title: Main drug-metabolizing enzyme systems in human breast tumors and peritumoral tissues.
abstract: In an attempt to better understand breast tumors sensitivity or resistance to anticancer drugs, the main drug-metabolizing enzyme systems were evaluated in both breast tumors and their corresponding peritumoral tissues in 12 patients. The following enzymes were assayed by Western blot: cytochromes P-450 (1A1/A2, 2B1/B2, 2C8-10, 2E1, 3A4); glutathione S-transferases (GST-alpha, -mu, and -pi); and epoxide hydrolase. The activity of the following enzymes or cofactor were determined by spectrophotometric or fluorometric assays: GST; total glutathione; UDP-glucuronosyltransferase; beta-glucuronidase; sulfotransferase; and sulfatase. Results showed the absence of all probed cytochromes P-450 in both tumoral and peritumoral tissues. GST activity was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in tumors (mean +/- SD, 399 +/- 362 nmol/min/mg) than in corresponding peritumoral tissues (86 +/- 67). The GST isoenzymes GST-mu and GST-pi (determined by immunoblotting) were also higher in tumors than in corresponding peritumoral tissues (3- and 5-fold, respectively). Both GST-mu and GST-pi levels were significantly correlated with GST activity. GST-alpha was not detected in either tumoral or peritumoral tissues. Glutathione levels in tumors (22 +/- 23 nmol/mg protein) were not statistically different from peritumoral tissues (11 +/- 12). Epoxide hydrolase was expressed at similar levels in tumors and peritumoral tissues. The glucuronide-forming enzyme UDP-glucuronosyltransferase was 5-fold lower in tumors (0.1 +/- 0.2 nmol/h/mg) than in peritumoral tissues (0.5 +/- 1), whereas the opposite was observed for the hydrolytic enzyme beta-glucuronidase, which was 6-fold higher in tumors (736 +/- 1392 nmol/h/mg) compared to peritumoral tissues (125 +/- 75). No difference was noted between tumoral and peritumoral tissues for sulfotransferase (1 +/- 2 nmol/h/mg), but the corresponding hydrolytic enzyme (sulfatase) was 2-fold higher in tumoral tissues (14 +/- 15 nmol/h/mg) than in peritumoral tissues (6 +/- 2). In conclusion, several differences were observed between human breast tumors and peritumoral tissues for many conjugating enzymes (GST-mu, GST-pi, and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase) and hydrolytic enzymes (sulfatase and beta-glucuronidase). These noteworthy differences between tumoral and peritumoral tissues with regard to their main drug-metabolizing enzymes could play a role in the relative drug sensitivity or insensitivity of human breast cancer tissues to chemotherapeutic agents and could be potential targets for chemotherapeutic interventions.
authors.affiliation: Département de Pharmaco-toxicologie et Pharmacogénétique (INSERM U 140 and CNRS URA 147, Villejuif, France.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Albin
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Massaad
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Toussaint
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Mathieu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morizet
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Parise
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gouyette
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Chabot
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D001940:Breast / Q000201:enzymology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008875:Middle Aged; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000378:metabolism*; D015238:Sulfotransferases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D015238:Sulfotransferases