title: Influence of dietary zinc deficiency during development on hepatic CYP2C11, CYP2C12, CYP3A2, CYP3A9, and CYP3A18 expression in postpubertal male rats.
abstract: The present study investigated the effect of dietary zinc deficiency during the developmental period on hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP) expression in postpubertal male rats. Twenty-one-day-old weanling male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to one of the following dietary groups: zinc-adequate (31 mg zinc/kg diet); marginal zinc-deficient (3 mg zinc/kg diet); severe zinc-deficient (1 mg zinc/kg diet); or pair-fed control for either the marginal or severe zinc-deficient group. All rats were killed at 63 days of age. Compared with the corresponding pair-fed controls, marginal zinc deficiency decreased CYP2C11-mediated testosterone 2alpha- and 16alpha-hydroxylase activities by 43 and 42%, respectively, whereas severe zinc deficiency reduced each of these activities by approximately 60%. The decrease in CYP2C11 activity was accompanied by a reduction in CYP2C11 protein and mRNA levels, as assessed by immunoblot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays, respectively. Additional RT-PCR analysis indicated that severe zinc deficiency decreased CYP3A2 and CYP3A18 mRNA levels by 49 and 43%, respectively, whereas it increased CYP2C12 (253%) and CYP3A9 (238%) mRNA expression. Plasma testosterone concentration was decreased by 67% in the marginal zinc-deficient group when compared with the corresponding pair-fed control group. By comparison, it was below the limit of quantification (0.2 ng/mL) in the severe zinc-deficient rats. Overall, these results indicate that dietary zinc deficiency during the developmental period feminized the hepatic gene expression of the sexually dimorphic CYP2C11, CYP3A2, CYP3A18, CYP2C12, and CYP3A9 in postpubertal male rats.
authors.affiliation: Food, Nutrition, and Health Program, The University of British Columbia, 2205 East Mall, V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. zxu@interchange.ubc.ca
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Bandiera
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001189:Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases; D051544:Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism*; D000072467:Cytochrome P450 Family 2; D004032:Diet; D015870:Gene Expression; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000502:physiology; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D010089:Oxidoreductases, N-Demethylating / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000502:physiology*; D039181:Steroid 16-alpha-Hydroxylase; D013250:Steroid Hydroxylases / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013739:Testosterone; D013006:Growth Hormone; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D013250:Steroid Hydroxylases; D001189:Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases; C450279:CYP2C11 protein, rat; C465260:Cyp3a2 protein, rat; C415842:Cyp3a9 protein, rat; D051544:Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A; D000072467:Cytochrome P450 Family 2; D039181:Steroid 16-alpha-Hydroxylase; C034694:steroid 15-beta-hydroxylase; C022657:steroid hormone 6-beta-hydroxylase; D010089:Oxidoreductases, N-Demethylating; D015032:Zinc