Role of nitric oxide in downregulation of cytochrome P450 1a1 and NADPH: Quinone oxidoreductase 1 by tumor necrosis factor-alpha and lipopolysaccharide.

We previously demonstrated that tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) downregulate aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-regulated genes, such as cytochrome P450 1a1 (Cyp1a1) and NADPH: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (Nqo1) gene expression, yet the mechanisms involved remain unknown. The correlation between the inflammation-mediated suppression of AhR-regulated genes and the TNF-alpha or LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) production especially in murine hepatoma Hepa 1c1c7 cells has been questioned; therefore we investigated whether NO is involved in the modulation of Cyp1a1 and Nqo1 by TNF-alpha or LPS in Hepa 1c1c7 cells. A significant dose-dependent increase in the inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2) expression and NO production were observed by various concentrations of TNF-alpha (1, 5, and 10 ng/mL) and LPS (1 and 5 microg/mL) which was completely inhibited by a NOS2 inhibitor, L-N6-(1-iminoethyl) lysine (L-NIL) (1 mM). Furthermore, TNF-alpha and LPS significantly induced NOS2 expression. Both TNF-alpha and LPS repressed the beta-naphthoflavone (betaNF)-mediated induction of Cyp1a1 and Nqo1 at mRNA and activity levels. The downregulation of Cyp1a1, but not Nqo1, was significantly prevented by L-NIL. However, proxynitrite decomposer, iron tetrakis (N-methyl-4'-pyridyl) porphyrinato (FeTMPyP) (5 microM) did not affect TNF-alpha- and LPS-mediated downregulation of Cyp1a1 and Nqo1 at mRNA and activity levels. These results show that NO, but not peroxynitrite, may be involved in TNF-alpha- and LPS-mediated downregulation of Cyp1a1 without affecting the downregulation of Nqo1.