title: Metabolism of dextromethorphan in vitro: involvement of cytochromes P450 2D6 and 3A3/4, with a possible role of 2E1.
abstract: Dextromethorphan (DMO), a cough suppressing synthetic analog of codeine, undergoes parallel O-demethylation to dextrorphan (DOP), and N-demethylation to 3-methoxymorphinan (MEM), in humans. 3-hydroxymorphinan, a didemethylated metabolite, is formed secondarily. O-demethylation activity is well established as an index reaction for CYP2D6. However, this pathway appears to be mediated by at least two different enzymes in vitro. N-demethylation activity has recently been proposed to reflect CYP3A3/4 activity. We investigated both pathways in vitro with microsomal preparations from three human livers to assess the value of DMO as a probe drug for CYP2D6 and CYP3A3/4, DMO O-demethylation displayed a biphasic pattern with a high-affinity site reflecting CYP2D6 activity (mean Ki for quinidine, 0.1 +/- 0.13 microM). Kinetic parameters for the two O-demethylation mediating enzymes predict an average relative intrinsic clearance (Vmax/K(m) ratio) of 96% of total O-demethylation mediated via the high-affinity enzyme. Thus, in vitro data confirms the usefulness of DMO O-demethylation as an index reaction to monitor CYP2D6 activity. The Eadie-Hofstee plot of DMO N-demethylation was consistent with single-enzyme Michaelis-Menten kinetics (Vmax varying from 3.3 to 6.8 nmol mg-1 min-1, K(m) from 231 to 322 microM). However, ketoconazole, a CYP3A3/4 inhibitor, reduced N-demethylation only by 60% and had a mean Ki an order of magnitude higher (0.37 microM) compared to other pure CYP3A3/4 mediated reactions. Troleandomycin, a mechanism based CYP3A3/4 inhibitor, inhibited MEM formation by an average maximum of 46%, with an IC50 varying from 1 to 2.6 microM. A polyclonal rat liver CYP3A1 antibody inhibited MEM formation only by approximately 50%. Diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC), a mechanism based CYP2E1 inhibitor, reduced MEM formation at concentrations up to 150 microM between 33 and 43%. Chemical inhibitors of CYP2d6 (quinidine), CYP1A1/2 (alpha-naphthoflavone), and CYP2C9 (sulfaphenazole), as well as a goat rat liver CYP2C11 polyclonal antibody (inhibitory against human CYP2C9 and CYP2C19), had minimal effect on MEM formation rate, thus excluding an involvement of any of these enzymes. DMO N-demethylation is only partly mediated by CYP3A3/4, and therefore is not a reliable index reaction for CYP3A3/4 activity either in vitro or probably in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schmider
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Greenblatt
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Fogelman
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: von Moltke
authors.forename: R I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Shader
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000996:Antitussive Agents / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D001571:Benzoflavones / Q000494:pharmacology; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D019389:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2D6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D051544:Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism*; D003915:Dextromethorphan / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004050:Ditiocarb / Q000494:pharmacology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008745:Methylation; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011802:Quinidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D013426:Sulfaphenazole / Q000494:pharmacology; D014019:Tissue Donors
chemical_list: D000996:Antitussive Agents; D001571:Benzoflavones; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D013426:Sulfaphenazole; C028657:3-methoxymorphinan; C011512:alpha-naphthoflavone; D003915:Dextromethorphan; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D004050:Ditiocarb; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1; C104464:CYP3A protein, human; D019389:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2D6; D051544:Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A; C054116:norlevorphanol; D011802:Quinidine