title: Regioselectivity of metabolic activation of acetylenic steroids by hepatic cytochrome P450 isozymes.
abstract: Liver cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450), a group of isozymes that catalyze the reductive cleavage of molecular oxygen, dominate hepatic metabolism of xenobiotic lipophilic substances. These P450 enzymes exhibit broad and overlapping substrate specificities, in contrast to the P450 isozymes of the steroid biosynthetic pathways, which are highly substrate specific. Hepatic heme pigments, N-alkylated porphyrins, accumulate following the self-catalyzed destruction of P450 by the metabolic activation of 17 alpha-ethynyl steroids. Acetylenic substituted steroidal aromatase inactivators, norethisterone (NET), and 10-(2-propynyl)estr-4-ene-3,17-dione (MDL 18,962) were administered to rats to determine if the acetylenic substituent was activated by hepatic P450 mixed-function oxidases. This metabolism could result in the formation of a reactive species that would alkylate a pyrrole nitrogen atom of heme. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with 0, 10, 30, or 100 mg/kg NET or MDL 18,962 intraperitoneally. Four hours later, these animals received 40 mg/kg sodium pentobarbital and their sleeping times were recorded. On arousal, the rats were killed and their livers were taken for determination of P450 content and formation of N-alkylated porphyrins (green pigments). Norethisterone inhibited hepatic P450 isozymes, resulting in a dose-related increased sleeping time (89.2 +/- 3.5 to 156.3 +/- 7.6 minutes) and decreased P450 levels (maximum 25% decrease at 100 mg/kg), and the amount of green pigments increased with doses of 10 to 100 mg/kg. In contrast, MDL 18,962 treatment did not increase sleeping time and caused only a 15% decrease in hepatic P450 content at 100 mg/kg, with no detectable green pigments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Marion Merrell Dow Research Institute, Cincinnati, OH 45215.
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Leeson
mesh_terms: D000735:Androstenedione / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D001711:Biotransformation; D065607:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inhibitors; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism*; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D009640:Norethindrone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010293:Pargyline / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D010424:Pentobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D065607:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inhibitors; D007527:Isoenzymes; D000735:Androstenedione; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D010293:Pargyline; C033071:plomestane; D010424:Pentobarbital; D009640:Norethindrone