Vol. 27, Issue 2, 288-296, February 1999

Role of Cytochrome P-4502C9 in Irbesartan Oxidation by Human Liver Microsomes

Martine Bourrié, Viviane Meunier, Yves Berger, and Gérard Fabre

Sanofi Recherche, Department of Preclinical Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Montpellier, France

The oxidative metabolism of irbesartan, a new nonpeptide angiotensin II receptor antagonist, was investigated on 12 human fully characterized hepatic microsomes and purified cytochrome P-450 (CYP) isoforms. After incubation of microsomes with irbesartan and NADPH, four main hydroxy metabolites were formed, as confirmed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Irbesartan oxidation follows Michaelis-Menten kinetics, consistent with the involvement of a single CYP isoform in these hydroxylation processes. Only a low interindividual variability (2-fold difference) was observed in drug oxidation, even in preparations lacking CYP2D6. K_m and V_max for irbesartan oxidation were 54 ± 6.5 µM and 0.62 ± 0.18 nmol/min/mg, respectively. Irbesartan oxidation correlated (r² = 0.769) with tolbutamide (CYP2C9 substrate) 4-methyl-hydroxylation. Oxidation of irbesartan was markedly inhibited by sulfaphenazole (CYP2C9 inhibitor), but not by any of several other CYP inhibitors. In the same manner, both tolbutamide and warfarin (CYP2C9 substrates), were competitive-type inhibitors of irbesartan oxidation with K_i values of 500 and 30 µM, respectively. Moreover, irbesartan was a competitive-type inhibitor of tolbutamide 4-methylhydroxylation (K_i = 317 µM). Nifedipine also potentially decreased irbesartan oxidation, whereas neither ketoconazole and triacetyloleandomycin (CYP3A inhibitors), nor diltiazem and verapamil, (CYP3A4 substrates), exhibited an inhibitory effect. Additional studies demonstrated that nifedipine was an inhibitor of irbesartan (K_i = 20 µM) and tolbutamide oxidation processes, whereas irbesartan had no effect at all on nifedipine dehydrogenation. Enzyme kinetics suggest that nifedipine is a noncompetitive-type inhibitor of CYP2C9-mediated catalytic activities. Finally, only microsomes containing recombinant human liver CYP2C9 were capable of oxidizing irbesartan. These results provide evidence that CYP2C9 plays a major role in irbesartan oxidation.