In pigs the endogenously produced compound androstenone is metabolised in the liver in two steps by 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) and sulphotransferase 2A1 (SULT2A1). The present study investigated the effect of selected sex-steroids (0.01-1 μM androstenone, testosterone and estradiol), skatole (1-100 μM) and secondary plant metabolites (1-100 μM) on the expression of 3β-HSD and SULT2A1 mRNA. Additionally the effect of a global methanolic extract of dried chicory root was investigated and compared to previous obtained in vivo effects. Primary hepatocytes were isolated from the livers of piglets (crossbreed: Landrace×Yorkshire and Duroc) and cultured for 24h before treatment for an additionally 24h. RNA was isolated from the hepatocytes and specific gene expression determined by RT-PCR using TaqMan probes. The investigated sex-steroids had no effect on the mRNA expression of 3β-HSD and SULT2A1, while skatole decreased the content of SULT2A1 30% compared to control. Of the investigated secondary plant metabolites artemisinin and scoparone (found in Artemisia sp.) lowered the content of SULT2A1 by 20 and 30% compared to control, respectively. Moreover, we tested three secondary plant metabolites (lactucin, esculetin and esculin) found in chicory root. Lactucin increased the mRNA content of both 3β-HSD and SULT2A1 by 200% compared to control. An extract of chicory root was shown to decrease the expression of both 3β-HSD and SULT2A1. It is concluded that the gene expression of enzymes with importance for androstenone metabolism is regulated by secondary plant metabolites in a complex manner.
Keywords: 3β Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase; 3β-HSD; 4-(2-Hydroxyethyl)piperazine-1-ethanesulphonic acid; ANOVA; AhR; BSA; CAR; Ct; DHEA; DMSO; DPBS; Dulbecco's phosphate buffered saline; EGTA; FCS; GAPDH; Gene regulation; HEPES; PCR; PXR; Primary porcine hepatocytes; RT-PCR; SEM; SQL; SULT2A1; Secondary plant metabolites; Sex-steroids; WME; Williams E medium; XR; analysis of variance; aryl hydrocarbon receptor; bovine serum albumin; cDNA; complementary DNA; constitutive androstane receptor; dehydroepiandrosterone; dimethyl sulphoxide; ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid; foetal calf serum; glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase; mRNA; messenger RNA; pregnane X receptor; reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; sesquiterpene lactone; standard error of the mean; sulphotransferase 2A1; threshold cycle; xenobiotic receptor.
Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.