Metabolism-Dependent Cavalent Binding of $S(-)-^3H-Nicotine$ to Lung Microsomes in Vitro

Incubation of $S(-)-^3H$-nicotine with rabbit lung microsomes in the presence of dioxygen and NADPH results in the formation of metabolities that bind covalently to microsomal macro-molecules. The addition of cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase inhibitors, $\alpha$-methylbenzyl ami-nobenzotriazole and aroclor 1260, inhibited both (S)-nicotine metabolism and covalent binding. The relative rates of oxidation of nicotine $\Delta^{1',5'}$ iminium ion to continine indicates that lung $100,000\times{g}$ supematant catalyzed this oxidation approximately 18 times slower than that of liver system based on mg of protein, and increased covalent interactions. Since than that of liver system based on mg of protein, nd increased covalent interactions. Since the activity of lung iminium oxidase appears much lowr than the liver, it is tempting to speculate that localized concentrations of nicotine $\Delta^{1',5'}$ iminium ion in the lung will survive for a longer period of time. These results support that cytochrome P-450 catalyzed oxidation of nicotine leads to the formation of reactive nad electrophilic intemediates capable of chemical interactions with biomacromolecules.