In vitro hepatic metabolism of mefloquine using microsomes from cats, dogs and the common brush-tailed possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a systemic, fatal, viral-induced, immune-mediated disease of cats caused by feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV). Mefloquine, a human anti-malarial agent, has been shown to inhibit FIPV in vitro. As a first step to evaluate its efficacy and safety profile as a potential FIP treatment for cats, mefloquine underwent incubation in feline, canine and common brush-tailed possum microsomes and phase I metabolism cofactors to determine its rate of phase I depletion. Tramadol was used as a phase I positive control as it undergoes this reaction in both dogs and cats. Using the substrate depletion method, the in vitro intrinsic clearance (mean ± S.D.) of mefloquine by pooled feline and common brush-tailed possum microsomes was 4.5 ± 0.35 and 18.25 ± 3.18 μL/min/mg protein, respectively. However, phase I intrinsic clearance was too slow to determine with canine microsomes. Liquid chromatography—mass spectrometry (LC-MS) identified carboxymefloquine in samples generated by feline microsomes as well as negative controls, suggesting some mefloquine instability. Mefloquine also underwent incubation with feline, canine and common brush-tailed possum microsomes and phase II glucuronidative metabolism cofactors. O-desmethyltramadol (ODMT or M1) was used as a positive control as it undergoes a phase II glucuronidation reaction in these species. The rates of phase II mefloquine depletion by microsomes by all three species were too slow to estimate. Therefore mefloquine likely undergoes phase I hepatic metabolism catalysed by feline and common brush-tailed possum microsomes but not phase II glucuronidative metabolism in all three species and mefloquine is not likely to have delayed elimination in cats with clinically normal, hepatic function.