Structure and function relationship study of allium organosulfur compounds on upregulating the pi class of glutathione S-transferase expression.

Allium organosulfides are potential chemopreventive compounds due to their effectiveness on the induction of phase II detoxification enzyme expression. In this study, we examined the structure and function relationship among various alk(en)yl sulfides on the expression of the pi class of glutathione S-transferase (GSTP) in rat Clone 9 cells, and what mechanism is involved. Cells were treated with 300 μM dipropyl sulfide (DPS), dipropyl disulfide (DPDS), propyl methyl sulfide (PMS), and propyl methyl disulfide (PMDS) for 48 h. DPDS and PMDS displayed more potency on GSTP protein and mRNA induction than that of DPS and PMS. Next, we compared the effectiveness of DPDS, PMDS, and diallyl disulfide (DADS), which have the same number of sulfur atoms but differ in the side alk(en)yl groups. The maximum increases on protein expression, mRNA level, and enzyme activity were noted in cells treated with DADS, followed by DPDS and PMDS. A reporter assay showed that three disulfides increased GSTP enhancer I (GPE I) activity (P < 0.05) in the order DADS > DPDS ≥ PMDS. Electromobility gel shift assays showed that the DNA binding of GPE I to nuclear proteins reached a maximum at 1 to 3 h after alk(en)yl disulfide treatment. Supershift assay revealed that c-jun bound to GPE I. Silencing of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 2 expression inhibited c-jun activation and GSTP induction. Results suggest that both the type of alk(en)yl groups and number of sulfur atoms are determining factors of allium organosulfides on inducing GSTP expression, and it is likely related to the ERK-c-Jun-GPE I pathway.