Kinetics of metabolism of deltamethrin and cis- and trans-permethrin in vitro. Studies using rat and human liver microsomes, isolated rat hepatocytes and rat liver cytosol

Abstract

The kinetics of metabolism of deltamethrin (DLM) and cis- and trans-permethrin (CPM and TPM) was studied in male Sprague-Dawley rat and human liver microsomes. DLM metabolism kinetics was also studied in isolated rat hepatocytes, liver microsomes and cytosol. Apparent intrinsic clearance (CLint) values for the metabolism of DLM, CPM and TPM by cytochrome P450 (CYP) and carboxylesterase (CES) enzymes in rat and human liver microsomes decreased with increasing microsomal protein concentration. However, when apparent CLint values were corrected for nonspecific binding to allow calculation of unbound (i.e., corrected) CLint values, the unbound values did not vary greatly with microsomal protein concentration. Unbound CLint values for metabolism of 0.05-1 μM DLM in rat liver microsomes (CYP and CES enzymes) and cytosol (CES enzymes) were not significantly different from rates of DLM metabolism in isolated rat hepatocytes. This study demonstrates that the nonspecific binding of these highly lipophilic compounds needs to be taken into account in order to obtain accurate estimates of rates of in vitro metabolism of these pyrethroids. While DLM is rapidly metabolised in vitro, the hepatocyte membrane does not appear to represent a barrier to the absorption and hence subsequent hepatic metabolism of this pyrethroid.