['Our goal was to investigate whether artemisinin autoinduction is caused by an increase in cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2B6 or CYP2C9 activities, we evaluated the effects of multiple-dose artemisinin administration on S-mephenytoin N-demethylation in healthy subjects.', 'Fourteen subjects, 6 poor metabolizers of CYP2C19 and 8 extensive metabolizers, received a single oral dose of 200 mg racemic mephenytoin (CYP2B6 in vivo marker) before (day -28) and during multiple-dose artemisinin administration (250 mg/d orally for 9 days and 500 mg on the tenth day). A 500-mg single dose of artemisinin was administered on day -28. The CYP2C9 in vivo marker tolbutamide was administered on day -28 and on days 7, 12, and 17 to monitor the minor involvement of CYP2C9 in S-mephenytoin N-demethylation.', 'Artemisinin oral clearance increased 5.3-fold (P <.001) by the tenth day of administration. Its pharmacokinetics was not different in the 2 CYP2C19 phenotypes. The oral clearance of R-mephenytoin increased 1.7-fold (P <.05) in both phenotypes during the period of artemisinin administration. The area under the concentration-time curve ratio of S-nirvanol/S-mephenytoin, an index of CYP2B6 activity, increased 1.9-fold (P <.05) in CYP2C19 poor metabolizers during artemisinin multiple-dose administration, whereas the urinary excretion ratio of hydroxytolbutamide plus carboxytolbutamide/tolbutamide remained constant during the study period.'] Is artemisinin autoinduction caused by involvement of cytochrome P450 2B6 but not 2C9?