POLYMORPHIC EXPRESSION OF CYP1A2 LEADING TO INTERINDIVIDUAL VARIABILITY IN METABOLISM OF A NOVEL BENZODIAZEPINE RECEPTOR PARTIAL INVERSE AGONIST IN DOGS

A variety of cytochrome P450 enzymes and flavin-containing monooxygenases in dogs and pigs commonly used as preclinical animal models

Drug oxygenation is mainly mediated by cytochromes P450 (P450s, CYPs) and flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs). Polymorphic variants of P450s and FMOs are known to influence drug metabolism.　Species differences exist in terms of drug metabolism and can be important when determining the contributions of individual enzymes. The success of research into drug-metabolizing enzymes and their impacts on drug discovery and development has been remarkable. Dogs and pigs are often used as preclinical animal models. This research update provides information on P450 and FMO enzymes in dogs and pigs and makes comparisons with their human enzymes. Newly identified dog CYP3A98, a testosterone 6β- and estradiol 16α-hydroxylase, is abundantly expressed in small intestine and is likely the major CYP3A enzyme in small intestine, whereas dog CYP3A12 is the major CYP3A enzyme in liver. The roles of recently identified dog CYP2J2 and pig CYP2J33/34/35 were investigated. FMOs have been characterized in humans and several other species including dogs and pigs. P450 and FMO family members have been characterized also in cynomolgus macaques and common marmosets. P450s have industrial applications and have been the focus of attention of many pharmaceutical companies. The techniques used to investigate the roles of P450/FMO enzymes in drug oxidation and clinical treatments have not yet reached maturity and require further development. The findings summarized here provide a foundation for understanding individual pharmacokinetic and toxicological results in dogs and pigs as preclinical models and will help to further support understanding of the molecular mechanisms of human P450/FMO functionality.

Genome sequencing of 2000 canids by the Dog10K consortium advances the understanding of demography, genome function and architecture

BACKGROUND

The international Dog10K project aims to sequence and analyze several thousand canine genomes. Incorporating 20 × data from 1987 individuals, including 1611 dogs (321 breeds), 309 village dogs, 63 wolves, and four coyotes, we identify genomic variation across the canid family, setting the stage for detailed studies of domestication, behavior, morphology, disease susceptibility, and genome architecture and function.

RESULTS

We report the analysis of > 48 M single-nucleotide, indel, and structural variants spanning the autosomes, X chromosome, and mitochondria. We discover more than 75% of variation for 239 sampled breeds. Allele sharing analysis indicates that 94.9% of breeds form monophyletic clusters and 25 major clades. German Shepherd Dogs and related breeds show the highest allele sharing with independent breeds from multiple clades. On average, each breed dog differs from the UU_Cfam_GSD_1.0 reference at 26,960 deletions and 14,034 insertions greater than 50 bp, with wolves having 14% more variants. Discovered variants include retrogene insertions from 926 parent genes. To aid functional prioritization, single-nucleotide variants were annotated with SnpEff and Zoonomia phyloP constraint scores. Constrained positions were negatively correlated with allele frequency. Finally, the utility of the Dog10K data as an imputation reference panel is assessed, generating high-confidence calls across varied genotyping platform densities including for breeds not included in the Dog10K collection.

CONCLUSIONS

We have developed a dense dataset of 1987 sequenced canids that reveals patterns of allele sharing, identifies likely functional variants, informs breed structure, and enables accurate imputation. Dog10K data are publicly available.

Liver microsomal cytochrome P450 3A-dependent drug oxidation activities in individual dogs

Drug oxidations are mediated mainly by cytochromes P450 (P450s or CYPs). CYP3As are an important P450 subfamily and include liver-specific CYP3A12 and intestine-specific CYP3A98 in dogs. Individual differences in drug oxidation activities were investigated, including correlations with immunoreactive CYP3A protein intensities and CYP3A mRNA expression levels in liver microsomes.Pooled and individual dog liver microsomes showed activities toward nifedipine, midazolam, alprazolam, and estradiol, but the levels of catalytic activities varied approximately twofold among the individual dogs. One dog harbored a CYP1A2 variant causing protein deletion, but showed higher activities than the other dogs toward nifedipine oxidation, midazolam 1'-hydroxylation, alprazolam 4-hydroxylation, estradiol 16α-hydroxylation activities, and caffeine C₈-hydroxylation; the latter is used as a reference reaction for CYP1A.In individual dog liver microsomes, the intensities of the immunochemical bands with anti-human CYP3A4 and anti-rat CYP3A2 antibodies along with CYP3A12 and CYP3A26 mRNA expression levels showed good correlations (p < 0.05) with nifedipine oxidation, midazolam 1'- and 4-hydroxylation, alprazolam 1'- and 4-hydroxylation, and estradiol 16α-hydroxylation activities.These results suggest that the oxidation activities of dog liver microsomes toward nifedipine and other typical CYP3A-catalyzed drugs exhibit approximately twofold individual differences and were predominantly mediated by liver-specific CYP3A12 in the dogs.

Cloning and Functional Characterization of Dog OCT1 and OCT2: Another Step in Exploring Species Differences in Organic Cation Transporters

OCT1 and OCT2 are polyspecific membrane transporters that are involved in hepatic and renal drug clearance in humans and mice. In this study, we cloned dog OCT1 and OCT2 and compared their function to the human and mouse orthologs. We used liver and kidney RNA to clone dog OCT1 and OCT2. The cloned and the publicly available RNA-Seq sequences differed from the annotated exon-intron structure of OCT1 in the dog genome CanFam3.1. An additional exon between exons 2 and 3 was identified and confirmed by sequencing in six additional dog breeds. Next, dog OCT1 and OCT2 were stably overexpressed in HEK293 cells and the transport kinetics of five drugs were analyzed. We observed strong differences in the transport kinetics between dog and human orthologs. Dog OCT1 transported fenoterol with 12.9-fold higher capacity but 14.3-fold lower affinity (higher K_M) than human OCT1. Human OCT1 transported ipratropium with 5.2-fold higher capacity but 8.4-fold lower affinity than dog OCT1. Compared to human OCT2, dog OCT2 showed 10-fold lower transport of fenoterol and butylscopolamine. In conclusion, the functional characterization of dog OCT1 and OCT2 reported here may have implications when using dogs as pre-clinical models as well as for drug therapy in dogs.

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.

A novel canine reference genome resolves genomic architecture and uncovers transcript complexity

We present GSD_1.0, a high-quality domestic dog reference genome with chromosome length scaffolds and contiguity increased 55-fold over CanFam3.1. Annotation with generated and existing long and short read RNA-seq, miRNA-seq and ATAC-seq, revealed that 32.1% of lifted over CanFam3.1 gaps harboured previously hidden functional elements, including promoters, genes and miRNAs in GSD_1.0. A catalogue of canine "dark" regions was made to facilitate mapping rescue. Alignment in these regions is difficult, but we demonstrate that they harbour trait-associated variation. Key genomic regions were completed, including the Dog Leucocyte Antigen (DLA), T Cell Receptor (TCR) and 366 COSMIC cancer genes. 10x linked-read sequencing of 27 dogs (19 breeds) uncovered 22.1 million SNPs, indels and larger structural variants. Subsequent intersection with protein coding genes showed that 1.4% of these could directly influence gene products, and so provide a source of normal or aberrant phenotypic modifications.

Human total clearance values and volumes of distribution of typical human cytochrome P450 2C9/19 substrates predicted by single-species allometric scaling using pharmacokinetic data sets from common marmosets genotyped for P450 2C19

Common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) are small non-human primates that genetically lack cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9). Polymorphic marmoset CYP2C19 compensates by mediating oxidations of typical human CYP2C9/19 substrates.Twenty-four probe substrates were intravenously administered in combinations to marmosets assigned to extensive or poor metaboliser (PM) groups by CYP2C19 genotyping. Eliminations from plasma of cilomilast, phenytoin, repaglinide, tolbutamide, and S-warfarin in the CYP2C19 PM group were significantly slow; these drugs are known substrates of human CYP2C8/9/19.Human total clearance values and volumes of distribution of the 24 test compounds were extrapolated using single-species allometric scaling with experimental data from marmosets and found to be mostly comparable with the reported values.Human total clearance values and volumes of distribution of 15 of the 24 test compounds similarly extrapolated using reported data sets from cynomolgus or rhesus monkeys were comparable to the present predicted results, especially to those based on data from PM marmosets.These results suggest that single-species allometric scaling using marmosets, being small, has advantages over multiple-species-based allometry and could be applicable for pharmacokinetic predictions at the discovery stage of drug development.

Pharmacokinetics of a modified, compounded theophylline product in dogs

Theophylline is a commonly used bronchodilator drug for treatment of chronic canine bronchitis, but no formulations validated in dogs are currently available. An oral, modified and compounded theophylline product (MCT), which could fulfil this need, is available through a USP-compliant, veterinary compounding pharmacy; however, its pharmacokinetic properties are unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics of MCT. Plasma drug concentrations were measured in seven healthy, fed dogs after single doses of intravenous aminophylline (8.6 mg/kg theophylline equivalent) and oral MCT (10 mg/kg). Systemic bioavailability of the MCT was 96.2 ± 32.9%. MCT times to maximum concentration, mean absorption time and terminal half-life were 8.85 ± 3.63, 6.95 ± 3.42, and 8.67 ± 1.62 hr, respectively. Based on simulations of 10 mg/kg and 12-hr dosing, steady-state plasma theophylline concentrations are expected to exceed the minimum therapeutic concentration for 71.7 ± 35.6% of the dosing interval. Overall, the MCT product investigated showed similar pharmacokinetic characteristics compared to previously validated extended-release theophylline products. An oral dose of 10 mg/kg q 12 hr is likely an appropriate dosage to begin therapy; however, therapeutic drug monitoring may be warranted because of inter-individual variation.

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.

Phenotyping and genotyping of CYP2C19 using comparative metabolism of proguanil in sickle-cell disease patients and healthy controls in Nigeria

Polymorphic expression of metabolic enzymes have been identified as one of the key factors responsible for the interindividual/ethnic/racial variability in drug metabolism and effect. In Nigeria, there is a disproportionately high incidence of sickle-cell disease (SCD), a condition characterized by painful crisis frequently triggered by malaria. Proguanil, a substrate of the polymorphic CYP2C19, is a chemoprophylactic antimalarial drug widely used among SCD patients in Nigeria. This study aimed to conduct a comparative CYP2C19 phenotyping among SCD patients and healthy controls and to compare the results with those previously reported. One hundred seventy-seven unrelated subjects comprising 131 SCD patients and 46 non-SCD volunteers were phenotyped. This was carried out by collecting pooled urine samples over 8 h following PG administration. Proguanil and its major CYP2C19-dependent metabolites were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Metabolic ratios (MRs) were computed and employed in classifying subjects into poor or extensive metabolizers. Among SCD group, 130 (99.2%) were extensive metabolizers (EMs) and 1 (0.8%) was poor metabolizer (PM) of PG, while 95.7 and 4.3% non-SCDs were EMs and PMs, respectively. MRs ranged from 0.02 to 8.70 for SCD EMs and from 0.22 to 8.33 for non-SCD EMs . Two non-SCDs with MRs of 18.18 and 25.76 and the SCD with MR of 16.77 regarded as PMs had earlier been genotyped as CYP2C19*2/*2. Poor metabolizers of proguanil in SCD patients are reported for the first time. Regardless of clinical significance, a difference in metabolic disposition of proguanil and CYP2C19 by SCDs and non-SCDs was established.

Interindividual variations in metabolism and pharmacokinetics of 3-(6-methylpyridine-3-yl-sulfanyl)-6-(4H-[1,2,4]triazole-3-yl-sulfanyl)-N-(1,3-thiazole-2-yl)-2-pyridine carboxamide, a glucokinase activator, in rats caused by the genetic polymorphism of CYP2D1

3-(6-Methylpyridine-3-yl-sulfanyl)-6-(4H-[1,2,4]triazole-3-yl-sulfanyl)-N-(1,3-thiazole-2-yl)-2-pyridine carboxamide (Cpd-D) is a novel glucokinase activator that is being developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Large interindividual variations were observed in the pharmacokinetics of Cpd-D in male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, which were subsequently divided into two phenotypes; >6-fold longer terminal-phase half-life and ∼10-fold larger AUC0-∞ values were observed in slow metabolizers (SM) than in fast metabolizers (FM) after the oral administration of Cpd-D. The thiohydantoic acid analog (M2) was the predominant metabolite detected in the urine, bile, and plasma after the oral administration of [(14)C]Cpd-D to the FM phenotypes of bile-duct cannulated SD rats. The liver microsomes prepared from FM phenotyped rats extensively formed M2 with the highest affinity (Km = 0.09 μM) and largest Vmax/Km value in primary metabolism, whereas those from SM phenotypes had little capacity to form M2. Of the rat cytochrome P450 isoforms tested, the formation of M2 was only catalyzed by recombinant CYP2D1. Sequence substitutions (418A/421C and 418G/421T) were detected in the CYP2D1 gene and were designated F and S alleles, respectively. The genotype-phenotype correlation analysis indicated that two S alleles were homozygous (S/S) in the SM phenotypes, whereas the FM phenotypes were either homozygous for the F-alleles (F/F) or heterozygous (F/S). These results indicated that the CYP2D1 polymorphism caused by nucleotide substitutions (418A/421C versus 418G/421T) was responsible for interindividual variations leading to the polymorphism in the major metabolism and pharmacokinetics of Cpd-D in male SD rats.

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.

Role of the cytochrome P450 enzyme system in veterinary pharmacokinetics: where are we now? Where are we going?

Drug metabolism is a core determinant of the dose-effectiveness-toxicity relationship of many compounds. It is also critical to the human food safety assessment of drug residues in the edible tissues of food-producing animals. This article describes the current state of knowledge regarding the role of the cytochrome P450 superfamily of enzymes in determining the metabolic profile of compounds administered to companion animals (e.g., dog and cat) and to food-producing animal species (e.g., cattle, swine, chickens). In turn, this knowledge reflects the collection of insights derived from the recognized population variability observed in human drug metabolism, our general understanding of the kinetics of various drug-metabolism pathways, emerging tools that enable the role of pharmacogenetics to be studied and the characterization of drug metabolism in individual veterinary species. Ultimately, by increasing our insights with regard to factors that can influence drug metabolism, our knowledge of metabolic pathways, sources of within- and between-species variability in pharmacokinetics and the development of in silico models that can be used to predict pharmacokinetic profiles from these diverse sources of information. We will improve our ability to generate the population inferences needed to insure the target animal safety, product effectiveness and the human food safety of veterinary pharmaceuticals.

Treatment with DAV for advanced-stage hemangiosarcoma in dogs

Hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is an aggressive disease that is fairly common in the dog. The authors evaluated a doxorubicin, dacarbazine, and vincristine (DAV) combination protocol in dogs with nonresectable stage II and stage III HSA. Twenty-four dogs were enrolled in this prospective, phase 2 study. Doxorubicin and dacarbazine were administered on day 1 while vincristine was administered on days 8 and 15. The protocol was repeated every 21 days for a maximum of six cycles or until disease progression. Toxicity and efficacy were assessed by clinical and laboratory evaluation and by questionnaires completed by the owners. Of the 24 included dogs, 19 were evaluable for response. The response rate (including five complete responses and four partial responses) was 47.4%. Median time to tumor progression was 101 days and median overall survival was 125 days. Significant toxicities were noted, including 41 high-grade hematologic and 12 high-grade gastrointestinal toxic events. Five dogs discontinued treatment due to chemotherapy-related toxicities, but no treatment-related deaths occurred. Multivariate analysis identified patient age (relative risk [RR], 2.3, P=0.049) to be negatively associated with time to progression whereas dacarbazine dose reductions (RR, 0.06, P=0.031) were positively associated with time to progression. Dacarbazine dose reduction was the sole factor positively associated with overall survival (RR, 0.28, P=0.015). In conclusion, the DAV combination appears to offer clinical responses and may prolong survival in dogs with advanced-stage HSA.

Comparative and veterinary pharmacogenomics

Pharmacogenomics is the study of the impact of genetic variation on drug effects, with the ultimate goal of achieving "personalised medicine". Since the completion of the Human Genome Project, great strides have been made towards the goal of personalised dosing of drugs in people, as exemplified by the development of gene-guided dosing of the anticoagulant drug, warfarin. Although the pharmacogenomics of domestic animals is still at an early stage of development, there is great potential for advances in the coming years as the direct result of complete genome sequences currently being derived for many of the species of significance to veterinary and comparative medicine. This sequence information is being used to discover sequence variants in candidate genes associated with altered drug response, as well as to develop whole genome high density single nucleotide polymorphism arrays for genotype-phenotype linkage analysis. This review summarises the current state of veterinary pharmacogenomics research, including drug response variability phenotypes with either known genetic aetiology or strong circumstantial evidence for genetic involvement. Polymorphisms and rarer gene variants affecting drug disposition (pharmacokinetics) and drug effect (pharmacodynamics) are discussed. In addition to providing the veterinary clinician with useful information for the practise of therapeutics, it is envisaged that the increasing knowledge base will also provide a resource for individuals involved in veterinary and comparative biomedical research.

Identification of the novel canine CYP1A2 1117 C>T SNP causing protein deletion

The pharmacokinetics of YM-64227 (4-cyclohexyl-1-ethyl-7-methylpyrido[2,3-d]-pyrimidine-2-(1H)-one), a novel and selective phosphodiesterase type 4 inhibitor, was characterized in beagle dogs. Based on the plasma parent drug to major hydroxylated metabolite ratio, 21 dogs were phenotyped as 16 extensive metabolizers (EM) and five poor metabolizers (PM). Nucleotide sequences of CYPs 1A2, 2B11, 2C21, 2D15, 2E1 and 3A12 were investigated in the EM and PM dogs. A CYP1A2 1117 C>T single nucleotide polymorphism was found, which resulted in an amino acid change from an Arg codon to a stop codon at position 373. All dogs phenotyped as PM were T/T homozygous, whereas EMs were C/C homozygous and C/T heterozygous. In Western blotting of liver microsomes, CYP1A protein expression was detected in the C/C and C/T types, but not in the T/T type. Of 65 dogs genotyped using genome DNA, the frequencies of the C and T alleles were 0.61 and 0.39, respectively, suggesting approximately 15% of the dogs would not express the CYP1A2 protein. The findings provide a coherent explanation for the inter-individual variability in the pharmacokinetics of CYP1A2 substrate drugs in dogs.

Characterization of substrate specificity of dog CYP1A2 using CYP1A2-deficient and wild-type dog liver microsomes

Beagle dogs are commonly used for toxicological and pharmacological studies of drug candidates in the pharmaceutical industry. Recently, we reported a CYP1A2-deficient dog with a nonsense mutation (C1117T). In this study, using CYP1A2-deficient and wild-type dog liver microsomes, substrate specificity of dog CYP1A2 was investigated and compared with human CYP1A2. For this purpose, 11 cytochrome P450 assays were conducted in human or dog liver microsomes, genotyped for the CYP1A2 C1117T mutation. There was no statistical difference between C/C, C/T, and T/T dogs in activities of aminopyrine N-demethylase, aniline hydroxylase, bufuralol 1'-hydroxylase, and midazolam 1'-hydroxylase. On the other hand, activities of phenacetin O-deethylase, ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase, and tacrine 1-hydroxylase, which were catalyzed by human CYP1A2, were significantly lower in T/T dogs than C/C dogs, indicating that dog and human CYP1A2 was responsible for these activities. However, dog CYP1A2 was not involved in caffeine metabolism, a marker activity for human CYP1A2. As for endogenous substances, our results indicated that human CYP1A2, but not dog CYP1A2, is responsible for melatonin 6-hydroxylase, 9-cis-retinal oxidase, and estradiol 2-hydroxylase activity. In conclusion, tacrine, ethoxyresorufin, and phenacetin are probe substrates for CYP1A2 not only in humans but also in dogs. However, caffeine, melatonin, 9-cis-retinal, and estradiol, which are substrate for human CYP1A2, are not good substrates for dog CYP1A2. The finding that there are species differences in substrate specificity of CYP1A2 between humans and beagle dogs is an important issue and must be considered for preclinical studies using beagle dogs.

Pharmacogenetic and metabolic differences between dog breeds: their impact on canine medicine and the use of the dog as a preclinical animal model

There is limited information describing species related pharmacogenetic differences in animals. Despite the lack of genetic information in veterinary medicine, breed specific responses to endogenous and exogenous substances have been reported across many species. This finding underscores the importance of obtaining insight into the genotypic and phenotypic variation present across breeds. This article provides a summary of the literature pertaining to canine breed differences in physiology, drug response, drug pharmacokinetics, and metabolic idiosyncrasies. The existing knowledge of pedigrees and the known phenotypes and genotypes of dogs provides important information for determining mode of inheritance, penetration, and other major characteristics of heritable traits. Understanding these breed differences will improve canine population predictions (for canine drug products) and may be of value when extrapolating toxicology data from dogs to humans.

Elucidation of the Effects of the CYP1A2 Deficiency Polymorphism in the Metabolism of 4-Cyclohexyl-1-ethyl-7-methylpyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2-(1H)-one (YM-64227), a Phosphodiesterase Type 4 Inhibitor, and Its Metabolites in Dogs

The canine CYP1A2 1117 C>T single nucleotide polymorphism is responsible for a substantial portion of the interindividual variability seen in the pharmacokinetics of 4-cyclohexyl-1-ethyl-7-methylpyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2-(1H)-one (YM-64227). The purpose of this study is to investigate the contribution of CYP1A2 to the metabolism of YM-64227 and its five metabolites (MM-1 to MM-5), as well as to determine the interindividual variability between the pharmacokinetic profiles of the compounds with respect to the CYP1A2 deficiency polymorphism. alpha-Naphthoflavone and anti-CYP1A1/2 antibody inhibited the metabolic activities at which MM-2 and MM-3 were formed from YM-64227 in C/C- and C/T-type microsomes. In T/T type, the rate of MM-2 and MM-3 formation was lower, and alpha-naphthoflavone and anti-CYP1A1/2 antibody were shown to have no effect. A positive correlation between the overall metabolism of YM-64227 and phenacetin O-deethylation, a CYP1A2 activity marker, was observed in all the genotypes. The in vitro metabolic clearances in the T/T type of MM-1, MM-3, MM-4, and MM-5 were less than 50% lower than those in the C/C type. The anti-CYP1A1/2 antibody inhibited the metabolism of MM-1, MM-3, MM-4, and MM-5 in the C/C and C/T types. These results suggest that the formation of MM-2 and MM-3 from YM-64227 is catalyzed by CYP1A2, and that CYP1A2 contributes mainly to the subsequent metabolism of the primary metabolites of YM-64227, with the exception of MM-2. It is possible that the interindividual variability of YM-64227 with respect to the CYP1A2 deficiency polymorphism is caused by a decrease in the metabolic activities of both the unchanged drug and its metabolites.

Genetic polymorphism of cytochrome P450s in beagles: possible influence of CYP1A2 deficiency on toxicological evaluations

A number of human cytochrome P450 (CYP) isozymes have been shown to be genetically polymorphic, and extensive pharmaceutical studies have been conducted to characterize the clinical relevance of the polymorphism. Although the beagle is extensively used in the safety assessment studies of new drug candidates and agricultural chemicals, only a limited number of studies have been reported on the significance of the CYP isozyme polymorphism in dogs. Recently, a single nucleotide polymorphism that results in a deficiency of canine CYP1A2 was discovered. This deficiency was shown to significantly alter the pharmacokinetic behavior of two drugs, and can be associated with a large inter-individual difference in the kinetic behavior of a third. In this article, the five genetically polymorphic canine CYP isozymes that have been reported so far are reviewed, and the altered pharmacokinetics of the drugs concerned are described. Although little information on toxicological relevance has been reported, it is possible that the modified pharmacokinetics may also cause altered toxic responses as well. This phenomenon may occur only with the types of chemicals that are eliminated mainly through polymorphic-enzyme mediated metabolism. However, it is recommended that genetically pure beagles are used for the toxicity studies and safety assessment of new chemical entities in order to reduce the potential inter-individual differences.

THE CANINE CYP1A2 DEFICIENCY POLYMORPHISM DRAMATICALLY AFFECTS THE PHARMACOKINETICS OF 4-CYCLOHEXYL-1-ETHYL-7-METHYLPYRIDO[2,3-D]-PYRIMIDINE-2-(1H)-ONE (YM-64227), A PHOSPHODIESTERASE TYPE 4 INHIBITOR

In a previous study, it was shown that the novel canine single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) CYP1A2 1117C>T yields an inactive enzyme. In this study, the effect that this SNP has on the pharmacokinetics of 4-cyclohexyl-1-ethyl-7-methylpyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2-(1H)-one (YM-64227) was investigated. Plasma concentrations of the unchanged drug and five of its metabolites (MM-1 to MM-5) were determined after either intravenous or oral administration of YM-64227 to genotyped dogs (C/C, C/T, and T/T groups). Liver microsomes were prepared from these dogs to determine the in vitro metabolic clearance of YM-64227. After a single oral administration, the maximum plasma concentration and absolute bioavailability of YM-64227 in the T/T group were 17.1 times and 27.2 times higher than those in the C/C group, respectively, whereas the pharmacokinetics of YM-64227 after intravenous administration were not affected by genotype. The metabolic profiles in the T/T group were quite distinct from the others; i.e., the main metabolite was MM-2 in the C/C group, whereas MM-1 and MM-5 were the main metabolites in the T/T group. The formation clearances of MM-2 and MM-3 in the microsomes derived from T/T type dogs were significantly lower, whereas those of MM-1, MM-4, and MM-5 were not affected. A statistically significant correlation was observed between the in vivo and in vitro metabolic intrinsic clearances (r = 0.82, p < 0.001). The canine CYP1A2 1117C>T SNP proved to be responsible for a substantial portion of the interindividual variability in the pharmacokinetics of YM-64227.

Are all dilemmas in gerontology being swept under the carpet of intra-individual variability?

It is considered that there are great differences among elderly individuals, because the intra-individual variability is great. The differences among specific individuals grow with their age, so when adults reach a very old age, it seems that there are great differences among them--some are able to do some work, the others are not so able-bodied, whereas among high school students there is usually little difference in their physical ability. The research that supports the above mentioned points, however, does not exist and this opinion came about as a result of deduction. The goal of this study is to examine the fluctuations in the elderly and prove that the genetic difference plays a bigger role than the variability, as the intra-individual (or the between-person) variability is present everywhere, not only in very old people.

Identification of non-functional allelic variant of CYP1A2 in dogs

OBJECTIVES

Recently, we reported that AC-3933, a novel cognitive enhancer, is polymorphically hydroxylated in beagle dogs and that dogs could be phenotyped as extensive metabolizers (EM) or poor metabolizers (PM). AC-3933 polymorphic hydroxylation is caused by polymorphic expression of CYP1A2 protein in dog liver.

METHODS

In order to clarify the mechanism of polymorphic expression of CYP1A2 protein in beagle dogs, we investigated, in this study, the sequence of CYP1A2 cDNA in EM and PM dogs.

RESULTS

In PM dogs CYP1A2 gene, we discovered a nonsense mutation (C1117T) that induces a premature termination, and is associated with PM phenotype for AC-3933 hydroxylation. All PM dogs studied were homozygote of the mutant allele (m/m) and seemed to be CYP1A2-null phenotype as they lacked the heme-binding region in CYP1A2. These results indicate that the polymorphic expression of CYP1A2 protein observed in our previous study is caused by a single nucleotide polymorphism on CYP1A2 coding region. Furthermore, we developed a genotyping method for the mutant allele using a mismatch PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism, and carried out frequency analysis in 149 beagle dogs.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that more than 10% of the dogs studied were CYP1A2-null. Because CYP1A2-null phenotype in dogs affects the results of pharmacokinetic, toxicological and pharmacological studies of drug candidates, these findings are important in the pharmaceutical and the veterinary fields.