Bufuralol metabolism in human liver: a sensitive probe for the debrisoquine-type polymorphism of drug oxidation

The genetically controlled polymorphism causing decreased metabolism of debrisoquine is closely related to that of the metabolism of bufuralol and numerous other drugs and has important clinical consequences. A sensitive in vitro assay was developed which quantifies the production of 1'-hydroxy-bufuralol (carbinol) from bufuralol in human liver microsomes. Initial formation rates of carbinol suggested Michaelis-Menten kinetics with an apparent KM of 61 and 171 mumol l-1 and Vmax of 3.2 and 5.8 nmol mg-1 microsomal protein h-1 in two human liver samples. The Vmax in microsomes of thirty-two liver samples was 4.2 +/- 1.0 (SD) nmol carbinol mg-1 protein h-1. Metabolism of debrisoquine in vivo, as expressed by the 'metabolic ratio' of debrisoquine over 4-OH debrisoquine correlated (r = -0.65, P less than 0.01; n = 18) with carbinol production rate in microsomes in vitro. Microsomes of one individual identified as poor metabolizer of debrisoquine in vivo showed reduction of carbinol formation to 1.97 nmol mg-1 h-1. Mixing his microsomes with those of an extensive metabolizer resulted in additive formation of carbinol excluding mediation of the defect by a soluble inhibitor. These data support the concept of a primary defect in microsomal oxidation of bufuralol. The described assay offers a sensitive tool to investigate the molecular mechanism of the 'debrisoquine polymorphism'.