Pyridine induction of cytochrome P450IIE1: Evidence for enhanced protein synthesis

The dose-, and time-dependent induction of P450IIE1 in the rat by pyridine (PY) has been characterized. A single injection of PY (100 mg/kg, i.p.) increased as the levels of IIE1 2-, 3- and 4-fold at 6, 10 and 24 hr, respectively, relative to controls based on p-nitrophenol hydroxylase activity and Western blot analysis. Induction of IIE1 was dose-dependent over the range 10 to 200 mg/kg. Cycloheximide administration completely prevented the induction of IIE1 by PY, while actinomycin D failed to affect PY induction of IIE1. The rate of IIE1 synthesis was examined by labelling of proteins with [14C] leucine in vivo, followed by SDS-PAGE and autoradiographic analysis of isolated microsomes. Enhanced intensity of the IIE1 band was observed in microsomes isolated from rats treated with either PY or acetone relative to untreated rats. Slot and Northern blot analyses were employed to assess IIE1 mRNA levels in total RNA and poly(A+) mRNA isolated from livers of rats at 1, 5 and 12 hr following a single dose of PY. No increase in IIE1 mRNA in total RNA was monitored. A time-dependent decrease in IIE1 poly(A+) mRNA however, was observed with the maximal decrease occurring at ∼12 hr. These results suggest that induction of IIE1 by PY does not involve transcriptional activation but occurs by protein synthesis possibly through increased translational efficiency