Abstract

In an effort to determine which members of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) superfamily are expressed in human breast tissue and tumors, RNA-polymerase chain reaction studies have been undertaken. Detection of expressed CYP mRNAs identifies those forms of the enzyme that are capable of expression in breast tissue, and provides insight into the potential for in situ xenobiotic and therapeutic drug metabolism. CYP1A1 mRNA was present in (5/11) breast tissues and (6/13) tumors. When normal and tumor tissues were from the same individuals, higher amplification occurred in normal tissues. CYP1B1 mRNA was present in all but one tissue, and CYP2C mRNA forms were present in all of the tissues. CYP3A4 mRNA was present in (8/11) normal breast tissues and (2/13) tumor tissues, and CYP3A5 mRNA was present in (9/11) normal tissues and (2/13) tumor tissues. The expression of the CYP3A mRNA forms was not coincident, suggesting differential regulation. CYP2D6 mRNA was present in (10/11) normal breast tissue and (10/13) tumors. Two splice variants of CYP2D6 mRNA were also detected; one with a 207 bp intron spliced in was detected in all of the normal tissue samples and (11/13) tumors, whereas another (which lacks a 3'-portion of exon 6) was detected in (9/11) normal breast tissues and (7/13) tumors. Thus, examples of each of the xenobiotic-metabolizing CYP1, CYP2, and CYP3 subfamilies were detected in low levels in human normal breast tissue and tumors. The machinery for possible in situ bioactivation of xenobiotics and modification of therapeutic drugs is thus present in human breast tissue.