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N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) are widely occurring nitrosamines and require enzyme-catalyzed activation for their carcinogenic actions. The low Km forms of the enzyme are generally considered to be important in the activation of environmental carcinogens. In this work we examined the role of cytochrome P450IIE1--a constitutive enzyme that is also inducible by acetone, ethanol, fasting and other factors--in catalyzing the dealkylation and denitrosation of these two carcinogens. The experimentally determined Km value of NDMA demethylase depended upon the experimental conditions and was lower when lower protein concentrations were used. Low Km values of 15-20 microM were observed for NDMA demethylase with different preparations of microsomes. In the deethylation of NDEA, a low Km of approximately 40 microM was observed for both control and acetone-induced microsomes. Immunoinhibition studies indicated that P450IIE1 was responsible for almost all the low Km NDMA demethylase activity in acetone-induced microsomes and greater than 80% in control microsomes. This enzyme was also responsible for about three-quarters of the low Km NDEA deethylase activity in acetone-induced microsomes and about half in control microsomes. The denitrosation of NDMA and NDEA was inhibited to approximately the same extents as the dealkylation reactions under different experimental conditions, suggesting the involvement of the same enzyme and perhaps a common initial intermediate in these two types of reactions. The relevance of this work and its relationship to related information in the literature are discussed.

The present work tests the hypothesis that high fat/low carbohydrate diets elevate the level of liver microsomal cytochrome P450IIE1. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed liquid diets containing varied ratios of corn oil/carbohydrate for 4 d. Rats fed diets with higher fat/carbohydrate ratios produced higher serum acetone levels and higher hepatic microsomal P450IIE1 content and N-nitrosodimethylamine demethylase activity than those fed diets with lower fat/carbohydrate ratios. This dietary fat/carbohydrate effect on P450IIE1 also was observed with modified semipurified AIN-76A diets. In addition, both the quantity and the extent of unsaturation of dietary lipids affected P450IIE1 regulation. At moderate fat levels (5 and 20% diet), rats fed corn oil and menhaden oil diets produced higher P450IIE1 activity than those fed lard and olive oil diets. Rats fed a diet containing 20% corn oil or an amount of linoleic acid equivalent to the 20% corn oil diet showed twofold to threefold increases in the level of P450IIE1 over those fed a fat-free diet. Rats fed a 25% corn oil diet showed twofold higher enflurane metabolism in vivo than those fed a 0.5% corn oil diet. The present results suggest that the constitutive P450 enzyme level is regulated by dietary fat/carbohydrate ratios.

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To study the molecular mechanisms by which dietary lipids affect the levels of cytochrome P450 (P450) isozymes, male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either fat-free (FF) or 20% corn oil (CO) diet in combination with one of the following three treatments: no inducer, phenobarbital (PB) and acetone. Dietary CO did not affect the constitutive level of P450IIB (PB-inducible), but it affected the induction of P450IIB by PB treatment. The induction of P450IIB by PB in the CO group as determined by 7-pentoxy-resorufin O-dealkylase activity and immunochemically detected protein level was twofold higher than that in the FF group, and this difference was also reflected in the level of mRNA for this enzyme. In contrast, dietary CO increased the constitutive level of P450IIE (ethanol-inducible) twofold as indicated by N-nitrosodimethylamine demethylase activity and immunochemically detectable protein, but it had no effect on the induction of P450IIE by acetone. The induced level of P450IIE by acetone in the CO group did not differ from that in the FF group as measured by the enzyme activity and protein level. It was demonstrated that dietary CO affects P450IIB and IIE activities by altering the concentration of the isozymes rather than by modulating their catalytic activities. In addition, dietary CO increased the microsomal testosterone 6 beta-hydroxylase activity but not 7 alpha- and 2 alpha-hydroxylase activities, suggesting an increase in P450IIIA and/or IIC13 but not in IIA1 and IIC11, respectively. Dietary CO also affected the constitutive and induced levels of glutathione S-transferase (GST) isozymes in a different manner: it increased the constitutive level of GST-B but not that of GST-A. Nevertheless, it was important for the induction of both GST-A and GST-B by PB treatment. The results suggest that lipid nutrition affects xenobiotic metabolism activities by altering constitutive and inducible levels of certain P450 and GST isozymes.