Effect of vitamin E on lipid peroxidation and liver monooxigenase activity in experimental influenza virus infection.

Influenza virus infection was associated with development of oxidative stress in liver of mice, viz. increase in amount of lipid peroxidation products, decrease in cytochrome P-450 and NADP. H-cytochrome c-reductase activity, and inhibition of liver monooxygenases (aniline hydroxylase, ethylmorphine-N-demethylase, amidopyrine-N-demethylase and analgin-N-demethylase). These effects were most pronounced on the 7th day after virus inoculation as compared to the 5th one. Supplementation of mice with vitamin E before virus inoculation leads to liver protection against oxidative stress and toxicosis. A marked decrease of lipid peroxidation products and an increase of cytochrome P-450 and activities of monooxygenases was established. The stabilizing effect of vitamin E was dose-dependent and was most pronounced on the 5th day after virus inoculation as compared to the 7th one.

Ethylmorphine N-demethylase activity as a marker for cytochrome P450 CYP3A activity in rat hepatic microsomes.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the selectivity and sensitivity of ethylmorphine N-demethylase (EMD) as an indicator of chemically-induced cytochrome P450 CYP3A activity in liver microsomes of rats following treatment with selective enzyme inducers. Male and female Sprague-Dawley (CD) rats were dosed with either pregnenolone-16alpha-carbonitrile (PCN; 50 mg/kg per day for 5 days), phenobarbital (PB; 100 mg/kg per day for 4 days), beta-naphthoflavone (betaNF; 100 mg/kg per day for 3 days), clofibrate (CF; 300 mg/kg per day for 14 days), isoniazid (ISO; 100 mg/kg per day for 3 days), or dexamethasone (DEX; 50 mg/kg per day for 4 days). Microsomes were isolated, frozen and subsequently assayed for protein, cytochrome P450 content and EMD activity. In males, significant elevations (P < 0.01) in EMD activity were observed in microsomes from PB-, DEX- and PCN-dosed animals compared with untreated controls. Microsomes from ISO- and betaNF-dosed males showed a reduction (P < 0.05) in EMD activity when compared with control microsomes, and CF was without effect. In females, EMD activities were significantly increased in microsomes from PCN, DEX and PB-dosed but not betaNF, ISO, or CF-dosed animals. As expected on the basis of sex-related differences in gene expression, EMD activities in untreated animals were considerably higher in males than females, attributable to constitutive CYP3A and CYP2C11 activities. The selectivity of EMD for induced CYP3A was confirmed on the basis of inhibition studies with selected steroid substrates of CYP3A, polyclonal anti-CYP3A1 antibodies and triacetyloleandomycin (TAO), a selective inhibitor of CYP3A. In conclusion, for both sexes, the greatest elevations (approximately 3-13-fold) in EMD activity were observed in microsomes from rats dosed with DEX, a potent archetypal inducer with lesser but significant increases noted for PCN and PB, indicating that EMD is a reliable indicator of induced rat hepatic cytochrome P450 CYP3A activity.

Inhibition of hepatic mixed-function oxidase enzymes in mice by acute and chronic treatment with selenium.

The effect of selenium administered acutely or chronically on the hepatic microsomal drug-metabolizing system has been investigated in mice. After 72 h following acute administration of selenium (7.5 mg/kg, i.p.), there was a significant inhibition of the activities of aminopyrine (AM) N-demethylase and ethylmorphine (EM) N-demethylase, and cytochrome P-450 levels but no change in the activities of aniline (AN) hydroxylase, 7-ethoxycoumarin (EC) O-deethylase, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-cytochrome c reductase and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)-ferricyanide reductase, and cytochrome b5 content. Chronic administration of selenium in the drinking water (1 or 2 ppm selenium) for 12 weeks, resulted in no alteration in any of the parameters measured. However, significant decreases in activities of AM N-demethylase and AN hydroxylase, and cytochrome P-450 levels were detected in animals given higher doses of selenium (4 or 8 ppm selenium). Following the in vitro additions of selenium to hepatic microsomes obtained from untreated mice, selenium inhibited the AM N-demethylase, AN hydroxylase and 7-EC O-deethylase in a concentration-dependent manner, but no alteration in NADPH-cytochrome c reductase and cytochrome P-450 levels was observed. These results indicate that selenium is a specific from inhibitor of hepatic monooxygenase.

Metabolism of diazepam and related benzodiazepines by human liver microsomes.

The metabolism of diazepam has been studied in vitro using microsomal preparations from five human livers. An HPLC method was developed for the assay of diazepam, its congeners and its metabolites. Various methods for the incorporation of diazepam into the incubation medium were explored. It was shown that the use of organic solvents or small quantities of hydrochloric acid enhanced the solubility of this substrate. However all of the organic solvents tested were associated with substantial (around 50%) inhibition of metabolism of diazepam by both major pathways (N-demethylation and C3-hydroxylation). The use of hydrochloric acid gave satisfactory solubilization of diazepam, but not of pinazepam, prazepam or halazepam. Detailed metabolic studies were conducted only for diazepam, using neither hydrochloric acid nor organic solvents in the incubation medium. Formation of N-desmethyl-diazepam increased approximately linearly with diazepam concentration to 200 microM, and did not show saturation. Formation of temazepam gave a curved profile over the same range of diazepam concentrations, suggestive of a sigmoidal relationship. Michaelis-Menten parameters could not be determined for either reaction, but intrinsic clearances for N-demethylation varied over a 6-fold range. Diazepam N-demethylation was apparently promoted by the inclusion of temazepam in the incubation medium, while C3-hydroxylation of diazepam was enhanced in the presence of N-desmethyldiazepam. Mephenytoin in the incubation mixture had no effect on diazepam metabolism by either pathway. The present studies have defined some of the methodological problems inherent in in vitro metabolic studies with benzodiazepines, and have shed further light on the metabolism of diazepam in vitro by human liver.

The H+, K(+)-ATPase inhibitor pantoprazole (BY1023/SK&F96022) interacts less with cytochrome P450 than omeprazole and lansoprazole.

The gastric acid antisecretory compound omeprazole (5-methoxy-2-((4-methoxy- 3,5-dimethyl-2-pyridinylmethyl)-sulphinyl)-1H-benzimidazole), a member of the new class of H+, K(+)-ATPase inhibitors, is known to interact with the metabolism of other drugs in vitro and in vivo. In this study, two other substituted benzimidazoles, pantoprazole (5-difluoromethoxy-2-((3,4-di-methoxy-2-pyridinylmethyl)-s ulp hinyl)-1H- benzimidazole) and lansoprazole (2-((3-methyl-4-(2,2,2-trifluoroethoxy)-2-pyridinylmethyl)- sulphinyl)-1H-benzimidazole) are compared for their ability to inhibit cytochrome P450 dependent biotransformation in vitro with regard to three representative reactions: O-dealkylation of 7-ethoxycoumarin (EC), N-demethylation of ethylmorphine (EM) and hydroxylation of lonazolac (Lona). These reactions can be seen in microsomes from phenobarbital pretreated rats representing the cytochrome P450IIB1 subfamily. As shown in presence of known inhibitors of cytochrome P450, e.g. SK&F 525A, metyrapone, chlorpromazine and nitrendipine, different enzymes seem to be responsible for these three indicator reactions of the cytochrome P450IIB1 complex. These reactions are inhibited to a different extent by the three H+, K(+)-ATPase inhibitors. Pantoprazole shows the lowest inhibitory activity versus the three reactions (Ki, mumol/L): EC, 138; EM, 104; Lona, 128. A greater effect is observed with omeprazole: EC, 38; EM, 68; Lona, 20. Lansoprazole exceeds omeprazole in inhibiting the three cytochrome P450 dependent enzymes: EC, 17; EM, 34; Lona, 8. In microsomes from untreated rats with the predominant cytochrome P450IIA1 subfamily as well as in microsomes from isopropanol treated rats (induction of cytochrome P450IIE1) which catalyse only lonazolac hydroxylation to a detectable amount, the latter reaction was inhibited by pantoprazole with a somewhat lower Ki of 77 whereas the values for omeprazole and lansoprazole remained unchanged in comparison to those found in microsomes from phenobarbital pretreated rats. The biotransformation rate of the substituted benzimidazoles themselves in microsomes from control and induced rats is lowest for pantoprazole followed by lansoprazole and omeprazole.

Inhibition of hepatic microsomal drug metabolism by the steroid hydroxylase inhibitor SU-10'603.

SU-10'603 is a pyridine derivative that has been widely used as a steroid 17-hydroxylase inhibitor. Studies were done to compare the effects of SU-10'603 with those of the structurally related compound, metyrapone, on hepatic microsomal drug metabolism in vitro in rats and guinea pigs. In rat liver microsomes, SU-10'603 produced a concentration-dependent (0.01 to 1.0 mM) inhibition of ethylmorphine demethylation, aniline hydroxylation, and benzo[a]pyrene hydroxylation. A concentration of 0.1 to 0.2 mM decreased the metabolism of all three substrates by approximately 50%. SU-10'603 was a more potent inhibitor of ethylmorphine metabolism than metyrapone, and its relative potency was even greater with respect to aniline and benzo[a]pyrene metabolism. Similar results were obtained with guinea pig liver microsomes. SU-10'603 and metyrapone produced type II spectral changes in hepatic microsomes, but the apparent affinity of SU-10'603 for cytochrome(s) P-450 was greater than that of metyrapone. Both compounds inhibited the binding of type I substrates to microsomal cytochromes P-450; SU-10'603 was the more potent inhibitor. The results indicate that SU-10'603 is a potent inhibitor of hepatic microsomal monooxygenases whose mechanism of action is similar to that of metyrapone.

Role of xanthine oxidase in the interferon-mediated depression of the hepatic cytochrome P-450 system in mice.

Interferon, interferon inducers, and a variety of other immunomodulators are known to depress the hepatic cytochrome P-450 drug-metabolizing system. Two concepts have been proposed to explain this phenomenon. (a) The steady-state of cytochrome P-450 is altered through decreased synthesis and increased degradation of cytochrome P-450 apoprotein. (b) Interferon induces xanthine oxidase; superoxide generated by interferon-induced xanthine oxidase destroys cytochrome P-450. The current study investigated the second concept. Administered polyribonucleotides [polyriboinosinic acid.polyribocytidylic acid (poly IC), polyriboinosinic acid.polycytidylic acid, polylysine and carboxymethylcellulose, mismatched poly IC], recombinant murine gamma-interferon, and a natural murine alpha/beta-interferon were shown to depress hepatic cytochrome P-450 and selected microsomal cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenase reactions and to induce hepatic xanthine oxidase activity. The feeding of tungstate in the drinking water largely depleted xanthine oxidase in mice; cytochrome P-450 levels and monooxygenase activities were not affected by tungstate treatment. Tungstate rendered the level of xanthine oxidase much below that in mice that had not received tungstate regardless of whether or not they had received poly IC or interferon; nevertheless, poly IC and interferon produced losses of cytochrome P-450 and monooxygenase activities in these tungstate-treated mice equivalent to those observed in mice that had not received tungstate. The administration of N-acetylcysteine did not prevent the loss of cytochrome P-450 induced by poly IC, as has been reported, nor did the incubation of microsomal cytochrome P-450 with buttermilk xanthine oxidase and hypoxanthine cause a loss of cytochrome P-450, which has also been reported. It is concluded from these studies that the induction of xanthine oxidase and the loss of cytochrome P-450 generated by interferon are coincidental rather than causally related phenomena.

Inhibition of microsomal biotransformation by a series of nitrogen and oxygen heterocyclic histamine H2-antagonists.

A homologous series of potent, long-lasting thiazolo-pyrimidone-pyridine histamine H2-antagonists were examined for their inhibitory effects on rat hepatic ethylmorphine N-demethylation. Inhibitory potency increased in the order: 2-pyridinyl less than 3-pyridinyl less than 4-pyridinyl histamine H2-antagonist. Substitution ortho to the pyridine nitrogen decreased inhibitory potency. Hydroxylation of the pyridine heterocycle decreased inhibitory potency, whereas substituent electronic effects did not appreciably alter the inhibitory potency of these compounds. Antagonists containing oxygen heterocycles were moderately potent inhibitors compared to those containing unsubstituted pyridine as the heterocycle. A 3-(6-methylpyridine) histamine H2-antagonist was shown to be a slightly more potent inhibitor of ethinamate metabolism than cimetidine in rats. However, unlike cimetidine, it did not inhibit the plasma half-life of antipyrine in dogs at doses that were equally efficacious in inhibiting gastric acid secretion.

Xenobiotic-metabolizing enzyme systems in test fish--II. The ethylmorphine N-demethylase activity of guppy (Poecilia reticulata) liver.

The oxidative demethylation of the model substrate ethylmorphine has been characterized for the first time in the liver of a fish (Poecilia reticulata). The enzyme showed maximal activity at 35 degrees C and pH values higher than 8. The values of Km and Vmax for the reaction were 0.83 +/- 0.11 mM and 4.64 +/- 0.81 nmol HCHO/(mg microsomal protein) per min. The activity is attributed to the cytochrome P-450-dependent monoxygenase system, since it is inhibited by CO and requires NADPH; moreover it is inhibited competitively by alpha-naphthoflavone and non-competitively by metyrapone. The enzyme activity is induced by a two-week treatment of fish with phenobarbital and may be associated with a protein band of Mr 54,000.

The effects of cyclosporin A (CsA) on hepatic microsomal drug metabolism in the rat.

The effects of cyclosporin A (CsA), a powerful immunosuppressant, on the hepatic microsomal mixed function oxidase (MFO) system was studied in male rats. Difference spectroscopy studies indicated that CsA binds to cytochrome P-450 producing a type I spectral change. To investigate potential interactions with the MFO system, CsA was administered orally at doses of either 25 mg/kg or 50 mg/kg once daily for 9 days. Various metabolic parameters were examined, including: levels of microsomal protein, cytochrome P-450, and cytochrome b5, NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity, N-demethylation of ethylmorphine (ETM), and p-hydroxylation of aniline (ANL). Rats treated with 50 mg/kg showed a 25% or greater decrease over controls in all parameters examined except microsomal protein and cytochrome b5 levels. Rats treated with 25 mg/kg showed a 28% or greater decrease in all parameters except microsomal protein, cytochrome b5, and cytochrome P-450. Kinetic studies of ETM-N-demethylase and ANL-hydroxylase activities were conducted either with microsomes prepared from CsA-treated animals (50 mg/kg/day for 5 days) or with pooled microsomes prepared from untreated animals to which CsA was added directly. Enzyme reaction velocities were measured and apparent KM and apparent Vmax were determined. Studies with CsA-treated animals revealed a 57% decrease in both KM and Vmax for ETM-N-demethylase, and a 46% decrease in KM and a 32% decrease in Vmax for ANL-hydroxylase. Studies involving direct addition of CsA to microsomes at final concentrations of 0.01 mM and 0.10 mM revealed no significant changes in apparent KM or Vmax for either enzyme.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

In vivo and in vitro inhibition of hepatic microsomal drug metabolism by ketoconazole.

Ketoconazole (KC), a broad spectrum antifungal drug, has been recognized recently as a cause of hepatic injury. The mechanism of the adverse reaction remains unclear: a metabolic idiosincrasy has been suggested. However as a substituted imidazole, KC might be expected to interfere with the hepatic microsomal mixed function oxidases. Ethylmorphine N-demethylase (E-DM) and aniline hydroxylase (A-OH) activities were determined in rat liver microsomes in the presence of increasing amounts of KC. Both were inhibited in an exponential fashion. The E-DM inhibition was almost complete at concentrations greater than 250 microM and was of the mixed type. A much weaker effect was observed for A-OH. A significant inhibition of E-DM was also observed when KC was administered in vivo to rats either orally for 7 days at the dose of 100 mg/kg/day (P less than 0.02) or intraperitoneally for 4 days at the dose of 50 or 100 mg/kg day (P less than 0.01 or P less than 0.001 respectively). A-OH activity was significantly reduced (P less than 0.01) only after ip administration of 100 mg/kg/day of the drug for 4 days. Neither the amount of cytochrome P-450 nor NADPH cytochrome c reductase activity were affected at the doses considered. These data show that KC interferes with hepatic oxidative drug metabolism and suggest that this mechanism might be involved in the unwanted side effects of therapy with KC.

Induction of xanthine oxidase and depression of cytochrome P-450 by interferon inducers: genetic difference in the responses of mice.

Interferon and interferon inducing agents depress hepatic cytochrome P-450 systems. They also induce hepatic xanthine oxidase activity. It has been suggested that free radicals produced by xanthine oxidase may cause the loss of P-450. High titers of serum interferon are induced by poly IC (poly riboinosinic acid.polyribocytidylic acid) in both C57Bl/6J and C3H/HeJ mice; Newcastle disease virus (NDV) induces a high titer of interferon in C57Bl/6J mice but not in C3H/HeJ mice. The induction of xanthine oxidase activity by NDV in C3H/HeJ mice was less than half that seen in C57Bl/6J mice, thus demonstrating a relationship between the induction of xanthine oxidase, the depression of P-450 and a genetically determined difference in responsiveness of mice to interferon inducers.

Depression of the hepatic cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase system by treatment of mice with the antineoplastic agent 5-azacytidine.

The effects of 5-azacytidine (5-AC) administration on the hepatic cytochrome P-450 systems of mice were studied. A single i.p. dose of 5-AC (25 mg/kg) to male Swiss-Webster mice caused about a 50% depression of microsomal cytochromes P-450 and b5 and of ethylmorphine N-demethylase and ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase activities. Depression was greatest 24 h after treatment; by 48 to 72 h, cytochromes and drug metabolism had returned to near control values. Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-cytochrome c reductase activity was also depressed by 5-AC, whereas reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-cytochrome c reductase was not. Incubation of 5-AC with microsomes produced no effect on drug metabolism. The prolongation of hexobarbital sleeping time by 5-AC showed that drug metabolism is also impaired by 5-AC in vivo. These studies may have important clinical implications when certain drugs are coadministered with 5-AC.

Differential haemin-mediated restoration of cytochrome P-450 N-demethylases after inactivation by allylisopropylacetamide.

Administration of allylisopropylacetamide (AIA) to phenobarbital-pretreated rats results in the destruction of several phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P-450 isoenzymes and a correspondingly marked loss of benzphetamine N-demethylase and ethylmorphine N-demethylase activities. Accordingly, the ion-exchange h.p.l.c. or DEAE-cellulose-chromatographic profile of solubilized microsomal preparations from such rats revealed a marked decrease in the cytochrome P-450 content of several eluted fractions compared with that of microsomes from corresponding non-AIA-treated controls. Incubation of liver homogenates from such rats with haemin restores not only cytochrome P-450 content from 35 to 62% of original values, but also benzphetamine N-demethylase and ethylmorphine N-demethylase activities, from 23 to 67%, and from 12 to 36% of original values respectively. Moreover, the chromatographic profiles of microsomes prepared from such homogenates indicated increases of cytochrome P-450 content only in some fractions. Reconstitution of mixed-function oxidase activity of cytochrome P-450 by addition of NADPH: cytochrome P-450 reductase to these fractions indicated that incubation with haemin restored benzphetamine N-demethylase activity predominantly, but ethylmorphine N-demethylase activity only minimally. After injection of [14C]AIA, a significant amount of radiolabel was found covalently bound to protein in chromatographic fraction III, and this binding was unaffected by incubation with haemin. Furthermore, the extent of this binding is apparently equimolar to the amount of cytochrome P-450 refractory to haemin reconstitution in that particular fraction. Whether such refractoriness reflects structural inactivation of the apo-cytochrome remains to be determined. Nevertheless, the evidence presented very strongly argues for AIA-mediated inactivation of multiple phenobarbital-induced isoenzymes, only a few of which are structurally and functionally reparable by haemin.

Ketoconazole: a potent inhibitor of cytochrome P-450-dependent drug metabolism in rat liver.

Ketoconazole, an orally active imidazole antimycotic agent, is shown to be a potent inhibitor of drug N-demethylase activities of liver microsomes from rats pretreated with phenobarbital or pregnenolone-16 alpha-carbonitrile, and an inhibitor of 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activity of liver microsomes from rats pretreated with 5,6-benzoflavone. Spectrophotometric studies reveal that the imidazole compound binds to the cytochrome P-450 component of the monooxygenase complex, and has little effect on NADPH-cytochrome c (P-450) reductase activity. These results are strongly suggestive that cytochrome P-450 is the site of action of this potent inhibitor of drug metabolism in liver microsomes.

Effects of the interferon inducing agents tilorone and polyriboinosinic acid . polyribocytidylic acid (poly IC) on the hepatic monooxygenase systems of the developing neonatal rat.

This paper describes the effects of the interferon inducing agents tilorone and polyriboinosinic acid . polyribocytidylic acid (poly IC) on the postnatal development of hepatic cytochrome P-450-linked monooxygenase systems of male rats from birth through early adolescence. The administration of tilorone to rats on days 1 and 2 postpartum modified the changes in the activities of hepatic monooxygenase systems that occur normally during the first four days postpartum. Thus, aniline hydroxylase activity, which develops very rapidly during the first 2 days postpartum, was depressed markedly by tilorone, ethylmorphine N-demethylase activity was depressed moderately, and benzo[a] pyrene hydroxylase, normally the slowest of the three monooxygenase activities to develop, was induced. These changes in monooxygenase activities occurred without a significant change in the cytochrome P-450 content. These observations suggest that not all species of neonatal cytochrome P-450 are affected equally by tilorone administration. By day 7 postpartum, the cytochrome P-450 content and all three monooxygenase activities were depressed in rats that had received tilorone on days 1 and 2 postpartum. All three monooxygenase systems were depressed by the administration of a single dose of poly IC (10 mg/kg) in 1-, 2-, 21-, 28- and 56-day-old rats. The length of the period between maximal depression and complete recovery of cytochrome P-450 systems was shown to be a function of the age of the rat; it increased from about 6 hr in 1-day-old rats to 48 hr in 56-day-old rats. Protein is synthesized more rapidly and degraded more slowly in neonate than in adult animals; this may account for the more rapid recovery of poly IC-induced depression of monooxygenase systems in neonates.

A kinetic study comparing the light-reversal properties of carbon monoxide inhibition of ethylmorphine, benzphetamine, and 7-ethoxycoumarin dealkylation with those of hydroxylation of 17-hydroxyprogesterone and testosterone.

The light-reversal properties of carbon monoxide (CO) inhibition of the dealkylation of benzphetamine, ethylmorphine, and 7-ethoxycoumarin by microsomes from phenobarbital (PB)-induced rat livers were compared with those of the 6 beta-, 7 alpha-, and 16 alpha-hydroxylations of testosterone by the same rat hepatic microsomes and C-21 hydroxylation of 17-OH progesterone by steer adrenal microsomes. CO inhibited all reactions studied to essentially the same degree. The significant finding was that the dealkylations were reversed most effectively by light of wavelengths between 440 and 445 nm, rather than around 450 nm, the optimal wavelength for steroid hydroxylations. Moreover, the dealkylations required several-fold higher light intensities for equivalent light reversal. These studies suggest that the heme protein-CO complex responsible for dealkylations has a spectrum corresponding to the shape of the pass band of the 445-nm filter, whereas that of the steroid hydroxylations has its light-reversal maximum at 450 nm and appears to be broader. The measurable differences in the light-reversal properties between the monooxygenations of two groups of substrates, (i) dealkylations and (ii) hydroxylations of lipid substrates, furnish biophysical properties that allow a better characterization of microsomal monooxygenases which should be of value in forwarding progress in the study of these systems.

[Effect of rimazolium (Probon) on biotransformation reactions in the rat]. / Uber den Einfluss von Rimazolium (Probon) auf Biotransformationsreaktionen bei der Ratte.

Rimazolium inhibits ethylmorphine-N-demethylation and ethoxycoumarin-O-deethylation by rat liver homogenate when added in vitro in dependence on reaction differently, but marked effects are observed with high concentrations only (10(-3) mol). Both reactions are inhibited after administration of a high sedative dose (180 mg/kg) by 30-40%, after a non-sedative dose no inhibition could be observed. After a 4 d treatment both reactions were not influenced when investigated 24 h after the last administration, the induction by phenobarbital is inhibited in case of ethylmorphine-N-demethylation by rimazolium, but increased in case of ethoxycoumarin-O-deethylation.