The HNF1α-Regulated LncRNA HNF1α-AS1 Is Involved in the Regulation of Cytochrome P450 Expression in Human Liver Tissues and Huh7 Cells

Expression of cytochrome P450s (P450s) is regulated by epigenetic factors, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and noncoding RNAs through different mechanisms. Among these factors, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to play important roles in the regulation of gene expression; however, little is known about the effects of lncRNAs on the regulation of P450 expression. The aim of this study was to explore the role of lncRNAs in the regulation of P450 expression by using human liver tissues and hepatoma Huh7 cells. Through lncRNA microarray analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction in human liver tissues, we found that the lncRNA hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 alpha antisense 1 (HNF1 alpha-AS1), an antisense RNA of HNF1 alpha, is positively correlated with the mRNA expression of CYP2C8, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6, 2E1, and 3A4 as well as pregnane X receptor (PXR) and constitutive androstane receptor (CAR). Gain- and loss-of-function studies in Huh7 cells transfected with small interfering RNAs or overexpression plasmids showed that HNF1 alpha not only regulated the expression of HNF1 alpha-AS1 and P450s, but also regulated the expression of CAR, PXR, and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). In turn, HNF1 alpha-AS1 regulated the expression of PXR and most P450s without affecting the expression of HNF1 alpha, AhR, and CAR. Moreover, the rifampicin-induced expression of P450s was also affected by HNF1 alpha and HNF1 alpha-AS1. In summary, the results of this study suggested that HNF1 alpha-AS1 is involved in the HNF1 alpha-mediated regulation of P450s in the liver at both basal and drug-induced levels.