Expression profiles of a drug metabolizing enzyme CYP3A62 mRNA in the intestine of rats

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the expression profiles of a drug metabolizing enzyme cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A62 mRNA in the intestine and liver of normal male Wistar rats, and its regional differences in the intestinal tract. Nine-week-old male rats were used, and their intestine were divided equally into nine segments. The expression patterns of CYP3A62 mRNA in the intestine and liver were examined using a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The PCR products for CYP3A62 mRNA were readily detectable in the intestine of normal male rats, whereas no bands for CYP3A62 mRNA were detected in the liver using similar PCR conditions as those used in the intestine. The expression of CYP3A62 mRNA was found to be high in the jejunum, and stable until the bottom of the small intestine. Only the decreased expression pattern in the bottom of the intestine was contradictory to our previous findings on CYP3A9 and CYP3A18 mRNAs. Unlike other CYPs of the CYP3A subfamily, CYP3A62 was found to be predominant in the intestine rather than the liver of normal male Wistar rats. This suggests that CYP3A62 also has an important role in the detoxification of xenobiotics similar to endogenous substances as an absorptive barrier in the intestine. These findings may help the evaluation of gastrointestinal drug absorption and drug-drug interaction in rats.