Effects of phenolic compounds on 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity in human and rat placenta: Screening, mode of action, and docking analysis. Issue 225 (January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shi, Lei; Meng, Fangyan; Wang, Shaowei; Hu, Zhiyan; Li, Jingjing; Tian, Fuhong; Wang, Haixing; Zhu, Yang; Wang, Yiyan; Ge, Ren-shan; Li, Huitao
• Is Part Of: Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology. Issue 225(2022)
• Publication Date: 2023-01
• Subjects: Pregnenolone -- Progesterone -- Inhibition -- 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 -- Phenolic compounds -- Endocrine disruptors; Steroid hormones -- Periodicals; Biochemistry -- Periodicals; Hormones -- Periodicals; Molecular Biology -- Periodicals; Hormones stéroïdes -- Périodiques; Steroid hormones; Periodicals; 572.579
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2022.106202
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0960-0760

Abstract

Abstract: Human 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type I (HSD3B1) and rat type IV (HSD3B4) in placentas catalyze the conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone, which plays a key role in maintaining pregnancy. Many phenolic compounds potentially inhibit HSD3B in placentas as endocrine disruptors. In this study, the effects of 16 phenolic compounds on the activity of human HSD3B1 and rat HSD3B4 were determined and the structure-activity relationship was compared. HSD3B1 in human placental microsomes and HSD3B4 in rat placental microsomes were used to measure their activities and pregnenolone and NAD + were used as substrates. Of the 16 phenolic compounds, 4-nonylphenol, pentabromophenol, and 2-bromophenol resulted in residual human HSD3B1 activity lower than 50 % and 4-nonylphenol and pentabromophenol resulted in residual rat HSD3B4 activity lower than 50 %. 4-Nonylphenol, pentabromophenol, and 2-bromophenol were mixed inhibitors of human HSD3B1, with Ki values of 2.31, 3.58 and 4.86 µM, respectively, while 4-nonylphenol and pentabromophenol were noncompetitive inhibitors of rat HSD3B4 with Ki values of 20.86 and 141.8 µM. Molecular docking showed that 4-nonylphenol, pentabromophenol, and 2-bromophenol docked to the active sites of human HSD3B1 and rat HSD3B4, and the shift of residue S125 in human HSD3B1 to T125 in rat HSD3B4 could explain the species-dependent difference in their inhibitory potency and mode of action. This study demonstrates that 4-nonylphenol, pentabromophenol, and 2-bromophenol are mixed inhibitors of human placental HSD3B1, while 4-nonylphenol and pentabromophenol are noncompetitive inhibitors of rat HSD3B4, possibly blocking the placental steroidogenesis. Graphical Abstract: 4-Nonylphenol (4NP), pentabromophenol (PBP), and 2-bromophenol (2BP) potently inhibit human placental HSD3B1 and PBP and 2BP are moderate of rat HSD3B4, thereby leading to significant reduction of progesterone. ga1 Highlights: Some phenolic compounds are inhibitors of human HSD3B1 and rat HSD3B4. 4-Nonylphenol, pentabromophenol, 2-bromophenol potently inhibit human HSD3B1. 4-Nonylphenol and pentabromophenol moderately inhibit rat HSD3B4. Straight long-chain alkyl substitution in 4-position is critical for the inhibition of HSD3B. Shift of S125 in human HSD3B1 to T125 in rat HSD3B4 is possibly related to reduction of inhibitory potency of phenols in rats.