title: A direct, highly sensitive fluorometric assay for a microsomal cytochrome P450-mediated O-demethylation using a novel coumarin analog as substrate.
abstract: A highly sensitive fluorometric assay for the determination of monooxygenase activity in liver microsomes is described. The assay is based on the use of 3-chloro-7-methoxy-4-methylcoumarin which is demethylated to 3-chloro-7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin. The rate of formation of 3-chloro-7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin was recorded as an increase of fluorescence (lambdaA = 380 nm, lambdaF = 480 nm) with time. When 3-chloro-7-methoxy-4-methylcoumarin was incubated in the presence of MgCl2 and NADPH with rat liver microsomes, a continuous increase of the fluorescence could be measured. The reaction proceeded linearly for about 10 min and at least up to a concentration of 0.1 mg/ml of microsomal protein. Besides 3-chloro-7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin a hydroxylated derivative of the substrate was formed as a second metabolite during the incubation. Using an excitation wavelength of 380 nm and a fluorescence/emission wavelength of 480 nm, the fluorescence of this substance (lambdaA = 338 nm, lambdaF = 422 nm) amounted only to about 1% of the fluorescence of the main product. The use of 3-chloro-7-methoxy-4-methylcoumarin as substrate enables the fluorometric determination of the O-dealkylation activity of a cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase system in rat liver which is inducible by phenobarbital but not by 3-methylcholanthrene.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Physiologische Chemie der Universität Ulm.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roser
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006900:Hydroxylation; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008748:Methylcholanthrene / Q000494:pharmacology; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D010090:Oxidoreductases, O-Demethylating / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D010634:Phenobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D008748:Methylcholanthrene; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D010090:Oxidoreductases, O-Demethylating; D010634:Phenobarbital