Effect of hyperoxia on rat pulmonary and hepatic cytochrome P450 monooxygenases

Abstract

Exposure of adult male rats to hyperoxia (O₂ > 95%) resulted in a tendency for all of the components of the pulmonary cytochrome P450 (P450) system to increase at 48 h after the exposure. However, the most pronounced effect of hyperoxia was observed on pulmonary ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activities which were induced 4- and 25-fold respectively after 48 h. In the liver, P450 and NADH b₅ reductase were increased after 48 h, while other components of the monooxygenase system remained unchanged. In the hepatic microsomes, contrary to the lungs, aminopyrine N-demethylase activity was decreased after 24 h of hyperoxic exposure (P < 0.05) and returned to the control level by 48 h. Similar changes were observed in benzphetamine N-demethylase activity. Aniline hydroxylase activity was decreased after 8 h of hyperoxic exposure (P < 0.01) and remained decreased at 24 h (P < 0.01) and 48 h (P < 0.05). The level of induction of ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activities, however, was almost similar in the liver to that observed in the lungs.