The present study identifies the specific human cytochrome P-450 (CYP) enzymes involved in hydroxylation leading to activation of the anticancer drug cyclophosphamide and its isomeric analogue, ifosphamide. Substantial interindividual variation (4-9-fold) was observed in the hydroxylation of these oxazaphosphorines by a panel of 12 human liver microsomes, and a significant correlation was obtained between these 2 activities (r = 0.85, P < 0.001). Enzyme kinetic analyses revealed that human liver microsomal cyclophosphamide 4-hydroxylation and ifosphamide 4-hydroxylation are best described by a 2-component Michaelis-Menten model composed of both low Km and high Km P-450 4-hydroxylases. To ascertain whether one or more human P-450 enzymes are catalytically competent in activating these oxazaphosphorines, microsomal fractions prepared from a panel of human B-lymphoblastoid cell lines stably transformed with individual P-450 complementary DNAs were assayed in vitro for oxazaphosphorine activation. Expressed CYP2A6, -2B6, -2C8, -2C9, and -3A4 were catalytically competent in hydroxylating cyclophosphamide and ifosphamide. Whereas CYP2C8 and CYP2C9 have the characteristics of low Km oxazaphosphorine 4-hydroxylases, CYP2A6, -2B6, and -3A4 are high Km forms. In contrast, CYP1A1, -1A2, -2D6, and -2E1 did not produce detectable activities. Furthermore, growth of cultured CYP2A6- and CYP2B6-expressing B-lymphoblastoid cells, but not of CYP-negative control cells, was inhibited by cyclophosphamide and ifosphamide as a consequence of prodrug activation to cytotoxic metabolites. Experiments with P-450 form-selective chemical inhibitors and inhibitory anti-P-450 antibodies were then performed to determine the contributions of individual P-450s to the activation of these drugs in human liver microsomes. Orphenadrine (a CYP2B6 inhibitor) and anti-CYP2B IgG inhibited microsomal cyclophosphamide hydroxylation to a greater extent than ifosphamide hydroxylation, consistent with the 8-fold higher activity of complementary DNA-expressed CYP2B6 with cyclophosphamide. In contrast, troleandomycin, a selective inhibitor of CYP3A3 and -3A4, and anti-CYP3A IgG substantially inhibited microsomal ifosphamide hydroxylation but had little or no effect on microsomal cyclophosphamide hydroxylation. By contrast, the CYP2D6-selective inhibitor quinidine did not affect either microsomal activity, while anti-CYP2A antibodies had only a modest inhibitory effect. Overall, the present study establishes that liver microsomal CYP2B and CYP3A preferentially catalyze cyclophosphamide and ifosphamide 4-hydroxylation, respectively, suggesting that liver P-450-inducing agents targeted at these enzymes might be used in cancer patients to enhance drug activation and therapeutic efficacy.
To investigate whether interindividual variation in CYP2E1 levels can be explained by genetic polymorphism, we analysed DNA samples from 40 healthy individuals by single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis for polymorphisms in the CYP2E1 coding sequence and promoter region. DNA sequencing of samples showing mobility shifts on single-strand conformational polymorphism detected polymorphisms at positions −316 (A to G), −297 (T to A), −35 (G to T), 1107 (G to C; intron 1), 4804 (G to A Val179Ile; exon 4) and 10157 (C to T; exon 8). All individuals positive for either A-316G, G-35T, G4804A or the previously described Rsal polymorphism at −1019 were also positive for T-297A, which had the highest allele frequency of the observed polymorphisms (0.20). A-316G, G-35T and G4804A were detected at allele frequencies of 0.022, 0.052 and 0.013, respectively. The functional significance of the upstream polymorphisms was examined by preparing constructs of positions-549 to +3 of CYP2E1 containing the observed combinations of the polymorphisms fused to luciferase reporter genes and transfecting HepG2 cells. For the G-35T/T-297A construct, a 1.8-fold increase in luciferase activity compared with the wild-type sequence (P = 0.06) and 2.5-fold compared with T-297A only (P = 0.025) was observed. No significant difference in activity was observed between the other constructs. The significance of the predicted Val179Ile base change from G4804A was determined by expression of the wild-type and mutated full length cDNAs in lymphoblastoid cells. No significant difference in kinetic constants for chlorzoxazone hydroxylation between mutant and wild-type was observed. In summary, this study demonstrated six novel CYP2E1 polymorphisms, including three upstream of the promoter, but with the possible exception of G-35T, none appeared to be of functional Significance.
Cytochrome P-450-dependent aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) and 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase activities of a cloned line of human lymphoblastoid AHH-1 cells are inhibited by a monoclonal antibody (MAb 1-7-1) prepared to a 3-methylcholanthrene-induced rat liver cytochrome P-450. The monoclonal antibody inhibition determined that a single MAb 1-7-1-sensitive type of cytochrome P-450 is responsible for all of AHH expression in both the basal and benz[a]anthracene-induced cells. Partial inhibition by the MAb 1-7-1, however, indicates that at least two forms of cytochrome P-450 catalyze 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase in both the basal and the induced cells, one form of which is identical to the MAb-sensitive cytochrome P-450 responsible for all of the AHH. Thus, a single cloned cell line is capable of expressing two classes of cytochromes P-450, and the observed multiplicity of cytochrome P-450 in animal tissues does not necessarily depend on cell heterogeneity. A sensitive MAb 1-7-1-based radioimmunoassay also directly demonstrates the presence in these cells of a MAb 1-7-1-specific type of cytochrome P-450 as well as its elevation in the induced cells. These MAb-based methods thus can determine the contribution of specific MAb-defined types of cytochromes P-450 to the cellular metabolism of specific xenobiotics.
Few studies have characterized the regional scale (300−500 km) variability of the mutagenicity of respirable airborne particles (PM2.5). We previously collected 24-h PM2.5 samples for 1 year from background, suburban, and urban sites in Massachusetts (MA) and rural and urban sites in upstate New York (NY) (n = 53−60 samples per site). Bimonthly composites of these samples were mutagenic to human cells. The present report describes our effort to identify chemical classes responsible for the mutagenicity of the samples, to quantify spatial differences in mutagenicity, and to compare the mutagenicity of samples composited in different ways. Organic extracts and HPLC fractions (two nonpolar, one semipolar, and one polar) of annual composites were tested for mutagenicity in the h1A1v2 cells, a line of human B-lymphoblastoid cells that express cytochrome P450 CYP1A1 cDNA. The mutagenic potency (induced mutant fraction per μg organic carbon) of the semipolar fractions was the highest at all five sites, accounting for 35−82% of total mutagenic potency of the samples, vs the nonpolar (4−38%) and polar (14−32%) fractions. These results are consistent with previous studies. While unfractionated extracts exhibited no spatial variations, the mutagenicity of semipolar fractions at the NY sites was ∼2-fold higher than at the MA sites. This suggests there may be significant regional differences in the sources and/or transport and transformation of mutagenic compounds in PM2.5. In addition, mutagenic potency was sensitive to whether samples were fractionated and how they were composited: unfractionated annual composite samples at the NY sites were significantly less mutagenic than their semipolar fractions and the annual average of bimonthly composites; spatial differences in the mutagenic potency of bimonthly composites and the semipolar fractions were not apparent in the annual composites.
The present work demonstrates that cDNAs coding for cytochrome P450 enzymes can be transfected into mammalian cells and expressed. In the present studies, two different cell systems were used for transfection: 10T1/2 cells which can be used to study initiation and promotion (Diamond, 1984) and AHH-1 cells which can be used to study mutation and clastogenesis (Crespi and Thilly, 1984, Crespi and Penman, 1989). Thus, a diversity of endpoints can be studied in cells which have increased metabolic capability. By increasing the metabolic capability of the target cell, the effects of nongenotoxic as well as genotoxic chemicals, can be examined in the appropriate in vitro systems. For example, the 10T1/2 cells can be treated with a nontransforming dose of an initiator followed by continuous treatment with a second chemical that requires cytochrome P450 specific metabolism to manifest its promoting activity. By this approach, greater insight into the role of chemical metabolism in the promotion process (and presumably other nongenotoxic effects) can be obtained. Additionally, the role of specific cytochrome P450s in the metabolism of different classes of carcinogens/drugs can be elucidated. A major advantage of having the metabolizing enzymes actually present in the target cell is that effects of chemicals can be studied in long-term, low-dose exposure protocols which will eliminate the acute toxic effects which are associated with many current protocols. Thus, more realistic environmental exposure conditions can be achieved by using these in vitro systems containing endogenous metabolism systems.
