In vitro metabolism of chlorotriazines: characterization of simazine, atrazine, and propazine metabolism using liver microsomes from rats treated with various cytochrome P450 inducers.

The in vitro metabolism of chlorotriazines, simazine (SIZ), atrazine (ATZ), and propazine (PRZ) was studied using control, 3-methylcholanthrene-, phenobarbital-, pyridine-, dexamethasone-, and clofibrate-treated rat liver microsomes. The metabolites were determined by HPLC. The principal reactions by cytochrome P450 (P450) system were N-monodealkylation and isopropylhydroxylation in all rat liver microsomes. As a result, 2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-amino-1,3,5-triazine (M1) (SIZ-M1 for SIZ and ATZ-M1 for ATZ) and 2-chloro-4-amino-6-isopropylamino-1,3, 5-triazine (M2) (ATZ-M2 for ATZ and PRZ-M2 for PRZ), 2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-(1-hydroxyisopropylamino)-1,3,5-triazine (M3) (ATZ-M3 for ATZ), and 2-chloro-4-isopropylamino-6-(1-hydroxyisopropylamino)-1,3,5-triazi ne (M4) (PRZ-M4 for PRZ) were detected as the metabolites. N-bidealkylation and 2-hydroxylation were not found in this system. The formation rates of SIZ-M1, ATZ-M1, ATZ-M2, and PRZ-M2 were markedly induced by 3-methylcholanthrene, phenobarbital, and pyridine. On the other hand, the formation rates of ATZ-M3 and PRZ-M4 were significantly induced by phenobarbital, pyridine, and/or clofibrate, but not by 3-methylcholanthrene. The enzyme kinetics of chlorotriazine metabolism were examined by mean of Eadie-Hofstee analyses. Although there was no remarkable difference of Km for the products in chlorotriazine metabolism among the microsomes tested, the Vmax and Clint (Vmax/Km) for the products in chlorotriazine metabolism are affected by P450 inducers, except for dexamethasone. The formation rates of SIZ-M1, ATZ-M1, ATZ-M2, and PRZ-M2 were significantly correlated with 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase, acetanilide 4-hydroxylase, 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase, 4-nitrophenol 2-hydroxylase, and testosterone 7alpha-hydroxylase activities and CYP1A1/2 level, whereas the formation rates of ATZ-M3 and PRZ-M4 were significantly correlated with testosterone 16beta-hydroxylase, bufuralol 1'-hydroxylase, and 4-nitrophenol 2-hydroxylase activities and CYP2B1/2 level. These results suggest that the inducibility in metabolism of SIZ, ATZ, and PRZ is different between N-monodealkylation and isopropylhydroxylation and that the N-monodealkylation and isopropylhydroxylation are induced by CYP1A1/2, CYP2B1/2, and CYP2B1/2, respectively.