Cytochrome P450 2A6 (CYP2A6) is an important metabolic enzyme and is involved in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its specific function and the mechanism of modulation remain to be elucidated. In this study, we found that CYP2A6 is dramatically downregulated in HCC. CYP2A6 expression is closely associated with pathological grading, histologic grade, hepatitis, vascular metastasis, liver inflammation, and worse prognosis. Reduced expression of CYP2A6 contributes to alternative activation of macrophage polarization and impairs macrophage maturation and phagocytosis. Mechanistically, CYP2A6 participates in arachidonic acid metabolism, initiates 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE) generation, and inhibits epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET) generation. Disruption of the equilibrium between 20-HETE and EETs can induce macrophage polarization, thereby modulating antitumor immunity.
Keywords: arachidonic acid; cytochrome P450; hepatocellular carcinoma; macrophage polarization; tanshinone IIA.
© 2021 The Authors. FEBS Open Bio published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Federation of European Biochemical Societies.