Activities of Hepatic Microsomal Electron Transport System in Prolonged Ethanol-Treated Rats

Abstract

In previous studies, the authors reported that chronic ethanol feeding caused an in crease in the amount of cytochrome P-450 and stimulated the 1~-hydroxylation of aniline, but had no effect on the N-demethylation of aminopyrine or the side-chain oxidation of hexobarbital by liver microsomes (1) (2). Holtzman et al. (3) pointed out that the N demethylation of ethylmorphine by liver microsomes was more closely related to NADPH cytochrome P-450 reductase activity than to the amount of cytochrorne P-450. On the other hand, it has recently been revealed that cytochronie P-450 reductase activity de creases in the presence of aniline and increases in the presence of aminopyrine (4).Thus in the present study, activities of main components of hepatic microsomal elec tron transport system in prolonged ethanol-treated rats were determined in the presence of the drug substrate.