1. The porphyrinogenicity of certain xenobiotics is due to mechanism-based inactivation of selected cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, with concurrent formation of N-alkylprotoporphyrins (N-alkylPPs), which disrupt control of haem biosynthesis. An ambiguity arises when extrapolating results obtained with such porphyrinogenic xenobiotics in animals to humans owing to species' differences in CYP enzymes. The objective was to use cDNA-expressed individual rat CYP enzyme preparations in microsomes prepared from baculovirus-infected insect cells to determine which rat CYP enzymes were the source of N-alkylPPs after interaction with three porphyrinogenic xenobiotics and to compare the results with formation of N-alkylPPs in individual human CYP enzyme orthologues. 2. A sensitive fluorometric technique was employed to quantitate N-alkylPP formation after interaction of individual CYP enzymes with a porphyrinogenic xenobiotic. 3. N-alkylPP formation was found following the interaction of three porphyrinogenic xenobiotics with CYP1A2, 2B1, 2C6, 2C11 and 3A2, in amounts ranging from 0.45 to 0.07 nmol N-alkylPP nmol(-1) CYP. The results obtained with rat CYP1A2, 2C6, 2C11 and 3A2 were compared with those previously obtained with the human CYP orthologues 1A2, 2C9 and 3A4. 4. Some results corresponded while others did not, reinforcing a previous recommendation that when dealing with xenobiotics whose porphyrinogenicity depends upon interaction with CYP enzymes resulting in N-alkylPP formation, animal experiments should be augmented with studies using human CYP preparations.

Several porphyrinogenic xenobiotics elicit mechanism-based inactivation of cytochrome P450 (CYP) isozymes, leading to the formation of N-alkylprotoporphyrin IX (N-alkylPP), a potent inhibitor of ferrochelatase, the terminal enzyme in heme biosynthesis. Recognizing their role in experimental porphyria, our long term objective is the establishment of an appropriate in vitro system for the detection and quantification of N-alkylPPs, formed in human liver after the administration of potential porphyrinogenic compounds. In a previous study, we used a combination of thin-layer chromatography and UV-visible spectrophotometry to isolate and identify N-alkylPPs after incubating porphyrinogenic compounds with rat liver microsomes. However, the overall yield of N-alkylPPs was low, and it was concluded that in vitro systems, such as human lymphoblastoid microsomal preparations containing single cDNA-expressed human cytochrome P450 (CYP) isozymes, do not contain sufficient CYP for in vitro studies designed to isolate N-alkylPP. In the present study we demonstrate that purified recombinant human ferrochelatase (FC) provides an extremely sensitive bioassay system for N-alkylPPs and is capable of detecting N-alkylPP in the 10(-6) nmol range. Therefore, we propose that this bioassay system might allow the use of human lymphoblastoid microsomal preparations containing single cDNA-expressed human CYP isozymes to detect N-alkylPP produced after mechanism-based (catalysis-based) CYP inactivation. If this is found to be correct it will facilitate identification of potentially porphyrinogenic drugs prior to administration to humans.

ABSTRACT:In a previous study using microsomes from human lymphoblastoid cell lines (HLCL) containing single cDNA-expressed human cytochrome P450 (P450) enzymes, human P450 enzymes were identified that are susceptible to mechanism-based inactivation by the porphyrinogenic xenobiotics, 3-[(arylthio)ethyl]sydnone (TTMS), 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-4-ethylpyridine (4-ethylDDC) and allylisopropylacetamide (AIA). In this study, we tested the hypothesis that N-alkylprotoporphyrin IX (N-alkylPP) formation following interaction of porphyrinogenic xenobiotics with single cDNA-expressed human P450 enzymes in microsomes from HLCL would occur only with P450 enzymes that had undergone mechanism-based inactivation. In a previous study, when 4-ethylDDC and NADPH interacted with human liver microsomes possessing elevated levels of CYP1A2 and 2C9, N-ethylprotoporphyrin IX (N-ethylPP) was not formed despite the fact that it was formed in microsomes from baculovirus-infected insect cell lines (BIICL) containing either CYP1A2 or 2C9. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that 4-ethylDDC underwent biotransformation by CYP3A4 present in human liver microsomes, diverting the xenobiotic from CYP1A2 and 2C9. Fluorometry was used to measure N-alkylPP formation following interaction of porphyrinogenic xenobiotics and NADPH with cDNA-expressed human P450 enzymes in microsomes from HLCL or BIICL. With TTMS and 4-ethylDDC but not with AIA, N-alkylPP formation was observed only with human P450 enzymes CYP2D6, 1A2, 3A4, or 2C9 in microsomes from HLCL, which had undergone mechanism-based inactivation. Microsomes from BIICL containing CYP3A4 were added to a mixture of NADPH, 4-ethylDDC, and microsomes from BIICL containing CYP1A2 and 2C9. The addition of CYP3A4 to CYP1A2 and 2C9 did not decrease N-ethylPP formation, providing no support for the hypothesis.

Several porphyrinogenic xenobiotics elicit mechanism-based inactivation of cytochrome P450 (CYP) isozymes, leading to the formation of N-alkylprotoporphyrin IX (N-alkylPP), a potent inhibitor of ferrochelatase, the terminal enzyme in heme biosynthesis. Recognizing their role in experimental porphyria, our long term objective is the establishment of an appropriate in vitro system for the detection and quantification of N-alkylPPs, formed in human liver after the administration of potential porphyrinogenic compounds. In a previous study, we used a combination of thin-layer chromatography and UV-visible spectrophotometry to isolate and identify N-alkylPPs after incubating porphyrinogenic compounds with rat liver microsomes. However, the overall yield of N-alkylPPs was low, and it was concluded that in vitro systems, such as human lymphoblastoid microsomal preparations containing single cDNA-expressed human cytochrome P450 (CYP) isozymes, do not contain sufficient CYP for in vitro studies designed to isolate N-alkylPP. In the present study we demonstrate that purified recombinant human ferrochelatase (FC) provides an extremely sensitive bioassay system for N-alkylPPs and is capable of detecting N-alkylPP in the 10(-6) nmol range. Therefore, we propose that this bioassay system might allow the use of human lymphoblastoid microsomal preparations containing single cDNA-expressed human CYP isozymes to detect N-alkylPP produced after mechanism-based (catalysis-based) CYP inactivation. If this is found to be correct it will facilitate identification of potentially porphyrinogenic drugs prior to administration to humans.

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