Effect of Glycyrrhizae Radix on the Expression of UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase-1A1 (UGT1A1) in Rat Liver

Licorice has been widely used in combination with other herbs or synthetic drugs for various disorders. In an effort to study the effect of licorice roots (Glycyrrhizae Radix, GR) and glycyrrhizin on the hepatic glucuronidation, we have previously found that the pretreatment of GR or glycyrrhizin for 6 days resulted in a marked increase in the enzymatic activity of 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC)-inducible hepatic UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) isozyme that has high affinity toward phenolic substrates (p-nitrophenol form, UGTIA) in Sprague-Dawley rats. As an approach to elucidate the mechanism for the enzyme activation by licorice in rat liver, we examined the levels of hepatocellular mRNAs for UGTIA upon the treatment of GR or glycyrrhizin. The hepatic mRNAs were extracted from Sprague-Dawley rats and Wistar rats after the treatment of the methanol extract of GR (1 g/kg, p.o.), glycyrrhizin (23 mg/kg, p.o.) for 6 days, or 3-MC (40 mg/kg, i.p.) for 3 days. Using the UGT1A1 CDNA as a probe, we found that the mRNAs for the enzyme were induced by 3-MC treatment while those were influenced neither by GR nor by glycyrrhizin in both strains of rats. These results indicate that the activation of rat liver UGTI A by licorice and glycyrrhizin was not due to the induction of mRNAs for the enzyme.