Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Omeprazole, a specific inhibitor of gastric (H/sup +/-K/sup +/)-ATPase, is a H/sup +/-activated oxidizing agent of sulfhydryl groups

Journal Article · · J. Biol. Chem.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5127783

Omeprazole (5-methoxy-2-(((4-methoxy-3,5- dimethylpyridinyl)methyl)sulfinyl)-1H-benzimidazole) appeared to inhibit gastric (H/sup +/-K/sup +/)-ATPase by oxidizing its essential sulfhydryl groups, since the gastric ATPase inactivated by the drug in vivo or in vitro recovered its K+-dependent ATP hydrolyzing activity upon incubation with mercaptoethanol. Biological reducing agents like cysteine or glutathione, however, were unable to reverse the inhibitory effect of omeprazole. Moreover, acidic environments enhanced the potency of omeprazole. The chemical reactivity of omeprazole with mercaptans is also consistent with the biological action of omeprazole. The N-sulfenylated compound reacted at neutral pH with another stoichiometric amount of ethyl mercaptan to produce omeprazole sulfide quantitatively. The gastric polypeptides of 100 kilodaltons representing (H/sup +/-K/sup +/)-ATPase in the rat gastric mucosa or isolated hog gastric membranes were covalently labeled with (/sup 14/C)omeprazole. The radioactive label bound to the ATPase, however, could not be displaced by mercaptoethanol under the identical conditions where the ATPase activity was fully restored. These observations suggest that the essential sulfhydryl groups which reacted with omeprazole did not form a stable covalent bond with the drug, but rather that they further reacted with adjacent sulfhydryl groups to form disulfides which could be reduced by mercaptoethanol.

Research Organization:
Upjohn Co., Kalamazoo, MI
OSTI ID:
5127783
Journal Information:
J. Biol. Chem.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Biol. Chem.; (United States) Vol. 8; ISSN JBCHA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English