Induction potential of fluconazole toward drug-metabolizing enzymes in rats.

The induction of drug-metabolizing enzymes in rat liver was studied after subchronic administration of the new triazole antifungal agent fluconazole. The administered doses were 10, 40, and 160 mg/kg per day for 7 days. Fluconazole behaved as a high-magnitude inducer and significantly increased cytochrome P-450 concentrations already at 10 mg/kg (+42%). Cytochrome P-450 induction by fluconazole was dose dependent and reached a value of 302% of the control value at the dose of 160 mg/kg. The induction effects on cytochrome P-450 were also reflected in the drug-metabolizing enzyme activities in hepatic microsomes of pretreated rats. Fluconazole (160 mg/kg per day) preferentially induced the demethylase activities of N,N-dimethylaniline and p-nitroanisole to 258 and 281% of the control values, respectively. The detoxification enzyme UDP-glucuronosyltransferase was significantly lowered by fluconazole at the highest dose. A possible link between the induction potential and the pharmacokinetic properties of triazole antifungal agents is discussed.

Is the metabolism of alfentanil subject to debrisoquine polymorphism? A study using human liver microsomes.

The present study was designed to investigate whether the metabolism of the opiate analgesic alfentanil in humans is subject to the debrisoquine 4-hydroxylation polymorphism. The role of a specific cytochrome P-450 form, debrisoquine 4-hydroxylase, in the metabolism of alfentanil was investigated by competitive inhibition experiments over the concentration range 4-100 microM. Alfentanil was incubated with human liver microsomes in the presence of an NADPH-generating system. Alfentanil and its major metabolites were quantified in the incubates by reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Alfentanil was rapidly metabolized, yielding noralfentanil as the main metabolite. Kinetically, alfentanil metabolism occurred monophasically and the kinetic parameters were 22.8 microM for Km app and 3.86 nmol alfentanil metabolized min-1.mg protein-1 for Vm app. Debrisoquine was a weak, noncompetitive inhibitor of alfentanil metabolism and of the formation of its major metabolites, with Ki values between 2.00 and 3.21 mM. It can be concluded that alfentanil is not metabolized in vitro by the human cytochrome P-450 form involved in debrisoquine 4-hydroxylation; therefore, the in vivo disposition of the drug is most likely not affected by deficiency of this enzyme.