| pubmed-article:1519785 | pubmed:abstractText | There is considerable variability in the elimination clearance of the opioid analgesic alfentanil. It has been shown previously that alfentanil clearance is independent of the polymorphic debrisoquine hydroxylase (P-450 2D6), and it is therefore of interest to identify the human cytochrome P-450 enzymes involved in noralfentanil formation, the primary reaction involved in the oxidative N-dealkylation at the piperidine nitrogen. Purified human P-450 3A4 showed appreciable catalytic activity, and yeast recombinant P-450 3A4 also showed alfentanil oxidation activity. When microsomes prepared from different human liver samples were compared, noralfentanil formation activity was well correlated (r = 0.95,P less than 0.005) with nifedipine oxidation (a P-450 3A4 marker) but not with markers of other P-450s, including phenacetin O-deethylation (P-450 1A2), chlorzoxazone 6-hydroxylation (P-450 2E1), and (S)-mephenytoin 4'-hydroxylation (a P-450 2C enzyme). Using antibodies that recognize specific human P-450 enzymes (immunoinhibition techniques), it was possible to demonstrate that anti-P-450 3A4 nearly completely inhibited alfentanil oxidation activity in the human liver microsomes, but no other antibodies showed a measurable inhibitory effect. Selective chemical inhibitors of P-450 3A4, gestodene and troleandomycin, inhibited as much as 90% of the microsomal noralfentanil formation activity, but other chemical inhibitors did not show a detectable inhibitory effect. 7,8-Benzoflavone inhibited as much as 90% of the alfentanil oxidation activity of the microsomal or reconstituted P-450 3A4 system. This work indicates that P-450 3A4 contributes significantly to human liver microsomal alfentanil oxidation, whereas P-450 2D6 does not contribute.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) | lld:pubmed |
