In vitro sulfoxidation of thioether compounds by human cytochrome P450 and flavin-containing monooxygenase isoforms with particular reference to the CYP2C subfamily

Unlocking the antiviral arsenal: Structure-guided optimization of small-molecule inhibitors against RSV and hCoV-229E

Acute respiratory diseases in humans can be caused by various viral pathogens such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human coronavirus 229E (hCoV-229E), and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). To prevent severe cases by an early treatment, one effective strategy is to inhibit viral infection at the entry stage of the replication cycle. However, there is a lack of efficient, FDA-approved small-molecule drugs targeting these pathogens. Previously, we identified two dual RSV/hCoV-229E small-molecule inhibitors with activity in the single-digit micromolar range. In this study, we focused on a structure-guided optimization approach of the more promising prototype addressing activity, cell viability, selectivity, solubility and metabolic stability. We present valuable insights into the structure-activity relationship (SAR), and report the discovery of a sub-micromolar RSV entry inhibitor, a dual RSV/CoV-229E inhibitor and a highly potent compound against hCoV-229E.

Derivatives of the Clinically Used HIF Prolyl Hydroxylase Inhibitor Desidustat Are Efficient Inhibitors of Human γ-Butyrobetaine Hydroxylase

The 2-oxoglutarate (2OG)/Fe(II)-dependent γ-butyrobetaine hydroxylase (BBOX) catalyzes the final step in l-carnitine biosynthesis, i.e., stereoselective C-3 oxidation of γ-butyrobetaine (GBB). BBOX inhibition is a validated clinical strategy to modulate l-carnitine levels and to enhance cardiovascular efficiency. Reported BBOX inhibitors, including the clinically used cardioprotective agent Mildronate, manifest moderate inhibitory activity in vitro, limited selectivity, and/or unfavorable physicochemical properties, indicating a need for improved BBOX inhibitors. We report that the clinically used hypoxia-inducible factor-α prolyl residue hydroxylase (PHD) inhibitors Desidustat, Enarodustat, and Vadadustat efficiently inhibit isolated recombinant BBOX, suggesting that BBOX inhibition by clinically used PHD inhibitors should be considered as a possible off-target effect. Structure-activity relationship studies on the Desidustat scaffold enabled development of potent BBOX inhibitors that manifest high levels of selectivity for BBOX inhibition over representative human 2OG oxygenases, including PHD2. The Desidustat derivatives will help to enable investigations into the biological roles of l-carnitine and the therapeutic potential of BBOX inhibition.

Chemical synthesis and enzymatic late-stage diversification of novel pantothenate analogues with antiplasmodial activity

The emergence of resistance to nearly every therapeutic agent directed against malaria-causing Plasmodium parasites emphasises the dire need for new antimalarials. Despite their high potency and low cytotoxicity in vitro, the clinical use of pantothenamides is hindered by pantetheinase-mediated hydrolysis in human serum. We herein report the chemical synthesis and biological activity of a new series of pantothenamide analogues in which the labile amide group is replaced with an isoxazole ring. In addition, we utilised, for the first time, enzymatic late-stage diversification to generate additional isoxazole-containing pantothenamide-mimics. Thirteen novel isoxazole-containing pantothenamide-mimics were generated, several of which display nanomolar antiplasmodial activity against Plasmodium falciparum and are non-toxic to human cells in vitro. Although the derivatives generated via late-stage diversification are less potent than the parent compounds, the most potent still exerted its activity via a mechanism that interferes with the pantothenate-utilising process and appears to be nontoxic to human cells. This increases the appeal of using late-stage diversification to modify pantothenamide-mimics, potentially leading to compounds with improved antiplasmodial and/or pharmacological properties.

Flavin-Dependent Monooxgenase Confers Resistance to Chlorantraniliprole and Spinetoram in the Rice Stem Borer Chilo suppressalis Walker (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

Understanding the role of flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs) in the genetic mechanisms of insecticide resistance is essential for developing effective management strategies against the rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis. In this study, we identified five FMO genes in C. suppressalis, examined their expression patterns, and revealed overexpression of FMO3B and FMO3C in field populations resistant to multiple insecticides, including chlorantraniliprole and spinetoram. Functional characterization using transgenic Drosophila indicated that FMO3B and FMO3C do not confer resistance to abamectin or methoxyfenozide but do mediate resistance to chlorantraniliprole and spinetoram. Knockdown of FMO3B and FMO3C increased sensitivity to these insecticides in C. suppressalis. Molecular docking studies indicated direct binding of chlorantraniliprole and spinetoram to these FMOs, underscoring their role in metabolic resistance. These findings indicate that FMOs are key enzymes in the metabolic resistance of C. suppressalis to chlorantraniliprole and spinetoram, enhancing our understanding of insecticide resistance and aiding the development of management strategies.

De novo development of small cyclic peptides that are orally bioavailable

Cyclic peptides can bind challenging disease targets with high affinity and specificity, offering enormous opportunities for addressing unmet medical needs. However, as with biological drugs, most cyclic peptides cannot be applied orally because they are rapidly digested and/or display low absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, hampering their development as therapeutics. In this study, we developed a combinatorial synthesis and screening approach based on sequential cyclization and one-pot peptide acylation and screening, with the possibility of simultaneously interrogating activity and permeability. In a proof of concept, we synthesized a library of 8,448 cyclic peptides and screened them against the disease target thrombin. Our workflow allowed multiple iterative cycles of library synthesis and yielded cyclic peptides with nanomolar affinities, high stabilities and an oral bioavailability (%F) as high as 18% in rats. This method for generating orally available peptides is general and provides a promising push toward unlocking the full potential of peptides as therapeutics.

Validation of a New Methodology to Create Oral Drugs beyond the Rule of 5 for Intracellular Tough Targets

Establishing a technological platform for creating clinical compounds inhibiting intracellular protein-protein interactions (PPIs) can open the door to many valuable drugs. Although small molecules and antibodies are mainstream modalities, they are not suitable for a target protein that lacks a deep cavity for a small molecule to bind or a protein found in intracellular space out of an antibody's reach. One possible approach to access these targets is to utilize so-called middle-size cyclic peptides (defined here as those with a molecular weight of 1000-2000 g/mol). In this study, we validated a new methodology to create oral drugs beyond the rule of 5 for intracellular tough targets by elucidating structural features and physicochemical properties for drug-like cyclic peptides and developing library technologies to afford highly N-alkylated cyclic peptide hits. We discovered a KRAS inhibitory clinical compound (LUNA18) as the first example of our platform technology.

Machine Learning Models to Predict Cytochrome P450 2B6 Inhibitors and Substrates

Cytochrome P450 2B6 (CYP2B6) is responsible for the metabolism of ∼7% of marketed drugs. The in vitro drug interaction studies guidance for industry issued by the FDA stipulates that drug sponsors need to evaluate whether the investigated drugs interact with the major drug-metabolizing P450s including CYP2B6. Therefore, there has been greater attention to the development of predictive models for CYP2B6 inhibitors and substrates. In this study, conventional machine learning and deep learning models were developed to predict CYP2B6 inhibitors and substrates. Our results showed that the best CYP2B6 inhibitor model yielded the AUC values of 0.95 and 0.75 with the 10-fold cross-validation and the test set, respectively, and the best CYP2B6 substrate model produced the AUC values of 0.93 and 0.90 with the 10-fold cross-validation and the test set, respectively. The generalization ability of the CYP2B6 inhibitor and substrate models was assessed by using the external validation sets. Several significant substructural fragments relevant to CYP2B6 inhibitors and substrates were detected via frequency substructure analysis and information gain. In addition, the applicability domain of the models was defined by employing a nonparametric method based on the probability density distribution. We anticipate that our results would be useful for the prediction of potential CYP2B6 inhibitors and substrates in the early stage of drug discovery.

Bioelectrochemical platform with human monooxygenases: FMO1 and CYP3A4 tandem reactions with phorate

It is highly advantageous to devise an in vitro platform that can predict the complexity of an in vivo system. The first step of this process is the identification of a xenobiotic whose monooxygenation is carried out by two sequential enzymatic reactions. Pesticides are a good model for this type of tandem reactions since in specific cases they are initially metabolised by human flavin-containing monooxygenase 1 (hFMO1), followed by cytochrome P450 (CYP). To assess the feasibility of such an in vitro platform, hFMO1 is immobilised on glassy carbon electrodes modified with graphene oxide (GO) and cationic surfactant didecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB). UV-vis, contact angle and AFM measurements support the effective decoration of the GO sheets by DDAB which appear as 3 nm thick structures. hFMO1 activity on the bioelectrode versus three pesticides; fenthion, methiocarb and phorate, lead to the expected sulfoxide products with K_M values of 29.5 ± 5.1, 38.4 ± 7.5, 29.6 ± 4.1 µM, respectively. Moreover, phorate is subsequently tested in a tandem system with hFMO1 and CYP3A4 resulting in both phorate sulfoxide as well as phoratoxon sulfoxide. The data demonstrate the feasibility of using bioelectrochemical platforms to mimic the complex metabolic reactions of xenobiotics within the human body.

Characterization of furathiocarb metabolism in in vitro human liver microsomes and recombinant cytochrome P450 enzymes

Furathiocarb is a carbamate insecticide detected in ecosystems. Its main metabolite carbofuran has been alluded to affect birth outcomes and disturb hormone levels in humans. The metabolism of furathiocarb in humans has not been characterized. The metabolism studies were performed using hepatic microsomes from ten donors and fifteen human cDNA-expressed CYPs. The initial screening and identification of the metabolites were performed by LC-TOF. Quantifications and fragmentations were performed by LC/MS-MS. Furathiocarb was metabolized to eight phase I metabolites via two general pathways, carbofuran metabolic pathway and furathiocarb oxidation pathway. Six metabolites in the carbofuran metabolic pathway (carbofuran, 3-hydroxycarbofuran, 3-ketocarbofuran, 3-keto-7-phenolcarbofuran, 3-hydroxy-7-phenolcarbofuran, and 7-phenolcarbofuran) were identified with the help of authentic standards. The two unidentified metabolites in the furathiocarb oxidation pathway are probably hydroxylated and sulfoxidated derivatives of furathiocarb. The carbofuran metabolic pathway was more predominant than the furathiocarb oxidation pathway, ratios ranged from 24- to 115-fold in a 10-donor panel of hepatic microsomes. On the basis of recombinant CYP studies, the carbofuran pathway was dominated by CYP3A4 (95.9%); contributions by CYP1A2 (1.3%) and CYP2B6 (2.0%) were minor. The minor furathiocarb oxidation pathway was catalyzed by CYP2C19 and CYP2D6 (hydroxylated/sulfoxidated metabolite A) and by CYP3A5, CYP3A4 and CYP2A6 (metabolite B). High and significant correlation between carbofuran metabolic pathway and CYP3A4 marker activities (midazolam-1'-hydroxylation and omeprazole-sulfoxidation) were observed. Ketoconazole, a CYP3A4-inhibitor, inhibited the carbofuran pathway by 32–86% and hydroxylated/sulfoxidated metabolite-B formations by 41–62%. The data suggest that in humans, the carbofuran metabolic pathway is dominant, and CYP3A4 is the major enzyme involved. These results provide useful scientific information for furathiocarb risk assessment in humans.

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Eight Phase I metabolites were detected by LC-TOF-MS/MS.

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The carbofuran pathway was more rapid than the furathiocarb oxidation pathway

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The carbofuran pathway was dominated by CYP3A4 (96%).

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Ketoconazole inhibited the carbofuran pathway by 32–86%.

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The findings provide useful scientific information for furathiocarb risk assessment in humans.

Tuning Tetrazole Photochemistry for Protein Ligation and Molecular Imaging

Photochemistry provides a wide range of alternative reagents that hold potential for use in bimolecular functionalisation of proteins. Here, we report the synthesis and characterisation of metal ion binding chelates derivatised with disubstituted tetrazoles for the photoradiochemical labelling of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). The photophysical properties of tetrazoles featuring extended aromatic systems and auxochromic substituents to tune excitation toward longer wavelengths (365 and 395 nm) were studied. Two photoactivatable chelates based on desferrioxamine B (DFO) and the aza-macrocycle NODAGA were functionalised with a tetrazole and developed for protein labelling with ⁸⁹ Zr, ⁶⁴ Cu and ⁶⁸ Ga radionuclides. DFO-tetrazole (1) was assessed by direct conjugation to formulated trastuzumab and subsequent radiolabelling with ⁸⁹ Zr. Radiochemical studies and cellular-based binding assays demonstrated that the radiotracer remained stable in vitro retained high immunoreactivity. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and biodistribution studies were used to measure the tumour specific uptake and pharmacokinetic profile in mice bearing SK-OV-3 xenografts. Experiments demonstrate that tetrazole-based photochemistry is a viable approach for the light-induced synthesis of PET radiotracers.

Evaluation of 1,1-cyclopropylidene as a thioether isostere in the 4-thio-thienopyrimidine (TTP) series of antimalarials

The 4-(heteroarylthio)thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine (TTP) series of antimalarials, represented by 1 and 17, potently inhibit proliferation of the 3D7 strain of P. falciparum (EC₅₀ 70-100 nM), but suffer from oxidative metabolism. The 1,1-cyclopropylidene isosteres 6 and 16 were designed to obviate this drawback. They were prepared by a short route that features a combined Peterson methylenation / cyclopropanation transformation of, e. g., ketone 7. Isosteres 6 and 16 possess significantly attenuated antimalarial potency relative to parents 1 and 17. This outcome can be rationalized based on the increased out-of-plane steric demands of the latter two. In support of this hypothesis, the relatively flat ketone 7 retains some of the potency of 1, even though it appears to be a comparatively inferior mimic with respect to electronics and bond lengths and angles. We also demonstrate crystallographically and computationally an apparent increase in the strength of the intramolecular sulfur hole interaction of 1 upon protonation.

Computational-Based Mechanistic Study and Engineering of Cytochrome P450 MycG for Selective Oxidation of 16-Membered Macrolide Antibiotics

MycG is a cytochrome P450 that performs two sequential oxidation reactions on the 16-membered ring macrolide M-IV. The enzyme evolved to oxidize M-IV preferentially over M-III and M-VI, which differ only by the presence of methoxy vs free hydroxyl groups on one of the macrolide sugar moieties. We utilized a two-pronged computational approach to study both the chemoselective reactivity and substrate specificity of MycG. Density functional theory computations determined that epoxidation of the substrate hampers its ability to undergo C-H abstraction, primarily due to a loss of hyperconjugation in the transition state. Metadynamics and molecular dynamics simulations revealed a hydrophobic sugar-binding pocket that is responsible for substrate recognition/specificity and was not apparent in crystal structures of the enzyme/substrate complex. Computational results also led to the identification of other interactions between the enzyme and its substrates that had not previously been observed in the cocrystal structures. Site-directed mutagenesis was then employed to test the effects of mutations hypothesized to broaden the substrate scope and alter the product profile of MycG. The results of these experiments validated this complementary effort to engineer MycG variants with improved catalytic activity toward earlier stage mycinamicin substrates.

Computational assessment of thioether isosteres

Replacement of the sulfur atom in biologically active diaryl and heteroaryl thioethers (Ar-S-Ar', HAr-S-Ar, and HAr-S-HAr') with any of several one-atom or two-atom linkers can be expected to reduce the susceptibility of the analogue to metabolic oxidation, a well-documented problem for thioethers intended for medicinal chemistry applications. Ab initio calculations indicate how well various proposed thioether isosteric groups, including some new and unusual ones, may perform structurally and electronically in replacing the bridging sulfur atom. Four of these are calculationally evaluated as proposed substructures in Axitinib analogues. The predicted binding behavior of the latter within two different previously crystallographically characterized protein-Axitinib binding sites (VEGFR2 kinase and ABL1 T315I gatekeeper mutant kinase), and an assessment of their suitability and anticipated shortcomings, are presented.

Metabolism of methiocarb and carbaryl by rat and human livers and plasma, and effect on their PXR, CAR and PPARα activities

The oxidative, reductive, and hydrolytic metabolism of methiocarb and the hydrolytic metabolism of carbaryl by liver microsomes and plasma of rats or humans were examined. The effects of the metabolism of methiocarb and carbaryl on their nuclear receptor activities were also examined. When methiocarb was incubated with rat liver microsomes in the presence of NADPH, methiocarb sulfoxide, and a novel metabolite, methiocarb sulfone were detected. Methiocarb sulfoxide was oxidized to the sulfone by liver microsomes and reduced back to methiocarb by liver cytosol. Thus, the interconversion between methiocarb and the sulfoxide was found to be a new metabolic pathway for methiocarb by liver microsomes. The product of methiocarb hydrolysis, which is methylthio-3,5-xylenol (MX), was also oxidized to sulfoxide form by rat liver microsomes. The oxidations were catalyzed by human flavin-containing monooxygenase isoform (FMO1). CYP2C19, which is a human cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoform, catalyzed the sulfoxidations of methiocarb and MX, while CYP1A2 also exhibited oxidase activity toward MX. Methiocarb and carbaryl were not enzymatically hydrolyzed by the liver microsomes, but they were mainly hydrolyzed by plasma and albumin to MX and 1-naphthol, respectively. Both methiocarb and carbaryl exhibited PXR and PPARα agonistic activities; however, methiocarb sulfoxide and sulfone showed markedly reduced activities. In fact, when methiocarb was incubated with liver microsomes, the receptor activities were decreased. In contrast, MX and 1-naphthol showed nuclear receptor activities equivalent to those of their parent carbamates. Thus, the hydrolysis of methiocarb and carbaryl and the oxidation of methiocarb markedly modified their nuclear receptor activities.

Predicting the Metabolic Sites by Flavin-Containing Monooxygenase on Drug Molecules Using SVM Classification on Computed Quantum Mechanics and Circular Fingerprints Molecular Descriptors

As an important enzyme in Phase I drug metabolism, the flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO) also metabolizes some xenobiotics with soft nucleophiles. The site of metabolism (SOM) on a molecule is the site where the metabolic reaction is exerted by an enzyme. Accurate prediction of SOMs on drug molecules will assist the search for drug leads during the optimization process. Here, some quantum mechanics features such as the condensed Fukui function and attributes from circular fingerprints (called Molprint2D) are computed and classified using the support vector machine (SVM) for predicting some potential SOMs on a series of drugs that can be metabolized by FMO enzymes. The condensed Fukui function fA- representing the nucleophilicity of central atom A and the attributes from circular fingerprints accounting the influence of neighbors on the central atom. The total number of FMO substrates and non-substrates collected in the study is 85 and they are equally divided into the training and test sets with each carrying roughly the same number of potential SOMs. However, only N-oxidation and S-oxidation features were considered in the prediction since the available C-oxidation data was scarce. In the training process, the LibSVM package of WEKA package and the option of 10-fold cross validation are employed. The prediction performance on the test set evaluated by accuracy, Matthews correlation coefficient and area under ROC curve computed are 0.829, 0.659, and 0.877 respectively. This work reveals that the SVM model built can accurately predict the potential SOMs for drug molecules that are metabolizable by the FMO enzymes.

Characterization of selective exosite-binding inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinase 13 that prevent articular cartilage degradation in vitro

Matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13) has been shown to be the main collagenase responsible for degradation of articular cartilage during osteoarthritis and therefore represents a target for drug development. As a result of high-throughput screening and structure-activity relationship studies, we identified a novel, highly selective class of MMP-13 inhibitors (compounds 1 (Q), 2 (Q1), and 3 (Q2)). Mechanistic characterization revealed a noncompetitive nature of these inhibitors with binding constants in the low micromolar range. Crystallographic analyses revealed two binding modes for compound 2 in the MMP-13 S1' subsite and in an S1/S2* subsite. Type II collagen- and cartilage-protective effects exhibited by compounds 1, 2, and 3 suggested that these compounds might be efficacious in future in vivo studies. Finally, these compounds were also highly selective when tested against a panel of 30 proteases, which, in combination with a good CYP inhibition profile, suggested low off-target toxicity and drug-drug interactions in humans.

The in vitro metabolism of phospho-sulindac amide, a novel potential anticancer agent

Phospho-sulindac amide (PSA) is a novel potential anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory agent. Here we report the metabolism of PSA in vitro. PSA was rapidly hydroxylated at its butane-phosphate moiety to form two di-hydroxyl-PSA and four mono-hydroxyl-PSA metabolites in mouse and human liver microsomes. PSA also can be oxidized or reduced at its sulindac moiety to form PSA sulfone and PSA sulfide, respectively. PSA was mono-hydroxylated and cleared more rapidly in mouse liver microsomes than in human liver microsomes. Of eight major human cytochrome P450s (CYPs), CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 exclusively catalyzed the hydroxylation and sulfoxidation reactions of PSA, respectively. We also examined the metabolism of PSA by three major human flavin monooxygenases (FMOs). FMO1, FMO3 and FMO5 were all capable of catalyzing the sulfoxidation (but not hydroxylation) of PSA, with FMO1 being by far the most active isoform. PSA was predominantly sulfoxidized in human kidney microsomes because FMO1 is the dominant isoform in human kidney. PSA (versus sulindac) is a preferred substrate of both CYPs and FMOs, likely because of its greater lipophilicity and masked-COOH group. Ketoconazole (a CYP3A4 inhibitor) and alkaline pH strongly inhibited the hydroxylation of PSA, but moderately suppressed its sulfoxidation in liver microsomes. Together, our results establish the metabolic pathways of PSA, identify the major enzymes mediating its biotransformations and reveal significant inter-species and inter-tissue differences in its metabolism.

Contribution of carboxylesterase and cytochrome P450 to the bioactivation and detoxification of isocarbophos and its enantiomers in human liver microsomes

Organophosphorus pesticides are the most widely used pesticides in modern agricultural systems to ensure good harvests. Isocarbophos (ICP), with a potent acetylcholinesterase inhibitory effect is widely utilized to control a variety of leaf-eating and soil insects. However, the characteristics of the bioactivation and detoxification of ICP in humans remain unclear. In this study, the oxidative metabolism, esterase hydrolysis, and chiral inversion of ICP in human liver microsomes (HLMs) were investigated with the aid of a stereoselective LC/MS/MS method. The depletion of ICP in HLMs was faster in the absence of carboxylesterase inhibitor (BNPP) than in the presence of NADPH and BNPP, with t1/2 of 5.2 and 90 min, respectively. Carboxylesterase was found to be responsible for the hydrolysis of ICP, the major metabolic pathway. CYP3A4, CYP1A2, CYP2D6, CYP2C9, and CYP2C19 were all involved in the secondary metabolism pathway of desulfuration of ICP. Flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO) did not contribute to the clearance of ICP. The hydrolysis and desulfuration of (±)ICP, (+)ICP, and (-)ICP in HLMs follow Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Individual enantiomers of ICP and its oxidative desulfuration metabolite isocarbophos oxon (ICPO) were found to be inhibitors of acetylcholinesterases at different extents. For example, (±)ICPO is more potent than ICP (IC50 0.031μM vs. 192μM), whereas (+)ICPO is more potent than (-)ICPO (IC50 0.017μM vs. 1.55μM). Given the finding of rapid hydrolysis of ICP and low abundance of oxidative metabolites presence in human liver, the current study highlights that human liver has a greater capacity for detoxification of ICP.

Cysteine-conjugated metabolite of ginger component [6]-shogaol serves as a carrier of [6]-shogaol in cancer cells and in mice

Shogaols, a series of major constituents in dried ginger (Zingiber officinale), show high anticancer potencies. Previously, we reported that a major metabolite resulting from the mercapturic acid pathway, 5-cysteinyl-[6]-shogaol (M2), showed comparable growth inhibitory effects toward cancer cells to [6]-shogaol (6S). Here, we probe the mechanism by which M2 exerts its bioactivity. We utilized a series of chemical stability tests in conjunction with bioassays to show that thiol-conjugates display chemopreventative potency by acting as carriers of active ginger component 6S. M2 chemical degradation to 6S was observed in an environment most resembling physiological conditions, with a pH of 7.4 at 37 °C. The metabolic profiles of M2 in cancer cells HCT-116 and H-1299 resembled those of 6S, indicating that its biotransformation route was initiated by deconjugation. Further, the presence of excess glutathione significantly delayed 6S and M2 metabolism and counteracted cell death induced by 6S and M2, suggesting that increasing available free thiols exogenously both promoted the formation of 5-glutathionyl-[6]-shogaol (M13) and inhibited the production of free 6S from M2 deconjugation, resulting in delayed 6S cell entry and bioactivity. Given the chemopreventative properties of M2 and our observations in vitro, we investigated its metabolism in mice. M2 and 6S showed similar metabolic profiles in mouse urine and fecal samples. Six new thiol-conjugated metabolites (M16-M21), together with previously reported ones, were identified by LC/MS. In particular, the increase of 5-N-acetylcystenyl-[6]-shogaol (M5) and its 3'-demethylated product (M16) abundance in mouse feces after treatment with M2 indicates that in addition to acting as a carrier of 6S, M2 is also directly acetylated to M5, which is further demethylated to M16 in vivo. In conclusion, the cysteine-conjugated metabolite of [6]-shogaol M2 exerts its bioactivity by acting as a carrier of 6S in both cancer cells and in mice.

Pharmacokinetics, metabolism, and excretion of the antiviral drug arbidol in humans

Arbidol is a broad-spectrum antiviral drug that is used clinically to treat influenza. In this study, the pharmacokinetics, metabolism, and excretion of arbidol were investigated in healthy male Chinese volunteers after a single oral administration of 200 mg of arbidol hydrochloride. A total of 33 arbidol metabolites were identified in human plasma, urine, and feces. The principal biotransformation pathways included sulfoxidation, dimethylamine N-demethylation, glucuronidation, and sulfate conjugation. The major drug-related component in the plasma was sulfinylarbidol (M6-1), followed by unmetabolized arbidol, N-demethylsulfinylarbidol (M5), and sulfonylarbidol (M8). The exposures of M5, M6-1, and M8, as determined by the metabolite-to-parent area under the plasma concentration-time curve from 0 to t (AUC(0-t)) ratio, were 0.9 ± 0.3, 11.5 ± 3.6, and 0.5 ± 0.2, respectively. In human urine, glucuronide and sulfate conjugates were detected as the major metabolites, accounting for 6.3% of the dose excreted within 0 to 96 h after drug administration. The fecal specimens mainly contained the unchanged arbidol, accounting for 32.4% of the dose. Microsomal incubation experiments demonstrated that the liver and intestines were the major organs that metabolize arbidol in humans. CYP3A4 was the major isoform involved in arbidol metabolism, whereas the other P450s and flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs) played minor roles. These results indicated possible drug interactions between arbidol and CYP3A4 inhibitors and inducers. Further investigations are needed to understand the importance of M6-1 in the efficacy and safety of arbidol, because of its high plasma exposure and long elimination half-life (25.0 h).

Cytochrome P450 2C24: Expression, Tissue Distribution, High-Throughput Assay, and Pharmacological Inhibition

Cytochrome P450 (CYP)-mediated epoxidation of arachidonic acid (AA) contributes to important biological functions, including the pain-relieving responses produced by analgesic drugs. However, the relevant epoxygenase(s) remain unidentified. Presently, we describe the tissue distribution, high-throughput assay, and pharmacological characteristics of the rat epoxygenase CYP2C24. Following cloning from male rat liver, recombinant baculovirus containing the C-terminal His-tagged cDNA was constructed and used to express the protein in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells. Enzymatic activity was detected with membranes, NADPH regenerating system and CYP reductase, and optimized for high throughput screening by use of the Vivid Blue^© BOMCC fluorescence substrate. Quantitative real-time PCR identified CYP2C24 m-RNA in liver, kidney, heart, lung, gonad and brain. Screening of CYP2C24 activity against a panel of inhibitors showed a very strong correlation with activity against the human homologue CYP2C19. In agreement with recent findings on CYP2C19, the epoxygenase blockers PPOH and MS-PPOH inhibited CYP2C24 only weakly, confirming that these drugs are not universal epoxygenase inhibitors. Finally, comparisons of the CYP2C24 inhibitor profile with anti-analgesic activity suggests that this isoform does not contribute to brain analgesic drug action. The present methods and pharmacological data will aid in study of the biological significance of this CYP isoform.

Xenobiotic-metabolizing gene variants, pesticide use, and the risk of prostate cancer

BACKGROUND

To explore associations with prostate cancer and farming, it is important to investigate the relationship between pesticide use and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in xenobiotic metabolic enzyme (XME) genes.

OBJECTIVE

[corrected] We evaluated pesticide-SNP interactions between 45 pesticides and 1913 XME SNPs with respect to prostrate cancer among 776 cases and 1444 controls in the Agricultural Health Study.

METHODS

We used unconditional logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Multiplicative SNP-pesticide interactions were calculated using a likelihood ratio test.

RESULTS

A positive monotonic interaction was observed between petroleum oil/petroleum distillate use and rs1883633 in the oxidative stress gene glutamate cysteine ligase (GCLC; P interaction=1.0×10(-4)); men carrying at least one variant allele (minor allele) experienced an increased prostate cancer risk (OR=3.7, 95% CI: 1.9-7.3). Among men carrying the variant allele for thioredoxin reductase 2 (TXNRD2) rs4485648, microsomal epoxide hydrolase 1 (EPHX1) rs17309872, or myeloperoxidase (MPO) rs11079344, an increased prostate cancer risk was observed with high, compared with no, petroleum oil/petroleum distillate (OR=1.9, 95% CI: 1.1-3.2, P interaction=0.01; OR=2.1, 95% CI: 1.1-4.0, P interaction=0.01), or terbufos (OR=3.0, 95% CI: 1.5-6.0, P interaction=2.0×10(-3)) use, respectively. No interactions were deemed noteworthy at the false discovery rate=0.20 level; the number of observed interactions in XMEs was comparable with the number expected by chance alone.

CONCLUSION

We observed several pesticide-SNP interactions in oxidative stress and phase I/II enzyme genes and risk of prostate cancer. Additional work is needed to explain the joint contribution of genetic variation in XMEs, pesticide use, and prostate cancer risk.

Hypersalinity acclimation increases the toxicity of the insecticide phorate in coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)

Previous studies in euryhaline fish have shown that acclimation to hypersaline environments enhances the toxicity of thioether organophosphate and carbamate pesticides. To better understand the potential mechanism of enhanced toxicity, the effects of the organophosphate insecticide phorate were evaluated in coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) maintained in freshwater (<0.5 g/L salinity) and 32 g/L salinity. The observed 96-h LC50 in freshwater fish (67.34 ± 3.41 μg/L) was significantly reduced to 2.07 ± 0.16 μg/L in hypersaline-acclimated fish. Because organophosphates often require bioactivation to elicit toxicity through acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition, the in vitro biotransformation of phorate was evaluated in coho salmon maintained in different salinities in liver, gills, and olfactory tissues. Phorate sulfoxide was the predominant metabolite in each tissue but rates of formation diminished in a salinity-dependent manner. In contrast, formation of phorate-oxon (gill; olfactory tissues), phorate sulfone (liver), and phorate-oxon sulfoxide (liver; olfactory tissues) was significantly enhanced in fish acclimated to higher salinities. From previous studies, it was expected that phorate and phorate sulfoxide would be less potent AChE inhibitors than phorate-oxon, with phorate-oxon sulfoxide being the most potent of the compounds tested. This trend was confirmed in this study. In summary, these results suggest that differential expression and/or catalytic activities of Phase I enzymes may be involved to enhance phorate oxidative metabolism and subsequent toxicity of phorate to coho salmon under hypersaline conditions. The outcome may be enhanced fish susceptibility to anticholineterase oxon sulfoxides.

Effect of the axial ligand on substrate sulfoxidation mediated by iron(IV)-oxo porphyrin cation radical oxidants

Cytochromes P450 catalyze a range of different oxygen-transfer processes including aliphatic and aromatic hydroxylation, epoxidation, and sulfoxidation reactions. Herein, we have investigated substrate sulfoxidation mediated by models of P450 enzymes as well as by biomimetic oxidants using density functional-theory methods and we have rationalized the sulfoxidation reaction barriers and rate constants. We carried out two sets of calculations: first, we calculated the sulfoxidation by an iron(IV)-oxo porphyrin cation radical oxidant [Fe(IV)=O(Por(+.))SH] that mimics the active site of cytochrome P450 enzymes with a range of different substrates, and second, we studied one substrate (dimethyl sulfide) with a selection of different iron(IV)-oxo porphyrin cation radical oxidants [Fe(IV)=O(Por(+.))L] with varying axial ligands L. The study presented herein shows that the barrier height for substrate sulfoxidation correlates linearly with the ionization potential of the substrate, thus reflecting the electron-transfer processes in the rate-determining step of the reaction. Furthermore, the axial ligand of the oxidant influences the pK(a) value of the iron(IV)-oxo group, and, as a consequence, the bond dissociation energy (BDE(OH) value correlates with the barrier height for the reverse sulfoxidation reaction. These studies have generalized substrate-sulfoxidation reactions and have shown how they fundamentally compare with substrate hydroxylation and epoxidation reactions.

Childhood brain tumors, residential insecticide exposure, and pesticide metabolism genes

BACKGROUND

Insecticides that target the nervous system may play a role in the development of childhood brain tumors (CBTs). Constitutive genetic variation affects metabolism of these chemicals.

METHODS

We analyzed population-based case-control data to examine whether CBT is associated with the functional genetic polymorphisms PON1C-108T, PON1Q192R, PON1L55M, BCHEA539T, FMO1C-9536A, FMO3E158K, ALDH3A1S134A, and GSTT1 (null). DNA was obtained from newborn screening archives for 201 cases and 285 controls, <or= 10 years of age, and born in California or Washington State between 1978 and 1990. Conception-to-diagnosis home insecticide treatment history was ascertained by interview.

RESULTS

We observed no biologically plausible main effects for any of the metabolic polymorphisms with CBT risk. However, we observed strong interactions between genotype and insecticide exposure during childhood. Among exposed children, CBT risk increased per PON1-108T allele [odds ratio (OR) = 1.8; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.1-3.0] and FMO1-9536A (*6) allele (OR = 2.7; 95% CI, 1.2-5.9), whereas among children never exposed, CBT risk was not increased (PON1: OR = 0.7; 95% CI, 0.5-1.0, interaction p = 0.005; FMO1: OR = 1.0; 95% CI, 0.6-1.6, interaction p = 0.009). We observed a similar but statistically nonsignificant interaction between childhood exposure and BCHEA539T (interaction p = 0.08). These interactions were present among both Hispanic and non-Hispanic white children.

CONCLUSION

Based on known effects of these variants, these results suggest that exposure in childhood to organophosphorus and perhaps to carbamate insecticides in combination with a reduced ability to detoxify them may be associated with CBT. Confirmation in other studies is required.

An evaluation of the cytochrome P450 inhibition potential of selected pesticides in human hepatic microsomes

The goal of this work was to study the ability of 18 pesticides to inhibit selective model activities for all major xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes, namely CYP1A1/2, 2A6, 2B6, 2C8, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6, 2E1 and 3A4. Generally organophosphorus insecticides were the most potent and extensive inhibitors, especially towards CYP1A1/2 (IC(50) values of chlorpyrifos, fenitrothion and profenofos approximately 3 micro M), CYP2B6 (IC(50) values of chlorpyrifos and fenitrothion 2.5 micro M), CYP2C8 (fenitrothion 4.3 micro M), CYP2C9 (fenitrothion and malathion 4.8 and 2.5 micro M, respectively), CYP2D6 (chlorpyrifos and phenthoate approximately 3 micro M) and CYP3A4 (chlorpyrifos, fenitrothion and phenthoate 3-4 micro M). Otherwise there were quite considerable differences in potency and extent of inhibition between different organophosphates. Pyrethroids were in general very weak or inactive. Deltamethrin and fenvalerate were potent inhibitors of CYP2D6 (IC(50) values of approximately 3 micro M) while lambda-cyhalothrin potently inhibited both CYP2D6 and CYP3A4-mediated activities (IC(50)'s about 3-4 micro M). Some pesticides caused relatively potent inhibitions sporadically (carbendazim, CYP2D6, IC(50) = 12 micro M; atrazine, CYP3A4, IC(50) = 2.8 micro M; glyphosate, CYP2C9, IC(50) = 3.7 micro M; hexaflumuron, IC(50) = 6.0 micro M). With the exceptions of alpha-cypermethrin, cypermethrin, isoproturon, carbaryl and abamectin, most pesticides inhibited relatively potently at least one CYP-selective activity, which may have relevance for potential interactions in occupational exposures and for further studies on the CYP-associated metabolism of respective pesticides.

Methiocarb-induced oxidative damage following subacute exposure and the protective effects of vitamin E and taurine in rats

Methiocarb, is used worldwide in agriculture and health programs. Besides its advantages in the agriculture, it causes several toxic effects. In this study, we aimed to investigate subacute effects of methiocarb on lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione (GSH), antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and glutathione reductase (GSH-Rd) and histopathological changes in rat tissues. Moreover, we examined the possible protective effects of vitamin E and taurine on methiocarb-induced oxidative damage in rat tissues. Rats were randomly divided into six groups as follows; I-control group; II-methiocarb group; III-vitamin E group; IV-vitamin E+methiocarb group; V-taurine group and VI-taurine+methiocarb group. Methiocarb significantly increased lipid peroxidation in liver and kidney when compared to control groups. Levels of GSH and activities of SOD, CAT and GSH-Px were found to be decreased, while GSH-Rd remained unchanged in rat liver and kidney treated with methiocarb. Pretreatment of vitamin E and taurine resulted in a significant decrease on lipid peroxidation, alleviating effects on GSH and antioxidant enzymes. The degenerative histological changes were less in liver than kidney of rats treated with methiocarb. Pretreatment of vitamin E and taurine showed a protective effect on the histological changes in kidney comparing to the liver of rats treated with methiocarb.

Mechanisms of fenthion activation in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) acclimated to hypersaline environments

Previous studies in rainbow trout have shown that acclimation to hypersaline environments enhances the toxicity to thioether organophosphate and carbamate pesticides. In order to determine the role of biotransformation in this process, the metabolism of the thioether organophosphate biocide, fenthion was evaluated in microsomes from gills, liver and olfactory tissues in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) acclimated to freshwater and 17 per thousand salinity. Hypersalinity acclimation increased the formation of fenoxon and fenoxon sulfoxide from fenthion in liver microsomes from rainbow trout, but not in gills or in olfactory tissues. NADPH-dependent and independent hydrolysis was observed in all tissues, but only NADPH-dependent fenthion cleavage was differentially modulated by hypersalinity in liver (inhibited) and gills (induced). Enantiomers of fenthion sulfoxide (65% and 35% R- and S-fenthion sulfoxide, respectively) were formed in liver and gills. The predominant pathway of fenthion activation in freshwater appears to be initiated through initial formation of fenoxon which may be subsequently converted to the most toxic metabolite fenoxon R-sulfoxide. However, in hypersaline conditions both fenoxon and fenthion sulfoxide formation may precede fenoxon sulfoxide formation. Stereochemical evaluation of sulfoxide formation, cytochrome P450 inhibition studies with ketoconazole and immunoblots indicated that CYP3A27 was primarily involved in the enhancement of fenthion activation in hypersaline-acclimated fish with limited contribution of FMO to initial sulfoxidation.

The participation of human hepatic P450 isoforms, flavin-containing monooxygenases and aldehyde oxidase in the biotransformation of the insecticide fenthion

Although fenthion (FEN) is widely used as a broad spectrum insecticide on various crops in many countries, very scant data are available on its biotransformation in humans. In this study the in vitro human hepatic FEN biotransformation was characterized, identifying the relative contributions of cytochrome P450 (CYPs) and/or flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMOs) by using single c-DNA expressed human enzymes, human liver microsomes and cytosol and CYP/FMO-specific inhibitors. Two major metabolites, FEN-sulfoxide and FEN-oxon (FOX), are formed by some CYPs although at very different levels, depending on the relative CYP hepatic content. Formation of further oxidation products and the reduction of FEN-sulfoxide back to FEN by the cytosolic aldehyde oxidase enzyme were ruled out. Comparing intrinsic clearance values, FOX formation seemed to be favored and at low FEN concentrations CYP2B6 and 1A2 are mainly involved in its formation. At higher levels, a more widespread CYP involvement was evident, as in the case of FEN-sulfoxide, although a higher efficiency of CYP2C family was suggested. Hepatic FMOs were able to catalyze only sulfoxide formation, but at low FEN concentrations hepatic FEN sulfoxidation is predominantly P450-driven. Indeed, the contribution of the hepatic isoforms FMO(3) and FMO(5) was generally negligible, although at high FEN concentrations FMO's showed activities comparable to the active CYPs, accounting for up to 30% of total sulfoxidation. Recombinant FMO(1) showed the highest efficiency with respect to CYPs and the other FMOs, but it is not expressed in the adult human liver. This suggests that FMO(1)-catalysed sulfoxidation may represent the major extra-hepatic pathway of FEN biotransformation.

Metabolic interactions of agrochemicals in humans

Agrochemicals and other xenobiotics are metabolized by xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes (XMEs) to products that may be more or less toxic than the parent chemical. In this regard, phase-I XMEs such as cytochrome P450s (CYPs) are of primary importance. Interactions at the level of metabolism may take place via either inhibition or induction of XMEs. Such interactions have often been investigated, in vitro, in experimental animals, using subcellular fractions such as liver microsomes, but seldom in humans or at the level of individual XME isoforms. The authors have been investigating the metabolism of a number of agrochemicals by human liver microsomes and recombinant CYP isoforms and have recently embarked on studies of the induction of XMEs in human hepatocytes. The insecticides chlorpyrifos, carbaryl, carbofuran and fipronil, as well as the repellant DEET, are all extensively metabolized by human liver microsomes and, although a number of CYP isoforms may be involved, CYP2B6 and CYP3A4 are usually the most important. Permethrin is hydrolyzed by esterase(s) present in both human liver microsomes and cytosol. A number of metabolic interactions have been observed. Chlorpyrifos and other phosphorothioates are potent inhibitors of the CYP-dependent metabolism of both endogenous substrates, such as testosterone and estradiol, and exogenous substrates, such as carbaryl, presumably as a result of the interaction of highly reactive sulfur, released during the oxidative desulfuration reaction, with the heme iron of CYP. The hydrolysis of permethrin in human liver can be inhibited by chlorpyrifos oxon and by carbaryl. Fipronil can inhibit testosterone metabolism by CYP3A4 and is an effective inducer of CYP isoforms in human hepatocytes.

Carcinogenicity of agricultural pesticides in adults and children

The role of specific agricultural pesticides in relation to adult and childhood cancers has not been firmly established due to the lack of precise exposure data in previous studies. Improvements in exposure assessment, disease classification, and application of molecular techniques in recent epidemiological evaluations is rapidly improving our ability to evaluate the human carcinogenicity of agricultural pesticides. The role of pesticide exposures in the etiology of human cancer is outlined by anatomical site and recent development in exposure assessment and molecular epidemiology are summarized and evaluated.

Parameters for Carbamate Pesticide QSAR and PBPK/PD Models for Human Risk Assessment

Our interest in providing parameters for the development of quantitative structure physiologically based pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (QSPBPK/PD) models for assessing health risks to carbamates (USEPA 2005) comes from earlier work with organophosphorus (OP) insecticides (Knaak et al. 2004). Parameters specific to each carbamate are needed in the construction of PBPK/PD models along with their metabolic pathways. Parameters may be obtained by (1) development of QSAR models, (2) collecting pharmacokinetic data, and (3) determining pharmacokinetic parameters by fitting to experimental data. The biological parameters are given in Table 1 (Blancato et al. 2000). Table 1 Biological Parameters Required for Carbamate Pesticide Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic (PBPK/PD) Models.(a).

Discovery and SAR study of novel dihydroquinoline-containing glucocorticoid receptor agonists

We have recently reported the discovery of a novel class of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonists, exemplified by 3, containing a 1,2-dihydroquinoline molecular scaffold. Further SAR studies of these antagonists uncovered chemical modifications conveying agonist functional activity to this series. These agonists exhibit good GR binding affinity and are selective against other nuclear hormone receptors.

Changes at the CYP2C locus and disruption of CYP2C8/9 linkage disequilibrium in patients with essential tremor

To identify low-penetrance genes related to sporadic essential tremor (ET) at the CYP2C locus, located in chromosome 10 q23.33. Leukocytary DNA from 200 ET patients and a control group of 300 unrelated healthy individuals with known CYP2C19 genotypes was studied for common CYP2C8 and CYP2C9 allelic variants by using amplification-restriction analyses. Patients with ET showed the following differences compared with healthy subjects: a 1.6-fold reduction in the frequency for CYP2C8*3 (p=0.006), a 1.35-fold reduction of CYP2C9*2 (p=0.05) and a 1.52-fold reduction in the frequency for CYP2C9*3 (p=0.07). The frequency for patients with ET carrying at least one defective allele was 1.33-fold reduced as compared with healthy subjects (p=0.002). In addition, a disruption of the CYP2C8*3/CYP2C9*2 linkage disequilibrium was observed in ET patients, with a 2.1-fold reduction in the percentage for carriers of the haplotype CYP2C8*3 plus CYP2C9*2 in ET patients (p=0.0001). These findings were independent of gender, age, age of onset, or clinical symptoms. These results suggest that alterations at the CYP2C gene locus are associated with the risk for ET.

The biochemistry of drug metabolism--an introduction: Part 2. Redox reactions and their enzymes

This review continues a general presentation of the metabolism of drugs and other xenobiotics started in a recent issue of Chemistry & Biodiversity. This Part 2 presents the numerous oxidoreductases involved, their nomenclature, relevant biochemical properties, catalytic mechanisms, and the very diverse reactions they catalyze. Many medicinally, environmentally, and toxicologically relevant examples are presented and discussed. Cytochromes P450 occupy a majority of the pages of Part 2, but a large number of relevant oxidoreductases are also considered, e.g., flavin-containing monooxygenases, amine oxidases, molybdenum hydroxylases, peroxidases, and the innumerable dehydrogenases/reductases.

The importance of cytochrome P450 2B6 in the human metabolism of environmental chemicals

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2B6 (CYP2B6) is a human CYP isoform found in variable amounts in the liver and other organs. It is known to be inducible and polymorphic and has a wide range of xenobiotic substrates. Studies of CYP2B6 to date have concentrated heavily on clinical drugs. In the present communication, however, we concentrate on its role in the metabolism of environmental xenobiotics. The term environment is used, in its broadest sense, to include natural ecosystems and agroecosystems as well as the industrial and indoor domestic environments. In essence, this excludes only clinical drugs and drugs of abuse. Many of these chemicals, including agrochemicals and industrial chemicals, can serve as substrates, inhibitors and/or inducers of CYP2B6, these activities being often modified by the existence of polymorphic variants. Metabolism-based interactions between environmental chemicals are discussed, as well as the emerging possibility of metabolic interactions between environmental chemicals and clinical drugs.