title: Human metabolism of nebicapone (BIA 3-202), a novel catechol-o-methyltransferase inhibitor: characterization of in vitro glucuronidation.
abstract: Nebicapone (BIA 3-202; 1-[3,4-dihydroxy-5-nitrophenyl]-2-phenylethanone), a novel catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor, is mainly metabolized by glucuronidation. The purpose of this study was to characterize the major plasma metabolites of nebicapone following p.o. administration of nebicapone to healthy volunteers, and to determine the human UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzymes involved in nebicapone glucuronidation. Plasma samples were collected as part of a clinical trial at different time points postdose and were analyzed for nebicapone and its metabolites using a validated method consisting of a solid-phase extraction, followed by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry detection. The primary metabolic pathways of nebicapone in humans involve mainly 3-O-glucuronidation, the major early metabolite, and 3-O-methylation, the predominant late metabolite. Of the nine commercially available recombinant UGT enzymes studied (UGT1A1, UGT1A3, UGT1A6, UGT1A7, UGT1A8, UGT1A9, UGT1A10, UGT2B7, and UGT2B15), only UGT1A9 exhibited high nebicapone glucuronosyltransferase specific activity (24.3 +/- 1.3 nmol/mg protein/min). UGT1A6, UGT1A7, UGT1A8, UGT1A10, UGT2B7, and UGT2B15 exhibited low activity (0.1-1.1 nmol/mg protein/min), and UGT1A1 and UGT1A3 showed extremely low activities (less than 0.03 nmol/mg protein/min). The results show that nebicapone is mainly glucuronidated in humans and that multiple UGT enzymes are involved in this reaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Research and Development, BIAL, A Av da Siderurgia Nacional, 4745-457 S Mamede do Coronado, Portugal.
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Loureiro
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bonifácio
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fernandes-Lopes
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Soares-Da-Silva
mesh_terms: D000098:Acetophenones / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D019540:Area Under Curve; D065098:Catechol O-Methyltransferase Inhibitors; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005260:Female; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008861:Microsomes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000098:Acetophenones; D065098:Catechol O-Methyltransferase Inhibitors; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase; C433466:nebicapone