In vivo and in vitro induction of human cytochrome P4503A4 by dexamethasone.

PURPOSE: The aims of these experiments were to determine the effect of a therapeutic regimen of dexamethasone on cytochrome P4503A4 (CYP3A4) activity in healthy volunteers; and the concentration-effect relationship between dexamethasone and CYP3A4 activity in primary human hepatocyte cultures. METHODS: The effect of dexamethasone (8 mg administered by mouth two times a day for 5 days) on CYP3A4 activity in 12 healthy volunteers was assessed with the erythromycin breath test and urinary ratio of dextromethorphan to 3-methoxymorphinan. Concentration-effect of dexamethasone on CYP3A4-dependent testosterone 6-beta-hydroxylation was determined in human hepatocytes treated with 2 to 250 micromol/L dexamethasone. RESULTS: The percent of erythromycin metabolized per hour increased from 2.20% +/- 0.60% (mean +/- SD) at baseline to 2.67% +/- 0.55% on day 5 of dexamethasone (mean increase in hepatic CYP3A4 activity 25.7% +/- 24.6%; P = .004). The mean urinary ratio of dextromethorphan to 3-methoxymorphinan was 28 (4.8 to 109) and 7 (1 to 23) at baseline and on day 5 of dexamethasone (mean decrease = 49%; P = .06). Substantial intersubject variability was observed in the extent of CYP3A4 induction. The extent of CYP3A4 induction was inversely correlated with baseline erythromycin breath test (r2 = 0.58). In hepatocytes, dexamethasone 2 to 250 micromol/L resulted in an average 1.7-fold to 6.9-fold increase in CYP3A4 activity, respectively. The extent of CYP3A4 induction with dexamethasone in hepatocyte preparations was inversely correlated with baseline activity (r2 = 0.59). CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that dexamethasone at doses used clinically increased CYP3A4 activity with extensive intersubject variability and that the extent of CYP3A4 induction was, in part, predicted by the baseline activity of CYP3A4 in both healthy volunteers and human hepatocyte cultures.

Microbiological and metal contamination of watercress in the Wellington region, New Zealand--2000 survey.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate potential microbiological and metal contamination of watercress and to assess the public health risks associated with harvesting and consumption of watercress. METHOD: During March and April 2000, samples were taken from 11 known or potential watercress collection sites in the Wellington region. Microbiological testing included bacterial counts for presumptive and faecal coliforms (watercress); total coliforms (growing water); and Escherichia coli (E. coli) and presence/absence tests for Campylobacter species (growing water and watercress). Watercress concentrations of a range of metals were also measured. RESULTS: All of the sites showed significant levels of E. coli in samples of both watercress and water. The E. coli levels in water were well above recommended freshwater recreational contact safety guidelines at most sites. Campylobacter was detected in the growing waters at all sites (80% of the samples) and in 11% of the watercress samples. Mean metal concentrations in watercress did not exceed the NZ Food Regulations (1984) levels at any of the sites. However, lead concentrations at the urban sites and one of the semi-urban sites would have exceeded the new Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code maximum levels (2003). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The consumption of raw watercress contaminated with enteric pathogens could potentially cause serious gastrointestinal illness (e.g. campylobacteriosis) and people gathering watercress could also be at risk of infection from contact with contaminated surface waters.

Cubital tunnel syndrome in a collegiate wrestler: a case report.

OBJECTIVE: The authors present a case study involving a 21-year-old male collegiate wrestler diagnosed with cubital tunnel syndrome. BACKGROUND: Cubital tunnel syndrome is a condition brought on by an increase in the pressure exerted upon the ulnar nerve at the elbow within the cubital tunnel. The wrestler was diagnosed with cubital tunnel syndrome after 6 weeks of increasing disability and dysfunction. DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS: Ulnar nerve contusion, ulnar nerve neuritis, cubital tunnel syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome, C8 nerve root entrapment, double-crush syndrome, tumor. TREATMENT: The subject was treated conservatively for 3 months without resolution of the symptoms. Surgical treatment then involved a subcutaneous ulnar nerve transposition performed to decompress the cubital tunnel. Following surgery, the athlete participated in an aggressive rehabilitation program to restore function and strength to the elbow and adjacent joints. He was cleared for full unrestricted activity 15 days following surgery and returned to varsity athletic competition in 1 month. UNIQUENESS: Our literature review found no reported cases of cubital tunnel syndrome in wrestlers. Cubital tunnel syndrome is usually seen in throwing athletes and results from either acute trauma or repetitive activities. CONCLUSION: The athletic trainer should consider cubital tunnel syndrome as a possible pathology for nonthrowing athletes when presented with associated signs and symptoms.

Major differences in the specificity and regulation of mouse renal cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenases. A comparison of xenobiotic and endogenous substrates.

In the present study we have investigated the influence of sex on the specificity of mouse renal microsomes toward endogenous and xenobiotic substrates. Renal microsomes from C3H/HeJ mice were characterized by the following: a 4- to 5-fold male predominance in cytochrome P-450 concentration; a difference between male and female renal microsomes in the absorption maximum for the reduced P-450 . CO complex, 450 and 452 nm, respectively; a lack of a sex difference in lauric acid 12-hydroxylase activity; an 18-fold sex difference (M greater than F) in progesterone 16 alpha-hydroxylase activity; and 8- to 10-fold sex differences (M greater than F) in progesterone 15 alpha-hydroxylase, dimethylnitrosamine demethylase, and lauric acid 11-hydroxylase activities. Treatment of female mice with testosterone propionate selectively induced lauric acid 11-hydroxylase and dimethylnitrosamine demethylase activities 8- and 14-fold, respectively, but had no effect on progesterone 15 alpha- and 16 alpha-hydroxylase activities or on the high female rate of lauric acid 12-hydroxylation. Inhibition studies conducted with male mouse renal microsomes revealed that of the substrates examined, only testosterone inhibited the 15 alpha- and 16 alpha-hydroxylations of progesterone in vitro. In addition, progesterone 15 alpha-hydroxylase was distinguished from 16 alpha-hydroxylase by the greater degree of testosterone inhibition (68 and 44%, respectively) and by sensitivity to metyrapone inhibition. Mouse renal cytochrome P-450 heterogeneity is indicated by the selective effects of androgen induction and metyrapone inhibition. Moreover, distinct modes of regulation are observed between the isozymes involved in steroid hydroxylation and those which catalyze the 11- and 12-hydroxylations of lauric acid in mouse renal microsomes.

Effects of cyclosporin on cholesterol 27-hydroxylation and LDL receptor activity in HepG2 cells.

The hypothesis that mitochondrial sterol 27-hydroxylase plays a role in the sterol-mediated down-regulation of LDL receptor activity was evaluated in HepG2 cells. 27-Hydroxycholesterol was found to be more potent at suppressing LDL receptor activity than cholesterol (IC50 values of 8 mu M and 142 mu M for 27-hydroxycholesterol and cholesterol, respectively) when the sterols were delivered to cells from 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD)-solubilized solutions. Cyclosporin, an immunosuppressant which has been shown to inhibit the 27-hydroxylation of sterols, was used to assess whether the formation of endogenous 27-hydroxycholesterol was required for the cholesterol-induced suppression of LDL receptor activity. Cyclosporin dose-dependently inhibited the 27-hydroxylation of cholesterol by HepG2 mitochondria (Ki = 0.25 mu M) and HepG2 cell cultures (IC50 = 1 mu M). At 1 mu M, cyclosporin had no effect on LDL receptor activity, and did not prevent the suppression of LDL receptor activity caused by: 1) the addition of beta-CD-solubilized cholesterol, 2) the receptor-mediated uptake of beta-VLDL, or 3) the inhibition of cholesterol esterification. In contrast, 10 mu M cyclosporin was found to inhibit the esterification of cholesterol and to increase the cellular level of free cholesterol resulting in suppression of LDL receptor activity. These results suggest that if mitochondrial sterol 27-hydroxylase plays a role in the regulation of LDL receptor activity, it is not through the formation of potent regulatory oxysterols, but through its effects on the availability and/or size of the free cholesterol pool regulating LDL receptor activity.

Evaluation of the contribution of cytochrome P450 3A4 to human liver microsomal bupropion hydroxylation.

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the role of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 in human liver microsomal bupropion (BUP) hydroxylation. Across the BUP concentration range of 0.075 to 12 mM, cDNA-expressed CYP3A4 demonstrated BUP hydroxylase activity only when incubated with concentrations > or =4 mM. When assayed at 12 mM BUP, cDNA-expressed CYP3A4 catalyzed BUP hydroxylation at a 30-fold lower rate than cDNA-expressed CYP2B6 (0.2 versus 7 pmol/min/pmol of P450). Among a panel of 16 human liver microsomes (HLMs), BUP hydroxylase activity varied 80-fold when assayed at 500 microM and did not strongly correlate with testosterone 6beta-hydroxylase activity when assayed at 250 microM testosterone (r(2) = 0.39), nor with CYP3A4 protein expression. A selective CYP3A4 inhibitor, troleandomycin (TAO), did not significantly alter rates of BUP hydroxylation when assayed in a moderate activity HLM at 10 to 2000 microM BUP, as reflected by a similarity in the kinetic parameters of BUP hydroxylation in the absence or presence of TAO. In addition, the same range of TAO concentrations (0.025-100 microM) that inhibited testosterone 6beta-hydroxylation in a concentration-dependent manner (46-81%) in pooled HLMs produced negligible inhibition (7%) of BUP hydroxylation when assayed at 500 microM BUP. These results suggest that CYP3A4 does not significantly catalyze BUP hydroxylation. Furthermore, these results complement recent data supporting selectivity of BUP hydroxylation for CYP2B6 at 500 microM BUP.

Validation of bupropion hydroxylation as a selective marker of human cytochrome P450 2B6 catalytic activity.

The purpose of this study was to establish bupropion (BUP) hydroxylation as a selective in vitro marker of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2B6 catalytic activity. Among a panel of 16 human liver microsomes (HLMs), BUP hydroxylase activity varied 80-fold when assayed at 500 microM substrate and significantly correlated with CYP2B6 blotting density (r(2) = 0.99) and S-mephenytoin N-demethylase activity (r(2) = 0.98). Kinetic analysis of BUP hydroxylation was performed in a subset of seven HLMs representative of the 80-fold range in activity. Sigmoidal kinetics suggestive of allosteric activation was observed in five HLMs exhibiting low or high activity; the mean apparent K(m) for BUP hydroxylation in these HLMs (130 microM) was similar to the K(m) for cDNA-expressed CYP2B6 (156 microM). Nonsaturable, biphasic kinetics was observed in two HLMs exhibiting low activity. Among a panel of cDNA-expressed P450 isoforms, CYP2B6 and CYP2E1 demonstrated the highest rates of BUP hydroxylation at 12 mM BUP (7.0 and 2.4 pmol/min/pmol of P450, respectively). The relative contributions of CYP2B6 and CYP2E1 to BUP hydroxylation were estimated by using immunoinhibitory monoclonal antibodies (MAB) to these enzymes. MAB-2B6 produced 88% maximum inhibition of BUP hydroxylation when assayed at 12 mM BUP in a high activity HLM, whereas MAB-2E1 produced 81% maximum inhibition in a low activity HLM. However, negligible inhibition by MAB-2E1 was observed when low and high activity HLMs were assayed at 500 microM BUP. These results demonstrate selectivity of BUP hydroxylation for CYP2B6 at 500 microM BUP, thereby validating its use as a diagnostic in vitro marker of CYP2B6 catalytic activity.

Potent hypocholesterolemic activity of novel ureido phenoxyisobutyrates correlates with their intrinsic fibrate potency and not with their ACAT inhibitory activity.

The hypocholesterolemic activity for novel ureido fibrate analogues was found to be over 100-fold greater than for any "second-generation" fibrate in cholesterol-fed rats. A comparison of 12 related analogues revealed that the optimal configuration for a urea-bridging region located between two aromatic rings consisted of a trisubstituted nitrogen, optimally substituted with a C7 alkyl chain and linked by dimethylene to a phenoxyisobutyrate moiety found in most fibrate analogues. The hypocholesterolemic potency of these compounds was found to correlate with their increased intrinsic fibrate activity as determined by the ability to induce omega-hydroxylase activity either in rat hepatocyte cultures or in vivo, and not with their 10-fold increased ACAT inhibitory potency when compared to other fibrates. The most active compound, 2-(4-(2-(N'-(2,4- difluorophenyl)-N-heptylureido)ethyl)phenoxy)-2-methylpropionic acid, referred to as (2), was found to induce omega-hydroxylase activity in hepatocytes at concentrations between 5 and 100 nM compared to 1-20 microM concentrations for bezafibrate, and lower serum VLDL+LDL cholesterol in rats at doses between 0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg per day compared to doses of 25-100 mg/kg per day for bezafibrate. Single-dose pharmacokinetic studies with 2 indicated that total drug exposure will be much lower at hypocholesterolemic doses due to the enhanced intrinsic activity, and may result in an improved safety profile for these novel trisubstituted ureido fibrate analogues in rats and humans compared to other fibrates.