title: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha-independent downregulation of hepatic cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase gene in mice treated with lead nitrate.
abstract: We previously reported that lead nitrate (LN), an inducer of hepatic tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), downregulated gene expression of cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase. Herein, to clarify the role of TNF-alpha in LN-induced downregulation of cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase, effects of LN on gene expression of hepatic cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase (Cyp7a1) in TNF-alpha-knockout (KO) and TNF-alpha-wild-type (WT) mice were comparatively examined. Gene expression of hepatic Cyp7a1 in both WT and KO mice decreased to less than 5% of the corresponding controls at 6-12 h after treatment with LN (100 mumol/kg body weight, iv). Levels of hepatic TNF-alpha protein in either WT or KO mice were below the detection limit, although expression levels of the TNF-alpha gene markedly increased at 6 h in WT mice by LN treatment, but not in KO mice. In contrast, in both WT and KO mice, levels of hepatic IL-1beta protein, which is known to be a suppressor of the cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase gene in hamsters, were significantly increased 3-6 h after LN treatment. Furthermore, LN-induced downregulation of the Cyp7a1 gene did not necessarily result from altered gene expression of hepatic transcription factors, including positive regulators (liver X receptor alpha, retinoid X receptor alpha, fetoprotein transcription factor, and hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha) and a negative regulator small heterodimer partner responsible for expression of the Cyp7a1 gene. The present findings indicated that LN-induced downregulation of the Cyp7a1 gene in mice did not necessarily occur through a TNF-alpha-dependent pathway and might occur mainly through an IL-1beta-dependent pathway.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Gene Function, Department of Physiology and Gene Regulation, Institute of Insect and Animal Sciences, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Japan. misaki@affrc.go.jp
authors.forename: Misaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sekikawa
authors.forename: Kiyomitsu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nemoto
authors.forename: Masakuni
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Degawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002790:Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D004790:Enzyme Induction / Q000187:drug effects; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000633:toxicity*; D007854:Lead / Q000633:toxicity*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009566:Nitrates / Q000633:toxicity*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015386:Hazardous Substances; D009566:Nitrates; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007854:Lead; C017461:lead nitrate; D002790:Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase