Metabolism of propafenone and verapamil by cryopreserved human, rat, mouse and dog hepatocytes: comparison with metabolism in vivo.

In the present study we examined the metabolism of [(14)C]propafenone (P) and [(14)C]verapamil (V) using cryopreserved human, dog (Beagle), rat (Sprague-Dawley) and mouse (NMRI) hepatocytes. The percentage ratios of the metabolites were identified after extraction by HPLC with UV and radioactivity detection. Phase-II metabolites were cleaved using beta-glucuronidase. Metabolism of the drugs by cryopreserved hepatocytes was compared with that in the respective species in vivo. All phase-I and -II metabolites known from in vivo experiments: 5-hydroxy-P (5-OH-P); 4'-hydroxy-P (4'-OH-P); N-despropyl-P (NdesP) and the respective glucuronides, were identified after incubation with cryopreserved hepatocytes. Interspecies differences were observed concerning the preferential position of propafenone hydroxylation: 5-OH-P made up 91, 51, 16 and 3% of the total metabolites after incubation with cryopreserved human ( n=4), dog ( n=3), rat ( n=3) and mouse ( n=4) hepatocytes respectively. These results are consistent with interspecies differences known from in vivo experiments. The metabolism of V is more complex than that of P. Nevertheless, all phase-I metabolites known from in vivo experiments and the expected glucuronides were identified after incubation with cryopreserved hepatocytes from all four species. As expected from the results of in vivo experiments, there were no major interspecies differences with respect to phase-I metabolites although the conjugation of verapamil phase-I metabolites by cryopreserved canine hepatocytes was much weaker than for the other species. In conclusion, phase-I and phase-II metabolism of P and V was evaluated using hepatocytes in vitro. All of the relevant interspecies differences known from in vivo experiments were identified after short-term incubation with cryopreserved hepatocytes in suspension.