The time-dependent effects of St John's wort on cytochrome P450, uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase, glutathione S-transferase, and NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase in mice.

Hypericum perforatum [St. John's wort (SJW)] is known to cause a drug interaction with the substrates of cytochrome P450 (P450, CYP) isoforms, mainly CYP3A. This study aims to determine the dose response and time course of the effects of SJW extract on P450s, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase (NQO) in mice. The oral administration of SJW extract to male mice at 0.6 g/kg/d for 21 days increased hepatic oxidation activity toward a Cyp3a substrate nifedipine. By extending the SJW treatment to 28 days, hepatic nifedipine oxidation (NFO) and warfarin 7-hydroxylation (WOH) (Cyp2c) activities were increased by 95% and 34%, respectively. Immunoblot analysis of liver microsomal proteins revealed that the Cyp2c protein level was elevated by the 28-day treatment. However, the liver microsomal activities of the oxidation of the respective substrates of Cyp1a, Cyp2a, Cyp2b, Cyp2d, and Cyp2e1 remained unchanged. In the kidney, SJW increased the NFO, but not the WOH activity. The extended 28-day treatment did not alter mouse hepatic and renal UGT, GST, and NQO activities. These findings demonstrate that SJW stimulates hepatic and renal Cyp3a activity and hepatic Cyp2c activity and expression. The induction of hepatic Cyp2c requires repeated treatment for a period longer than the initial induction of Cyp3a.

Berberine Activates Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor but Suppresses CYP1A1 Induction through miR-21-3p Stimulation in MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells.

Berberine and the methylenedioxy ring-opening derivatives palmatine and jatrorrhizine are active ingredients in immunomodulatory plants, such as goldenseal. This study aimed to illustrate the effects of protoberberines on aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation and cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1 in the estrogen receptor (ER)α(+) MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Among protoberberines at non-cytotoxic concentrations (≤10 µM), berberine had the most potent and statistically significant effects on AhR activation and CYP1A1/1A2/1B1 mRNA induction. The 24-h exposure to 10 µM berberine did not change CYP1A1 mRNA stability, protein level and function. Berberine significantly increased micro RNA (miR)-21-3p by 36% and the transfection of an inhibitor of miR-21-3p restored the induction of CYP1A1 protein with a 50% increase. These findings demonstrate that the ring opening of the methylenedioxyl moiety in berberine decreased AhR activation in MCF-7 cells. While CYP1A1 mRNA was elevated, berberine-induced miR-21-3p suppressed the increase of functional CYP1A1 protein expression.

7-ketocholesterol and 27-hydroxycholesterol decreased doxorubicin sensitivity in breast cancer cells: estrogenic activity and mTOR pathway.

Hypercholesterolemia is one of the risk factors for poor outcome in breast cancer therapy. To elucidate the influence of the main circulating oxysterols, cholesterol oxidation products, on the cell-killing effect of doxorubicin, cells were exposed to oxysterols at a subtoxic concentration. When cells were exposed to oxysterols in fetal bovine serum-supplemented medium, 7-ketocholesterol (7-KC), but not 27-hydroxycholesterol (27-HC), decreased the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin in MCF-7 (high estrogen receptor (ER)α/ERß ratio) cells and the decreased cytotoxicity was restored by the P-glycoprotein inhibitor verapamil. 7-KC stimulated the efflux function of P-glycoprotein and reduced intracellular doxorubicin accumulation in MCF-7 but not in ERα(-) MDA-MB-231 and the resistant MCF-7/ADR cells. In MCF-7 cells, 7-KC increased the mRNA and protein levels of P-glycoprotein. The 7-KC-suppressed doxorubicin accumulation was restored by the fluvestrant and ERα knockdown. In a yeast reporter assay, the ERα activation by 7-KC was more potent than 27-HC. 7-KC, but not 27-HC, stimulated the expression of an ER target, Trefoil factor 1 in MCF-7 cells. When charcoal-stripped fetal bovine serum was used, both 7-KC and 27-HC induced Trefoil factor 1 expression and reduced doxorubicin accumulation in MCF-7 cells. 7-KC-reduced doxorubicin accumulation could be reversed by inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, Akt, and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). These findings demonstrate that 7-KC decreases the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin through the up-regulation of P-glycoprotein in an ERα- and mTOR-dependent pathway. The 7-KC- and 27-HC-elicited estrogenic effects are crucial in the P-glycoprotein induction in breast cancer cells.

Potentiation of the anticoagulation effect of warfarin by the herbal remedy Shu-Jing-Hwo-Shiee-Tang in rats: The dosing regimen and pharmacokinetic interaction.

The herbal remedy Shu-Jing-Hwo-Shiee-Tang (SJHST) has been used in traditional Chinese medical care for the treatment of osteoarthritis. This study aims to examine the influence of SJHST on the oxidation and anticoagulation effect of warfarin in male rats. In three SJHST preparations (S1-S3), hesperidin, gentiopicrin, and paeoniflorin were identified as chemical marker ingredients. The inhibition of liver microsomal warfarin 7-hydroxylation (WOH) activity by 50% methanolic extracts of SJHST was potentiated by ß-glucosidase pretreatment, but not by NADPH-fortified microsomal preincubation. Among various ingredients and their ß-glucosidase-hydrolyzed products, hesperetin caused the most potent inhibition of WOH. Oral administration of S2 to rats at 2 h after warfarin treatment (WS22-h post), but not co-treatment (WS2co), decreased warfarin clearance and increased the maximal plasma concentration and the area under the curve (AUC0-t, AUC0-∞) of plasma concentration versus time of warfarin administration. S2 and S3 did not change the coagulation parameters. At 24 h after warfarin administration, the WS22-h post and WS32-h post groups had a prothrombin time longer than that of the warfarin group. These results demonstrate that a 2-h post-treatment of rats with SJHST caused pharmacokinetic interaction with warfarin, resulting in prothrombin time prolongation.

Differential inhibition of CYP1-catalyzed regioselective hydroxylation of estradiol by berberine and its oxidative metabolites.

Berberine is a pharmacologically active alkaloid present in widely used medicinal plants, such as Coptis chinensis (Huang-Lian). The hormone estradiol is oxidized by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1B1 to primarily form the genotoxic metabolite 4-hydroxyestradiol, whereas CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 predominantly generate 2-hydroxyestradiol. To illustrate the effect of berberine on the regioselective oxidation of estradiol, effects of berberine and its metabolites on CYP1 activities were studied. Among CYP1s, CYP1B1.1, 1.3 (L432V), and 1.4 (N453S)-catalyzed 4-hydroxylation were preferentially inhibited by berberine. Differing from the competitive inhibition of CYP1B1.1 and 1.3, N453S substitution in CYP1B1 allowed a non-competitive or mixed-type pattern. An N228T in CYP1B1 highly decreased its activity and preference to 4-hydroxylation. A reverse mutation of T223N in CYP1A2 retained its 2-hydroxylation preference, but enhanced its inhibition susceptibility to berberine. Compared with berberine, metabolites demethyleneberberine and thalifendine caused weaker inhibition of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 activities. Unexpectedly, thalifendine was more potent than berberine in the inhibition of CYP1A2, in which case an enhanced interaction through polar hydrogen-π bond was predicted from the docking analysis. These results demonstrate that berberine preferentially inhibits the estradiol 4-hydroxylation activity of CYP1B1 variants, suggesting that 4-hydroxyestradiol-mediated toxicity might be reduced by berberine, especially in tissues/tumors highly expressing CYP1B1.

The Effect of Oxidation on Berberine-Mediated CYP1 Inhibition: Oxidation Behavior and Metabolite-Mediated Inhibition.

The protoberberine alkaloid berberine carries methylenedioxy moiety and exerts a variety of pharmacological effects, such as anti-inflammation and lipid-lowering effects. Berberine causes potent CYP1B1 inhibition, whereas CYP1A2 shows resistance to the inhibition. To reveal the influence of oxidative metabolism on CYP1 inhibition by berberine, berberine oxidation and the metabolite-mediated inhibition were determined. After NADPH-fortified preincubation of berberine with P450, the inhibition of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 variants (CYP1B1.1, CYP1B1.3, and CYP1B1.4) by berberine was not enhanced, and CYP1A2 remained resistant. Demethyleneberberine was identified as the most abundant metabolite of CYP1A1- and CYP1B1-catalyzed oxidations, and thalifendine was generated at a relatively low rate. CYP1A1-catalyzed berberine oxidation had the highest maximal velocity (V max) and exhibited positive cooperativity, suggesting the assistance of substrate binding when the first substrate was present. In contrast, the demethylenation by CYP1B1 showed the property of substrate inhibition. CYP1B1-catalyzed berberine oxidation had low K m values, but it had V max values less than 8% of those of CYP1A1. The dissociation constants generated from the binding spectrum and fluorescence quenching suggested that the low K m values of CYP1B1-catalyzed oxidation might include more than the rate constants describing berberine binding. The natural protoberberine/berberine fmetabolites with methylenedioxy ring-opening (palmatine, jatrorrhizine, and demethyleneberberine) and the demethylation (thalifendine and berberrubine) caused weak CYP1 inhibition. These results demonstrated that berberine was not efficiently oxidized by CYP1B1, and metabolism-dependent irreversible inactivation was minimal. Metabolites of berberine caused a relatively weak inhibition of CYP1.

Effects of aqueous extract of Ruta graveolens and its ingredients on cytochrome P450, uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glucuronosyltransferase, and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate) (NAD(P)H)-quinone oxidoreductase in mice.

Ruta graveolens (the common rue) has been used for various therapeutic purposes, including relief of rheumatism and treatment of circulatory disorder. To elucidate the effects of rue on main drug-metabolizing enzymes, effects of an aqueous extract of the aerial part of rue and its ingredients on cytochrome P450 (P450/CYP), uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glucuronosyltransferase, and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate) (NAD(P)H):quinone oxidoreductase were studied in C57BL/6JNarl mice. Oral administration of rue extract to males increased hepatic Cyp1a and Cyp2b activities in a dose-dependent manner. Under a 7-day treatment regimen, rue extract (0.5 g/kg) induced hepatic Cyp1a and Cyp2b activities and protein levels in males and females. This treatment increased hepatic UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activity only in males. However, NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase activity remained unchanged. Based on the contents of rutin and furanocoumarins of mouse dose of rue extract, rutin increased hepatic Cyp1a activity and the mixture of furanocoumarins (Fmix) increased Cyp2b activities in males. The mixture of rutin and Fmix increased Cyp1a and Cyp2b activities. These results revealed that rutin and Fmix contributed at least in part to the P450 induction by rue.