C. Eeckhoutte

Enhanced absorption of pour-on ivermectin formulation in rats by co-administration of the multidrug-resistant-reversing agent verapamil.

Abstract The effect of verapamil, a multidrug-resistance (Mdr)-reversing agent on the absorption of a pour-on formulation of ivermectin was evaluated in rats. Absorption of ivermectin was effectively enhanced (40%) by the presence of verapamil, suggesting that absorption of ivermectin involves Mdr-P-glycoprotein and that verapamil should act as a competitive inhibitor for the transport and extrusion of ivermectin by P-glycoprotein. This hypothesis is consistent with other studies describing verapamil as a blocking agent of P-glycoprotein involved in the efflux of ivermectin in a resistant strain of Haemonchus contortus.

Inducing effect of oxfendazole on cytochrome P450IA2 in rabbit liver: Consequences on cytochrome P450 dependent monooxygenases

Male New Zealand rabbits were dosed with either 0.9, 4.5 or 22.5 mg/kg/day of oxfendazole by gastric intubation for 10 days. Oxfendazole administered at the therapeutic dose (4.5 mg/kg) and at the highest dose (22.5 mg/kg) increased 1.54- and 2.36-fold the total liver microsomal cytochrome P450 and more particularly the isoenzyme P450IA2 (95 and 184% increases) as demonstrated by western blotting. Increases in ethoxyresorufin O-deethylation and hydroxylations of benzopyrene and acetanilide occurred in livers of the same animals without any change in N-demethylation of aminopyrine, benzphetamine or erythromycin. Because of the unchanged level of mRNA specific to cytochrome P450IA2, as shown by northern blot analysis of poly mRNA, an enzyme stabilization rather than a transcriptional activation of IA2 genes should be involved in the P450IA2 regulation mechanisms. Oxfendazole bound strongly to cytochrome P450, giving rise to a type II spectrum, and inhibited noncompetitively the ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase and acetanilide hydroxylase activities, this confirmed that oxfendazole interacts only with the P450IA2 family. On the basis of a comparison of the enzymatic activities induced by various imidazole drugs, it was concluded that oxfendazole, like omeprazole and albendazole, behaved as a 3-methylcholanthrene-type inducer. These three benzimidazoles did not all belong to the same category of cytochrome P450 inducers as the antifungal drugs miconazole, clotrimazole and ketoconazole.

Comparative effects of T-2 toxin and diacetoxyscirpenol on drug metabolizing enzymes in rat tissues

The effects of T-2 toxin and diacetoxyscirpenol on tissue drug-metabolizing enzymes in young male rats were compared. Mycotoxicoses were produced by daily oral administration of toxins at 1.0 mg/kg body weight for 1, 4 or 8 days. Many hepatic, renal and pulmonary oxidative and conjugative enzymes were measured in animals killed 24 hr following the last administration. The effects of the two trichothecene mycotoxins were generally similar. In liver the decrease in microsomal and cytosolic proteins paralleled the decline in total plasma proteins or the increase in plasma GOT activity. Hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 decreased in rats receiving trichothecenes for 8 days. This effect was more marked when aminopyrine, benzphetamine, ethylmorphine and ethoxycoumarin dealkylations or aniline and benzopyrene hydroxylations were measured. p-nitrophenol glucuronyltransferase activity was enhanced in animals receiving at least one administration of trichothecenes, whereas there was no change in conjugation to glutathione or acetate. In other tissues, there was no change in any renal enzymes whereas a significant rise in pulmonary monooxygenase was observed in T-2 toxin administered to rats for 4 or 8 days.

Ontogenic development of drug-metabolizing enzymes in male chicken liver

The ontogenic study of the hepatic biotransformation enzymes revealed the early development of both oxidative and conjugative enzymes in male chickens ranging in age from 3 to 12 weeks. Although the rate of microsomal cytochrome P450 reactions progressively increased during the first 9 weeks, it decreased thereafter. Furthermore, the proteins revealed by the antibodies to anti-cytochrome P450 1A2, 2B4, 2C7, and 3A4 appeared to be constitutively expressed. Hepatic monooxygenases were characterized by different developmental patterns. The demethylase activities increased progressively up to 9 weeks, then they declined, in 12 weeks reaching the activity level observed in 3-week-old chickens. In contrast, alkoxyresorufin O-dealkylases and benzopyrene hydroxylase activities continued to increase with age. Significant variability was noted for aniline hydroxylase. Among conjugation enzymes, UDP-glucuronyltransferase towards p-nitrophenol and isoniazid N-acetyltransferase activities increased with the age of the fowl, but with different profiles. Concerning glutathione S-transferase accepting 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene or 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene, the chickens aged from 3 to 9 weeks were less well developed in this enzyme than 12-week-old ones.

Ontogenic development of liver progesterone metabolism in female sheep. Contribution of cytochrome P4502B and P4503A subfamilies

Age-related changes in progesterone hepatic metabolism were measured in Lacaune ewes in the foetal, neonatal (1 and 4 weeks), growing (7 months), pregnant (11 months) and adult (6 years) stages. 6 beta-Hydroxylation and 20 alpha-reduction were found to be the most efficient metabolic process in ovine microsomes. These activities were detected in 3-month-old foetuses and they increased rapidly during the first month of life, in a similar manner to the developmental expression of the cytochrome P4503A subfamily. 16 alpha- and 21-hydroxylation of progesterone were characterized by low, constant turn over in sheep liver microsomes during development. The hepatic ovine P4502B isozyme was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by means of successive DEAE cellulose, hydroxylapatite and CM cellulose chromatographic separations. This hemoprotein had an apparent molecular weight of 51 kDa and was characterized by spectral data, NH2-terminal amino-acid sequence, immunological and catalytic properties. The relative contribution of this form and of the previously purified ovine P4503A subfamily was investigated in liver progesterone metabolism by immunoinhibition studies using polyclonal antibodies raised in rabbits and from the existence of induction and of significant correlations between microsomal activity and specific P450 content. In sheep liver microsomes, it would appear that cytochrome P4502B is involved in progesterone 21-hydroxylation whereas P4503A participates in the 6 beta- and 16 alpha-hydroxylation and possibly in the reductive conversion of progesterone in its 20 alpha-hydroxy derivative.

Identification of human and rabbit cytochromes P450 1A2 as major isoforms involved in thiabendazole 5-hydroxylation

Summary— This report characterized one of the major cytochrome P450 isozyme involved in thiabendazole metabolism. This study was undertaken by using both cultured rabbit hepatocytes treated or not with drugs known to specifically induce various cytochromes P450 isoenzymes (ie, P450 1A1/2 by β‐naphthoflavone, P450 2B4 by phenobarbital, P450 3A6 by rifampicine and P450 4A by clofibrate) and human liver (THLE‐5) and bronchial (BEAS‐2B) epithelial cells expressing or not the major constitutive human cytochromes P450 (ie, CYP1A2, 2A6, 2B6, 2C9, 2D6, 2E1 or 3A4). Only hepatocytes exposed to β‐naphthoflavone and clofibrate significantly metabolized thiabendazole to 5‐hydroxythiabendazole. Extensive biotransformation of this anthelmintic only occurred in human cells expressing CYP1A2. Moreover, experiments performed on rabbit preparations showed good correlations between thiabendazole 5‐hydroxylase activity and both ethoxyresorufin and methoxyresorufin O‐dealkylase activities. Thus, CYP1A2 is a major isoenzyme involved in thiabendazole 5‐hydroxylation.

Comparative effects of cytokines on constitutive and inducible expression of the gene encoding for the cytochrome P450 3A6 isoenzyme in cultured rabbit hepatocytes: consequences on progesterone 6β-hydroxylation

Cultured rabbit hepatocytes were used to compare the relative activities of cytokines to inhibit the constitutive or rifampicin (RIF)-induced expression of the cytochrome P450 3A6 gene (CYP3A6). Human recombinant cytokines tested were interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) (2 U/mL), interleukin-2 (IL-2) (5,000 U/mL) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) (50 U/mL). Hepatocytes were cultured in the presence or absence of 25 microM RIF for 24 hr, with or without cytokines alone or in combination. All these cytokines inhibited RIF-induced P4503A6 expression without apparent cellular toxicity. By contrast, only IFN-gamma treatment provided a significant decrease (41%) in the constitutive P4503A6 protein level. Moreover, cytokines differed in their ability to repress RIF-dependent transcriptional induction of CYP3A6: IL-1beta and IL-2 were approximately equipotent, causing an almost 40-50% suppression of CYP3A6 mRNA and protein levels, whereas IFN-gamma exerted repressive effects only on P4503A6-related erythromycin N-demethylase activity and inducible protein expression. In fact, although strongly reducing P4503A6 protein content (an approximate 70% decrease), IFN-gamma did not exhibit any influence on CYP3A6 mRNAs with the exception of its association with interleukins. All these results suggest that IL-1beta and IL-2 mainly promote a transcriptional repression mechanism, given the absence of effect of these cytokines on the basal P4503A6 level, whereas IFN-gamma exerts a post-transcriptional suppressive action on both induced and constitutive P4503A6 expression. Consequently, P4503A6-dependent progesterone 6beta-hydroxylase activity also presented a cytokine-specific pattern of inhibition, with a much greater sensitivity than P4503A6 immunoreactive protein to IL-1beta and IL-2 + IFN-gamma treatments. Thus, this study underlines the significant impact of inflammation on steroid metabolism.

Comparison of hepatic and extrahepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme activities in rats given single or multiple challenge infections with Fasciola hepatica

The activity of drug-metabolizing enzymes was compared in liver, kidneys and lungs of rats given single or repetitive fluke infections. Fascioliasis was induced by oral administration of 20 metacercariae of F. hepatica to rats, either 6, or 12 and 6, or 12, 9 and 6 weeks before sacrifice. In the liver of mono-infected rats, significant reductions (24-67%) were observed in microsomal content of cytochrome P450 and all P450-dependent monooxygenases investigated. Conjugations to glutathione or acetate were lowered by 34-50% in these animals. In multiply infected animals, a majority of specific enzymatic activities were unchanged, while some monooxygenase activities such as aminopyrine demethylation or benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylation were increased by 26-76% in the liver of tri-infected rats. A renal compensatory process occurred in all infected groups, since cytochrome P450, benzphetamine demethylation and glutathione conjugation were significantly increased. By contrast, dealkylation of benzphetamine and pentoxyresorufin were decreased in the lungs of monoinfected rats. The development of parasite resistance would account for the recovery of liver drug metabolizing capabilities in multi-infected animals.

Fasciola hepatica: Liver enzymes in rats and interaction with chemical inducers

Adult male rats were sorted into control and infected groups, the latter receiving an oral dose of 20 metacercariae of Fasciola hepatica. In Weeks 3 and 6 after infection, some rats received phenobarbital or 3-methylcholanthrene which induced drug metabolizing enzymes. The parasitic pathology was ascertained by clinical observation of the rats and at autopsy. Hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 content was significantly decreased in infected rats compared to untreated phenobarbital treated groups. In all infected rats, the simultaneous increase in cytosolic calcium and decrease in cytosolic glutathione corresponded to oxidative cell injury occurring in the course of fascioliasis. Both arylamine acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.5.) and glutathione transferase (EC 2.5.1.18) activities were decreased in all newly infected and 6 week infected groups. Fascioliasis did not alter the substrate related uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase activities (EC 2.4.1.17) of any rat group.

In vitro metabolism of 14C-moxidectin by hepatic microsomes from various species.

Moxidectin is an antiparasitic drug widely used in cattle, sheep and companion animals. No data were available on its metabolism in wild species or in monogastrics. The in vitro metabolism of 14C-moxidectin was studied using hepatic microsomes from several different species: cow (Bos taurus), sheep (Ovis ovis), goat (Capra hircus), deer (Cervus dama), rat (Rattus norvegicus), pig (Sus scrofa and rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). After separation and quantification by HPLC, the extent of metabolism of 14C-moxidectin was greatest with microsomes from sheep (32.7%) as compared to those from cows (20.6%), deer (15.4%), goats (12.7%), rabbits (7.0%) or rats (3.0%). The least metabolism occurred with microsomes from pigs, with 0.8% of total detected metabolites. A C29 monohydroxymethyl metabolite was detected in the greatest amounts, providing 0.4% out of the total detected radioactivity in pigs and 19.3% in sheep. In addition, the importance of P450 3A in the metabolism of 14C-moxidectin was confirmed by using in vivo induced P450 in combination with various P450 inhibitors.