INDUCTION OF CYTOCHROME P-448 BY 3-METHYLCHOLANTHRENE IN THE RAT DURING INHIBITION OF PROTEIN SYNTHESIS IN VIVO

Administration of cycloheximide in vivo during induction of rats with 3-methylcholanthrene prevents the increase in total cytochrome P-450 content usually seen under the influence of the inducer. The population of cytochromes P-450 in the livers of these animals is, however, similar to that in the completely induced animals. Microsomal aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity and biphenyl-2-hydroxylation are enhanced severalfold and biphenyl-4-hydroxylation is enhanced twofold. Monooxygenase activity shows the same pattern of preferential inhibition as in microsomes from animals which had received the inducer only. The affinity of the reduced cytochromes for the ligand metyrapone is considerab…

Interruption of the enterohepatic circulation of phenprocoumon by cholestyramine

The effect of cholestyramine (12 gm/day divided into 3 doses) on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a single intravenouse dose (30 mg) of phenprocoumon was studied in 6 normal subjects. Cholestyramine treatment led to an increase in the rate of elimination of phenprocoumon in all. Total clearance increased 1.5- to 2-fold. The total anticoagulant effect per dose was considerably reduced during treatment with cholestyramine. Binding studies in vitro showed that phenprocoumon is strongly bound to cholestyramine and that at a given cholestyramine concentration the percentage of phenprocoumon bound remained constant over a large concentration range of phenprocoumon. The results suggest…

Enzymic control of irreversible binding of metabolically activated benzo(a)pyrene in perfused rat liver by monooxygenase activity.

Addition of [3H]-benzo(a)pyrene to the perfusion medium of isolated rat livers results in irreversible binding of radioactivity to DNA, RNA and protein. Binding to DNA accounted for about 0.1% of the total radioactivity which was bound in livers from animals treated with oil or saline and was increased by a factor of 3–5 after pretreatment of the animals with β-naphthoflavone or with phenobarbital. When the inhibitiors of monooygenase activity, α-naphthoflavone or metyrapone, were present in the perfusion medium, irreversible binding was reduced in livers from both β-naphthoflavone- and phenobarbital-pretreated animals, irrespective of the inhibitor used.

Differential inhibition of biphenyl hydroxylation in perfused rat liver

A differential inhibition of biphenyl hydroxylation by alpha-naphthoflavone and metyrapone was observed in isolated perfused rat liver. alpha-Naphthoflavone inhibited 2- and 4-hydroxylation in livers from beta-naphthoflavone-pretreated animals but had no effect on both reactions in livers from phenobarbital-pretreated animals. Metyrapone inhibited 2- and 4-hydroxylation in phenobarbital-stimulated livers, but only insignificant inhibition of 2-hydroxylation and a slight enhancement of 4-hydroxylation by metyrapone was observed in beta-naphthoflavone-stimulated livers. Conjugation of 2-hydroxybiphenyl and 4-hydroxybiphenyl by isolated perfused livers was also studied. 4-Hydroxybiphenyl prefe…

ENHANCEMENT OF MICROSOMAL TYPE II SUBSTRATE OXIDATION BY HEMOGLOBIN

Reductive Drug Metabolism in Isolated Perfused Rat Liver under Restricted Oxygen Supply

1. Hepatic azo and nitro reductase activities were studied in the perfused rat liver under normal and restricted oxygen supply. 2. Formation of sulphanilamide or p-aminobenzoic acid from neoprontosil or p-nitrobenzoic acid under aerobic conditions of liver perfusion was negligible, even at a reduced oxygen saturation of a pO2 of 300 mm Hg in the haemoglobinfree perfusion system. At a pO2 of 200 mm Hg reductase activities were almost maximal. 3. Conjugation of sulphanilamide (0-08 mM) was similar under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Hepatic elimination of p-aminobenzoic acid (0-08 mM) showed an oxygen-dependent increase for 15 min after addition of substrate. 4. p-Nitroanisole demethylati…

Enhancement of Nitro Reduction in Rat Liver Microsomes by Haemin and Haemoproteins

1. Reductive metabolism of p-nitrobenzoic acid and neoprontosil in rat liver microsomes was studied in the presence of haemin, haemoglobin and myoglobin. 2. Microsomal nitro reduction is enhanced 4-fold in the presence of haemoglobin, whereas azo reduction is not affected. 3. Microsomal nitro reduction is enhanced to a similar extent by haemoglobin, haemin and boiled haemoglobin, whereas myoglobin is about half as active. 4. Maximal enhancement of microsomal nitro reductase activity by haemoglobin is achieved at high substrate concentration (6 mM) and low microsomal protein concentration (0.5--1.0 mg/ml). 5. Control microsomal nitro reduction as well as the haemoglobin-enhanced microsomal n…

Reductive Metabolism of P-Nitrobenzoic Acid and Nitrazepam in the Isolated Perfused Rat Liver in the Presence of Ethanol

Reductive metabolism of aromatic nitro compounds has been shown to play a minor role under aerobic conditions and to reach maximal activities under anoxia (Jonen-Kern et al., Xenobiotica, in press). We have shown that in the presence of ethanol maximal activities can be obtained even under aerobic conditions.

Reductive and oxidative metabolism of nitrofurantoin in rat liver.

The elimination of nitrofurantoin was studied in the isolated rat liver using a recirculating hemoglobin-free perfusion system. The most rapid clearance of nitrofurantoin (0.1 mM) was found under hypoxia (8 ml/min) or anoxia (11 ml/min) indicating a fast and oxygen-sensitive reductive metabolism. The hepatic elimination of nitrofurantoin under anaerobic conditions apparently is not catalyzed by xanthine oxidase, aldehyde oxidase or cytochrome P-450 as judged from the lack of influence of the inhibitors (0.1 mM) allopurinol, menadione, metyrapone, α-naphthoflavone or of carbon monoxide (50%; v/v). Under aerobic conditions the hepatic clearance of nitrofurantoin is rather low (1 ml/min) indic…