Effects of ethanol and sorbitol on mixed-function oxidation in perfused rat livers

Enhanced demethylation and denitrosation of N-nitrosodimethylamine by human liver microsomes from alcoholics

The metabolism of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) was investigated in incubations with human liver microsomes from alcoholics and control patients who suffered from other diseases, but had a histological normal liver. All of the microsomal samples studied were able to metabolize NDMA at various concentrations to both formaldehyde and nitrite. Analysis of the liver microsomes from alcoholics revealed that both enzymatic activities--formaldehyde and nitrite formation--were enhanced several times as compared to the control patients. The results point to the fact that alcoholics metabolize NDMA at a higher rate probably due to the induction of one or more ethanol-inducible human liver cytochromes (cyt.) P450. The question if alcoholics therefore possess a higher risk for carcinogenic events is discussed.

A permeabilized cell system for studying regulation of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase: NADPH as rate limiting factor in benzo(a)pyrene metabolism

The disadvantage of a whole cell system for studying the metabolism of xenobiotics is that some substrates and regulatory molecules do not readily cross the cell membrane. The present study describes a technique to permeabilize H-4-II-E rat hepatoma cells for the study of benzo(a)pyrene metabolism. NADPH is an essential cofactor in the in vitro microsomal metabolism of benzo(a)pyrene and has been shown by indirect measurement to be a rate limiting factor in mixed function oxidase activity in whole liver perfusion systems. The role of NADPH has not been directly demonstrated in an intact cell system. Using this permeabilized whole cell system it is possible to directly demonstrate that NADPH is rate limiting in the mixed function oxidation of benzo(a)pyrene.