Investigation of testosterone, androstenone, and estradiol metabolism in HepG2 cells and primary culture pig hepatocytes and their effects on 17βHSD7 gene expression.

Steroid metabolism is important in various species. The accumulation of androgen metabolite, androstenone, in pig adipose tissue is negatively associated with pork flavor, odour and makes the meat unfit for human consumption. The 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 7 (17βHSD7) expressed abundantly...

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Main Authors: Gang Chen, Sicong Li, Xinxing Dong, Ying Bai, Ailiang Chen, Shuming Yang, Meiying Fang, Galia Zamaratskaia, Olena Doran
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2012-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0052255&type=printable
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author Gang Chen
Sicong Li
Xinxing Dong
Ying Bai
Ailiang Chen
Shuming Yang
Meiying Fang
Galia Zamaratskaia
Olena Doran
author_facet Gang Chen
Sicong Li
Xinxing Dong
Ying Bai
Ailiang Chen
Shuming Yang
Meiying Fang
Galia Zamaratskaia
Olena Doran
author_sort Gang Chen
collection DOAJ
description Steroid metabolism is important in various species. The accumulation of androgen metabolite, androstenone, in pig adipose tissue is negatively associated with pork flavor, odour and makes the meat unfit for human consumption. The 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 7 (17βHSD7) expressed abundantly in porcine liver, and it was previously suggested to be associated with androstenone levels. Understanding the enzymes and metabolic pathways responsible for androstenone as well as other steroids metabolism is important for improving the meat quality. At the same time, metabolism of steroids is known to be species- and tissue-specific. Therefore it is important to investigate between-species variations in the hepatic steroid metabolism and to elucidate the role of 17βHSD7 in this process. Here we used an effective methodological approach, liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, to investigate species-specific metabolism of androstenone, testosterone and beta-estradiol in HepG2 cell line, and pig cultured hepatocytes. Species- and concentration-depended effect of steroids on 17βHSD7 gene expression was also investigated. It was demonstrated that the investigated steroids can regulate the 17βHSD7 gene expression in HepG2 and primary cultured porcine hepatocytes in a concentration-dependent and species-dependent pattern. Investigation of steroid metabolites demonstrated that androstenone formed a 3'-hydroxy compound 3β-hydroxy-5α-androst-16-ene. Testosterone was metabolized to 4-androstene-3,17-dione. Estrone was found as the metabolite for β-estradiol. Inhibition study with 17βHSD inhibitor apigenin showed that apigenin didn't affect androstenone metabolism. Apigenin at high concentration (50 µM) tends to inhibit testosterone metabolism but this inhibition effect was negligible. Beta-estradiol metabolism was notably inhibited with apigenin at high concentration. The study also established that the level of testosterone and β-estradiol metabolites was markedly increased after co-incubation with high concentration of apigenin. This study established that 17βHSD7 is not the key enzyme responsible for androstenone and testosterone metabolism in porcine liver cells.
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spelling doaj-art-d6420415e7bf49f19d644ca27afdc68d2025-08-20T02:05:35ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032012-01-01712e5225510.1371/journal.pone.0052255Investigation of testosterone, androstenone, and estradiol metabolism in HepG2 cells and primary culture pig hepatocytes and their effects on 17βHSD7 gene expression.Gang ChenSicong LiXinxing DongYing BaiAiliang ChenShuming YangMeiying FangGalia ZamaratskaiaOlena DoranSteroid metabolism is important in various species. The accumulation of androgen metabolite, androstenone, in pig adipose tissue is negatively associated with pork flavor, odour and makes the meat unfit for human consumption. The 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 7 (17βHSD7) expressed abundantly in porcine liver, and it was previously suggested to be associated with androstenone levels. Understanding the enzymes and metabolic pathways responsible for androstenone as well as other steroids metabolism is important for improving the meat quality. At the same time, metabolism of steroids is known to be species- and tissue-specific. Therefore it is important to investigate between-species variations in the hepatic steroid metabolism and to elucidate the role of 17βHSD7 in this process. Here we used an effective methodological approach, liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, to investigate species-specific metabolism of androstenone, testosterone and beta-estradiol in HepG2 cell line, and pig cultured hepatocytes. Species- and concentration-depended effect of steroids on 17βHSD7 gene expression was also investigated. It was demonstrated that the investigated steroids can regulate the 17βHSD7 gene expression in HepG2 and primary cultured porcine hepatocytes in a concentration-dependent and species-dependent pattern. Investigation of steroid metabolites demonstrated that androstenone formed a 3'-hydroxy compound 3β-hydroxy-5α-androst-16-ene. Testosterone was metabolized to 4-androstene-3,17-dione. Estrone was found as the metabolite for β-estradiol. Inhibition study with 17βHSD inhibitor apigenin showed that apigenin didn't affect androstenone metabolism. Apigenin at high concentration (50 µM) tends to inhibit testosterone metabolism but this inhibition effect was negligible. Beta-estradiol metabolism was notably inhibited with apigenin at high concentration. The study also established that the level of testosterone and β-estradiol metabolites was markedly increased after co-incubation with high concentration of apigenin. This study established that 17βHSD7 is not the key enzyme responsible for androstenone and testosterone metabolism in porcine liver cells.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0052255&type=printable
spellingShingle Gang Chen
Sicong Li
Xinxing Dong
Ying Bai
Ailiang Chen
Shuming Yang
Meiying Fang
Galia Zamaratskaia
Olena Doran
Investigation of testosterone, androstenone, and estradiol metabolism in HepG2 cells and primary culture pig hepatocytes and their effects on 17βHSD7 gene expression.
PLoS ONE
title Investigation of testosterone, androstenone, and estradiol metabolism in HepG2 cells and primary culture pig hepatocytes and their effects on 17βHSD7 gene expression.
title_full Investigation of testosterone, androstenone, and estradiol metabolism in HepG2 cells and primary culture pig hepatocytes and their effects on 17βHSD7 gene expression.
title_fullStr Investigation of testosterone, androstenone, and estradiol metabolism in HepG2 cells and primary culture pig hepatocytes and their effects on 17βHSD7 gene expression.
title_full_unstemmed Investigation of testosterone, androstenone, and estradiol metabolism in HepG2 cells and primary culture pig hepatocytes and their effects on 17βHSD7 gene expression.
title_short Investigation of testosterone, androstenone, and estradiol metabolism in HepG2 cells and primary culture pig hepatocytes and their effects on 17βHSD7 gene expression.
title_sort investigation of testosterone androstenone and estradiol metabolism in hepg2 cells and primary culture pig hepatocytes and their effects on 17βhsd7 gene expression
url https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0052255&type=printable
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