We investigated the inhibitory effects of the angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), candesartan, irbesartan, losartan, losartan active metabolite (EXP-3174), olmesartan, telmisartan and valsartan (0.3-300 microM), on the CYP2C9 activity in human liver microsomes using (S)-(-)-warfarin as a typical CYP2C9 substrate. Except for olmesartan and valsartan, these ARBs inhibited the activity of 7-hydroxylation of (S)-(-)-warfarin with IC50 values of 39.5-116 microM. Of six synthetic derivatives of olmesartan, five compounds which possess either alkyl groups or a chloro group at the same position as that of the hydroxyisopropyl group in olmesartan inhibited CYP2C9 activity with IC50 values of 21.7-161 microM. Olmesartan and the olmesartan analogue, RNH-6272, both having a hydroxyisopropyl group, showed no inhibition, indicating that the hydrophilicity of this group greatly contributes to the lack of CYP2C9 inhibition by these two compounds. A three-dimensional model for docking between EXP-3174 and CYP2C9 indicated that the chloro group of EXP-3174 is oriented to a hydrophobic pocket in the CYP2C9 active site, indicating that the lipophilicity of the group present in ARBs at the position corresponding to that of the hydroxyisopropyl group in olmesartan is important in inhibiting CYP2C9 activity.