%0 Journal Article %A Laura J. C. Bolchoz %A Robert A. Budinsky %A David C. McMillan %A David J. Jollow %T Primaquine-Induced Hemolytic Anemia: Formation and Hemotoxicity of the Arylhydroxylamine Metabolite 6-Methoxy-8-hydroxylaminoquinoline %D 2001 %J Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics %P 509-515 %V 297 %N 2 %X Primaquine is an important antimalarial agent because of its activity against exoerythrocytic forms of Plasmodium spp. However, methemoglobinemia and hemolytic anemia are dose-limiting side effects of primaquine therapy that limit its efficacy. These hemotoxicities are thought to be mediated by metabolites; however, the identity of the toxic species has remained unclear. SinceN-hydroxy metabolites are known to mediate the hemotoxicity of several arylamines, the present studies were undertaken to determine whether 6-methoxy-8-aminoquinoline (6-MAQ), a known human metabolite of primaquine, could undergo N-hydroxylation to form a hemotoxic metabolite. When 6-MAQ was incubated with rat and human liver microsomes, a single metabolite was detected by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with electrochemical detection. This metabolite was identified as 6-methoxy-8-hydroxylaminoquinoline (MAQ-NOH) by HPLC and mass spectral analyses. As measured by decreased survival of 51Cr-labeled erythrocytes in rats, MAQ-NOH was hemolytic in vivo. Furthermore, in vitro exposure of 51Cr-labeled erythrocytes to MAQ-NOH caused a concentration-dependent decrease in erythrocyte survival (EC50 of 350 μM) when the exposed cells were returned to the circulation of isologous rats. MAQ-NOH also induced the formation of methemoglobin when incubated with suspensions of rat erythrocytes. These data indicate that 6-MAQ can be metabolized to MAQ-NOH by both rat and human liver microsomes and that MAQ-NOH has the requisite properties to be a hemotoxic metabolite of primaquine. The contribution of MAQ-NOH to the hemotoxicity of primaquine in vivo remains to be assessed. The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics %U https://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/jpet/297/2/509.full.pdf