Contribution of cyclooxygenase-1-dependent prostacyclin synthesis to bradykinin-induced dermal extravasation.

BACKGROUND: Non-allergic angioedema is a potentially life-threatening condition caused by accumulation of bradykinin and subsequent activation of bradykinin type 2 receptors (B2). Since COX activity plays a pivotal role in B2 signaling, the aim of this study was to determine which prostaglandins are the key mediators and which COX, COX-1 or COX-2, is predominantly involved. METHODS: We used Miles assays to assess the effects of inhibitors of COX, 5-lipoxygenase, epoxyeicosatrienoic acid generation, cytosolic phospholipase A2α and a variety of prostaglandin receptor antagonists on bradykinin-induced dermal extravasation in C57BL/6 and COX-1-deficient mice (COX-1-/-). In addition, the prostacyclin metabolite 6-keto-PGF1α was quantified by ELISA in subcutaneous tissue from C57BL/6 and human dermal microvascular endothelial cells. In the latter, 6-keto-PGF1α was also quantified and identified by LC-MS/MS. RESULTS: Unspecific COX inhibition by ibuprofen and diclofenac significantly reduced B2-mediated dermal extravasation in C57BL/6 but not COX-1-/-. Likewise, inhibition of cytosolic phospholipase A2α showed similar effects. Furthermore, extravasation in COX-1-/- was generally lower than in C57BL/6. Of the prostaglandin antagonists used, only the prostacyclin receptor antagonist RO1138452 showed a significant reduction of dermal extravasation. Moreover, 6-keto-PGF1α concentrations were increased after bradykinin treatment in subcutaneous tissue from C57BL/6 as well as in human dermal microvascular endothelial cells and this increase was abolished by diclofenac. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that COX-1-dependent prostacyclin production is critically involved in dermal extravasation after activation of B2 in small dermal blood vessels. Targeting prostacyclin production and/or signaling appears to be a suitable option for acute treatment of non-allergic angioedema.

Glycine Betaine Monooxygenase, an Unusual Rieske-Type Oxygenase System, Catalyzes the Oxidative N-Demethylation of Glycine Betaine in Chromohalobacter salexigens DSM 3043.

Although some bacteria, including Chromohalobacter salexigens DSM 3043, can use glycine betaine (GB) as a sole source of carbon and energy, little information is available about the genes and their encoded proteins involved in the initial step of the GB degradation pathway. In the present study, the results of conserved domain analysis, construction of in-frame deletion mutants, and an in vivo functional complementation assay suggested that the open reading frames Csal_1004 and Csal_1005, designated bmoA and bmoB, respectively, may act as the terminal oxygenase and the ferredoxin reductase genes in a novel Rieske-type oxygenase system to convert GB to dimethylglycine in C. salexigens DSM 3043. To further verify their function, BmoA and BmoB were heterologously overexpressed in Escherichia coli, and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance analysis revealed that dimethylglycine was accumulated in E. coli BL21(DE3) expressing BmoAB or BmoA. In addition, His-tagged BmoA and BmoB were individually purified to electrophoretic homogeneity and estimated to be a homotrimer and a monomer, respectively. In vitro biochemical analysis indicated that BmoB is an NADH-dependent flavin reductase with one noncovalently bound flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) as its prosthetic group. In the presence of BmoB, NADH, and flavin, BmoA could aerobically degrade GB to dimethylglycine with the concomitant production of formaldehyde. BmoA exhibited strict substrate specificity for GB, and its demethylation activity was stimulated by Fe2+ Phylogenetic analysis showed that BmoA belongs to group V of the Rieske nonheme iron oxygenase (RO) family, and all the members in this group were able to use quaternary ammonium compounds as substrates.IMPORTANCE GB is widely distributed in nature. In addition to being accumulated intracellularly as a compatible solute to deal with osmotic stress, it can be utilized by many bacteria as a source of carbon and energy. However, very limited knowledge is presently available about the molecular and biochemical mechanisms for the initial step of the aerobic GB degradation pathway in bacteria. Here, we report the molecular and biochemical characterization of a novel two-component Rieske-type monooxygenase system, GB monooxygenase (BMO), which is responsible for oxidative demethylation of GB to dimethylglycine in C. salexigens DSM 3043. The results gained in this study extend our knowledge on the catalytic reaction of microbial GB degradation to dimethylglycine.

Flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 as a potential player in diabetes-associated atherosclerosis.

Despite the well-documented association between insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease, the key targets of insulin relevant to the development of cardiovascular disease are not known. Here, using non-biased profiling methods, we identify the enzyme flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 (Fmo3) to be a target of insulin. FMO3 produces trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), which has recently been suggested to promote atherosclerosis in mice and humans. We show that FMO3 is suppressed by insulin in vitro, increased in obese/insulin resistant male mice and increased in obese/insulin-resistant humans. Knockdown of FMO3 in insulin-resistant mice suppresses FoxO1, a central node for metabolic control, and entirely prevents the development of hyperglycaemia, hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis. Taken together, these data indicate that FMO3 is required for FoxO1 expression and the development of metabolic dysfunction.

Phenylethyl butyrate enhances the potency of second-line drugs against clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Ethionamide (ETH) is a second-line drug for the treatment of tuberculosis. As a prodrug, ETH has to be activated by EthA. ethA is controlled by its repressor EthR. 2-Phenylethyl-butyrate (2-PEB) inhibits EthR binding, enhances expression of EthA, and thereby enhances the growth-inhibitory effects of ethionamide, isoxyl, and thiacetazone in Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains with resistance to ETH due to inhA promoter mutations but not ethA mutations.

Cloning of a 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase gene (SgNCED1) from Stylosanthes guianensis and its expression in response to abiotic stresses.

Abscisic acid (ABA) regulates plant adaptive responses to various environmental stresses. Oxidative cleavage of cis-epoxycarotenoids catalyzed by 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) is the main regulatory step in the biosynthesis of ABA in higher plants. A NCED gene, SgNCED1, was cloned from the dehydrated leaves of Stylosanthes guianensis. The 2,241-bp full-length SgNCED1 had a 1,809-bp ORF, which encodes a peptide of 602 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of SgNCED1 protein shared high identity with other NCEDs. At the N-terminus of the SgNCED1 located a chloroplast transit peptide sequence. DNA blot analysis revealed that SgNCED1 was a single copy gene in the genome of S. guianensis. The relationship between expression of SgNCED1 and endogenous ABA level was investigated. The expression of SgNCED1 was induced in both leaves and roots of S. guianensis under drought stress. Dehydration and salt stress induced the expression of SgNCED1 strongly and rapidly. The ABA accumulation was coincidently induced with the SgNCED1 mRNA under drought, dehydration and salt stress. The expression of SgNCED1 and ABA accumulation were also induced under chilling condition.

A novel polar surface polysaccharide from Rhizobium leguminosarum binds host plant lectin.

Rhizobium bacteria produce different surface polysaccharides which are either secreted in the growth medium or contribute to a capsule surrounding the cell. Here, we describe isolation and partial characterization of a novel high molecular weight surface polysaccharide from a strain of Rhizobium leguminosarum that nodulates Pisum sativum (pea) and Vicia sativa (vetch) roots. Carbohydrate analysis showed that the polysaccharide consists for 95% of mannose and glucose, with minor amounts of galactose and rhamnose. Lectin precipitation analysis revealed high binding affinity of pea and vetch lectin for this polysaccharide, in contrast to the other known capsular and extracellular polysaccharides of this strain. Expression of the polysaccharide was independent of the presence of a Sym plasmid or the nod gene inducer naringenin. Incubation of R. leguminosarum with labelled pea lectin showed that this polysaccharide is exclusively localized on one of the poles of the bacterial cell. Vetch roots incubated with rhizobia and labelled pea lectin revealed that this bacterial pole is involved in attachment to the root surface. A mutant strain deficient in the production of this polysaccharide was impaired in attachment and root hair infection under slightly acidic conditions, in contrast to the situation at slightly alkaline conditions. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that rhizobia can use (at least) two mechanisms for docking at the root surface, with use of a lectin-glycan mechanism under slightly acidic conditions.

Genetic polymorphisms of flavin monooxygenase 3 in sulindac-induced regression of colorectal adenomas in familial adenomatous polyposis.

Sulindac is a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug with a chemopreventive effect in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). In vivo, the active form of sulindac is sulindac sulfide, which is inactivated by the hepatic microsomal enzyme, flavin monooxygenase 3 (FMO3). In humans, numerous polymorphisms exist in FMO3, which alter enzymatic activity and subsequent substrate metabolism. We recently showed that certain polymorphic forms of FMO3 with reduced activity were associated with a more favorable response to sulindac in preventing the formation of adenomas in patients with FAP without polyps at baseline. Here, we determined whether these FMO3 polymorphisms correlated with the ability of sulindac to regress polyposis in patients with FAP who had polyps prior to treatment. Nineteen patients were treated with 150 mg sulindac twice a day for 6 months. The size and number of polyps in each patient was assessed at baseline (prior to the administration of sulindac), and at 3 and 6 months. Genotyping was done on seven established FMO3 polymorphisms with functional significance-M66I, E158K, P153L, V257M, E305X, E308G, and R492W. Statistical analyses were done with Wilcoxon rank sum test. Of the loci examined, only E158K and E308G showed polymorphic changes. Six patients exhibited polymorphisms in both E158K and E308G loci and were designated as genotype combination 1. The remaining patients were designated as genotype combination 2. Over the course of treatment, patients with genotype combination 1 had a greater reduction in both the size and number of polyps than those with genotype combination 2. These results suggest that combined polymorphic changes in the E158K and E308G alleles may protect against polyposis in patients with FAP treated with sulindac.

Effect of methanobactin on the activity and electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of the membrane-associated methane monooxygenase in Methylococcus capsulatus Bath.

Improvements in the purification of methanobactin (mb) from either Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b(T) or Methylococcus capsulatus Bath resulted in preparations that stimulated methane-oxidation activity in both whole-cell and cell-free fractions of Methylococcus capsulatus Bath expressing the membrane-associated methane monooxygenase (pMMO). By using washed membrane factions with pMMO activities in the 290 nmol propylene oxidized min(-1) (mg protein)(-1) range, activities approaching 400 nmol propylene oxidized min(-1) (mg protein)(-1) were commonly observed following addition of copper-containing mb (Cu-mb), which represented 50-75 % of the total whole-cell activity. The stimulation of methane-oxidation activity by Cu-mb was similar to or greater than that observed with equimolar concentrations of Cu(II), without the inhibitory effects observed with high copper concentrations. Stimulation of pMMO activity was not observed with copper-free mb, nor was it observed when the copper-to-mb ratio was <0.5 Cu atoms per mb. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of mb differed depending on the copper-to-mb ratio. At copper-to-mb ratios of <0.4 Cu(II) per mb, Cu(II) addition to mb showed an initial coordination by both sulfur and nitrogen, followed by reduction to Cu(I) in <2 min. At Cu(II)-to-mb ratios between 0.4 and 0.9 Cu(II) per mb, the intensity of the Cu(II) signal in EPR spectra was more representative of the Cu(II) added and indicated more nitrogen coordination. The EPR spectral properties of mb and pMMO were also examined in the washed membrane fraction following the addition of Cu(II), mb and Cu-mb in the presence or absence of reductants (NADH or duroquinol) and substrates (CH4 and/or O2). The results indicated that Cu-mb increased electron flow to the pMMO, increased the free radical formed following the addition of O2 and decreased the residual free radical following the addition of O2 plus CH4. The increase in pMMO activity and EPR spectral changes to the pMMO following Cu-mb addition represent the first positive evidence of interactions between the pMMO and Cu-mb.

4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase as a drug discovery target.

The molecular mechanism for 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (4-HPPD) inhibition by nitisinone, a recently approved new drug for the treatment of hereditary tyrosinemia type I, has been satisfactorily explained by its action as an analogue to the substrate 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate. In addition, a novel induced conformationally restricted 4-HPPD inhibitor, diketonitrile, which serves as a nonclassical bioisostere for rigid cyclic 1,3-diketone derivatives, has been introduced. Further application of the molecular mode of action of nitisinone in rational design of potential inhibitors for alpha-ketoglutarate-coupled dioxygenases is discussed.

S-oxidation of S-methyl-esonarimod by flavin-containing monooxygenases in human liver microsomes.

1. Studies using human liver microsomes and recombinant human cytochrome P450 (CYP) and flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO) were performed to identify the enzymes responsible for the metabolism of S-methyl-esonarimod (M2), an active metabolite of esonarimod (KE-298, a novel antirheumatic drug). 2. S-oxidative activities of M2 significantly correlated with those of methyl p-tolyl sulfide, a specific substrate of FMOs, as tested using 10 different human liver microsomes (r(2) = 0.539, p<0.05). Thermal treatment of microsomes reduced the S-oxidative activity in the absence of the NADPH-generating system at 45 degrees C for 5 min. However, methimazole, a known competitive substrate of FMOs, was a weak inhibitor of the S-oxidation in liver microsomes. 3. Recombinant human FMO1 and FMO5 produced M3 in greater quantities than recombinant human FMO3. The S-oxidation of M2 by recombinant human FMO5 was not appreciably inhibited in the presence of methimazole. In contrast, methimazole was effective in suppressing the catalytic activity of recombinant human FMO1 and FMO3. 4. The apparent K(m) (K(m app)) for the S-oxidation of M2 in human recombinant FMO5 (2.71 microM) was similar to that obtained using human liver microsomes (2.43 microM). 5. The present results suggest that the S-oxidation of S-methyl esonarimod reflects FMO5 activity in the human liver because the recombinant FMO5 data match well with the human liver microsomal experiments.

Effect of cortisol and urea on flavin monooxygenase activity and expression in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss.

Expression of flavin-containing monooxygenase(s) (FMO) correlates with salinity exposure in certain species of euryhaline fish, such as the rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. The mechanism(s) by which salinity regulates FMO is unclear. Adult rainbow trout were infused through the dorsal aorta with either cortisol or urea. At 500 ng/ml, cortisol caused a significant increase in FMO-catalyzed thiourea oxidase activity in gill and liver microsomes. FMOI expression, however, was significantly increased by the high cortisol dose only in gill microsomes. The levels of TMAO and urea were not altered by cortisol. In the liver, urea infusion caused an increase in hepatic FMO activity. FMO expression and activity correlated with elevated tissue urea levels, but TMAO concentrations were not related. These results indicate that FMO expression and activity may be partially controlled by the osmoregulatory/stress hormone. cortisol, and concentrations of the organic osmolyte, urea, in the rainbow trout.

Sugars have potential to curtail oxygenase activity of Rubisco.

Sugars play a critical role in regulating overall cellular metabolism and owing to their general compatibility with various cellular events plants invariably show enhanced levels of sugars for maintaining desired osmoticum under osmotic stress. Sugars (sucrose and trehalose) and sugar-alcohols (glycerol, mannitol, inositol, and sorbitol) with the exception of sorbitol lowered oxygenase activity of Rubisco (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, EC 4.1.1.39) without altering carboxylase activity under unstressed conditions. Most interestingly, these solutes including sorbitol fully curtailed NaCl-induced enhancement in oxygenase activity, even at concentrations as low as 50mM. However, none of these solutes could alleviate NaCl-suppressed carboxylase activity. In summary, our findings demonstrate that one of the most important roles of sugars and sugar-alcohols in plants exposed to salt stress is to curtail oxygenase activity of Rubisco.

Identification of a novel dioxin-inducible cytochrome P450.

Representational difference analysis was used to isolate cDNAs corresponding to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (dioxin)-inducible genes from mouse Hepa-1 cells. One cDNA encoded a novel cytochrome P450. The human homolog was also isolated and later proved to be human CYP2S1. The induction of mouse CYP2S1 mRNA by dioxin represents a primary response and required the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator proteins. The induction of CYP2S1 also occurred in mouse liver and lung, with the highest expression found in lung. CYP2S1 was also inducible in a human lung epithelial cell line. The dioxin-inducibility of CY2S1 is exceptional, because all previously well-characterized cases of the induction of cytochromes P450 by dioxin involve members of the CYP1 family.

Biosynthesis of sterols and triterpenes in cell suspension cultures of Uncaria tomentosa.

Pectin administered to Uncaria tomentosa cell suspension cultures, was found to increase the production of triterpene acids (ursolic and oleanolic acid), however, neither growth nor sterol accumulation were affected. Cell cultures showed that pectin treatment caused a rapid threefold increase in the activities of enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of C(5) and C(30 )isoprenoid, such as isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase and squalene synthase. The activity of a farnesyl diphosphatase, which could divert the flux of farnesyl diphosphate to farnesol, was two times lower in elicited than in control cells. Elicited cells also transformed more rapidly a higher percentage of [5-(3)H]mevalonic acid into triterpene acids. Interestingly, addition of terbinafine, an inhibitor of squalene epoxidase, to elicited cell cultures inhibited sterol accumulation while triterpene production was not inhibited. These results suggest that in U. tomentosa cells, both the previously mentioned enzymes and those involved in squalene 2,3-oxide formation play an important regulatory role in the biosynthesis of sterols and triterpenes.

Effects of salinity on aldicarb toxicity in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and striped bass (Morone saxatilis x chrysops).

Fluctuations in several environmental variables, such as salinity, can influence the interactions between organisms and pollutants in aquatic organisms, and, therefore, affect the toxicity of xenobiotics. In this study, after 2 species of fish, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and hybrid striped bass (Morone saxatilis x chrysops) were acclimated to 4 salinity regimens of 1.5, 7, 14, and 21 ppt for 1 week and then exposed to 0.5 mg/l aldicarb. Mortality, brain, and muscle cholinesterase levels were measured after 96 h. Rates of (14)C-aldicarb sulfoxide formation were determined in kidney (trout only), liver, and gill microsomes from each species acclimated to the 4 salinity regimens. Salinity significantly enhanced aldicarb toxicity, cholinesterase inhibition, and (14)C-aldicarb sulfoxide formation in rainbow trout but not in striped bass. In vitro incubations with (14)C-aldicarb and the cytochrome P450 (CYP) inhibitor, N-benzylimidazole, did not significantly alter aldicarb sulfoxide formation in tissue microsomes from either species of fish, indicating CYP did not contribute to aldicarb sulfoxidation. Salinity increased flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO) mRNA expression and catalytic activities in microsomes of liver, gill, and kidney of rainbow trout, which was consistent with the salinity-induced enhancement of aldicarb toxicity. Salinity did not alter FMO mRNA expression and catalytic activities in striped bass, which was also consistent with the lack of an effect of salinity on aldicarb toxicity in this species. These results suggest that salinity-mediated enhancement of aldicarb toxicity is species-dependent, and at least partially due to the salinity-related upregulation of FMOs, which, in turn, increases the bioactivation of aldicarb to aldicarb sulfoxide, which is a more potent inhibitor of cholinesterase than aldicarb.

Endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor synthase (Cytochrome P450 2C9) is a functionally significant source of reactive oxygen species in coronary arteries.

In the porcine coronary artery, a cytochrome P450 (CYP) isozyme homologous to CYP 2C8/9 has been identified as an endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) synthase. As some CYP enzymes are reported to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), we hypothesized that the coronary EDHF synthase may modulate vascular homeostasis by the simultaneous production of ROS and epoxyeicosatrienoic acids. In bradykinin-stimulated coronary arteries, antisense oligonucleotides against CYP 2C almost abolished EDHF-mediated responses but potentiated nitric oxide (NO)-mediated relaxation. The selective CYP 2C9 inhibitor sulfaphenazole and the superoxide anion (O(2-)) scavengers Tiron and nordihydroguaretic acid also induced a leftward shift in the NO-mediated concentration-relaxation curve to bradykinin. CYP activity and O(2-) production, determined in microsomes prepared from cells overexpressing CYP 2C9, were almost completely inhibited by sulfaphenazole. Sulfaphenazole did not alter the activity of either CYP 2C8, the leukocyte NADPH oxidase, or xanthine oxidase. ROS generation in coronary artery rings, visualized using either ethidium or dichlorofluorescein fluorescence, was detected under basal conditions. The endothelial signal was attenuated by CYP 2C antisense treatment as well as by sulfaphenazole. In isolated coronary endothelial cells, bradykinin elicited a sulfaphenazole-sensitive increase in ROS production. Although 11,12 epoxyeicosatrienoic acid attenuated the activity of nuclear factor-kappaB in cultured human endothelial cells, nuclear factor-kappaB activity was enhanced after the induction or overexpression of CYP 2C9, as was the expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1. These results suggest that a CYP isozyme homologous to CYP 2C9 is a physiologically relevant generator of ROS in coronary endothelial cells and modulates both vascular tone and homeostasis.

Transformation of ortho-substituted biphenyls by Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b: substituent effects on oxidation kinetics and product formation.

The ability of Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b, expressing soluble methane monooxygenase, to oxidize a range of ortho-substituted biphenyls was examined to better understand how substituents affect both the rate and products of oxidation in comparison to biphenyl. Inhibition of oxidation was observed over the tested substrate range for both biphenyl and ortho-halogenated biphenyls (2-chloro-, 2-bromo-, and 2-iodobiphenyl). No inhibition was observed during the oxidation of 2-hydroxybiphenyl and 2-methylbiphenyl. Analysis of the products of oxidation showed that, depending on the substituent, ring hydroxylation, substituent oxidation, and elimination pathways could occur. The type and abundance of products formed along with the relatively high kinetic isotope effect observed for deuterated vs. nondeuterated biphenyl (k(h)/k(d) = 3.4+/-0.02) are consistent with mechanisms that include both hydrogen abstraction and NIH-shift pathways. Knowledge of these substituent-dependent reaction rates and mechanisms enhances our understanding of the methanotrophic aryl transformation potential and allows for better prediction of the formation of oxidized intermediates by methanotrophic bacteria.

Effect of age and smoking on in vivo CYP1A2, flavin-containing monooxygenase, and xanthine oxidase activities in Koreans: determination by caffeine metabolism.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of gender, age, and smoking habits on the in vivo activities of CYP1A2, flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO), and xanthine oxidase in Korean subjects. METHODS: One hundred thirty-three age- and gender-matched healthy Korean volunteers (age range, 21 to 78 years; mean age, 35.3 +/- 16.6 years) with and without smoking habits participated. After drinking a cup of coffee (200 mL) that contained 110 mg caffeine, a 1-hour urine sample (between 4 and 5 hours) was collected and caffeine metabolites were analyzed by HPLC. RESULTS: There were marked individual variations in CYP1A2 [(1,7-dimethylurate + paraxanthine)/caffeine], FMO (theobromine/caffeine), and xanthine oxidase (1-methylurate/1-methylxanthine) activities (14-, 42-, and 9-fold, respectively). However, the mean values of these enzyme activities in the nonsmokers were not different between men and women. In the nonsmoking subjects in their 20s, the mean values of CYP1A2 and FMO activities (13.5 +/- 5.9 and 2.1 +/- 1.9, respectively) were higher than those (7.9 +/-1.8 and 0.95 +/- 0.22) of older decennial age groups. Xanthine oxidase activities were the same for all age groups (subjects in their 20s through their 70s). CYP1A2 activity of the smokers (20.0 +/- 9.6) was higher than that of the nonsmokers (10.8 +/- 5.8; P < .001). Similarly, the FMO activity in smokers (3.4 +/- 2.7) was higher than that of the nonsmokers (1.8 +/- 1.7; P < .001). The xanthine oxidase activity (1.3 +/- 0.5) was not increased in smokers (1.4 +/- 0.5; P = .46). CONCLUSIONS: Results of this caffeine metabolism study conducted with age- and gender-matched healthy Korean volunteers with and without smoking habits provided the baseline and the widely varying interindividual activities of CYP1A2, FMO, and xanthine oxidase in a Korean population. The results also suggested that drugs metabolized by CYP1A2 and FMO may require individualized dose adjustment according to the age and smoking habits of the subjects.

20-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid and renal function in Lyon hypertensive rats.

To evaluate the contribution of cytochrome P450 (CYP450) metabolites of arachidonic acid in the increased renal vascular resistance and blunted pressure-natriuresis response exhibited by Lyon hypertensive (LH) rats, the effects of an intrarenal infusion of 17-octadecynoic acid (3 microM), an inhibitor of the formation of epoxyeicosatrienoic and 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids, were compared in 8-week-old LH and low blood pressure (LL) control rats. 17-Octadecynoic acid failed to affect renal function in LL rats. In contrast, it reduced renal vascular resistance and shifted the pressure-natriuresis relationship to lower pressures in LH rats. Blockade of thromboxane-endoperoxide (TP) receptors with GR 32191B prevented the renal vasodilator response to 17-octadecynoic acid but not its natriuretic action. Miconazole (1 microM), an inhibitor of epoxygenase activity, had no effect on renal function in LH rats. These results indicate that CYP450 metabolites of arachidonic acid, likely 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, contribute to the resetting of the pressure-natriuresis relation in LH rats and that the renal vasoconstrictor effects of 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid in LH rats may be related to activation of TP receptors.