Y. Yamamoto et al., Regulation of CYP26 (cytochrome P450RAI) mRNA expression and retinoic acidmetabolism by retinoids and dietary vitamin A in liver of mice and rats, FASEB J, 14(13), 2000, pp. 2119-2127
Retinoic acid (RA), through nuclear retinoid receptors, regulates the expre
ssion of numerous genes. However, little is known of the biochemical mechan
isms that regulate RA concentration in vivo. CYP26 (P450RAI), a novel cytoc
hrome P450, is expressed during embryonic development, induced by all-trans
RA, and capable of catalyzing the oxidation of [H-3]RA to polar retinoids
including 4-oxo-RA. Here we report that CYP26 expression in adult liver is
regulated by all-trans RA and dietary vitamin A, and is correlated with the
metabolism of all-trans RA to polar metabolites. In normal mouse and rat l
iver, CYP26 mRNA was barely detectable; however, after acute treatment with
all-trans RA CYP26 mRNA and RA metabolism by liver microsomes were signifi
cantly induced. Aqueous-soluble RA metabolites were detected, but their for
mation was not induced. The expression of retinoid receptors, RAR-gamma and
RXR-alpha, was not changed after RA treatment in vivo. In a model of chron
ic vitamin A ingestion during aging, CYP26 mRNA expression, determined by N
orthern blot and RT-PCR analysis, increased progressively with dietary vita
min A (P<0.0001; marginal < control < supplemented) and age (P<0.003). The
relative expression of CYP26 mRNA was positively correlated with liver tota
l retinol (log(10)), ranging from undetectable CYP26 expression at liver re
tinol concentrations below similar to 20 nmol/g to a three- to fourfold ele
vation at concentrations >10,000 nmol/g (r=0.90, P<0.0001). We conclude tha
t CYP26 expression and RA metabolism are regulated in adult liver not only
acutely by RA administration, as may be relevant to retinoid therapy but un
der chronic dietary conditions relevant to vitamin A nutrition in humans.