title: Drug metabolizing enzymes in the rat pituitary gland.
abstract: Brain protection against chemicals is mainly provided by the specific properties of cerebral microvessels forming the blood-brain barrier. In addition, several drug metabolizing enzymes have been evidenced both in brain tissue and in cerebral capillaries, suggesting their participation in the enzymatic protection of this organ. The pituitary gland, like true circumventricular organs, lacks a tight vascular endothelium and therefore is especially sensitive to blood-native toxic or pharmacologically active molecules. We report here the presence of cytochrome P-450 in the pituitary gland and its main mitochondrial localization. The O-dealkylase activity measured towards 7-benzoxyresorufin, a substrate for the main cytochrome P-450 isoforms involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics, was 5 times higher in the pituitary gland than in the brain cortex. Similarly, microsomal epoxide hydrolase, which inactivates reactive epoxides to trans diol molecules, and two conjugating enzymes, 1-naphthol UDP-glucuronosyltransferase and glutathione-S-transferase, display respectively 6, 4 and 7 times higher activities in the pituitary gland. 7-Benzoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase, 1-naphthol UDP-glucuronosyltransferase and membrane-bound epoxide hydrolase activities were significantly increased in the pituitary gland as an adaptive response to an in vivo treatment by an exogenous inducer, 3-methylcholanthrene. These results suggest that these enzymatic systems play a role in the protection of the pituitary gland towards drugs or toxic substances.
authors.affiliation: Université de Nancy I, Centre du Médicament, CNRS URA 597, France.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Ghersi-Egea
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Leininger-Muller
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Minn
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Siest
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism*; D004851:Epoxide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008748:Methylcholanthrene / Q000494:pharmacology; D008861:Microsomes / Q000201:enzymology; D009251:NADPH-Ferrihemoprotein Reductase / Q000378:metabolism; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D008748:Methylcholanthrene; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; C077445:7-benzoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D009251:NADPH-Ferrihemoprotein Reductase; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D004851:Epoxide Hydrolases