Development and validation of a liquid-chromatography high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry approach for quantification of nine cytochrome P450 (CYP) model substrate metabolites in an in vitro CYP inhibition cocktail

Knowledge about the cytochrome P450 (CYP) inhibition potential of new drug candidates is important for drug development because of its risk of interactions. For novel psychoactive substances (NPS), corresponding data are not available. For developing a general drug inhibition cocktail assay, a liquid-chromatography high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry multi-analyte approach was developed and validated for quantifying low concentrations of O-diethyl phenacetin for CYP 1A2, 7-hydroxy coumarin for CYP 2A6, 4-hydroxy bupropion for CYP 2B6, N-diethyl amodiaquine for CYP 2C8, 4-hydroxy diclofenac for CYP 2C9, 5-hydroxy omeprazole for CYP 2C19, O-dimethyl dextromethorphan for CYP 2D6, 6-hydroxy chlorzoxazone for CYP 2E1, and 6-beta-hydroxy testosterone for CYP 3A in the incubation mixture in the presence of substrates and inhibitors. The tested matrix effects ranged from 63 to 141 % and the recoveries from 95 to 110 %. Time-saving one-point calibration allowed sufficient quantification, although some of the validation results for 7-hydroxy coumarin, 4-hydroxy bupropion, 4-hydroxy diclofenac, and 6-beta-hydroxy testosterone were outside the acceptance criteria (AC) but without influence of the IC₅₀ calculation. Validation showed also that the approach was sensitive and selective using mass spectral multiplexing. In conclusion, the presented assay was suitable for the quantification of the model substrate metabolites and could be used for the development of a CYP inhibition assay for testing most CYPs and a wide range of drugs of abuse.     

Coexpression of CPR from Various Origins Enhances Biotransformation Activity of Human CYPs in S. pombe

Cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs or P450s) are the most important enzymes involved in the phase I metabolism of drugs (and other xenobiotics) in humans, and the corresponding drug metabolites are needed as reference substances for their structural confirmation and for pharmacological or toxicological characterization. We have previously shown that biotechnological synthesis of such metabolites is feasible by whole-cell biotransformation with human CYPs recombinantly expressed in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. It was the aim of this study to compare the activity of seven human microsomal CYPs (CYP2C9, CYP2D6, CYP3A4, CYP3A5, CYP3A7, CYP17, and CYP21) upon coexpression with NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductases (CPRs) from various origins, namely, human CPR (hCPR) and its homologues from fission yeast (ccr1) and the bishop’s weed Ammi majus (AmCPR), respectively. For this purpose, 28 recombinant strains were needed, with five of them having been constructed previously and 23 strains being newly constructed. Bioconversion experiments showed that coexpression of a CPR does not only influence the reaction rate but, in some cases, also exerts an influence on the metabolite pattern. For CYP3A enzymes, coexpression of hCPR yielded the best results, while for another two, hCPR was equally helpful as ccr1 (both CYP17 and CYP21) or AmCPR (CYP17 only), respectively. Interestingly, CYP2D6 displayed its highest activity when coexpressed with ccr1 and CYP2C9 with AmCPR. These results corroborate the view of CPR as a well-suited bio-brick in synthetic biology for the construction of artificial enzyme complexes.     

Ketamine-derived designer drug methoxetamine: metabolism including isoenzyme kinetics and toxicological detectability using GC-MS and LC-(HR-)MS n

Methoxetamine (MXE; 2-(3-methoxyphenyl)-2-(N-ethylamino)-cyclohexanone), a ketamine analog, is a new designer drug and synthesized for its longer lasting and favorable pharmacological effects over ketamine. The aims of the presented study were to identify the phases I and II metabolites of MXE in rat and human urine by GC-MS and LC-high-resolution (HR)-MS ⁿ and to evaluate their detectability by GC-MS and LC-MS ⁿ using authors’ standard urine screening approaches (SUSAs). Furthermore, human cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes were identified to be involved in the initial metabolic steps of MXE in vitro, and respective enzyme kinetic studies using the metabolite formation and substrate depletion approach were conducted. Finally, human urine samples from forensic cases, where the ingestion of MXE was suspected, were analyzed. Eight metabolites were identified in rat and different human urines allowing postulation of the following metabolic pathways: N-deethylation, O-demethylation, hydroxylation, and combinations as well as glucuronidation or sulfation. The enzyme kinetic studies showed that the initial metabolic step in humans, the N-deethylation, was catalyzed by CYP2B6 and CYP3A4. Both SUSAs using GC-MS or LC-MS ⁿ allowed monitoring an MXE intake in urine.     

Phenotyping of CYP450 in human liver microsomes using the cocktail approach

The cocktail approach is an advantageous strategy used to monitor the activities of several cytochromes P450 (CYPs) in a single test to increase the throughput of in vitro phenotyping studies. In this study, a cocktail mixture was developed with eight CYP-specific probe substrates to simultaneously evaluate the activity of the most important CYPs, namely, CYP1A2, CYP2A6, CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP2E1, and the CYP3A subfamily. After cocktail incubation in the presence of human liver microsomes (HLMs), the eight selected substrates and their specific metabolites were analyzed by ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Qualitative and quantitative data were simultaneously acquired to produce an overview of the extended phase I biotransformation routes for each probe substrate in the HLMs and to generate phenotypic profiles of various HLMs. A comparison of the cocktail strategy with an individual substrate assay for each CYP produced similar results. Moreover, the cocktail was tested on HLMs with different allelic variants and/or in the presence of selective inhibitors. The results were in agreement with the genetic polymorphisms of the CYPs and the expected effect of the alterations. All of these experiments confirmed the reliability of this cocktail assay for phenotyping of the microsomal CYPs.     

A sensitive and high‐throughput LC‐MS/MS method for inhibition assay of seven major cytochrome P450s in human liver microsomes using an in vitro cocktail of probe substrates

A sensitive and high‐throughput LC‐MS/MS method was established and validated for the simultaneous quantification of seven probe substrate‐derived metabolites (cocktail assay) for assessing the in vitro inhibition of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes in pooled human liver microsomes. The metabolites acetaminophen (CYP1A2), hydroxy‐bupropion (CYP2B6), n‐desethyl‐amodiaquine (CYP2C8), 4′‐hydroxy‐diclofenac (CYP2C9), 4′‐hydroxy‐mephenytoin (CYP2C19), dextrorphan (CYP2D6) and 1′‐hydroxy‐midazolam (CYP3A4/5), together with the internal standard verapamil, were eluted on an Agilent 1200 series liquid chromatograph in <7 min. All metabolites were detected by an Agilent 6410B tandem mass spectrometer. The concentration of each probe substrate was selected by substrate inhibition assay that reduced potential substrate interactions. CYP inhibition of seven well‐known inhibitors was confirmed by comparing a single probe substrate assay with cocktail assay. The IC₅₀ values of these inhibitors determined on this cocktail assay were highly correlated (R² > 0.99 for each individual probe substrate) with those on single assay. The method was selective and showed good accuracy (85.89–113.35%) and between‐day (RSD <13.95%) and within‐day (RSD <9.90%) precision. The sample incubation extracts were stable at 25 °C for 48 h and after three freeze–thaw cycles. This seven‐CYP inhibition cocktail assay significantly increased the efficiency of accurately assessing compounds’ potential inhibition of the seven major CYPs in drug development settings. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ring-closing iodoamination of homoallylic amines for the synthesis of polysubstituted pyrrolidines: application to the asymmetric synthesis of (−)-codonopsinine

Ring-closing iodoamination of (E)-configured, N-α-methyl-p-methoxybenzyl protected homoallylic amines upon treatment with I₂ and NaHCO₃ in MeCN occurs with concomitant loss of the N-α-methyl-p-methoxybenzyl group to give 3-iodopyrrolidines in >99:1 dr. This transformation was used as one of the key steps in the total asymmetric synthesis of (?)-codonopsinine, which was achieved in seven steps (from commercially available tert-butyl crotonate) in 5% overall yield and >99:1 dr.     

Direct inhibition of Re Du Ning Injection and its active compounds on human liver cytochrome P450 enzymes by a cocktail method

The aim of this study was to investigate the direct inhibitory effects of Re Du Ning Injection (RDN) and its active compounds on the major cytochrome P450 enzyme (CYP) isoforms (CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4) of human liver microsomes by ‘a cocktail method’. The activity of each CYP isform was represented as the formation rate of the specific metabolite from relevant substrate. Then a sensitive and specific ultra‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) method was developed and validated to simultaneously analyze the seven metabolites. RDN (0.035–2.26 mg/mL) showed a strong inhibitiory effect on CYP2C8, followed by CYP2C9, CYP2B6, CYP2C19, CYP1A2 and CYP3A4. The IC₅₀ value for each enzyme was 0.19, 0.66, 0.72, 1.27, 1.66 and 2.13 mg/mL, respectively. RDN competitively inhibited the activities of CYP1A2 (K _i = 1.22 mg/mL), CYP2B6 (K _i = 0.65 mg/mL) and CYP3A4 (K _i = 0.88 mg/mL); it also exhibited mixed inhibition of CYP2C8, CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 with a K _i value of 0.26, 0.64 and 0.82 mg/mL, respectively. However, the activity of CYP2D6 was not significantly inhibited even by 2.26 mg/mL RDN. Moreover, the data of nine active compounds on the CYPs showed that cryptochlorogenin acid, sochlorogenic acid B and sochlorogenic acid C were the major contributors to the inhibitory effect of RDN on CYP2C8, while the inhibitory effect of RDN on CYP2C9 might be caused by sochlorogenic acid A and sochlorogenic acid C. Moreover, neochlorogenic acid might be the major contributor to the inhibitory effect on CYP2B6. All of the findings suggested that drug–drug interactions may occur and great caution should be taken when RDN is combined with drugs metabolized by these CYPs.     

Engineering of Human CYP3A Enzymes by Combination of Activating Polymorphic Variants

The use of human cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes is increasing for the production of drug metabolites used for drug safety testing and doping analysis. Major challenges are high-priced cofactors, poor stability, and comparatively low activities. We have shown previously that production of specific metabolites in milligrams to gram scale is feasible using human CYPs recombinantly expressed in fission yeast. In this study, we sought to improve the activities of human CYP3A enzymes by genetic engineering. Two side chains (Pro293 and Arg409) of known activating human CYP3A polymorphic variants were??separately or together??introduced into the wild-type forms of each of the three enzymes CYP3A4, CYP3A5, and CYP3A7, respectively. Different effects of the two mutations and their combination on enzyme activity were monitored using both polar and nonpolar substrates. Interestingly, the CYP3A7 double mutant displayed a strong increase in activity with respect to testosterone 6??-hydroxylation (300?% of wild-type activity) and luciferin-6??-pentafluoro-benzyl ether turnover (400?% compared to wild type), while the single mutant CYP3A5^Pro293 showed 370 and 400?% of wild-type activity towards 6??-hydroxylation of testosterone and 16??-hydroxylation of dehydroepiandrosterone, respectively. Overall, six out of seven newly created mutants displayed increased activity with at least one of the tested substrates. These results support the notion that pharmacogenetic knowledge can directly contribute to the improvement of biotechnological processes.     

In Vitro and In Vivo Primary Metabolic Characterization of F18, a Novel Histone Deacetylase-6 (HDAC6) Inhibitor,Using UHPLC–QqQ–MS/MS and Q-TOF–MS Methods

F18, N-hydroxy-4-(2-methoxy-5-(methyl (2-methylquinazolin-4-yl) amino) phenoxy) butanamide, is a novel selective HDAC6 inhibitor with good antitumor activity. In the early drug development, drug-metabolism studies are a crucial and indispensable part. In this study, we proposed to evaluate the in vitro primary metabolism of F18 in phase Ι in liver microsomes from human, rat, dog, monkey and mouse and investigate the metabolite profile both in vitro and in vivo using LC–MS/MS methods. F18 showed high metabolic stability in human, rat, dog, monkey and mouse liver microsomes over 120 min, with t _1/2 >8 h in human, rat, and dog, and t _1/2 <3.5 h in monkey, with almost no clearance in mouse. Human cytochrome P450 (P450) phenotyping showed that F18 was predominantly metabolized by CYP2C9, CYP2E1, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4. The investigation of the effect of F18 on CYP enzymes in HLM demonstrated that this compound did not significantly inhibit CYP 1A2 (IC₅₀ >100 μM), was a moderate inhibitor of CYP3A4 (IC₅₀ = 1.63 μM) and had negligible effects on CYP3A1/2 activity in rats. The results will be valuable in understanding drug–drug interactions (DDI) when F18 is co-administered with other drugs. The metabolites of F18 were investigated in rat plasma, urine, feces and different liver microsomes in NADPH samples, yielding at least 11 metabolites in these biological samples. The prominent metabolic pathways were de-methylation, de-amination, de-oxidation and O-glucuronidation. In summary, this work provides the first clues regarding F18 metabolism, providing important information for comprehensive understanding of F18 metabolites.

     

Asymmetric synthesis of (−)-(S,S)-homaline

The asymmetric synthesis of (−)-(S,S)-homaline was achieved in 8 steps from commercially available starting materials using the diastereoselective conjugate addition of the novel lithium amide reagent lithium (R)-N-(3-chloropropyl)-N-(α-methyl-p-methoxybenzyl)amide to methyl cinnamate to install the correct stereochemistry. Subsequent functional group manipulation of the resultant β-amino ester and Sb(OEt)₃-mediated macrolactamisation was followed by homodimerisation to give (−)-(S,S)-homaline in 18% overall yield, representing the first asymmetric, and by far the most efficient synthesis of this natural product reported to date.     

Site-Directed Mutagenesis of Cytochrome P450 2D6 and 2C19 Enzymes: Expression and Spectral Characterization of Naturally Occurring Allelic Variants

Genetic polymorphism of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) genes particularly affects CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 to a functionally relevant extent, and it is therefore crucial to elucidate the enzyme kinetic and molecular basis for altered catalytic activity of these allelic variants. This study explored the expression and function of the reported alleles CYP2D6*2, CYP2D6*10, CYP2D6*17, CYP2C19*23, CYP2C19*24, and CYP2C19*25 with respect to gene polymorphisms. Site-directed mutagenesis (SDM) was carried out to generate these six alleles. After DNA sequencing, the CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 wild types alongside with their alleles were each independently co-expressed with NADPH-CYP oxidoreductase (OxR) in Escherichia coli. The expressed proteins were analyzed using Western blotting, reduced carbon monoxide (CO) difference spectral scanning, and cytochrome c reductase assay. Results from Western blot revealed the presence of all CYP wild-type and allelic proteins in E. coli membrane fractions. The reduced CO difference spectra scanning presented the distinct peak of absorbance at 450 nm, and the cytochrome c reductase assay has confirmed that spectrally active OxR was expressed in each protein preparation. As a conclusion, the results obtained from this study have proven the CYP variants to be immunoreactive and spectrally active and are suitable for use to examine biotransformation and interaction mechanism of the enzymes.     

2-Methiopropamine, a thiophene analogue of methamphetamine: studies on its metabolism and detectability in the rat and human using GC-MS and LC-(HR)-MS techniques

2-Methiopropamine [1-(thiophen-2-yl)-2-methylaminopropane, 2-MPA], a thiophene analogue of methamphetamine, is available from online vendors selling “research chemicals.” The first samples were seized by the German police in 2011. As it is a recreational stimulant, its inclusion in routine drug screening protocols should be required. The aims of this study were to identify the phase I and II metabolites of 2-MPA in rat and human urine and to identify the human cytochrome-P450 (CYP) isoenzymes involved in its phase I metabolism. In addition, the detectability of 2-MPA in urine samples using the authors’ well-established gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-linear ion trap-mass spectrometry (LC-MSⁿ) screening protocols was also evaluated. The metabolites were isolated from rat and human urine samples by solid-phase extraction without or following enzymatic cleavage of conjugates. The phase I metabolites, following acetylation, were separated and identified by GC-MS and/or liquid chromatography–high-resolution linear ion trap mass spectrometry (LC-HR-MSⁿ) and the phase II metabolites by LC-HR-MSⁿ. The following major metabolic pathways were proposed: N-demethylation, hydroxylation at the side chain and at the thiophene ring, and combination of these transformations followed by glucuronidation and/or sulfation. CYP1A2, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, and CYP3A4 were identified as the major phase I metabolizing enzymes. They were also involved in the N-demethylation of the analogue methamphetamine and CYP2C19, CYP2D6, and CYP3A4 in its ring hydroxylation. Following the administration of a typical user’s dose, 2-MPA and its metabolites were identified in rat urine using the authors’ GC-MS and the LC-MSⁿ screening approaches. Ingestion of 2-MPA could also be detected by both protocols in an authentic human urine sample.     

CYPstrate: A Set of Machine Learning Models for the Accurate Classification of Cytochrome P450 Enzyme Substrates and Non-Substrates

The interaction of small organic molecules such as drugs, agrochemicals, and cosmetics with cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) can lead to substantial changes in the bioavailability of active substances and hence consequences with respect to pharmacological efficacy and toxicity. Therefore, efficient means of predicting the interactions of small organic molecules with CYPs are of high importance to a host of different industries. In this work, we present a new set of machine learning models for the classification of xenobiotics into substrates and non-substrates of nine human CYP isozymes: CYPs 1A2, 2A6, 2B6, 2C8, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6, 2E1, and 3A4. The models are trained on an extended, high-quality collection of known substrates and non-substrates and have been subjected to thorough validation. Our results show that the models yield competitive performance and are favorable for the detection of CYP substrates. In particular, a new consensus model reached high performance, with Matthews correlation coefficients (MCCs) between 0.45 (CYP2C8) and 0.85 (CYP3A4), although at the cost of coverage. The best models presented in this work are accessible free of charge via the “CYPstrate” module of the New E-Resource for Drug Discovery (NERDD).     

Synthetic studies on pterin glycosides: the first synthesis of 2′-O-(α-d-glucopyranosyl)biopterin

l-Rhamnose was led, in a 14-step-sequence, to N²-(N,N-dimethylaminomethylene)-1′-O-(4-methoxybenzyl)-3-[2-(4-nitrophenyl)ethyl]biopterin (23), an appropriately protected precursor for 2′-O-glycosylation, while 4,6-di-O-acetyl-2,3-di-O-(4-methoxybenzyl)-α-d-glucopyranosyl bromide (32), a novel glycosyl donor, was efficiently prepared from d-glucose in 8 steps. The first synthesis of 2′-O-(α-d-glucopyranosyl)biopterin (2a) was achieved by treatment of the key intermediate 23 with 32 in the presence of silver triflate and tetramethylurea, followed by successive removal of the protecting groups.     

Photochemical synthesis of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolin-3-ones from N-chloroacetylbenzylamines

When N-chloroacetyl-3-hydroxybenzylamine (37) in aqueous acetonitrile was irradiated, both ortho and para photocyclizations with reference to the OH group occurred to give 7- and 5-hydroxy-3-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines (52,53). Similarly, 1-methylisoquinoline derivatives (54,55) were synthesized. N-Chloroacetyl-3,5-dihydroxybenzylamine (39) gave a single photoproduct, 5,7-dihydroxy-3-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (56). These photocyclizations were smoothly extended to the synthesis of 1-benzyl, 1-(4′-methoxybenzyl)- and 1-(3′,4′,5′-trimethoxybenzyl)-isoquinoline derivatives (58～64).     

Insights on cytochrome p450 enzymes and inhibitors obtained through QSAR studies

The cytochrome P450 (CYP) superfamily of heme enzymes play an important role in the metabolism of a large number of endogenous and exogenous compounds, including most of the drugs currently on the market. Inhibitors of CYP enzymes have important roles in the treatment of several disease conditions such as numerous cancers and fungal infections in addition to their critical role in drug-drug interactions. Structure activity relationships (SAR), and three-dimensional quantitative structure activity relationships (3D-QSAR) represent important tools in understanding the interactions of the inhibitors with the active sites of the CYP enzymes. A comprehensive account of the QSAR studies on the major human CYPs 1A1, 1A2, 1B1, 2A6, 2B6, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6, 2E1, 3A4 and a few other CYPs are detailed in this review which will provide us with an insight into the individual/common characteristics of the active sites of these enzymes and the enzyme-inhibitor interactions.     

Identification of cytochrome P450 isoforms involved in the metabolism of artocarpin and assessment of its drug–drug interaction

Artocarpin isolated from an agricultural plant Artocarpus communis has shows anti‐inflammation and anticancer activities. In this study, we utilized recombinant human UDP‐glucuronosyltransferasesupersomes (UGTs) and human liver microsomes to explore its inhibitory effect on UGTs and cytochrome p450 enzymes (CYPs). Chemical inhibition studies and screening assays with recombinant human CYPs were used to identify if CYP isoform is involved in artocarpin metabolism. Artocarpin showed strong inhibition against UGT1A3, UGT1A6, UGT1A7, UGT1A8, UGT1A9, UGT1A10, UGT2B7, CYP2C8 and CYP3A4. In particular, artocarpin exhibited competitive inhibition against CYP3A4 and noncompetitive inhibition against UGT1A3 and UGT1A7. The half inhibition concentration values for CYP3A4, UGT1A3 and UGT1A7 were 4.67, 3.82 and 4.82 μm , and the inhibition kinetic parameters for them were 0.78, 2.67 and 3.14 μm , respectively. After artocarpin was incubated in human liver microsomes and determined by HPLC, we observed its main metabolites (M1 and M2). In addition, we proved that CYP2D6 played the key role in the biotransformation of artocarpin in human liver microsomes. The result of molecular docking further confirmed that artocarpin interacted with CYP2D6, CYP2C8 and CYP3A4 through hydrogen bonds. This study provided preliminary results for further research on artocarpin or artocarpin‐containing herbs.     

Bioactive compounds from the endophytic fungus Fusarium proliferatum

The crude extract of an endophytic fungus isolated from Syzygium cordatum and identified as Fusarium proliferatum showed 100% cytotoxicity against the brine shrimp Artemia salina at 100 μg/mL. Seven coloured, biologically active metabolites – including ergosta-5,7,22-trien-3β-ol, nectriafurone-8-methyl ether, 9-O-methyl fusarubin, bostrycoidin, bostrycoidin-9-methyl ether and 8-hydroxy-5,6-dimethoxy-2-methyl-3-(2-oxo-propyl)-1,4-naphthoquinone– were isolated from the extract.     

Low resolution and high resolution MS for studies on the metabolism and toxicological detection of the new psychoactive substance methoxypiperamide (MeOP)

In 2013, the new psychoactive substance methoxypiperamide (MeOP) was first reported to the European Monitoring Centre for Drug and Drug Addiction. Its structural similarity to already controlled piperazine designer drugs might have contributed to the decision to offer MeOP for online purchase. The aims of this work were to identify the phase I/II metabolites of MeOP in rat urine and the human cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoenzymes responsible for the initial metabolic steps. Finally, the detectability of MeOP in rat urine by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) and liquid chromatography coupled with multistage mass spectrometry (LC‐MSⁿ) standard urine screening approaches (SUSAs) was evaluated. After sample preparation by cleavage of conjugates followed by extraction for elucidating phase I metabolites, the analytes were separated and identified by GC‐MS as well as liquid chromatography‐high resolution‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐HR‐MS/MS). For detection of phase II metabolites, the analytes were separated and identified after urine precipitation followed by LC‐HR‐MS/MS. The following metabolic steps could be postulated: hydrolysis of the amide, N‐oxide formation, N‐ and/or O‐demethylation, oxidation of the piperazine ring to the corresponding keto‐piperazine, piperazine ring opening followed by oxidation of a methylene group to the corresponding imide, and hydroxylation of the phenyl group. Furthermore, N‐acetylation, glucuronidation and sulfation were observed. Using human CYPs, CYP1A2, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, and/or CYP3A4 were found to catalyze N‐oxide formation and N‐, O‐demethylation and/or oxidation. Mostly MeOP and N‐oxide‐MeOP but to a minor degree also other metabolites could be detected in the GC‐MS and LC‐MSⁿ SUSAs. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Metabolic N-Dealkylation and N-Oxidation as Elucidators of the Role of Alkylamino Moieties in Drugs Acting at Various Receptors

Metabolic reactions that occur at alkylamino moieties may provide insight into the roles of these moieties when they are parts of drug molecules that act at different receptors. N-dealkylation of N,N-dialkylamino moieties has been associated with retaining, attenuation or loss of pharmacologic activities of metabolites compared to their parent drugs. Further, N-dealkylation has resulted in clinically used drugs, activation of prodrugs, change of receptor selectivity, and providing potential for developing fully-fledged drugs. While both secondary and tertiary alkylamino moieties (open chain aliphatic or heterocyclic) are metabolized by CYP450 isozymes oxidative N-dealkylation, only tertiary alkylamino moieties are subject to metabolic N-oxidation by Flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO) to give N-oxide products. In this review, two aspects will be examined after surveying the metabolism of representative alkylamino-moieties-containing drugs that act at various receptors (i) the pharmacologic activities and relevant physicochemical properties (basicity and polarity) of the metabolites with respect to their parent drugs and (ii) the role of alkylamino moieties on the molecular docking of drugs in receptors. Such information is illuminative in structure-based drug design considering that fully-fledged metabolite drugs and metabolite prodrugs have been, respectively, developed from N-desalkyl and N-oxide metabolites.