Peroxisome proliferation in rodents and human: A model of cell organelle biogenesis

Toxicological evaluation of peroxisome proliferators. Further cellular and molecular aspects.

International audience

Transcriptional and post-transcriptional analysis of peroxisomal protein encoding genes from rat treated with an hypolipemic agent, ciprofibrate

The treatment of rats with ciprofibrate, a potent peroxisome proliferator, led to increased levels of the peroxisomal acyl-CoA oxidase (ACO) mRNA. How ciprofibrate functions to elevate ACO mRNA is not known. To help determine the mechanism of ciprofibrate action, in vitro transcription assays were performed. It was determined that ciprofibrate was responsible for a 3.5-fold stimulation of the rate of ACO transcription within 24 hr of ingestion. It was also observed that the transcription rate stimulation following a 2-week ciprofibrate treatment of Wistar rats was maintained following 4 weeks of ciprofibrate withdrawal. Re-introduction of the drug after the 4-week pause resulted in greater …

Expression of liver peroxisomal proteins as compared to other organelle marker enzymes in rats treated with hypolipidemic agents.

Abstract Peroxisome proliferation induced by 2 hypolipidemic agents (clofibrate and ciprofibrate) was studied in rats by complementary approaches, ie cell fractionation, electron microscopy, marker enzyme activities, immunoblotting and nucleic acid hybridization techniques. Administration of clofibrates for 2 and 52 weeks in doses of 500 ppm and 50 ppm respectively, or ciprofibrate for 2,28 and 52 weeks in doses of 250, 25 and 25 ppm respectively, did not alter the behavior of the peroxisomes after induction as shown by ultracentrifugation profiles. The peroxisome mass was increased as shown by the purification procedure. Specific enzymes (catalase and mostly cyanide insensitive palmitoyl C…

Delayed effects of ciprofibrate on rat liver peroxisomal properties and proto-oncogene expression.

Peroxisome proliferators (PPs) are non-genotoxic carcinogens in rodents. Their reversible effects on rat liver have been studied with ciprofibrate and fenofibrate. We found that with the hypolipemic drug fenofibrate a pause of 28 days is sufficient for a return to normal status, whereas with the highly potent PP ciprofibrate, the stimulation of ACO mRNA levels remains after its withdrawal. We investigated the effects of the renewal of the treatment with PPs on other peroxisomal parameters and proto-oncogene expression using Wistar rats. Interestingly, c-myc expression was enhanced even upon drug withdrawal, and was more stimulated by the second exposure to ciprofibrate, while c-fos expressi…

Peroxisomes and Hepatotoxicity

Peroxisomes are ubiquitous organelles of eukaryotic cells and are present in significant amounts in hepatic liver cells. Peroxisomal enzymes contribute to several metabolic pathways including fatty acid, purine and amino acid catabolism or bile acid synthesis. The peroxisomal oxidative reactions produce hydrogen peroxide, mostly degraded by catalase which prevents oxidative stress. Moreover, peroxisomes are involved in arylderivative drug detoxification through its epoxide hydrolase activity.

Molecular analysis of a human liver mitochondrial ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency.

The liver of a young girl which had been successfully transplanted was investigated at the ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC, EC 2.1.3.3) gene expression level. Northern blot hybridization using a human OTC cDNA probe showed a greater than 80% decrease in specific OTC mRNA although having the same molecular size as a normal control. OTC polypeptide was simultaneously synthesized with a normal molecular size but at a low level (20%) as shown by immunoblotting. The OTC enzyme from the deficient liver exhibited very little catalytic activity (7.2% as compared to the normal subject). These results may support several explanations of this disease such as mutation of the OTC gene promoter leading t…

The analysis of modified peroxisome proliferator responsive elements of the peroxisomal bifunctional enzyme in transfected HepG2 cells reveals two regulatory motifs

AbstractPeroxisome proliferators (PPs) are non-genotoxic carcinogens in rodents. They can induce the expression of numerous genes via the heterodimerization of two members of the steroid hormone receptor superfamily, called the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) and the 9-cis retinoic acid receptor (RXR). Many of the PP responsive genes possess a peroxisome proliferator response element (PPRE) formed by two TGACCT-related motifs. The bifunctional enzyme (HD) PPRE contains 3 such motifs, creating DR1 and DR2 sequences. PPAR and RXR regulate transcription via the DR1 element while DR2 modulates the expression of the gene via auxiliary factors in HepG2 cells.