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PubMed2005

Coordinated activation of metabolic pathways for antioxidants and defence compounds by jasmonates and their roles in stress tolerance in Arabidopsis.

Jasmonic acid (JA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA), collectively termed jasmonates, are ubiquitous plant signalling compounds. Several types of stress conditions, such as wounding and pathogen infection, cause endogenous JA accumulation and the expression of jasmonate-responsive genes. Although jasmonates are important signalling components for the stress response in plants, the mechanism by which jasmonate signalling contributes to stress tolerance has not been clearly defined. A comprehensive analysis of jasmonate-regulated metabolic pathways in Arabidopsis was performed using cDNA macroarrays containing 13516 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) covering 8384 loci. The results showed that jasmonates activate the coordinated gene expression of factors involved in nine metabolic pathways belonging to two functionally related groups: (i) ascorbate and glutathione metabolic pathways, which are important in defence responses to oxidative stress, and (ii) biosynthesis of indole glucosinolate, which is a defence compound occurring in the Brassicaceae family. We confirmed that JA induces the accumulation of ascorbate, glutathione and cysteine and increases the activity of dehydroascorbate reductase, an enzyme in the ascorbate recycling pathway. These antioxidant metabolic pathways are known to be activated under oxidative stress conditions. Ozone (O3) exposure, a representative oxidative stress, is known to cause activation of antioxidant metabolism. We showed that O3 exposure caused the induction of several genes involved in antioxidant metabolism in the wild type. However, in jasmonate-deficient Arabidopsis 12-oxophytodienoate reductase 3 (opr3) mutants, the induction of antioxidant genes was abolished. Compared with the wild type, opr3 mutants were more sensitive to O3 exposure. These results suggest that the coordinated activation of the metabolic pathways mediated by jasmonates provides resistance to environmental stresses.

Acetates↗
PubMed2006

MetaCyc: a multiorganism database of metabolic pathways and enzymes.

MetaCyc is a database of metabolic pathways and enzymes located at http://MetaCyc.org/. Its goal is to serve as a metabolic encyclopedia, containing a collection of non-redundant pathways central to small molecule metabolism, which have been reported in the experimental literature. Most of the pathways in MetaCyc occur in microorganisms and plants, although animal pathways are also represented. MetaCyc contains metabolic pathways, enzymatic reactions, enzymes, chemical compounds, genes and review-level comments. Enzyme information includes substrate specificity, kinetic properties, activators, inhibitors, cofactor requirements and links to sequence and structure databases. Data are curated from the primary literature by curators with expertise in biochemistry and molecular biology. MetaCyc serves as a readily accessible comprehensive resource on microbial and plant pathways for genome analysis, basic research, education, metabolic engineering and systems biology. Querying, visualization and curation of the database is supported by SRI's Pathway Tools software. The PathoLogic component of Pathway Tools is used in conjunction with MetaCyc to predict the metabolic network of an organism from its annotated genome. SRI and the European Bioinformatics Institute employed this tool to create pathway/genome databases (PGDBs) for 165 organisms, available at the BioCyc.org website. These PGDBs also include predicted operons and pathway hole fillers.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

KaPPA-view: a web-based analysis tool for integration of transcript and metabolite data on plant metabolic pathway maps.

The application of DNA array technology and chromatographic separation techniques coupled with mass spectrometry to transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses in plants has resulted in the generation of considerable quantitative data related to transcription and metabolism. The integration of "omic" data is one of the major concerns associated with research into identifying gene function. Thus, we developed a Web-based tool, KaPPA-View, for representing quantitative data for individual transcripts and/or metabolites on plant metabolic pathway maps. We prepared a set of comprehensive metabolic pathway maps for Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and depicted these graphically in Scalable Vector Graphics format. Individual transcripts assigned to a reaction are represented symbolically together with the symbols of the reaction and metabolites on metabolic pathway maps. Using quantitative values for transcripts and/or metabolites submitted by the user as Comma Separated Value-formatted text through the Internet, the KaPPA-View server inserts colored symbols corresponding to a defined metabolic process at that site on the maps and returns them to the user's browser. The server also provides information on transcripts and metabolites in pop-up windows. To demonstrate the process, we describe the dataset obtained for transgenic plants that overexpress the PAP1 gene encoding a MYB transcription factor on metabolic pathway maps. The presentation of data in this manner is useful for viewing metabolic data in a way that facilitates the discussion of gene function.

Computational Biology↗
PubMed2005

Potential drug targets in Mycobacterium tuberculosis through metabolic pathway analysis.

The emergence of multidrug resistant varieties of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has led to a search for novel drug targets. We have performed an insilico comparative analysis of metabolic pathways of the host Homo sapiens and the pathogen M. tuberculosis. Enzymes from the biochemical pathways of M. tuberculosis from the KEGG metabolic pathway database were compared with proteins from the host H. sapiens, by performing a BLASTp search against the non-redundant database restricted to the H. sapiens subset. The e-value threshold cutoff was set to 0.005. Enzymes, which do not show similarity to any of the host proteins, below this threshold, were filtered out as potential drug targets. We have identified six pathways unique to the pathogen M. tuberculosis when compared to the host H. sapiens. Potential drug targets from these pathways could be useful for the discovery of broad spectrum drugs. Potential drug targets were also identified from pathways related to lipid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism, vitamin and cofactor biosynthetic pathways and nucleotide metabolism. Of the 185 distinct targets identified from these pathways, many are in various stages of progress at the TB Structural Genomics Consortium. However, 67 of our targets are new and can be considered for rational drug design. As a case study, we have built a homology model of one of the potential drug targets MurD ligase using WHAT IF software. The model could be further explored for insilico docking studies with suitable inhibitors. The study was successful in listing out potential drug targets from the M. tuberculosis proteome involved in vital aspects of the pathogen's metabolism, persistence, virulence and cell wall biosynthesis. This systematic evaluation of metabolic pathways of host and pathogen through reliable and conventional bioinformatic methods can be extended to other pathogens of clinical interest.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Self-mobilization and organization of the genes encoding the toluene metabolic pathway of Pseudomonas mendocina KR1.

The toluene metabolic pathway of Pseudomonas mendocina KR1 is chromosomally encoded, but the pathway could be transferred by conjugation from strain KR1 to the chromosome of P. aeruginosa or P. putida. Such transconjugants utilized toluene, p-cresol, and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde. However, transconjugants were unable to further transfer toluene genes to other recipients unless Pseudomonas sex factor R68.45 was present in trans. Although the genes encoding the upper pathway for toluene metabolism in P. mendocina KR1 are sufficiently linked to permit their coordinate mobilization, they were found to be encoded in three independently regulated units: one encoding toluene-4-monooxygenase, a second encoding p-cresol methylhydroxylase and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde dehydrogenase, and a third encoding p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase. The last two regulatory units were cloned from the chromosome of a P. aeruginosa transconjugant onto a plasmid designated pRO1999. Analysis of pRO1999 showed that genes encoding p-cresol methylhydroxylase and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde dehydrogenase are organized as an operon; the gene encoding p-hydroxybenzaldehyde dehydrogenase is transcribed first, and this is followed by transcription of the gene encoding p-cresol methylhydroxylase. This operon is regulated by a positively acting regulator. The P. mendocina KR1 gene encoding p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase was linked to, but independently regulated from, the genes encoding toluene-4-monooxygenase, p-cresol methylhydroxylase, and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde dehydrogenase.

4-Hydroxybenzoate-3-Monooxygenase↗
PubMed1995

In vitro studies to elucidate the metabolic pathway of (+)-S-145, a thromboxane A2 receptor antagonist, in rats. Evidence for two independent pathways in peroxisomal beta-oxidation.

The metabolism of (+)-S-145, a thromboxane A2 receptor antagonist, was investigated in vitro using isolated hepatocytes, liver homogenates, and subcellular fractions prepared from rats. The cofactor requirement and subcellular distribution of beta-oxidation and hydroxylation suggested that the chain shortening of the carboxyl side chain of (+)-S-145 was catalyzed by beta-oxidation enzyme systems in peroxisomes and hydroxylation at the C-5 and C-6 positions of the bicyclo ring was catalyzed by monooxygenases in microsomes, respectively. In the initial stage of metabolism of (+)-S-145, the potential of activation to its coenzyme A (CoA) thio ester was prominent, compared with that of the hydroxylation. The resulting (+)-S-145-CoA was beta-oxidized. There seems to be two metabolic pathways in the metabolism of (+)-S-145-CoA. One is the biotransformation of (+)-S-145-CoA to bisnor-(+)-S-145 and tetranor-(+)-S-145 in the beta-oxidation cycle, and the other is the reduction of (+)-S-145-CoA to dihydro-(+)-S-145-CoA by NADPH dependent delta 5-reductase followed by beta-oxidation to dihydrobisnor-(+)-S-145, which was scarcely beta-oxidized to tetranor-(+)-S-145. Finally, these beta-oxidized metabolites are hydroxylated by monooxygenases in microsomes at the 5- or 6-position of their bicyclo ring, whereas beta-oxidation activity of hydroxylated metabolites of (+)-S-145 was not observed in the light mitochondrial fraction nor in isolated hepatocytes.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Production of soybean isoflavone genistein in non-legume plants via genetically modified secondary metabolism pathway.

Genetic modification of secondary metabolic pathways to produce desirable natural products is an attractive approach in plant biotechnology. In our study, we attempted to produce a typical soybean isoflavone genistein, a well-known health-promoting metabolite, in non-legume plants via genetic engineering. Both overexpression and antisense suppression strategies were used to manipulate the expression of several genes encoding key enzymes in the flavonoids/isoflavonoids pathway in transgenic tobacco, lettuce, and petunia. Introducing soybean isoflavone synthase (IFS) into these plants, which naturally do not produce isoflavonoids due to a lack of this leguminous enzyme, resulted in genistein biosynthesis in tobacco petals, petunia leaves and petals, and lettuce leaves. In tobacco, when flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H) expression was suppressed by its antisense gene while soybean IFS was overexpressed at the same time, genistein yield increased prominently. In addition, overexpression of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) also led to an enhanced genistein production in tobacco petals and lettuce leaves in the presence of IFS than in the plants that overexpressed only IFS.

Genistein↗
PubMed2000

Directed evolution of a (beta alpha)8-barrel enzyme to catalyze related reactions in two different metabolic pathways.

Enzymes participating in different metabolic pathways often have similar catalytic mechanisms and structures, suggesting their evolution from a common ancestral precursor enzyme. We sought to create a precursor-like enzyme for N'-[(5'-phosphoribosyl)formimino]-5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide (ProFAR) isomerase (HisA; EC ) and phosphoribosylanthranilate (PRA) isomerase (TrpF; EC ), which catalyze similar reactions in the biosynthesis of the amino acids histidine and tryptophan and have a similar (betaalpha)(8)-barrel structure. Using random mutagenesis and selection, we generated several HisA variants that catalyze the TrpF reaction both in vivo and in vitro, and one of these variants retained significant HisA activity. A more detailed analysis revealed that a single amino acid exchange could establish TrpF activity on the HisA scaffold. These findings suggest that HisA and TrpF may have evolved from an ancestral enzyme of broader substrate specificity and underscore that (betaalpha)(8)-barrel enzymes are very suitable for the design of new catalytic activities.

Aldose-Ketose Isomerases↗
PubMed1996

Characterization of partial anaerobic metabolic pathway for 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene degradation by a sulfate-reducing bacterial consortium.

The anaerobic degradative pathway for metabolism of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) by a consortium of Desulfovibrio spp. isolated from a creek sediment was studied. This consortium has the metabolic capability to degrade TNT to fatty acids. The growth of the consortium and the metabolism of TNT were greatly enhanced in the presence of an additional carbon source like pyruvate. The optimal concentration of pyruvate for the maximum rate of TNT degradation was 15-20 mM. Various intermediates of TNT metabolism were identified. The first step in the pathway was reduction of TNT to 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene and 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene, which were further reduced to 2,4-diamino,6-nitrotoluene. The next intermediate to appear in the culture medium was nitrobenzoic acid, followed by cyclohexanone, 2-methyl pentanoic acid, butyric acid, and acetic acid. A study using radiolabeled TNT showed that no CO2 was produced from TNT during metabolism. The mass balance of the radiolabeled study showed that 49.6% of the TNT was converted to acetic acid, 28% was assimilated into biomass as trichloroacetic acid precipitable materials, and the rest was distributed as various TNT intermediates. Most Desulfovibrio spp. are incomplete oxidizers that are unable to carry out the terminal oxidation of organic substrates. The major end product of TNT metabolism was acetic acid. The bacteria grew on all the TNT intermediates tested as sole source of carbon, except on acetic acid, confirming that the Desulfovibrio spp. have the enzymes necessary for complete degradation of TNT to acetate.

Acetic Acid↗
PubMed1994

Novel metabolic pathway of arylethers by cytochrome P450: cleavage of the oxygen-aromatic ring bond accompanying ipso-substitution by the oxygen atom of the active species in cytochrome P450 models and cytochrome P450.

We have found a novel metabolic pathway of arylethers, involving the cleavage of the oxygen-aromatic ring bond. When p-(p-nitrophenoxy)phenol was utilized as a substrate, cleaved products, p-nitrophenol and p-benzoquinone, were formed in two cytochrome P450 model systems, meso-tetraphenylporphinatoiron(III) chloride-NaBH4/O2 system and meso-tetrakis (2,6-difluorophenyl)porphinatoiron(III) chloride-m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (mCPBA) system. Rat liver microsomes also catalyzed this reaction, which was inhibited by a cytochrome P450-specific inhibitor, and it was confirmed that this cleavage proceeded in vivo. Further, experiments using [18O]mCPBA and 18O2 proved that the cleavage reaction is accompanied with the ipso-substitution by the oxygen atom of the active species in both cytochrome P450 model system and cytochrome P450. When the microsomal reactions of p-(p-nitrophenoxy)phenol analogues which lack a hydroxy group, namely p-nitrophenoxybenzene, p-(p-nitrophenoxy)anisole, and p-(p-nitrophenoxy)toluene, were investigated, the cleavage reaction occurred via p-(p-nitrophenoxy)phenol in the cases of p-nitrophenoxybenzene and p-(p-nitrophenoxy)anisole, indicating that a hydroxy group at the p-position to the ether bond is necessary for this pathway. This metabolic pathway appears to be important, because a diarylether linkage, which is very stable and has generally been thought to resist metabolism, is cleaved and benzoquinone, a highly toxic metabolite, is formed.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Adipose tissue lipolysis as a metabolic pathway to define pharmacological strategies against obesity and the metabolic syndrome.

Adipose tissue lipolysis is the catabolic process leading to the breakdown of triglycerides stored in fat cells and release of fatty acids and glycerol. Recent work has revealed that lipolysis is not a simple metabolic pathway stimulated by catecholamines and inhibited by insulin. There have been new discoveries on the endocrine and paracrine regulation of lipolysis and on the molecular mechanisms of triglyceride hydrolysis. Catecholamines modulate lipolysis through lipolytic beta-adrenoceptor and antilipolytic alpha2-adrenoceptor. Recent studies have allowed a better understanding of the relative contribution of the two types of receptors and provided evidence for the in vivo involvement of alpha2-adrenoceptors in the physiological control of subcutaneous adipose tissue lipolysis. A puzzling observation is the characterization of a residual catecholamine-induced lipolysis in mice deficient in beta-adrenoceptors. A novel lipolytic system has been characterized in human fat cells. Natriuretic peptides stimulate lipolysis through a cGMP-dependent pathway. There are other lipolytic pathways active in human fat cells which importance is not fully understood. Forty years after the description of the antilipolytic effect of nicotinic acid, the receptors have been identified. Adrenomedullin which is produced by adipocytes exert an antilipolytic effect through an indirect mechanism involving nitric oxide. The molecular details of the lipolytic reaction are not fully understood. The role of the lipases has been re-evaluated with the cloning of adipose triglyceride lipase. Hormone-sensitive lipase appears as the major lipase for catecholamine and natriuretic peptide-stimulated lipolysis whereas adipose triglyceride lipase mediates the hydrolysis of triglycerides during basal lipolysis. Translocation of hormone-sensitive lipase bound to the adipocyte lipid binding protein to the lipid droplet seems to be an important step during lipolytic activation. Re-organization of the lipid droplet coating by perilipins facilitates the access of the enzyme. The role of other lipid-interacting proteins in lipolysis is still unclear. The proteins involved in the lipolytic process constitute drug targets for the treatment of obesity and the metabolic syndrome. The oldest example is nicotinic acid (niacin) used as a hypolipidaemic drug. A first approach consists in molecules stimulating lipolysis and oxidation of the released fatty acids to decrease fat stores. A second approach is a chronic inhibition of lipolysis to diminish plasma fatty acid level which is a central feature of the metabolic syndrome.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Metabolic pathways of the topical glucocorticoid budesonide in man.

The metabolic pathways of budesonide[(22RS)-16 alpha, 17 alpha-butylidenedioxy-11 beta, 21-dihydroxypregna-1,4-diene-3,20-dione] in human liver 9000g supernatant fraction were studied. A comparison was made between the in vitro metabolite pattern and the metabolite pattern in plasma obtained after iv administration of tritiated budesonide to man. No qualitative difference could be found, which indicates that the in vitro model is useful to predict results in vivo. The two major metabolites formed in vitro were identified by HPLC and mass spectrometry as 6 beta-hydroxybudesonide and 16 alpha-hydroxyprednisolone. Loss of the acetal group was not observed when desonide (11 beta,21-dihydroxy-16 alpha,17 alpha-isopropylidenedioxy-pregna-1,4-diene-3,20-dione) was incubated with human liver 9000g supernatant fraction. Neither could 16 alpha-hydroxyprednisolone be detected after incubation of the (22S)-epimer of budesonide with the same medium. The cleavage of the acetal moiety is therefore suggested to be the result of a substrate-selective metabolic pathway.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

On the levels of enzymatic substrate specificity: implications for the early evolution of metabolic pathways.

The most frequently invoked explanation for the origin of metabolic pathways is the retrograde evolution hypothesis. In contrast, according to the so-called "patchwork" theory, metabolism evolved by the recruitment of relatively inefficient small enzymes of broad specificity that could react with a wide range of chemically related substrates. In this paper it is argued that both sequence comparisons and experimental results on enzyme substrate specificity support the patchwork assembly theory. The available evidence supports previous suggestions that gene duplication events followed by a gradual neoDarwinian accumulation of mutations and other minute genetic changes lead to the narrowing and modification of enzyme function in at least some primordial metabolic pathways.

Bacteria↗
PubMed2005

Growth substrate- and phase-specific expression of biphenyl, benzoate, and C1 metabolic pathways in Burkholderia xenovorans LB400.

Recent microarray experiments suggested that Burkholderia xenovorans LB400, a potent polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-degrading bacterium, utilizes up to three apparently redundant benzoate pathways and a C(1) metabolic pathway during biphenyl and benzoate metabolism. To better characterize the roles of these pathways, we performed quantitative proteome profiling of cells grown on succinate, benzoate, or biphenyl and harvested during either mid-logarithmic growth or the transition between the logarithmic and stationary growth phases. The Bph enzymes, catabolizing biphenyl, were approximately 16-fold more abundant in biphenyl- versus succinate-grown cells. Moreover, the upper and lower bph pathways were independently regulated. Expression of each benzoate pathway depended on growth substrate and phase. Proteins specifying catabolism via benzoate dihydroxylation and catechol ortho-cleavage (ben-cat pathway) were approximately an order of magnitude more abundant in benzoate- versus biphenyl-grown cells at the same growth phase. The chromosomal copy of the benzoyl-coenzyme A (CoA) (box(C)) pathway was also expressed during growth on biphenyl: Box(C) proteins were approximately twice as abundant as Ben and Cat proteins under these conditions. By contrast, proteins of the megaplasmid copy of the benzoyl-CoA (box(M)) pathway were only detected in transition-phase benzoate-grown cells. Other proteins detected at increased levels in benzoate- and biphenyl-grown cells included general stress response proteins potentially induced by reactive oxygen species formed during aerobic aromatic catabolism. Finally, C(1) metabolic enzymes were present in biphenyl-grown cells during transition phase. This study provides insights into the physiological roles and integration of apparently redundant catabolic pathways in large-genome bacteria and establishes a basis for investigating the PCB-degrading abilities of this strain.

Aerobiosis↗
PubMed2002

Studies on the metabolic fate of M17055, a novel diuretic (4): species difference in metabolic pathway and identification of human CYP isoform responsible for the metabolism of M17055.

The metabolic profile of M17055, a novel diuretic, after administration to experimental animals and after incubation with human liver microsomes was investigated. 1. Extensive metabolism was observed in rats and monkeys and the structures of six metabolites (RU1, RU2, and RU3 from rat urine or liver perfusate; MU1, MU2 and MU3 from monkey urine) were assumed or identified. The clear species difference of metabolism was revealed between rats and a monkey with different structures of the isolated metabolites. 2. When these metabolites were quantified using radioactive material, RU3, RU1 and MU3 were considered to be major metabolites in rat urine, rat bile and monkey urine respectively, while in a dog, unchanged drug was observed as the major component indicating only little metabolism occurred in dog, when administered intravenously. 3. RU1 and RU2 were also generated from [(14)C]M17055 after incubation with human liver microsomes, suggesting that the metabolic pathway of M17055 in humans involves that observed in rats. 4. [(14)C]M17055 metabolism in human liver microsomes was inhibited by CYP2C8/9 and CYP3A4/5 inhibitors, and also by the antibodies that recognize CYP2C8/9/19 and CYP3A4. Significant correlations were observed between the rate of [(14)C]M17055 metabolism and the activity of testosterone 6beta-hydroxylation or tolbutamide methyl-hydroxylation. cDNA-expressed CYP3A4 and CYP2C9 could catalyze the metabolism of [(14)C]M17055. These results suggest that the metabolism of M17055 in human liver microsomes is catalyzed mainly by CYP3A4 and CYP2C9.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

A simplified method for power-law modelling of metabolic pathways from time-course data and steady-state flux profiles.

BACKGROUND: In order to improve understanding of metabolic systems there have been attempts to construct S-system models from time courses. Conventionally, non-linear curve-fitting algorithms have been used for modelling, because of the non-linear properties of parameter estimation from time series. However, the huge iterative calculations required have hindered the development of large-scale metabolic pathway models. To solve this problem we propose a novel method involving power-law modelling of metabolic pathways from the Jacobian of the targeted system and the steady-state flux profiles by linearization of S-systems. RESULTS: The results of two case studies modelling a straight and a branched pathway, respectively, showed that our method reduced the number of unknown parameters needing to be estimated. The time-courses simulated by conventional kinetic models and those described by our method behaved similarly under a wide range of perturbations of metabolite concentrations. CONCLUSION: The proposed method reduces calculation complexity and facilitates the construction of large-scale S-system models of metabolic pathways, realizing a practical application of reverse engineering of dynamic simulation models from the Jacobian of the targeted system and steady-state flux profiles.

Kinetics↗
PubMed1988

In vivo nuclear magnetic resonance studies of hepatic methoxyflurane metabolism. II. A reevaluation of hepatic metabolic pathways.

Methoxyflurane (2,2-dichloro-1,1-difluoro-ethyl methyl ether) is believed to be metabolized via two convergent metabolic pathways. The relative flux through these two metabolic pathways has been investigated using a combination of in vivo surface coil NMR techniques and in vitro analyses of urinary metabolites. Analysis of the measured concentrations of inorganic fluoride, oxalate, and methoxydifluoroacetate in the urine of methoxyflurane-treated rats for 4 days after anesthesia indicates that the anesthetic is metabolized primarily via dechlorination to yield methoxydifluoroacetate. The methoxydifluoroacetate is largely excreted without further metabolism, although a small percentage of this metabolite is broken down to yield fluoride and oxalate, as determined by urine analysis of rats dosed with synthetic methoxydifluoroacetate. At early times after methoxyflurane exposure, the relative concentrations of methoxyflurane metabolites indicate that a significant fraction of the metabolic flux occurs via a different pathway, presumably demethylation, to yield dichloroacetate as an intermediate. Direct analysis of dichloroacetate in the urine using water-suppressed proton NMR indicates that the level of this metabolite is below the detection threshold of the method. Measurements made on the urine of rats dosed directly with dichloroacetate indicate that this compound is quickly metabolized, and dichloroacetate levels in urine are again found to be below the detection threshold. These results demonstrate the quantitative importance of the dechlorination pathway in the metabolism of methoxyflurane in rats.

Animals↗