Biomedical subjects

J F Ménez

Publications and source records attributed to J F Ménez.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1999

Acetaldehyde cytotoxicity in cultured rat astrocytes.

The effect of acetaldehyde on astrocytes have been investigated because not only do they play an important role in brain maturation but also recent reports have shown their delayed proliferation following both 'in vivo' and 'in vitro' ethanol exposure. Biochemical parameters related to apoptotic and necrotic processes were examined in primary cultures of rat astrocytes exposed for 4 days to acetaldehyde generated from ethanol by co-cultured alcohol dehydrogenase-transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells. Acetaldehyde levels in the culture media attained concentrations of approximately 450 microM. To study ethanol effects, alcohol oxidation was inhibited by 4-methylpyrazole (an inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase). Acetaldehyde but not ethanol increased intracellular calcium levels by 155%. Moreover, significant DNA fragmentation was detected using a random oligonucleotide primed synthesis assay, by flow cytometry and when using agar gel electrophoresis. Transglutaminase activity was elevated in the cells treated with acetaldehyde but when acetaldehyde formation was inhibited by 4-methylpyrazole the enzyme activity was unaffected. Nitrate levels in the culture media were unchanged. Additionally, microscopic examination of cell nuclei revealed chromatin condensation in astrocytes exposed to acetaldehyde. It can be concluded, that in 'in vitro' acetaldehyde exposed rat astrocytes apoptotic pathways are activated.

Acetaldehyde↗

PubMed1997

Cytochrome P450 hydroxylation of carbon atoms of the alkyl chain of symmetrical N-nitrosodialkylamines by human liver microsomes.

A panel of 14 human liver microsomal preparations metabolized at variable rates three symmetrical nitrosodialkylamines (N-nitroso-dipropyl, dibutyl and diamyl-amines, NDPA, NDBA, NDAA) into aldehydes and hydroxynitrosamines. Formation of linear aldehydes, convenient probes for alpha-hydroxylation of alkyl chain, and production of hydroxy metabolites of NDPA, NDBA and NDAA were simultaneously monitored by two specific HPLC detection methods. The longer the alkyl chain, the smaller the metabolic rate of the alpha-hydroxylation of the alkyl chain and the greater was the metabolic rate of the corresponding (omega-1)-hydroxy metabolite formation. Thus, the (omega-1)-hydroxylation of the alkyl chain was the major metabolic pathway of NDBA and NDAA in so far as it represented 3.3- and 86-fold of the alpha-hydroxylation. The balance between beta- to omega-hydroxylations and alpha-hydroxylation of carbon atoms of the alkyl chain depends upon its length and also upon the specific P450 isoform(s) involved. The hydroxylation site of the alkyl chain by P450 2E1 depends upon its length. For short alkyl chains, the main pathway was alpha-hydroxylation while for long alkyl chains, such as pentyl, (omega-1)-hydroxylation became the major pathway. The rate of alpha-hydroxylation was shown to be correlated with mutagenesis of 5 dialkylnitrosamines, as inferred from literature data, while the (omega-1)-hydroxylation was inversely correlated. Furthermore, other P450s than P450 2E1, such as P450 3A4 and 2C were shown to be involved in the metabolism of nitrosodialkylamines bearing long alkyl chains.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Cytochrome P450 4A and 2E1 expression in human kidney microsomes.

Laurate and arachidonate omega and (omega-1)-hydroxylase activities, cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1), and CYP4A content were measured in 18 human kidney microsomal samples. The rates of laurate and arachidonate were found to be very different from those measured in human liver samples, with a laurate omega/omega-1 ratio of approximately 22 in human kidney vs 0.75 in human liver. Immunoblot analysis of the 18 human kidney microsomal samples identified 1 CYP4A electrophoretic band, but CYP2E1 was not detectable in human kidney, contrary to liver. Laurate and arachidonate omega-hydroxylase activities were significantly correlated with CYP4A content (r = 0.86 and 0.75, respectively). Polyclonal antirat CYP2E1 antibody did not affect omega-hydroxylase activity, whereas the polyclonal antirat CYP4A1 antibody inhibited it by 60%. These results suggest that, in contrast to other species, human kidney microsomes do not contain significant amounts of CYP2E1, but possess CYP4A and fatty acid omega-hydroxylase activity.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Interaction of methadone with substrates of human hepatic cytochrome P450 3A4.

Methadone, a synthetic drug, is one of the most widely used drugs for opiate dependency treatment. This drug has been demonstrated to be extensively metabolized by cytochrome P450 3A4 in human liver microsomes. Thus, the aim of this in vitro study was to determine if methadone is an inhibitor of other P450s characterized by their specific catalytic activities. Enzymatic activities specific to P450 2E1, P450 1A, P450 2B and P450 2C were not inhibited by methadone. Conversely, nifedipine oxidation, mediated by cytochrome P450 3A4, was potently inhibited by methadone by a mixed-type inhibition mechanism with a Ki of 100 microM. Fluvoxamine, a new antidepressant, was shown to be a potent mixed-type inhibitor of methadone N-demethylation with a Ki of 7 microM. Finally, methadone appears to be a mixed-type inhibitor and not a suicide inhibitor of cytochrome P450 3A family. Accordingly, caution should be advised in the clinical use of methadone when other drugs are administered that are able to induce or inhibit P450 3A4, such as rifampicin or nifedipine, diazepam and fluvoxamine.

Binding, Competitive↗

PubMed1997

Chlormethiazole inhibition of cytochrome P450 2E1 as assessed by chlorzoxazone hydroxylation in humans.

Chlormethiazole is a sedative and anticonvulsive drug used in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal. Because it had been reported that chlormethiazole inhibits the alcohol-inducible cytochrome P450 2E1 in rat liver, we investigated the in vivo and in vitro effect of this drug on cytochrome P450 2E1 in human beings. The activity of this cytochrome was assessed using chlorzoxazone as a probe. The 6-hydroxychlorzoxazone-chlorzoxazone blood concentration ratio, reflecting the cytochrome P450 2E1 activity, was determined in 10 controls and in 24 alcoholic patients who had entered a hospital for detoxification. Alcoholic patients were administered either chlormethiazole (1.3-2.3 g/d) or chlorazepate (100-300 mg/d) as a sedative. Cytochrome P450 2E1 activity was significantly increased in alcoholic patients treated with chlorazepate (1.16 +/- 0.40 vs. 0.27 +/- 0.03, P < .05). In contrast, chlormethiazole treatment inhibited chlorzoxazone hydroxylation almost totally (0.046 +/- 0.03, P < .001). After 7-14 days of ethanol withdrawal, alcoholic patients treated with chlorazepate had ratio values similar to those of controls (0.31 +/- 0.05), whereas values from alcoholic patients treated with chlormethiazole remained low (0.049 +/- 0.01) even though chlormethiazole doses were gradually decreased. Pharmacokinetic studies in controls showed that chlormethiazole-mediated inhibition was present even when chlormethiazole was not detectable in the blood. In addition, the effect of chlormethiazole on cytochrome P450 2E1 was studied in vitro using human liver microsomes. Dixon plot analyses showed a noncompetitive inhibition (Ki = 12 micromol/L). These data clearly show that chlormethiazole is an efficient inhibitor of chlorzoxazone metabolism and thus of cytochrome P450 2E1 activity in human beings. Because cytochrome P450 2E1 induction after chronic ethanol consumption has detrimental effects on the liver through free radical formation, treatment of alcohol detoxification with chlormethiazole may be beneficial.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Phenobarbital sensitivity in HAS and LAS rats before and after chronic administration of ethanol.

Rats selectively bred for high alcohol sensitivity (HAS) or low alcohol sensitivity (LAS) were tested for initial sensitivity to hypnotic doses of ethanol and a locomotor-altering dose of phenobarbital. Following 6 weeks of either a pair-fed control or 33% ethanol-derived calorie diet, animals were tested again for tolerance to ethanol and cross-tolerance to phenobarbital. HAS and LAS rats did not differ in baseline open field or Rotarod activity before chronic ethanol treatment. However, HAS rats were more sensitive to 50 mg/ kg phenobarbital relative to LAS rats. Both control- and ethanol-diet rats appeared to be less sensitive to phenobarbital after the 6-week treatment period. Chronic ethanol-exposed HAS and LAS rats demonstrated tolerance to ethanol and cross-tolerance to phenobarbital, and in particular LAS rats were even more active in the open field following phenobarbital relative to controls. In summary, significant differences in response to phenobarbital were observed between HAS and LAS rats. These observations suggest that initial sensitivity and tolerance to ethanol are associated with differences in phenobarbital sensitivity and are influenced by similar genes.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Induction of liver and kidney CYP1A1/1A2 by caffeine in rat.

Caffeine metabolism by hepatic microsomal P450 enzymes is well documented in experimental animals and humans. However, its induction effect on P450 enzymes has not been thoroughly studied. In a preliminary experiment, the time-dependent incubation of 1 mM caffeine with rat hepatocyte culture resulted in an increase of its own metabolic rate. The dose-dependent expression of rat hepatic and renal cytochromes (CYP) 1A1/1A2 was then investigated after per os administration of caffeine. P450 expression was monitored by using specific enzymatic activities and Northern blot analysis. Caffeine caused a dose-dependent elevation of hepatic CYP1A1/1A2 activities in microsomal preparations, which ranged from 1.7- to 6-fold for ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase and 3- to 8.9-fold for methoxy-resorufin O-demethylase according to the dose regimen of 50 and 150 mg caffeine/kg/day for 3 days, respectively. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that caffeine treatment increased liver CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 mRNA levels over the dose regimen of 50-150 mg caffeine/kg/day for 3 days, respectively. The result of this study demonstrates that caffeine increases its own metabolism in a dose-dependent manner and induces CYP1A1/1A2 expression through either transcriptional activation or mRNA stabilization.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Hydroxylation of carbon atoms of the alkyl chain of symmetrical N-nitrosodialkylamines by rat liver microsomes.

Liver microsomal preparations from control and treated rats (cytochromes P450 1A, 2B, 3A and 2E1-induced) metabolized at variable metabolic rates three nitrosodialkylamines (N-nitroso-dipropyl, dibutyl and diamyl-amines) into aldehydes and hydroxy-nitrosamines. The longer the alkyl chain, the smaller was the metabolic rate of the alpha-hydroxylation of alkyl chain yielding aldehyde and the greater was the metabolic rate of the corresponding (omega-1)-hydroxyl metabolite formation. Thus, the (omega-1) hydroxylation of the alkyl chain was the major metabolic pathway of N-nitrosodiamylamine (NDAA) so far as it represented 22-fold the alpha-hydroxylation. The balance between beta to omega hydroxylation and alpha-hydroxylation depends upon the alkyl chain length and also on specific P450 isoform induction.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Analysis of N-nitrosamines by high-performance liquid chromatography with post-column photohydrolysis and colorimetric detection.

N-Nitrosamines eluted from reversed-phase HPLC were quantitatively photohydrolysed in a UV photoreactor in aqueous solution to give the nitrite ion which could be determined colorimetrically with the Griess reagent. The chromatographic behavior of N-nitroso compounds (including 19 volatile dialkyl and 7 non-volatile N-nitrosamines) was studied on three octadecylsilane columns. The capacity factor varies linearly with the number of carbons atom of the n-dialkyl chains. N-nitrosamines bearing di-n-alkyl chains with the same number of carbon atoms could be separated with a highly polar mobile phase. The yield of photohydrolysis depends upon pH and time of exposure under UV light. The response was shown to be linear in the 0-200 ng range with a limit of detection of 8 pmoles injected for N-dialkyl nitrosamines. This limit was 20 pmoles for N-nitrosamines bearing two phenyl groups. Although N-nitrosamines could be detected at 230 nm without post-column reaction, such a reaction enhances the specificity of detection in biological matrices such as gastric juice or alcoholic beverages.

Beer↗

PubMed1996

Determination of cytochrome P450 2E1 activity in microsomes by thin-layer chromatography using [2-14C]chlorzoxazone.

A thin-layer chromatographic assay was developed as an alternative method for the determination of cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) in microsomes using [2-14C]chlorzoxazone. After incubation of microsomes with 0.125 microCi/mmol chlorzoxazone, chlorzoxazone and its single metabolite, 6-hydroxychlorzoxazone, were extracted using chloroform-2-propanol (85:15, v/v) and chromatographed on silica gel 60 F254 plates with acetone-hexane (45:55, v/v) as solvent . The plates were then exposed to X-ray film for 2 days to localize the radiolabelled chlorzoxazone and 6-hydroxychlorzoxazone. The metabolite and substrate regions were scraped and counted in a liquid scintillation analyzer. This method is sensitive enough to determine constitutive and induced CYP2E1 activities in liver or kidney microsomes. The precision of the method was similar to that of the HPLC method. The correlation coefficient between both methods was found to be 0.97 (n = 21). Therefore, the TLC method constitutes a valuable tool for the determination of chlorzoxazone metabolism in microsomes.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Involvement of cytochrome P450 3A4 enzyme in the N-demethylation of methadone in human liver microsomes.

Methadone has become one of the most widely used drugs for opiate dependency treatment. This drug is extensively metabolized by the cytochrome P450 hepatic enzyme family in man, yielding an N-demethylated metabolite that cyclizes spontaneously into 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine. The specific forms of cytochrome P450 involved in this oxidative N-demethylation were examined in a panel of 20 human liver microsomal preparations previously characterized with respect to their P450 enzyme contents. Methadone was demethylated with an apparent Km of 545 +/- 258 microM (n = 3). The metabolic rates were 745 +/- 574 pmol/(min.mg of protein). This metabolic pathway was strongly correlated with estradiol 2-hydroxylation, testosterone 6 beta-hydroxylation, nifedipine oxidation, erythromycin N-demethylation, and toremifene N-demethylation, all of these monooxygenase activities being supported by P450 3A4. Furthermore, the total P450 3A content of liver microsomal samples, determined by immuno-quantification using a monoclonal anti-human P450 3A4 antibody, was correlated with methadone demethylation (r = 0.72; p < 0.003). Methadone metabolism was 60-72% inhibited either by three mechanism-based inhibitors of P450 3A4 (gestodene, TAO, and erythralosamine) or by four reversible inhibitors of P450 3A (ketoconazole, dihydroergotamine, quercetin, and diazepam with an apparent Ki of 50 microM) and by two nonspecific inhibitors (metyrapone and SKF-525A). Conversely, quinidine (inhibitor of P450 2D6), 7,8-benzoflavone (inhibitor of P450 1A), or sulfaphenazole (inhibitor of P450 2C) did not significantly inhibit, and may even have activated, methadone metabolism. Four heterologously expressed P450 proteins were able to catalyze the N-demethylation of methadone, namely, P450 2C8, P450 2C18, P450 2D6, and P450 3A4. However, referring to their relative liver content, it can be asserted that P450 3A4 is the major enzyme involved in the N-demethylation of methadone on average. Accordingly, caution should be advised in the clinical use of methadone when other drugs are also administered that induce or inhibit P450 3A4, such as rifampicin or diazepam, respectively.

Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A↗

PubMed1996

Cytochrome P450 metabolic dealkylation of nine N-nitrosodialkylamines by human liver microsomes.

The metabolic dealkylation of nine nitrosodialkylamines, including five symmetrical (nitrosodimethylamine, nitrosodiethylamine, nitrosodipropylamine, nitrosodibutylamine and nitrosodiamylamine) and four asymmetrical nitrosodialkylamines (nitrosomethylethylamine, nitrosomethylpropylamine, nitrosomethylbutylamine and nitrosomethylamylamine), was investigated in 14 samples of human liver microsomes. All these nitrosodialkylamines were dealkytated to aldehydes that were separated by reversed phase HPLC and UV detected as dinitrophenylhydrazones. As the length of the alkyl chain increased from methyl to pentyl, dealkylation of symmetrical nitrosodialkylamines became less efficiently catalyzed by cytochrome P450. Conversely, oxidation of the methyl moiety of asymmetrical nitrosomethylalkylamines increased with the size of the alkyl moiety, while dealkylation of the longer alkyl group decreased. N-Dealkylase activities were significantly correlated with P450 activities measured in human liver microsomes. These catalytic activities involve CYP2A6 (coumarin 7-hydroxylation), CYP2C (mephenytoin 4-hydroxylation and tolbutamide hydroxylation), CYP2D6 (dextromethorphan O-demethylation), CYP2E1 (chlorzoxazone and p-nitrophenol hydroxylation) and CYP3A4 (nifedipine oxidation). By using 10 heterologously expressed P450s, it was shown that nitrosodimethylamine was mainly demethylated by CYP2E1. However, such enzyme specificity was lost with increasing size of the alkyl group. Therefore, the chain length of the alkyl group of nitrosodialkylamines determined the P450 involved in its oxidation. All these results emphasize that the catalytic site of P450 2EI has a geometric configuration such that only small molecules like nitrosodimethylamine fit favorably within the putative active site of the enzyme. Furthermore, there is good evidence that P450s other than P450 2E1, such as P450 2A6, 2C8/2C9/2C19 and 3A4, are involved in the metabolism of nitrosodialkylamines bearing bulky alkyl chains.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Cytochromes P4502E1 and P4501A1 genotypes and susceptibility to cirrhosis or upper aerodigestive tract cancer in alcoholic caucasians.

Genetic polymorphisms of various cytochromes P450 have recently been described and could be implicated in the individual susceptibility of alcoholics to ethanol-related diseases. Rsal and Dral polymorphisms of CYP2E1 and Mspl polymorphism of CYP1A1 were studied in 260 controls and 511 alcoholic patients, without any clinical symptoms (n = 202) or with various ethanol-related diseases (n = 309), such as liver cirrhosis (n = 110), esophageal cancer (n = 62), upper aerodigestive tract cancer (n = 96), and other miscellaneous diseases (n = 41). Frequencies of the mutated alleles were found to be 2.5% (Rsal), 7.9% (Dral), and 8.7% (Mspl) in controls; 4%, 14.1%, and 12% in alcoholics without clinical symptoms; and 3.1%, 12.5%, and 11.2% in alcoholics with ethanol-related diseases. The only significant difference was found in the Dral polymorphism, whose frequency was enhanced in alcoholics with (p < 0.05) or without ethanol-related diseases (p < 0.01) when compared with controls. No differences were found between alcoholics without clinical symptoms and alcoholics with cirrhosis, esophageal cancer, or upper aerodigestive tract cancer. However, in liver cirrhosis and in ethanol-related cancers, the rare Dral-C allele was three times less frequent in patients under the age of 45 than in older patients, suggesting a protective role for this allele. In conclusion, our data indicate that the aforementioned mutations do not play a critical role in the development of cirrhosis, esophageal cancer, or upper aerodigestive tract cancers in Caucasians.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Caffeine increases its own metabolism through cytochrome P4501A induction in rats.

Caffeine is one of the most widely used - and maybe abused - xenobiotic compounds in the world. If numerous pharmacological properties of caffeine have been reported, the effects of caffeine treatment on the hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme system have been scarcely studied. Pretreatment of rats for 3 days with 150 mg/kg/day of caffeine dramatically increased P4501A and P4502B dependent catalytic activities determined in vitro. Furthermore, N-demethylations and C-8 oxidation of caffeine were increased by about 2 fold by caffeine treatment. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that the liver contents of P4501A2 and P4502B1/2B2, known to be involved in these monooxygenase activities, increased also by about 2 fold. Cytochrome P4503A1 and 2E1 were not modified. Taken together, there data suggest that caffeine increases its own metabolism through P4501A induction.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Interaction between two probes used for phenotyping cytochromes P4501A2 (caffeine) and P4502E1 (chlorzoxazone) in humans.

The first steps in the metabolism of caffeine and chlorzoxazone are primarily catalysed by CYP1A2 and CYP2E1, respectively. Accordingly, these compounds have been developed as metabolic probes for non-invasive phenotyping of these two P450s. Their specificities, however, have been shown to overlap. In this study, 140 mg of caffeine and 500 mg of chlorzoxazone were administered alone or together in 16 healthy subjects under standardized conditions. The metabolites of these two probes were measured in the blood and also in the urine for caffeine. CYP1A2 activity was determined either by the paraxanthine/caffeine ratio in the blood or by the usual caffeine metabolic ratio in the urine. The CYP2E1 activity was determined by the 6-OH-chlorzoxazone/chlorzoxazone ratio in blood. CYP1A2 activities measured in blood and urine were highly significantly correlated. CYP2E1 activity was not modified when chlorzoxazone was given together with caffeine. In contrast, an inhibition of CYP1A2 by chlorzoxazone was demonstrated by a 16% decrease in the caffeine metabolic ratio in urine when both caffeine and chlorzoxazone were given together. Under the same conditions, the paraxanthine/caffeine ratio in plasma also decreased by about 20%. These results were confirmed in vitro by the incubation of 1 mM caffeine with human hepatic liver microsomes in the presence of 0.4 mM chlorzoxazone. The overall metabolism of caffeine decreased by 38% compared to controls incubated without chlorzoxazone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Cytochrome P450 2E1 genotype and chlorzoxazone metabolism in healthy and alcoholic Caucasian subjects.

Susceptibility to cancer or ethanol-related liver diseases may be associated with a large variability in cytochrome P450 2E1 activity. This variability may be of genetic origin or reflect environmental factors. To test the role of genetics, the phenotype and genotype of this enzyme were determined in 42 non-alcoholic and 74 alcoholic patients hospitalized for detoxification treatment. Chlorzoxazone metabolism was used to assess CYP2E1 phenotype. Restriction length fragment polymorphisms with Rsa I or Pst I, and Dra I endonucleases were used to determine the two mutant alleles, Pst I/Rsa I-c2 and Dra I-C. A significant gender difference in basal CYP2E1 activity was observed in non-smoking controls (p < 0.05) but not in alcoholics or smokers. Subjects heterozygous for the C or c2 mutated allele did not show any difference in CYP2E1 activity at the basal level, compared with the wild type homozygotes. Conversely, patients with the mutated genotype appeared less inducible than the others after ethanol induction (p < 0.01).

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Decrease in cytochrome P4502E1 as assessed by the rate of chlorzoxazone hydroxylation in alcoholics during the withdrawal phase.

To evaluate cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1) induction in alcoholics, the ratio of the concentrations of 6-hydroxychlorzoxazone (6-OH-CHZ) and chlorzoxazone (CHZ) was measured in blood 2 hr after CHZ ingestion using a HPLC method. This ratio was determined in controls and in alcoholic patients after 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, and 21 days withdrawal. It was found to be 0.34 +/- 0.03 in 30 controls and 1.05 +/- 0.14 in 41 alcoholic patients within 2 days following ethanol withdrawal. This ratio decreased rapidly during withdrawal as attested by the short half-life of CYP2E1, which was found to be 2.5 days. Patients tested for CHZ metabolism after 8 or 21 days alcohol abstinence displayed the same ratio as controls [0.35 +/- 0.03 (n = 28) and 0.31 +/- 0.03 (n = 34), respectively]. No correlation was observed between gamma-glutamyltransferase, carbohydrate-deficient transferrin values, the amount of alcohol consumed/day, and the 6-OH-CHZ/CHZ ratio. There was no influence of smoking on the rate of CHZ hydroxylation, because smokers displayed the same ratio as nonsmokers [0.33 +/- 0.025 (n = 62) and 0.33 +/- 0.02 (n = 30), respectively]. The CHZ hydroxylation ratio seems to be a good reflection of the hepatic and extrahepatic CYP2E1 activity in humans.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Effects of various cytochrome P-450 inducers on testosterone metabolism and several monooxygenase activities in Sprague-Dawley (SpD), high alcohol sensitivity (HAS) and low alcohol sensitivity (LAS) rats.

Hydroxylation of testosterone (TST) has been shown to be regio- and stereo-specific for a number of cytochrome P-450 isoenzymes. Three rat lines [Sprague-Dawley (SpD), high alcohol sensitivity (HAS) and low alcohol sensitivity (LAS)] were tested for this enzymatic specificity after treatment with phenobarbital, clofibrate, 3-methylcholanthrene and pregnenolone-16 alpha-carbonitrile. These compounds are known to induce cytochrome P-450 2B, 4A, 1A and 3A1, respectively, in the rat. Induction efficiency was established by using the usual enzyme activities specific for these P-450s (pentoxyresorufin, lauric acid, ethoxyresorufin and nifedipine oxidase). Five mono hydroxylated TST metabolites were separated using a sensitive HPLC procedure. The hydroxylation of TST was found to be significantly different between the lines even in the uninduced state. The formation of the metabolites of TST, hydroxylated on 2 alpha or 7 alpha or 16 alpha positions and oxidated on carbon 17 (delta 4), was found to be significantly increased in SpD rats when compared with the HAS-LAS lines (P < 0.0001 in each case). When the HAS-LAS lines were compared, the quantity of 2 alpha and 16 alpha hydroxylated metabolites was found to be significantly lower in LAS rats (P < 0.05). These differences persisted, although in the opposite direction, after 3-methylcholanthrene (P < 0.01 for both 2 alpha and 16 alpha) and phenobarbital induction (P < 0.01 for 2 alpha).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alcoholism↗