In vivo use of the CYP inhibitor 1‐aminobenzotriazole to increase long‐term exposure in mice

1‐Aminobenzotriazole (ABT) is a well‐known in vivo nonspecific inhibitor of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. An effective dosing regimen of ABT for a multiple‐administration study is needed to conduct pharmacological studies for proof‐of‐concept, although it has been established for single‐administration study, to characterize the pharmacokinetics of drug candidates. This study demonstrated a suitable dosing vehicle of ABT for continuous administration and increased exposure to antipyrine, which is a nonspecific probe of CYP, using ABT for a long period in mice. The dosing vehicle of ABT was 0.5% (w/v) hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and 0.5% (v/v) Tween 80 in N,N‐dimethylacetamide/20% hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin aqueous solution (2:8, v/v) based on the duration of apparent solubility. After implantation of an ALZET osmotic pump with ABT, the plasma concentrations of ABT were maintained at more than 4.1 μg/ml over 336 h. Compared with the vehicle group, the CL_tot of antipyrine with ABT decreased to approximately one‐fourth, and the BA of antipyrine with ABT increased up to 3‐fold. In addition, the enhancement of exposure of antipyrine by ABT was maintained over the 336 h. The body weight, food consumption and hematological parameters of mice did not change with ABT administration for 16 days. These findings demonstrated that pretreatment of ABT can increase long‐term exposure using continuous administration with the ALZET osmotic pump in mice with no overt toxicity. It is concluded that the in vivo use of 1‐aminobenzotriazole can be applied to pharmacological studies for proof‐of‐concept, thus contributing to the selection of drug candidates at an early drug discovery stage. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.