If a prodrug is converted into its bioactive form through metabolism by a cytochrome P450 enzyme then:

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To begin, we need to evaluate how metabolism by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes can influence a prodrug and its bioactive form.
Option A posits that polymorphisms reducing CYP activity would increase the levels of the bioactive drug. This is misleading because if CYP activity is lowered, the conversion of the prodrug to its active form would typically occur more slowly, not more rapidly, so the active drug level would not reliably increase; in fact it may decrease or be delayed rather than elevated.
Option B claims that ethnicity cannot influence the amount of active drug produced because CYP enzymes are found in all humans. In reality, CYP polymorphisms vary across populations and ethnic groups, leading to interindividual and interethnic differences in drug activation or inactivation; thus this statement is oversimplified and incorrect.
Option C states that polymorphisms in the CYP gene that reduce enzymatic activity might increase the half-life of the prodrug. This makes pharmacokinetic sense: slower conversion to the active form means the prodrug remains unmetabolized longer, extending its half-life, and potentially reducing the amount of active metabolite formed at a given time. This aligns with core pharmacology principles about prodrugs and Phase I metabolism.
Option D argues that gene polymorphisms will not affect this system because the process is largely Phase II metabolism, which is sensitive to modulation. This is inaccurate here because many prodrugs require Phase I activation by CYP enzymes to become active, and polymorphisms can critically alter that activation step; asserting Phase II as the dominant process here ignores the possibility of Phase I-mediated activation.
In sum, the most coherent and mechanistically consistent option is the one describing that reduced CYP activity can prolong prodrug half-life by limiting conversion to the bioactive form, while the other choices overlook how genetic variation in CYPs modulates prodrug activation and ethnic differences, or mischaracterize the metabolic steps involved.

PHRM20001_2025_SM2 Mid-Semester Test- Requires Respondus LockDown Browser

If a prodrug is converted into its bioactive form through metabolism by a cytochrome P450 enzyme then:

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