title: Kinetics of sequential metabolism from D-leucine to L-leucine via alpha-ketoisocaproic acid in rat.
abstract: D-Leucine is considered to be converted into the L-enantiomer by two steps: oxidative deamination to form alpha-ketoisocaproic acid (KIC) and subsequent stereospecific reamination of KIC. We investigated the pharmacokinetics of leucine enantiomers and KIC in rats to evaluate how deamination of D-leucine, reamination of KIC, and decarboxylation of KIC were affected to the overall extent that converted D-leucine into the L-enantiomer. After intravenous administrations of D-[(2)H(7)]leucine, L-[(2)H(7)]leucine, or [(2)H(7)]KIC, their plasma concentrations together with endogenous L-leucine and KIC were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The rapid appearances of [(2)H(7)]KIC and L-[(2)H(7)]leucine were observed after administration of D-[(2)H(7)]leucine, whereas no detectable amount of D-[(2)H(7)]leucine was found after administrations of [(2)H(7)]KIC or L-[(2)H(7)]leucine. The fraction of conversion from D-[(2)H(7)]leucine into [(2)H(7)]KIC (F(D-->KIC)) was estimated by using the area under the curve (AUC) of [(2)H(7)]KIC on the D-[(2)H(7)]leucine administration [AUC(KIC(D))] and that of [(2)H(7)]KIC on the [(2)H(7)]KIC administration (AUC(KIC)) to yield 70.1%. The fraction of conversion from [(2)H(7)]KIC to L-[(2)H(7)]leucine (F(KIC-->L)) was 40.2%. The fraction of conversion from D-leucine to the L-enantiomer (F(D-->L)) was considered to be the product of F(D-->KIC) and F(KIC-->L), indicating that 28.2% of D-[(2)H(7)]leucine was metabolized to L-[(2)H(7)]leucine via [(2)H(7)]KIC. These results suggested that the relatively low conversion of D-leucine into the L-enantiomer might depend on irreversible decarboxylation of KIC. Regardless of [(2)H(7)]KIC, F(D-->L) was also calculated directly using AUC(L(D)) and AUC(L) to yield 27.5%. There were no differences between the two F(D-->L) values, suggesting that almost all of the formation of L-[(2)H(7)]leucine from D-[(2)H(7)]leucine occurred via [(2)H(7)]KIC as an intermediate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, Tokyo, Japan. hasegawa@ps.oyaku.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Takehisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsukawa
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shinohara
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007651:Keto Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D007930:Leucine / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008297:Male; D010599:Pharmacokinetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D007651:Keto Acids; C013082:alpha-ketoisocaproic acid; D007930:Leucine