Differential effects of enzyme induction on antipyrine metabolite formation.

1 The influence of enzyme induction with antipyrine and pentobarbitone was studied on the rates of formation of the major metabolites of antipyrine: 4-hydroxyantipyrine, norantipyrine and 3-hydroxymethyl-antipyrine + 3-carboxy-antipyrine. The inducing drugs were given to panels of healthy volunteers for 8 days and prior to and after this period antipyrine total elimination clearance was determined in plasma, whereas the partial clearances for production of the individual metabolites were assessed on the basis of urinary excretion data. 2 Antipyrine total clearance had significantly increased by 16% following treatment with antipyrine, which could almost entirely be attributed to a selective increase in the rate of production of norantipyrine. 3 With pentobarbitone total clearance of antipyrine had increased by 60%, which was associated with a significant increase in the clearance of production of all three metabolites. However, the increase in norantipyrine formation was significantly higher than the increase in 4-hydroxyantipyrine and 3-hydroxymethyl-antipyrine formation. 4 The most likely explanation for these differences in the degree of induction of the different metabolic routes of antipyrine, is that different enzymes are involved in the different routes. Apparently the enzyme involved in norantipyrine formation is most sensitive to induction by antipyrine and pentobarbitone. By measuring rates of antipyrine metabolite formation it may be possible to study the degree of selectivity of enzyme inducers on oxidative drug metabolism.