OBJECTIVES: The herbal drug aristolochic acid (AA) derived from Aristolochia species has been shown to be the cause of aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN), Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) and their urothelial malignancies. One of the common features of AAN and BEN is that not all individuals exposed to AA suffer from nephropathy and tumor development. One cause for these different responses may be individual differences in the activities of the enzymes catalyzing the biotransformation of AA. Thus, the identification of enzymes principally involved in the metabolism of AAI, the major toxic component of AA, and detailed knowledge of their catalytic specificities is of major importance. Human cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1 and 1A2 enzymes were found to be responsible for the AAI reductive activation to form AAI-DNA adducts, while its structurally related analogue, CYP1B1 is almost without such activity. However, knowledge of the differences in mechanistic details of CYP1A1-, 1A2-, and 1B1- mediated reduction is still lacking. Therefore, this feature is the aim of the present study. METHODS: Molecular modeling capable of evaluating interactions of AAI with the active site of human CYP1A1, 1A2 and 1B1 under the reductive conditions was used. In silico docking, employing soft-soft (flexible) docking procedure was used to study the interactions of AAI with the active sites of these human enzymes. RESULTS: The predicted binding free energies and distances between an AAI ligand and a heme cofactor are similar for all CYPs evaluated. AAI also binds to the active sites of CYP1A1, 1A2 and 1B1 in similar orientations. The carboxylic group of AAI is in the binding position situated directly above heme iron. This ligand orientation is in CYP1A1/1A2 further stabilized by two hydrogen bonds; one between an oxygen atom of the AAI nitro-group and the hydroxyl group of Ser122/Thr124; and the second bond between an oxygen atom of dioxolane ring of AAI and the hydroxyl group of Thr497/Thr498. For the CYP1B1:AAI complex, however, any hydrogen bonding of the nitro-group of AAI is prevented as Ser122/Thr124 residues are in CYP1B1 protein replaced by hydrophobic residue Ala133. CONCLUSION: The experimental observations indicate that CYP1B1 is more than 10× less efficient in reductive activation of AAI than CYP1A2. The docking simulation however predicts the binding pose and binding energy of AAI in the CYP1B1 pocket to be analogous to that found in CYP1A1/2. We believe that the hydroxyl group of S122/T124 residue, with its polar hydrogen placed close to the nitro group of the substrate (AAI), is mechanistically important, for example it could provide a proton required for the stepwise reduction process. The absence of a suitable proton donor in the AAI-CYP1B1 binary complex could be the key difference, as the nitro group is in this complex surrounded only by the hydrophobic residues with potential hydrogen donors not closer than 5 Å.

• MeSH
• adukty DNA chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• Aristolochia chemie   MeSH
• aromatické hydroxylasy chemie   genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• chemické modely MeSH
• cytochrom P-450 CYP1A1 chemie   genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• cytochrom P-450 CYP1A2 chemie   genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• hydrofobní a hydrofilní interakce účinky léků   MeSH
• katalytická doména účinky léků   MeSH
• kyseliny aristolochové škodlivé účinky   chemie   farmakokinetika   MeSH
• léky rostlinné čínské škodlivé účinky   chemie   farmakokinetika   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• molekulární sekvence - údaje MeSH
• nemoci ledvin chemicky indukované   MeSH
• nitroreduktasy škodlivé účinky   chemie   farmakokinetika   MeSH
• počítačová simulace MeSH
• sekvence aminokyselin MeSH
• terciární struktura proteinů účinky léků   MeSH
• vodíková vazba účinky léků   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

UNLABELLED: Aristolochic acid I (AAI) is a plant drug found in Aristolochia species that causes aristolochic acid nephropathy, Balkan endemic nephropathy and their associated urothelial malignancies. AAI is activated via nitroreduction producing genotoxic N-hydroxyaristolactam, which forms DNA adducts. The major enzymes responsible for the reductive bioactivation of AAI are NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase and cytochromes P450 (CYP) 1A1 and 1A2. Using site-directed mutagenesis we investigated the possible mechanisms of CYP1A1/1A2/1B1-catalyzed AAI nitroreduction. Molecular modelling predicted that the hydroxyl groups of serine122/threonine124 (Ser122/Thr124) amino acids in the CYP1A1/1A2-AAI binary complexes located near to the nitro group of AAI, are mechanistically important as they provide the proton required for the stepwise reduction reaction. In contrast, the closely related CYP1B1 with no hydroxyl group containing residues in its active site is ineffective in catalyzing AAI nitroreduction. In order to construct an experimental model, mutant forms of CYP1A1 and 1A2 were prepared, where Ser122 and Thr124 were replaced by Ala (CYP1A1-S122A) and Val (CYP1A2-T124V), respectively. Similarly, a CYP1B1 mutant was prepared in which Ala133 was replaced by Ser (CYP1B1-A133S). Site-directed mutagenesis was performed using a quickchange approach. Wild and mutated forms of these enzymes were heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli and isolated enzymes characterized using UV-vis spectroscopy to verify correct protein folding. Their catalytic activity was confirmed with CYP1A1, 1A2 and 1B1 marker substrates. Using (32)P-postlabelling we determined the efficiency of wild-type and mutant forms of CYP1A1, 1A2, and 1B1 reconstituted with NADPH:CYP oxidoreductase to bioactivate AAI to reactive intermediates forming covalent DNA adducts. The S122A and T124V mutations in CYP1A1 and 1A2, respectively, abolished the efficiency of CYP1A1 and 1A2 enzymes to generate AAI-DNA adducts. In contrast, the formation of AAI-DNA adducts was catalyzed by CYP1B1 with the A133S mutation. Our experimental model confirms the importance of the hydroxyl group possessing amino acids in the active center of CYP1A1 and 1A2 for AAI nitroreduction.

• MeSH
• adukty DNA metabolismus   MeSH
• aromatické hydroxylasy genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• cytochrom P-450 CYP1A1 MeSH
• cytochrom P-450 CYP1A2 MeSH
• cytochrom P450 CYP1B1 MeSH
• katalytická doména genetika   MeSH
• katalýza MeSH
• kyseliny aristolochové metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mutace * MeSH
• mutageneze cílená MeSH
• oxidace-redukce MeSH
• rekombinantní proteiny MeSH
• substrátová specifita MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

3,5-Dinitrobenzylsulfanyl tetrazoles and 1,3,4-oxadiazoles, previously identified as having high in vitro activities against both replicating and nonreplicating mycobacteria and favorable cytotoxicity and genotoxicity profiles were investigated. First we demonstrated that these compounds act in a deazaflavin-dependent nitroreduction pathway and thus require a nitro group for their activity. Second, we confirmed the necessity of both nitro groups for antimycobacterial activity through extensive structure-activity relationship studies using 32 structural types of analogues, each in a five-membered series. Only the analogues with shifted nitro groups, namely, 2,5-dinitrobenzylsulfanyl oxadiazoles and tetrazoles, maintained high antimycobacterial activity but in this case mainly as a result of DprE1 inhibition. However, these analogues also showed increased toxicity to the mammalian cell line. Thus, both nitro groups in 3,5-dinitrobenzylsulfanyl-containing antimycobacterial agents remain essential for their high efficacy, and further efforts should be directed at finding ways to address the possible toxicity and solubility issues, for example, by targeted delivery.

• MeSH
• antituberkulotika farmakologie   chemie   MeSH
• mikrobiální testy citlivosti MeSH
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis * MeSH
• nitroreduktasy MeSH
• oxadiazoly farmakologie   chemie   MeSH
• savci MeSH
• tetrazoly farmakologie   chemie   MeSH
• vztahy mezi strukturou a aktivitou MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Exposure to aristolochic acid (AA) is associated with human nephropathy and urothelial cancer. Individual susceptibility to AA-induced disease likely reflects individual differences in enzymes that metabolize AA. Herein, we evaluated AAI metabolism by human cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1 and 1A2 in two CYP1A-humanized mouse lines that carry functional human CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 genes in the absence of the mouse Cyp1a1/1a2 orthologs. Human and mouse hepatic microsomes and human CYPs were also studied. Human CYP1A1 and 1A2 were found to be principally responsible for reductive activation of AAI to form AAI-DNA adducts and for oxidative detoxication to 8-hydroxyaristolochic acid (AAIa), both in the intact mouse and in microsomes. Overall, AAI-DNA adduct levels were higher in CYP1A-humanized mice relative to wild-type mice, indicating that expression of human CYP1A1 and 1A2 in mice leads to higher AAI bioactivation than in mice containing the mouse CYP1A1 and 1A2 orthologs. Furthermore, an exclusive role of human CYP1A1 and 1A2 in AAI oxidation to AAIa was observed in human liver microsomes under the aerobic (i.e., oxidative) conditions. Because CYP1A2 levels in human liver are at least 100-fold greater than those of CYP1A1 and there exists a > 60-fold genetic variation in CYP1A2 levels in human populations, the role of CYP1A2 in AAI metabolism is clinically relevant. The results suggest that, in addition to CYP1A1 and 1A2 expression levels, in vivo oxygen concentration in specific tissues might affect the balance between AAI nitroreduction and demethylation, which in turn would influence tissue-specific toxicity or carcinogenicity.

• MeSH
• adukty DNA metabolismus   MeSH
• cytochrom P-450 CYP1A1 antagonisté a inhibitory   genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• cytochrom P-450 CYP1A2 genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• cytosol enzymologie   MeSH
• dealkylace MeSH
• inhibitory cytochromu P450 CYP1A2 MeSH
• inhibitory enzymů farmakologie   MeSH
• jaterní mikrozomy enzymologie   MeSH
• játra účinky léků   enzymologie   MeSH
• karcinogeny metabolismus   toxicita   MeSH
• kyseliny aristolochové metabolismus   toxicita   moč   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• metabolická inaktivace MeSH
• myši inbrední C57BL MeSH
• myši knockoutované MeSH
• myši transgenní MeSH
• myši MeSH
• oxidace-redukce MeSH
• rekombinantní proteiny metabolismus   MeSH
• urologické nádory chemicky indukované   MeSH
• urotel účinky léků   MeSH
• vysokoúčinná kapalinová chromatografie MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• myši MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH

Ingestion of aristolochic acid (AA) is associated with development of urothelial tumors linked with AA nephropathy and is implicated in the development of Balkan endemic nephropathy-associated urothelial tumors. We investigated the efficiency of human NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) to activate aristolochic acid I (AAI) and used in silico docking, using soft-soft (flexible) docking procedure, to study the interactions of AAI with the active site of human NQO1. AAI binds to the active site of NQO1 indicating that the binding orientation allows for direct hydride transfer (i.e., two electron reductions) to the nitro group of AAI. NQO1 activated AAI, generating DNA adduct patterns reproducing those found in urothelial tissues from humans exposed to AA. Because reduced aromatic nitro-compounds are often further activated by sulfotransferases (SULTs) or N,O-acetlytransferases (NATs), their roles in AAI activation were investigated. Our results indicate that phase II reactions do not play a major role in AAI bioactivation; neither native enzymes present in human hepatic or renal cytosols nor human SULT1A1, -1A2, -1A3, -1E, or -2A nor NAT1 or NAT2 further enhanced DNA adduct formation by AAI. Instead under the in vitro conditions used, DNA adducts arise by enzymatic reduction of AAI through the formation of a cyclic hydroxamic acid (N-hydroxyaristolactam I) favored by the carboxy group in peri position to the nitro group without additional conjugation. These results emphasize the major importance of NQO1 in the metabolic activation of AAI and provide the first evidence that initial nitroreduction is the rate limiting step in AAI activation.

• MeSH
• acetyltransferasy metabolismus   MeSH
• adukty DNA metabolismus   MeSH
• kyseliny aristolochové chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• molekulární struktura MeSH
• NAD(P)H dehydrogenasa (chinon) metabolismus   MeSH
• sulfotransferasy metabolismus   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

BACKGROUND: Ingestion of aristolochic acid (AA) is associated with the development of aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN), which is characterized by chronic renal failure, tubulointerstitial fibrosis and urothelial cancer. AA may also cause another type of kidney fibrosis with malignant transformation of the urothelium, called Balkan Endemic Nephropathy (BEN). The compound predominantly responsible for the nephropathy and urothelial cancer of AA, is aristolochic acid I (AAI) which is a genotoxic mutagen after metabolic activation The activation pathway involves reduction of the nitro group to a cyclic N-acylnitrenium ion that can form covalent DNA adducts. These specific DNA adducts have been detected in experimental animals exposed to AAI, and in urothelial tissues from AAN patients. In rodent tumours induced by AAI, 7-(deoxyadenosin-N(6)-yl)aristolactam I was the most abundant DNA adduct formed and associated with activation of ras oncogenes through a characteristic transversion mutation. Such A:T-->T:A mutations have been identified in TP53 of urothelial tumour DNA of an AAN patient and in several patients suffering from BEN along with specific AA-DNA adducts. Understanding which enzymes are involved in AAI activation to species forming DNA adducts and/or detoxification to its O-demethylated metabolite aristolochic acid Ia (AAIa) is important in order to assess susceptibility to this carcinogen. METHODS AND RESULTS: A literature search. CONCLUSIONS: The most important human enzymes activating AAI by simple nitroreduction in vitro are hepatic and renal cytosolic NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase, hepatic microsomal cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A2 and renal microsomal NADPH:CYP reductase as well as cyclooxygenase which is highly expressed in urothelial tissue. However, the contribution of most of these enzymes to the development of AAN and BEN diseases is still unclear. Hepatic CYP enzymes were found to detoxify AAI to AAIa in mice, and thereby protect the kidney from injury. CYP enzymes of the 1A subfamily seem to play a major role in this process in mouse liver. Likewise, among human CYP enzymes, CYP1A1 and 1A2 were found to be the most efficient enzymes participating in AAI oxidation to AAIa in vitro. Nevertheless, which CYPs are the most important in this process in both animal models and in humans have not been entirely resolved as yet. In addition, the relative contribution of enzymes found to activate AAI to species responsible for induction of urothelial cancer in humans remains still to be resolved.

• MeSH
• adukty DNA metabolismus   MeSH
• aktivace enzymů MeSH
• biotransformace MeSH
• cytochrom P-450 CYP1A1 metabolismus   MeSH
• cytochrom P-450 CYP1A2 metabolismus   MeSH
• financování organizované MeSH
• kyseliny aristolochové farmakokinetika   toxicita   MeSH
• ledviny účinky léků   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• myši MeSH
• NADPH-cytochrom c-reduktasa metabolismus   MeSH
• nemoci ledvin chemicky indukované   MeSH
• urologické nádory chemicky indukované   metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• přehledy MeSH

OBJECTIVES: Ingestion of aristolochic acid (AA) is associated with development of urothelial tumors linked with aristolochic acid nephropathy, and is implicated in the development of Balkan endemic nephropathy-associated urothelial tumors. Aristolochic acid I (AAI), the major toxic component of AA, is more toxic than its demethoxylated derivate AAII. A different enzymatic conversion of both carcinogens might be one of the reasons explaining this feature. Therefore, the present study has been designed to compare efficiency of human NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) and phase II enzymes such as sulfotransferases (SULTs) and N,O-acetyltransferases (NATs) to activate AAI and AAII in vitro. In addition, to investigate the molecular mechanisms of AAI and AAII reduction by human NQO1, molecular modeling was used to compare interactions of AAI and AAII with the active site of this enzyme. METHODS: DNA adduct formation by AAI and AAII was investigated by the nuclease P1 version of the 32P-postlabeling method. In silico docking, employing soft-soft (flexible) docking procedure, was used to study the interactions of AAI and AAII with the active site of human NQO1. RESULTS: Human NQO1 activated AAI and AAII, generating DNA adduct patterns reproducing those found in several species including human exposed to these compounds. These results demonstrate that NQO1 is capable of reducing both AAs to reactive species binding to DNA. However, concentrations required for half-maximum DNA binding mediated by NQO1 were higher for AAII (158 µM) than for AAI (17 µM). One of the reasons causing this phenomenon is a lower efficiency of NQO1 to reduce AAII than AAI we found in this work; although both AAI and AAII are bound with similar binding affinities to the NQO1 active site, the binding orientation of AAII in the active site of NQO1 does not favor the effective reduction of its nitro group. Because reduced nitro-aromatics are often further activated by SULTs or NATs, their roles in AAI and AAII activation were investigated. Our results indicate that phase II reactions do not stimulate the bioactivation of AAs; neither enzymes present in human hepatic cytosols nor human SULT1A1, 1A2, 1A3, 1E, or 2A nor NAT1 or NAT2 further enhanced DNA adduct formation by AAs. In contrast, human SULT1A1, 1A2 and 1A3 as well as NAT1 and NAT2 enzymes even inhibited NQO1-mediated bioactivation of AAII. Therefore, under the in vitro conditions used, DNA adducts arise by enzymatic reduction of AAs through the formation of N-hydroxyaristolactams that are spontaneously decomposed to the reactive species forming DNA adducts. CONCLUSION: The results found in this study emphasize the importance of NQO1 in the metabolic activation of AAI and AAII and provide the evidence that initial nitroreduction is the rate limiting step in their activation. This enzyme is more effective in activation of AAI relative to AAII, which might contribute to its lower binding to DNA found both in vitro and in vivo, Moreover, inhibition effects of conjugation reactions on AAII activation might further contribute to its decreased capability of forming DNA adducts and its lower toxicity comparing with AAI.

• MeSH
• acetyltransferasy chemie   metabolismus   fyziologie   MeSH
• adukty DNA metabolismus   MeSH
• aktivace enzymů MeSH
• biotransformace fyziologie   MeSH
• katalytická doména MeSH
• kultivované buňky MeSH
• kyseliny aristolochové chemie   farmakokinetika   MeSH
• laktamy metabolismus   farmakokinetika   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• molekulární konformace MeSH
• molekulární modely MeSH
• NAD(P)H dehydrogenasa (chinon) chemie   metabolismus   fyziologie   MeSH
• sulfotransferasy chemie   metabolismus   fyziologie   MeSH
• vazba proteinů MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• hodnotící studie MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• srovnávací studie MeSH

OBJECTIVES: 2-Nitrophenol (2-NP) is the major detoxification metabolite of an important industrial pollutant and a potent carcinogen, 2-nitroanisole (2-NA). Characterization of the products of 2-NP metabolism by rat hepatic microsomes containing cytochromes P450 (CYPs) and identification of the major CYP enzymes participating in this process are aims of this study. METHODS: HPLC with UV detection was employed for the separation and characterization of 2-NP metabolites. Inducers and inhibitors of CYPs and rat recombinant CYPs were used to characterize the enzymes participating in 2-NP oxidation. RESULTS: Rat hepatic microsomes oxidize 2-NP to its hydroxylated metabolite, 2,5-dihydroxynitrobenzene (2,5-DNB). No nitroreductive metabolism leading to the formation of o-aminophenol was evident when using rat hepatic microsomes. Selective CYP inhibitors and hepatic microsomes of rats pre-treated with specific CYP inducers were used to characterize CYPs oxidizing 2-NP in rat livers. Based on these studies, we attribute most of 2-NP oxidation in rat liver to CYP2E1 and 3A, followed by CYP2D and 2C. Among recombinant rat CYP enzymes tested in this study, CYP2E1 and 2C11 were the most effective enzymes oxidizing 2-NP. Oxidation of 2-NP by rat CYP2E1 exhibits the Michaelis-Menten kinetics, having the Km value of 0.35 mM. CONCLUSION: The results found in this study, the first report on the metabolism of 2-NP by rat hepatic microsomes and rat CYP enzymes, demonstrate that CYP2E1 is the major enzyme oxidizing this compound in rat liver.

• MeSH
• anisoly metabolismus   MeSH
• inhibiční koncentrace 50 MeSH
• inhibitory cytochromu P450 MeSH
• jaterní mikrozomy enzymologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• kinetika MeSH
• krysa rodu rattus MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nitrofenoly metabolismus   MeSH
• oxidace-redukce MeSH
• rekombinantní proteiny antagonisté a inhibitory   metabolismus   MeSH
• systém (enzymů) cytochromů P-450 metabolismus   MeSH
• ultrafialové záření MeSH
• vysokoúčinná kapalinová chromatografie metody   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu rattus MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

2-Nitrophenol (2-NP) is the major detoxification metabolite of an important industrial pollutant and a potent carcinogen, 2-nitroanisole (2-NA). Here, we characterized the product of 2-NP metabolism catalyzed by human, rat, rabbit and mouse hepatic microsomes containing cytochromes P450 (CYPs) and identified the major human CYP enzymes participating in this process. The 2-NP metabolite was characterized by mass spectrometry and co-chromatography on HPLC with a synthetic standard, 2,5-dihydroxynitrobenzene (2,5-DNB) to be 2,5-DNB. No nitroreductive metabolism leading to the formation of N-(2-hydroxyphenyl)hydroxylamine or o-aminophenol was evident by all tested hepatic microsomes. Likewise, no DNA binding of 2-NP metabolite(s) measured with the 32P-postlabeling technique was detectable in hepatic microsomes. Therefore, hepatic microsomal CYP enzymes participate in 2-NP metabolism that does not lead to its activation to species binding to DNA. Selective inhibitors of human CYPs were used to characterize CYPs oxidizing 2-NP in human livers. Based on these inhibitory studies, we attribute most of 2-NP oxidation in human liver to CYP2E1, 3A4, 2A6, 2C and 2D6. Among recombinant human CYP enzymes tested in this study, CYP2E1, 2A6 and 2B6 were the most effective enzymes oxidizing 2-NP. Oxidation of 2-NP by human CYP2E1 exhibits the Michaelis-Menten kinetics, having the Km value of 0.21 mM. The results found in this study, the first report on the metabolism of 2-NP by human hepatic microsomes and human CYP enzymes, demonstrate that CYP2E1 is the major enzyme oxidizing this compound in human.

• MeSH
• jaterní mikrozomy metabolismus   MeSH
• karcinogeny životního prostředí chemie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nitrofenoly MeSH
• sorpční detoxikace MeSH
• systém (enzymů) cytochromů P-450 fyziologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH