Effect of exposure to acute and chronic high-altitude hypoxia on the activity and expression of CYP1A2, CYP2D6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19 and NAT2 in rats.

We investigated the effect of exposure to acute and chronic high-altitude hypoxia (AHH and CHH) on the activity and expression of CYP1A2, CYP2D6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19 and NAT2 in rats. The rats were divided into plain (400 m), acute middle-altitude hypoxia (2,800 m), chronic middle-altitude hypoxia (2,800 m), AHH (4,300 m) and CHH (4,300 m). After probe drugs had been orally administered to the rats of the 5 groups, the serum or urine concentration of the probe drug and its metabolite was determined by reversed-phase HPLC. The activity of cytochrome P450 isozyme and NAT2 was evaluated by the ratio of the metabolite to the probe drug. The ELISA and real-time PCR were used to analyze the protein and mRNA expression of cytochrome P450 isozyme and NAT2, respectively. AHH and CHH caused significant decreases in the activity and protein and mRNA expression of rat CYP1A2 in vivo. AHH downregulates the activity and mRNA expression of rat NAT2 in vivo, and CHH upregulates the activity and protein and mRNA expression of rat CYP2D6. AHH and CHH did not change the expression of CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 in rats. This study found significant changes in the activity and protein and mRNA expression of CYP1A2, CYP2D6 and NAT2 in rats in the special environment of high-altitude hypoxia.