Studies on 7a-hydroxycholesterol in extrahepatic tissues and cells

• In human liver, primary bile acids are synthesized from cholesterol via the well-established neutral and also via the recently described acidic pathways. The latter includes 27-hydroxycholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase. Extrahepatic presence and function of this enzyme as well as the possible occurrence of other hydroxylases were investigated in the present study. For this purpose, radio-labeled 27-hydroxycholesterol (27-OHC) and 25-hydroxy-cholesterol (25-OHC) were prepared. Both hydroxysterols were 7a-hydroxylated, and subsequently oxidized to 7a-hydroxy-3-oxo-A4 steroids, in cultures of human diploid fibroblasts (HDF), rat astrocytes, Schwann cells and neurons, mouse thymic epithelial cells, and the human melanoma cell line SK-MEL-2 but not in virus-transformed fibroblasts (9OVA-VI) and the malignant cell lines WiDr and MDA-231. Some 27-OHC was also oxidized to 3beta-hydroxy-5-cholestenoic, 3beta,7alpha-dihydroxy-5-cholestenoic and 7alpha-hydroxy-3-oxo-4-cholestenoic acids. In case of 25-hydroxycholesterol, regulation of 7alpha-hydroxylation was studied and the reaction was found to be stimulated by interleukin-1beta, dexamethasone and cortisol, and inhibited by metyrapone and RU486. In healthy volunteers, the concentration of 7alpha-hydroxy-3-oxo-4-cholestenoic acid was found to be significantly higher in peripheral arterial than in hepatic venous blood, indicating an extrahepatic formation of 7alpha-hydroxylated metabolites of cholesterol in vivo. 27-Hydroxycholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase was present in microsomal preparations from rat brain. In addition to 25-OHC and 27-OHC, 3beta-hydroxy-5-cholestenoic and 3beta-hydroxy-5-cholenoic acids, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and pregnenolone were 7alpha-hydroxylated. For 27-OHC, the apparent Km was about 2 myM and Vmax about 15 pmol/min xmg protein. Competition experiments indicated that the same enzyme 7alpha-hydroxylated 27-OHC and 25-OHC which, however, was different from cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase. Other extrahepatic 7alpha-hydroxylase(s) may exist. 25-Hydroxylation was found to be an important reaction in cultures of rat astrocytes and Schwann cells leading to formation of significant amounts of 7alpha,25-dihydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one. Several 7alpha-hydroxylated metabolites of 27-OHC and 25-OHC, e.g. 7alpha,25-diOHC,27-OHC, 7alpha,27-diOHC and 7alpha,27-dihydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one, were found to be as effective suppressors of HMG-CoA reductase activity in fibroblasts as 25-OHC. The suppression of this activity by 25-OHC and 27-OHC was reduced or abolished by DHEA and pregnenolone. In 90VA-VI cells, 7alpha,27-diOHC but not 7alpha,25-diOHC had suppressor activity. The results suggest that 7alpha-hydroxylation is not directly involved in the potential function of 27-OHC and 25-OHC as regulators of HMG-CoA reductase activity. Both 25-OHC and 27-OHC were inducers of apoptosis in mouse thymocytes. 7alpha-Hydroxylation of both compounds as well as formation of acidic metabolites of 27-OHC decreased or abolished the apoptotic effects, suggesting a protective role of these reactions in hydroxycholesterol-induced apoptosis.

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