PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Undi Hoffler AU - Burhan I. Ghanayem TI - INCREASED BIOACCUMULATION OF URETHANE IN CYP2E1-/- VERSUS CYP2E1+/+ MICE AID - 10.1124/dmd.105.003806 DP - 2005 Aug 01 TA - Drug Metabolism and Disposition PG - 1144--1150 VI - 33 IP - 8 4099 - http://dmd.aspetjournals.org/content/33/8/1144.short 4100 - http://dmd.aspetjournals.org/content/33/8/1144.full SO - Drug Metab Dispos2005 Aug 01; 33 AB - Urethane is a fermentation by-product and a potent animal carcinogen. Human exposure to urethane occurs through consumption of alcoholic beverages and fermented foods. Recently, CYP2E1 was identified as the primary enzyme responsible for the metabolism of [14C]carbonyl-labeled urethane. Subsequently, attenuation of urethane-induced cell proliferation and genotoxicity in CYP2E1-/- mice was reported. The present work compares the metabolism of single versus multiple exposures of CYP2E1-/- and CYP2E1+/+ mice to 14C-ethyl-labeled urethane. Urethane was administered as a single 10 or 100 mg/kg gavage dose or at 100 mg/kg/day for 5 consecutive days. CYP2E1+/+ mice administered single or multiple doses exhaled 78 to 88% of dose as 14CO2/day. CYP2E1-/- mice eliminated 30 to 38% of a single dose as 14CO2 in 24 h and plateaued after day 3 at ≈52% of dose/day. The concentrations of urethane-derived radioactivity in plasma and tissues were dose-dependent, increased as a function of the number of doses administered, and were significantly higher in CYP2E1-/- versus CYP2E1+/+ mice. Whereas urethane was the main chemical found in the plasma and tissues of CYP2E1-/- mice, it was not detectable in CYP2E1+/+ mice. In conclusion, multiple dosing led to considerable bioaccumulation of urethane in mice of both genotypes; however, greater retention occurred in CYP2E1-/- versus CYP2E1+/+ mice. Furthermore, greater bioaccumulation of 14C-ethyl-labeled than [14C]carbonyl-labeled urethane was observed in mice. Comparison of the metabolism of ethyl-versus carbonyl-labeled urethane was necessary for tracing the source of CO2 and led us to propose for the first time that C-hydroxylation is a likely pathway of urethane metabolism. The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics