title: Xenobiotic metabolism in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Using 5 methods, we assessed the ability of patients with a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) to handle xenobiotics. Patients with AD, compared with controls, have reduced sulfoxidation of the probe drug S-carboxymethyl-L-cysteine; they also form less of the sulfate conjugate of acetaminophen. In addition, they have lower activity of the enzyme thiolmethyltransferase. In contrast, the capacity to oxidize debrisoquin and to acetylate sulfamethazine was normal. These findings suggest that a major risk factor for the development of AD is a skewed capacity for xenobiotic metabolism especially of compounds containing sulfur.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Steventon
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Heafield
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sturman
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Waring
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000378:metabolism; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D002233:Carbocysteine / Q000378:metabolism; D003647:Debrisoquin / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D013418:Sulfamethazine / Q000378:metabolism; D015262:Xenobiotics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015262:Xenobiotics; D000082:Acetaminophen; D013418:Sulfamethazine; D002233:Carbocysteine; D008780:Methyltransferases; C022742:thiol S-methyltransferase; D003647:Debrisoquin