The metabolic formation of
p-chloroaniline from the oncolytic agent
sulofenur [N-(5-indanesulfonyl)-N'-(4-chlorophenyl)
urea,
LY186641,] and from similar diaryl-substituted sulfonylureas, and its possible relevance to the compound's toxicity, was studied. In previous studies it was found that significant amounts of metabolites such as 2-amino-5-chlorophenyl
sulfate (II), which is also a metabolite of
p-chloroaniline, are formed from
sulofenur in mice, rats, monkeys, and humans. The metabolism of N-(4-tolyl)-N'-(2-hydroxy-4-chlorophenyl)-urea (V) was studied, and V was not found to be an intermediate in the metabolic formation of II from the sulfonylurea N-(4-tolyl)-N'-(4-chlorophenyl)urea (LY181984, III). The amounts of this
p-chloroaniline metabolite (II) formed in C3H mice from a series of diarylsulfonylureas were found to correlate with the compound's propensities to form
methemoglobin, one notable toxicity of
p-chloroaniline. This metabolism was also found to correlate with the structure of the arylsulfonyl moiety of the sulfonylurea. Other evidence supports the hypothesis that
p-chloroaniline is directly formed by metabolism of sulfofenur and similar diarylsulfonylureas as well. Metabolic formation of
p-chloroaniline thus appears to be a plausible explanation for the
methemoglobinemia and
anemia found to be dose-limiting toxicities of
sulofenur in Phase I trials.