Summary
The effect of cimetidine and ranitidine on the demethylation of imipramine (IMI) and on the hydroxylation of desmethylimipramine (DMI) was studied in microsomes from four human livers. Cimetidine inhibited both demethylation of IMI and 2-hydroxylation of DMI, whilst the effect of ranitidine was not statistically significant. 2-hydroxylation of DMI is probably mediated by debrisoquine hydroxylase, a cytochrome P-450 isozyme that is monogenically controlled. The results suggest that cimetidine inhibits this enzyme.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Somogyi A, Gugler R (1982) Drug interactions with cimetidine. Clin Pharmacokinet 7: 23–41
Brogden RN, Carmine AA, Heel RC, Speight TM, Avery GS (1982) Ranitidine: A review of its pharmacology and therapeutic use in peptic ulcer disease and other allied diseases. Drugs 24: 267–303
Kirch W, Spahn H, Köhler H, Mutschler A (1982) Interaction of metoprolol, propranolol and atenolol with cimetidine. Clin Sci 63: 451–453
Hanry DA, Macdonald IA, Kitchingman G, Bell GD, Langman MJS (1980) Cimetidine and ranitidine: Comparison of effects on hepatic drug metabolism. Br Med J 281: 775–777
Lennard M, Silas J, Freestone S, Ramsay L, Tucker G, Woods H (1982) Oxidation phenotype — a major determinant of metoprolol metabolism and response. N Engl J Med 307: 1558–1560
Price Evans DA, Mahgoub A, Sloan TP, Idle JR, Smith RL (1980) A family study of the genetic polymorphism of debrisoquine in a white British population. J Med Genet 17: 102–105
Sjöqvist F (1984) Polymorphisms in drug metabolism: Implications for drug utilization. Biochem Soc Trans 12: 101–103
Spina E, Birgersson C, von Bahr C, Ericsson Ö, Mellström B, Steiner E, Sjöqvist F (1984) Phenotypic consistency in hydroxylation of desmethylimipramine and debrisoquine in healthy subjects and in human liver microsomes. Clin Pharmacol Ther 36: 677–682
von Bahr C, Spina E, Birgersson C, Ericsson Ö, Henthorn T, Sjöqvist F (1985) Inhibition of desmethylimipramine 2-hydroxylation by drugs in human liver microsomes — a screening method for drugs that interact with the debrisoquine hydroxylase. Biochem Pharmacol 34: 2501–2505
von Bahr C, Groth C-G, Jansson H, Lundgren G, Lind M, Glaumann H (1980) Drug metabolism in human liver in vitro: Establishment of a human liver bank. Clin Pharmacol Ther 27: 711–725
Petersen GL (1977) A simplification of the protein assay method of Lowry et al. which is more generally applicable. Anal Biochem 83: 346–356
Sutfin TA, Jusko WJ (1979) High-performance liquid chromatographic assay for imipramine, desipramine and their 2-hydroxylated metabolites. J Pharm Sci 68: 703–705
Dixon M (1953) The determination of enzyme inhibition constants. Biochem J 55: 170–171
Henauer SA, Hollister LE (1984) Cimetidine interaction with imipramine and nortriptyline. Clin Pharmacol Ther 35: 183–187
Miller DD, Sawyer JB, Duffy JP (1983) Cimetidine's effect on steady-state serum nortriptyline concentrations. Drug Intell Clin Pharm 17: 904–905
Mellström B, Bertilsson L, Säwe J, Schulz HU, Sjöqvist F (1981) E- and Z-10-hydroxylation of nortriptyline: Relationship to polymorphic debrisoquine hydroxylation. Clin Pharmacol Ther 30: 189–193
von Bahr C, Birgersson C, Blanck A, Göransson M, Mellström B, Nilsell K (1983) Correlation between nortriptyline and debrisoquine hydroxylation in the human liver. Life Sci 33: 631–636
Spina E, Henthorn TK, Eleborg L, Nordin C, Säwe J (1985) Desmethylimipramine overdose: Non-linear kinetics in a slow hydroxylator. Ther Drug Monit 7: 239–241
Mellström B, Bertilsson L, Lou YC, Säwe J, Sjöqvist F (1983) Amitriptyline metabolism: relationship to polymorphic debrisoquine hydroxylation. Clin Pharmacol Ther 34: 516–520
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Spina, E., Koike, Y. Differential effects of cimetidine and ranitidine on imipramine demethylation and desmethylimipramine hydroxylation by human liver microsomes. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 30, 239–242 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00614311
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00614311