CYP1A1 specificity of Verlukast epoxidation in mice, rats, rhesus monkeys, and humans.

It has previously been shown that Verlukast is converted to Verlukast dihydrodiol in microsomes from beta-naphthoflavone (BNF)-treated, but not uninduced Swiss Webster mice and Sprague-Dawley rats. We have examined the involvement of CYP1A1 in this reaction in more detail. It is concluded that this reaction is catalyzed exclusively by CYP1A1 in rats, mice, and humans based on the following criteria: 1) the epoxidation of Verlukast is negligible in uninduced rats, which express CYP1A2 but not CYP1A1; 2) Verlukast epoxidation is highly inducible by BNF treatment (60- to 200-fold); 3) Verlukast epoxidation in BNF-treated rat microsomes was inhibited by alpha-naphthoflavone (ANF) treatment, indicating that this activity was mediated by the CYP1A subfamily; 4) > 95% of Verlukast epoxidation in BNF-treated rat microsomes was inhibited by antibodies raised against CYP1A1; and 5) Verlukast was epoxidized by human CYP1A1 but not CYP1A2. Thus, Verlukast epoxidation appears to be specific for rat, mouse, and human CYP1A1. Additional studies showed that Verlukast was metabolized to Verlukast dihydrodiol in microsomes from uninduced rhesus monkeys. This reaction was inhibited by nanomolar concentrations of ANF in rhesus monkey microsomes implicating the involvement of the CYP1A subfamily. In addition, the 8-hydroxylation of R-warfarin, a pathway that is selective for rodent and human CYP1A1 activity, was also catalyzed at significant rates by rhesus monkey microsomes. These findings indicate that, unlike rats, mice, and humans, which have very low constitutive levels of hepatic CYP1A1 activity, the uninduced rhesus monkey is able to catalyze reactions specific to CYP1A1 in rodents and humans.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Characterization of verlukast metabolites arising from an epoxide intermediate produced with hepatic microsomes from beta-naphthoflavone-treated rodents (P-4501A1).

Verlukast, (R)3-((((3-(2-(7-chloroquinolin-2-yl)-(E)-ethenyl)phenyl)-3- dimethylamino-3-oxopropylthio)methyl)thio)-propionic acid (also known as MK-0679 and L-668,019), is a potent leukotriene D4 antagonist. Verlukast was incubated with hepatic microsomes from beta-naphthoflavone (beta NF) or isosafrole-treated rodents to evaluate whether P-4501A1 or 1A2 mediated biotransformations could occur. With beta NF-induced mouse or rat microsomes, in which the induction of P-4501A1 had been proven by Western blot analysis, incubations produced new metabolites that were separated by reversed-phase HPLC and were initially characterized by UV (photodiode array). Metabolites were subsequently isolated and characterized by NMR and MS, and were assigned as the 5",6"-dihydrodiol and 6"-phenol (on the quinoline ring). The presumed 5",6"-epoxide intermediate was also detected and was characterized by UV (photodiode array) and MS. Microsomes from isosafrole-treated rodents produced the dihydrodiol to a much lesser extent and did not yield any other new metabolites. alpha-Naphthoflavone inhibited the dihydrodiol formation in incubations with microsomes from isosafrole- and beta NF-treated rats. In incubations with microsomes from beta NF-treated rats, to which the epoxide hydrolase inhibitor 3,3,3-trichloropropene 1,2-oxide had been added, the formation of dihydrodiol was inhibited, consistent with a microsomal epoxide hydrolase hydrolysis of the epoxide intermediate. When glutathione was added to incubations with microsomes from beta NF-treated rats, the dihydrodiol, phenol, and epoxide peaks were reduced in size and a new material, the glutathione adduct, was formed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)