Metabolism of roxithromycin in the isolated perfused rat liver

Bioconcentration, metabolism, and biomarker responses in freshwater fish Carassius auratus exposed to roxithromycin

To investigate the distribution, bioconcentration, metabolism, and biomarker responses of macrolide antibiotic roxithromycin (ROX) in fish, crucian carp (Carassius auratus) were exposed to various concentrations of ROX (4, 20, and 100μgL(-1)) for 20d. The ROX content in different tissues was quantified using UPLC/MS/MS. The liver exhibited the highest ROX concentration followed by the bile, gills, and muscle tissues. After 15d of exposure to different concentrations of ROX, the bioconcentration factors were 2.15-38.0 in the liver, 0.950-20.7 in the bile, 0.0506-19.7 in the gill, and 0.0439-13.8 in the muscle; these results were comparable to the estimated BCF values. The metabolites formed in the bile were identified based on metabolic identification in human bile. Additionally, the biomarkers, including acetylcholinesterase in the brain, as well as 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase and superoxide dismutase in the liver changed significantly after 5, 10, 15, and 20d of exposure (P<0.05). Our results suggest that ROX can accumulate and be metabolized in fish; therefore, interactions between ROX or its metabolites and the biological systems may induce biochemical disturbances in fish.

pH-dependent geometric isomerization of roxithromycin in simulated gastrointestinal fluids and in rats

The biotransformation of roxithromycin in simulated gastrointestinal fluids at 37 degrees C and in rats was investigated by using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Roxithromycin degraded to its Z-isomer and decladinose derivative in simulated gastrointestinal fluids in vitro at pH </= 3, and followed pseudo first-order degradation with a rate constant (+/-SD, standard derivation) of 0.1066 min(-1) (+/-0.0014) at pH 1.0, 0.0994 min(-1) (+/-0.0031) at pH 1.2, 0.0400 min(-1) (+/-0.0003) at pH 1.3, 0.0136 min(-1) (+/-0.0008) at pH 1.8, and 0.0022 min(-1) (+/-0.0002) at pH 3.0, respectively. The ratio of Z-roxithromycin to roxithromycin (+/-SD) was 0.21 (+/-0.01) at pH 1.0, 0.19 (+/-0.03) at pH 1.2, 0.18 (+/-0.01) at pH 1.3, 0.15 (+/-0.01) at pH 1.8, and 0.08 (+/-0.02) at pH 3.0, respectively. Pepsin and NaCl added to gastric fluid had no effect on the transformation of roxithromycin. Roxithromycin underwent four metabolic routes such as geometric isomerization, demethylation, dealkylation, and hydrolysis of cladinose in rats after oral administration. The geometric isomerization in rats was neither observed after an intravenous dose, nor after an oral dose with Na(2)CO(3) alkalization. The geometric isomerization between roxithromycin and its Z-isomer took place in gastric fluid both in vitro and in vivo. It was interconvertible and pH-dependent. The isomerization of roxithromycin to its Z-isomer was less than that of Z- to E-configuration both in vitro and in vivo.