J. Corchero et al., The CYP2D6 humanized mouse: Effect of the human CYP2D6 transgene and HNF4 alpha on the disposition of debrisoquine in the mouse, MOLEC PHARM, 60(6), 2001, pp. 1260-1267
CYP2D6 is a highly polymorphic human gene responsible for a large variabili
ty in the disposition of more than 100 drugs to which humans may be exposed
. Animal models are inadequate for preclinical pharmacological evaluation o
f CYP2D6 substrates because of marked species differences in CYP2D isoforms
. To overcome this issue, a transgenic mouse line expressing the human CYP2
D6 gene was generated. The complete wild-type CYP2D6 gene, including its re
gulatory sequence, was microinjected into a fertilized FVB/N mouse egg, and
the resultant offspring were genotyped by both polymerase chain reaction a
nd Southern blotting. CYP2D6-specific protein expression was detected in th
e liver, intestine, and kidney from only the CYP2D6 humanized mice. Pharmac
okinetic analysis revealed that debrisoquine (DEB) clearance was markedly h
igher (94.1 +/- 22.3 l/h/kg), and its half-life significantly reduced (6.9
+/-1.6 h), in CYP2D6 humanized mice compared with wild-type animals (15.2 /-0.9 l/h/kg and 16.5 +/-4.5 h, respectively). Mutations in hepatic nuclear
factor 4 alpha (HNF4 alpha), a hepatic transcription factor known to regul
ate in vitro expression of the CYP2D6 gene, could affect the disposition of
CYP2D6 drug substrates. To determine whether the HNF4 alpha gene modulates
in vivo pharmacokinetics of CYP2D6 substrates, a mouse line carrying both
the CYP2D6 gene and the HNF4 alpha conditional mutation was generated and p
henotyped using DEB. After deletion of HNF4 alpha, DEB 4-hydroxylase activi
ty in CYP2D6 humanized mice decreased more than 50%. The data presented in
this study show that only CYP2D6 humanized mice but not wild-type mice disp
lay significant DEB 4-hydroxylase activity and that HNF4 alpha regulates CY
P2D6 activity In vivo. The CYP2D6 humanized mice represent an attractive mo
del for future preclinical studies on the pharmacology, toxicology, and phy
siology of CYP2D6-mediated metabolism.