Comparison of 1Beta- and 5Beta-hydroxylation of Deoxycholate and Glycodeoxycholate as In Vitro Index Reactions for Cytochrome P450 3A Activities.

Cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) participates in the metabolism of more than 30% of clinical drugs. The vast intra- and inter-individual variations in CYP3A activity pose great challenges to drug development and personalized medicine. It has been disclosed that human CYP3A4 and CYP3A7 are exclusively responsible for the tertiary oxidations of deoxycholic acid (DCA) and glycodeoxycholic acid (GDCA) regioselectivity at C-1ß and C-5ß This work aimed to compare the 1ß- and 5ß-hydroxylation of DCA and GDCA as potential in vitro CYP3A index reactions in both human liver microsomes and recombinant P450 enzymes. The results demonstrated that the metabolic activity of DCA 1ß- and 5ß-hydroxylation was 5-10 times higher than that of GDCA, suggesting that 1ß-hydroxyglycodeoxycholic acid and 5ß-hydroxyglycodeoxycholic acid may originate from DCA oxidation followed by conjugation in humans. Metabolic phenotyping data revealed that DCA 1ß-hydroxylation, DCA 5ß-hydroxylation, and GDCA 5ß-hydroxylation were predominantly catalyzed by CYP3A4 (>80%), while GDCA 1ß-hydroxylation had approximately equal contributions from CYP3A4 (41%) and 3A7 (58%). Robust Pearson correlation was established for the intrinsic clearance of DCA 1ß- and 5ß-hydroxylation with midazolam (MDZ) 1'- and 4-hydroxylation in fourteen single donor microsomes. Although DCA 5ß-hydroxylation exhibited a stronger correlation with MDZ oxidation, DCA 1ß-hydroxylation exhibited higher reactivity than DCA 5ß-hydroxylation. It is therefore suggested that DCA 1ß- and 5ß-hydroxylations may serve as alternatives to T 6ß-hydroxylation as in vitro CYP3A index reactions. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The oxidation of DCA and GDCA is primarily catalyzed by CYP3A4 and CYP3A7. This work compared the 1ß- and 5ß-hydroxylation of DCA and GDCA as in vitro index reactions to assess CYP3A activities. It was disclosed that the metabolic activity of DCA 1ß- and 5ß-hydroxylation was 5-10 times higher than that of GDCA. Although DCA 1ß-hydroxylation exhibited higher metabolic activity than DCA 5ß-hydroxylation, DCA 5ß-hydroxylation demonstrated stronger correlation with MDZ oxidation than DCA 1ß-hydroxylation in individual liver microsomes.

Toxicity and intracellular accumulation of bile acids in sandwich-cultured rat hepatocytes: role of glycine conjugates.

Excessive intrahepatic accumulation of bile acids (BAs) is a key mechanism underlying cholestasis. The aim of this study was to quantitatively explore the relationship between cytotoxicity of BAs and their intracellular accumulation in sandwich-cultured rat hepatocytes (SCRH). Following exposure of SCRH (on day-1 after seeding) to various BAs for 24h, glycine-conjugated BAs were most potent in exerting toxicity. Moreover, unconjugated BAs showed significantly higher toxicity in day-1 compared to day-3 SCRH. When day-1/-3 SCRH were exposed (0.5-4h) to 5-100µM (C)DCA, intracellular levels of unconjugated (C)DCA were similar, while intracellular levels of glycine conjugates were up to 4-fold lower in day-3 compared to day-1 SCRH. Sinusoidal efflux was by far the predominant efflux pathway of conjugated BAs both in day-1 and day-3 SCRH, while canalicular BA efflux showed substantial interbatch variability. After 4h exposure to (C)DCA, intracellular glycine conjugate levels were at least 10-fold higher than taurine conjugate levels. Taken together, reduced BA conjugate formation in day-3 SCRH results in lower intracellular glycine conjugate concentrations, explaining decreased toxicity of (C)DCA in day-3 versus day-1 SCRH. Our data provide for the first time a direct link between BA toxicity and glycine conjugate exposure in SCRH.

Use of correction factors in mobility shift affinity capillary electrophoresis for weak analyte-ligand interactions.

The practical and theoretical problems associated with interpretation of binding isotherms obtained by the investigation of weak analyte-ligand interactions using mobility shift affinity CE were investigated with special emphasis on various correction methods to compensate for media effects due to high additive concentrations. The interaction between 2-hydroxypropyl-alpha-CD and two bile salts (glycocholate and glycodeoxycholate) was studied applying correction factors based on viscosity, CE based conductance and separately measured conductivities. Accurate measurement of the stability constants proved to be difficult; several points of general nature relating to the investigation of the weak analyte-ligand interactions were identified. These included undesired dilution of the BGE due to the high amounts of additive, avoidance of temperature effects by maintaining a constant power during the separations and limited validity of Walden's rule. The relative sizes of the buffer constituents, the nonelectrolyte ligand additive, and the analytes as well as noninteracting marker substances should be considered in order to minimize errors in the correction factors when significant deviation from Walden's rule is observed. Under such conditions, the mobilities should preferably be corrected by the use of a noninteracting marker; and the most generally applicable corrections may be based on conductance measurements.

Isolation and characterization of a Lactobacillus amylovorus mutant depleted in conjugated bile salt hydrolase activity: relation between activity and bile salt resistance.

Growth experiments were conducted on Lactobacillus amylovorus DN-112 053 in batch culture, with or without pH regulation. Conjugated bile salt hydrolase (CBSH) activity was examined as a function of culture growth. The CBSH activity increased during growth but its course depended on bile salts type and culture conditions. A Lact. amylovorus mutant was isolated from the wild-type strain of Lact. amylovorus DN-112 053 after mutagenesis with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. An agar plate assay was used to detect mutants without CBSH activity. In resting cell experiments, the strain showed reduced activity. Differences between growth parameters determined for wild-type and mutant strains were not detected. Comparative native gel electrophoresis followed by CBSH activity staining demonstrated the loss of proteins harbouring this activity in the mutant. Four protein bands corresponding to CBSH were observed in the wild-type strain but only one was detected in the mutant. The specific growth rate of the mutant strain was affected more by bile salts than the wild-type strain. Nevertheless, bile was more toxic for the wild-type strain. In viability studies in the presence of nutrients, it was demonstrated that glycodeoxycholic acid exerted a higher toxicity than taurodeoxycholic acid in a pH-dependent manner. No difference was apparent between the two strains. In the absence of nutrients, the wild-type strain died after 2 h whereas no effect was observed for the mutant. The de-energization experiments performed using the ionophores nigericin and valinomycin suggested that the chemical potential of protons (ZDeltapH) was involved in Lactobacillus bile salt resistance.

Dietary inulin lowers plasma cholesterol and triacylglycerol and alters biliary bile acid profile in hamsters.

The mechanisms by which inulin may elicit its lipid-lowering effect are not well elucidated. To examine the lipid-lowering potential of inulin and especially its effect on bile acid metabolism, male golden Syrian hamsters were fed semipurified diets containing 20 g/100 g fat, 0.12 g/100 g cholesterol and 0 (control), 8, 12 or 16% inulin for 5 wk. Plasma total cholesterol concentrations were significantly lowered by 18, 15 and 29% in hamsters fed 8, 12 and 16% inulin, respectively. Dietary inulin specifically decreased VLDL cholesterol, which was significantly lower in hamsters fed 16% inulin compared with controls (1.1 +/- 0.3 vs. 2.9 +/- 0.6 mmol/L). LDL and HDL cholesterol were not significantly affected by dietary inulin. Plasma triacylglycerol was significantly reduced by 40 and 63% in hamsters fed 12 and 16% inulin, respectively. Hepatic total cholesterol and particularly esterified cholesterol accumulation were significantly lower in hamsters fed 8% inulin compared with controls. All three levels of dietary inulin caused distinct alterations in the bile acid profile of gallbladder bile. Taurochenodeoxycholic acid was significantly lower, whereas glycocholic and glycodeoxycholic acid were greater in hamsters fed inulin. Daily fecal bile acid excretion (micromol/d) tended to be greater (P = 0.056) in inulin-fed hamsters compared with controls, whereas daily neutral sterol excretion was not affected. These data demonstrate that the lipid-lowering action of inulin is possibly due to several mechanisms, including altered hepatic triacylglycerol synthesis and VLDL secretion and impaired reabsorption of circulating bile acids.

Comparison of hypolipidemic effect of refined konjac meal with several common dietary fibers and their mechanisms of action.

The effects of RKM in comparison with pectin, algin and agar on lipid levels in serum and liver and on liver histopathology in rats were studied. In addition, the effects of all the tested materials on the composition and output of fecal bile acid were observed. All four kinds of dietary fiber were given at a level of 5% of diet to young male rats of Wistar strain fed on a lipid-rich diet containing 5% lard, 1% cholesterol and 0.25% cholate. All the dietary fibers tested have similar effects on serum lipid composition. In all groups, these substances prevented increases in total cholesterol in fasting serum, but the level of triglyceride was unchanged. The concentrations of total cholesterol and triglyceride in the liver were lower in the RKM group than in the control group and the other three groups. Hepatic histopathological examination also showed the most significant lipotropic effect in the RKM group. The daily output of fecal bile acids (CDCA + GDCA) was significantly increased in the four experimental groups than in the normal group and the control group. The increase of CDCA was more significant than GDCA, suggesting that the increase of fecal bile acids, especially CDCA, may be one of the mechanisms by which RKM and the other three dietary fibers exerts a hypocholesterolemic effect.

Increasing hepatic cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase reduces plasma cholesterol concentrations in normocholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic rabbits.

The effect of bile acid depletion and replacement with glycodeoxycholic acid on plasma cholesterol concentrations, hepatic low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor binding and messenger RNA (mRNA) levels, and hepatic activities and mRNA levels for 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase and cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase was investigated in 19 New Zealand white (NZW) and 15 Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbits. Bile acid depletion was produced by external bile drainage for 5 days, which maximized cholic acid synthesis. Replacement was achieved by infusing glycodeoxycholic acid intraduodenally for 24 hours so that the hepatic bile acid flux reached prefistula levels. Plasma and liver cholesterol concentrations were 13 times and 50% greater, respectively, hepatic LDL receptor-mediated binding was 26% less, and cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase activity and mRNA levels were 62% and 86% less in WHHL than NZW rabbits. After bile drainage, plasma cholesterol concentrations decreased 29% in NZW rabbits and 40% in WHHL rabbits and were associated with a 2.1-fold increase in hepatic LDL receptor-mediated binding in the NZW rabbits, but there was no change in the WHHL rabbits. Cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase activity and mRNA levels increased three and four times in NZW and WHHL rabbits, respectively, although liver cholesterol levels remained unchanged. Replacement with exogenous glycodeoxycholic acid increased plasma cholesterol concentrations 1.7 times in NZW rabbits and decreased enhanced cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase activity 54%, mRNA levels 86%, cholic acid synthesis 38%, and hepatic LDL receptor-mediated binding 57% in NZW rabbits. Bile acid depletion stimulated cholic acid synthesis by up-regulating cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase to use cholesterol and reduce plasma concentrations substantially in both NZW and WHHL rabbits, although LDL receptors did not function in WHHL rabbits. Glycodeoxycholic acid replacement inhibited elevated cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase, cholic acid synthesis, and hepatic LDL receptor binding to reestablish baseline plasma cholesterol levels in NZW rabbits. Hypercholesterolemia in WHHL rabbits was related to the combination of dysfunctional LDL receptors and inhibited cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase. Plasma cholesterol concentrations were reduced significantly when cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase was stimulated even in the absence of LDL receptor function.

In vivo buccal delivery of the peptide drug buserelin with glycodeoxycholate as an absorption enhancer in pigs.

PURPOSE: To study the potential of buccal delivery of the peptide drug in pigs. METHODS: Intravenous administration and buccal delivery without and with 10 mM sodium glycodeoxycholate (GDC) as absorption enhancer were investigated as a randomised cross-over study in six pigs. The buccal delivery device consisted of an application chamber with a solution of buserelin and was attached to the buccal mucosa for 4 hours using an adhesive patch. RESULTS: Buccal administration of buserelin resulted in rapidly reached steady state plasma levels. The absolute bioavailability of the peptide after buccal delivery for 4 hours could be increased from 1.0 +/- 0.3 to 5.3 +/- 1.1% (mean +/- SD.) by co-administration of 10 mM GDC (0.45% w/v)). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrate that buccal administration with the use of absorption enhancers is a useful approach for the delivery of peptide drugs such as buserelin.

Bile composition of adult baboons is influenced by breast versus formula feeding.

We tested the hypothesis that infant cholesterol intake and breast- versus formula-feeding influence the bile cholesterol saturation index and bile acid conjugate composition in adult baboons at 7-8 years of age. We also measured the influence of the postweaning intake of dietary cholesterol and fat (saturated and unsaturated) on the effects of the infant diets. The 80 baboons were derived from six sires and 80 dams and randomly assigned at birth to breast-feeding or to one of three formulas containing about 2, 30, or 60 mg cholesterol/dl. After weaning at 16 weeks of age the animals were assigned to one of four adult diets, which contained 0.01 or 1.0 mg/kcal of cholesterol containing 40% of calories from saturated or unsaturated fat. The bile cholesterol saturation index was significantly higher at 7-8 years of age in baboons breast-fed as infants compared with those fed formula (87.0% versus 72.8%, p less than 0.004). The cholesterol saturation index was not significantly different among the three formula groups. Among baboons who were breast-fed and subsequently fed saturated fat as adults, the glycine/taurine (G/T) ratios of the bile acid conjugates were about three times those of baboons fed unsaturated fat (1.53 versus 0.47); whereas among formula-fed animals the type of fat did not influence the G/T ratio (interaction, p = 0.022). Adult baboons fed the three formulas in infancy had an inverse relationship of the G/T ratio to the level of formula cholesterol (p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The nature of choleresis induced by deoxycholate and its conjugates in the rabbit.

A hypothesis for the mechanism of bile salt-induced choleresis with increased bile bicarbonate concentration (cholehepatic recycling; CHR), requires a relatively high pK'a value of a bile salt to be easily protonated in bile canaliculi. If the choleresis induced by taurodeoxycholate and glycodeoxycholate (which increase bile bicarbonate concentration in rabbits) is to be explained by this thesis, these bile salts must be extensively deconjugated in the liver, enabling a bile salt having a higher pK'a value, free deoxycholate, to undergo CHR. With a stepwise increase in the infusion rate, the increments of bicarbonate concentration, as well as the bile flow rate induced by taurodeoxycholate and glycodeoxycholate, were as efficient as those caused by an equimolar infusion of deoxycholate. With infusion of conjugated deoxycholates, the major bile salts excreted in the bile were those which had been infused. In studies with conjugated deoxycholates, unconjugated deoxycholate was not detectable in the bile. Furthermore, deoxycholate concentration in the liver significantly increased after a 2-h infusion of deoxycholate but did not increase after infusion of either glycodeoxycholate or taurodeoxycholate. The present results suggest that the choleresis induced by conjugated deoxycholates in rabbits requires an explanation other than CHR of deoxycholate.

Bile acid binding to dietary casein: a study in vitro and in vivo.

1. Studies were carried out in vitro using an ultracentrifugation method to quantify bile acid binding to the different components of a Lundh test meal, and to determine what factors influence bile acid binding to one of the components (casein). We validated the ultracentrifugation method by showing good agreement with the equilibrium dialysis method. Studies were carried out in vivo on jejunal aspirate from 10 ileal resection patients in order to determine whether bile acid binding to casein could be demonstrated, and whether this influenced aqueous-phase bile acid and fatty acid concentrations. 2. In vitro, the Lundh test meal was found to adsorb bile acid. The protein content of the meal (casein) alone accounted for this binding, which was abolished by use of casein hydrolysate. The binding to casein was a saturable process. Both binding affinity and binding capacity were significantly greater for taurocholate at pH 4.5 than at pH 6.5, and for dihydroxylated than for trihydroxylated bile acid, suggesting that hydrophobic bonding was involved. 3. In vivo, jejunal samples aspirated at pH greater than 6 from 10 ileal resection patients showed 25% binding of bile acid to protein. On substitution of amino acids for casein, mean binding was reduced to 16% (P less than 0.05), residual binding being attributed to endogenous protein. This was associated with an increase in fatty acid solubilization from 28% to 60% (P less than 0.025).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Deconjugation of glycine-amidated bile salts does not occur in germfree rats.

After oral administration to germfree rats of cholyl-glycine-1-14C, deoxycholyl-glycine-1-14C and nor-ursocholyl-glycine-1-14C no significant amounts of 14CO2 are expired. This indicates that these bile salts are not significantly deamidated under physiological conditions in the rat organism outside the gastro-intestinal tract.

Intraduct enterokinase is lethal in rats with experimental bile-salt pancreatitis.

Controlled intraduct infusion and peri-acinar dispersal of 100 microliter buffer containing sodium glycodeoxycholate (GDOC) at concentrations of 8.5, 17 and 34 mmol/l in rats caused a progressively severe acute pancreatitis from which none of the animals died over the experimental period. Infusion of affinity-purified active human enterokinase in buffer did not cause pancreatitis, presumably because of the inability of the macromolecule to gain access to its specific intracellular substrate trypsinogens. The addition of enterokinase 200 ng to GDOC 34 mmol/l in the infusate resulted in a severe systemic disturbance and a form of acute necrotizing pancreatitis which was uniformly and rapidly lethal. This effect was not seen when equimolar trypsin was substituted for enterokinase. These findings show that enterokinase specifically increases the lethality of experimental bile salt pancreatitis and suggest that this bile-borne enzyme may in some cases pose a significant clinical threat.

The generation of lysolecithin by enterokinase in trypsinogen prophospholipase A2 lecithin mixtures, and its relevance to the pathogenesis of acute necrotising pancreatitis.

The cascade enterokinase-trypsinogen-prophospholipase A2 lecithin, generating trypsin, phospholipase A2 and lysolecithin, respectively, was studied in vitro using a novel phospholipase A2 assay. The rate of enterokinase catalysed activation of trypsinogen was maximal at 4 mmol/1 glycodeoxycholic acid; higher concentrations of bile salt progressively inhibited enterokinase activity. Net phospholipase A2 activity in reaction mixtures was critically dependent on the trypsin/prophospholipase A2 molar ratio. Lecithin hydrolysis by phospholipase A2 was dependent on the bile salt/lecithin molar ratio and was optimal at 1.25 to 1. The addition of enterokinase to lecithin and bile salt mixtures, containing trypsinogen and prophospholipase A2 at presumed pathophysiological concentrations, resulted in the generation of concentrations of lysolecithin lytic for pancreatic acinar cells within 5 min. These findings would support the concept that the entry of bile containing active enterokinase into the pancreatic duct system in vivo may in some cases be involved in the initiation of necrotising acute pancreatitis in man.

Differential binding of glycine- and taurine-conjugated bile acids to insoluble calcium phosphate.

It is demonstrated that bile acids bind to insoluble calcium phosphate at pH values beyond 5.5. Significant binding occurs with glycine-conjugated dihydroxy bile acids. Results indicate that these bile acids are bound in a micellar mode. Taurine conjugation almost completely inhibits the binding of these bile acids to insoluble calcium phosphate. Since glycine-conjugated dihydroxy bile acids are predominant in the rabbit, but not in the rat, our results suggest an explanation for the intriguing species-dependence of casein-induced hypercholesterolaemia, which is high in the rabbit but absent in the rat.

Concentrations of glycine- and taurine-conjugated bile acids in portal and systemic venous serum in man.

Concentrations of glycine and taurine conjugates of cholic, chenodeoxycholic, and deoxycholic acid in portal and systemic venous serum and in bile were measured in eight subjects undergoing elective cholecystectomy. Mean concentrations in systemic serum ranged from 0.07 to 0.17 mumol/l, in portal serum from 0.49 to 2.09 mumol/l, and in bile from 2.72 to 17.2 mmol/l. The percentage content of trihydroxy-bile acid conjugates in bile (49%) and in portal serum (51%) was higher than in systemic serum (35%) (P less than 0.001). The estimated hepatic fractional uptake of glycocholic acid (mean, 83%) and of taurocholic acid (83%) was higher than the uptakes of the dihydroxy-bile acid conjugates (60-68%). The percentage contents of glycine-conjugated bile acids in systemic serum (mean, 66%), portal serum (62%), and bile (65%) were not significantly different.

Transformation of bile acids by Clostridium perfringens.

Thirty-five strains of Clostridium perfringens were examined for their ability to transform bile acids, both in growing cultures and by washed whole cells. All of the strains oxidized the 3 alpha-hydroxy group to an oxo group, and all except three converted the same alpha-hydroxy group into a beta-configuration. The oxidative 3 alpha-dehydrogenation was barely detectable under anaerobic cultural conditions but was clearly demonstrated in an aerated system using washed whole cells, with a pH optimum between 7.0 and 9.0. The epimerizing reaction amounting to 10 to 20% conversion was observed in anaerobic cultures and also with resting cells, irrespective of oxygen supply. Both reactions were carried out with seven conventional 3 alpha-hydroxy bile acids, thus producing a series of 3-oxo and 3 beta-hydroxy derivatives that could be examined for gas-liquid chromatographic and mass spectrometric behavior. No evidence for the occurrence of 7 alpha- and 12 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities among the test strains was found. A highly potent deconjugating hydrolase was elaborated by all of the strains.

Glycodeoxycholate transport in brush border membrane vesicles isolated from rat jejunum and ileum.

The transport of the bile salt, glycodeoxycholate, was studied in vesicles derived from rat jejunal and ileal brush border membranes using a rapid filtration technique. The uptake was osmotically sensitive, linearly related to membrane protein and resembled D-glucose transport. In ileal, but not jejunal, vesicles glycodeoxycholate uptake showed a transient vesicle/medium ratio greater than 1 in the presence of an initial sodium gradient. The differences between glycodeoxycholate uptake in the presence and absence of a Na+ gradient yielded a saturable transport component. Kinetic analysis revealed a Km value similar to that described previously in everted whole intestinal segments and epithelial cells isolated from the ileum. These findings support the existence of a transport system in the brush border membrane that: (1) reflects kinetics and characteristics of bile salt transport in intact intestinal preparations, and (2) catalyzes the co-transport of Na+ and bile salt across the ileal membrane in a manner analogous to D-glucose transport.

Metabolism of bile acids by strains of Acinetobacter anitratum and Acinetobacter lwoffii.

The activity of two species of bacteria: Acinetobacter anitratum and Acinetobacter lwoffii, isolated from jejunum of patients with achlorhydria and Reichel-Polya resection towards bile salts was investigated. These species were not previously tested from this view point. All strains tested hydrolyzed bile salts; conjugates of deoxycholic acid were hydrolyzed more readily than those of cholic acid. This feature may be used as a bacteriological taxonomic criterion.