Constitutive expression and localization of the major drug metabolizing enzyme, cytochrome P4502D in human brain.

Cytochrome P4502D6, an important isoform of cytochrome P450, mediates the metabolism of several psychoactive drugs in liver. Quantitatively, liver is the major drug metabolizing organ, however metabolism of drugs in brain could modulate pharmacological and pharmacodynamic effects of psychoactive drugs at their site of action and explain some of the variation typically seen in patient population. We have measured cytochrome P450 content and examined constitutive expression of CYP2D mRNA and protein in human brain regions by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, Northern and immunoblotting and localized it by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. CYP2D mRNA was expressed constitutively in neurons of cerebral cortex, Purkinje and granule cell layers of cerebellum, reticular neurons of midbrain and pyramidal neurons of CA1, CA2 and CA3 subfields of hippocampus. Immunoblot studies demonstrated the presence of cytochrome P4502D protein in cortex, cerebellum, midbrain, striatum and thalamus of human brain. Immunohistochemical localization showed the predominant presence of cytochrome P4502D not only in neuronal soma but also in dendrites of Purkinje and cortical neurons. These studies demonstrate constitutive expression of cytochrome P4502D in neuronal cell population in human brain, indicating its possible role in metabolism of psychoactive drugs directly at or near their site of action, in neurons, in human brain. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science B.V.