Effect of Benifuuki Tea on Cytochrome P450-mediated Metabolic Activity in Rats.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Benifuuki tea has recently been used as an alternative therapy for pollinosis, and it may be consumed with pharmaceutical drugs. This study aimed to examine cytochrome P450 (CYP)-mediated food-drug interactions with Benifuuki tea in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The inhibitory effects of Benifuuki tea and (-)-epigallocatechin-3-O-(3-O-methyl) gallate (EGCG3"Me) on CYP activities were evaluated in vitro. Midazolam pharmacokinetics was investigated after two treatments with Benifuuki tea. In an ex vivo study, CYP activities were determined after 1-week-treatment with the tea. RESULTS: Benifuuki tea and EGCG3"Me inhibited CYP2D and CYP3A activities in a concentration-dependent manner in vitro. However, MDZ metabolism did not change by Benifuuki treatment in vivo and ex vivo. In contrast, CYP2D activity was decreased ex vivo. CONCLUSION: Normal intake of Benifuuki tea is not likely to cause food-drug interactions by CYP3A inhibition or induction. In contrast, Benifuuki tea consumption may lead to food-drug interactions through the inhibition of CYP2D.

In vivo inhibition of CYP3A-mediated midazolam metabolism by anchusan in rats.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP)-mediated drug interactions caused by Kampo medicine have not been investigated sufficiently. The current study was conducted to reveal the effect of anchusan, a commonly used Kampo formula for gastrointestinal disease, on CYP3A-mediated drug metabolism in rats. The pharmacokinetics of midazolam (MDZ) was investigated after the single or one-week administration of anchusan (500 mg/kg) to evaluate its inhibitory and inducible effect on CYP3A, respectively. MDZ was administrated 16 h after the last anchsan treatment in the multiple dose study, while their intervals were 2 or 16 h in the single dose study. Unexpectedly, the multiple-pretreatment of anchusan increased the AUC of MDZ by 2.4-fold rather than decreasing it, and the CYP3A contents and activities were unchanged in hepatic and intestinal microsomes of these rats. In contrast, no significant inhibitory effects on MDZ metabolism were observed by the single anchusan pretreatment. In vitro study showed that the preincubation of anchusan and some of its component extracts with rat liver microsomes reduced CYP3A activity in a time- and NADPH-dependent manner. These results suggested that anchusan increased the serum MDZ concentration in rats, at least in part, by the time-dependent inhibition of CYP3A.

Effects of continuous ingestion of herbal teas on intestinal CYP3A in the rat.

Tenryocha, rooibos, and guava teas are widely consumed as herbal beverages, especially as a therapy against pollen allergy. To investigate the possible herbal tea-drug interaction the effect of continuous ingestion of these teas on cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A were studied. Rats (n = 6) were allowed free access to either tea (experimental groups) or water (control) for two weeks. Midazolam (MDZ) (20 mg/kg) was orally administered and the serum concentration was determined. The area under the serum concentration-time curve (AUC(0-infinity)) and the maximum serum concentrations (C(max)) of MDZ were reduced by more than 60% after the treatment of tenryocha and rooibos tea (P<0.05). Intestinal MDZ 1'- and 4-hydroxylation activities mediated by CYP3A were increased in tenryocha and rooibos tea-treated group by 50% compared to the control group, although the results were not statistically significant. Furthermore, the Western blot analysis showed that CYP3A content was significantly increased in the intestine after the treatment of these teas (P<0.05). Hepatic MDZ hydroxylation and CYP3A content were slightly increased by these teas. The results suggested that two weeks ingestion of tenryocha and rooibos tea reduced serum concentration of MDZ by the induction of intestinal CYP3A. The possible interaction between tenryocha or rooibos tea and medicines mediated by CYP3A was suggested.