Jörg Wagner

Soy isoflavones decrease the catechol-O-methyltransferase-mediated inactivation of 4-hydroxyestradiol in cultured MCF-7 cells

The tissue concentrations of the female sex hormone 17beta-estradiol (E2) and its reactive catechol metabolites such as 4-hydroxyestradiol (4-HO-E2) play important roles in hormonal carcinogenesis. They are influenced by the activity of local enzymes involved in the metabolic activation and inactivation of E2. In the mammary gland, catechol estrogens are predominately inactivated by catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). Food supplements containing the soy isoflavones genistein and daidzein are consumed because they are believed to protect from breast cancer; however, this proposed benefit is controversial. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of soy isoflavones on the gene expression and activity of COMT in cultured human mammary adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells. Levels of COMT messenger RNA (mRNA) were determined by reverse transcription/competitive polymerase chain reaction and COMT activity was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of the methylation products of both the model substrate quercetin and the physiological relevant substrate 4-HO-E2. Our study demonstrates for the first time that soy isoflavones at hormonally active concentrations cause a significant reduction of both COMT mRNA levels and COMT activity as well as of the methylation of 4-HO-E2. Experiments using the estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist ICI 182,780 support a role of the ER in the isoflavone-induced down-regulation of COMT expression. Thus, this study not only demonstrates that hormonally active concentrations of soy isoflavones inhibit the detoxification of catechols in this human breast cancer cell line but also implies that diet might influence COMT activity to a greater extent than heretofore recognized.

Phytoestrogens Modulate the Expression of 17α-Estradiol Metabolizing Enzymes in Cultured MCF-7 Cells

The activation of 17beta-estradiol (E2) to 2-hydroxyestradiol (2-HO-E2), the more genotoxic 4-hydroxyestradiol (4-HO-E2), and the oxidation to the respective quinones constitutes a risk factor in hormonal carcinogenesis. 2-HO-E2 is formed by cytochrome P450 CYP1A1, and 4-HO-E2 is formed by CYP1B1. Both are detoxified by catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), whereas their quinones are inactivated by NADPH-quinone-oxidoreductase (QR). Since the soy isoflavones genistein (GEN) and daidzein (DAI) are widely consumed due to their putative protective function in breast carcinogenesis, we examined the influence of E2, GEN, and DAI on CYP1A1/1B1, COMT, and QR expression in MCF-7 cells by reverse transcription/competitive PCR. CYP1A1 and COMT enzyme activity were determined using ethoxyresorufin and quercetin as substrates. Furthermore, estrogen receptor (ER)-regulated cell proliferation was determined by E-screen. E2, GEN, and DAI inhibited the expression of CYP1A1, COMT, and QR. The maximum effect (reduction by 40-80%, depending on the gene product and compound) was obtained at 100 pM E2, 1 microM GEN, and 10 microM DAI, which also induced the most pronounced cell proliferation in the E-screen. In contrast, expression of CYP1B1 was only slightly affected. CYP1A1 and COMT mRNA levels correlated with enzyme activities. The ER antagonist ICI 182,780 reversed the E2- and isoflavone-mediated effects. Thus, GEN and DAI at estrogen-active concentrations stimulate the formation of the more E2 genotoxic metabolites and inhibit the detoxification of catechol and quinone estrogens in estrogen-responsive tumor cells.

Gene Expression of 17β-Estradiol-metabolizing Isozymes: Comparison of Normal Human Mammary Gland to Normal Human Liver and to Cultured Human Breast Adenocarcinoma Cells

Metabolic activation of 17beta-estradiol (E2) to catechols and quinones together with lack of deactivation constitute risk factors in human breast carcinogenesis. E2-catchols are generated by cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenases (CYPs). Deactivation of E2, E2-catechols, and E2-quinones is mediated by UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT), sulfotransferase (SULT), catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and NADPH-quinone-oxidoreductase (QR) isozymes, respectively. The aim of the present study was to quantify mRNA levels of E2-metabolizing isozymes expressed in MCF-7 cells cultured in the presence/absence of steroids by reverse transcription/competitive PCR in relation to the housekeeping gene hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase and compare them with expression levels in normal human mammary gland (MG) and liver tissue. CYP1A1, 1B1, SULT1A1, 1A2, membrane-bound and soluble COMT, GSTT1, QR1, and UGT2B7 were detected in both tissues and MCF-7 cells; however, most enzymes were expressed at least tenfold higher in liver. Yet, CYP1B1 was expressed as high in breast as in liver and UGTs were not detected in MCF-7 cells cultured with steroids. MCF-7 cells cultured steroid-free additionally expressed CYP1A2 as well as UGT1A4, 1A8, and 1A9. Normal human liver but not MG expressed CYP1A2, 3A4, UGT1A1, 1A3, 1A4, 1A9, and SULT2A1. UGT1A8 was only detected in MCF7 cells but was not found in human liver. Thus, our study provides a comprehensive overview of expression levels of E2-metabolizing enzymes in a popular in vitro model and in human tissues, which will contribute to the interpretation of in vitro studies concerning the activation/deactivation of E2.

Influence of decreased intracellular glutathione level on the mutagenicity of patulin in cultured mouse lymphoma cells

The mutagenicity of the mycotoxin patulin was assessed by the thymidine kinase mutation assay, which is based on point mutations and deletions. Patulin was mutagenic in cultured mouse lymphoma cells and the mutagenicity was significantly increased in cells pretreated with buthionine sulfoximine, which reduces intracellular glutathione levels.

Evaluation of State-Dependent Pedestrian Tracking Based on Finite Sets

This paper addresses the use of multiobject filters based on finite set statistics with a special focus on sensor characteristics for the use in distributed indoor pedestrian tracking with multiple sensors. For this purpose, a sensing framework is presented consisting of Lidar sensors together with depth cameras. To make use of previously existing knowledge about the measuring process, an adaptive sensor model is presented with a focus on state-dependent modeling of the sensor characteristics. The model incorporates changes in the probability of detection due to the distance between the object and the sensor, occlusions, and the sensor location-dependent environment. The model is incorporated into three approximations of a Bayes optimal multiobject filter, namely, the probability hypothesis density filter, the cardinalized probability hypothesis filter, and the cardinality balanced multitarget multi-Bernoulli filter. Using labeled sequential Monte Carlo implementations, the filters are evaluated with and without the proposed adaptive sensor models for partly simulated and real data. The evaluation was done using ground truth data obtained by a marker-based motion capture system. It is shown that the adaptive model achieves superior tracking results in simulation and real experiments for all approximations with the cardinalized probability hypothesis filter producing the best results.