Ethanol oxidation into acetaldehyde by 16 recombinant human cytochrome P450 isoforms: role of CYP2C isoforms in human liver microsomes.

The involvement of cytochromes P450 (CYPs) in the oxidation of ethanol into acetaldehyde was investigated by using 16 recombinant human CYP isoforms. Apparent K(m) and V(m) were determined for CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP1B1, CYP2A6, CYP2B6, CYP2C8, CYP2C9*1, CYP2C9*2, CYP2C9*3, CYP2C18, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP2E1, CYP2J2, CYP3A4 and CYP4A11. All of the tested CYPs, except CYP2A6 and CYP2C18, metabolized ethanol into significant amounts of acetaldehyde and displayed K(m) values around 10mM. The significant correlation found between ethanol oxidation and CYP2E1, CYP3A4 and CYP1A2 catalytic activities in a panel of human liver microsomes confirmed the strong implication of these CYPs in ethanol metabolism. The contribution of CYP2C isoforms which are the most abundant in the liver after CYP3A4, was studied using selective inhibitors either with recombinant CYP2C isoforms or in human liver microsomes. Tienilic acid (100 microM) and ticlopidine (20 microM), mechanism-based inhibitors of CYP2C9 and CYP2C19, respectively, decreased ethanol oxidation by 8+/-1.2% and 7.6+/-1.6% in human liver microsomal samples while selective inhibitors of CYP2E1 (DEDTC 100 microM), CYP3A4 (TAO 50 microM) and CYP1A2 (furafylline 25 microM) decreased it by 11.9+/-2.1%, 19.8+/-1.9% and 16.3+/-3.9%, respectively. As ethanol can be metabolized by most of CYPs, it helps to explain or predict alcohol-xenobiotics interactions which are of high importance in medical prescription.

Interaction between two probes used for phenotyping cytochromes P4501A2 (caffeine) and P4502E1 (chlorzoxazone) in humans.

The first steps in the metabolism of caffeine and chlorzoxazone are primarily catalysed by CYP1A2 and CYP2E1, respectively. Accordingly, these compounds have been developed as metabolic probes for non-invasive phenotyping of these two P450s. Their specificities, however, have been shown to overlap. In this study, 140 mg of caffeine and 500 mg of chlorzoxazone were administered alone or together in 16 healthy subjects under standardized conditions. The metabolites of these two probes were measured in the blood and also in the urine for caffeine. CYP1A2 activity was determined either by the paraxanthine/caffeine ratio in the blood or by the usual caffeine metabolic ratio in the urine. The CYP2E1 activity was determined by the 6-OH-chlorzoxazone/chlorzoxazone ratio in blood. CYP1A2 activities measured in blood and urine were highly significantly correlated. CYP2E1 activity was not modified when chlorzoxazone was given together with caffeine. In contrast, an inhibition of CYP1A2 by chlorzoxazone was demonstrated by a 16% decrease in the caffeine metabolic ratio in urine when both caffeine and chlorzoxazone were given together. Under the same conditions, the paraxanthine/caffeine ratio in plasma also decreased by about 20%. These results were confirmed in vitro by the incubation of 1 mM caffeine with human hepatic liver microsomes in the presence of 0.4 mM chlorzoxazone. The overall metabolism of caffeine decreased by 38% compared to controls incubated without chlorzoxazone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effect of the length of alkyl chain on the cytochrome P450 dependent metabolism of N-diakylnitrosamines.

Liver microsomes from control and treated rats (P4501A, 2B, 2E1-induced) metabolize at variable metabolic rates eight N-nitroso-di-n-alkylamines, including five symmetrical (N-nitroso-dimethyl, -diethyl, -dipropyl, -dibutyl and -diamyl-amines) and four asymmetrical (N-nitrosomethylethyl, methylpropyl, methylbutyl, and methylamyl-amines), into aldehydes. Thus, the longer the alkyl chain of symmetrical N-nitrosamines, the smaller was the metabolic rate of the corresponding aldehyde formation. The chain length of the alkyl group of N-nitroso-methylalkylamines modified the oxidation of the alkyl moiety: the oxidation by CYP2E1 decreased as the n-alkyl chain length increased and conversely for the oxidation by CYP1A and CYP2B. Finally, the longer the n-alkyl chain length of asymmetrical N-nitrosamines, the greater was the oxidation of methyl groups.

Hydroxylation of carbon atoms of the alkyl chain of symmetrical N-nitrosodialkylamines by rat liver microsomes.

Liver microsomal preparations from control and treated rats (cytochromes P450 1A, 2B, 3A and 2E1-induced) metabolized at variable metabolic rates three nitrosodialkylamines (N-nitroso-dipropyl, dibutyl and diamyl-amines) into aldehydes and hydroxy-nitrosamines. The longer the alkyl chain, the smaller was the metabolic rate of the alpha-hydroxylation of alkyl chain yielding aldehyde and the greater was the metabolic rate of the corresponding (omega-1)-hydroxyl metabolite formation. Thus, the (omega-1) hydroxylation of the alkyl chain was the major metabolic pathway of N-nitrosodiamylamine (NDAA) so far as it represented 22-fold the alpha-hydroxylation. The balance between beta to omega hydroxylation and alpha-hydroxylation depends upon the alkyl chain length and also on specific P450 isoform induction.

Induction of liver and kidney CYP1A1/1A2 by caffeine in rat.

Caffeine metabolism by hepatic microsomal P450 enzymes is well documented in experimental animals and humans. However, its induction effect on P450 enzymes has not been thoroughly studied. In a preliminary experiment, the time-dependent incubation of 1 mM caffeine with rat hepatocyte culture resulted in an increase of its own metabolic rate. The dose-dependent expression of rat hepatic and renal cytochromes (CYP) 1A1/1A2 was then investigated after per os administration of caffeine. P450 expression was monitored by using specific enzymatic activities and Northern blot analysis. Caffeine caused a dose-dependent elevation of hepatic CYP1A1/1A2 activities in microsomal preparations, which ranged from 1.7- to 6-fold for ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase and 3- to 8.9-fold for methoxy-resorufin O-demethylase according to the dose regimen of 50 and 150 mg caffeine/kg/day for 3 days, respectively. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that caffeine treatment increased liver CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 mRNA levels over the dose regimen of 50-150 mg caffeine/kg/day for 3 days, respectively. The result of this study demonstrates that caffeine increases its own metabolism in a dose-dependent manner and induces CYP1A1/1A2 expression through either transcriptional activation or mRNA stabilization.

Noninvolvement of CYP2E1 in the (omega-1)-hydroxylation of fatty acids in rat kidney microsomes.

Pyrazole, acetone, and ethanol are known to induce cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) and fatty acid (omega-1)-hydroxylation in rat liver microsomes. However, the nature of the P450 enzyme involved in this (omega-1)-hydroxylation has not been clearly established in extrahepatic tissues such as kidney. Four enzymatic activities (hydroxylations of chlorzoxazone, 4-nitrophenol, and two fatty acids) were assayed in kidney microsomal preparations of rats treated with CYP2E1 inducers. Per os treatment resulted in large increases (threefold to fivefold) in the chlorzoxazone and 4-nitrophenol hydroxylations, and up to a ninefold increase when ethanol was administered by inhalation. However, neither the omega-hydroxylation nor the (omega-1)-hydroxylation of fatty acids was modified. Immunoinhibition specific to CYP2E1 did not significantly decrease the omega and (omega-1)-lauric acid hydroxylations, while the polyclonal anti-CYP4A1 antibody inhibited in part both the omega- and (omega-1)-hydroxylations. Chemical inhibitions using either CYP2E1 competitive inhibitors (such as chlorzoxazone, DMSO, and ethanol) or P450 mechanism-based inhibitors (such as diethyldithiocarbamate and 17-octadecynoic acid) led to a partial inhibition of the hydroxylations. All these results suggest that fatty acid (omega-1)-hydroxylation, a highly specific probe for CYP2E1 in rat and human liver microsomes, is not mediated by CYP2E1 in rat kidney microsomes. In contrast to liver, where two different P450 enzymes are involved in fatty acid omega- and (omega-1)-hydroxylations, the same P450 enzyme, mainly a member of the CYP4A family, was involved in both hydroxylations in rat renal microsomes.

Identification of the cytochrome P450 IIIA family as the enzymes involved in the N-demethylation of tamoxifen in human liver microsomes.

The antiestrogen tamoxifen (Tam or Nolvadex, ICI)-Z-1-[4-[2-(dimethylamino) ethoxy]phenyl]-1,2-diphenyl-1-butene is widely used in treatment of hormone-dependent breast cancer. The drug is extensively metabolized by cytochrome P450 dependent hepatic mixed function oxidase in man, yielding mainly the N-desmethyl metabolite (DMT). This study has been carried out to determine the P450 enzyme involved in the N-oxidative demethylation of Tam in microsomal samples from 25 human livers (23 adults, two children). This metabolic step was inhibited by carbon monoxide up to 75%. Tam was demethylated into DMT with an apparent Km of 98 +/- 10 microM; rates varied between 37 and 446 pmol/min/mg microsomal protein. These metabolic rates were strongly correlated with 6 beta-hydroxylation of testosterone (r = 0.83) and erythromycin N-demethylase (r = 0.75), both activities known to be associated with P450 IIIA enzyme. To further assess whether or not the Tam demethylation pathway is catalysed by the same P450, the inhibitory effect of TST on this reaction was determined. The competitive inhibition had an apparent Ki of 100 +/- 10 microM. Drugs such as erythromycin, cyclosporin, nifedipine and diltiazem were shown to inhibit in vitro the metabolism of tamoxifen. Furthermore the P450 IIIA content of liver microsomal samples, measured by Western blot technique using a monoclonal P450NF (nifedipine) antibody, was strongly correlated with DMT formation (r = 0.87). Tam N-demethylase activity was inhibited by more than 65% with polyclonal anti-human anti-P450NF. All these in vitro observations establish that a P450 enzyme of the IIIA sub-family is involved in the oxidative demethylation of tamoxifen in human liver.

Involvement of cytochrome P450 3A enzyme family in the major metabolic pathways of toremifene in human liver microsomes.

The anti-estrogen toremifen-Fc-1157a or 4-chloro-1,2-diphenyl-1-[4-[2(N,N-dimethylamino)ethoxy]-phenyl]-1- butene is now used for the treatment of breast cancer. This drug is extensively metabolized by cytochrome P450 dependent hepatic mixed function oxidase in man, yielding mainly the N-demethyl-(DMTOR), 4-hydroxy-(4OH-TOR) and deamino-hydroxy-(TOR III) toremifene metabolites. The specific forms of cytochrome P450 involved in these oxidation reactions were examined in 32 human liver microsomal preparations previously characterized with respect to their contents of several known P450 enzymes. Toremifene was demethylated with an apparent Km of 124 microM while it was hydroxylated with an apparent Km of 139 microM. The metabolic rates were 71 +/- 56, 13 +/- 9 and 15 +/- 4 pmol/min/mg microsomal protein, respectively, for DMTOR, 4-OH-TOR and TOR III. The N-demethylation activity was strongly correlated with estradiol 2-hydroxylation (r = 0.75), nifedipine oxidation (r = 0.86), tamoxifen N-demethylation (r = 0.73), testosterone 6 beta-hydroxylation (r = 0.78) and erythromycin N-demethylation (r = 0.84), all these monooxygenase activities known to be supported by CYP3A4 isoform. Furthermore, the CYP3A content of liver microsomal samples, measured by western blot analysis using a monoclonal anti-human CYP3A4 antibody, was strongly correlated with DMTOR formation (r = 0.80). Compounds such as cyclosporin, triacetyl-oleandomycin and testosterone inhibited the N-demethylation of toremifene metabolism at 80, 89 and 56% vs control, respectively, while the formation of TOR III was inhibited at 78, 82 and 73% vs control and the 4-hydroxylation pathway was inhibited no more than about 50% vs control. Prior incubation of microsomes with 100 microM gestodene, known to be a selective mechanism-based inhibitor of CYP3A4 in the presence of NADPH, led to 76 +/- 6 and 76 +/- 5% (N = 5 samples) reductions in the N-demethylation and formation of TOR III, respectively. Polyclonal antibody directed against human CYP3A enzymes inhibited formation of DMTOR and TOR III by 60 and 46%, respectively. The metabolism of toremifene was not activated by alpha-naphthoflavone. Finally, the use of yeasts genetically engineered for expression of human P4501A1, 1A2, 2C9 and 3A4 allowed us to demonstrate that DMTOR and TOR III formations are mediated by P4501A and 3A4 enzymes and by contrast these enzymes are not involved in the 4-hydroxylation pathway.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Nature of cytochromes P450 involved in the 2-/4-hydroxylations of estradiol in human liver microsomes.

Kinetics of the 2- and 4-hydroxylations of estradiol (E2) by human liver microsomal samples were studied to determine the major P450 isoform involved in these endogenous reactions. Thirty human liver microsomal samples were analysed. Metabolism of 25 microM [14C]E2 produced 2-hydroxy and 4-hydroxy derivatives with a ratio of 3.2 +/- 1.5 and a great inter-individual variation. Kinetic analysis of the 2- and 4-hydroxylations of E2 exhibited a curvilinear double reciprocal plot with an apparent Km of 15 microM. Further experiments demonstrated that alpha-naphthoflavone, testosterone and progesterone increased the 2-hydroxylation activity, suggesting the involvement of a substrate activation mechanism. These two hydroxylations of E2 were shown to be catalysed by cytochrome P450 with an apparent dissociation constant Ks of 0.8 microM. These 2- and 4-hydroxylations inter-correlated significantly (r = 0.93; N = 30). The 2-hydroxylation of E2 correlated with four monooxygenase activities known to be supported by P450 3A4/3A5, namely nifedipine oxidation (r = 0.78; N = 29); erythromycin N-demethylation (r = 0.69; N = 27), testosterone 6 beta-hydroxylation (r = 0.66; N = 25) and tamoxifen N-demethylation (r = 0.64; N = 29). On the other hand, E2-hydroxylations did not correlate with activities supported by P450 1A2 and P450 2E1. Furthermore, drugs as cyclosporin, diltiazem, triacetyl-oleandomycin and 17 alpha-ethynylestradiol inhibited more than 90% of the E2-hydroxylations at concentrations < 250 microM, while weak inhibition was shown with 500 microM cimetidine and no significant inhibition with caffeine, phenacetin and omeprazole. Finally, 2- and 4-hydroxylations of E2 correlated significantly with the content of P450 3A4/3A5 immunodetected by a monoclonal antibody anti-human P450-nifedipine (r = 0.84; N = 28). E2-hydroxylation activities were inhibited by more than 80% with polyclonal anti-human anti-P450-nifedipine. Preincubation of human liver microsomes with 100 microM gestodene (a suicide substrate of P450 3A4) inactivated this P450 isoform and accordingly allowed evaluation of the contribution of other P450 isoforms to the E2 metabolism to about 21% (+/- 17%, N = 29). All these results taken together suggest that P450 3A4/3A5 are the major forms involved in the formation of catecholestrogens in the human liver microsomes.

Validation of the (omega-1)-hydroxylation of lauric acid as an in vitro substrate probe for human liver CYP2E1.

The (omega-1)-hydroxylation of lauric acid (11-OH-LA), a model substrate of fatty acids, was previously shown to be due to CYP2E1 in rat liver microsomes. The present study examined changes in hepatic CYP2E1 content and 11-OH-LA in a panel of 29 human liver microsomes. The 11-OH-LA activity was strongly correlated with the CYP2E1 content, quantitated by immunoblot (r = 0.75) and with four monooxygenase activities known to be mediated by CYP2E1: chlorzoxazone-6-hydroxylation (r = 0.73), 4-nitrophenol hydroxylation (r = 0.84), N-nitrosodimethylamine demethylation (r = 0.79) and n-butanol oxidation (r = 0.73). The (omega-1)-hydroxylation of lauric acid was inhibited by ethanol (Ki = 3.5 mM), acetone (IC50 = 10 mM) dimethylsulfoxide, chlorzoxazone (competitive inhibitors of CYP2E1), diethyldithiocarbamate, and diallylsulfide (both selective mechanism-based inactivators of CYP2E1). The weak value of ethanol Ki on the (omega-1)-hydroxylation of lauric acid suggested that low levels of alcohol could modify fatty acid metabolism in the liver. Furafylline and gestodene, suicide substrates of CYP1A and CYP3A4, respectively, did not modify the 11-hydroxylation of lauric acid. Polyclonal antibody directed against rat CYP2E1 inhibited the formation of 11-OH-LA without affecting 12-OH-LA activity. Taken together, these results suggest that CYP2E1 is involved in the (omega-1)-hydroxylation of lauric acid in human liver microsomes, and omega-hydroxylation is mediated by another enzyme. Finally, the use of yeasts and mammalian cells genetically engineered for expression of 9 human P450s demonstrated that CYP2E1 was the one enzyme involved in the (omega-1)-hydroxylation of lauric acid.

Methylcholanthrene but not phenobarbital enhances caffeine and theophylline metabolism in cultured adult human hepatocytes.

Biotransformation of caffeine and theophylline and the effect of two well-known inducers of P-450 isozymes, namely phenobarbital (PB) and methylcholanthrene (3-MC) were studied in cultured hepatocytes from six human adult donors. Hepatocytes co-cultured with rat liver epithelial cells maintained a higher metabolic capacity than pure cultures. PB treatment of cultured hepatocytes for 3 days slightly increased the rate of caffeine metabolism 1.4 +/- 0.5-fold (N = 6) vs controls, and theophylline metabolism 1.2 +/- 0.4-fold (N = 6), whereas 3-MC treatment increased metabolism markedly 5.8 +/- 2.3- and 3.3 +/- 1.1-fold (N = 6) vs controls for caffeine and theophylline, respectively. Paraxanthine and theophylline formations from caffeine were the most induced by 3-MC. Their increase was significantly correlated (rs = 0.89, P less than 0.007) but not with TB formation, suggesting that at least two isozymes of the P-450IA family are involved in the first demethylations of caffeine. In addition, the N-1 demethylation of theophylline (mean increase of 554% vs controls) was not correlated with the N-1 demethylation of caffeine (mean to increase 247% vs controls) for the same donor after 3-MC treatment, suggesting that these two demethylations are mediated by a different P-450.

Cytochrome P450 4A and 2E1 expression in human kidney microsomes.

Laurate and arachidonate omega and (omega-1)-hydroxylase activities, cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1), and CYP4A content were measured in 18 human kidney microsomal samples. The rates of laurate and arachidonate were found to be very different from those measured in human liver samples, with a laurate omega/omega-1 ratio of approximately 22 in human kidney vs 0.75 in human liver. Immunoblot analysis of the 18 human kidney microsomal samples identified 1 CYP4A electrophoretic band, but CYP2E1 was not detectable in human kidney, contrary to liver. Laurate and arachidonate omega-hydroxylase activities were significantly correlated with CYP4A content (r = 0.86 and 0.75, respectively). Polyclonal antirat CYP2E1 antibody did not affect omega-hydroxylase activity, whereas the polyclonal antirat CYP4A1 antibody inhibited it by 60%. These results suggest that, in contrast to other species, human kidney microsomes do not contain significant amounts of CYP2E1, but possess CYP4A and fatty acid omega-hydroxylase activity.

Interaction of methadone with substrates of human hepatic cytochrome P450 3A4.

Methadone, a synthetic drug, is one of the most widely used drugs for opiate dependency treatment. This drug has been demonstrated to be extensively metabolized by cytochrome P450 3A4 in human liver microsomes. Thus, the aim of this in vitro study was to determine if methadone is an inhibitor of other P450s characterized by their specific catalytic activities. Enzymatic activities specific to P450 2E1, P450 1A, P450 2B and P450 2C were not inhibited by methadone. Conversely, nifedipine oxidation, mediated by cytochrome P450 3A4, was potently inhibited by methadone by a mixed-type inhibition mechanism with a Ki of 100 microM. Fluvoxamine, a new antidepressant, was shown to be a potent mixed-type inhibitor of methadone N-demethylation with a Ki of 7 microM. Finally, methadone appears to be a mixed-type inhibitor and not a suicide inhibitor of cytochrome P450 3A family. Accordingly, caution should be advised in the clinical use of methadone when other drugs are administered that are able to induce or inhibit P450 3A4, such as rifampicin or nifedipine, diazepam and fluvoxamine.

Caffeine increases its own metabolism through cytochrome P4501A induction in rats.

Caffeine is one of the most widely used - and maybe abused - xenobiotic compounds in the world. If numerous pharmacological properties of caffeine have been reported, the effects of caffeine treatment on the hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme system have been scarcely studied. Pretreatment of rats for 3 days with 150 mg/kg/day of caffeine dramatically increased P4501A and P4502B dependent catalytic activities determined in vitro. Furthermore, N-demethylations and C-8 oxidation of caffeine were increased by about 2 fold by caffeine treatment. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that the liver contents of P4501A2 and P4502B1/2B2, known to be involved in these monooxygenase activities, increased also by about 2 fold. Cytochrome P4503A1 and 2E1 were not modified. Taken together, there data suggest that caffeine increases its own metabolism through P4501A induction.

Involvement of cytochrome P450 3A4 in N-dealkylation of buprenorphine in human liver microsomes.

Buprenorphine is a long acting analgesic of the opiate family. Recently, it has been proposed for the opioid dependency treatment at a large scale. The drug is extensively metabolized by the hepatic cytochrome P450 in man, yielding a N-dealkylated metabolite, norbuprenorphine. The specific forms of P450 involved in this oxidative N-demethylation were examined in a panel of 18 human liver microsomal preparations previously characterized with respect to their P450 contents. Buprenorphine was N-dealkylated with an apparent Km of 89 +/- 45 microM (n = 3). The metabolic rates were 3.46 +/- 0.43 nmol/(min x mg of protein). This metabolic pathway was strongly correlated with 6 catalytic activities specific to P450 3A4 and with the immunodetectable P450 3A content of liver microsomal samples (r = 0.87). Buprenorphine metabolism was 62-71% inhibited by three mechanism-based inhibitors (TAO, erythralosamine, gestodene), by nifedipine as competitive inhibitor (Ki = 129 microM) and by ketoconazole 0.6 microM (25% residual activity), all these inhibitors specific to P450 3A. Among 10 heterologously expressed P450s tested, only P450 3A4 was able to dealkylate buprenorphine with a turnover number of 9.6 min(-1). Morever, this catalytic activity was inhibited up to 80% (vs control) by anti-rat P450 3A antibody. Taken together, all these data demonstrate that P450 3A4 is the major enzyme involved in hepatic buprenorphine N-dealkylation.

Analysis of N-nitrosamines by high-performance liquid chromatography with post-column photohydrolysis and colorimetric detection.

N-Nitrosamines eluted from reversed-phase HPLC were quantitatively photohydrolysed in a UV photoreactor in aqueous solution to give the nitrite ion which could be determined colorimetrically with the Griess reagent. The chromatographic behavior of N-nitroso compounds (including 19 volatile dialkyl and 7 non-volatile N-nitrosamines) was studied on three octadecylsilane columns. The capacity factor varies linearly with the number of carbons atom of the n-dialkyl chains. N-nitrosamines bearing di-n-alkyl chains with the same number of carbon atoms could be separated with a highly polar mobile phase. The yield of photohydrolysis depends upon pH and time of exposure under UV light. The response was shown to be linear in the 0-200 ng range with a limit of detection of 8 pmoles injected for N-dialkyl nitrosamines. This limit was 20 pmoles for N-nitrosamines bearing two phenyl groups. Although N-nitrosamines could be detected at 230 nm without post-column reaction, such a reaction enhances the specificity of detection in biological matrices such as gastric juice or alcoholic beverages.

In vitro interactions between fluoxetine or fluvoxamine and methadone or buprenorphine.

Methadone and buprenorphine, widely used in the treatment of opioid abuse, are metabolized by cytochrome P450 3A4, while fluoxetine and fluvoxamine, both selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, are known to be P450 2D6 and 3A4 inhibitors in vitro. This study deals with the in vitro interactions between methadone or buprenorphine and fluoxetine or fluvoxamine. Fluoxetine inhibited methadone N-demethylation (Ki = 55 microM), but conversely did not inhibit buprenorphine dealkylation. Norfluoxetine inhibited the metabolism of both methadone and buprenorphine metabolisms (Ki 13 and 100 microM, respectively). Fluvoxamine inhibited methadone N-demethylation with a Ki of 7 microM and buprenorphine dealkylation, uncompetitively, with a Ki of 260 microM. Finally, these results suggest that care should be taken when selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are administered in the treatment of drug craving. This is particularly true in the case of fluvoxamine which is more potent than fluoxetine in inhibiting methadone and buprenorphine metabolism.

Inhibition of CYP3A, CYP1A and CYP2E1 activities by resveratrol and other non volatile red wine components.

Resveratrol (RESV), present at concentrations of about 10 microM in red wine, has been found to inhibit events associated with tumor initiation, promotion and progression. The mechanism involved could be the inhibition of activities catalyzed by cytochromes P450 (CYPs), which activate procarcinogens. This led us to investigate the inhibitory effect of RESV on CYP1A, CYP2E1 and CYP3A enzymatic activities and to compare it to that of non volatile compounds present in red wine. Red wine solids (RWS) were prepared by evaporating one volume of red wine to dryness followed by reconstitution with five volumes of buffer (20% natural strength). CYP activities were determined in microsomes from rat liver, human liver or cells containing cDNA-expressed CYPs. Testosterone, chlorzoxazone, and ethoxyresorufin were used as selective substrates for CYP3A, CYP2E1 and CYP1A1/1A2, respectively. RESV and RWS were found to be irreversible (probably mechanism-based) inhibitors for CYP3A4 and non competitive reversible inhibitors for CYP2E1. Their inhibitory potency was assessed using IC(50) values that were found within 4-150 microM for RESV and 0.3-9% natural strength for RWS. Non volatile compounds of other beverages such as white wine, grape juice or Xtra Old Cognac(R) displayed lower inhibitory effect on CYP activities than RWS. When considering the concentration of RESV in red wine (2 microM for 20% natural strength), it appears that RSW inhibitory effect was not only due to RESV, but also to other compounds whose identification would prove to be worthwhile because of their possible chemopreventive properties.

Interspecies variations in fatty acid hydroxylations involving cytochromes P450 2E1 and 4A.

The liver microsomal fractions of seven mammalian species including rat, dog, monkey, hamster, mouse, gerbil and humans, catalyzed the hydroxylation of saturated (lauric, myristic and palmitic) and unsaturated (oleic and linoleic) fatty acids to the corresponding omega and (omega-1)-hydroxylated derivatives, while stearic acid was not metabolized. Lauric acid was the most efficiently hydroxylated, and the rank of catalytic activity was lauric > myristic > oleic > palmitic > linoleic. Among the mammalian species studied, mouse and hamster presented the highest level of fatty acid omega and (omega-1)-hydroxylases, while the lowest activity was observed in dog and monkey. In all the animal species, the (omega-1)-hydroxylation of fatty acids correlated significantly with the immunodetectable content of CYP2E1 and the 4-nitrophenol hydroxylation activity, known to be mediated by cytochrome P450 2E1. On the contrary, only the omega-hydroxylation of lauric acid slighly correlated with the level of cytochrome P450 4A, while no significant correlation was found with the omega-hydroxylation of the other fatty acids. Furthermore, chemical and immuno-inhibitions of the hydroxylations of fatty acids led to the conclusion that fatty acid (omega-1)-hydroxylase activity is catalyzed by P450 2E1 in all the mammalian species, while the fatty acid omega-hydroxylase activity may be catalyzed by cytochromes P450 from the 4A family. Therefore, lauric acid (omega-1)-hydroxylation along with 4-nitrophenol hydroxylation can be used as a specific and sensitive method to measure the level of CYP2E1 induction in humans and various animals.

Human cytochrome P450 2A6 is the major enzyme involved in the metabolism of three alkoxyethers used as oxyfuels.

Methyl t-butyl ether (MTBE), ethyl t-butyl ether (ETBE), and t-amyl methyl ether (TAME) are three alkoxyethers added to gasoline to improve combustion and thereby to reduce the level of carbon monoxide and aromatic hydrocarbons in automobile exhaust. Oxidative demethylation of MTBE and TAME and deethylation of ETBE by CYP enzymes results in the formation of tertiary alcohols and aldehydes, both potentially toxic. The metabolism of these three alkoxyethers was studied in a panel of 12 human liver microsomes. The relatively low apparent Km(1) was 0.25+/-0.17 (mean+/-SD), 0.11+/-0.08 and 0.10+/-0.07 mM and the high apparent Km(2) was 2.9+/-1.8, 5.0+/-2.7 and 1.7+/-1.0 mM for MTBE, ETBE and TAME, respectively. Kinetic data, correlation studies, chemical inhibition and metabolism by heterologously expressed human CYPs support the assertion that the major enzyme involved in MTBE, ETBE and TAME metabolisms is CYP2A6, with a minor contribution of CYP3A4 at low substrate concentration.