Vol. 28, Issue 5, 538-543, May 2000

Metabolism of 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) in Perfused Rat Liver: Involvement of Hepatic Aldehyde Oxidase as a Detoxification Enzyme

Shin'ichi Yoshihara, Keisuke Harada, and Shigeru Ohta

Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hiroshima University School of Medicine, Hiroshima, Japan

To elucidate the toxicological relevance of hepatic aldehyde oxidase (AO) as a detoxification enzyme of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), we studied the metabolism and the hepatotoxicity of MPTP in intact rat livers exhibiting different AO activities by using a recirculating perfusion method. In the perfusate during a 90-min recirculation of 1 mM MPTP, the perfused liver from Jcl:Wistar rat, a strain showing high AO activity, generated almost equal amounts of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium species (MPP⁺) and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-5,6-dihydro-2-pyridone (MPTP lactam) as major metabolites, together with 4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-2-pyridone (MP 2-pyridone) and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine N-oxide. However, a marked decrease of MPTP lactam as well as MP 2-pyridone and a concomitant increase of MPP⁺ were caused by coinfusion of 2-hydroxypyrimidine (2-OH PM), a competitive inhibitor of AO, into Jcl:Wistar rat liver. A quite similar metabolic profile was obtained on perfusion of AO-deficient WKA/Sea rat liver. Rather large amounts of MPP⁺ were retained in the liver in all cases, but especially in Jcl:Wistar rat in the presence of 2-OH PM. Lactate dehydrogenase leakage into the perfusate from rat liver perfused with 1 mM MPTP was greater in the strain with lower AO activity, WKA/Sea, than in that with higher AO activity, Jcl:Wistar. Furthermore, inhibition of AO in Jcl:Wistar rat in the presence of 2-OH PM caused an enhancement of lactate dehydrogenase leakage. These results suggest that hepatic AO is a key detoxification enzyme for MPTP.