Current Drug Metabolism - Volume 17, Issue 6, 2016

Background: Non-human primates are valuable animal models in drug discovery and biomedical research. Human CYP2D6 accounts for 1.3-4.3% of total hepatic CYP content in the liver, but is involved in the metabolism of more than 150 drugs. With the advancement of genomic sequencing and annotation, a panel of CYP2D genes have been cloned from non-human primates. This review highlights the similarities and differen Read More

Background: Sulfotransferase (SULT) 1A1 is a phase II metabolic enzyme that catalyzes sulfate conjugation of various phenolic compounds, including endogenous substances, such as estrogens and thyroid hormones, but also different xenobiotics. Although sulfation is classically considered as a detoxification event facilitating the excretion of more water soluble metabolites from the body, in some cases such bioc Read More

Background: Thiopurine antimetabolites are important agents for the treatment of severe diseases, such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia and inflammatory bowel disease. Their pharmacological actions depend on biotransformation into active thioguanine-nucleotides; intracellular metabolism is mediated by enzymes of the salvage pathway of nucleotide synthesis and relies on polymorphic enzymes involved in thiop Read More

Background: The management of ischemic nephropathy due to atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis has become increasingly conservative in the modern era, with current guidelines recommending optimized medical therapy as the initial step. The doubts raised by the recently published trials of revascularization strategies have led to a renewed focus on pharmacological strategies promoting blood pressure control and renal p Read More

Background: High-altitude environments are known to result in a broad range of physiological changes in human body, which may influence various pharmacological processes and pharmacokinetics. A series of physiological systems reacting to a high-altitude stressor and the effects of these physiological alterations on pharmacokinetics have been investigated for decades. Methods: In this review, we summarized the effects o Read More

Background: Statins are inhibitors of hydroxy-methyl-glutaryl coenzymeA (HMG-CoA) reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme involved in de novo cholesterol synthesis. The patient health profile needs to be taken in account during the interpretation of the variability in the outcome of drug therapy, as well as compliance with prescribed pharmacological treatments, and genetic profile. Objective: Several genetic polymorphis Read More

Background: Valproic acid (VPA) is a broad spectrum antiepileptic drug (AED) that is generally regarded as a first-choice agent for most forms of idiopathic and symptomatic generalised epilepsies. Available data suggest that menstrual disorders and certain endocrine manifestations of reproductive system disorders may be more common in women treated with VPA than in those treated with other AEDs. Methods: A Pub Read More

Background: Human metabolism is an essential biological process that involves the consumption of different substrates to ensure the nutritional and energetic needs of cells. The disruption of this highly regulated system constitutes the onset of several disorders/dysfunctions such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and hypertension. Objective: In this review, we propose to discuss promising natural products that can Read More

Background: Polyphenols are functional compounds in edible vegetable and food such as tea, coffee and red wine and increasing evidence demonstrates a positive link between consumption of polyphenol-rich foods and disease prevention. Objective: In this review we have focused on the current knowledge of the potential anti-glycation effects of polyphenols, particularly in regard to their influence on Maillard reaction, Read More

Objective: To summarize current evidence about mechanisms, clinical features, diagnostic issues, and strategies for prevention of medication-induced nephrotoxicity among older people. Methods: A Pubmed search was performed, and studies concerning age-related changes in kidney structure and function predisposing to nephrotoxicity, pathophysiological mechanisms, kidney drug metabolism enzymes, clinical epide Read More