Chlorzoxazone Alleviates Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis via Inhibiting IL-6 Secretion of Dendritic Cells.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating autoimmune disease with chronic inflammatory demyelination of the CNS. Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an important animal model to study MS, with many pathological phenomena similar to MS. Th17 cells are important regulators of EAE and MS pathogenesis. Most cytokines needed for Th cell development are secreted by APCs, such as dendritic cells (DCs). Consequently, MS could be improved by inhibiting cytokine secretion from DCs. In this study, we reported that chlorzoxazone could ameliorate EAE pathogenesis via inhibiting IL-6 production by DCs. The EAE signs in the chlorzoxazone-treated group of mice were relieved, which was mainly manifested as lower clinical scores, a decrease in the number of immune cells, and a reduction of demyelination in the CNS. Moreover, the proportion of Th17 cells in the spleen and CNS decreased significantly. In vitro experiments showed that chlorzoxazone treatment significantly reduced DC-derived IL-6 production. In the DC-T cell coculture experiment, significantly decreased Th17 differentiation was observed after chlorzoxazone treatment. In addition, mass spectrometric analysis was performed to elucidate the mechanism by which chlorzoxazone affected EAE and DC function. We showed that the effect of chlorzoxazone on inhibiting the secretion of IL-6 by DCs may be mediated via the AMP-activated protein kinase pathway. Overall, our study elucidated the key role of chlorzoxazone in regulating EAE pathogenesis and suggested that it might be used as a new drug for MS patients.

Tree shrew cytochrome P450 2E1 is a functional enzyme that metabolises chlorzoxazone and p-nitrophenol.

Cytochromes P450 (CYPs or P450s) are important enzymes for drug metabolism. Tree shrews are non-primate animal species used in various fields of biomedical research, including infection (especially hepatitis viruses), depression, and myopia. A recent tree shrew genome analysis indicated that the sequences and the numbers of P450 genes are similar to those of humans; however, P450s have not been adequately identified and analysed in this species.In this study, a novel CYP2E1 was isolated from tree shrew liver and was characterised in comparison with human, dog, and pig CYP2E1. Tree shrew CYP2E1 and human CYP2E1 showed high amino acid sequence identity (83%) and were closely related in a phylogenetic tree.Gene and genome structures of CYP2E1 were generally similar in humans, dogs, pigs, and tree shrews. Tissue expression patterns showed that tree shrew CYP2E1 mRNA was predominantly expressed in liver, just as for dog and pig CYP2E1 mRNAs. In tree shrews, recombinant CYP2E1 protein and liver microsomes metabolised chlorzoxazone and p-nitrophenol, probe substrates of human CYP2E1, just as they do in dogs and pigs.These results suggest that tree shrew CYP2E1 encodes a functional drug-metabolising enzyme that plays a role in the liver, similar to human CYP2E1.

Comparison of mouse and human cytochrome P450 mediated-drug metabolising activities in hepatic and extrahepatic microsomes.

Despite the importance of mice as a preclinical species in drug testing, their hepatic and extrahepatic drug-metabolising characteristics are poorly understood. Here, we compared the P450-dependent drug oxidation activity in tissue microsomes and distribution patterns of P450 protein/mRNA between humans and mice.The activities of midazolam 1'-/4-hydroxylation in the liver and intestine and chlorzoxazone 6-hydroxylation in the liver were similar in humans and mice. The activities of coumarin 7-hydroxylation, flurbiprofen 4'-hydroxylation, and S-mephenytoin 4'-hydroxylation in the liver were higher in humans than in mice. The activities of 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylation in the liver, 7-pentoxyresorufin O-depentylation in the lung/liver/intestine, bufuralol 1'-hydroxylation in the liver/intestine, propafenone 4'-hydroxylation in liver/intestine, and diazepam N-demethylation in the liver/intestine were higher in mice than in humans.CYP1A2/2E1 mRNAs were mainly expressed in the livers of humans and mice. Cyp2b9/2b10 mRNAs were abundant in the mouse lung/liver/intestine, but CYP2B6 was mainly expressed in the human liver. CYP2C/2D/3A mRNAs were expressed in the liver and intestine, with the respective proteins detected in tissue microsomes of both humans and mice.These information on P450-dependent drug-metabolising characteristics in hepatic and extrahepatic tissues is useful to understand the similarities and differences between humans and mice in drug metabolism.

Development and validation of probe drug cocktails for the characterization of CYP450-mediated metabolism by human heart microsomes.

1. The objective of our study was to develop and validate a cocktail approach to allow the simultaneous characterization of various CYP450-mediated oxidations by human heart microsomes for nine probe drug substrates, namely, 7-ethoxyresorufin, bupropion, repaglinide, tolbutamide, bufuralol, chlorzoxazone, ebastine, midazolam and dodecanoic acid. 2. The first validation step was conducted using recombinant human CYP450 isoenzymes by comparing activity measured for each probe drug as a function of (1) buffer used, (2) selectivity towards specific isoenzymes and (3) drug interactions between probes. Activity was all measured by validated LC-MSMS methods. 3. Two cocktails were then constituted with seven of the nine drugs and subjected to kinetic validation. Finally, all probe drugs were incubated with human heart microsomes prepared from ventricular tissues obtained from 12 patients undergoing cardiac transplantation. 4. Validated cocktail #1 including bupropion, chlorzoxazone, ebastine and midazolam was used to characterize CYP2B6-, 2E1-, 2J2- and 3A5-mediated metabolism in human hearts. 5. Cocktail #2 which includes bufuralol, 7-ethoxyresorufin and repaglinide failed the validation step. Substrates in cocktail #2 as well as tolbutamide and dodecanoic acid had to be incubated separately because of their physico-chemical characteristics (solubility and ionization) or drug interactions. 6. Activity in HHM was the highest towards ebastine, chlorzoxazone and tolbutamide.

Production of chlorzoxazone glucuronides via cytochrome P4502E1 dependent and independent pathways in human hepatocytes.

CYP2E1 activity is measured in vitro and in vivo via hydroxylation of the Chlorzoxazone (CHZ) producing the 6-hydroxychlorzoxazone (OH-CHZ) further metabolized as a glucuronide excreted in urine. Thus, the quantification of the OH-CHZ following enzymatic hydrolysis of CHZ-derived glucuronide appears to be a reliable assay to measure the CYP2E1 activity without direct detection of this glucuronide. However, OH-CHZ hydrolyzed from urinary glucuronide accounts for less than 80% of the CHZ administrated dose in humans leading to postulate the production of other unidentified metabolites. Moreover, the Uridine 5'-diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) involved in the hepatic glucuronidation of OH-CHZ has not yet been identified. In this study, we used recombinant HepG2 cells expressing CYP2E1, metabolically competent HepaRG cells, primary hepatocytes and precision-cut human liver slices to identify metabolites of CHZ (300 µM) by high pressure liquid chromatography-UV and liquid-chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses. Herein, we report the detection of the CHZ-O-glucuronide (CHZ-O-Glc) derived from OH-CHZ in culture media but also in mouse and human urine and we identified a novel CHZ metabolite, the CHZ-N-glucuronide (CHZ-N-Glc), which is resistant to enzymatic hydrolysis and produced independently of CHZ hydroxylation by CYP2E1. Moreover, we demonstrate that UGT1A1, 1A6 and 1A9 proteins catalyze the synthesis of CHZ-O-Glc while CHZ-N-Glc is produced by UGT1A9 specifically. Together, we demonstrated that hydrolysis of CHZ-O-Glc is required to reliably quantify CYP2E1 activity because of the rapid transformation of OH-CHZ into CHZ-O-Glc and identified the CHZ-N-Glc produced independently of the CYP2E1 activity. Our results also raise the questions of the contribution of CHZ-N-Glc in the overall CHZ metabolism and of the quantification of CHZ glucuronides in vitro and in vivo for measuring UGT1A activities.

Effect of piperine on CYP2E1 enzyme activity of chlorzoxazone in healthy volunteers.

1. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of piperine (PIP) on CYP2E1 enzyme activity and pharmacokinetics of chlorzoxazone (CHZ) in healthy volunteers. 2. An open-label, two period, sequential study was conducted in 12 healthy volunteers. A single dose of PIP 20 mg was administered daily for 10 days during treatment phase. A single dose of CHZ 250 mg was administered during control and after treatment phases under fasting conditions. The blood samples were collected at predetermined time intervals after CHZ dosing and analyzed by HPLC. 3. Treatment with PIP significantly enhanced maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) (3.14-4.96 µg/mL), area under the curve (AUC) (10.46-17.78 µg h/mL), half life (T1/2) (1.26-1.82 h) and significantly decreased elimination rate constant (Kel) (0.57-0.41 h - 1), apparent oral clearance (CL/F) (24.76-13.65 L/h) of CHZ when compared to control. In addition, treatment with PIP significantly decreased Cmax (0.22-0.15 µg/mL), AUC (0.94-0.68 µg h/mL), T1/2 (2.54-1.68 h) and significantly increased Kel (0.32-0.43 h - 1) of 6-hydroxychlorzoxazone (6-OHCHZ) as compared to control. Furthermore, treatment with PIP significantly decreased metabolite to parent (6-OHCHZ/CHZ) ratios of Cmax, AUC, T1/2 and significantly increased Kel ratio of 6-OHCHZ/CHZ, which indicate the decreased formation of CHZ to 6-OHCHZ. 4. The results suggest that altered pharmacokinetics of CHZ might be attributed to PIP mediated inhibition of CYP2E1 enzyme, which indicate significant pharmacokinetic interaction present between PIP and CHZ. The inhibition of CYP2E1 by PIP may represent a novel therapeutic benefit for minimizing ethanol induced CYP2E1 enzyme activity and results in reduced hepatotoxicity of ethanol.

Comparative study of different approaches for preparation of chlorzoxazone orodispersible tablets.

CONTEXT: Muscle spasm is a painful involuntary contraction of muscles, which causes involuntary movement and distortion. Chlorzoxazone is a centrally acting muscle-relaxant with sedative properties, but given orally, it is hepatically metabolized leading to decreased bioavailability. OBJECTIVE: Orodispersible tablets (ODTs) of chlorzoxazone were formulated using two different approaches; by coprocessed excipients (CE) or by liquisolid (LS) technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pharmaburst® 500, Starlac®, Pearlitol flash®, Prosolv® odt and F-melt® were used as coprocessed superdisintegrants, whereas in LS, Avicel® PH101, Microcelac® 100 and Cellactose® 80 were used as carriers, while Aerosil® 200 was the coating material. ODTs were evaluated in terms of weight and thickness variations, drug content, hardness, friability, wetting time, dissolution, disintegration time (DT) and palatability. RESULTS: In vitro DT of CE-ODTs ranged from 26.43 ± 1.693 s to >180 s, whereas it was between 25.42± 0.203 s to >180 s in LS-ODTs. Complete drug release within 15 min was attained by CE1 prepared with 92.5 mg Pharmaburst® 500. In vivo DT of CE1 and LS3 were 19.779 ± 0.810 and 18.105 ± 0.423 s, respectively, using six volunteers. Volunteers found that CE1 had more acceptable taste and was more palatable than LS3. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that chlorzoxazone ODTs could be successfully formulated using either CE or LS techniques and be used as novel dosage forms for pediatrics and geriatrics showing improved drug release. Moreover, CE technique was superior to LS technique in terms of palatability.

Effect of Cholesterol on the Interaction of Cytochrome P450 Substrate Drug Chlorzoxazone with the Phosphatidylcholine Bilayer.

Many drugs are oxidized by membrane protein cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes during their metabolism process. CYPs are located mainly in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes. Recent studies have suggested that CYP substrate drugs first bind the lipid bilayers of ER membranes and then the drugs reach the active site of CYP by way of an access channel. The entrance of the channel is located in the hydrophobic regions of the lipid bilayers. One of the features of the ER membrane is a cholesterol content that is lower than those of other biomembranes. In this study, the cholesterol concentration dependence of the interaction of a CYP substrate drug, chlorzoxazone (CZX), with model membranes composed of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and cholesterol was examined via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), UV-visible spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Experimental results indicated that CZX can bind to pure PC bilayers in the absence of cholesterol and that, by contrast, a high cholesterol concentration (30-50 mol %) tends to prevent CZX from binding to PC bilayers. Interestingly, the effect of cholesterol on the binding and insertion of CZX was biphasic. In the case of palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC) bilayers containing 5-10 mol % cholesterol, the CZX's binding and penetration into the bilayer were found to be greater than those with pure POPC bilayers. The concentration of 5-10 mol % nearly corresponds to the cholesterol concentration of ER membranes. The low cholesterol contents (12-20 mol %) of ER membranes might be the most suitable for the CYP drug metabolism process in ER membranes.

Gene copy number variation analysis reveals dosage-insensitive expression of CYP2E1.

Gene copy number variants (CNVs) of CYP2E1 have been described but not functionally characterized. Here we investigated effects of CNVs on hepatic and lymphoblastoid CYP2E1 expression. Using available single-nuleotide polymorphism microarray data and quantitative PCR, CYP2E1 gene duplication and deletion carriers were identified. CYP2E1 mRNA, protein and enzyme activity (chlorzoxazone-6-hydroxylation) phenotypes of CYP2E1 were not associated with gene copy number. Analysis of gene expression in lymphoblastoid cell lines in relation to CNV confirmed this finding in an extrahepatic tissue and for other ethnicities. Further analyses identified a linked haplotype cluster with possible influence on gene expression. In summary, our data suggest a homeostatic, gene dosage-insensitive regulation of CYP2E1 expression by unknown gene dosage compensation mechanisms. This is in striking contrast to well-known structural variations of CYP2A6 and CYP2D6 that have a strong impact on expression and activity. These findings are important in the context of pharmacogenetic prediction.

Selective Time- and NADPH-Dependent Inhibition of Human CYP2E1 by Clomethiazole.

The sedative clomethiazole (CMZ) has been used in Europe since the mid-1960s to treat insomnia and alcoholism. It has been previously demonstrated in clinical studies to reversibly inhibit human CYP2E1 in vitro and decrease CYP2E1-mediated elimination of chlorzoxazone. We have investigated the selectivity of CMZ inhibition of CYP2E1 in pooled human liver microsomes (HLMs). In a reversible inhibition assay of the major drug-metabolizing cytochrome P450 (P450) isoforms, CYP2A6 and CYP2E1 exhibited IC50 values of 24 µM and 42 µM, respectively with all other isoforms exhibiting values >300 µM. When CMZ was preincubated with NADPH and liver microsomal protein for 30 minutes before being combined with probe substrates, however, more potent inhibition was observed for CYP2E1 and CYP2B6 but not CYP2A6 or other P450 isoforms. The substantial increase in potency of CYP2E1 inhibition upon preincubation enables the use of CMZ to investigate the role of human CYP2E1 in xenobiotic metabolism and provides advantages over other chemical inhibitors of CYP2E1. The KI and kinact values obtained with HLM-catalyzed 6-hydroxylation of chlorzoxazone were 40 µM and 0.35 minute(-1), respectively, and similar to values obtained with recombinant CYP2E1 (41 µM, 0.32 minute(-1)). The KI and kinact values, along with other parameters, were used in a mechanistic static model to explain earlier observations of a profound decrease in the rate of chlorzoxazone elimination in volunteers despite the absence of detectable CMZ in blood.

Drug Oxidation by Cytochrome P450BM3 : Metabolite Synthesis and Discovering New P450 Reaction Types.

There is intense interest in late-stage catalytic C-H bond functionalization as an integral part of synthesis. Effective catalysts must have a broad substrate range and tolerate diverse functional groups. Drug molecules provide a good test of these attributes of a catalyst. A library of P450BM3 mutants developed from four base mutants with high activity for hydrocarbon oxidation produced human metabolites of a panel of drugs that included neutral (chlorzoxazone, testosterone), cationic (amitriptyline, lidocaine) and anionic (diclofenac, naproxen) compounds. No single mutant was active for all the tested drugs but multiple variants in the library showed high activity with each compound. The high conversions enabled full product characterization that led to the discovery of the new P450 reaction type of oxidative decarboxylation of an α-hydroxy carboxylic acid and the formation a protected imine from an amine, offering a novel route to α-functionalization of amines. The substrate range and varied product profiles suggest that this library of enzymes is a good basis for developing late-stage C-H activation catalysts.

[Study of change in activity of hepatic drug metabolism enzymes in rat model of chronic unpredictable mild stress].

This study aimed to explore the impact of depression caused by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) on in vivo activity of six kinds of CYP450 isoforms in rats. According to 'Katz' method, the model of CUMS was established. Tolbutamide, chlorzoxazone, theophylline, midazolam, omeprazole and dextromethorphan were chosen as probe substrates of CYP2C6, CYP2E1, CYP1A2, CYP3A2, CYP2D1 and CYP2D2 of rats. Plasma concentration of six kinds of CYP450 in control group and model group were determined by LC-MS/MS and computed pharmacokinetic parameters. Consequently, metabolism of theophylline and chlorzoxazone accelerated significantly (P < 0.01), but tolbutamide, dextromethorphan, omeprazole and midazolam had no significant difference. The present study proved that depression caused by CUMS had strong induction to CYP1A2 and medium induction to CYP2E1.

Fennel and raspberry leaf as possible inhibitors of acetaminophen oxidation.

In addition to CYP2E1, several CYP isoenzymes, notably CYP1A2, 2D6, and 3A4, are suggested to contribute in acetaminophen oxidation and formation of the hepatotoxic metabolite N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI). The in vitro CYP2E1 inhibitory potentials of fennel and raspberry leaf, herbs previously found to inhibit CYP1A2, 2D6, and 3A4 activities in vitro, were investigated. Extracts from commercially available herbal products were incubated with recombinant cDNA-expressed human CYP2E1. A validated LC/MS/MS methodology was applied for determination of 6-hydroxychlorzoxazone formation with disulfiram used as a positive inhibitory control. CYP2E1 IC50 inhibition constants were found to be 23 ± 4 and 27 ± 5 µg/ml for fennel and raspberry leaf, respectively, constants significantly lower than those presented in the literature for other herbal extracts. Together with previous findings, the presented in vitro data for CYP2E1 inhibition suggest that fennel and raspberry leaf have a significant potential of inhibiting all the major metabolic pathways for acetaminophen oxidation and NAPQI formation. Both herbs should be further investigated for their in vivo ability of inhibiting acetaminophen oxidation and NAPQI formation.

Assessment of effects of IR and IPC on activities of cytochrome P450 isozymes in rats by a five-drug cocktail approach.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of ischemia and reperfusion (IR) and ischemic preconditioning (IPC) on the metabolic activities of cytochrome P450 (CYP) isozymes in rats by a five-drug cocktail approach. METHODS: Cocktail approach was used to evaluate the influence of IR and IPC on the activities of CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2E1, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4, which were reflected by the changes of pharmacokinetic parameters of five specific probe drugs: caffeine, chlorzoxazone, tolbutamide, metoprolol and midazolam, respectively. Rats were randomly divided into IR, IPC and sham groups, and then injected the mixture of five probe drugs. Blood samples were collected at a series of time-points and the concentrations of probe drugs in plasma were determined by a HPLC method with UV detection. The pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by the software of DAS 2.0. RESULTS: The parameters including t(1/2ß), CLs, AUC, MRT and K10 exhibited a similar tendency for both IR and IPC groups. Compared with sham group, CLs and K10 of five probe drugs were significantly lower (p < 0.05), AUC and t(1/2ß) of five or some probe drugs were significantly increased in IR and IPC groups (p < 0.05). Compared with IPC group, CLs of five probe drugs were decreased and AUC were significantly increased in the IR group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: IR can variably decrease the activities of CYP isozymes in rats and this decrease can be attenuated by IPC.

The action of cytochrome b(5) on CYP2E1 and CYP2C19 activities requires anionic residues D58 and D65.

The capacity of cytochrome b(5) (b(5)) to influence cytochrome P450 activities has been extensively studied and physiologically validated. Apo-b(5) enhances the activities of CYP3A4, CYP2A6, CYP2C19, and CYP17A1 but not that of CYP2E1 or CYP2D6, suggesting that the b(5) interaction varies among P450s. We previously showed that b(5) residues E48 and E49 are required to stimulate the 17,20-lyase activity of CYP17A1, but these same residues might not mediate b(5) activation of other P450 reactions, such as CYP2E1-catalyzed oxygenations, which are insensitive to apo-b(5). Using purified P450, b(5), and reductase (POR) in reconstituted assays, the D58G/D65G double mutation, of residues located in a hydrophilic α-helix of b(5), totally abolished the ability to stimulate CYP2E1-catalyzed chlorzoxazone 6-hydroxylation. In sharp contrast, the D58G/D65G double mutation retained the full ability to stimulate the 17,20-lyase activity of CYP17A1. The D58G/D65G double mutation competes poorly with wild-type b(5) for binding to the CYP2E1·POR complex yet accepts electrons from POR at a similar rate. Furthermore, the phospholipid composition markedly influences P450 turnover and b(5) stimulation and specificity, particularly for CYP17A1, in the following order: phosphatidylserine > phosphatidylethanolamine > phosphatidylcholine. The D58G/D65G double mutation also failed to stimulate CYP2C19-catalyzed (S)-mephenytoin 4-hydroxylation, whereas the E48G/E49G double mutation stimulated these activities of CYP2C19 and CYP2E1 equivalent to wild-type b(5). We conclude that b(5) residues D58 and D65 are essential for the stimulation of CYP2E1 and CYP2C19 activities and that the phospholipid composition significantly influences the b(5)-P450 interaction. At least two surfaces of b(5) differentially influence P450 activities, and the critical residues for individual P450 reactions cannot be predicted from sensitivity to apo-b(5) alone.

Reaction temperature alters chorzoxazone metabolism in carp (Cyprinus carpio) hepatic microsomes.

The study aimed to study the influence of different reaction temperatures on the carp (Cyprinus carpio) hepatic CYPs activity. Six groups of carp hepatic microsomes were incubated with probe drug (chorzoxazone) at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30°C separately. According to the principle of enzyme kinetics theory, the Michaelis constant (K (m)) value and maximum reaction velocity (V (max)) of CYPs (with CZX as probe) were obtained. The CYPs activity at different reaction temperatures was compared. In results, the K (m) values were separately 44.62, 31.35, 26.59, 21.75, 16.39, 29.69 µM, and the V (max) were separately 0.231, 0.234, 0.265, 0.294, 0.315, 0.239 nmol min(-1)mg(-1) at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30°C. Results indicated that the enzyme CYPs activity was much higher at 25°C. It was also demonstrated that reaction temperature could affect the CYPs activity significantly. Therefore, this experiment builded a theoretical basis for the variations of fish pharmacokinetic parameters at different water temperatures and contributed to further research on the influence of water temperature on fish drug metabolism.

Cholesterol's inhibition effect on entering of chlorzoxazone into phosphatidylethanolamine bilayer: Relevance to cytochrome P450 drug metabolism at endoplasmic reticulum membranes.

Many drugs are metabolized by cytochrome P450 (CYP) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. Recent studies have shown that CYP-substrate drugs reach the CYP active site after entering the lipid hydrophobic part of the ER membrane. To clarify the role of cholesterol (Chol) in the CYP-related drug metabolic process, we investigated the lipid bilayer entry of CYP-substrate drugs using a model membrane system as follows. The model membrane system comprised palmitoyl-oleoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (POPE) and Chol. Phosphatidylethanolamine is the second major phospholipid component of ER membranes. Chlorzoxazone (CZX) was used as the CYP-substrate drug. Calorimetric measurements showed that the addition of CZX to POPE bilayers decreased the gel-liquid crystal phase transition temperature; X-ray diffraction indicated that CZX distributes into the liquid crystal phase bilayers but not practically the gel phase POPE bilayers. In the presence of Chol, dialysis and X-ray structural analyses showed that Chol inhibited CZX entry into the bilayer with an increase in Chol concentration. The Chol concentration in the ER membrane (5-10 mol%) is much lower than that in the plasma membrane (approximately 30 mol%). This fact may allow CYP-substrate drugs to enter the hydrophobic portion of the ER membrane more easily than other organelle membranes, yielding efficient drug metabolism.

Chlorzoxazone metabolism by porcine cytochrome P450 enzymes and the effect of cytochrome b5.

Chlorzoxazone (CLZ) is a commonly used nontoxic in vivo and in vitro probe for the assessment of CYP2E1 activity. Human CYP1A1 and CYP3A4 have also been shown to contribute to CLZ metabolism. For pigs to be a potential model system for humans, it is necessary that human and pig cytochromes P450 (P450) have similar metabolizing capabilities. Therefore, CLZ metabolizing capabilities and specificities of porcine P450s were investigated. In this study, the complete coding regions of six porcine P450s were amplified from liver cDNA and cloned into pcDNA3.1/V5-His TOPO vector. Expression vectors for the individual P450s and microsomal cytochrome b(5) (CYB5A) were expressed in the human embryonic kidney HEK-293FT cell line to investigate their role in CLZ metabolism. As with the human enzymes, porcine CYP2E1 (K(m) = 290.3 microM and V(max) = 4980 pmol/h/mg total protein) and CYP1A1 (K(m) = 159.5 microM and V(max) = 1650 pmol/h/mg total protein) both contribute to CLZ metabolism. In addition, porcine CYP2A19 and CYP2C33v4 also metabolize the substrate, with K(m) = 212.1 microM and V(max) = 6680 pmol/h/mg total protein and K(m) = 126.3 microM and V(max) = 2100 pmol/h/mg total protein, respectively, whereas CYP3A does not. CYB5A augmented CYP2E1 and CYP2C33v4 activity in the pig, with a significant increase in activity of 85 and 73% compared with control, respectively. Thus, CLZ should be used with caution as a probe for CYP2E1 activity in the pig. However, further information regarding the abundance of different P450 isoforms is needed to fully understand their contribution in microsomal, hepatocyte, and in vivo systems in the pig.

Engineering bacterial cytochrome P450 (P450) BM3 into a prototype with human P450 enzyme activity using indigo formation.

Human cytochrome P450 (P450) enzymes metabolize a variety of endogenous and xenobiotic compounds, including steroids, drugs, and environmental chemicals. In this study, we examine the possibility that bacterial P450 BM3 (CYP102A1) mutants with indole oxidation activity have the catalytic activities of human P450 enzymes. Error-prone polymerase chain reaction was carried out on the heme domain-coding region of the wild-type gene to generate a CYP102A1 DNA library. The library was transformed into Escherichia coli for expression of the P450 mutants. A colorimetric colony-based method was adopted for primary screening of the mutants. When the P450 activities were measured at the whole-cell level, some of the blue colonies, but not the white colonies, possessed apparent oxidation activity toward coumarin and 7-ethoxycoumarin, which are typical human P450 substrates that produce fluorescent products. Coumarin is oxidized by the CYP102A1 mutants to produce two metabolites, 7-hydroxycoumarin and 3-hydroxycoumarin. In addition, 7-ethoxycoumarin is simultaneously oxidized to 7-hydroxycoumarin by O-deethylation reaction and to 3-hydroxy,7-ethoxycoumarin by 3-hydroxylation reactions. Highly active mutants are also able to metabolize several other human P450 substrates, including phenacetin, ethoxyresorufin, and chlorzoxazone. These results indicate that indigo formation provides a simple assay for identifying CYP102A1 mutants with a greater potential for human P450 activity. Furthermore, our computational findings suggest a correlation between the stabilization of the binding site and the catalytic efficiency of CYP102A1 mutants toward coumarin: the more stable the structure in the binding site, the lower the energy barrier and the higher the catalytic efficiency.

Effects of nicotine on cytochrome P450 2A6 and 2E1 activities.

AIMS: Smoking slows the metabolism of nicotine and accelerates the metabolism of chlorzoxazone, which are probe reactions for cytochrome P450 2A6 (CYP2A6) and CYP2E1 activities, respectively. We aimed to determine the role of nicotine in these metabolic effects of cigarette smoking. METHODS: The study had a single-blind, randomized, crossover two-arm design. Twelve healthy smokers were given two transdermal patches with 42-mg nicotine a day or placebo patches, each for 10 days. The subjects abstained from smoking during the study arms. Oral chlorzoxazone was given on day 7 and deuterium-labelled nicotine-d(2) and cotinine-d(4) infusion on day 8. RESULTS: There was no significant influence of transdermal nicotine administration on pharmacokinetic parameters of nicotine-d(2) or on the formation of cotinine-d(2). Nicotine decreased the volume of distribution (62.6 vs. 67.7 l, 95% confidence interval of the difference -9.7, -0.6, P= 0.047) of infused cotinine-d(4). There were no significant differences in disposition kinetics of chlorzoxazone between the treatments. CONCLUSIONS: CYP2A6 and CYP2E1 activities are not affected by nicotine. The tobacco smoke constituents responsible for the reduced CYP2A6 and increased CYP2E1 activities remain unknown.