Ellipticines and human liver microsomes: spectral interaction with cytochrome P-450 and hydroxylation. Inhibition of aryl hydrocarbon metabolism and mutagenicity.

Some pharmacological properties of ellipticine (E) and its derivatives linked to their interaction with cytochrome P-450 have been investigated with human liver microsomes. 9-Hydroxyellipticine (9-OHE) interacts with human liver cytochrome P-450 exhibiting a type II spectrum (lambda max: 428 nm, Ks = 1.1 microM). After incubation with human liver microsomes the E was converted to 9-OHE; 7-hydroxyellipticine was not produced. The cytotoxic effect of this biotransformation has been evaluated on leukemic L1210 cells, in vitro, and found to be equal to those elicited by liver microsomes of control or phenobarbital (PB) pretreated rats. Moreover, 9-OHE and 9-fluoroellipticine (9-FE) strongly inhibit the benzo[alpha]pyrene hydroxylase (AHH) activity of human liver microsomes (I50 = 2.6 microM and 1.6 microM, respectively) as well as the mutagenesis induced by the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF); 1 microgram/plate of each of these compounds is able to inhibit by more than 50% the mutagenicity of 5 microgram/plate AAF.