Inhibitors of the lipoxygenase arachidonic acid pathway impair glycocholate efflux in isolated rat hepatocytes

Lipoxygenase arachidonic acid metabolites mediate secretory processes in several tissues, but their possible involvement in liver transport functions is still unknown.

This study evaluated the influence of the lipoxygenase inhibitor nordihydroguayaretic acid (NDGA), the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin (INDO), and the dual cyclo and lipoxygenase inhibitors 3-amino-1-[m-(trifluoromethyl)-phenyl]-2-pyrazoline (BW 755c) and eicosatetraynoic acid (ETYA) on the handling of glycocholic acid (GC) by isolated rat hepatocytes. No drug modified cell viability or oxygen consumption in hepatocytes. In 30-min incubations with 50 microM GC the initial rate of GC uptake (V0) in control hepatocytes was 1.15 +/- 0.09 nmol.mg protein-1.min-1. The cellular GC content remained constant from 10 to 30 min (steady-state phase), the 30-min value being 6.63 +/- 0.35 nmol.mg protein-1. NDGA (10-50 microM), BW 755c (25-200 microM) and ETYA (5-100 microM), prevented the steady-state phase occurring, thus determining a progressive accumulation of GC in cells with time. As compared to controls, 50 microM NDGA (+37%, p less than 0.01), 200 microM BW 755c (+39%, p less than 0.01) and 5 microM ETYA (+19%, p less than 0.05) induced the highest increases in the amount of GC in cells at 30 min, in all cases V0 being unchanged. Concentrations of BW 755c and ETYA above those indicated also decreased V0.

Both V0 and the amount of cellular GC in the steady-state phase were proportionally decreased by high INDO concentrations (25-100 microM) which did not modify the morphology of the uptake curve. Since experiments with dual and lipoxygenase inhibitors suggested an impairment of GC efflux, the initial rate of GC efflux (V0ef) was measured in hepatocytes preloaded with 50 microM GC and transferred to a GC-free medium. In controls, V0ef was 1.12 +/- 0.12 nmol.mg protein-1.min-1. BW 755c (200 microM) and NDGA (50 microM) reduced V0ef by 45 and 38%, respectively. The kinetic analysis of the effect of 200 microM BW 755c on the efflux process using hepatocytes preloaded with GC from 5 to 200 microM disclosed a non-competitive inhibition. Vmax was reduced from 1.37 +/- 0.15 to 0.89 +/- 0.10 (p less than 0.01), whereas Km was unchanged (3.79 +/- 0.33 vs. 4.25 +/- 0.54, N.S.).

In summary, inhibitors of the lipoxygenase arachidonic acid pathway impaired the efflux of GC from isolated rat hepatocytes. The hypothesis is raised that oxidized metabolites of arachidonic acid may participate on the secretion of bile salts in these cells.

CITATION J Hepatol. 1991 May;12(3):302-11