Human variation in CYP-specific chlorpyrifos metabolism

Abstract

Chlorpyrifos, an organophophorothioate insecticide, is bioactivated to the neurotoxic metabolite, chlorpyrifos-oxon (CPO) by cytochromes P450 (CYPs). To determine the variability in chlorpyrifos bioactivation, CPO production by human liver microsomes from 17 individual donors was compared relative to phenotype and genotype. CPO production varied over 14-fold between individuals in incubations utilizing 20 μM chlorpyrifos as substrate, while CPO production varied 57-fold in incubations with 100 μM chlorpyrifos. For all but two samples, the formation of the less toxic metabolite, 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP), was greater than CPO production. TCP production varied 9-fold in incubations utilizing 20 μM chlorpyrifos as substrate and 19-fold using 100 μM chlorpyrifos. Chlorpyrifos metabolism by individual human liver microsomes was significantly correlated with CYP2B6, CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 related activity. CPO formation was best correlated with CYP2B6 related activity at low (20 μM) chlorpyrifos concentrations while CYP3A4 related activity was best correlated with CPO formation at high concentrations (100 μM) of chlorpyrifos. TCP production was best correlated with CYP3A4 activity at all substrate concentrations of chlorpyrifos. The production of both CPO and TCP was significantly lower at a concentration of 20 μM chlorpyrifos as compared to 100 μM chlorpyrifos. Calculations of percent total normalized rates (% TNR) and the chemical inhibitors ketoconazole and ticlopidine were used to confirm the importance of CYP2B6, CYP2C19, and CYP3A4 for the metabolism of chlorpyrifos. The combination of ketoconazole and ticlopidine inhibited the majority of TCP and CPO formation. CPO formation did not differ by CYP2B6 genotype. Individual variations in CPO production may need to be considered in determining the risk of chlorpyrifos poisoning.