Mechanistic, functional and clinical aspects of pro-inflammatory cytokine mediated regulation of ADME gene expression in 3D human liver spheroids

During systemic inflammation, pro-inflammatory cytokines alter metabolism and transport of drugs affecting the clincal outcome. We used an in vivo like human 3D liver spheroid model to study the effects and mechanisms of pro-inflammatory cytokines on the expression of nine different genes encoding enzymes responsible for the metabolism of > 90% of clinically used drugs. Treatment of spheroids with pathophysiologically relevant concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6 or TNFα resulted in a pronounced decrease in mRNA expression of CYP3A4 and UGT2B10 within 5 h. The reduction of CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19 and CYP2D6 mRNA expression was less pronounced, whereas the pro-inflammatory cytokines caused increased CYP2E1 and UGT1A3 mRNA expression. The cytokines did not influence expression of key nuclear proteins, nor the activities of specific kinases involved in the regulation of genes encoding drug metabolizing enzymes. However, ruxolitinib, a JAK1/2 inhibitor, inhibited the IL-6 dependent increase in CYP2E1 and the decrease in CYP3A4 and UGT2B10 mRNA expression. We evaluated the effect of TNFα in hepatocytes in 2D plates and found a rapid decrease in DME mRNA both in the absence or presence of the cytokines. Taken together, these data suggest that pro-inflammatory cytokines regulate multiple gene- and cytokine-specific events seen in in vivo and in 3D but not in 2D liver models. We propose that the 3D spheroid system is suitable for the prediction of drug metabolism under conditions of inflammation and constitutes a versatile system for short- and long-term pre-clinical and mechanistic studies of cytokine-induced changes in drug metabolism.