title: 4-alkyl radical extrusion in the cytochrome P-450-catalyzed oxidation of 4-alkyl-1,4-dihydropyridines.
abstract: Rat liver microsomal cytochrome P-450 oxidizes the 4-methyl, 4-ethyl (DDEP), and 4-isopropyl derivatives of 3,5-bis(carbethoxy)-2,6-dimethyl-1,4-dihydropyridine to mixtures of the corresponding 4-alkyl and 4-dealkyl pyridines. A fraction of the total microsomal enzyme is destroyed in the process. The 4-dealkyl to 4-alkyl pyridine metabolite ratio, the extent of cytochrome P-450 destruction, and the rate of spin-trapped radical accumulation are correlated in a linear inverse manner with the homolytic or heterolytic bond energies of the 4-alkyl groups of the 4-alkyl-1,4-dihydropyridines. No isotope effects are observed on the pyridine metabolite ratio, the destruction of cytochrome P-450, or the formation of ethyl radicals when [4-2H]DDEP is used instead of DDEP. N-Methyl- and N-ethyl-DDEP undergo N-dealkylation rather than aromatization but N-phenyl-DDEP is oxidized to a mixture of the 4-ethyl and 4-deethyl N-phenylpyridinium metabolites. In contrast to the absence of an isotope effect in the oxidation of DDEP, the 4-deethyl to 4-ethyl N-phenylpyridinium metabolite ratio increases 6-fold when N-phenyl[4-2H]DDEP is used. The results support the hypothesis that cytochrome P-450 catalyzes the oxidation of dihydropyridines to radical cations and show that the radical cations decay to nonradical products by multiple, substituent-dependent, mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of California, San Francisco 94143.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Ortiz de Montellano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism*; D004095:Dihydropyridines / Q000378:metabolism*; D005609:Free Radicals; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011739:Pyrimethamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D004095:Dihydropyridines; D005609:Free Radicals; C013909:etoprine; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D011739:Pyrimethamine