cytometry analysis, and the expression levels in mRNA and protein for the three nuclearreceptors( RXRα, PPARγ, PXR andits target genes CYP3A11) were determined by RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. The interaction between the receptors of RXRα, PXR, PPARγ was explored by immunoprecipitation. RESULTS: Cytotoxicity of ß-HBCD was the greatest among the three diastereoisomers, it was significantly greater than α-HBCD, however cytotoxicity of γ-HBCD for the Neuro-2a cells couldn 't be determined. Moreover α-HBCD, ß-HBCD induced significant cytotoxicity in a time-dose-response relationship to Neuro-2a cells( P < 0. 05), IC_(50) of α-HBCD, ß-HBCD to Neuro-2a cells were 60. 07 and 10. 52 µmol/L, respectively. α-, ß-HBCD blocked the cell cycle at G2/M phase. The expression levels in mRNA and protein of RXRα, PPARγ, PXR, CYP3A11 were significantly increased after cells exposure to α-HBCD and ß-HBCD 24 h. An interaction between RXRα, PPARγ and PXR in Neuro-2a cells existed no matter before and after exposure to HBCD. CONCLUSION: α-HBCD, ß-HBCD inhibit proliferation of Neuro-2a cells, cell cycle mainly was arrested at G2/M phase. α-HBCD, ß-HBCD could up-regulated the expression levels of RXRα, PPARγ, PXR. Meanwhile, the expression of CYP3A11 which is downstream gene of PXR also significantly increased( P < 0. 05). Interaction between RXRα, PPARγ and PXR exist whether or not exposure to α-, ß-HBCD. The molecular mechanisms of interaction between the receptors need further study.