Metabolite profiling and enzyme reaction phenotyping of luseogliflozin, a sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, in humans

Abstract

1. To understand the clearance mechanism of luseogliflozin, a sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, we investigated its human metabolite profile and metabolic enzymes responsible for the primary metabolic pathways in human using reaction phenotyping.

2. Sixteen metabolites of luseogliflozin were found in human plasma and/or urine and their structural information indicated that the drug was metabolized via multiple metabolic pathways. The primary metabolic pathways involve (1) O-deethylation to form M2 and subsequent glucuronidation to form M12, (2) ω-hydroxylation at ethoxy group to form M3 followed by oxidation to form the corresponding carboxylic acid metabolite (M17) and (3) direct glucuronidation to form M8.

3. The reaction phenotyping studies indicated that the formation of M2 was mainly mediated by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4/5, and subsequently M12 formation was catalyzed by UGT1A1, UGT1A8 and UGT1A9. The formation of M3 was mediated by CYP4A11, CYP4F2 and CYP4F3B, and the further oxidation of M3 to M17 was mediated by alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase. The formation of M8 was catalyzed by UGT1A1.

4. These results demonstrate that luseogliflozin is metabolized through multiple pathways, including CYP-mediated oxidation and glucuronidation, in human.

• CYP
• luseogliflozin
• metabolism
• SGLT2 inhibitor
• UGT

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Mr. Akira Manaka, Mr. Hisaya Wada and Mr. Takeshi Koami for the preparations of authentic metabolites and deuterium-labeled internal standards.

Declaration of interest

All authors are employees of Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.