The N-demethylation of erythromycin and 6 beta-hydroxylation of cortisol are both functions of the glucocorticoid-inducible CYP3A in human liver microsomes. To determine whether 6 beta-hydroxylation and erythromycin N-demethylation are catalyzed by similar or distinct CYP3A isoforms, erythromycin N-demethylase activity, as reflected by the recently described 14[C]-erythromycin breath test, was compared with urinary 6 beta-hydroxycortisol/cortisol ratios, a measure of cortisol 6 beta-hydroxylase activity, in nine patients. Erythromycin N-demethylation varied fourfold and 6 beta-hydroxycortisol/cortisol ratios varied sevenfold among the subjects; no correlation was found between these activities (r2 = 0.065). New noninvasive tests of CYP3A strongly suggest cortisol 6 beta-hydroxylation and erythromycin N-demethylation are performed by distinct CYP3A isoforms.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.