The atypical interaction of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α with liver X receptor α antagonizes the stimulatory effect of their respective ligands on the murine cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase gene promoter

Cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (cyp7a) mediates cholesterol elimination in the liver by catalyzing the first and rate-limiting step in the conversion of cholesterol into bile acids. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα; NR1C1) and liver X receptor α (LXRα; NR1H3) are two nuclear receptors that stimulate the murine Cyp7a1 gene. Here we report that co-expression of PPARα and LXRα in hepatoma cells abolishes the stimulation of Cyp7a1 gene promoter in response to their respective agonists. PPARα and LXRα form an atypical heterodimer that binds to two directly adjacent hexameric sequences localized within overlapping PPARα and LXRα response elements (termed Site I), antagonizing the interaction of PPARα:retinoid X receptor α (RXRα) or RXRα:LXRα with the Cyp7a1 gene promoter. Mutations within either hexameric sequences that specifically abolished LXRα:PPARα heterodimer binding to the murine Cyp7a1 Site I also relieved promoter inhibition. The LXRα:PPARα heterodimer may be important in coordinating the expression of genes that encode proteins involved in metabolism of fats and cholesterol.     

P450 gene induction by structurally diverse xenochemicals: central role of nuclear receptors CAR, PXR, and PPAR.

The biochemistry of foreign compound metabolism and the roles played by individual cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes in drug metabolism and in the toxification and detoxification of xenochemicals prevalent in the environment are important areas of molecular pharmacology and toxicology that have been widely studied over the past decade. Important advances in our understanding of the mechanisms through which foreign chemicals impact on these P450-dependent metabolic processes have been made during the past 2 years with several key discoveries relating to the mechanisms through which xenochemicals induce the expression of hepatic P450 enzymes. Roles for three "orphan" nuclear receptor superfamily members, designated CAR, PXR, and PPAR, in respectively mediating the induction of hepatic P450s belonging to families CYP2, CYP3, and CYP4 in response to the prototypical inducers phenobarbital (CAR), pregnenolone 16alpha-carbonitrile and rifampicin (PXR), and clofibric acid (PPAR) have now been established. Two other nuclear receptors, designated LXR and FXR, which are respectively activated by oxysterols and bile acids, also play a role in liver P450 expression, in this case regulation of P450 cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase, a key enzyme of bile acid biosynthesis. All five P450-regulatory nuclear receptors belong to the same nuclear receptor gene family (family NR1), share a common heterodimerization partner, retinoid X-receptor (RXR), and are subject to cross-talk interactions with other nuclear receptors and with a broad range of other intracellular signaling pathways, including those activated by certain cytokines and growth factors. Endogenous ligands of each of those nuclear receptors have been identified and physiological receptor functions are emerging, leading to the proposal that these receptors may primarily serve to modulate hepatic P450 activity in response to endogenous dietary or hormonal stimuli. Accordingly, P450 induction by xenobiotics may in some cases lead to a perturbation of endogenous regulatory circuits with associated pathophysiological consequences.     

孤儿受体与胆固醇及胆汁酸的代谢调节

30多年前,已经发现体内胆固醇及胆汁酸在转录水平受反馈激活或反馈抑制的调节,其机理不清楚。最近,随着孤儿受体LXR基因的克隆及其功能的研究,逐步认识到包括LXR在内的几种孤儿受体作为体内胆固醇及胆汁酸的感受器,在转录水平调节体内胆固醇及胆汁酸的代谢平衡。这4类孤儿受体在胆固醇及其代谢产物与自身代谢平衡之间建立了直接的联系。综述了4类孤儿受体的研究进展,特别是它们和胆固醇及胆汁酸代谢平衡的关系。     

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha induces hepatic expression of the human bile acid glucuronidating UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 2B4 enzyme

Glucuronidation, a major metabolic pathway for a large variety of endobiotics and xenobiotics, is catalyzed by enzymes belonging to the UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) family. Among UGT enzymes, UGT2B4 conjugates a large variety of endogenous and exogenous molecules and is considered to be the major bile acid conjugating UGT enzyme in human liver. In the present study, we identify UGT2B4 as a novel target gene of the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR alpha), which mediates the hypolipidemic action of fibrates. Incubation of human hepatocytes or hepatoblastoma HepG2 and Huh7 cells with synthetic PPAR alpha agonists, fenofibric acid, or Wy 14643 resulted in an increase of UGT2B4 mRNA levels. Furthermore, treatment of HepG2 cells with Wy 14643 induced the glucuronidation of hyodeoxycholic acid, a specific bile acid UGT2B4 substrate. Analysis of UGT2B mRNA and protein levels in PPAR alpha wild type and null mice revealed that PPAR alpha regulates both basal and fibrate-induced expression of these enzymes in rodents also. Finally, a PPAR response element was identified in the UGT2B4 promoter by site-directed mutagenesis and electromobility shift assays. These results demonstrate that PPAR alpha agonists may control the catabolism of cytotoxic bile acids and reinforce recent data indicating that PPAR alpha, which has been largely implicated in the control of lipid and cholesterol metabolism, is also an important modulator of the metabolism of endobiotics and xenobiotics in human hepatocytes.     

FXRE can function as an LXRE in the promoter of human ileal bile acid-binding protein (I-BABP) gene

Ileal bile acid-binding protein (I-BABP) is a 14 kDa cytosolic protein which binds bile acids with a high affinity. It is thought to be implicated in the enterohepatic circulation of bile acids and, hence, in cholesterol homeostasis. Using a combination of in vivo and in vitro experiments, we have recently shown that I-BABP gene expression can be indirectly up-regulated by cholesterol through the activation of sterol-responsive element-binding protein 1c (SREBP1c) by liver X-receptor (LXR). We report here that I-BABP can be also a direct target for LXR. I-BABP regulation by LXR is maintained when the SREBP binding site is deleted in the I-BABP promoter and occurs, in the absence of conventional LXRE sequences, through an IR1 sequence previously identified as a farnesoid X-receptor-responsive element (FXRE). Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated that the LXR/RXR heterodimer specifically recognizes the FXRE. Collectively, these data strongly suggest that LXR can regulate the I-BABP gene by both direct and indirect mechanisms.     

Metabolomics reveals an essential role for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α in bile acid homeostasis

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) is a nuclear receptor that regulates fatty acid transport and metabolism. Previous studies revealed that PPARα can affect bile acid metabolism; however, the mechanism by which PPARα regulates bile acid homeostasis is not understood. In this study, an ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization qua dru pole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-QTOFMS)-based metabolomics approach was used to profile metabolites in urine, serum, and bile of wild-type and Ppara-null mice following cholic acid (CA) dietary challenge. Metabolomic analysis showed that the levels of several serum bile acids, such as CA (25-fold) and taurocholic acid (16-fold), were significantly increased in CA-treated Ppara-null mice compared with CA-treated wild-type mice. Phospholipid homeostasis, as revealed by decreased serum lysophos phati dylcholine (LPC) 16:0 (1.6-fold) and LPC 18:0 (1.6-fold), and corticosterone metabolism noted by increased urinary excretion of 11β-hydroxy-3,20-dioxopregn-4-en-21-oic acid (20-fold) and 11β,20α-dihydroxy-3-oxo-pregn-4-en-21-oic acid (3.6-fold), were disrupted in CA-treated Ppara-null mice. The hepatic levels of mRNA encoding transporters Abcb11, Abcb4, Abca1, Abcg5, and Abcg8 were diminished in Ppara-null mice, leading to the accumulation of bile acids in the liver during the CA challenge. These observations revealed that PPARα is an essential regulator of bile acid biosynthesis, transport, and secretion.     

A model of in vitro UDP-glucuronosyltransferase inhibition by bile acids predicts possible metabolic disorders

Increased levels of bile acids (BAs) due to the various hepatic diseases could interfere with the metabolism of xenobiotics, such as drugs, and endobiotics including steroid hormones. UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) are involved in the conjugation and elimination of many xenobiotics and endogenous compounds. The present study sought to investigate the potential for inhibition of UGT enzymes by BAs. The results showed that taurolithocholic acid (TLCA) exhibited the strongest inhibition toward UGTs, followed by lithocholic acid. Structure-UGT inhibition relationships of BAs were examined and in vitro-in vivo extrapolation performed by using in vitro inhibition kinetic parameters (K_i) in combination with calculated in vivo levels of TLCA. Substitution of a hydrogen with a hydroxyl group in the R1, R3, R4, R5 sites of BAs significantly weakens their inhibition ability toward most UGTs. The in vivo inhibition by TLCA toward UGT forms was determined with following orders of potency: UGT1A4 > UGT2B7 > UGT1A3 > UGT1A1 ∼ UGT1A7 ∼ UGT1A10 ∼ UGT2B15. In conclusion, these studies suggest that disrupted homeostasis of BAs, notably taurolithocholic acid, found in various diseases such as cholestasis, could lead to altered metabolism of xenobiotics and endobiotics through inhibition of UGT enzymes.     

BAREing it all: the adoption of LXR and FXR and their roles in lipid homeostasis.

During the last three years there have been a plethora of publications on the liver X-activated receptors (LXRalpha, NR1H3, and LXRbeta, NR1H2), the farnesoid X-activated receptor (FXR, NR1H4), and the pregnane X receptor (PXR, NR1I2) and the role these nuclear receptors play in controlling cholesterol, bile acid, lipoprotein and drug metabolism. The current interest in these nuclear receptors is high, in part, because they appear to be promising therapeutic targets for new drugs that have the potential to control lipid homeostasis.In this review we emphasize i) the role of LXR in controlling many aspects of cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism, ii) the expanded role of FXR in regulating genes that control not only bile acid metabolism but also lipoprotein metabolism, and iii) the regulation of bile acid transport/metabolism in response to bile acid-activated PXR.     

Genome-wide profiling of liver X receptor, retinoid X receptor, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α in mouse liver reveals extensive sharing of binding sites

The liver X receptors (LXRs) are nuclear receptors that form permissive heterodimers with retinoid X receptor (RXR) and are important regulators of lipid metabolism in the liver. We have recently shown that RXR agonist-induced hypertriglyceridemia and hepatic steatosis in mice are dependent on LXRs and correlate with an LXR-dependent hepatic induction of lipogenic genes. To further investigate the roles of RXR and LXR in the regulation of hepatic gene expression, we have mapped the ligand-regulated genome-wide binding of these factors in mouse liver. We find that the RXR agonist bexarotene primarily increases the genomic binding of RXR, whereas the LXR agonist T0901317 greatly increases both LXR and RXR binding. Functional annotation of putative direct LXR target genes revealed a significant association with classical LXR-regulated pathways as well as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathways, and subsequent chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-seq) mapping of PPARα binding demonstrated binding of PPARα to 71 to 88% of the identified LXR-RXR binding sites. The combination of sequence analysis of shared binding regions and sequential ChIP on selected sites indicate that LXR-RXR and PPARα-RXR bind to degenerate response elements in a mutually exclusive manner. Together, our findings suggest extensive and unexpected cross talk between hepatic LXR and PPARα at the level of binding to shared genomic sites.     

Oxysterols, cholesterol homeostasis, and Alzheimer disease

Aberrant cholesterol metabolism has been implicated in Alzheimer disease (AD) and other neurological disorders. Oxysterols and other cholesterol oxidation products are effective ligands of liver X activated receptor (LXR) nuclear receptors, major regulators of genes subserving cholesterol homeostasis. LXR receptors act as molecular sensors of cellular cholesterol concentrations and effectors of tissue cholesterol reduction. Following their interaction with oxysterols, activation of LXRs induces the expression of ATP-binding cassette, sub-family A member 1, a pivotal modulator of cholesterol efflux. The relative solubility of oxysterols facilitates lipid flux among brain compartments and egress across the blood-brain barrier. Oxysterol-mediated LXR activation induces local apoE biosynthesis (predominantly in astrocytes) further enhancing cholesterol re-distribution and removal. Activated LXRs invoke additional neuroprotective mechanisms, including induction of genes governing bile acid synthesis (sterol elimination pathway), apolipoprotein elaboration, and amyloid precursor protein processing. The latter translates into attenuated beta-amyloid production that may ameliorate amyloidogenic neurotoxicity in AD brain. Stress-induced up-regulation of the heme-degrading enzyme, heme oxygenase-1 in AD-affected astroglia may impact central lipid homeostasis by promoting the oxidation of cholesterol to a host of oxysterol intermediates. Synthetic oxysterol-mimetic drugs that activate LXR receptors within the CNS may provide novel therapeutics for management of AD and other neurological afflictions characterized by deranged tissue cholesterol homeostasis.