Studies on chiral interactions of 1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylphenyl)-2-aminopropane and the corresponding n-hydroxy metabolites with cytochrome P-450

Abstract

The stereoselective pharmacological behavior and metabolism of the potent psychotomimetic amine 1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylphenyl)-2-aminopropane have led to an investigation of the interactions of the racemic amine, its enantiomers, and the corresponding N-hydroxy metabolites with rabbit liver microsomal cytochrome P-450. An examination of the formation of cytochrome P-450 metabolic intermediate complexes with these species suggests that N-oxidation of the pharmacologically active (R)-amine in inhibited by the S enantiomer. Additionally, metabolic intermediate complex formation [favored by the (R)-amine] appears to be associated with loss of microsomal mixed function N-oxidase activity. The results have led to the prediction that N-hydroxylation of pure (R)-amine may be a qualitatively more important pathway than that observed with racemic amine even though this biotransformation may be suicidal.