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The effects of cysteine on the pharmacokinetics of chlorzoxazone (CZX) and one of its metabolites, 6-hydroxychlorzoxazone (OH-CZX), were investigated after intravenous administration of CZX, 25 mg/kg, to control rats (4-week fed on 23% casein diet) and rats with PCM (4-week fed on 5% casein diet) and PCMC (PCM with oral cysteine supplementation, 250 mg/kg, twice daily during the fourth week). In rats with PCM, the area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to time infinity (AUC) of OH-CZX (436 compared with 972 microgmin/ml) and the percentages of intravenous dose of CZX excreted in 8-h urine as OH-CZX (20.2 compared with 38.5%) were significantly smaller than those in control rats. The above data indicated that the formation of OH-CZX from CZX decreased significantly in rats with PCM due to a significant decrease in chlorzoxazone-6-hydroxylase activity (328 compared with 895 pmol/min/mg protein) in the rats. The results were expected since in rats with PCM, hepatic CYP2E1 expression and its mRNA levels decreased significantly as compared to control, and CZX was metabolized to OH-CZX primarily by CYP2E1 in rats. By cysteine supplementation (rats with PCMC), some pharmacokinetic parameters restored fully (hepatic microsomal chlorzoxazone 6-hydroxylation activity based on both mg protein and nmol CYP450) or partially (total body clearance and apparent volume of distribution at steady state of CZX, and AUC, terminal half-life and 8-h urinary excretion of OH-CZX) to control levels.

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The following results were obtained recently from our laboratories; in rats with 72-h water deprivation (rats with dehydration), the hepatic cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) was three-fold induced with an increase in the mRNA. Rehydration of 48-h water-deprived rats for the next 24 h with free access of food (rats with rehydration) restored CYP2E1 level to that of control. However, rehydration of 48-h water-deprived rats for the next 24 h with limited food supply (20% of control) failed to restore the CYP2E1 level to that of control. Hence, the CYP2E1 changes in rats with dehydration and rehydration resulted from differences in food intakes but not from dehydration or rehydration per'se. Chlorzoxazone (CZX) is metabolized to 6-hydroxychlorzoxazone (OH-CZX) mainly by CYP2E1 in rats. Therefore, the pharmacokinetics of CZX and OH-CZX were compared after intravenous administration of CZX, 25 mg/kg, to control rats and rats with dehydration and rehydration with free access of food. In rats with dehydration, the amount of 24-h urinary excretion of free OH-CZX plus its glucuronide conjugates (Ae (OH-CZX, 0-24 h,) expressed in terms of intravenous dose of CZX) was significantly greater (45.6 compared with 35.6%) and area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to time infinity (AUC) of CZX was significantly smaller (2190 compared with 3200 micro g min/ml) than those in control rats. The above data indicated that the formation of OH-CZX increased significantly in rats with dehydration due to 3-fold induction of CYP2E1. In rats with rehydration with free access of food, the Ae (OH-CZX, 0-24 h) (39.0 compared with 35.6%) and AUC of CZX (2870 compared with 3200 micro g min/ml) were restored (comparable) to control levels since the expression of CYP2E1 in rats with dehydration returned to control level by rehydration. The above data indicate that CZX could be used as a chemical probe to assess the activity of CYP2E1 in rats with dehydration and rehydration.

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