2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin increases reactive oxygen species production in human endothelial cells via induction of cytochrome P4501A1

Studies in our laboratory have demonstrated that subchronic 2,3,7,8,-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) exposure of adult mice results in hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy, and reduced nitric oxide (NO)-mediated vasodilation. Moreover, increased superoxide anion production was observed in cardiovascular organs of TCDD-exposed mice and this increase contributed to the reduced NO-mediated vasodilation. Since cytochrome P4501A1 (CYP1A1) can contribute to some TCDD-induced toxicity, we tested the hypothesis that TCDD increases reactive oxygen species (ROS) in endothelial cells by the induction of CYP1A1. A concentration–response to 24 h TCDD exposure (10 pM–10 nM) was performed in confluent primary human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs). Oxidant-sensitive fluorescent probes dihydroethidium (DHE) and 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA), were used to measure superoxide anion, and hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radical, respectively. NO was also measured using the fluorescent probe diaminofluorescein-2 diacetate (DAF-2DA). These assessments were conducted in HAECs transfected with siRNA targeting the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), CYP1A1, or CYP1B1. TCDD concentration-dependently increased CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 mRNA, protein, and enzyme activity. Moreover, 1 nM TCDD maximally increased DHE (Cont = 1.0 ± 0.3; TCDD = 5.1 ± 1.0; p = 0.002) and DCFH-DA (Cont = 1.0 ± 0.2; TCDD = 4.1 ± 0.5; p = 0.002) fluorescence and maximally decreased DAF-2DA fluorescence (Cont = 1.0 ± 0.4; TCDD = 0.68 ± 0.1). siRNA targeting AhR and CYP1A1 significantly decreased TCDD-induced DHE (siAhR: Cont = 1.0 ± 0.1; TCDD = 1.3 ± 0.2; p = 0.093) (siCYP1A1: Cont = 1.0 ± 0.1; TCDD = 1.1 ± 0.1; p = 0.454) and DCFH-DA (siAhR: Cont = 1.0 ± 0.2; TCDD = 1.3 ± 0.3; p = 0.370) (siCYP1A1: Cont = 1.0 ± 0.1; TCDD = 1.3 ± 0.2; p = 0.114) fluorescence and increased DAF-2DA fluorescence (siAhR: Cont = 1.00 ± 0.03; TCDD = 0.97 ± 0.03; p = 0.481) (siCYP1A1: Cont = 1.00 ± 0.03; TCDD = 0.92 ± 0.03; p = 0.034), while siRNA targeting CYP1B1 did not. These data suggest that TCDD-induced increase in ROS is AhR-dependent and may be mediated, in part, by CYP1A1 induction.