Metabolism of cyclophosphamide by purified cytochrome P-450 from microsomes of phenobarbital-treated rats.

Incubation of [3H]-sidechain-labeled and [14C]-C(4)-ring-labeled cyclophosphamide (CPA) with purified cytochrome P-450 from liver microsomes of rats treated with phenobarbital resulted in the production of a major metabolite that contained both labels, was unaffected by diazomethane, possessed high polarity, was identical in TLC and HPLC behavior to a synthetic standard, didechlorodihydroxy -CPA, and was converted to CPA and bis(2-chloroethyl)amine by thionyl chloride . These results indicate that phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P-450 is able to dechlorinate CPA and may account, in part, for the inability of phenobarbital to enhance the therapeutic activity and toxicity of this important anticancer and immunosuppressive agent.