Masaki Shindo

Roles of cytochrome P450 3A enzymes in the 2-hydroxylation of 1,4-cineole, a monoterpene cyclic ether, by rat and human liver microsomes

1. Oxidation of 1,4-cineole, a monoterpene cyclic ether, was studied in rat and human liver microsomes and recombinant cytochrome P450 (P450 or CYP) enzymes expressed in insect cells in which human P450 and NADPH-P450 reductase cDNAs have been introduced. On analysis with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, 2- exo -hydroxy-1,4-cineole was identified as a principal oxidation product of 1,4-cineole catalysed by rat and human P450 enzymes. 2. CYP3A4 was a major enzyme involved in the 2-hydroxylation of 1,4-cineole by human liver microsomes, based on the following lines of evidence. First, 1,4-cineole 2-hydroxylation activities catalysed by human liver microsomes were inhibited by ketoconazole, a potent inhibitor of CYP3A activities, and an anti-CYP3A4 antibody. Second, there was a good correlation between CYP3A4 contents and 1,4-cineole 2-hydroxylation activities in liver microsomes of eighteen human samples examined. Finally, of 10 recombinant human P450 enzymes examined, CYP3A4 had the highest activity for 1,4-cineole 2-hydroxylation. 3. Liver microsomal 1,4-cineole 2-hydroxylation activities were induced in rat by pregnenolone 16 α-carbonitrile and dexamethasone and extensively inhibited by ketoconazole, indicative of the possible roles of CYP3A enzymes in this reaction. 4. Kinetic analysis showed that V max / K m for 1,4-cineole 2-hydroxylation catalysed by liver microsomes was higher in a human sample HL-104 (4.6 μM -1 min -1) than those of rat treated with pregnenolone 16 α-carbonitrile (0.49 μM -1 min -1) and dexamethasone (0.36 μM -1 min -1). 5. 1,8-Cineole, a structurally related monoterpene previously shown to be catalysed by CYP3A enzymes, inhibited 1,4-cineole 2-hydroxylation catalysed by human liver microsomes, whereas 1,4-cineole did not inhibit 1,8-cineole 2-hydroxylation activities. Both compounds caused inhibition of testosterone 6 β -hydroxylation by human liver microsomes, the former compound being more inhibitory than the latter. 6. These results suggest that 1,4-cineole and 1,8-cineole, two plant essential oils present in Citrus medica L. var. acida and Eucalyptus polybractea, respectively, are converted to 2-hydroxylated products by CYP3A enzymes in rat and human liver microsomes. It is unknown at present whether the 2-hydroxylation products of these compounds are more active biologically than the parent compound.

Biotransformation of (−)-Verbenone by Human Liver Microsomes

The biotransformation of (−)-verbenone was investigated with human liver microsomes by using GC-MS. Regioselective biotransformation was observed when (−)-verbenone was incubated with the liver microsomes. (−)-10-Hydroxyverbenone was formed from (−)-verbenone of kinetic analysis showed that the K m and V max values for the hydroxylation of (−)-verbenone by liver microsomes from three human samples, HG-70, HG-56 and HG-23, were 1.1 mM and 4.8 nmol/min/nmol P450, 0.6 mM and 2.1 nmol/min/nmol P450, and 2.8 mM and 4.6 nmol/min/nmol P450, respectively.

Biotransformation of 1,8-Cineole by Human Liver Microsomes

Abstract The biotransformation of 1,8-cineole has been investigated by using human liver microsomes. A single oxidized metabolite, 2-exo-hydroxy-1,8-cineole, was isolated. Its formation was investigated under various conditions by changing incubation time, P450 level in liver microsomes, and substrate concentration.