title: Three conazoles increase hepatic microsomal retinoic acid metabolism and decrease mouse hepatic retinoic acid levels in vivo.
abstract: Conazoles are fungicides used in agriculture and as pharmaceuticals. In a previous toxicogenomic study of triazole-containing conazoles we found gene expression changes consistent with the alteration of the metabolism of all trans-retinoic acid (atRA), a vitamin A metabolite with cancer-preventative properties (Ward et al., Toxicol. Pathol. 2006; 34:863-78). The goals of this study were to examine effects of propiconazole, triadimefon, and myclobutanil, three triazole-containing conazoles, on the microsomal metabolism of atRA, the associated hepatic cytochrome P450 (P450) enzyme(s) involved in atRA metabolism, and their effects on hepatic atRA levels in vivo. The in vitro metabolism of atRA was quantitatively measured in liver microsomes from male CD-1 mice following four daily intraperitoneal injections of propiconazole (210 mg/kg/d), triadimefon (257 mg/kg/d) or myclobutanil (270 mg/kg/d). The formation of both 4-hydroxy-atRA and 4-oxo-atRA were significantly increased by all three conazoles. Propiconazole-induced microsomes possessed slightly greater metabolizing activities compared to myclobutanil-induced microsomes. Both propiconazole and triadimefon treatment induced greater formation of 4-hydroxy-atRA compared to myclobutanil treatment. Chemical and immuno-inhibition metabolism studies suggested that Cyp26a1, Cyp2b, and Cyp3a, but not Cyp1a1 proteins were involved in atRA metabolism. Cyp2b10/20 and Cyp3a11 genes were significantly over-expressed in the livers of both triadimefon- and propiconazole-treated mice while Cyp26a1, Cyp2c65 and Cyp1a2 genes were over-expressed in the livers of either triadimefon- or propiconazole-treated mice, and Cyp2b10/20 and Cyp3a13 genes were over-expressed in the livers of myclobutanil-treated mice. Western blot analyses indicated conazole induced-increases in Cyp2b and Cyp3a proteins. All three conazoles decreased hepatic atRA tissue levels ranging from 45-67%. The possible implications of these changes in hepatic atRA levels on cell proliferation in the mouse tumorigenesis process are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pei-Jen
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: William T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Padgett
authors.forename: Tanya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Witold
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Winnik
authors.forename: Guy R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: Sheau-Fung
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Thai
authors.forename: Susan D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Hester
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nesnow
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial / Q000633:toxicity*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009570:Nitriles / Q000633:toxicity; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism*; D014230:Triazoles / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D005659:Fungicides, Industrial; D009570:Nitriles; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014230:Triazoles; C045950:propiconazole; C032910:triadimefon; D014212:Tretinoin; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; C446685:systhane