Epoxides enzyme induction

Emphasis is given to the critical role of metabolism, both detoxication and activation, in determining toxicity. The principal enzymes involved are described, including monooxygenases, esterases, epoxide hydrolases, glutathione-5 -transferases, and glucuronyl transferases. Attention is given to the influence of enzyme induction and enzyme inhibition on toxicity. 

It is noteworthy that, in contrast to mammalian systems, the majority of bacterial strains exhibited sufficient activity even when the cells were grown under non-optimized conditions. Since enzyme induction is still a largely empirical task, cells were grown on standard media in the absence of inducers. Furthermore, all attempts to induce epoxide hydrolase activity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCIMB 9571 and Pseudomonas oleovorans ATCC 29347 by growing the cells on an alkane (decane) or alkene (1-octene) as the sole carbon source failed [27]. 

Oral absorption of carbamazepine is quite slow and often erratic. Its half-life is reported to vary from 12 to 60 hours in humans. The development of blood level assays has markedly improved the success of therapy with this drug, since serum concentration is only partially dose related. Carbamazepine is metabolized in the liver, and there is evidence that its continued administration leads to hepatic enzyme induction. Carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide is a pharmacologically active metabolite with significant anticonvulsant effects of its own. 

Wistuba, D., Nowotny, H.P., Trager, O. Schurig, V. (1989) Cytochrome P-450 catalyzed asymmetric epoxidation of simple prochiral and chiral aliphatic alkenes. Species dependence and effect of enzyme induction on enantioselective oxirane formation. Chirality, 1, 127-136... 

Oxcarbazepine. Oxcarbazepine (10,11-dihydro-10-oxo-5i -dibenz [6,/] azepine-5-car-boxamide or 10,ll,dihydro-10-oxo carbamazepine, 12) was designed to avoid the dose-dependent side effects noted in some patients (e.g., nausea, headache, dizziness, ataxia, diplopia) and to minimize enzyme induction and drug-drug interactions displayed by carbamazepine (195,196). As shown previously (Fig. 6.3), the change in structure results in a difference in metabolism. Although both carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine are ultimately converted to the inactive trans diol, oxcarbazepine does not form the active 10,11-epoxide intermediate, but does form the active 10-hydroxy metabolite MHD (197). The mechanism of action of oxcarbazepine is very similar... 

Drug Interactions. Felbamate inhibits the clearance and increases the serum concentration of phenytoin, valproic acid, and phenobar-bital. The concentration of carbamazepine decreases in patients on concmrent therapy with felbamate secondary to enzyme induction however, the concentration of the 10,11 -epoxide metabolite increases. It is recommended that the dose of phenytoin, carbamazepine, and valproic acid be decreased by about 30% when felbamate is added. Felbamate does not appear to interact with either gabapentin or 1am-otrigine. Phenytoin and carbamazepine are enzyme inducers and have been shown to increase the clearance of felbamate. Interactions with warfarin also have been reported. ... 

Apart from monooxygenases, other enzymes concerned wih xenobiotic metabolism may also be induced. Some examples are given in Table 2.5. Induction of glucuronyl transferases is a common response and is associated with phenobarbital-type induction of CYP family 2. Glutathione transferase induction is also associated with this. A variety of compounds, including epoxides such as stilbene oxide and... 

Although first reported with the cytochrome(s) P-450 mixed function oxidases, it is now known that a number of the enzymes involved in the metabolism of foreign compounds are inducible. Thus, as well as the CYPs, NADPH cytochrome P-450 reductase, cytochrome b5, glucuronosyl transferases, epoxide hydrolases, and GSTs are also induced to various degrees. However, this discussion concentrates on the induction of the CYPs with mention of other enzymes where appropriate. 

As well as detoxication via reaction with GSH, the reactive 3,4-epoxide can be removed by hydration to form the dihydrodiol, a reaction that is catalyzed by epoxide hydrolase (also known as epoxide hydratase). This enzyme is induced by pretreatment of animals with the polycyclic hydrocarbon 3-methylcholanthrene, as can be seen from the increased excretion of 4-bromophenyldihydrodiol (Table 7.5). This induction of a detoxication pathway offers a partial explanation for the decreased hepatotoxicity of bromobenzene observed in such animals. A further explanation, also apparent from the urinary metabolites, is the induction of the form of cytochrome P-450 that catalyzes the formation of the 2,3-epoxide. This potentially reactive metabolite readily rearranges to 2-bromophenol, and hence there is increased excretion of 2-bromophenol in these pretreated animals (Table 7.5). 

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