In vitro interaction of a novel neutrophil growth factor with human liver microsomal cytochromes P450 and the contribution of UDP-glucuronosyltransferases to its metabolism.

Neutrophil growth factors (NGFs) stimulate neutrophil growth and survival. The first synthetic cytokinin-derived NGF was recently discovered and is a prospective drug owing to its potential use in anti-inflammatory therapy. The metabolism of some cytokinin-derived drugs (e.g. R-roscovitine, olomoucine II) has already been studied and it has been shown that they may give rise to drug-drug interactions. In this in vitro study, the interactions of the novel neutrophil growth factor NGF1568 with two of the main classes of human drug-metabolizing enzymes, cytochromes P450 (CYPs) and UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs), were tested. Of the CYPs evaluated, NGF1568 was found to inhibit only CYP2C9, by an uncompetitive mechanism and with a K(i) value of 349 μM. Formation of a glucuronide of NGF1568 was detected by LC/MS/MS analysis after it was incubated with human liver microsomes and UDP-glucuronic acid. The human recombinant UGT1A9 enzyme (major liver expression) and UGT1A7, UGT1A8, UGT1A10 enzymes (expressed in gastrointestinal tract instead of liver) were found to be responsible for NGF1568 glucuronidation. These results show that interaction of NGF1568 with CYPs is not as important as it is in the case of the cytokinin CDK inhibitors R-roscovitine and olomoucine II, but the conjugation enzymes (UGTs) play a major role in its metabolism. Thus, possible interference of NGF1568 with metabolism of other coadministered drugs at least on level of liver, kidney or intestinal UGTs should be thoroughly considered.