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Identification of cytochromes P 450 2C9 and 3A4 as the major catalysts of phenprocoumon hydroxylation in vitro

  • Pharmacokinetics and Disposition
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Abstract

Objective

This in-vitro study aimed at an identification of cytochrome P 450 (CYP) enzymes catalysing the (S)- and (R)-hydroxylation of the widely used anticoagulant phenprocoumon (PPC) to its major, inactive metabolites.

Methods

Relevant catalysts were identified by kinetic, correlation and inhibition experiments using human liver microsomes and recombinant enzymes.

Results

Kinetics revealed (S)-7-hydroxylation as quantitatively most important. Biphasic Eadie-Hofstee plots indicated more than one catalyst for the 4′-, 6- and 7-hydroxylation of both enantiomers with mean K m1 and K m2 of 144.5±34.9 and 10.0±6.49 µM, respectively. PPC hydroxylation rates were significantly correlated with CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 activity and expression analysing 11 different CYP-specific probes. Complete inhibition of PPC hydroxylation was achieved by combined addition of the CYP3A4-specific inhibitor triacetyloleandomycin (TAO) and a monoclonal, inhibitory antibody (mAb) directed against CYP2C8, 9, 18 and 19, except for the (R)-4′-hydroxylation that was, however, inhibited by ~80% using TAO alone. (S)-PPC hydroxylation was reduced by ~2/3 and ~1/3 using mAb2C8–9-18–19 and TAO, respectively, but (R)-6- and 7-hydroxylation by ~50% each. Experiments with mAbs directed against single CYP2C enzymes clearly indicated CYP2C9 as a major catalyst of the 6- and 7-hydroxylation for both enantiomers. However, CYP2C8 was equally important regarding the (S)-4′-hydroxylation. Recombinant CYP2C8 and CYP2C9 were high-affinity catalysts (K m <5 µM), whereas CYP3A4 operated with low affinity (K m >100 µM).

Conclusion

CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 are major catalysts of (S)- and (R)-PPC hydroxylation, while CYP2C8 partly catalysed the (S)-4′-hydroxylation. Increased vigilance is warranted when PPC treatment is combined with substrates, inhibitors, or inducers of these enzymes.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Swedish Science Council, Stockholm, Sweden (MFR 04496, 3902) and the Karolinska Institutet. Dr. Ufer is a recipient of a research scholarship provided by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Berlin, Germany (FKZ 01 EC 0001) and the German Research Community, Bonn, Germany (Uf 6/1–1). We greatly acknowledge Prof. W.F. Trager (Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, USA) for providing us with the PPC metabolites. We also thank Prof. M. Eichelbaum (Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch-Institute, Stuttgart, Germany) for discussion and F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. (Basel, Switzerland) for kind provision of PPC racemate and enantiomers. All experiments were conducted in accordance with the Swedish law.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

    Mike Ufer, Jan O. Svensson, Anders Rane & Gunnel Tybring

  2. Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital of Tübingen, Germany

    Mike Ufer

  3. Laboratory of Molecular Carcinogenesis and Metabolism, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA

    Kristopher W. Krausz & Harry V. Gelboin

  4. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge University Hospital, 141 86, Stockholm, Sweden

    Mike Ufer

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  1. Mike Ufer
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Correspondence to Mike Ufer.

Additional information

Part of this work was presented at the 6th Congress of the European Association for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Istanbul, June 2003.

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Ufer, M., Svensson, J.O., Krausz, K.W. et al. Identification of cytochromes P 450 2C9 and 3A4 as the major catalysts of phenprocoumon hydroxylation in vitro. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 60, 173–182 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-004-0740-5

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