ABSTRACT:Tipranavir (TPV) is the first nonpeptidic protease inhibitor used for the treatment of drug-resistant HIV infection. Clinically, TPV is coadministered with ritonavir (RTV) to boost blood concentrations and increase therapeutic efficacy. The mechanism of metabolismmediated drug interactions associated with RTV-boosted TPV is not fully understood. In the current study, TPV metabolism was investigated in mice using a metabolomic approach. TPV and its metabolites were found in the feces of mice but not in the urine. Principal component analysis of the feces metabolome uncovered eight TPV metabolites, including three monohydroxylated, three desaturated, one dealkylated, and one dihydroxylated. In vitro study using human liver microsomes recapitulated five TPV metabolites, all of which were suppressed by RTV. CYP3A4 was identified as the primary enzyme contributing to the formation of four TPV metabolites (metabolites II, IV, V, and VI), including an unusual dealkylated product arising from carbon-carbon bond cleavage. Multiple cytochromes P450 (2C19, 2D6, and 3A4) contributed to the formation of a monohydroxylated metabolite (metabolite III). In vivo, RTV cotreatment significantly inhibited eight TPV metabolic pathways. In summary, metabolomic analysis revealed two known and six novel TPV metabolites in mice, all of which were suppressed by RTV. The current study provides solid evidence that the RTV-mediated boosting of TPV is due to the modulation of P450-dependent metabolism.Tipranavir (TPV) is a nonpeptidic HIV protease inhibitor (PI) displaying high enzymatic inhibition and potent antiviral activity. TPV was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2005 and extended for pediatric use in 2008. TPV exhibits a different therapeutic profile from that of other currently available PIs, rendering it a potential option for treatment-experienced patients with resistance to multiple PIs (Pham, 2005;Courter et al., 2008). Systematic bioavailability of TPV is low. Clinically, TPV is administered orally twice daily and must be given in combination with low-dose ritonavir (RTV) to boost TPV bioavailability (Cahn et al., 2006). RTV was originally developed as an HIV protease inhibitor. It is now rarely used for its antiviral activity, but it is used as a cytochrome P450 (P450) inhibitor to boost other PIs (Kempf et al., 1997;Hsu et al., 1998). In a phase I clinical trial with healthy adult volunteers, it was noted that coadministration of TPV and RTV (TPV/r) resulted in a significant increase in steady-state TPV trough concentrations compared with TPV at a steady state alone. The means of the TPV trough concentrations were above a preliminary target threshold with most of the RTV-boosted doses. Without the RTV coadministration, none of the TPV-alone doses exceeded the threshold .The mechanism of drug-drug interactions associated with RTVboosted TPV is not fully understood. An in vitro study with human liver microsomes (HLM) suggested that CYP3A4 is the predominant enzyme involved in TPV metabolism. RTV strongly ...