title: Influence of cimetidine, sulfinpyrazone, and cigarette smoking on theobromine metabolism in man.
abstract: Theobromine metabolism and clearance were investigated at steady-state under chronic oral dosing conditions in eight healthy volunteers, four of whom were cigarette smokers. The subjects were studied before and after separate 1 week pretreatments with cimetidine (1 g/day) and sulfinpyrazone (800 mg/day). Theobromine plasma clearance (ClTB) was 33% higher in smokers than in non-smokers due to induction of all metabolic pathways (3-demethylation, 7-demethylation, and formation of 6-amino-5-(N-methylformylamino)-1-methyluracil (AMMU]. 7-Demethylation was induced by cigarette smoking to a greater extent than the other pathways. Cimetidine pretreatment inhibited theobromine 3-demethylation and AMMU formation resulting in a 27% decrease in ClTB in the combined smoker/nonsmoker group. The 7-demethylation pathway was unaffected by cimetidine. In contrast, sulfinpyrazone pretreatment increased ClTB by 50% in the whole group by approximately equal induction of each metabolic pathway. The extent of induction due to sulfinpyrazone was 2.4-fold greater in nonsmokers than in smokers. When compared with previous data relating to theophylline, the results suggest that theobromine 3-demethylation is mediated by the same form(s) of cytochrome P-450 involved in theophylline demethylation, while a second form(s) of cytochrome P-450 is involved in theobromine 7-demethylation and theophylline 8-hydroxylation. In addition, since AMMU formation was inhibited by cimetidine and induced by cigarette smoking and sulfinpyrazone, it would appear that the conversion of theobromine to AMMU is also mediated by cytochrome P-450.
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Miners
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Attwood
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Wing
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Birkett
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002927:Cimetidine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000032:analysis; D003640:Dealkylation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate; D012907:Smoking; D013442:Sulfinpyrazone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013805:Theobromine / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002927:Cimetidine; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D013805:Theobromine; D013442:Sulfinpyrazone