Association of a reactive intermediate derived from 1′,6‐dihydroxy metabolite with benzbromarone‐induced hepatotoxicity

Treatment with benzbromarone can be associated with liver injury, but the detailed mechanism remains unknown. Our recent studies demonstrated that benzbromarone was metabolized to 1′,6‐dihydroxybenzbromarone and followed by formation of reactive intermediates that were trapped by glutathione, suggesting that the reactive intermediates may be responsible for the liver injury. The aim of this study was to clarify whether the reactive intermediates derived from 1′,6‐dihydroxybenzbromarone is a risk factor of liver injury in mice. An incubation study using mouse liver microsomes showed that the rates of formation of 1′,6‐dihydroxybenzbromarone from benzbromarone were increased by pretreatment with dexamethasone. Levels of a hepatic glutathione adduct derived from 1′,6‐dihydroxybenzbromarone were increased by pretreatment with dexamethasone. Furthermore, plasma alanine amino transferase activities were increased in mice treated with benzbromarone after pretreatment with dexamethasone. The results suggest that the reactive intermediate derived from 1′,6‐dihydroxybenzbromarone may be associated with liver injury.