Effects of DIMBOA on detoxification enzymes of the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi (Homoptera: aphididae).

The presence of glutathione transferases and esterase activity was investigated in Rhopalosiphum padi and the effects of the cereal hydroxamic acid, 2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one (DIMBOA) on these detoxification enzymes was studied. Activity of glutathione S-transferases and general esterases was determined for adult aphids feeding on a natural diet lacking DIMBOA and on an artificial DIMBOA-containing diet for 48 hours. In vivo, DIMBOA in the diet inhibited the activities of esterases by 50-75% at all concentrations tested (0.5-4 mM). The activity of glutathione transferase was inhibited to a lesser extent (30%) at the higher concentrations of DIMBOA. In vitro, DIMBOA generally inhibited the activity of esterases with an IC(50) of 33 micro M, and had a slight inhibitory effect on glutathione S-transferases. These effects of DIMBOA could make the aphids vulnerable to electrophilic agents and insecticides which may be metabolized via esterases and GSTs. In cereals, therefore, DIMBOA may act by interfering with esterase- or GST-mediated detoxification of xenobiotics by aphids.

Proposed reductive metabolism of artemisinin by glutathione transferases in vitro.

Artemisinin is a sesquiterpene lactone containing an endoperoxide bridge. It is a promising new antimalarial and is particularly useful against the drug resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum. It has unique antimalarial properties since it acts through the generation of free radicals that alkylate parasite proteins. Since the antimalarial action of the drug is antagonised by glutathione and ascorbate and has unusual pharmacokinetic properties in humans, we have investigated if the drug is broken down by a typical reductive reaction in the presence of glutathione transferases. Cytosolic glutathione transferases (GSTs) detoxify electrophilic xenobiotics by catalysing the formation of glutathione (GSH) conjugates and exhibit glutathione peroxidase activity towards hydroperoxides. Artemisinin was incubated with glutathione, NADPH and glutathione reductase and GSTs in a coupled assay system analogous to the standard assay scheme with cumene hydroperoxide as a substrate of GSTs. Artemisinin was shown to stimulate NADPH oxidation in cytosols from rat liver, kidney, intestines and in affinity purified preparations of GSTs from rat liver. Using human recombinant GSTs hetelorogously expressed in Escherichia coli, artemisinin was similarly shown to stimulate NADPH oxidation with the highest activity observed with GST M1-1. Using recombinant GSTs the activity of GSTs with artemisinin was at least two fold higher than the reaction with CDNB. Considering these results, it is possible that GSTs may contribute to the metabolism of artemisinin in the presence of NADPH and GSSG-reductase. We propose a model, based on the known reactions of GSTs and sesquiterpenes, in which (1) artemisinin reacts with GSH resulting in oxidised glutathione; (2) the oxidised glutathione is then converted to reduced glutathione via glutathione reductase; and (3) the latter reaction may then result in the depletion of NADPH via GSSG-reductase. The ability of artemisinin to react with GSH in the presence of GST may be responsible for the NADPH utilisation observed in vitro and suggests that cytosolic GSTs are likely to be contributing to metabolism of artemisinin and related drugs in vivo.

Genetic polymorphism of CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 in east- and southern African populations including psychiatric patients.

OBJECTIVES: The study was carried out to investigate the distribution of cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) and CYP2C19 genotype frequencies in three African populations and to compare these frequencies between healthy individuals and psychiatric patients. METHODS: Three hundred and eighty-four subjects from South Africa (Venda), Tanzania, and Zimbabwe who consented to the study were genotyped for CYP2D6 (CYP2D6*1, *2, *3, *4, *5, and *17) and CYP2C19 (CYP2C19*1, *2, and *3) by PCR-RFLP (polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism) techniques. RESULTS: The genotypes for CYP2D6 predicted a poor metabolizer frequency of 2.3% (2/88) in Tanzanian psychiatric patients, 1.9% (2/106) in Tanzanian healthy controls and 2.6% (2/76) in the South African Venda. The low-activity CYP2D6*17 allele frequency was higher in psychiatric patients (30%, 53/176) than in healthy individuals (20%, 43/212) in Tanzanians. The frequencies for CYP2C19*2 genotypes were predictive of a low prevalence of poor metabolizers (PMs). The CYP2C19*3 allele was absent in the three populations studied. There was no difference in CYP2D6 or CYP2C19 PM genotype frequencies between psychiatric patients and healthy subjects. CONCLUSION: The genotype results predict a low prevalence of people with deficient CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 activity among linguistically (Bantu) related populations of East and Southern Africa. The high frequency of the low-activity CYP2D6*17 allele predicts that the Bantu people have a reduced capacity to metabolise drugs that are CYP2D6 substrates.

Application of higher throughput screening (HTS) inhibition assays to evaluate the interaction of antiparasitic drugs with cytochrome P450s.

In this study we have evaluated the application and reliability of using fluorescence (FLUO)-based high throughput screening assays with recombinant CYPs (rCYP). This was accomplished by screening 29 clinically important antiparasitic drugs for inhibition of the five major drug-metabolizing CYPs (-1A2, -2C9, -2C19, -2D6, and -3A4). Data from FLUO/rCYP assays were compared with that obtained by conventional HPLC assays using human liver microsomes (HLM) and rCYPs. The K(i) values showed good correlations: FLUO/rCYP and HPLC/rCYP (r(2) = 0.81), HPLC/rCYP and HPLC/HLM (r(2) = 0.82), and FLUO/rCYP and HPLC/HLM (r(2) = 0.72). Niclosamide had substrate-dependent contrasting effects on CYP2C9 activity with an apparent activation (400%) of 7-methoxy-4-trifluoromethylcoumarin demethylase activity and potent inhibition (K(i) = 6.00 microM) of diclofenac 4-hydroxylase activity. Potent inhibitors of CYP1A2 were artemisinin, dihydroartemisinin, thiabendazole, primaquine, and niclosamide (K(i) = 0.43, 3.67, 1.54, 0.22, and 2.70 microM, respectively). Proguanil, cycloguanil, amodiaquine, and desethylamodiaquine inhibited CYP2D6 (K(i) = 6.76, 5.97, 2.1, and 4.13 microM, respectively). Considering the C(max) of these drugs, artemisinin, thiabendazole, primaquine, amodiaquine, and desethylamodiaquine may cause clinically important interactions because they are predicted to inhibit 67 to 99% of the activities of the CYPs they interact with. In addition, our results suggest CYP1A2 inhibition as the mechanism behind the observed thiabendazole/theophylline and primaquine/antipyrine interactions in vivo.

Primaquine alters antioxidant enzyme profiles in rat liver and kidney.

The effects of primaquine treatment on antioxidant enzyme activities were investigated in rat liver and kidney. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with 0.21 mg/kg daily for two weeks (chronic treatment) or a single dose at 0.21 or 0.63 mg/kg. Antioxidant enzyme activities were determined in liver and kidney cytosolic fractions whereas glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were determined in tissue samples. Results for the liver showed increases in cytosolic superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) enzymatic activities after chronic primaquine treatment. Levels of MDA, a marker for lipid peroxidation, were also increased by more than 50% indicating enhanced oxidative damage in the liver. In the single dose study, 0.63 mg/kg primaquine caused a more than 100% increase in liver SOD and a 36% increase in NAD (P) H: quinone oxidoreductase (NQOR) activities. Results for the kidney, however, showed fewer primaquine-induced changes in antioxidant enzyme activities when compared to the liver in both the chronic and single dose studies. Overall, our results indicate that primaquine treatment causes an oxidative stress in the two rat organs. These results are consistent with the known pro-oxidant effects of primaquine in vivo, and supplement current knowledge on the effects of antimalarial drugs on various enzyme systems.

Effects of chloroquine treatment on antioxidant enzymes in rat liver and kidney.

The effect of chloroquine (CHQ) administration on antioxidant enzymes in rat liver and kidney was studied. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered 20 mg/kg CHQ once a week for 4 weeks (chronic treatment) or a single dose at 10 or 20 mg/kg (acute treatment). Antioxidant enzyme activities were determined in cytosolic fractions of liver and kidney, whereas reduced glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined in tissue samples. Results indicate minimal effects of acute CHQ treatment, whereas chronic treatment with CHQ differentially affected antioxidant enzymes in the two organs. Superoxide dismutase activity was increased nearly twofold, while activities of selenium glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase, and NAD (P) H: quinone oxidoreductase were decreased in livers of CHQ-treated rats compared to controls. No significant effects of CHQ on glutathione reductase, GSH, and MDA levels were seen in the liver. Fewer effects of CHQ were observed in the kidney where a decrease in GPX activity and an increase in MDA levels was seen. Lowering of antioxidant enzymes activities in the liver by CHQ could render the organ more susceptible to subsequent oxidative stress; while increased MDA production after CHQ treatment in the kidney indicate that the organ is being subjected to oxidative stress. This could have implications for prolonged chloroquine intake.

Genetic polymorphism of drug metabolising enzymes in African populations: implications for the use of neuroleptics and antidepressants.

Metabolism of most drugs influences their pharmacological and toxicological effects. Drugs particularly affected are those with a narrow therapeutic window and that are subjected to considerable first-pass metabolism. Much of the interindividual and interethnic differences in effects of drugs is now attributable to genetic differences in their metabolism. Genetic polymorphisms have been described for many drug-metabolising enzymes in Caucasian and Oriental populations, the most well-characterised being those for cytochrome P450 2D6, cytochrome P450 2C19, glutathione S-transferases, and N-acetyl transferase 2. African populations have been studied to a lesser extent, but it is apparent that populations within Africa are heterogeneous with respect to these polymorphisms. In addition, although some allelic variants are common to all populations throughout the world (e.g., CYP2D6*5), some allelic variants are specific for an African population (e.g., CYP2D6*17). The polymorphisms give rise to enzymes with changed or no activity towards drug substrates. Two of the most important enzymes for metabolism of neuroleptics and other psychoactive drugs are CYP2D6 and CYP2C19. This article compares the current information on polymorphisms of these two enzymes in African and other populations and discusses the implications of these polymorphisms for neuropharmacotherapy.

Phenotyping of the glutathione S-transferase M1 polymorphism in Zimbabweans and the effects of chloroquine on blood glutathione S-transferases M1 and A.

The frequency of the null allele phenotype of glutathione S-transferase (GST) M1 was investigated in 114 Zimbabweans and results for a subset of 63 subjects were compared with genotyping by PCR. In addition, the effect of the antimalarial chloroquine on blood levels of GSTM1 and GSTA in 19 subjects was studied. Quantification of GSTs was by enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Thirty percent of the subjects were of the GSTM1 null phenotype. Comparison of results of phenotyping by ELISA and genotyping by PCR showed that 16% of samples were in discordance; unknown mutations in the GSTM1 gene in the Zimbabwean population may explain this observation. Chloroquine decreased levels of blood GSTM1 and GSTA by 50% or more. In populations treated with chloroquine, these decreases in GST activities might lead to compromised ability to detoxify xenobiotics, could confound GSTM1 phenotyping and might invalidate use of GSTA as an indicator of liver damage.

Lack of effect of chloroquine on the debrisoquine (CYP2D6 and S-mephenytoin (CYP2C19) hydroxylation phenotypes.

The effects of chloroquine (CHQ) on debrisoquine hydroxylase (CYP2D6) and S-mephenytoin hydroxylase (CYP2C19) were assessed in 11 black Zimbabwean and 12 white Swedish healthy volunteers. The activity of CYP2D6 was measured as the urinary debrisoquine to 4-hydroxydebrisoquine metabolic ratio and that of CYP2C19 as the urinary S- to R-mephenytoin enantiomer ratio (S/R). There were no statistically significant differences in either metabolic ratio as a result of prophylactic or loading doses of CHQ. This indicates that CHQ does not inhibit CYP2D6 or CYP2C19 in vivo and is unlikely to compromise the metabolism of substrates for these two enzymes. It is, therefore, also unlikely that residual CHQ in populations under study will interfere with phenotyping of either CYP2D6 or CYP2C19.

Phenotyping and genotyping of S-mephenytoin hydroxylase (cytochrome P450 2C19) in a Shona population of Zimbabwe.

The S-mephenytoin hydroxylase has recently been identified as cytochrome P450 2C19 (CYP2C19). This enzyme metabolizes mephenytoin, diazepam, omeprazole, and citalopram and has been shown to be polymorphically distributed. One clinical implication of CYP2C19-dependent drug metabolism for persons who reside in tropical regions is in the use of the antimalarial drug chloroguanide hydrochloride, which is apparently biotransformed to its active metabolite by this isozyme. In this investigation we studied mephenytoin metabolism in 103 black Zimbabwean Shona subjects. Four were identified as poor metabolizers (4%). This prevalence is comparable to that in white subjects (2% to 5%) but lower than the 15% to 20% incidence of poor metabolizers among Oriental subjects. Of the subjects phenotyped, 84 were genotyped for the G-->A mutation in exon 5 of CYP2C19, which creates a cryptic splice site, causing the production of a nonfunctional protein. Three of the four poor metabolizers were homozygous for this mutation, whereas the fourth one was heterozygous. The G-->A mutation has been shown to predict the incidence more than 60% of poor metabolizers among white subjects and Japanese subjects, and in the current investigation we also obtained a similar relationship in the black population.

Intensity of Schistosoma mansoni infection determines alterations in hepatic drug metabolism.

Zoxazolamine paralysis times have been used as a probe to measure the activities of cytochrome P450 1A1 in mice in vivo. The results indicate that male and female mice of the BALB/c and CBA/J strain do not show altered paralysis times if infected with less than 4 worm pairs. Alterations were observed only in animals harbouring more than 5 worm pairs irrespective of the sex or strain of mouse being used. The study has extended the findings of other workers showing that mice infected with fewer than 4-5 worm pairs of S. mansoni do not show any alteration in the metabolism of pentobarbital in vivo.

Low CYP1A2 activity in rural Shona children of Zimbabwe.

Caffeine is increasingly used as a biochemical probe for liver function, in cancer epidemiology, and in pharmacogenetics, with its recognized ability to assess the activities of CYP1A2, xanthine oxidase, and N-acetyltransferase-2. The activity of these hepatic enzymes was tested in 45 Shona children from a rural area of Zimbabwe with use of caffeine as a probe. Many of these rural black children had lower indexes of CYP1A2 activity than otherwise on our extensive records; the average value (3.78 +/- 2.9) was significantly (p < 0.001) lower than that of healthy white urban children from Zimbabwe (8.86 +/- 3.36) or from Canada (7.92 +/- 1.88), or that of healthy Canadian adults (5.96 +/- 2.4). A higher CYP1A2 activity in children than in adults is usual. The low CYP1A2 activity of the children from rural Zimbabwe calls for medical studies and suggests a widespread and perhaps serious impairment of certain liver functions. Causes could be parasitic infections with Schistosoma mansoni, causing schistosomiasis, which are endemic, in addition to generally poor nutrition and frequent iodine deficiency. By contrast, the xanthine oxidase activity in rural Shona children was slightly higher than that reported for a healthy Canadian adult population. The N-acetyltransferase activities were comparable in both the rural and urban children and were also similar to those reported in a population study of healthy adult Canadians.

Inhibitory effects of antiparasitic drugs on cytochrome P450 2D6.

The interaction of antiparasitic drugs with the polymorphic cytochrome P450 2D6 was studied in human liver microsomes. Of ten different drugs tested, three quinolines, oxamniquine, primaquine and chloroquine inhibited microsomal CYP2D6-catalysed formation of 1'hydroxybufuralol at concentrations that might have clinical consequences in drug use. These drugs inhibited competitively bufuralol metabolism with Ki values of 22, 23 and 15 microM, respectively, indicative of high affinity for the CYP2D6-active site. The results imply that oxamniquine, primaquine and chloroquine could be substrates of cytochrome P4502 D6 or that they are potent non-substrate inhibitors of the enzyme similar to quinidine. In either case, the inhibition of CYP2D6 by these agents could lead to interference with in vivo population-phenotyping procedures in the tropical regions where treatment with the drugs is common.

Characterisation of praziquantel metabolism by rat liver microsomes using cytochrome P450 inhibitors.

The metabolism of praziquantel (PZQ) was studied in microsomes isolated from livers of differently pretreated rats and in the presence of various inhibitors of cytochrome P450 (P450) isoforms. Microsomes from phenobarbitone (PB)-pretreated rats metabolised PZQ to its major metabolite 4OH-praziquantel (4OH-PZQ) at a greater rate than those from 20-methylcholanthrene (MC) and saline (SA) pretreated rats. The Vmax for the PB microsomes was 600 nmol 4OH-PZQ formed/mg/min x 10(-3) compared to 91.4 nmol/mg/min x 10(-3) for MC and 238 nmol/mg/min x 10(-3) for SA microsomes. These results indicate that PZQ is metabolised by PB-inducible isoforms of P450. Inhibitor studies were conducted with microsomes from SA-pretreated animals. In these studies, caffeine, disulfuram, and tolbutamide were poor inhibitors of the metabolism of PZQ to 4OH-PZQ, with I50 values not determinable. Quinidine and quinine inhibited the hydroxylation of PZQ but with high Ki values. 17 alpha-Ethynylestradiol, cimetidine and diphenylhydramine were effective inhibitors of the formation of 4OH-PZQ, with 17 alpha-ethynylestradiol being the most potent with a Ki of 0.5 +/- 0.05 microM. From the known specificities of these P450 inhibitors, it is therefore concluded that cytochromes P450 1A2, 2E1, 2C9-10, and 2D6 probably do not contribute significantly to the metabolism of PZQ to its major metabolite in rats. It is likely that cytochromes P450 2B1 and 3A, both inducible by PB, are predominantly responsible for the formation of 4OH-PZQ.

Escherichia coli expression and characterization of cytochromes P450 2B11, 2B1, and 2B5.

Dog CYP2B11, rat CYP2B1, and rabbit CYP2B5 have been expressed in Escherichia coli from cDNAs modified at the N-terminus (Barnes et al., 1991, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88, 5597-5601). Using 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (Chaps), solubilized membranes representing > 100 nmol of P450 2B11, > 35 nmol of P450 2B1, and > 7 nmol of P450 2B5 were efficiently extracted (40-70% yield) from a 1-liter culture. Chaps-solubilized preparations produced a reduced CO/reduced difference spectrum devoid of P420 and were used directly in a reconstituted system. The E. coli-expressed 2B enzymes retained the same functional characteristics as the purified hepatic enzymes or enzymes expressed in COS cells in terms of androstenedione metabolite profiles. Hydroxylation rates were determined under a variety of conditions, including two concentrations of NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase (2 and 16 nmol/nmol P450) and the absence or presence of cytochrome b5 (2 nmol/nmol P450). The androstenedione hydroxylase activities of expressed 2B1 and 2B5 were stimulated by cytochrome b5, whereas P450 2B11 was inhibited slightly by cytochrome b5. Purified expressed 2B11 (specific content, 8 nmol/mg protein) had similar activities as the Chaps-solubilized membrane preparation. The solubilized membranes containing 2B11 were also tested with 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (245-HCB). Three major metabolites, 2-hydroxy-4,5,2',4',5'-pentachlorobiphenyl, 3-hydroxy-2,4,5,2',4',5'-hexachlorobiphenyl, and 2-hydroxy-3,4,5,2',4',5'-hexachlorobiphenyl were produced from 245-HCB. These metabolites are identical to those produced by 2B11 purified from liver microsomes. The 245-HCB hydroxylation rates were similar for E. coli-expressed 2B11, dog liver microsomes, and purified liver 2B11. When only the second codon in the 2B1 was changed to GCT, > 25 nmol of P450 was extracted from a 1-liter culture, suggesting that the full Barnes et al. modification scheme may not be necessary for high-level expression. An efficient method of expressing, extracting, and analyzing different P450 2B enzymes has thus been achieved. In addition, rabbit P450 2B5, which has never been purified from liver, as well as different P450 2B mutants can now be expressed at much higher levels than previously reported. The ability to express different 2B wild-type and mutant P450s in E. coli provides an excellent opportunity to study the molecular basis of species differences in substrate metabolism.

Site-directed mutagenesis of putative substrate recognition sites in cytochrome P450 2B11: importance of amino acid residues 114, 290, and 363 for substrate specificity.

Eleven amino acid residues unique to dog cytochrome P450 (P450) 2B11, compared with rat 2B1 and 2B2, rabbit 2B4 and 2B5, and mouse 2B10, in the putative substrate recognition sites [J. Biol. Chem. 267:83-90 (1992)] were mutated to the residues found in 2B1 or 2B5. The mutants were expressed initially in COS cells and screened for activity toward androstenedione and 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (245-HCB). P450 2B11 mutants V107I, M199L-N200E-V204R, V234I, A292L, Q473R, and I475S showed no differences from wild-type P450 2B11 in metabolite profiles with either substrate. Mutants V114I, D290I, and L363V exhibited altered androstenedione metabolite profiles and were expressed in Escherichia coli for further study with androstenedione, testosterone, 7-ethoxycoumarin, (R)- and (S)-warfarin, and 245-HCB. With V114I, hydroxylation of steroids and warfarin and 2-hydroxylation of 245-HCB were decreased, whereas 7-ethoxycoumarin O-dealkylation and 3-hydroxylation of 245-HCB were unaltered. For D290I, activities toward all substrates were decreased, except for 16 beta-hydroxylation of testosterone. The activity of L363V was increased 5-6-fold for 16 alpha-hydroxylation of androstenedione and testosterone but was decreased to 40-50% of wild-type activity with 7-ethoxycoumarin and warfarin and to 6-8% of control for 2-hydroxylation of 245-HCB. Alignment of P450 2B11 with P450 101 and super-imposition of the 11 mutated 2B11 residues on a P450 101 three-dimensional model suggest that only residues 114, 290, and 363 represent substrate contact residues, in excellent agreement with the experimental results. The data indicate the importance of the three residues 114, 290, and 363 in substrate specificity and regio- and stereoselectivity of P450 2B11 and also demonstrate that the effects of the mutations vary considerably with different substrates.