Climbazole (CLB)

Climbazole is a topical antifungal agent commonly used in the treatment of human fungal skin infections such as dandruff and eczema. Climbazole is a new potent inducer of rat hepatic cytochrome P450. Climbazole is found to be a potent inducer of rat hepatic microsomal P450 as clorimazole. Induced level of P450 by climbazole was almost similar in extent to clorimazole when compared with other imidazole drugs in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Parallel to the increase in P450, climbazole increased aminopyrine and erythromycin N-demethylase, ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase, and androstenedione 16 beta- and 15 alpha/6 beta hydroxylase activities; however, clorimazole did not induce aminopyrine N-demethylase activity irrespective of its marked increase in P450 content. Immunoblot analyses revealed that climbazole induced CYP2B1, 3A2 and 4A1.