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We had previously reported that low concentrations of sodium arsenite (1-5 microM) decreased the induction of cytochrome P450 CYP1A and CYP2H in cultured chick embryo hepatocytes in parallel with increases in heme oxygenase. However, in those studies exogenous heme did not prevent the decrease in CYPs. In this study, we investigated the effect of arsenite on the synthesis and degradation of heme. Arsenite had no effect on induction of 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase mRNA or activity. Arsenite, at concentrations from 1 to 25 microM, had no effect on protoporphyrin synthesis from 5-aminolevulinic acid and did not increase the accumulation of other porphyrins, indicating that the enzymes in the pathway between 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase and ferrochelatase were unaffected by arsenite. Synthesis of heme from radioactive 5-aminolevulinic acid was slightly decreased (less than 20%) by 2.5 microM arsenite, a concentration that decreased induction of CYP1A and CYP2H by greater than 50%. Rates of biliverdin formation and degradation of exogenous heme were not different in cultures treated simultaneously with arsenite and heme or with heme alone. However, arsenite treatment increased biliverdin formation from heme synthesized from added 5-aminolevulinic acid by 60% and decreased the endogenous heme content of the cells by 30%. Our results suggest that although 2.5 microM arsenite induced heme oxygenase four- to sixfold, this had no effect on degradation of exogenous heme. Degradation of heme synthesized from 5-aminolevulinic acid was increased but this did not affect the regulatory heme pool.

In earlier studies, sodium arsenite treatment was shown to decrease induction of enzymatic activities associated with hepatic CYPs in rats. Here we investigated the effect of sodium arsenite on induction of CYP2B, CYP1A, and CYP3A in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes. Arsenite decreased the induction of all three families of CYP, as measured enzymatically and immunochemically. These decreases in CYPs occurred at concentrations of arsenite (2.5-10 microM) at which no toxicity was observed; however, toxicity was observed at 25 microM arsenite. With 3-methylcholanthrene as inducer, 5 microM arsenite caused a 55% decrease in CYP1A1 immunoreactive protein and enzyme activity, but only a 25% decrease in CYP1A1 mRNA. With phenobarbital (PB) as the inducer, 2.5 microM arsenite decreased CYP2B enzyme activity and immunoreactive protein 50%, with only a 25% decrease in CYP2B1 mRNA. 5 microM Arsenite decreased CYP2B enzyme activity and immunoreactive protein 80%, but decreased CYP2B1 mRNA only 50%, while CYP3A protein was decreased greater than 75% with no decrease in CYP3A23 mRNA. With dexamethasone (DEX) as inducer, 5 microM sodium arsenite caused a 50% decrease in immunoreactive CYP3A and a 30% decrease in CYP3A23 mRNA. Although arsenite-mediated increases in heme oxygenase (HO) inversely correlated with decreases in CYP2B or CYP1A activity, inclusion of heme in cultures treated with inducers of CYP1A or CYP2B did not prevent the arsenite-mediated decreases in these CYPs. Even though added heme induced HO to similar levels with and without arsenite, decreases in CYPs were only observed in the presence of arsenite. These results suggest that, in rat hepatocytes, elevated levels of HO alone are not responsible for arsenite-mediated decreases in CYP.

In earlier studies, treatment with sodium arsenite was shown to decrease total hepatic CYP in rats. A concomitant increase in heme oxygenase, the rate-limiting step in heme degradation to biliverdin, was considered responsible for the decrease in CYP. Here we investigated the effect of sodium arsenite on induction of CYP2H, CYP1A, and heme oxygenase in primary cultures of chicken embryo hepatocytes. When added simultaneously with inducer, arsenite inhibited phenobarbital-mediated increases in CYP2H and 3-methylcholanthrene-mediated increases in CYP1A, as measured enzymatically and immunochemically. Near maximal decreases were observed in these forms of CYP at a concentration of 2.5 microM sodium arsenite. The concentration-dependent decreases in CYP2H and CYP1A by sodium arsenite were concomitant with increases in heme oxygenase. Sodium arsenite was not toxic at concentrations as high as 10 microM, as indicated by protein synthesis and the reduction of MTT by intact cells. Sodium arsenite had no effect on induction of CYP2H1 mRNA, suggesting that the decreases in this form of CYP occurred post-transcriptionally. Treatment of cells with tin mesoporphyrin (SnMeso), an inhibitor of heme oxygenase, resulted in inhibition of arsenite-induced heme oxygenase. However, SnMeso did not alter the effect of arsenite to prevent phenobarbital-mediated increases in CYP2H protein. SnMeso alone inhibited phenobarbital-mediated increases in CYP2H. Inclusion of 2 or 5 microM exogenous heme with arsenite did not prevent the arsenite-mediated decrease in CYP2H. Combined treatment with heme and phenobarbital induced heme oxygenase to the same extent as treatment with heme, arsenite, and phenobarbital. However, CYP2H activity was decreased only when the treatment included arsenite. These results suggest that elevated levels of heme oxygenase alone are not responsible for arsenite-mediated decreases in CYP2H.

We had reported previously that 2.5–5 μM sodium arsenite decreased the phenobarbital-mediated induction of CYP2H activity and protein but not CYP2H1 mRNA in chick-embryo hepatocyte cultures. Induction of a CYP1A activity and protein by 3-methylcholanthrene was also decreased by low arsenite concentrations; however, CYP1A mRNAs were not measured in those studies. We report here that low concentrations of arsenite decreased induction of activities and mRNAs of two chicken cytochromes P450, CYP1A (1A4 and 1A5), by 3-methylcholanthrene in chick-embryo hepatocyte cultures. Arsenite treatment did not affect the turnover of either mRNA, nor did it decrease the superinduction of each mRNA caused by treatment with cycloheximide in addition to 3-methylcholanthrene. Glutathione depletion enhanced the effect of arsenite to decrease induction of CYP1A4. These results indicate the induction of CYP1A4 and 1A5 is inhibited by sodium arsenite at the level of transcription, suggesting that the Ah receptor complex may be involved.