Estrogenic potency, receptor interactions, and metabolism of catechol estrogens in the immature rat uterus in vitro.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Animals↗
SEARCH · PubMed Health
Results for “Estrogens, Catechol”
Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Phenolphthalein metabolite inhibits catechol-O-methyltransferase-mediated metabolism of catechol estrogens: a possible mechanism for carcinogenicity.
Phenolphthalein (PT), used in over-the-counter laxatives, has recently been identified as a multisite carcinogen in rodents, but the molecular species responsible for the carcinogenicity is not known. A catechol metabolite of PT, hydroxyphenolphthalein (PT-CAT), was recently identified and may be the molecular species responsible for at least part of the toxicity/carcinogenicity of PT. We hypothesize that PT-CAT inhibits the enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and therefore potentiates genotoxicity by either PT-CAT itself or the endogenous catechol estrogens (CEs) in susceptible tissues. The present studies were conducted to determine the effects of PT treatment and PT-CAT itself on the COMT-mediated metabolism of 4- and 2-hydroxyestradiol both in vitro and in vivo. Female mice were treated with PT (50 mg/kg/d) for 21 days and then euthanized. PT-CAT concentration in urine reached plateau levels by 7 days of exposure. An O-methylated metabolite of PT-CAT was detected in feces. In vitro experiments demonstrated that PT treatment resulted in an increase in free CEs, which are normally cleared by COMT and a concurrent decrease in the capacity of hepatic catechol clearance by COMT. In vitro, PT-CAT was a substrate of COMT, with kinetic properties within the range measured with endogenous substrates. PT-CAT was an extremely potent mixed-type inhibitor of the O-methylation of the catechol estrogens, with 90-300 nM IC50s. The above data, when taken together, suggest that chronic administration of PT may enhance metabolic redox cycling of both PT-CAT and the catechol estrogens and this, in turn, may contribute to PT-induced tumorigenesis.
Animals↗
Fluoroenzymatic cycling assay (FECA) for the determination of catechol estrogen monomethyl ethers in human urine.
In the present study a method is described for the quantitative determination of the methylated metabolites of catechol estrogens in human urine. Following initial enzymatic hydrolysis the urine samples are extracted with ethyl acetate. The monomethyl ethers of catechol estrogens are then selectively fractionated with straight phase chromatography on Lipidex-5000 gel. Finally, samples are quantitated using enzymatic cycling with 17 beta-estradiol dehydrogenase combined with fluorometry. The method is sensitive, reproducible and reasonably rapid for routine analysis and avoids the hazards of radioisotopes. Preliminary values of normal males and non-pregnant females are presented.
Chromatography↗
Influences of estradiol and of catechol and non-catechol estrogens on the output of prostaglandins in uteri from spayed rats.
The effects of 17-beta estradiol and of some catechol and non-catechol-estrogens on the synthesis and output of prostaglandins (PGs) E and F by uteri from ovariectomized rats, were explored. Uteri from castrated animals released twice as much PGE than PGF. When uterine tissue was obtained from spayed rats injected prior to sacrifice with a low dose of 17-beta estradiol (0.5 + 1.0 microgram, on two consecutive days), the output of PGE diminished significantly. With a higher dose of the hormone (0.5 + 50.0 micrograms) the depressive influence on the synthesis and release of PGE was even more marked, whereas the output of PGF rose significantly. Low or high doses of estrone or of estriol failed to affect the release of either one of the PGs determined. On the other hand, 2-0H-estradiol at a low dose had no action but at a higher one inhibited the release of PGE without influencing PGF. Neither low nor high doses of 2-0H estriol or of 2-0H estrone affected the synthesis and release of uterine PGs. It was also observed that all the compounds tested evoked a significant uterotrophic action. It appears plausible that some catechol metabolites of 17-beta estradiol, but not other catechol-estrogens, could be involved in the mechanism of action of 17-beta estradiol modulating the production of PGs by the rat uterus.
Animals↗
Influence of indole-3-carbinol on the hepatic microsomal formation of catechol estrogens.
The oral administration of indole-3-carbinol (IC), present in cabbage and other members of the Cruciferae family, to female rats almost doubled their ability to convert estradiol to catechol estrogens in the liver. This was determined by the release of 3H from C-2 of the estrogen and also by isolation of the 14C-labeled catechol derivative after incubation with hepatic microsomal fractions. The yield of 4-hydroxyestradiol was also elevated and these effects were similar to those produced by 3-methylcholanthrene (MC), a well-characterized cytochrome P450 inducer. Further evidence for the involvement of a mixed-function oxidase was provided by a 70% to 80% decrease in the yield of 3H2O and water-soluble radioactivity by SKF-525A (0.1 mM) when added to the microsomal fractions isolated from the livers of control or IC-treated rats. In addition, NADPH could not be replaced by NADH in these experiments. Pretreatment with ethionine prevented the increase in estradiol metabolism brought about by oral administration of IC. Both IC and MC inhibited catechol estrogen formation when added directly to the liver microsomal system, confirming earlier findings that in vivo inducers can act as in vitro inhibitors. However, IC was less inhibitory than MC, supporting the theory that IC is converted to a more active product in the stomach. Thus, IC may be conferring protection against estrogen-dependent neoplasia by increasing the hepatic oxidation of estradiol, thereby lowering the amount of available active estrogen.
Animals↗
Differential effect of Cu2+ and Zn2+ on the formation and further metabolism of catechol estrogen by rat liver microsomes.
The action of a number of different divalent metal ions on the rat liver microsomal release of 3H2O from estradiol and 2-hydroxyestradiol labeled with 3H at C-2 or C-4 was investigated. Cu2+ at low concentration (10 microM) produced a marked and specific inhibition of the 2-hydroxylation of estradiol with virtually no effect on the further oxidative activation of catechol estrogen. In contrast, Zn2+ inhibited the interaction of 2-hydroxyestradiol with microsomal protein as measured by the release of 3H from C-4 of the labeled steroids but did not influence 2-hydroxylation, except at high concentration. Other metal ions tested produced little or no change. Cu2+ inhibited the irreversible binding of estradiol to protein but activated this reaction with the catechol estrogen as substrate. The action of both Cu2+ and Zn2+ was reversed by glutathione. The differential effect of these metal ions on estrogen metabolism gives additional support for two different mechanisms in the cytochrome P-450-catalyzed formation of catechol estrogens and their further activation to form protein conjugates.
Animals↗
Inhibition of cellular enzymes by equine catechol estrogens in human breast cancer cells: specificity for glutathione S-transferase P1-1.
Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are a family of detoxification isozymes that protect cells by conjugating GSH to a variety of toxic compounds, and they may also play a role in the regulation of both cellular proliferation and apoptosis. We have previously shown that human GST P1-1, which is the most widely distributed extrahepatic isozyme, could be inactivated by the catechol estrogen metabolite 4-hydroxyequilenin (4-OHEN) in vitro [Chang, M., Shin, Y. G., van Breemen, R. B., Blond, S. Y., and Bolton, J. L. (2001) Biochemistry 40, 4811-4820]. In the present study, we found that 4-OHEN and another catechol estrogen, 4,17beta-hydroxyequilenin (4,17beta-OHEN), significantly decreased GSH levels and the activity of GST within minutes in both estrogen receptor (ER) negative (MDA-MB-231) and ER positive (S30) human breast cancer cells. In addition, 4-OHEN caused significant decreases in GST activity in nontransformed human breast epithelial cells (MCF-10A) but not in the human hepatoma HepG2 cells, which lack GST P1-1. We also showed that GSH partially protected the inactivation of GST P1-1 by 4-OHEN in vitro, and depletion of cellular GSH enhanced the 4-OHEN-induced inhibition of GST activity. In addition, 4-OHEN GSH conjugates contributed about 27% of the inactivation of GST P1-1 by 4-OEHN in vitro. Our in vitro kinetic inhibition experiments with 4-OHEN showed that GST P1-1 had a lower K(i) value (20.8 microM) compared to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH, 52.4 microM), P450 reductase (PR, 77.4 microM), pyruvate kinase (PK, 159 microM), glutathione reductase (GR, 230 microM), superoxide dismutase (SOD, 448 microM), catalase (562 microM), GST M1-1 (620 microM), thioredoxin reductase (TR, 694 microM), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX, 1410 microM). In contrast to the significant inhibition of total GST activity in these human breast cancer cells, 4-OHEN only slightly inhibited the cellular GAPDH activity, and other cellular enzymes including PR, PK, GR, SOD, catalase, TR, and GPX were resistant to 4-OHEN-induced inhibition. These data suggest that GST P1-1 may be a preferred protein target for equine catechol estrogens in vivo.
Animals↗
Covalent binding of catechol estrogens to glutathione catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase, lactoperoxidase, or rat liver microsomes.
Oxidation of catechol estrogens (CE) leads to the reactive electrophilic CE quinones. Reaction of CE-3,4-quinones with DNA has been implicated in tumor initiation. One pathway to prevent this reaction is conjugation of CE quinones with glutathione (GSH). Four CE, 4-hydroxy estrone (4-OHE1), 4-hydroxyestradiol (4-OHE2), 2-OHE1, and 2-OHE2, were conjugated with GSH after oxidation catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase (HRP), lactoperoxidase (LP), or rat liver microsomal cytochrome P450. This reaction is a free-radical chain autoxidation that produces very high yields of products. Six mono-GSH conjugates, 4-OHE1(E2)-2-SG, 2-OHE1(E2)-1-SG, and 2-OHE1(E2)-4-SG, and four di-GSH conjugates, 4-OHE1(E2)-1,2-bisSG and 2-OHE1(E2)-1,4-bisSG, were identified and quantified. These di-GSH conjugates were also obtained quantitatively from oxidation of mono-GSH conjugates by the same enzymes. HRP and LP gave very similar product profiles. Phenobarbital- and 3-methylcholanthrene-induced microsomes with either NADPH or cumene hydroperoxide as cofactor oxidized 4-OHE2 to form similar amounts of GSH conjugates. Enzymatic oxidation of 2-OHE1(E2) in the presence of GSH produced more 2-OHE1(E2)-4-SG than the 1-isomer. This contrasts with the direct reaction of E1(E2)-2,3-Q and GSH, in which the 1-isomer is formed more abundantly than the 4-isomer (Cao, K., Devanesan, P. D., Ramanathan, R., Gross, M. L., Rogan, E. G., and Cavalieri, E. L. (1998) Chem. Res. Toxicol. 11, 909-916). Competitive enzymatic oxidation of equimolar 4-OHE2 and 2-OHE2 in the presence of an equimolar amount of GSH yielded more 2-OHE2 conjugates than 4-OHE2 conjugates, despite E2-3,4-Q being more reactive with GSH than E2-2,3-Q. These results suggest that 2-OHE2 is a better substrate than 4-OHE2 in the catalytic oxidation to quinones, despite the greater reactivity of E2-3,4-Q, compared to E2-2,3-Q, with GSH.
Animals↗
Role of catechol estrogens in activation of lordosis in female rats and guinea pigs.
In a variety of experiments, we tested the effectiveness of the 2-hydroxylated estrogen in facilitating sexual receptivity. A single injection of 2-hydroxy-estradiol-17beta (2-OHE2) to ovariectomized rats or 2-hydroxy-estrone (2-OHE1) to ovariectomized guinea pigs was ineffective in priming animals for facilitation of sexual receptivity even when a subsequent injection of progesterone was administered. The only facilitatory effect of catechol estrogens on lordosis that was demonstrated in this study occurred when 2-OHE2 was injected in combination with E2 and a subsequent injection of progesterone was given to rats. These results suggest a cooperatively between catechol estrogen and E2, but they also indicate that catechol estrogens, by themselves, do not play a crucial role in mediating sexual receptivity in rodents.
Animals↗
Studies on steroids. CLXV. Determination of isomeric catechol estrogens in pregnancy urine by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.
A method for the determination of 2- and 4- hydroxylated estrone and estradiol in pregnancy urine by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD) is described. The urine catechol estrogens were deconjugated, purified by adsorption on alumina, and subjected to HPLC-ECD. Two pairs of isomeric catechol estrogens were distinctly separated on a microBondapak c18 column with acetonitrile-0.5% ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (pH 3.0). The amounts of these four compounds were satisfactorily determined with a quantitation limit of 1 ng using 4-hydroxy-16 oxoestradiol 17 acetate as an internal standard. The validity of the present methods for the determination of urine catechol estrogens was verified by the recovery test.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
Pattern and tissue distribution of catechol estrogen forming activity by pig conceptuses during the peri-implantation period.
The profile of catechol estrogen formation by pig conceptuses from d 14 to 20 of pregnancy (d 0 = 1st d of estrus) was studied using a direct product isolation assay for estrogen-2/4-hydroxylase (E-2/4-H). High performance liquid chromatography was coupled to detection of radioactive products in a flowing system to separate the 2- and 4-hydroxyestradiol (2- and 4-OH-E2) formed from estradiol. The major product was 2-OH-E2; its formation increased with increasing amounts of nicotinamide cofactors and exhibited a preference for NADPH. Maximum velocities were 909 and 154 pmol.mg protein-1.30 min-1, and apparent Michaelis constants were 7.14 and 5.12 microns, for 2- and 4-OH-E2 formation, respectively. Homogenates of d-13 conceptuses produced 1,151 +/- 142 pmol.mg protein-1.30 min-1 of 2-OH-E2. Estradiol-2-hydroxylase was affected (P less than .01) by day of pregnancy, and day effects from d 14 to 20 were described by a fourth-order equation (P less than .001). Conceptuses collected on d 14 produced 119 +/- 15.4 pmol of 2-OH-E2.mg protein-1.30 min-1. By d 15, E-2-activity had declined to 15.7 +/- 1.8 pmol.mg protein-1.30 min-1. Formation of 2-OH-E2 increased to 64.2 +/- 15.4 pmol.mg protein-1.30 min-1 on d 17, remained stable through d 19, and was 39.4 +/- 13.8 pmol.mg protein-1. 30 min-1 on d 20. Therefore, E-2/4-H activity appears to be regulated from d 14 to 20 of pregnancy in pigs; it may participate in the establishment of pregnancy.
Animals↗
Catechol estrogen formation by brain tissue: characterization of a direct product isolation assay for estrogen-2- and 4-hydroxylase activity and its application to studies of 2- and 4-hydroxyestradiol formation by rabbit hypothalamus.
A direct product isolation assay for quantifying the formation of 2- and 4-hydroxyestradiol (2-OHE2 and 4-OHE2) from [6,7-3H]estradiol by rabbit hypothalami in vitro was developed, and the assay was used to characterize some properties of estrogen-2- and 4-hydroxylase activity in this tissue. The reaction was carried out under conditions that minimized further metabolism of enzymatically formed catechol estrogens. A simple two-step separation procedure, involving the use of a neutral alumina column, followed by thin layer chromatography, was developed to isolate the enzymatically formed catechol estrogens in a radiochemically homogeneous form. The detergent, Tween-80, was found to activate the enzyme and was used routinely at a concentration of 0.1% in the assay. The formation of 2-OHE2 was linear up to 10 min and with increasing protein concentrations up to 150 micrograms/incubation. Similar values were obtained for 4-OHE2. Maximum velocities (Vmax) for the formation of 2- and 4-OHE2 were 190 and 270 pmol/mg protein . 10 min, respectively. The apparent Km values with respect to estradiol for 2-OHE2 and 4-OHE2 were 125 and 150 microM, respectively. The highest specific activity for the enzyme was present in the 100,000 X g supernatant (S3), while the activity in the microsomal fraction (P3) was less than that in the original homogenate. Enzyme activity depended on the presence of NADPH and oxygen and was inhibited by CO as well as by high concentrations of SKF-525A. Estrogen-2- and 4-hydroxylase activity in rabbit hypothalamus differed from that in rat liver in two respects. In the liver, enzyme activity was localized in the microsomal fraction and was virtually abolished by Tween-80. In contrast, enzyme activity in rabbit hypothalamus was maximal in the soluble fraction (100,000 X g supernatant)and was stimulated by the detergent.
Animals↗
HPLC-ECD procedure for the measurement of O-methylation of catechol estrogens by vascular tissue.
A precolumn extraction procedure combined with high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD) has been developed for the identification and quantitation of catechol estrogens, their immediate precursors (estrogens), and their 0-methylated metabolites. These compounds were isolated from Krebs solutions and from perchloric acid tissue extracts or whole tissues by simple solvent extraction prior to quantitation. The optimal conditions for detection by HPLC-ECD were those employing a radial compression module, a C18 Bondapak cartridge, and an isocratic mobile phase of ammonium phosphate (pH 3.0) combined with 30-70% acetonitrile. A biological application of this procedure includes the investigation of the 0-methylation of catechol estrogens by vascular tissue. In the present study, the 0-methylation of 2-hydroxyestradiol by rabbit aorta has been examined. The 0-methylation in segments of thoracic aorta was significantly less than that in abdominal aortic segments, but was reproducible along the length of the thoracic aorta.
Animals↗
17 beta-Estradiol metabolism by hamster hepatic microsomes. Implications for the catechol-O-methyl transferase-mediated detoxication of catechol estrogens.
We have shown that the metabolism of 17 beta-estradiol in hamster liver microsomes is concentration-dependent. At low (< 25 microM) concentrations of 17 beta-estriol, 16 alpha-hydroxylase activity predominated, and estriol was the major metabolite. At higher concentrations (25-75 microM), 16 alpha-hydroxylation and aromatic hydroxylation at C2 contributed equally to 17 beta-estradiol metabolism. Aromatic C4-hydroxylation was maximal at 75 microM of 17 beta-estradiol and was always less than C2-hydroxylation. Dehydrogenation of the 17 beta-hydroxyl group to the ketone (estrone) was also observed, but both estrone and 2-hydroxyestrone were minor (approximately 3%) metabolites of 17 beta-estradiol, only detectable at concentrations of 50 microM and above. Catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) effectively converted both 2- and 4-hydroxyl-17 beta-estradiol to their corresponding monomethoxy metabolites. Effective reducing conditions are required for COMT activity, because catechol estrogens are readily oxidized to their corresponding ortho-quinones, and ascorbic acid is routinely added to assays of COMT activity. Interestingly, although ascorbic acid (1 mM) increased the recovery of 2- and 4-hydroxy-17 beta-estradiol from microsomal incubations, it decreased the recovery of the methoxy metabolites (approximately 40%). Since the enediol function of ascorbate resembles that of a catechol group, ascorbate is a substrate for COMT and probably competes with the catechol estrogens for methylation. Because previous studies describing the ability of COMT to inhibit the covalent binding of electrophilic reactive metabolites of [4-(14)C]17 beta-estradiol to microsomal protein were performed in the presence of high (100 mM) Mg2+ concentrations, we also investigated the effects of Mg2+ on 17 beta-estradiol metabolism. Concentrations of Mg2+ > 10 mM inhibited the metabolism of 17 beta-estradiol, as evidenced by i) the increased recovery of substrate; ii) a decrease in the formation of estriol, estrone, and 2-, and 4-hydroxy-17 beta-estradiol; iii) a decrease in the recovery of water-soluble metabolites when incubations were performed in the presence of glutathione (GSH) to trap the reactive electrophilic metabolites; and iv) a decrease in the amount of reactive electrophilic metabolites bound to microsomal protein. GSH also decreased the covalent binding of electrophilic metabolites of [4-(14)C]17 beta-estradiol to microsomal protein, with the concomitant formation of water-soluble metabolites. Thus, both COMT and GSH combine to limit the formation of electrophilic metabolites from 17 beta-estradiol. The relative importance of each of these pathways to the disposition of the catechol estrogens remains to be determined.
Animals↗
Molecular origin of cancer: catechol estrogen-3,4-quinones as endogenous tumor initiators.
Cancer is a disease that begins with mutation of critical genes: oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Our research on carcinogenic aromatic hydrocarbons indicates that depurinating hydrocarbon-DNA adducts generate oncogenic mutations found in mouse skin papillomas (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92:10422, 1995). These mutations arise by mis-replication of unrepaired apurinic sites derived from the loss of depurinating adducts. This relationship led us to postulate that oxidation of the carcinogenic 4-hydroxy catechol estrogens (CE) of estrone (E1) and estradiol (E2) to catechol estrogen-3,4-quinones (CE-3, 4-Q) results in electrophilic intermediates that covalently bind to DNA to form depurinating adducts. The resultant apurinic sites in critical genes can generate mutations that may initiate various human cancers. The noncarcinogenic 2-hydroxy CE are oxidized to CE-2,3-Q and form only stable DNA adducts. As reported here, the CE-3,4-Q were bound to DNA in vitro to form the depurinating adduct 4-OHE1(E2)-1(alpha,beta)-N7Gua at 59-213 micromol/mol DNA-phosphate whereas the level of stable adducts was 0.1 micromol/mol DNA-phosphate. In female Sprague-Dawley rats treated by intramammillary injection of E2-3,4-Q (200 nmol) at four mammary glands, the mammary tissue contained 2.3 micromol 4-OHE2-1(alpha, beta)-N7Gua/molDNA-phosphate. When 4-OHE1(E2) were activated by horseradish peroxidase, lactoperoxidase, or cytochrome P450, 87-440 micromol of 4-OHE1(E2)-1(alpha, beta)-N7Gua was formed. After treatment with 4-OHE2, rat mammary tissue contained 1.4 micromol of adduct/mol DNA-phosphate. In each case, the level of stable adducts was negligible. These results, complemented by other data, strongly support the hypothesis that CE-3,4-Q are endogenous tumor initiators.
Animals↗
Normal and recombinant human growth hormone administered by constant infusion feminize catechol estrogen formation by rat liver microsomes.
Human GH or recombinant DNA-derived human GH administered to normal mature male rats by constant infusion decreased hepatic 2-hydroxylation of estradiol to female levels, as measured by 3H2O release and isolation of the catechol estrogen product. PRL had no effect under the same conditions. The maximum response to GH was attained at an infusion rate of 0.02 IU/h . kg after 5-7 days, and a significant change was observed within 1-2 days. The effect of GH was primarily on hydroxylation of C-2 of the estrogen, as demonstrated by comparative studies with estradiol labeled with 3H at C-4 or C-6,7, and appeared to be mediated by the cytochrome P-450 system of the liver microsomes. Ascorbic acid at 1 mM did not affect 2-hydroxylation significantly while protecting the catechol estrogen produced from further oxidation. The results indicate that GH has the potential to regulate estrogen metabolism in the liver and provide evidence for another component in the hypothalamic-pituitary-liver axis.
Animals↗
Temporal and other effects of catechol estrogens on prolactin secretion in the rat.
Temporal alterations in plasma prolactin levels caused by the administration of 2-hydroxyestradiol and 2-hydroxyestrone (100 microgram/kg) into the right atrium of freely-moving conscious male rats were examined. The catechol estrogens were given in a single bolus via an indwelling cannula and plasma prolactin concentration was monitored by taking blood samples every 2 min. A pulsatile elevation of plasma prolactin occurred approximately 4 h after the injection of 2-hydroxyestradiol and a small increase was also observed when it was administered to rats bearing a Silastic capsule containing estradiol. 2-Hydroxyestrone had no effect in untreated male rats but produced a 5- to 6-fold elevation in plasma prolactin level 4 h after its administration to rats implanted with estradiol. It is proposed that 2-hydroxyestrone suppresses the action of estradiol on prolactin secretion from the pituitary and that the accumulated hormone is released when the concentration of this catechol estrogen falls below a critical level. A longer latent period was required to produce an elevation in plasma prolactin levels by 2-hydroxyestradiol than by estradiol.
Animals↗
Response of serum prolactin to catechol estrogen in the immature rat.
The response of serum prolactin to the catechol estrogens, 2-hydroxyestrone (2-OH E1) and 2-hydroxyestradiol (2-OH E2) and their primary estrogens, estrone (E1) and estradiol (E2), was studied in 35-day-old male rats. The subcutaneous administration of 50 microgram of 2-OH E1 or 2-OH E2 significantly suppressed serum prolactin concentrations, but they were not significantly altered by the administration of 50 microgram of E1 or E2.
Animals↗