2,2-Dialkyl-1,2-dihydroquinolines: cytochrome P 450 catalyzed N-alkylporphyrin formation, ferrochelatase inhibition, and induction of 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase activity

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Incubation of 2,4-diethyl-1,2-dihydro-2-methylquinoline (DMDQ) with hepatic microsomes from rats pretreated with phenobarbital, 3-methylcholanthrene, pregnenolone-16.alpha.-carbonitrile, or dexamethasone results in minor loss of the cytochrome P-450 chromophore and accumulation of a hepatic pigment. The hepatic pigment consists of the four regioisomers of N-ethylprotoporphyrin IX and minor amounts of the corresponding N-methyl regioisomers. Exposure of chick embryo liver cells to DMDQ results in inhibition of their ferrochelatase activity, induction of their 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase activity, and accumulation of protoporphyrin IX. 1,2-Dihydro-2,2,4-trimethylquinoline (TMDQ) causes negligible loss of cytochrome P-450 in rat liver microsomes but in vivo still produces the four N-methylprotoporphyrin IX regioisomers in low yield. Furthermore, it inhibits ferrochelatase activity, elevates 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase activity, and causes protoporphyrin IX accumulation in cultured chick embryo hepatocytes. One-electron oxidation of the 2,2-dialkyl-1,2-dihydroquinolines to radical cations is postulated to result in N-alkylation of the prosthetic heme group of cytochrome P-450. The N-alkylprotoporphyrins IX thus formed are potent inhibitors of ferrochelatase. Inhibition of ferrochelatase causes the induction of 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase and the accumulation of protoprophyrin IX. Heme alkylation and ferrochelastase inhibition may be generally associated with substrates that are subject to cytochrome P-450 mediated oxidative extrusion of alkyl radicals.

This publication has 13 references indexed in Scilit: