Diastereospecific kinetics of nicotine N'-oxidation in rat liver microsomes

1. In kinetic studies, both Eadie-Hofstee plots for cis- and trans-nicotine-1'-N-oxide formation from nicotine in rat liver microsomes were linear. For the formation of cis- and trans-nicotine-1'-N-oxide, the apparent K(m) were 0.240 +/- 0.069 and 1.524 +/- 0.951 mM respectively. Corresponding Vmax were 1.52 +/- 0.48 and 1.19 +/- 0.74 nmol/mg/min respectively. 2. The formation of cis-nicotine-1'-N-oxide was greater than the formation of trans-nicotine-1'-N-oxide in rat liver microsomes and the intrinsic clearance of cis-nicotine-1'-N-oxide formation was 8.1-fold greater than that of trans-nicotine-1'-N-oxide formation. 3. The formation of both cis- and trans-nicotine-1'-N-oxide in rat liver microsomes was inhibited by the addition of 1-(1-naphthyl)-2-thiourea or by heat-treatment of microsomes. 2-Diethylaminoethyl-2, 2-diphenylvalerate (SKF525A) and carbon monoxide did not affect these activities even at high concentrations. 4. Formations of cis- and trans-nicotine-1'-N-oxide correlated significantly with each other (r = 0.862, p < 0.01). These results suggested that the same flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO) isoform is responsible for the formation of cis- and trans-nicotine-1'-N-oxide in rat liver.