Active metabolite

During first-in-human studies with the investigational anticancer drug penclomedine, it was discovered that exposure to parent drug concentrations was less than 1% of the exposure to its 

FIGURE 31.4 High-performance liquid chromatograms comparing in vitro paclitaxel metabolism by hepatic microsomes from rats (dotted line) and humans (solid line). The major human metabolite, designated peak H, was not formed by rats. (Adapted from Jamis-Dow CA, Klecker RW, Katki AG, Collins JM. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 1995 6 107-14.) 

FIGURE 31.5 The investigational anticancer drug, penclome-dine, was administered to patients once a day for 5 consecutive days. The parent drug disappeared rapidly from plasma, whereas the demethyl metabolite accumulated over the course of therapy. (Adapted from Hartman NR, O Reilly S, Rowinsky EK, Collins JM, Strong JM. Clin Cancer Res 1996 2 953-62.) 

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Desogestrel. Desogestrel (44) is rapidly and nearly completely converted to the biologically active metabolite 3-ketodesogestrel [14048-10-1]... 

Parathyroid hormone, a polypeptide of 83 amino acid residues, mol wt 9500, is produced by the parathyroid glands. Release of PTH is activated by a decrease of blood Ca " to below normal levels. PTH increases blood Ca " concentration by increasing resorption of bone, renal reabsorption of calcium, and absorption of calcium from the intestine. A cAMP mechanism is also involved in the action of PTH. Parathyroid hormone induces formation of 1-hydroxylase in the kidney, requited in formation of the active metabolite of vitamin D (see Vitamins, vitamin d). 

Metabolites of vitamin D, eg, cholecalciferol (CC), are essential in maintaining the appropriate blood level of Ca ". The active metabolite, 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25-DHCC), is synthesized in two steps. In the fiver, CC is hydroxylated to 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-HCC) which, in combination with a globulin carrier, is transported to the kidney where it is converted to 1,25-DHCC. This step, which requites 1-hydroxylase formation, induced by PTH, may be the controlling step in regulating Ca " concentration. The sites of action of 1,25-DHCC are the bones and the intestine. Formation of 1,25-DHCC is limited by an inactivation process, ie, conversion of 25-HCC to 24,25-DHCC, catalyzed by 24-hydroxylase. 

In man, the metabolic pathways of mepirizole were distinct from those in experimental animals, since hydroxylation on each of the aromatic rings did not occur in man. Compound (752) was obtained by oxidation of the 3-methyl group to the carboxylic acid (a similar process occurs with 5-methylpyrazole-3-carboxylic acid, an active metabolite of 3,5-dimethylpyrazole). However, the carboxylic acid metabolite of mepirizole had no analgesic activity and did not decrease blood glucose. 

K.-M. Chu, S.-M. Sliieh, S.-H. Wu and O. Y.-P. Hu, Enantiomeric separation of a cardiotonic agent pimobendan and its major active metabolite, UD-CG 212 BS, by coupled achiral-cliiral normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography , 7. Chromatogr. Sci 30 171-176(1992). 

The latter approach is used in the enantioselective determination of a Phase I metabolite of the antihistaminic drug, terfenadine. Terfenadine is metabolized to several Phase I compounds (Fig. 7-13), among which the carboxylic acid MDL 16.455 is an active metabolite for which plasma concentrations must often be determined. Although terfenadine can be separated directly on Chiralpak AD - an amy-lose-based CSP - the adsorption of the metabolite MDL 16.455 is too high to permit adequate resolution. By derivatizing the plasma sample with diazomethane, the carboxylic acid is converted selectively to the methyl ester, which can be separated in the presence of all other plasma compounds on the above-mentioned CSP Chiralpak AD [24] (Fig. 7-14). Recently, MDL 16.455 has been introduced as a new antihistaminic drug, fexofenadine. 

In vivo azathioprine is rapidly converted into its active metabolite 6-mercaptopurine by the enzyme thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT). The active agent inhibits IMPDH function. Furthermore, it also acts as antimetabolite of the RNA and DNA synthesis particularly in T-lymphocytes leading to cell death. Due to genetic polymorphism of TPMT, therapy may fail, thus it is currently discussed whether individual patients should be monitored before the use of azathioprine. 

The active metabolite of this drug is mycophenolic acid (MPA), which inhibits IMPDH, too. MPA is metabolized in vivo by glucuronidation. It has to be noted that its acyl glucuronide inhibits EVDPDH with similar potency compared to the parent compound. 

The active metabolite of leflunomide, the ring-opened drug A771726, inhibits dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHOD) which is the key enzyme of the de novo pyrimidine synthesis. Inhibition of synthesis stops proliferation of activated lymphocytes. The leflunomide derivative FK778 which shows similar therapeutic efficacy but shorter half-life is investigated in clinical trials. 

Antihistamines are drags used to counteract the effects of histamine on body organs and structures. Examples of antihistamines include diphenhydramine (Benadryl), loratadine (Claritin), fexofenadine (Allegra), and cetirizine (Zyrtec). A new antihistamine, deslorata-dine (Clarinex), is die active metabolite of loratadine and is intended to eventually replace loratadine (Claritin). Topical corticosteroid nasal sprays such as fluticasone propionate (Flonase) or triamcinolone ace-tonide (Nasacort AQ) are also used for nasal allergy symptoms. See Chapter 56 for more information on die topical corticosteroids. 

No changes in GTP and y-GT activity were recorded after repeated administration of the above compounds. Also, histopathological examination did not point to liver necrosis. Similar phenomenon detected earlier after repeated administration of monobromobenzene, was interpreted as a result of damage of the microsomal enzymatic system responsible for the appearance of active metabolites (ref. 22). 

The LD50 values for methyl parathion were compared to those for methyl paraoxon, the active metabolite of methyl parathion, in rats, guinea pigs, and mice by Miyamoto et al. (1963b). Methyl paraoxon was 5.4 times more potent than methyl parathion in male rats, 5 times more potent in male guinea pigs, and 1.6 times more potent in mice. 

All acyclic and carbocyclic guanosine analogues depicted in Fig. 1 follow the same modus operandi as exemplified for acyclovir (ACV) in Fig. 5, in that they need three phosphorylations to be converted to their active metabolite, the triphosphate form, which then interacts with the target enzyme, the viral DNA polymerase, as a chain terminator (De Clercq 2002). In its DNA chain-terminating... 

After me ANPs (i.e., cidofovir, adefovir, and tenofovir) have been released (intra-or extraceUularly) from their prodrugs through the mtervention of infra- or extracellular esterases, they need only two phosphorylation steps to be converted to their active metabolites (i.e., HPMPCpp, PMEApp, and PMPApp), which will then compete with the natural substrates (dCTP for HPMPCpp, and dATP for PMEApp and PMPApp) for incorporation into me viral DNA (Fig. 6a). 

For convenience, the processes identified in Figure 2.1 can be separated into two distinct categories toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics. Toxicokinetics covers uptake, distribution, metabolism, and excretion processes that determine how much of the toxic form of the chemical (parent compound or active metabolite) will reach the site of action. Toxicodynamics is concerned with the interaction with the sites of action, leading to the expression of toxic effects. The interplay of the processes of toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics determines toxicity. The more the toxic form of the chemical that reaches the site of action, and the greater the sensitivity of the site of action to the chemical, the more toxic it will be. In the following text, toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics will be dealt with separately. 

Most of the organic pollutants described in the present text act at relatively low concentrations because they, or their active metabolites, have high affinity for their sites of action. If there is interaction with more than a critical proportion of active sites, disturbances will be caused to cellular processes, which will eventually be manifest as overt toxic symptoms in the animal or plant. Differences between species or strains in the affinity of a toxic molecule for the site of action are a common reason for selective toxicity. 

Nicotiana tabacum Couette-type transitional/turbulent cell lysis (dry weight reduction) mitochondrial activity metabolite secretion non-growth [77]... 

Vitamin D Is Metabolized to the Active Metabolite, Calcitriol, in Liver Kidney... 

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