Abstract
The rate of enzyme degradation (kdeg) is an important input parameter for the prediction of clinical drug-drug-interactions (DDI) that result from mechanism-based inactivation or induction of cytochrome P450s. Currently, a large range of reported estimates for CYP3A4 enzyme degradation exists, and consequently, large uncertainty exists in steady-state predictions for DDI. In the current investigations, stable isotope labeled amino acids in culture (SILAC) was applied to a long-lived primary human hepatocyte culture, HepatoPac, to directly monitor the degradation of CYP3A4. This approach allowed selective isotope labeling of a population of de novo synthesized CYP3A4, and specific quantification of proteins with mass spectrometry to determine the CYP3A4 degradation within the hepatocytes. The kdeg estimate was 0.026 ± 0.005 h- 1. This value was reproduced by cultures derived across four individual donors. For these cultures, data indicated that CYP3A4 mRNA and total protein expression (i.e. labeled and not labeled P450s), and activity were stable over the period where degradation had been determined. This kdeg value for CYP3A4 was in good agreement with recently reported values that used alternate analytical approaches, but also employed micropatterned primary human hepatocytes as the in vitro model.
- cell models
- cytochrome P450
- drug-drug interactions
- enzyme inactivation/mechanism-based inhibition
- enzyme induction
- enzyme inhibitors
- mass spectrometry/MS
- The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics