In vivo and in vitro studies of the site of inhibitory action of omeprazole on adrenocortical steroidogenesis

Human cytochrome P450 enzymes 5-51 as targets of drugs and natural and environmental compounds: mechanisms, induction, and inhibition - toxic effects and benefits

Cytochrome P450 (P450, CYP) enzymes have long been of interest due to their roles in the metabolism of drugs, pesticides, pro-carcinogens, and other xenobiotic chemicals. They have also been of interest due to their very critical roles in the biosynthesis and metabolism of steroids, vitamins, and certain eicosanoids. This review covers the 22 (of the total of 57) human P450s in Families 5-51 and their substrate selectivity. Furthermore, included is information and references regarding inducibility, inhibition, and (in some cases) stimulation by chemicals. We update and discuss important aspects of each of these 22 P450s and questions that remain open.

Enantioselective endocrine disrupting effects of omeprazole studied in the H295R cell assay and by molecular modeling

Enantiomers possess different pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties and this may not only influence the therapeutic effect of a drug but also its toxicological effects. In the present work we investigated the potential enantioselective endocrine disrupting effects of omeprazole (OME) and its two enantiomers on the human steroidogenesis using the H295R cell line. Differences in production of 16 steroid hormones were analyzed using LC-MS/MS. Additionally, to evaluate the differences in binding modes of these enantiomers, docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of S-omeprazole (S-OME) and R-omeprazole (R-OME) in CYP17A1, CYP19A1 and CYP21A2 were carried out. Exposing H295R cells to OME and its enantiomers resulted in an increase of progesterone (PRO) and 17α-hydroxy-progesterone (OH-PRO) levels. At the same time, a decrease in the corticosteroid and androgen synthesis was observed, indicating inhibition of CYP21A2 and CYP17A1. In both cases, the effect of R-OME was smaller compared to that of the S-OME and a certain degree of enantioselectivity of CYP17A1 and CYP21A2 was suggested. Docking indicated that the N-containing rings of OME possibly could interact with the iron atom of the heme for S-OME in CYP17A1 and S- and R-OME in CYP21A2. However, density functional theory calculations suggest that the direct N-Fe interaction is weak. The study demonstrates enantioselective differences in the endocrine disrupting potential of chiral drugs such as omeprazole. These findings may have potential implications for drug safety and drug design.

Maintenance therapy for peptic ulcer disease

Peptic ulcers tend to recur; recurrence may be associated with an increased risk of potentially lethal complications, such as haemorrhage or perforation. Therapy aims to keep ulcers in remission. Currently, the optimal maintenance therapy is long-term, continuous administration of antisecretory drugs. More than 80% of patients remain in remission during maintenance therapy. Maintenance therapy may be required for the life of the patient, but it is acceptable to patients and is safe.

Comparison of the effects of proton pump inhibitors on human plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol levels under the starved condition

The hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is known to relate with energy homeostasis. Appetite and food intake are assumed to be regulated by the HPA axis. Among lots of medicines that act gastrointestinal system, we focused proton pump inhibitors, which are widely used to treat peptic ulcer, gastro esophageal reflux disease and eradication of Helicobacter pylori. In this study, we investigated that the effect of three proton pump inhibitors (omeprazole, lansoprazole and rabeprazole) on plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol levels in healthy human subjects. Five healthy male volunteers were treated to omeprazole, lansoprazole, rabeprazole or placebo. Venous blood samples were taken repetitively from a forearm vein before and after administration. Plasma ACTH-like immunoreactive substance (IS) levels were measured using a sensitive enzyme immunoassay, and plasma cortisol levels were measured using a fluorescence polarization immunoassay. Single administration of lansoprazole caused significant (P<0.05) increase of ACTH-IS at 60 and 120-180 min, and cortisol at 180-240 min after administration, compared with placebo group. Rabeprazole also caused significant increase of ACTH-IS at 120 min and cortisol at 240-360 min, compared with placebo group. Omeprazole had no effect on plasma ACTH-IS and cortisol levels. Lansoprazole and rabeprazole increased plasma ACTH-IS and cortisol levels. Therefore, we hypothesized that the medicines might activate the HPA axis, and have effect to promote feeding. We considered that these results might be relevant to the development of new therapeutics in the treatment of psychiatric disorders involving dysregulation of appetite.

Induction of Testosterone Metabolism by Esomeprazole in aCYP2C19*2 Heterozygote

The authors describe a 42-year-old woman with previously normal sexual function who gradually developed loss of libido during treatment with esomeprazole. While taking esomeprazole, the patient's loss of libido improved with oral testosterone supplementation and deteriorated after testosterone withdrawal. There was steady improvement in both sexual function and serum free testosterone concentration after discontinuation of esomeprazole. Due to the temporal relationship between esomeprazole intake and sexual dysfunction, the authors postulate that esomeprazole causes induction of testosterone metabolism. The authors believe this to be the first case of female sexual dysfunction associated with esomeprazole described in the literature. They discuss a number of possible mechanisms for this effect.

Summary of information on human CYP enzymes: human P450 metabolism data

This chapter is an update of the data on substrates, reactions, inducers, and inhibitors of human CYP enzymes published previously by Rendic and DiCarlo (1), now covering selection of the literature through 2001 in the reference section. The data are presented in a tabular form (Table 1) to provide a framework for predicting and interpreting the new P450 metabolic data. The data are formatted in an Excel format as most suitable for off-line searching and management of the Web-database. The data are presented as stated by the author(s) and in the case when several references are cited the data are presented according to the latest published information. The searchable database is available either as an Excel file (for information contact the author), or as a Web-searchable database (Human P450 Metabolism Database, www.gentest.com) enabling the readers easy and quick approach to the latest updates on human CYP metabolic reactions.

Rabeprazole for the prevention of pathologic and symptomatic relapse of erosive or ulcerative gastroesophageal reflux disease. Rebeprazole Study Group

OBJECTIVE

We evaluated the effectiveness and safety profile of 10 and 20 mg of rabeprazole, a new proton pump inhibitor, once daily versus placebo in preventing endoscopic and symptomatic relapse for up to 1 yr among patients with healed erosive or ulcerative gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

METHODS

The 52-wk trial used a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group design in which 209 men and women were assigned to 10 or 20 mg of rabeprazole once daily in the morning or placebo.

RESULTS

Both rabeprazole doses were significantly superior to placebo in preventing endoscopic relapse (p < 0.001), and 20 mg was significantly more effective than 10 mg (p < 0.04). Both doses were also significantly superior to placebo in reducing the frequency and severity of heartburn relapse (p < 0.001). When adjusted for differences in exposure to study medication, no significant differences were found in the incidence of adverse events. No clinically significant changes were found regarding clinical laboratory parameters, vital signs, electrocardiograms, ophthalmological evaluations, body weight, serum gastrin, and enterochromaffin-like cell histology.

CONCLUSIONS

Once-daily therapy with 10 or 20 mg of rabeprazole effectively prevents pathological and symptomatic GERD relapse. The 20-mg dose is significantly more effective than the 10-mg dose in preventing endoscopic recurrence. Treatment was well tolerated, and no clinically significant safety findings emerged. Our findings support rabeprazole's efficacy in preventing GERD recurrence with excellent tolerability and a short-term favorable safety profile.

The effects of oral rabeprazole on endocrine and gastric secretory function in healthy volunteers

AIM

To evaluate the short-term effects of rabeprazole 20 mg on endocrine parameters, in particular serum testosterone and cortisol, and on 24 h intragastric pH, H+ activity and nocturnal gastric acid secretion.

METHODS

In this double-blind, two-period crossover study, 12 healthy young male volunteers were randomly given oral rabeprazole 20 mg o.m. or placebo for 14 days. There was a washout period of at least 1 week between the two studies. The effects of rabeprazole and placebo on cortisol and testosterone (primary criteria), and on tri-iodothyronine, thyroxine, 17beta-oestradiol, thyroid-stimulating hormone, thyroxine-binding protein, parathyroid hormone, insulin, glucagon, rennin, aldosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteotrophic hormone, prolactin, somatotrophic hormone, dehydroepiandrosterone, cortisol-binding globulin and urinary 6-beta hydroxycortisol were compared. Intragastric 24 h pH, 24 h H+ activity and nocturnal gastric acid secretion were determined by pH probe and gastric aspiration.

RESULTS

Rabeprazole produced no clinically relevant effects on endocrine function as assessed by measurement of serum testosterone, circadian serum cortisol levels, ACTH-stimulated serum cortisol levels and 17 other endocrine function tests. Rabeprazole significantly increased the 24 h median pH values compared to placebo (on Days 7 and 14 median values ranged from 3.92 to 6.88 with rabeprazole and from 1.48 and 4.22 with placebo, P < 0.001) and significantly decreased the integrated 24 h H+ activity (AUC08--08) from 343 mmol/L/h with placebo to 44 mmol/L/h with rabeprazole (P < 0.001). Following cessation of dosing, intragastric pH levels decreased and H+ activity increased, but acid secretion did not recover completely during the next 72 h. The mean value for nocturnal gastric acid secretion on Days 7 and 8 was 36 mmol/6 h with placebo and 5.6 mmol/6 h with rabeprazole (P < 0.001). Rabeprazole was well tolerated.

CONCLUSION

Rabeprazole did not influence endocrine function in healthy young male volunteers during short-term dosing. Rabeprazole substantially increased intragastric pH over a 24 h period and significantly decreased intragastric acidity and nocturnal gastric acid secretion.

Rodent Leydig cell tumorigenesis: a review of the physiology, pathology, mechanisms, and relevance to humans

Leydig cells (LCs) are the cells of the testis that have as their primary function the production of testosterone. LCs are a common target of compounds tested in rodent carcinogenicity bioassays. The number of reviews on Leydig cell tumors (LCTs) has increased in recent years because of its common occurrence in rodent bioassays and the importance in assessing the relevance of this tumor type to humans. To date, there have been no comprehensive reviews to identify all the compounds that have been shown to induce LCTs in rodents or has any review systematically evaluated the epidemiology data to determine whether humans were at increased risk for developing LCTs from exposure to these agents. This review attempts to fill these deficiencies in the literature by comparing the cytology and ontogeny of the LC, as well as the endocrine and paracrine regulation of both normal and tumorigenic LCs. In addition, the pathology of LCTs in rodents and humans is compared, compounds that induce LC hyperplasia or tumors are enumerated, and the human relevance of chemical-induced LCTs is discussed. There are plausible mechanisms for the chemical induction of LCTs, as typified by agonists of estrogen, gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), and dopamine receptors, androgen receptor antagonists, and inhibitors of 5alpha-reductase, testosterone biosynthesis, and aromatase. Most of these ultimately involve elevation in serum luteinizing hormone (LH) and/or LC responsiveness to LH as proximate mediators. It is expected that further work will uncover additional mechanisms by which LCTs may arise, especially the role of growth factors in modulating LC tumorigenesis. Regarding human relevance, the pathways for regulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-testis (HPT) axis of rats and humans are similar, such that compounds that either decrease testosterone or estradiol levels or their recognition will increase LH levels. Hence, compounds that induce LCTs in rats by disruption of the HPT axis pose a risk to human health, except for possibly two classes of compounds (GnRH and dopamine agonists). Because GnRH and prolactin receptors are either not expressed or are expressed at very low levels in the testes in humans, the induction of LCTs in rats by GnRH and dopamine agonists would appear not to be relevant to humans; however, the potential relevance to humans of the remaining five pathways of LCT induction cannot be ruled out. Therefore, the central issue becomes what is the relative sensitivity between rat and human LCs in their response to increased LH levels; specifically, is the proliferative stimulus initiated by increased levels of LH attenuated, similar, or enhanced in human vs. rat LCs? There are several lines of evidence that suggest that human LCs are quantitatively less sensitive than rats in their proliferative response to LH, and hence in their sensitivity to chemically induced LCTs. This evidence includes the following: (1) the human incidence of LCTs is much lower than in rodents even when corrected for detection bias; (2) several comparative differences exist between rat and human LCs that may contribute, at least in part, to the greater susceptibility of the rat to both spontaneous and xenobiotic-induced LCTs; (3) endocrine disease states in man (such as androgen-insensitivity syndrome and familial male precocious puberty) underscore the marked comparative differences that exist between rats and man in the responsiveness of their LC's to proliferative stimuli; and (4) several human epidemiology studies are available on a number of compounds that induce LCTs in rats (1,3-butadiene, cadmium, ethanol, lactose, lead, nicotine) that demonstrate no association between human exposure to these compounds and induction of LC hyperplasia or adenomas. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)

Pharmacokinetics, metabolism and interactions of acid pump inhibitors. Focus on omeprazole, lansoprazole and pantoprazole

This review updates and evaluates the currently available information regarding the pharmacokinetics, metabolism and interactions of the acid pump inhibitors omeprazole, lansoprazole and pantoprazole. Differences and similarities between the compounds are discussed. Omeprazole, lansoprazole and pantoprazole are all mainly metabolished by the polymorphically expressed cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoform S-mephenytoin hydroxylase (CYP2C19), which means that within a population a few individuals (3% of Caucasians) metabolise the compounds slowly compared with the majority of the population. For all 3 compounds, the area under the plasma concentration-versus-time curve (AUC) for a slow metaboliser is, in general, approximately 5 times higher than that in an average patient. Since all 3 compounds are considered safe and well tolerated, and no dosage-related adverse drug reactions have been identified, this finding seems to be of no clinical relevance. The acid pump inhibitors seem to be similarly handled in the elderly, where a somewhat slower elimination can be demonstrated compared with young individuals. In patients with renal insufficiency, omeprazole is eliminated as in healthy individuals, whereas the data on lansoprazole and pantoprazole are unresolved. In patients with hepatic insufficiency, as expected, the elimination rates of all 3 compounds are substantially decreased. No clinically relevant effects on specific endogenous glandular functions, such as the adrenal (cortisol), the gonads or the thyroid, were demonstrated for omeprazole and pantoprazole, whereas a few minor concerns have been raised regarding lansoprazole. The absorption of some compounds, e.g. digoxin, might be altered as a result of the increased gastric pH obtained during treatment with acid pump inhibitors, and, accordingly, similar effects are expected irrespective of which acid pump inhibitor is given. The effect of the acid pump inhibitors on enzymes in the liver has been intensely debated, and some authors have claimed that lansoprazole and pantoprazole have less potential than omeprazole to interact with other drugs metabolised by CYP. However, after assessment of available data in this area, the conclusion is that all 3 acid pump inhibitors have a very limited potential for drug interactions at the CYP level. In addition, the small effects on CYP reported for these compounds are rarely of any clinical relevance, considering the normal intra- (and inter-)individual variations in metabolism observed for most drugs. In conclusion, omeprazole, lansoprazole and pantoprazole are structurally very similar, and an evaluation of available data indicates that also with respect to pharmacokinetics, metabolism and interactions in general they demonstrate very similar properties, even though omeprazole has been more thoroughly studied with regard to different effects.

Pantoprazole. A review of its pharmacological properties and therapeutic use in acid-related disorders

Pantoprazole is an irreversible proton pump inhibitor which, at the therapeutic dose of 40mg, effectively reduces gastric acid secretion. In controlled clinical trials, pantoprazole (40mg once daily) has proved superior to ranitidine (300mg once daily or 150mg twice daily) and equivalent to omeprazole (20mg once daily) in the short term (< or = 8 weeks) treatment of acute peptic ulcer and reflux oesophagitis. Gastric and duodenal ulcer healing proceeded significantly faster with pantoprazole than with ranitidine, and at similar rates with pantoprazole and omeprazole. The time course of gastric ulcer pain relief was similar with pantoprazole, ranitidine and omeprazole, whereas duodenal ulcer pain was alleviated more rapidly with pantoprazole than ranitidine. Pantoprazole (40mg once daily) showed superior efficacy to famotidine (40mg once daily) in ulcer healing and pain relief after 2 weeks in patients with duodenal ulcer in a large multicentre nonblinded study. In mild to moderate acute reflux oesophagitis, significantly greater healing was obtained with pantoprazole than with ranitidine and famotidine, whereas similar healing rates were seen with pantoprazole and omeprazole. Pantoprazole showed a significant advantage over ranitidine in relieving symptoms of heartburn and acid regurgitation. Reflux symptoms were similarly alleviated by pantoprazole and omeprazole. Preliminary results indicate that triple therapy with pantoprazole, clarithromycin and either metronidazole or tinidazole is effective in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori-associated disease; however, these findings require confirmation in large well-controlled studies. Pantoprazole appears to be well tolerated during short term oral administration, with diarrhoea (1.5%), headache (1.3%), dizziness (0.7%), pruritus (0.5%) and skin rash (0.4%) representing the most frequent adverse events. The drug has lower affinity than omeprazole or lansoprazole for hepatic cytochrome P450 and shows no clinically relevant pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic interactions at therapeutic doses with a wide range of drug substrates for this isoenzyme system. In conclusion, pantoprazole is superior to ranitidine and as effective as omeprazole in the short term treatment of peptic ulcer and reflux oesophagitis, has shown efficacy when combined with antibacterial agents in H. pylori eradication, is apparently well tolerated and offers the potential advantage of minimal risk of drug interaction.

Effect of losartan, an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, on response of cortisol and aldosterone to adrenocorticotrophic hormone

Many imidazole derivatives are shown to inhibit adrenal steroid biosynthesis. The present study was undertaken to examine an effect of another imidazole derivative, losartan (an angiotensin II receptor antagonist), on responses of cortisol and aldosterone to adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH). Nine patients with essential hypertension were given placebo orally for 7 days and 50 mg of losartan for the next 9 days. Response of serum cortisol and plasma aldosterone to intramuscular ACTH injection were determined before and at the end of the treatment with losartan. Serum cortisol and plasma aldosterone significantly increased after ACTH injection in both periods of treatment (placebo and losartan). The increments in these parameters during treatment with losartan were not significantly different from those during treatment with placebo. These results suggest that the inhibitory effect of losartan on adrenal steroid biosynthesis is negligible.

Effects of pantoprazole on endocrine function in healthy male volunteers

METHOD

In a randomized, double-blind, two-period crossover study, pantoprazole 40 mg or placebo were given orally to 12 male volunteers for 2 weeks each. There was a wash-out period of at least 1 week between the two treatment periods. The effects of pantoprazole or placebo on cortisol and testosterone (primary criteria), and tri-iodothyronine, thyroxine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, thyronine-binding protein, parathyroid hormone, insulin, glucagon, renin, aldosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteotrophic hormone, prolactin and somatotrophic hormone were compared. In addition, intragastric 24-h pH, 24-h H(+)-activity, and volume of nocturnal gastric juice were determined by gastric aspiration technique.

RESULTS

Pantoprazole did not influence plasma levels of testosterone, circadian cortisol concentrations or plasma cortisol levels after exogenous adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation, as compared to placebo (P > 0.05, Koch's test). Furthermore, there were no clinically relevant changes with any of the other endocrine parameters. Pantoprazole significantly increased the median 24-h pH (group median 4.3 vs. 1.8; P < 0.001) and decreased 24-h H(+)-activity (4.0 vs. 22.6 mmol/L; P < 0.001). The volume of nocturnal gastric juice did not significantly differ between the two treatments. Pantoprazole was well tolerated and the frequency of adverse events was similar to placebo. No drug-related changes in laboratory values were observed.

CONCLUSION

Pantoprazole did not influence endocrine function in healthy male volunteers during short-term treatment.

Lansoprazole does not affect the bioavailability of oral contraceptives

The effects of the proton pump inhibitor lansoprazole on the bioavailability of a low-dose oral contraceptive (OC), containing 0.03 mg ethinyloestradiol (EE) and 0.15 mg levonorgestrel (LNG), were investigated. Twenty-four healthy females (aged 19-35 years; weight 60.6 +/- 7.1 kg) participated in a multiple-dose, placebo-controlled, randomized two-way cross-over study. All subjects received the OC over 2 full menstrual cycles from day 1 to day 21 separated by a drug-free interval of 7 days. Lansoprazole (60 mg day-1) or placebo was coadministered for 3 weeks each. Plasma concentrations of EE and LNG were determined by GC-MS. The 90% confidence intervals for ratios of Cmax and AUC after log transformation of both EE and LNG ranged between 91 and 111%, indicating that lansoprazole did not affect the bioavailability of EE and LNG.

Cardiovascular effects of omeprazole and famotidine

In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover comparison, 12 patients with congestive heart failure (New York Heart Association class II) and dyspeptic complaints were treated orally for 1 week each with placebo, 40 mg omeprazole daily, and 40 mg famotidine daily. Non-invasive haemodynamic measurements were taken on the last day of treatment. Although omeprazole did not alter cardiac performance in impedance cardiography and mechanocardiography, the administration of famotidine led to a significant fall in stroke volume and cardiac output as compared with placebo (both p less than 0.05). Thus, omeprazole did not exert any relevant cardiovascular effects, in contrast to the H2-receptor antagonist famotidine.

Chronic omeprazole treatment increases duodenal susceptibility to ethanol injury in rats

To test whether omeprazole would increase the susceptibility of the duodenum to damage, 200 to 250-g male Sprague-Dawley rats were given 10 mg/kg of omeprazole (Losec) by gavage every morning for 29 days. Control rats were given gavage buffer alone. After fasting overnight, half the rats received 10 mg/kg indomethacin intraperitoneally; then all rats were given 2 ml of 50% ethanol by gavage. Three hours later the rats were killed and the stomach and duodenum removed and histologic injury to the duodenal mucosal was quantitated. In omeprazole pretreated rats, gavage with ethanol resulted in a significant twofold worsening of duodenal injury. Pretreatment with indomethacin to decrease endogenous prostaglandin production resulted in more severe ethanol-induced duodenal injury in both groups; however, there were no longer statistically significant differences between the omeprazole and control groups. Measurement of duodenal mucosal synthesis of prostaglandin E2 showed no difference between the omeprazole and control groups. Thus chronic administration of omeprazole appears to increase the susceptibility of the duodenal mucosa to ethanol injury in rats. The mechanism of this effect is as yet unknown but does not appear to be prostaglandin-mediated.