Xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes of rat liver nonparenchymal cells.

Abstract The nonparenchymal cells (NPC) of the liver are primarily located along the sinusoids and therefore are the first cells to encounter blood-borne xenobiotics. To study the possible role of the NPC in the metabolism of xenobiotics, populations of NPC and parenchymal cells (PC) were prepared from rats and various xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme activities investigated. The specific activity of every enzyme studied (ethoxyresorufin deethylase, benzphetamine demethylase, glutathione transferase, UDP glucuronosyltransferase, and microsomal epoxide hydrolase) was 12 to 1000% higher in the PC than in the NPC populations and the patterns of activities between the two populations were remarka…