CYP2C8 Is a Novel Target of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor α in Human Liver

Human cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C enzymesmetabolize similar to 30% of clinically prescribed drugs and various environmental chemicals. CYP2C8, an important member of this subfamily, metabolizes the anticancer drug paclitaxel, certain antidiabetic drugs, and endogenous substrates, including arachidonic acid, to physiologically active epoxyeicosatrienoic acids. Previous studies from our laboratory showed that microRNA 107 (miR107) and microRNA 103 downregulate CYP2C8 post-transcriptionally. miR107 is located in intron 5 of the pantothenate kinase 1 (PANK1) gene. p53 has been reported to coregulate the induction of PANK1 and miR107. Here, we examine the possible downregulation of CYP2C8 by drugs capable of inducing miR107. Hypolipidemic drugs, such as bezafibrate, known activators of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR alpha), induce both the PANK1 gene and miR107 (similar to 2.5-fold) in primary human hepatocytes. Surprisingly, CYP2C8 mRNA and protein levels were induced by bezafibrate. CYP2C8 promoter activity was increased by ectopic expression of PPAR alpha in HepG2 cells, with a further increase after bezafibrate (similar to 18-fold), 4-chloro-6-(2,3-xylidino)-2-pyrimidinylthio acetic acid (similar to 10-fold) treatment, or the antidiabetic drug rosiglitazone, all known PPAR activators. Promoter sequence analyses, deletion studies, mutagenesis studies, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays identified a PPAR alpha response element located at position 22109 base pair relative to the translation start site of CYP2C8. Chromatin immunopreciptation assay analysis confirmed recruitment of PPAR alpha to this PPAR alpha response element after bezafibrate treatment of human hepatocytes. Thus, we show for the first time that CYP2C8 is transcriptionally regulated by PPAR alpha, suggesting the potential for drug-drug interactions due to upregulation of CYP2C8 by PPAR activators.