Structural parameters in the microsomal hydrolysis of 3-acyloxy-1, 4-benzodiazepines and the multiplicity of the esterases involved.

The biotransformation of several prodrug-type esters of centrally acting 1, 4-benzodiazepines was studied. Their rates of hydrolysis catalyzed by the hepatic microsomal fraction of mice were measured by pH-stat. The heterogeneity of the microsomal esterases was investigated with induction by phenobarbital and with inhibition by DFP. The resulting changes in esterase activity indicated that the phenyl-substituted esters separate from the homogenous sets of oxazepam and lorazepam esters. Regression analysis of the relative hydrolysis rates of the homogenous ester sets revealed a similar dependence on the steric ES the polar sigma* and hydrophobic deltaRM terms of the acyl moiety. The role of the polar term shows that a nucleophilic attack of the acyl moiety determines the hydrolysis. The role of hydrophobicity can be attributed to its interrelation with the steric parameter. The common equations for the aliphatic sters of oxazepam and larazepam suggest the similar nature of the esterases in question and the same catalytic mechanism. Different 3-acetoxy-1, 4-benzodiazepines were also synthetised and their maximal hydrolysis rates were quite different. This excludes the possibility that the deacylation step of the enzymes is rate-determining. Instead, our data suggest that acylation of the microsomal esterases is rate-limiting for the hydrolysis of the aliphatic esters of 3-OH-benzodiazepines.