Abstract
Knowledge of genetic polymorphisms of metabolizing enzymes of medical drugs and xenobiotics including cytochrome P450 (CYP) is very limited in cats. We investigated polymorphisms in CYP1A2, one of the major CYP isoforms in the feline liver. Wild-type and three non-synonymous polymorphic variants, but no synonymous variant, were identified in feline CYP1A2 in 50 alleles of domestic cats in Japan. Metabolic parameters, Km and Vmax, of ethoxyresorufin hydroxylation by CYP1A2 were shown to range within two times for identified non-synonymous variants by using a heterologous coexpression system. The results confirmed the polymorphic nature of CYP1A2 as a basis for effective application of medicines and prevention of adverse reactions in the treatment of domestic cats as well as for hereditary disorders.