Pharmacogenetics is the study of how interindividual variations in the DNA sequence of specific genes affect drug response. This article highlights current pharmacogenetic knowledge on important human drug-metabolizing cytochrome P450s (CYPs) to understand the large interindividual variability in drug clearance and responses in clinical practice. The human CYP superfamily contains 57 functional genes and 58 pseudogenes, with members of the 1, 2, and 3 families playing an important role in the metabolism of therapeutic drugs, other xenobiotics, and some endogenous compounds. Polymorphisms in the CYP family may have had the most impact on the fate of therapeutic drugs. CYP2D6, 2C19, and 2C9 polymorphisms account for the most frequent variations in phase I metabolism of drugs, since almost 80% of drugs in use today are metabolized by these enzymes. Approximately 5-14% of Caucasians, 0-5% Africans, and 0-1% of Asians lack CYP2D6 activity, and these individuals are known as poor metabolizers. CYP2C9 is another clinically significant enzyme that demonstrates multiple genetic variants with a potentially functional impact on the efficacy and adverse effects of drugs that are mainly eliminated by this enzyme. Studies into the CYP2C9 polymorphism have highlighted the importance of the CYP2C9*2 and *3 alleles. Extensive polymorphism also occurs in other CYP genes, such as CYP1A1, 2A6, 2A13, 2C8, 3A4, and 3A5. Since several of these CYPs (e.g., CYP1A1 and 1A2) play a role in the bioactivation of many procarcinogens, polymorphisms of these enzymes may contribute to the variable susceptibility to carcinogenesis. The distribution of the common variant alleles of CYP genes varies among different ethnic populations. Pharmacogenetics has the potential to achieve optimal quality use of medicines, and to improve the efficacy and safety of both prospective and currently available drugs. Further studies are warranted to explore the gene-dose, gene-concentration, and gene-response relationships for these important drug-metabolizing CYPs.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2D6 is one of the most investigated CYPs in relation to genetic polymorphism, but accounts for only a small percentage of all hepatic CYPs (approximately 2-4%). There is a large interindividual variation in the enzyme activity of CYP2D6. The enzyme is largely non-inducible and metabolizes approximately 25% of current drugs. Typical substrates for CYP2D6 are largely lipophilic bases and include some antidepressants, antipsychotics, antiarrhythmics, antiemetics, beta-adrenoceptor antagonists (beta-blockers) and opioids. The CYP2D6 activity ranges considerably within a population and includes ultrarapid metabolizers (UMs), extensive metabolizers (EMs), intermediate metabolizers (IMs) and poor metabolizers (PMs). There is a considerable variability in the CYP2D6 allele distribution among different ethnic groups, resulting in variable percentages of PMs, IMs, EMs and UMs in a given population. To date, 74 allelic variants and a series of subvariants of the CYP2D6 gene have been reported and the number of alleles is still growing. Among these are fully functional alleles, alleles with reduced function and null (non-functional) alleles, which convey a wide range of enzyme activity, from no activity to ultrarapid metabolism of substrates. As a consequence, drug adverse effects or lack of drug effect may occur if standard doses are applied. The alleles *10, *17, *36 and *41 give rise to substrate-dependent decreased activity. Null alleles of CYP2D6 do not encode a functional protein and there is no detectable residual enzymatic activity. It is clear that alleles *3, *4, *5, *6, *7, *8, *11, *12, *13, *14, *15, *16, *18, *19, *20, *21, *38, *40, *42, *44, *56 and *62 have no enzyme activity. They are responsible for the PM phenotype when present in homozygous or compound heterozygous constellations. These alleles are of clinical significance as they often cause altered drug clearance and drug response. Among the most important variants are CYP2D6*2, *3, *4, *5, *10, *17 and *41. On the other hand, the CYP2D6 gene is subject to copy number variations that are often associated with the UM phenotype. Marked decreases in drug concentrations have been observed in UMs with tramadol, venlafaxine, morphine, mirtazapine and metoprolol. The functional impact of CYP2D6 alleles may be substrate-dependent. For example, CYP2D6*17 is generally considered as an allele with reduced function, but it displays remarkable variability in its activity towards substrates such as dextromethorphan, risperidone, codeine and haloperidol. The clinical consequence of the CYP2D6 polymorphism can be either occurrence of adverse drug reactions or altered drug response. Drugs that are most affected by CYP2D6 polymorphisms are commonly those in which CYP2D6 represents a substantial metabolic pathway either in the activation to form active metabolites or clearance of the agent. For example, encainide metabolites are more potent than the parent drug and thus QRS prolongation is more apparent in EMs than in PMs. In contrast, propafenone i...

Human cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 is the most abundant hepatic and intestinal phase I enzyme that metabolizes approximately 50% marketed drugs. The crystal structure of bound and unbound CYP3A4 has been recently constructed, and a small active site and a peripheral binding site are identified. A recent study indicates that CYP3A4 undergoes dramatic conformational changes upon binding to ketoconazole or erythromycin with a differential but substantial (>80%) increase in the active site volume, providing a structural basis for ligand promiscuity of CYP3A4. A number of important drugs have been identified as substrates, inducers and/or inhibitors of CYP3A4. The ability of drugs to act as inducers, inhibitors, or substrates for CYP3A is predictive of whether concurrent administration of these compounds with a known CYP3A substrate might lead to altered drug disposition, efficacy or toxicity. The substrates of CYP3A4 considerably overlap with those of P-glycoprotein (P-gp). To date, the identified clinically important CYP3A4 inhibitors mainly include macrolide antibiotics (e.g., clarithromycin, and erythromycin), anti-HIV agents (e.g., ritonavir and delavirdine), antidepressants (e.g. fluoxetine and fluvoxamine), calcium channel blockers (e.g. verapamil and diltiazem), steroids and their modulators (e.g., gestodene and mifepristone), and several herbal and dietary components. Many of these drugs are also mechanism-based inhibitors of CYP3A4, which involves formation of reactive metabolites, binding to CYP3A4 and irreversible enzyme inactivation. A small number of drugs such as rifampin, phenytoin and ritonavir are identified as inducers of CYP3A4. The orphan nuclear receptor, pregnane X receptor (PXR), have been found to play a critical role in the induction of CYP3A4. The inhibition or induction of CYP3A4 by drugs often causes unfavorable and long-lasting drug-drug interactions and probably fatal toxicity, depending on many factors associated with the enzyme, drugs and the patients. The study of interactions of newly synthesized compounds with CYP3A4 has been incorporated into drug development and detection of possible CYP3A4 inhibitors and inducers during the early stages of drug development is critical in preventing potential drug-drug interactions and side effects. Clinicians are encouraged to have a sound knowledge on drugs that behave as substrates, inhibitors or inducers of CYP3A4, and take proper cautions and close monitoring for potential drug interactions when using drugs that are CYP3A4 inhibitors or inducers.

Part I of this article discussed the potential functional importance of genetic mutations and alleles of the human cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) gene. The impact of CYP2D6 polymorphisms on the clearance of and response to a series of cardiovascular drugs was addressed. Since CYP2D6 plays a major role in the metabolism of a large number of other drugs, Part II of the article highlights the impact of CYP2D6 polymorphisms on the response to other groups of clinically used drugs. Although clinical studies have observed a gene-dose effect for some tricyclic antidepressants, it is difficult to establish clear relationships of their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic parameters to genetic variations of CYP2D6; therefore, dosage adjustment based on the CYP2D6 phenotype cannot be recommended at present. There is initial evidence for a gene-dose effect on commonly used selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), but data on the effect of the CYP2D6 genotype/phenotype on the response to SSRIs and their adverse effects are scanty. Therefore, recommendations for dose adjustment of prescribed SSRIs based on the CYP2D6 genotype/phenotype may be premature. A number of clinical studies have indicated that there are significant relationships between the CYP2D6 genotype and steady-state concentrations of perphenazine, zuclopenthixol, risperidone and haloperidol. However, findings on the relationships between the CYP2D6 genotype and parkinsonism or tardive dyskinesia treatment with traditional antipsychotics are conflicting, probably because of small sample size, inclusion of antipsychotics with variable CYP2D6 metabolism, and co-medication. CYP2D6 phenotyping and genotyping appear to be useful in predicting steady-state concentrations of some classical antipsychotic drugs, but their usefulness in predicting clinical effects must be explored. Therapeutic drug monitoring has been strongly recommended for many antipsychotics, including haloperidol, chlorpromazine, fluphenazine, perphenazine, risperidone and thioridazine, which are all metabolized by CYP2D6. It is possible to merge therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacogenetic testing for CYP2D6 into clinical practice. There is a clear gene-dose effect on the formation of O-demethylated metabolites from multiple opioids, but the clinical significance of this may be minimal, as the analgesic effect is not altered in poor metabolizers (PMs). Genetically caused inactivity of CYP2D6 renders codeine ineffective owing to lack of morphine formation, decreases the efficacy of tramadol owing to reduced formation of the active O-desmethyl-tramadol and reduces the clearance of methadone. Genetically precipitated drug interactions might render a standard opioid dose toxic. Because of the important role of CYP2D6 in tamoxifen metabolism and activation, PMs are likely to exhibit therapeutic failure, and ultrarapid metabolizers (UMs) are likely to experience adverse effects and toxicities. There is a clear gene-concentration effect for the formation of endoxifen and 4-OH-tamoxifen. Tamoxifen-...

Consistent with its highest abundance in humans, cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A is responsible for the metabolism of about 60% of currently known drugs. However, this unusual low substrate specificity also makes CYP3A4 susceptible to reversible or irreversible inhibition by a variety of drugs. Mechanism-based inhibition of CYP3A4 is characterised by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate hydrogen (NADPH)-, time- and concentration-dependent enzyme inactivation, occurring when some drugs are converted by CYP isoenzymes to reactive metabolites capable of irreversibly binding covalently to CYP3A4. Approaches using in vitro, in silico and in vivo models can be used to study CYP3A4 inactivation by drugs. Human liver microsomes are always used to estimate inactivation kinetic parameters including the concentration required for half-maximal inactivation (K(I)) and the maximal rate of inactivation at saturation (k(inact)). Clinically important mechanism-based CYP3A4 inhibitors include antibacterials (e.g. clarithromycin, erythromycin and isoniazid), anticancer agents (e.g. tamoxifen and irinotecan), anti-HIV agents (e.g. ritonavir and delavirdine), antihypertensives (e.g. dihydralazine, verapamil and diltiazem), sex steroids and their receptor modulators (e.g. gestodene and raloxifene), and several herbal constituents (e.g. bergamottin and glabridin). Drugs inactivating CYP3A4 often possess several common moieties such as a tertiary amine function, furan ring, and acetylene function. It appears that the chemical properties of a drug critical to CYP3A4 inactivation include formation of reactive metabolites by CYP isoenzymes, preponderance of CYP inducers and P-glycoprotein (P-gp) substrate, and occurrence of clinically significant pharmacokinetic interactions with coadministered drugs. Compared with reversible inhibition of CYP3A4, mechanism-based inhibition of CYP3A4 more frequently cause pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic drug-drug interactions, as the inactivated CYP3A4 has to be replaced by newly synthesised CYP3A4 protein. The resultant drug interactions may lead to adverse drug effects, including some fatal events. For example, when aforementioned CYP3A4 inhibitors are coadministered with terfenadine, cisapride or astemizole (all CYP3A4 substrates), torsades de pointes (a life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia associated with QT prolongation) may occur.However, predicting drug-drug interactions involving CYP3A4 inactivation is difficult, since the clinical outcomes depend on a number of factors that are associated with drugs and patients. The apparent pharmacokinetic effect of a mechanism-based inhibitor of CYP3A4 would be a function of its K(I), k(inact) and partition ratio and the zero-order synthesis rate of new or replacement enzyme. The inactivators for CYP3A4 can be inducers and P-gp substrates/inhibitors, confounding in vitro-in vivo extrapolation. The clinical significance of CYP3A inhibition for drug safety and efficacy warrants closer understanding of the mechanisms for each inhibitor. Furthermore, such inacti...