In vitro study of 6-mercaptopurine oxidation catalysed by aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidase

In spite of over 40 years of clinical use of 6-mercaptopurine, many aspects of complex pharmacology and metabolism of this drug remain unclear. It is thought that 6-mercaptopurine is oxidized to 6-thiouric acid through 6-thioxanthine or 8-oxo-6-mercaptopurine by one of two molybdenum hydroxylases, xanthine oxidase (XO), however, the role of other molybdenum hydroxylase, aldehyde oxidase (AO), in the oxidation of 6-mercaptopurine and possible interactions of AO substrates and inhibitors has not been investigated in more details. In the present study, the role of AO and XO in the oxidation of 6- mercaptopurine has been investigated. 6-mercaptopurine was incubated with bovine milk xanthine oxidase or partially purified guinea pig liver molybdenum hydroxylase fractions in the absence and presence of XO and AO inhibitor/substrates, and the reactions were monitored by spectrophotometric and HPLC methods. According to the results obtained from the inhibition studies, it is more likely that 6- mercaptopurine is oxidized to 6-thiouric acid via 6-thioxanthine rather than 8-oxo-6-mercaptopurine. The first step which is the rate limiting step is catalyzed solely by XO, whereas both XO and AO are involved in the oxidation of 6-thioxanthine to 6-thiouric acid.     

Hydralazine: a potent inhibitor of aldehyde oxidase activity in vitro and in vivo

The interaction of the vasodilator, hydralazine, with the molybdenum hydroxylases, aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidase has been investigated. A potent progressive inhibition of rabbit liver aldehyde oxidase, in the presence of substrate, by low concentrations of hydralazine (0.1-1 microM) was observed in vitro but no effect was seen with bovine milk xanthine oxidase. This activity was mirrored in vivo when levels of aldehyde oxidase were significantly decreased in rabbits administered hydralazine (10 mg/kg/day for seven days) whereas hepatic xanthine oxidase activity was unaltered by hydralazine treatment. Various metabolites of hydralazine were synthesized but found to be devoid of in vitro inhibitory activity. Aldehyde oxidase prepared from either guinea pig or baboon liver was inhibited in a similar way to that of rabbit liver.     

Metabolism of isovanillin by aldehyde oxidase, xanthine oxidase, aldehyde dehydrogenase and liver slices

Aromatic aldehydes are good substrates of aldehyde dehydrogenase activity but are relatively poor substrates of aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidase. However, the oxidation of xenobiotic-derived aromatic aldehydes by the latter enzymes has not been studied to any great extent. The present investigation compares the relative contribution of aldehyde dehydrogenase, aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidase activities in the oxidation of isovanillin in separate preparations and also in freshly prepared and cryopreserved liver slices. The oxidation of isovanillin was also examined in the presence of specific inhibitors of each oxidizing enzyme. Minimal transformation of isovanillin to isovanillic acid was observed in partially purified aldehyde oxidase, which is thought to be due to residual xanthine oxidase activity. Isovanillin was rapidly metabolized to isovanillic acid by high amounts of purified xanthine oxidase, but only low amounts are present in guinea pig liver fraction. Thus the contribution of xanthine oxidase to isovanillin oxidation in guinea pig is very low. In contrast, isovanillin was rapidly catalyzed to isovanillic acid by guinea pig liver aldehyde dehydrogenase activity. The inhibitor studies revealed that isovanillin was predominantly metabolized by aldehyde dehydrogenase activity. The oxidation of xenobiotic-derived aromatic aldehydes with freshly prepared or cryopreserved liver slices has not been previously reported. In freshly prepared liver slices, isovanillin was rapidly converted to isovanillic acid, whereas the conversion was very slow in cryopreserved liver slices due to low aldehyde dehydrogenase activity. The formation of isovanillic acid was not altered by allopurinol, but considerably inhibited by disulfiram. It is therefore concluded that isovanillin is predominantly metabolized by aldehyde dehydrogenase activity, with minimal contribution from either aldehyde oxidase or xanthine oxidase.     

Tissue distribution and characteristics of xanthine oxidase and allopurinol oxidizing enzyme.

Tissue distribution and levels of allopurinol oxidizing enzyme and xanthine oxidase with hypoxanthine as a substrate were compared with supernatant fractions from various tissues of mice and from liver of mice, rats, guinea pigs and rabbits. The allopurinol oxidizing enzyme activities in liver were quite different among the species and the sex difference of the enzyme activity only in mouse liver. In mice, the highest activity of allopurinol oxidizing enzyme was found in the liver with a trace value in lung, but the enzyme activity was not detected in brain, small intestine and kidney, while the highest activity of xanthine oxidase was detected in small intestine, lung, liver and kidney in that sequence. The allopurinol oxidizing enzyme activity in mouse liver supernatant fraction did not change after storage at -20 degrees C or dialysis against 0.1 M Tris-HCl containing 1.15% KCl, but the activity markedly decreased after dialysis against 0.1 M Tris-HCl. On the contrary, the xanthine oxidase was activated 2 to 3 times the usual activity after storage at -20 degrees C or dialysis of the enzyme preparation. These results indicated that allopurinol was hydroxylated to oxipurinol mainly by the enzyme which is not identical to xanthine oxidase in vivo. A possible role of aldehyde oxidase involved in the allopurinol oxidation in liver supernatant fraction was dicussed.     

Diurnal variation and melatonin induction of hepatic molybdenum hydroxylase activity in the guinea-pig

The activities of the xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes, aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidase, were determined in partially purified fractions of adult guinea-pig liver at given times in the day or night. A marked circadian variation in aldehyde oxidase activity was observed with several substrates (phthalazine, phenanthridine, N-phenylquinolinium and 3,4-dihydro-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-quinazolinone). The main peak occurred at 0300 hr with minimum activity from 1200 to 1800 hr, the differences between rhythmic extremes being statistically significant (P less than 0.005). Xanthine oxidase activity also exhibited a daily rhythm but with a lower amplitude. Guinea-pig serum melatonin showed a synchronous circadian fluctuation with peak values at 0300 hr falling throughout the day to a minimum at 1800 hr. Exogenously administered melatonin caused a significant increase in aldehyde oxidase activity at 0900 and 1200 hr and in xanthine oxidase activity at 0900 hr. It was concluded that melatonin concentrations may be related to the circadian variation in liver molybdenum hydroxylase activity.     

Contribution of aldehyde oxidase, xanthine oxidase, and aldehyde dehydrogenase on the oxidation of aromatic aldehydes

Aliphatic aldehydes have a high affinity toward aldehyde dehydrogenase activity but are relatively poor substrates of aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidase. In addition, the oxidation of xenobiotic-derived aromatic aldehydes by the latter enzymes has not been studied to any great extent. The present investigation compares the relative contribution of aldehyde dehydrogenase, aldehyde oxidase, and xanthine oxidase activities in the oxidation of substituted benzaldehydes in separate preparations. The incubation of vanillin, isovanillin, and protocatechuic aldehyde with either guinea pig liver aldehyde oxidase, bovine milk xanthine oxidase, or guinea pig liver aldehyde dehydrogenase demonstrated that the three aldehyde oxidizing enzymes had a complementary substrate specificity. Incubations were also performed with specific inhibitors of each enzyme (isovanillin for aldehyde oxidase, allopurinol for xanthine oxidase, and disulfiram for aldehyde dehydrogenase) to determine the relative contribution of each enzyme in the oxidation of these aldehydes. Under these conditions, vanillin was rapidly oxidized by aldehyde oxidase, isovanillin was predominantly metabolized by aldehyde dehydrogenase activity, and protocatechuic aldehyde was slowly oxidized, possibly by all three enzymes. Thus, aldehyde oxidase activity may be a significant factor in the oxidation of aromatic aldehydes generated from amines and alkyl benzenes during drug metabolism. In addition, this enzyme may also have a role in the catabolism of biogenic amines such as dopamine and noradrenaline where 3-methoxyphenylacetic acids are major metabolites.     

Oxidation of selected pteridine derivatives by mamalian liver xanthine oxidase and aldehyde oxidase.

Considerable information is available concerning the oxidation of pteridine derivatives by bovine milk xanthine oxidase, but few investigations have been carried out on the oxidation of such compounds by mammalian liver xanthine oxidase and the related aldehyde oxidase. Xanthine oxidase, obtained from rat liver, oxidizes a variety of substituted amino- and hydroxypteridines in a manner identical to that previously observed for milk xanthine oxidase. For example, 2-aminopteridine and its 4- and 7-hydroxy derivatives were oxidized efficiently to 2-amino-4,7-dihydroxypteridine (isoxanthopterin) by the rat liver enzyme, and 4-aminopteridine and its 2- and 7-hydroxy derivatives were oxidized to 4-amino-2,7-dihydroxypteridine.4-Hydroxypteridine and the isomeric 2- and 7-hydroxypteridines were oxidized by rat liver xanthine oxidase to 2,4,7-trihydroxypteridine. Rabbit liver aldehyde oxidase, but not rat liver xanthine oxidase, was able to catalyze the oxidation in position 7 of 2,4-diaminopteridine and its 6-methyl and 6-hydroxymethyl derivatives. 2-Aminopteridine and 4-aminopteridine were both oxidized to the corresponding 7-hydroxy derivatives in the aldehyde oxidase system; 2-amino-4-hydroxypteridine appeared to be a minor product in the oxidation of 2-aminopteridine by rabbit liver aldehyde oxidase. Both aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidase were able to catalyze the oxidation of 2-amino-6,7-disubstituted pteridines to the corresponding 4-hydroxy derivatives; 4-hydroxy-6,7-disubstituted pteridines were oxidized in position 2 by both enzymes. 4-Amino-6,7-disubstituted pteridines were not oxidized by either enzyme. 2-Amino-4-methylpteridine was oxidized in position 7 by aldehyde oxidase but was not an effective substrate for xanthine oxidase; 2-hydroxypteridine and 7-hydroxypteridine were not oxidized to a detectably extent by aldehyde oxidase. All oxidations mediated by xanthine oxidase were strongly inhibited by allopurinol (4-hydroxypyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine), and all oxidations mediated by aldehyde oxidase were inhibited by menadione (2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone). Rat liver xanthine oxidase and, to a lesser extent, rabbit liver aldehyde oxidase were inhibited by 4-chloro-6,7-dimethylpteridine; 2-amino-3-pyrazinecarboxylic acid inhibited xanthine oxidase but not aldehyde oxidase. The oxidations of 2- and 4-aminopteridines by aldehyde oxidase resulted in concomitant reduction of cytochrome c.     

Species variation in hepatic aldehyde oxidase activity

The activity of hepatic aldehyde oxidase from rabbit, guinea pig, rat, marmoset, dog, baboon and man was investigated in vitro with charged and uncharged N-heterocyclic substrates: Km and Vmax values were determined for phthalazine, 6,7-dimethoxy-1-[-4-(ethylcarbamoyloxy)piperidino]phthalazine (carbazeran), quinine and quinidine. The oxidation of N-phenylquinolinium chloride to N-phenyl-2-quinolone and N-phenyl-4-quinolone was followed spectrophotometrically. Rat or dog liver showed low and negligible enzyme activity respectively, whereas baboon liver contained a highly active aldehyde oxidase. Enzyme from marmoset and guinea pig liver had the closest spectrum of activity to human liver aldehyde oxidase. Unlike that from man, rabbit hepatic aldehyde oxidase was refractory towards carbazeran and converted N-phenylquinolinium chloride predominantly to the 2-quinolone. N-Phenyl-4-quinolone was the major oxidation product with enzyme from guinea pig, marmoset, baboon and man.     

The role of aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidase in the biotransformation of a novel negative allosteric modulator of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5

Negative allosteric modulation (NAM) of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGlu(5)) represents a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of childhood developmental disorders, such as fragile X syndrome and autism. VU0409106 emerged as a lead compound within a biaryl ether series, displaying potent and selective inhibition of mGlu(5). Despite its high clearance and short half-life, VU0409106 demonstrated efficacy in rodent models of anxiety after extravascular administration. However, lack of a consistent correlation in rat between in vitro hepatic clearance and in vivo plasma clearance for the biaryl ether series prompted an investigation into the biotransformation of VU0409106 using hepatic subcellular fractions. An in vitro appraisal in rat, monkey, and human liver S9 fractions indicated that the principal pathway was NADPH-independent oxidation to metabolite M1 (+16 Da). Both raloxifene (aldehyde oxidase inhibitor) and allopurinol (xanthine oxidase inhibitor) attenuated the formation of M1, thus implicating the contribution of both molybdenum hydroxylases in the biotransformation of VU0409106. The use of (18)O-labeled water in the S9 experiments confirmed the hydroxylase mechanism proposed, because (18)O was incorporated into M1 (+18 Da) as well as in a secondary metabolite (M2; +36 Da), the formation of which was exclusively xanthine oxidase-mediated. This unusual dual and sequential hydroxylase metabolism was confirmed in liver S9 and hepatocytes of multiple species and correlated with in vivo data because M1 and M2 were the principal metabolites detected in rats administered VU0409106. An in vitro-in vivo correlation of predicted hepatic and plasma clearance was subsequently established for VU0409106 in rats and nonhuman primates.     

Involvement of molybdenum hydroxylases in reductive metabolism of nitro polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in mammalian skin.

Molybdenum hydroxylases, aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidoreductase, were shown to be involved in the nitroreduction of 2-nitrofluorene (NF), 1-nitropyrene, and 4-nitrobiphenyl, environmental pollutants, in the skin of various mammalian species. NF was reduced to 2-aminofluorene by hamster skin cytosol in the presence of 2-hydroxypyrimidine, 4-hydroxypyrimidine, N(1)-methylnicotinamide, or benzaldehyde, but not hypoxanthine or xanthine. Inhibitors of aldehyde oxidase markedly inhibited these nitroreductase activities, but oxypurinol, an inhibitor of xanthine oxidoreductase, had little effect. In DEAE column chromatography of hamster skin cytosol, the major fraction exhibiting nitroreductase activity also showed aldehyde oxidase activity. 2-Hydroxypyrimidine-linked nitroreductase activities of skin cytosol from rabbits and guinea pigs were also inhibited by an inhibitor of aldehyde oxidase. In contrast, nitroreductase activities of skin cytosols of rats and mice were markedly inhibited by oxypurinol. When aldehyde oxidase activity was estimated in skin cytosol of various mammals using benzaldehyde oxidase activity as a marker, considerable variability of the activity was found. The highest activity was observed with hamsters, and the lowest activity with rats. On the other hand, the highest xanthine oxidoreductase activity was observed with rats, and the lowest activity with rabbits. These skin cytosols of various mammals also exhibited significant 2-hydroxypyrimidine-linked nitroreductase activities toward 1-nitropyrene and 4-nitrobiphenyl catalyzed by aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidoreductase. Thus, NF was mainly reduced by aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidoreductase in skins of animals. However, the contributions of these two molybdenum hydroxylases were considerably different among animal species.     

Substrate specificity of guinea pig liver aldehyde oxidase and bovine milk xanthine oxidase for methyl- and nitrobenzaldehydes.

Both aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidase catalyze the oxidation of a wide range of N-heterocycles and aldehydes. These enzymes are important in the oxidation of N-heterocyclic xenobiotics, whereas their role in the oxidation of xenobiotic aldehydes is usually ignored. The present investigation describes the interaction of methyl- and nitrosubstituted benzaldehydes, in the ortho-, meta- and parapositions, with guinea pig liver aldehyde oxidase and bovine milk xanthine oxidase. The kinetic constants showed that most substituted benzaldehydes are excellent substrates of aldehyde oxidase with lower affinities for xanthine oxidase. Low Km values for aldehyde oxidase were observed with most benzaldehydes tested, with 3-nitrobenzaldehyde having the lowest Km value and 3-methylbenzaldehyde being the best substrate in terms of substrate efficiency (Ks). Additionally, low Km values for xanthine oxidase were found with most benzaldehydes tested. However, all benzaldehydes also had low Vmax values, which made them poor substrates of xanthine oxidase. It is therefore possible that aldehyde oxidase may be critical in the oxidation of xenobiotic and endobiotic derived aldehydes and its role in such reactions should not be ignored.     

Use of density functional calculations to predict the regioselectivity of drugs and molecules metabolized by aldehyde oxidase

Aldehyde oxidase is a molybdenum hydroxylase that catalyzes the oxidation of aldehydes and nitrogen-containing heterocycles. The enzyme plays a dual role in the metabolism of physiologically important endogenous compounds and the biotransformation of xenobiotics. Using density functional theory methods, geometry optimization of tetrahedral intermediates of drugs and druglike compounds was examined to predict the likely metabolites of aldehyde oxidase. The calculations suggest that the lowest energy tetrahedral intermediate resulting from the initial substrate corresponds to the observed metabolite >or=90% of the time. Additional calculations were performed on a series of heterocyclic compounds where the products resulting from metabolism by xanthine oxidase and aldehyde oxidase differ in many instances. Again, the lowest energy tetrahedral intermediate corresponded to the observed product of aldehyde oxidase metabolism >or=90% for the compounds examined, while the observed products of xanthine oxidase were not well predicted.     

Elevation of molybdenum hydroxylase levels in rabbit liver after ingestion of phthalazine or its hydroxylated metabolite

Oral administration of phthalazine (50 mg/kg/day) or 1-hydroxyphthalazine (10 mg/kg/day) to female rabbits caused an increase in the specific activity of the hepatic molybdenum hydroxylases aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidase, whereas no effect on microsomal cytochrome P-450 activity was observed. The rise in the specific activity of purified aldehyde oxidase fractions was accompanied by a similar increase in molybdenum content. A significant lowering of the Km value for phthalazine was demonstrated with enzyme from treated rabbits whereas Km values for structurally similar substrates such as isoquinoline were unchanged from control values. Iso-electric focusing of DEAE-cellulose fractions showed the presence of an additional band of activity indicating that genuine induction of aldehyde oxidase had occurred in rabbits treated with phthalazine or 1-hydroxyphthalazine.     

Phenylacetaldehyde oxidation by freshly prepared and cryopreserved guinea pig liver slices: the role of aldehyde oxidase

Phenylacetaldehyde is formed when the xenobiotic and biogenic amine 2-phenylethylamine is inactivated by a monoamine oxidase-catalyzed oxidative deamination. Exogenous phenylacetaldehyde is found in certain foodstuffs such as honey, cheese, tomatoes, and wines. 2-Phenylethylamine can trigger migraine attacks in susceptible individuals and can become fairly toxic at high intakes from foods. It may also function as a potentiator that enhances the toxicity of histamine and tyramine. The present investigation examines the metabolism of phenylacetaldehyde to phenylacetic acid in freshly prepared and in cryopreserved guinea pig liver slices. In addition, it compares the relative contribution of aldehyde oxidase, xanthine oxidase, and aldehyde dehydrogenase in the oxidation of phenylacetaldehyde using specific inhibitors for each oxidizing enzyme. The inhibitors used were isovanillin for aldehyde oxidase, allopurinol for xanthine oxidase, and disulfiram for aldehyde dehydrogenase. In freshly prepared liver slices, phenylacetaldehyde was converted mainly to phenylacetic acid, with traces of 2-phenylethanol being present. Disulfiram inhibited phenylacetic acid formation by 80% to 85%, whereas isovanillin inhibited acid formation to a lesser extent (50% to 55%) and allopurinol had little or no effect. In cryopreserved liver slices, phenylacetic acid was also the main metabolite, whereas the 2-phenylethanol production was more pronounced than that in freshly prepared liver slices. Isovanillin inhibited phenylacetic acid formation by 85%, whereas disulfiram inhibited acid formation to a lesser extent (55% to 60%) and allopurinol had no effect. The results in this study have shown that, in freshly prepared and cryopreserved liver slices, phenylacetaldehyde is converted to phenylacetic acid by both aldehyde dehydrogenase and aldehyde oxidase, with no contribution from xanthine oxidase. Therefore, aldehyde dehydrogenase is not the only enzyme responsible in the metabolism of phenylacetaldehyde, but aldehyde oxidase may also be important and thus its role should not be ignored.     

Xanthine oxidase-catalyzed metabolism of 2-nitrofluorene, a carcinogenic air pollutant, in rat skin.

The reductive metabolism of 2-nitrofluorene, a carcinogenic air pollutant, in rat skin microsomes and cytosol was investigated. 2-Nitrofluorene was reduced to the corresponding amine by the microsomes with NADPH and by the cytosol with 2-hydroxypyrimidine or 4-hydroxypyrimidine under anaerobic conditions. The cytosolic activity was much higher than that of skin microsomes. The 2- or 4-hydroxypyrimidine-linked nitroreductase activity was inhibited by oxypurinol and (+/-)-8-(3-methoxy-4-phenylsulfinylphenyl) pyrazolo[1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazine-4(1H)-one (BOF-4272), inhibitors of xanthine oxidase, but not by menadione, chlorpromazine and isovanillin, inhibitors of aldehyde oxidase. When skin cytosol was applied to a DEAE-cellulose column, the fractions containing xanthine oxidase exhibited a marked 2-hydroxypyrimidine-linked nitroreductase activity. In contrast, the aldehyde oxidase fraction showed little activity. Nitroreductase fractions obtained by ion exchange chromatography showed a band in Western blotting analysis using anti-rat xanthine oxidase. Moreover, the xanthine oxidase fraction exhibited a significant nitroreductase activity in the presence of 2-hydroxypyrimidine, 4-hydroxypyrimidine or hypoxanthine, and these activities were inhibited by inhibitors of xanthine oxidase. These results indicated that reduction of 2-nitrofluorene in the skin was mainly catalyzed by xanthine oxidase.     

Reaction of 1-amino- and 1-chlorophthalazine with mammalian molybdenum hydroxylases in vitro

1-Amino- and 1-chlorophthalazine were tested for possible substrate activity with partially purified rabbit-liver aldehyde oxidase and bovine-milk xanthine oxidase. 1-Chlorophthalazine was a more efficient substrate than the parent compound, phthalazine, with either aldehyde oxidase or xanthine oxidase. The oxidation product of 1-chlorophthalazine was identified as 4-chloro-1-(2H)-phthalazinone on the basis of chromatographic, infra-red and mass-spectral data. 1-Aminophthalazine was oxidized by aldehyde oxidase to 4-amino-1-(2H)-phthalazinone but was a competitive inhibitor of xanthine oxidase. Kinetic studies at different pH values indicated that, in each case, it is the unprotonated form of 1-aminophthalazine that reacts with the molybdenum hydroxylases.     

Drug-metabolizing ability of molybdenum hydroxylases

Molybdenum hydroxylases, which include aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidoreductase, are involved in the metabolism of some medicines in humans. They exhibit oxidase activity towards various heterocyclic compounds and aldehydes. The liver cytosol of various mammals also exhibits a significant reductase activity toward nitro, sulfoxide, N-oxide and other moieties, catalyzed by aldehyde oxidase. There is considerable variability of aldehyde oxidase activity in liver cytosol of mammals: humans show the highest activity, rats and mice show low activity, and dogs have no detectable activity. On the other hand, xanthine oxidoreductase activity is present widely among species. Interindividual variation of aldehyde oxidase activity is present in humans. Drug-drug interactions associated with aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidoreductase are of potential clinical significance. Drug metabolizing ability of molybdenum hydroxylases and the variation of the activity are described in this review.     

Role of guinea pig and rabbit hepatic aldehyde oxidase in oxidative in vitro metabolism of cinchona antimalarials.

Cinchona alkaloids (quinine, quinidine, cinchonine, and cinchonidine) were incubated with partially purified aldehyde oxidase from rabbit or guinea pig liver. Reversed-phase HPLC methods were developed to separate the oxidation products from the parent drugs, and the metabolites were identified on the basis of their infrared and mass spectral characteristics. All four alkaloids were oxidized at carbon 2 of the quinoline ring to give the corresponding lactams. In addition, the dihydro contaminants of the cinchona alkaloids were also metabolized by aldehyde oxidase to the 2-quinolone derivatives. Kinetic constants for the oxidation reactions were determined spectrophotometrically and showed that these substrates have a low affinity (KM values of around 10(-5) M) for hepatic aldehyde oxidase, coupled with a relatively low oxidation rate. However, the overall efficiency of the enzyme (Vmax/KM) toward this group of compounds indicates that in vivo biotransformation by aldehyde oxidase will be a significant pathway. Microsomal metabolites were also isolated from quinine and quinidine incubations with rabbit or guinea pig liver fractions. 3-Hydroxyquinine (quinidine) and O-desmethylquinine (quinidine) were identified in microsomal and 10,000g supernatant extracts from quinine and quinidine, respectively. Oxidation of quinine via aldehyde oxidase appeared to be the predominant pathway in rabbit 10,000g fractions, because 2'-quininone was the major metabolite under these conditions with lower concentrations of the microsomal metabolites produced along with a dioxygenated derivative thought to be 3-hydroxy-2'-quininone.     

A Novel Ring Oxidation of 4- or 5-Substituted 2H-Oxazole to Corresponding 2-Oxazolone Catalyzed by Cytosolic Aldehyde Oxidase

The ring oxidation of 2H-oxazole, or C2-unsubstituted oxazole, to 2-oxazolone, a cyclic carbamate, was observed on various 4- or 5-substituted oxazoles. Using 5-(3-bromophenyl)oxazole as a model compound, its 2-oxazolone metabolite M1 was fully characterized by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance. The reaction mainly occurred in the liver cytosolic fraction without the requirement of cytochrome P450 enzymes and cofactor NADPH. Investigations into the mechanism of formation of 2-oxazolone using various chemical inhibitors indicated that the reaction was primarily catalyzed by aldehyde oxidase and not by xanthine oxidase. In addition, cytosol incubation of 5-(3-bromophenyl)oxazole in the medium containing H(2)(18)O led to the (18)O incorporation into M1, substantiating the reaction mechanism of a typical molybdenum hydroxylase. The rank order of liver cytosols for the 2-oxazolone formation was mouse > monkey ? rat and human liver cytosol, whereas M1 was not formed in dog liver cytosol. Because the reaction was observed with a number of 4- or 5-substituted 2H-oxazoles in mouse liver cytosols, 2H-oxazoles represent a new substrate chemotype for ring oxidation catalyzed by aldehyde oxidase.     

Metabolism of 2-phenylethylamine and phenylacetaldehyde by precision-cut guinea pig fresh liver slices.

2-Phenylethylamine is an endogenous constituent of human brain and is implicated in cerebral transmission. It is also found in certain foodstuffs and may cause toxic side-effects in susceptible individuals. Metabolism of 2-phenylethylamine to phenylacetaldehyde is catalyzed by monoamine oxidase and the oxidation of the reactive aldehyde to its acid derivative is catalyzed mainly by aldehyde dehydrogenase and perhaps aldehyde oxidase, with xanthine oxidase having minimal transformation. The present investigation examines the metabolism of 2-phenylethylamine to phenylacetaldehyde in liver slices and compares the relative contribution of aldehyde oxidase, xanthine oxidase and aldehyde dehydrogenase activity in the oxidation of phenylacetaldehyde with precision-cut fresh liver slices in the presence/absence of specific inhibitors of each enzyme. In liver slices, phenylacetaldehyde was rapidly converted to phenylacetic acid. Phenylacetic acid was the main metabolite of 2-phenylethylamine, via the intermediate phenylacetaldehyde. Phenylacetic acid formation was completely inhibited by disulfiram (specific inhibitor of aldehyde dehydrogenase), whereas isovanillin (specific inhibitor of aldehyde oxidase) inhibited acid formation to a lesser extent and allopurinol (specific inhibitor of xanthine oxidase) had little or no effect. Therefore, in liver slices, phenylacetaldehyde is rapidly oxidized by aldehyde dehydrogenase and aldehyde oxidase with little or no contribution from xanthine oxidase.