Aerobic dehalogenation of halothane showing different substrate dependency from anaerobic dehalogenation in liver microsomes of guinea pig.

The formation of trifluoroacetic acid (TFAA) from halothane under aerobic conditions and that of chlorotrifluoroethane (CTE) and chlorodifluoroethylene (CDE) from halothane under anaerobic conditions were studied using guinea pig liver microsomes. The formation of TFAA was inhibited by specific inhibitors of cytochrome P450 (P450), such as carbon monoxide and metyrapone and was dependent upon P450 contents. The maximum activity of the TFAA formation was obtained at pH 6.0. On the other hand, the maximum activity to form CTE and CDE was obtained at pH 7.4. The formation of TFAA reached a plateau at a halothane concentration above 0.17 mM, but the rate of formation of CDE and CTE was dependent upon a halothane concentration up to 1.5 mM. The values of apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) and maximum velocity (Vmax) for TFAA formation were 0.067 mM and 0.349 nmol/nmol P450/min respectively, those for CDE formation were 0.983 mM and 0.326 nmol/nmol P450/min respectively, and those for CTE formation were 1.71 mM and 0.752 nmol/nmol P450/min respectively. These results showed clearly that the formation of TFAA, CDE and CTE was catalyzed by the P450 system in guinea pig liver microsomes. Under optimal conditions, saturation was observed in the formation of TFAA from halothane at a halothane concentration above 0.17 mM but the formation of CDE and CTE was not saturated at this concentration, and the value of apparent Km for TFAA formation was lower than those for CDE and CTE formation.