THE METABOLISM OF PROGESTERONE BY ANIMAL TISSUES IN VITRO. SEX AND SPECIES DIFFERENCES IN CONJUGATE FORMATION DURING THE METABOLISM OF (4-14C)PROGESTERONE BY LIVER HOMOGENATES.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: 1. Sex and species differences during the metabolism of [4-(14)C]progesterone by liver homogenates from rat, rabbit, guinea pig and hamster have been investigated. 2. Liver homogenate from male rat formed ;water-soluble' metabolites faster and in significantly larger amounts than did liver homogenate from female rat. About 65-70% of the added progesterone was conjugated as glucuronide by liver homogenate from male rat and about 45-50% by that from female rat. Liver homogenate from male rat also formed glucuronides faster than did liver homogenate from female rat. Sulphate formation was low (8-16%) in liver homogenates from both male and female rats. 3. Hamster-liver homogenate did not show any sex difference in the rate of formation of ;water-soluble' metabolites, but a sex difference was observed in the amount of free steroids recovered at low tissue:steroid ratios. Liver homogenate from female hamster formed glucuronides faster and in significantly larger amounts than did liver homogenate from male hamster, the reverse of what was found in rat liver. 4. Liver homogenates from male and female rabbits and guinea pigs formed ;water-soluble' metabolites that were almost entirely glucuronides. 5. Neither rabbit liver nor guinea-pig liver showed any significant sex difference in the rate or amount of formation of total ;water-soluble' metabolites or glucuronides, but guinea-pig liver was considerably less active than rabbit liver. 6. Glucuronides were quantitatively the major type of conjugate formed by the liver homogenates from both sexes of all species except the male hamster.
Project description:Sex differences affect several diseases and are organ-and parameter-specific. In humans and animals, sex differences also influence the metabolism and homeostasis of amino acids and fatty acids, which are linked to the onset of diseases. Thus, the use of targeted metabolite profiles in tissues represents a powerful approach to examine the intermediary metabolism and evidence for any sex differences. To clarify the sex-specific activities of liver, heart and kidney tissues, we used targeted metabolomics, linear discriminant analysis (LDA), principal component analysis (PCA), cluster analysis and linear correlation models to evaluate sex and organ-specific differences in amino acids, free carnitine and acylcarnitine levels in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Several intra-sex differences affect tissues, indicating that metabolite profiles in rat hearts, livers and kidneys are organ-dependent. Amino acids and carnitine levels in rat hearts, livers and kidneys are affected by sex: male and female hearts show the greatest sexual dimorphism, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Finally, multivariate analysis confirmed the influence of sex on the metabolomics profiling. Our data demonstrate that the metabolomics approach together with a multivariate approach can capture the dynamics of physiological and pathological states, which are essential for explaining the basis of the sex differences observed in physiological and pathological conditions.
Project description:BackgroundThere are large differences between men and women of child-bearing age in the expression level of 5 key enzymes in one-carbon metabolism almost certainly caused by the sex hormones. These male-female differences in one-carbon metabolism are greatly accentuated during pregnancy. Thus, understanding the origin and consequences of sex differences in one-carbon metabolism is important for precision medicine.ResultsWe have created a mathematical model of hepatic one-carbon metabolism based on the underlying physiology and biochemistry. We use the model to investigate the consequences of sex differences in gene expression. We give a mechanistic understanding of observed concentration differences in one-carbon metabolism and explain why women have lower S-andenosylmethionine, lower homocysteine, and higher choline and betaine. We give a new explanation of the well known phenomenon that folate supplementation lowers homocysteine and we show how to use the model to investigate the effects of vitamin deficiencies, gene polymorphisms, and nutrient input changes.ConclusionsOur model of hepatic one-carbon metabolism is a useful platform for investigating the mechanistic reasons that underlie known associations between metabolites. In particular, we explain how gene expression differences lead to metabolic differences between males and females.
Project description:Understanding phenotypic sex differences has long been a goal of biology from both a medical and evolutionary perspective. Although much attention has been paid to mean differences in phenotype between the sexes, little is known about sex differences in phenotypic variability. To gain insight into sex differences in interindividual variability at the molecular level, we analyzed RNA-seq data from 43 tissues from the Genotype-Tissue Expression project (GTEx). Within each tissue, we identified genes that show sex differences in gene expression variability. We found that these sex-differentially variable (SDV) genes are associated with various important biological functions, including sex hormone response, immune response, and other signaling pathways. By analyzing single-cell RNA sequencing data collected from breast epithelial cells, we found that genes with sex differences in gene expression variability in breast tissue tend to be expressed in a cell-type-specific manner. We looked for an association between SDV expression and Graves' disease, a well-known heavily female-biased disease, and found a significant enrichment of Graves' associated genes among genes with higher variability in females in thyroid tissue. This suggests a possible role for SDV expression in sex-biased disease. We then examined the evolutionary constraints acting on genes with sex differences in variability and found that they exhibit evidence of increased selective constraint. Through analysis of sex-biased eQTL data, we found evidence that SDV expression may have a genetic basis. Finally, we propose a simple evolutionary model for the emergence of SDV expression from sex-specific constraints.
Project description:1. The metabolism of [1-(14)C]glyoxylate to carbon dioxide, glycine, oxalate, serine, formate and glycollate was investigated in hyperoxaluric and control subjects' kidney and liver tissue in vitro. 2. Only glycine and carbon dioxide became significantly labelled with (14)C, and this was less in the hyperoxaluric patients' kidney tissue than in the control tissue. 3. Liver did not show this difference. 4. The metabolism of [1-(14)C]glycollate was also studied in the liver tissue; glyoxylate formation was demonstrated and the formation of (14)CO(2) from this substrate was likewise unimpaired in the hyperoxaluric patients' liver tissue in these experiments. 5. Glycine was not metabolized by human kidney, liver or blood cells under the conditions used. 6. These observations show that glyoxylate metabolism by the kidney is impaired in primary hyperoxaluria.
Project description:Women have more body fat than men, but in contrast to the deleterious metabolic consequences of the central obesity typical of men, the pear-shaped body fat distribution of many women is associated with lower cardiometabolic risk. To understand the mechanisms regulating adiposity and adipose tissue distribution in men and women, significant research attention has focused on comparing adipocyte morphological and metabolic properties, as well as the capacity of preadipocytes derived from different depots for proliferation and differentiation. Available evidence points to possible intrinsic, cell autonomous differences in preadipocytes and adipocytes, as well as modulatory roles for sex steroids, the microenvironment within each adipose tissue, and developmental factors. Gluteal-femoral adipose tissues of women may simply provide a safe lipid reservoir for excess energy, or they may directly regulate systemic metabolism via release of metabolic products or adipokines. We provide a brief overview of the relationship of fat distribution to metabolic health in men and women, and then focus on mechanisms underlying sex differences in adipose tissue biology.
Project description:1. The fate of sulphadimethoxine (2,4-dimethoxy-6-sulphanilamidopyrimidine) was studied in man, rhesus monkey, dog, rat, guinea pig and rabbit. 2. About 20-46% of the dose (0.1g./kg.) of the drug is excreted in the urine in 24hr. in these species, except the rat, in which only 13% is excreted. 3. In man and the monkey sulphadimethoxine N(1)-glucuronide is the major metabolite in the urine. In the rabbit and guinea pig N(4)-acetylsulphadimethoxine is the main metabolite. In the dog the drug is excreted mainly unchanged. In the rat equal amounts of the unchanged drug and its N(4)-acetyl derivative are the main products. 4. Small amounts of sulphadimethoxine N(4)-glucuronide are found in the urine of all the species. Sulphadimethoxine N(1)-glucuronide occurs in small amounts in the urine of rat, dog and guinea pig; none is found in rabbit urine. 5. Sulphadimethoxine N(4)-sulphate was synthesized and found to occur in small amounts in rat urine. 6. Monkey liver homogenates fortified with UDP-glucuronic acid are able to synthesize sulphadimethoxine N(1)-glucuronide with the drug as substrate. Rat liver has also this ability to a slight extent, but rabbit liver is unable to do so. 7. Sulphadimethoxine N(4)-glucuronide is formed spontaneously when the drug is added to human urine. 8. The biliary excretion of the drug and its metabolites was examined in rats. The drug is excreted in rat bile mainly as the N(1)-glucuronide. The N(1)- and N(4)-glucuronides administered as such are extensively excreted in the bile by rats.
Project description:BackgroundBrain cancer incidence and mortality rates are greater in males. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie those sex differences could improve treatment strategies. Although sex differences in normal metabolism are well described, it is currently unknown whether they persist in cancerous tissue.MethodsUsing positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and mass spectrometry, we assessed sex differences in glioma metabolism in samples from affected individuals. We assessed the role of glutamine metabolism in male and female murine transformed astrocytes using isotope labeling, metabolic rescue experiments, and pharmacological and genetic perturbations to modulate pathway activity.FindingsWe found that male glioblastoma surgical specimens are enriched for amino acid metabolites, including glutamine. Fluoroglutamine PET imaging analyses showed that gliomas in affected male individuals exhibit significantly higher glutamine uptake. These sex differences were well modeled in murine transformed astrocytes, in which male cells imported and metabolized more glutamine and were more sensitive to glutaminase 1 (GLS1) inhibition. The sensitivity to GLS1 inhibition in males was driven by their dependence on glutamine-derived glutamate for α-ketoglutarate synthesis and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle replenishment. Females were resistant to GLS1 inhibition through greater pyruvate carboxylase (PC)-mediated TCA cycle replenishment, and knockdown of PC sensitized females to GLS1 inhibition.ConclusionOur results show that clinically important sex differences exist in targetable elements of metabolism. Recognition of sex-biased metabolism may improve treatments through further laboratory and clinical research.FundingThis work was supported by NIH grants, Joshua's Great Things, the Siteman Investment Program, and the Barnard Research Fund.
Project description:BackgroundPregnancy complications vary based on the fetus's genetic sex, which may, in part, be modulated by the placenta. Furthermore, developmental differences early in life can have lifelong health outcomes. Yet, sex differences in gene expression within the placenta at different timepoints throughout pregnancy and comparisons to adult tissues remains poorly characterized.MethodsHere, we collect and characterize sex differences in gene expression in term placentas (≥ 36.6 weeks; 23 male XY and 27 female XX). These are compared with sex differences in previously collected first trimester placenta samples and 42 non-reproductive adult tissues from GTEx.ResultsWe identify 268 and 53 sex-differentially expressed genes in the uncomplicated late first trimester and term placentas, respectively. Of the 53 sex-differentially expressed genes observed in the term placentas, 31 are also sex-differentially expressed genes in the late first trimester placentas. Furthermore, sex differences in gene expression in term placentas are highly correlated with sex differences in the late first trimester placentas. We found that sex-differential gene expression in the term placenta is significantly correlated with sex differences in gene expression in 42 non-reproductive adult tissues (correlation coefficient ranged from 0.892 to 0.957), with the highest correlation in brain tissues. Sex differences in gene expression were largely driven by gene expression on the sex chromosomes. We further show that some gametologous genes (genes with functional copies on X and Y) will have different inferred sex differences if the X-linked gene expression in females is compared to the sum of the X-linked and Y-linked gene expression in males.ConclusionsWe find that sex differences in gene expression are conserved in late first trimester and term placentas and that these sex differences are conserved in adult tissues. We demonstrate that there are sex differences associated with innate immune response in late first trimester placentas but there is no significant difference in gene expression of innate immune genes between sexes in healthy full-term placentas. Finally, sex differences are predominantly driven by expression from sex-linked genes.
Project description:Sex differences manifest in many diseases and may drive sex-specific therapeutic responses. To understand the molecular basis of sex differences, we evaluated sex-biased gene regulation by constructing sample-specific gene regulatory networks in 29 human healthy tissues using 8,279 whole-genome expression profiles from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project. We find sex-biased regulatory network structures in each tissue. Even though most transcription factors (TFs) are not differentially expressed between males and females, many have sex-biased regulatory targeting patterns. In each tissue, genes that are differentially targeted by TFs between the sexes are enriched for tissue-related functions and diseases. In brain tissue, for example, genes associated with Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease are targeted by different sets of TFs in each sex. Our systems-based analysis identifies a repertoire of TFs that play important roles in sex-specific architecture of gene regulatory networks, and it underlines sex-specific regulatory processes in both health and disease.
Project description:OBJECTIVE:To characterize the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of naloxegol, a PEGylated derivative of the µ-opioid antagonist naloxone, in healthy male subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS:[14C]-Labeled naloxegol (27 mg, 3.43 MBq) was administered as an oral solution to 6 fasted subjects. Blood, fecal, and urine samples were collected predose and at various intervals postdose. Naloxegol and its metabolites were quantified or identified by liquid chromatography with radiometric or mass spectrometric detection. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated for each subject, and metabolite identification was performed by liquid chromatography with parallel radioactivity measurement and mass spectrometry. RESULTS:Naloxegol was rapidly absorbed, with a maximum plasma concentration (geometric mean) of 51 ng/mL reached before 2 hours after dosing. A second peak in the observed naloxegol and [14C] plasma concentration-time profiles was observed at ~3 hours and was likely due to enterohepatic recycling of parent naloxegol. Distribution to red blood cells was negligible. Metabolism of [14C]-naloxegol was rapid and extensive and occurred via demethylation and oxidation, dealkylation, and shortening of the polyethylene glycol chain. Mean cumulative recovery of radioactivity was 84.2% of the total dose, with ~68.9% recovered within 96 hours of dosing. Fecal excretion was the predominant route of elimination, with mean recoveries of total radioactivity in feces and urine of 67.7% and 16.0%, respectively. Unchanged naloxegol accounted for ~1/4 of the radioactivity recovered in feces. CONCLUSIONS:Naloxegol was rapidly absorbed and cleared via metabolism, with predominantly fecal excretion of parent and metabolites.