Involvement of promoter methylation in the regulation of Pregnane X receptor in colon cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a key transcription factor that regulates drug metabolizing enzymes such as cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4, and plays important roles in intestinal first-pass metabolism. Although there is a large inter-individual heterogeneity with intestinal CYP3A4 expression and activity, the mechanism driving these differences is not sufficiently explained by genetic variability of PXR or CYP3A4. We examined whether epigenetic mechanisms are involved in the regulation of PXR/CYP3A4 pathways in colon cancer cells. METHODS: mRNA levels of PXR, CYP3A4 and vitamin D receptor (VDR) were evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR on 6 colon cancer cell lines (Caco-2, HT29, HCT116, SW48, LS180, and LoVo). DNA methylation status was also examined by bisulfite sequencing of the 6 cell lines and 18 colorectal cancer tissue samples. DNA methylation was reversed by the treatment of these cell lines with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC). RESULTS: The 6 colon cancer cell lines were classified into two groups (high or low expression cells) based on the basal level of PXR/CYP3A4 mRNA. DNA methylation of the CpG-rich sequence of the PXR promoter was more densely detected in the low expression cells (Caco-2, HT29, HCT116, and SW48) than in the high expression cells (LS180 and LoVo). This methylation was reversed by treatment with 5-aza-dC, in association with re-expression of PXR and CYP3A4 mRNA, but not VDR mRNA. Therefore, PXR transcription was silenced by promoter methylation in the low expression cells, which most likely led to downregulation of CYP3A4 transactivation. Moreover, a lower level of PXR promoter methylation was observed in colorectal cancer tissues compared with adjacent normal mucosa, suggesting upregulation of the PXR/CYP3A4 mRNAs during carcinogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: PXR promoter methylation is involved in the regulation of intestinal PXR and CYP3A4 mRNA expression and might be associated with the inter-individual variability of the drug responses of colon cancer cells.

CYP1B1, but not CYP1A1, is downregulated by promoter methylation in colorectal cancers.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1 (CYP1A1) and CYP1B1, dioxin-inducible CYP1s, are associated with carcinogenesis in extrahepatic tissues. CYP1B1 is featured in carcinogenesis of hormone-responsive tissues, where the CYP1B1 level is considerably high. Although aberrant expression of these enzymes is also observed in cancers that are not related to hormone response, their roles in carcinogenesis are not yet fully understood. We examined DNA methylation status of the CpG islands within the 5'-flanking region of the CYP1B1 and CYP1A1 genes in 7 colorectal cancer cell lines and 40 primary colorectal cancers. By bisulfite-modified direct sequencing, CYP1B1 gene methylation was detected in 2 cell lines (SW48 and Caco-2) and 2 (5%) cancers, but not in corresponding normal tissues. Treatment of the cells with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine revealed a clear increase in the CYP1B1 mRNA levels in SW48 and Caco-2 cells, while the amount of methylated alleles decreased. Only HT29 cells showed a clear increase in CYP1A1 mRNA, although there were no apparent differences in methylation status among these cell lines. None of these cell lines showed significant change in mRNA levels of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and AhR nuclear translocator (ARNT), which are known to directly activate CYP1 transcription. This observation suggested that expression of CYP1B1, but not CYP1A1, was downregulated by promoter methylation rather than decreased expression of AhR/ARNT. In conclusion, CpG methylation of the CYP1B1 promoter region epigenetically regulates CYP1B1 expression during development of some colorectal cancers. Moreover, cancers with aberrant CYP1B1 expression might show altered response to procarcinogen metabolism and chemotherapy.

Involvement of constitutive androstane receptor in liver hypertrophy and liver tumor development induced by triazole fungicides.

We clarified the involvement of constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) in triazole-induced liver hypertrophy and tumorigenesis using CAR-knockout (CARKO) mice. Seven-week-old male CARKO and wild-type (WT) mice were treated with 200 ppm cyproconazole (Cypro), 1500 ppm tebuconazole (Teb), or 200 ppm fluconazole (Flu) in the diet for 27 weeks after initiation by diethylnitrosamine (DEN). At weeks 4 (without DEN) and 13 (with DEN), WT mice in all treatment groups and CARKO mice in Teb group revealed liver hypertrophy with mainly Cyp2b10 and following Cyp3a11 inductions in the liver. Teb also induced Cyp4a10 in both genotypes. Cypro induced slight and duration-dependent liver hypertrophy in CARKO mice. At week 27, Cypro and Teb significantly increased eosinophilic altered foci and/or adenomas in WT mice. These proliferating lesions were clearly reduced in CARKO mice administered both compounds. The eosinophilic adenomas caused by Flu decreased in CARKO mice. The present study indicates that CAR is the main mediator of liver hypertrophy induced by Cypro and Flu, but not Teb. In contrast, CAR played a crucial role in liver tumor development induced by all three triazoles.