Sequencing of the Canine Cytochrome P450 CYP2C41 Gene and Genotyping of Its Polymorphic Occurrence in 36 Dog Breeds

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) drug metabolizing enzymes play an important role in efficient drug metabolism and elimination. Many CYPs are polymorphic and, thereby, drug metabolism can vary between individuals. In the case of canine CYP2C41, gene polymorphism was identified. However, as the first available canine genome sequences all were CYP2C41 negative, this polymorphism could not be clarified at the genomic level. The present study provides an exact characterization of the CYP2C41 gene deletion polymorphism at the genomic level and presents a PCR-based genotyping method that was used for CYP2C41 genotyping of 1,089 individual subjects from 36 different dog breeds. None of the Bearded Collie, Bernese Mountain, Boxer, Briard, French Bulldog or Irish Wolfhound subjects had the CYP2C41 gene in their genomes. In contrast, in the Chinese Char-Pei, Siberian Husky, Schapendoes and Kangal breeds, the CYP2C41 allele frequency was very high, with values of 67, 57, 43, and 34%, respectively. Interestingly, the site of gene deletion was identical for all CYP2C41 negative dogs, and all CYP2C41 positive dogs showed highly homologous sequence domains upstream and downstream from the CYP2C41 gene. CYP2C41 genotyping can now be routinely used in future pharmacokinetic studies in canines, in order to identify genetically-based poor or extensive drug metabolizers. This, together with more extensive in vitro drug screening for CYP2C41 substrates will help to determine the clinical relevance of CYP2C41, and to optimize drug treatment. Although the relative abundance of the CYP2C41 protein in the canine liver seems to not be very high, this CYP could substantially contribute to hepatic drug metabolism in dogs expressing CYP2C41 from both alleles and, when CYP2C41 shows higher catalytic activity to a given drug than other hepatic metabolic enzymes.

Absolute Quantitation of Drug-Metabolizing Cytochrome P450 Enzymes and Accessory Proteins in Dog Liver Microsomes Using Label-Free Standard-Free Analysis Reveals Interbreed Variability

Dogs are commonly used in human and veterinary pharmaceutical development. Physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling using recombinant cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes requires accurate estimates of CYP abundance, particularly in liver. However, such estimates are currently available for only seven CYPs, which were determined in a limited number of livers from one dog breed (beagle). In this study, we used a label-free shotgun proteomics method to quantitate 11 CYPs (including four CYPs not previously measured), cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase, and cytochrome b5 in liver microsomes from 59 dogs representing four different breeds and mixed-breed dogs. Validation included showing correlation with CYP marker activities, immunoquantified protein, as well as CYP1A2 and CYP2C41 null allele genotypes. Abundance values largely agreed with those previously published. Average CYP abundance was highest (>120 pmol/mg protein) for CYP2D15 and CYP3A12; intermediate (40-89 pmol/mg) for CYP1A2, CYP2B11, CYP2E1, and CYP2C21; and lowest (<12 pmol/mg) for CYP2A13, CYP2A25, CYP2C41, CYP3A26, and CYP1A1. The CYP2C41 gene was detected in 12 of 58 (21%) livers. CYP2C41 protein abundance averaged 8.2 pmol/mg in those livers, and was highest (19 pmol/mg) in the only liver with two CYP2C41 gene copies. CYP1A2 protein was not detected in the only liver homozygous for the CYP1A2 stop codon mutation. Large breed-associated differences were observed for CYP2B11 (P < 0.0001; ANOVA) but not for other CYPs. Research hounds and Beagles had the highest CYP2B11 abundance; mixed-breed dogs and Chihuahua were intermediate; whereas greyhounds had the lowest abundance. These results provide the most comprehensive estimates to date of CYP abundance and variability in canine liver. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This work provides the most comprehensive quantitative analysis to date of the drug-metabolizing cytochrome P450 proteome in dogs that will serve as a valuable reference for physiologically based scaling and modeling used in drug development and research. This study also revealed high interindividual variation and dog breed-associated differences in drug-metabolizing cytochrome P450 expression that may be important for predicting drug disposition variability among a genetically diverse canine population.

Personalized medicine: going to the dogs?

Interindividual variation in drug response occurs in canine patients just as it does in human patients. Although canine pharmacogenetics still lags behind human pharmacogenetics, significant life-saving discoveries in the field have been made over the last 20 years, but much remains to be done. This article summarizes the available published data about the presence and impact of genetic polymorphisms on canine drug transporters, drug-metabolizing enzymes, drug receptors/targets, and plasma protein binding while comparing them to their human counterparts when applicable. In addition, precision medicine in cancer treatment as an application of canine pharmacogenetics and pertinent considerations for canine pharmacogenetics testing is reviewed. The field is poised to transition from single pharmacogene-based studies, pharmacogenetics, to pharmacogenomic-based studies to enhance our understanding of interindividual variation of drug response in dogs. Advances made in the field of canine pharmacogenetics will not only improve the health and well-being of dogs and dog breeds, but may provide insight into individual drug efficacy and toxicity in human patients as well.

Population variability in animal health: Influence on dose-exposure-response relationships: Part I: Drug metabolism and transporter systems

There is an increasing effort to understand the many sources of population variability that can influence drug absorption, metabolism, disposition, and clearance in veterinary species. This growing interest reflects the recognition that this diversity can influence dose-exposure-response relationships and can affect the drug residues present in the edible tissues of food-producing animals. To appreciate the pharmacokinetic diversity that may exist across a population of potential drug product recipients, both endogenous and exogenous variables need to be considered. The American Academy of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics hosted a 1-day session during the 2017 Biennial meeting to explore the sources of population variability recognized to impact veterinary medicine. The following review highlights the information shared during that session. In Part I of this workshop report, we consider sources of population variability associated with drug metabolism and membrane transport. Part II of this report highlights the use of modeling and simulation to support an appreciation of the variability in dose-exposure-response relationships.

SNP genetic polymorphisms of MDR-1, CYP1A2 and CYPB11 genes in four canine breeds upon toxicological evaluation

The fields of pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics have become increasingly promising regarding the clinical application of genetic data to aid in prevention of adverse reactions. Specific screening tests can predict which animals express modified proteins or genetic sequences responsible for adverse effects associated with a drug. Among the genetic variations that have been investigated in dogs, the multidrug resistance gene (MDR) is the best studied. However, other genes such as CYP1A2 and CYP2B11 control the protein syntheses involved in the metabolism of many drugs. In the present study, the MDR-1, CYP1A2 and CYP2B11 genes were examined to identify SNP polymorphisms associated with these genes in the following four canine breeds: Uruguayan Cimarron, Border Collie, Labrador Retriever and German Shepherd. The results revealed that several SNPs of the CYP1A2 and CYP2B11 genes are potential targets for drug sensitivity investigations.

Canine cytochrome P-450 pharmacogenetics

The cytochrome P-450 (CYP) drug metabolizing enzymes are essential for the efficient elimination of many clinically used drugs. These enzymes typically display high interindividual variability in expression and function resulting from enzyme induction, inhibition, and genetic polymorphism thereby predisposing patients to adverse drug reactions or therapeutic failure. There are also substantial species differences in CYP substrate specificity and expression that complicate direct extrapolation of information from humans to veterinary species. This article reviews the available published data regarding the presence and impact of genetic polymorphisms on CYP-dependent drug metabolism in dogs in the context of known human-dog CYP differences.