RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Disposition of 8-methoxypsoralen in the rat. Induction of metabolism in vivo and in vitro and identification of urinary metabolites by thermospray mass spectrometry. JF Drug Metabolism and Disposition JO Drug Metab Dispos FD American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics SP 318 OP 328 VO 15 IS 3 A1 D C Mays A1 S G Hecht A1 S E Unger A1 C M Pacula A1 J M Climie A1 D E Sharp A1 N Gerber YR 1987 UL http://dmd.aspetjournals.org/content/15/3/318.abstract AB The pharmacokinetics and metabolism of 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) were measured in the catheterized rat after pretreatment for 3 days with phenobarbital (PB), beta-naphthoflavone (BNF), 8-MOP, or vehicle. After an iv injection of 10 mg/kg of [14C]8-MOP, timed blood samples were collected and analyzed using a sensitive and specific assay for [14C]8-MOP. Total body clearance of 8-MOP increased from 0.55 +/- 0.06 liter/kg/hr in control rats to 5.6 +/- 0.4, 2.7 +/- 0.4, and 1.2 +/- 0.0 liters/kg/hr in rats pretreated with BNF, PB, and 8-MOP, respectively, indicating that all three compounds are inducers of 8-MOP metabolism. The pattern of urinary metabolites was altered by the enzyme inducers. The urinary excretion of the sulfate conjugate of 5-hydroxy-8-methoxypsoralen was increased from 10 to 40% of the dose after pretreatment with PB. This intact conjugate was identified using thermospray and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. Pretreatment with 8-MOP and BNF increased 2- and 3-fold, respectively, the urinary excretion of a labile sulfate conjugate of 5,8-dihydroxypsoralen. Metabolism of 8-MOP was demonstrated in the 9000 g supernatant and microsomes of rat liver and shown to be inducible by pretreatment of rats with BNF, PB, and 8-MOP. 8-MOP was metabolized in incubations with liver microsomes at rates of 0.22 +/- 0.06, 0.38 +/- 0.06, 0.78 +/- 0.07, and 0.91 +/- 0.03 nmol/min/mg of protein for vehicle, 8-MOP-, PB-, and BNF-pretreated rats, respectively. Results of our investigation indicate that the success of therapy with 8-MOP may be influenced by pharmacokinetic interactions with other drugs.