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PharmGKB · ClinPGx

Allopurinol Pathway, Pharmacokinetics

PA166211461 Last updated February 2021 Caroline F. Thorn
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Drugs & chemicals
0
Genes
0/0
Conditions
18
Reactions
Allopurinol Pathway, Pharmacokinetics pathway diagram
Allopurinol Pathway, Pharmacokinetics — pathway diagram from PharmGKB / ClinPGx
Click to enlarge

About this pathway

Background

Allopurinol is a purine analogue that has been first line treatment for gout since the 1960s [Article:27798228]. It is also approved for uric acid reduction and prevention/treatment of tumor lysis syndrome in cancer patients [Article:32158483]. Severe adverse drug reactions (SCAR) have been experienced in patients treated with allopurinol and are associated with a variant of HLA-B see CPIC guidelines for Allopurinol and HLA-B. The different types of SCARs range in severity from rash to death. High levels of oxypurinol are associated with poor outcomes in patients with allopurinol-induced SCAR including high mortality of allopurinol-SJS/TEN [Article:25115449]. Allopurinol hypersensitivity was shown to be mediated primarily by an oxypurinol-specific T-cell response [Article:26416594]. Therefore the pharmacokinetic pathways that determine relative oxypurinol concentrations, and the genes involved, may be important modifiers of severity of adverse reactions.

Metabolism

Allopurinol is converted to oxypurinol via endogenous pathways that normally function for the purines hypoxanthine and xanthine. In human liver this reaction is primarily carried out by aldehyde oxidase (AOX1) [Articles:24925693, 2323062]. It can also be catalyzed by xanthine oxidase, also called xanthine dehydrogenase or XDH [Articles:24925693, 2323062]. Both AOX1 and XDH require a molybdenum cofactor. Activation of the cofactor from the oxo-form to the sulfide form is carried out by MOCOS [Article:24925693].

Other pathways that function for modification of purines can also act on allopurinol such as HPRT1, that leads to allopurinol ribotide [Article:6409116] or PNP that can convert allopurinol to allopurinol riboside [Article:6409116]. Similarly metabolites of oxypurinol, oxypurinol-1-riboside and oxypurinol-7-riboside, can be formed although the enzymes involved are not reported [Article:17655371].

Oxypurinol is excreted by the kidneys. Transporters lead to uptake of oxypurinol into the kidneys [Article:16135657]. There are known functional variants of transporters SLC22A11 [Article:20668102] and SLC22A12 [Article:31591475].

Reactions & interactions (18)

  • Activation
    MOCOS XDH
  • Activation
    MOCOS AOX1
  • Biochemical Reaction
    oxypurinol oxypurinol 1-riboside
  • Biochemical Reaction
    allopurinol oxypurinol
  • Biochemical Reaction
    allopurinol ribotide allopurinol riboside
  • Biochemical Reaction
    allopurinol allopurinol ribotide
  • Biochemical Reaction
    oxypurinol oxypurinol 7-riboside
  • Biochemical Reaction
    allopurinol riboside allopurinol
  • Catalysis
    AOX1 Biochemical Reaction
  • Catalysis
    XDH Biochemical Reaction
  • Catalysis
    HPRT1 Biochemical Reaction
  • Catalysis
    PNP Biochemical Reaction
  • Catalysis
    SLC22A12 Transport
  • Catalysis
    SLC22A11 Transport
  • Inhibition
    oxypurinol XDH
  • Inhibition
    allopurinol XDH
  • Transport
    oxypurinol oxypurinol
  • Transport
    oxypurinol oxypurinol

Edit history (2)

  • 2020-06-04 Create
  • 2021-02-19 Update Added text description.
Allopurinol Pathway, Pharmacokinetics pathway diagram (enlarged)