Drug metabolism in cell culture. II. Studies on the metabolic route of DDC analogues
To elucidate the major metabolic pathways of DDC analogues, the effect of inhibitors of oxidative and hydrolytic microsomal enzymes on the rate of metabolism of these compounds in chick embryo liver cell cultures has been examined. The metabolism of 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-2,4,6-trimethylpyridine (Ox-DDC) was inhibited threefold by piperonyl butoxide and SKF-525A (β-diethylaminoethyl-diphenyl-n-propylacetate-HCl), but only onefold by bis(p-nitrophenyl)phosphate (BNPP). This indicates that this compound is metabolized predominately by an oxidative route and hydrolysis is a minor pathway. The half-life of 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-2,6-dimethylpyridine (4-desmethyl-Ox-DDC) was increased 20-fold by BNPP, but no change was observed with piperonyl butoxide, indicating that this compound is metabolized exclusively by hydrolytic mechanisms. Since both piperonyl butoxide and BNPP produced similar changes in the half-life of 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydro-2,4,6-trimethylpyridine (DDC), it appears that this compound is metabolized equally via oxidative and hydrolytic mechanisms. In contrast to the intact embryo where Ox-DDC is rapidly metabolized and the effect of the agent on δ-aminolevulinic acid (δ-ALA) synthetase (δ-aminolaevulinate synthetase; EC 2.3.1.37) activity is brief and hence porphyrin accumulation does not occur, in cell culture Ox-DDC is metabolized at a rate sufficiently slow so that induction of δ-ALA synthetase does occur.