Profile of the inhibitory effects of gefitinib in CYP2D6 variants in vitro

Objective: CYP2D6 is a highly polymorphic metabolic enzyme with more than 100 genetic variants, some of which are associated with significantly altered enzyme activity, such as CYP2D6.2 (Arg²⁹⁶Cys, Ser⁴⁸⁶Thr), CYP2D6.10 (Pro³⁴Ser, Ser⁴⁸⁶Thr), and CYP2D6.39 (Ser⁴⁸⁶Thr). Gefitinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and is used to treat non-small-cell lung cancer with EGFR mutations. Gefitinib is known to competitively inhibit CYP2D6 activity. The aim of this study was to quantitatively compare the inhibitory effects of gefitinib on CYP2D6 enzyme kinetics among CYP2D6 variants. Materials and methods: The enzymatic activity of several CYP2D6 genetic variants; i.e., CYP2D6.1 (wild type), CYP2D6.2, CYP2D6.10, and CYP2D6.39, was assessed by examining the O-demethylation of dextromethorphan. Results and conclusion: The intrinsic clearance of dextromethorphan (V_max/K_m) for CYP2D6.2, CYP2D6.10, and CYP2D6.39 were 0.565-, 0.0376-, and 0.470-fold of that for wild type, respectively. For all variants, the mixed inhibition model was better at explaining the nature of the inhibitory effects of gefitinib than the competitive inhibition model. However, the inhibitory potency of gefitinib varied among the CYP2D6 genetic variants. The K_i values for CYP2D6.2, CYP2D6.10, and CYP2D6.39 were 1.4-, 2.5- and 1.5-fold higher than that for wild type, respectively, implying that these variants are less susceptible to the inhibition by gefitinib. The genetic variations in CYP2D6 might be one of the factors responsible for inter-individual differences in the strength of CYP2D6-mediated drug interactions involving gefitinib.