<p><b>OBJECTIVEb>To investigate the effects of the ethyl acetate extract of Semen Hoveniae (ESH) on liver microsomal cytochrome P450 isoenzyme in rats.p><p><b>METHODb>The rats were given orally the ESH in the doses of 0.14, 0.17, 0.2 g x kg (equivalent to the crude herb) for 10 days respectively. Rat liver microsomal cytochrome P450, NADPH-Cyt C reductase, erythromycin N-demethylase (ERD), Aniline hydroxylase (ANH), aminopyrine N-demethylase (ADM) activities were quantitated by UV chromatography. The levels of mRNA expression of CYP1A1, CYP2C11, CYP2E1 and CYP3A1 were detected by semi-quantitative reverse transcripatase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).p><p><b>RESULTb>The cytochrome P450 content, NADPH-Cyt C reductase activities and erythromycin N-demethylase (ERD) activities were not affected. Aniline hydroxylase (ANH) activities in liver were decreased by up to35.1%; aminopyrine N-demethylase (ADM) activitiesin liver were increased by up to 42.4%. The mRNA expression of CYP1A1, CYP2C11 and CYP3A1 were found to be increased markedly.p><p><b>CONCLUSIONb>A specific effect of ESH on liver microsomal cytochrome P450 isoenzyme in rats was observed in this investigation. ESH had various effects on liver microsomal cytochrome P450 isoenzyme.p>
Acetates ; chemistry ; Aminopyrine N-Demethylase ; metabolism ; Aniline Hydroxylase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Animals ; Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P450 Family 2 ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic ; drug effects ; Male ; Microsomes, Liver ; drug effects ; enzymology ; NADPH-Ferrihemoprotein Reductase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rhamnaceae ; chemistry ; Seeds ; chemistry ; Steroid 16-alpha-Hydroxylase ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether local estrogen production takes place in adenomyosis and in normal endometrium. METHODS: The study included 23 cases of adenomyosis and 17 cases of normal uterine endometrium obtained through hysterectomy or curettage at Kangnam Cha Hospital. The frozen tissue specimens were examined by immunohistochemistry using P450 arom. RESULTS: P450 arom was immunolocalized exclusively in the cytoplasm of glandular cells of adenomyotic tissue. However, no apparent staining was observed in stromal cells. Aromatase was expressed in the ectopic glands (82.6%), but also in the eutopic endometrium of patients with adenomyosis (23.5%). In the case of normal endometrium, P450arom was not detected. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the aromatase activity is correlated to the pathophysiology of adenomyosis.
Adenomyosis* ; Aromatase* ; Curettage ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System* ; Cytochromes* ; Cytoplasm ; Endometrium ; Estrogens ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Immunohistochemistry ; Stromal Cells

&beta;-thalassemia is a chronic hemolytic anemia characterized by the reduction or absence of synthesis of &beta;-globin chains because of the &beta;-globin gene mutations. &beta;-thalassemia belongs to the inherited hemoglobin disease, and occurs in some provinces of China, such as in Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, its prevalence is about 2%. The treatment of this disease include transfusion, iron chelating agent, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, splenectomy, induced expression of Fetal Hemoglobin (HbF) and gene therapies. However, the mortality rate of this disease is still higher, thus some new treatments are urgently needed. In recent years, the study was mainly concentrated in 2 aspects: the normal &beta;-globin gene transfer and endogenous &gamma;-globin re-activation. Some studies showed that the expression of miRNAs was dysregulated in &beta;-thalassemia. Some miRNAs could regulate &gamma;-globin at posttranscriptional level, thus, the clarification of relationship between miRNAs and &beta;-thalassemia is expected to provide experimental bases to &beta;-thalassemia therapy. In this review, the induced therapy of &gamma;-globin for &beta;-thalassemia and its relationship with the miRNA are summarized.
China ; Fetal Hemoglobin ; metabolism ; Genetic Therapy ; Humans ; MicroRNAs ; metabolism ; beta-Globins ; genetics ; beta-Thalassemia ; therapy ; gamma-Globins ; therapeutic use

<p><b>AIMb>To identify the drug-metabolizing enzymes involved in the hydroxylation of the new anti-inflammatory and anodyne imrecoxib.p><p><b>METHODSb>Imrecoxib was incubated with heterologous expression human cytochrome P450 (rCYPs) in vitro, and metabolites and remained parent drug were detected with liquid chromatography-multistage mass spectrometry. The contribution of 4 CYPs in the hydroxylation metabolism of imrecoxib was evaluated by total normalized rate (TNR) method.p><p><b>RESULTSb>Imrecoxib is metabolized by CYP2C9, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4, with the rate of 62.5%, 21.1% and 16.4%, respectively.p><p><b>CONCLUSIONb>CYP2C9 is the major enzyme involved in imrecoxib hydroxylation metabolism.p>
Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases ; metabolism ; Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C9 ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2D6 ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System ; metabolism ; Hydroxylation ; Pyrroles ; metabolism ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization ; Sulfides ; metabolism

Although widely studied, the natural diversity of the hard tick is not well known. In this study, we collected 194 sequences from 67 species, covering 7 genera of hard tick. The 5′ region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 region (586 bp) has been used to investigate intra- and inter-species variation and the phylogenetic tree of neighbor joining method has been used for assessment. As a result, by comparing the K2P-distance of intra- and interspecies, 30 samples (15.2%) shown that interspecies distance was larger than the minimum interspecfic distance. From the phylogenetic analysis, 86.8% (49) of the species were identified correctly at the genus level. On deeper analysis on these species suggested the possibility of presence cryptic species. Therefore, further work is required to delineate species boundaries and to develop a more complete understanding of hard tick diversity over larger scale.
Cytochromes c ; Cytochromes ; Electron Transport Complex IV ; Ixodidae ; Methods ; Trees

Rotundine (1 micromol L(-1)) was incubated with a panel of rCYP enzymes (1A2, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6 and 3A4) in vitro. The remained parent drug in incubates was quantitatively analyzed by an Agilent LC-MS. CYP2C19, 3A4 and 2D6 were identified to be the isoenzymes involved in the metabolism of rotundine. The individual contributions of CYP2C19, 3A4 and 2D6 to the rotundine metabolism were assessed using the method of total normalized rate to be 31.46%, 60.37% and 8.17%, respectively. The metabolites of rotundine in incubates were screened with ESI-MS at selected ion mode, and were further identified using MS2 spectra and precise molecular mass obtained from an Agilent LC/Q-TOF-MSMS, as well as MS(n) spectra of LC-iTrap-MS(n). The predominant metabolic pathway of rotundine in rCYP incubates was O-demethylation. A total 5 metabolites were identified including 4 isomerides of mono demethylated rotundine and one di-demethylated metabolite. The results also showed that CYP2C19, 2D6 and 3A4 mediated O-demethylation of methoxyl groups at different positions of rotundine. Furthermore, the ESI-MS cleavage patterns of rotundine and its metabolites were explored by using LC/Q-TOF-MSMS and LC/iTrap-MS(n) techniques.
Analgesics, Non-Narcotic ; metabolism ; Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases ; metabolism ; Berberine Alkaloids ; metabolism ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A2 ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C19 ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C9 ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2D6 ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System ; metabolism ; Dopamine Antagonists ; metabolism ; Humans ; Isoenzymes ; metabolism ; Methylation ; Recombinant Proteins ; metabolism ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

<p><b>OBJECTIVEb>To study the effect of liposomal transfection of antisense oligonucleotide (ASON) on the erythroid cell alpha-globin gene in the patients with severe beta-thalassemia, and provide a new idea for beta-thalassemia gene therapy.p><p><b>METHODSb>A highly effective ASON targeting alpha-globin gene was transfected into severe beta-thalassemic erythroid cells cultured in vitro by liposomal at an optimal concentration. The expression level of alpha, beta, gamma-globin gene, the level of hemoglobin, and the excess alpha-globin chains precipitates in ASON group and control group were carefully analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR(Q-RT-PCR), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and electron microscope, respectively.p><p><b>RESULTSb>The mRNA expression of alpha-globin gene was significantly lower in ASON group (9.04 +/- 0.29) than in control group (24.23 +/- 0.29) (P<0.01). Simultaneously, the disequilibrium between alpha- and beta-, gamma-globin gene expression was partly modified by ASON, the ratios of ASON group and control group being 0.79 +/- 0.02 and 2.26 +/- 0.06 respectively (P<0.01). HPLC demonstrated that the levels of HbA2 and HbF increased with downregulation of alpha-globin gene in beta-thalassemic erythroid cells, particularly HbF. The precipitates of alpha-globin chains in ASON group were lessened under electron microscope, particularly in early erythroblast while no change in the control group.p><p><b>CONCLUSIONb>The high effective ASON contributes to inhibit the alpha-globin gene expression of severe beta-thalassemic erythroid cells, partly modify the disequilibrium between alpha-, beta- and gamma-globin gene expression and obviously reduce the precipitates of alpha-globin chains in erythroid cells. It might provide a new idea for gene therapy of beta-thalassemia.p>
Cells, Cultured ; Child ; Genetic Therapy ; Humans ; Liposomes ; Oligonucleotides, Antisense ; genetics ; Transfection ; alpha-Globins ; genetics ; metabolism ; beta-Globins ; metabolism ; beta-Thalassemia ; genetics ; metabolism ; therapy ; gamma-Globins ; metabolism

Cytochromes c covalently bind their heme prosthetic groups through thioether bonds between the vinyl groups of the heme and the thiols of a CXXCH motif within the protein. In Gram-negative bacteria, this process is catalyzed by the Ccm (cytochrome c maturation) proteins, also called System I. The Ccm proteins are found in the bacterial inner membrane, but some (CcmE, CcmG, CcmH, and CcmI) also have soluble functional domains on the periplasmic face of the membrane. Elucidation of the mechanisms involved in the transport and relay of heme and the apocytochrome from the bacterial cytosol into the periplasm, and their subsequent reaction, has proved challenging due to the fact that most of the proteins involved are membrane-associated, but recent progress in understanding some key components has thrown up some surprises. In this Review, we discuss advances in our understanding of this process arising from a substrate's point of view and from recent structural information about individual components.
Cytochromes c ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Models, Biological

Selenoprotein S (SelS) is widely expressed in diverse tissues where it localizes in the plasma membrane and endoplasmic reticulum. We studied the potential function of SelS in erythrocyte differentiation using K562 cells stably overexpressing SelS wild-type (WT) or one of two SelS point mutants, U188S or U188C. We found that in the K562 cells treated with 1 microM Ara-C, SelS gradually declined over five days of treatment. On day 4, intracellular ROS levels were higher in cells expressing SelS-WT than in those expressing a SelS mutant. Moreover, the cell cycle patterns in cells expressing SelS-WT or U188C were similar to the controls. The expression and activation of SIRT1 were also reduced during K562 differentiation. Cells expressing SelS-WT showed elevated SIRT1 expression and activation (phosphorylation), as well as higher levels of FoxO3a expression. SIRT1 activation was diminished slightly in cells expressing SelS-WT after treatment with the ROS scavenger NAC (12mM), but not in those expressing a SelS mutant. After four days of Ara-C treatment, SelS-WT-expressing cells showed elevated transcription of beta-globin, gamma-globin, epsilon-globin, GATA-1 and zfpm-1, whereas cells expressing a SelS mutant did not. These results suggest that the suppression of SelS acts as a trigger for proerythrocyte differentiation via the ROS-mediated downregulation of SIRT1.
beta-Globins ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Membrane ; Cytarabine ; Down-Regulation ; Endoplasmic Reticulum ; epsilon-Globins ; Erythrocytes ; gamma-Globins ; K562 Cells ; Selenoproteins

<p><b>OBJECTIVEb>To examine the expression of cytochrome P450 related genes in oral submucous fibrosis tissue and to investigate the possible role of the genes in pathogenesis of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF).p><p><b>METHODSb>Buccul mucosa tissues were obtained from OSF patients in early, medium and advanced stages, with each stage including 10 patients. Normal buccul mucosa tissues were collected from 10 patients undergoing oral and maxillofacial surgery as control. Oral submucous fibrosis-related genes were analysed by cDNA chips, and the results were submitted to the gene network database. Differentially expressed genes related to the pathway of CYP metabolism were indentifyed by the database analysis. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to verify the results from cDNA chips by increasing sample volume.p><p><b>RESULTSb>There were eight genes [CYP2B6, CYP2C18, CYP2F1, CYP3A5, microsomal glutathione S-transferase 2 (MGST2), alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), UDP glucuronosyl transferase 2B15 (UGT2B15), ADH1C] which were related to the pathway of CYP metabolism. These genes were low expressed in all stages of OSF (P < 0.001).There were no differences in genes expression among the three stages of OSF (P > 0.05).p><p><b>CONCLUSIONSb>There were down-regulated genes related to the pathway of CYP metabolism in oral submucous fibrosis tissue. The ability of the pathway of CYP to metabolize and clear betel nut ingredients was reduced in OSF patients, which may play a role in the pathogenesis of OSF.p>
Adult ; Alcohol Dehydrogenase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2B6 ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P450 Family 2 ; Down-Regulation ; Glucuronosyltransferase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Glutathione Transferase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Oral Submucous Fibrosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Young Adult