Detoxication covalent binding

In an effort to elucidate the nature of endocyclic iminium-derived species that give rise to metabolism-dependent covalent binding and to clarify what factors govern the balance between toxic activation and detoxication... 

A key focus of this chapter has been on the iminium/enamine stage of metabolism (figure 1) as the critical point governing the balance between toxic activation and detoxication pathways. Thus, although AO and MND efficiently intercept the -iminium derived from nicotine, PCP-Im is not a substrate for either enzyme. It seems quite significant that the lack of aldehyde oxidase substrate potential in this case correlates with increased levels of covalent binding of PCP relative to nicotine. 

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