atRA Concentrations Research Articles

Prospective Teratology of Retinoic Acid Metabolic Blocking Agents (RAMBAs) and Loss of CYP26 Activity

All-trans retinoic acid (atRA) is the transcriptionally active product of vitamin A and induces gene expression via specific receptors at nM concentrations. Essential enzymes that regulate the local levels of atRA are the CYP26 members of the cytochrome P450 family, which catabolize atRA. Compounds that have been designed to inhibit these enzymes are known as Retinoic Acid Metabolic Blocking Agents (RAMBAs). Treatment with these compounds will raise endogenous atRA levels and may be therapeutic for the treatment of diseases that respond to high atRA concentrations, including several types of cancer as well as skin conditions such as psoriasis and acne. This review describes the mechanism of action of the RAMBAs and discusses the potential side effects of these compounds. atRA is highly teratogenic and the potential teratogenicity of the RAMBAs is described by comparison with the abnormalities resulting from null mutation of individual CYP26 genes. The possible effects of RAMBAs on the adult brain are also described that have the potential for harm but, in the right circumstances, may also be beneficial.

Quantification of endogenous retinoic acid in limited biological samples by LC/MS/MS

We report a sensitive LC (liquid chromatography)/MS/MS assay using selected reaction monitoring to quantify RA (retinoic acid), which is applicable to biological samples of limited size (10-20 mg of tissue wet weight), requires no sample derivatization, provides mass identification and resolves atRA (all-trans-RA) from its geometric isomers. The assay quantifies over a linear range of 20 fmol to 10 pmol, and has a 10 fmol limit of detection at a signal/noise ratio of 3. Coefficients of variation are: instrumental, 0.5-2.9%; intra-assay, 5.4+/-0.4%; inter-assay 8.9+/-1.0%. An internal standard (all-trans-4,4-dimethyl-RA) improves accuracy by confirming extraction efficiency and revealing handling-induced isomerization. Tissues of 2-4-month-old C57BL/6 male mice had atRA concentrations of 7-9.6 pmol/g and serum atRA of 1.9+/-0.6 pmol/ml (+/-S.E.M.). Tissue 13-cis-RA ranged from 2.9 to 4.2 pmol/g, and serum 13-cis-RA was 1.2+/-0.3 pmol/ml. CRBP (cellular retinol-binding protein)-null mouse liver had atRA approximately 30% lower than wild-type (P<0.05), but kidney, testis, brain and serum atRA were similar to wild-type. atRA in brain areas of 12-month-old female C57BL/6 mice were (+/-S.E.M.): whole brain, 5.4+/-0.4 pmol/g; cerebellum, 10.7+/-0.3 pmol/g; cortex, 2.6+/-0.4 pmol/g; hippocampus, 8.4+/-1.2 pmol/g; striatum, 15.3+/-4.7 pmol/g. These data provide the first analytically robust quantification of atRA in animal brain and in CRBP-null mice. Direct measurements of endogenous RA should have a substantial impact on investigating target tissues of RA, mechanisms of RA action, and the relationship between RA and chronic disease.

Thrombomodulin Induction by All-trans Retinoic Acid Is Independent of HL-60 Cells Differentiation to Neutrophilic Cells

The expression of thrombomodulin (TM), an antithrombotic factor, was investigated during neutrophilic differentiation of the HL-60 human myeloblastic cell line treated with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Differentiation of the cells into neutrophilic cells progressed in a time- and dose-dependent fashion with ATRA or DMSO, as confirmed by the characteristic appearance of nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction and phagocytic activities, without induction of nonspecific esterase activity. TM antigen and cofactor activity for thrombin-dependent protein C activation were not detected in untreated HL-60 cells and the cells cultured with DMSO, but were expressed in a time-dependent manner in the cells cultured with ATRA. The level of TM expression in the HL-60 cells was not dose-dependent on ATRA concentrations, but maximum TM expression was obtained at 10(-7) M ATRA. TM expression levels decreased in cells cultured with greater than 10(-6) M ATRA, although the extent of cell differentiation into neutrophilic cells progressed at the higher ATRA concentrations. Since the TM antigen levels in the ATRA-treated cells also paralleled the TM mRNA levels, the data suggests that TM induction in the HL-60 cells cultured with ATRA reflected the levels of TM biosynthesis and was independent of HL-60 differentiation into neutrophilic cells. It was postulated that the appearance of TM with cofactor activity in neutrophilic cells differentiated from leukemic cells may contribute to prevention of vascular thrombosis in differentiation therapy of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia by ATRA.