Age-related changes in hepatic activity and expression of detoxification enzymes in male rats.

Process of aging is accompanied by changes in the biotransformation of xenobiotics and impairment of normal cellular functions by free radicals. Therefore, this study was designed to determine age-related differences in the activities and/or expressions of selected drug-metabolizing and antioxidant enzymes in young and old rats. Specific activities of 8 drug-metabolizing enzymes and 4 antioxidant enzymes were assessed in hepatic subcellular fractions of 6-week-old and 21-month-old male Wistar rats. Protein expressions of carbonyl reductase 1 (CBR1) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were determined using immunoblotting. Remarkable age-related decrease in specific activities of CYP2B, CYP3A, and UDP-glucuronosyl transferase was observed, whereas no changes in activities of CYP1A2, flavine monooxygenase, aldo-keto reductase 1C, and antioxidant enzymes with advancing age were found. On the other hand, specific activity of CBR1 and GST was 2.4 folds and 5.6 folds higher in the senescent rats compared with the young ones, respectively. Interindividual variability in CBR1 activity increased significantly with rising age. We suppose that elevated activities of GST and CBR1 may protect senescent rats against xenobiotic as well as eobiotic electrophiles and reactive carbonyls, but they may alter metabolism of drugs, which are CBR1 and especially GSTs substrates.

Inhibitory effect of anthocyanidins on hepatic glutathione S-transferase, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase and carbonyl reductase activities in rat and human.

1. Anthocyanins and their aglycone anthocyanidins represent the most abundant flavonoids in human diet and popular constituents of various dietary supplements. The aim of this study was to evaluate inhibitory effect of four anthocyanidins (delphinidin, cyanidin, malvidin and pelargonidin) on three families of important drug-metabolizing enzymes: carbonyl reductases (CBRs), glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGT). 2. Human or rat hepatic subcellular fractions were incubated with or without pure anthocyanidins (100 µM) and the activities of CBR, GST and UGT were assayed using menadione, 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene and p-nitrophenol as substrates, respectively. For the most potent inhibitors, half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) were determined and the inhibition kinetics study was performed. 3. Anthocyanidins inhibited weakly the activity of GST and moderately the activities of CBR and UGT. Cyanidin was the most potent inhibitor of human UGT with IC50 = 69 µM (at 200 µM substrate concentration) and competitive type of action. Delphinidin acted as significant non-competitive inhibitor of human CBR with IC50 = 16 µM (at substrate concentration 500 µM). The inhibitory potency of anthocyanidins differed in rat and human samples significantly. 4. Anthocyanidins are able to inhibit CBR and UGT in vitro. Possible interference of anthocyanidins (in high-dose dietary supplements) with simultaneously administered drugs, which are UGT or CBR substrates, should be checked.