Siegmund W, Hanke W, Zschiesche M, Franke G, Biebler K E, Wilke A
Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Greifswald, Germany.
Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther Toxicol. 1990 Dec;28(12):504-9.
Phenotypes of the N-acetylation and debrisoquine type oxidation polymorphism were determined with sulfamethazine and debrisoquine in 145 healthy volunteers (31-80 years, 64 males, 81 females) of a North-East German area. Seventeen (11.7%) were poor metabolizers of debrisoquine and 81 (55.9%) slow acetylators of sulfamethazine. No significant correlations between the frequencies of oxidation and acetylation phenotypes, age, and sex were found. Only a tendency of rapid acetylators to accumulate among individuals above 60 years was noticed. Parameters of phenotyping were not influenced by sex. With age, metabolic ratios of N-acetylation but not of oxidation phenotyping increased. The urinary excretion (0-8 hours) of debrisoquine, sulfamethazine and their metabolites was strikingly reduced in the elderly. Misclassifications of acetylation phenotyping cannot be excluded because of the age dependent kinetics of the test drug.
