QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: dmd.107.018598v1 36/5/946    most recent Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Sane, R. S. Articles by Desai, P. B. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sane, R. S. Articles by Desai, P. B.

Role of Human Pregnane X Receptor in Tamoxifen- and 4-Hydroxytamoxifen-Mediated CYP3A4 Induction in Primary Human Hepatocytes and LS174T Cells

Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio

Previously we observed that the antiestrogens tamoxifen and 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4OHT) induce CYP3A4 in primary human hepatocytes and activate human pregnane X receptor (PXR) in cell-based reporter assays. Given the complex cross-talk between nuclear receptors, tissue-specific expression of CYP3A4, and the potential for tamoxifen and 4OHT to interact with a myriad of receptors, this study was undertaken to gain mechanistic insights into the inductive effects of tamoxifen and 4OHT. First, we observed that transfection of the primary cultures of human hepatocytes with PXR-specific small interfering RNA reduced the PXR mRNA expression and the extent of CYP3A4 induction by tamoxifen and 4OHT by 50%. Second, in LS174T colon carcinoma cells, which were observed to have significantly lower PXR expression relative to human hepatocytes, neither tamoxifen nor 4OHT induced CYP3A4. Third, N-desmethyltamoxifen, which did not induce CYP3A4 in human hepatocytes, also did not activate PXR in LS174T cells. We then used cell-based reporter assay to evaluate the effects of other receptors such as glucocorticoid receptor GR and estrogen receptor ER on the transcriptional activation of PXR. The cotransfection of GR in LS174T cells augmented PXR activation by tamoxifen and 4OHT. On the other hand, the presence of ER inhibited PXR-mediated basal activation of CYP3A4 promoter, possibly via competing for common cofactors such as steroid receptor coactivator 1 and glucocorticoid receptor interacting protein 1. Collectively, our findings suggest that the CYP3A4 induction by tamoxifen and 4OHT is primarily mediated by PXR but the overall stoichiometry of other nuclear receptors and transcription cofactors also contributes to the extent of the inductive effect.