title: Immunoquantification of cytochrome P-450 3A on rat paraffin-embedded liver tissue.
abstract: The cytochrome P-450 3A family is involved in the metabolism of several drugs, including nifedipine, cyclosporine, quinidine and erythromycin. The purpose of this study was to develop a reliable method to obtain a relative quantification of cytochrome P-450 3A apoproteins in rat liver specimens by immunocytochemistry and to correlate such quantification to erythromycin N-demethylase activity, a biochemical pathway sustained by that enzymatic system. Thirty-six male Wistar rats were treated with an injection of either saline or dexamethasone phosphate (10, 30 or 50 mg/kg), a potent inducer of cytochrome P-450 3A. Specimens taken from the same lobe were processed for immunocytochemistry and determination of erythromycin N-demethylase activity. Paraffin sections were treated with a polyclonal antiserum directed against cytochrome P-450 3A. The density of cytochrome P-450 3A immunostaining measured by an automatic image analyzer increased with the dose of dexamethasone pretreatment, and with the erythromycin N-demethylase activity, both parameters being closely correlated. Our data indicate that in rats, when cytochrome P-450 3A is concerned, there is a close correlation between the results of immunoquantitation and biochemical activity. This suggests that such a method of investigation might be used on small paraffin-embedded liver specimens obtained by needle biopsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, University of Louvain, Faculty of Medicine, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Horsmans
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Geubel
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harvengt
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rahier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001189:Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1; D051544:Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000032:analysis*; D003907:Dexamethasone; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000032:analysis*; D010089:Oxidoreductases, N-Demethylating / Q000032:analysis*; D010232:Paraffin; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D003907:Dexamethasone; D010232:Paraffin; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1; D001189:Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases; D051544:Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A; D010089:Oxidoreductases, N-Demethylating