Metabolism of troglitazone in hepatocytes isolated from experimentally induced diabetic rats

Troglitazone (TGZ), the prototype 2,4-thiazolidinedione antidiabetic agent, is associated with hepatotoxicity in patients with Type 2 diabetes. Although the mechanism of toxicity has not been established, alterations in the clearance of TGZ from in-vitro hepatocyte cultures through metabolic conjugation reactions are believed to modulate the toxicity of the compound. In this study, the metabolism of TGZ in freshly isolated hepatocytes from the fat-fed streptozotocin-treated rat model of Type 2 diabetes is described. Biochemical parameters such as cellular reduced glutathione content, content of cytochromes P450 and b5, and the expression of glutathione-S-transferase alpha (subunits Ya and Yc2) were not affected by the induced diabetes. TGZ was metabolized primarily to a sulfonate, a quinone and a glucuronide in both control and experimentally diabetic animals. However, metabolism after induction of diabetes was characterized by a moderate increase in sulfation, a decrease in the elimination half-life of TGZ and the absence of the minor metabolites of TGZ, notably the glutathione adduct of the putative reactive intermediate (m/z = 747 (M + H)+; m/z = 745 (M - H)-).