Increased aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity in hepatic microsomes from streptozotocin-diabetic female rats

In streptozotocin-induced diabetic male rats, hepatic microsomal aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity was depressed to less than control values, but was increased in microsomes from diabetic female rats. Insulin treatment of diabetic animals returned the altered AHH activity to control values in both sexes of rats. 2. Hepatic microsomal AHH activity was increased over control values in both sexes of diabetic mice. 3. Protection of female rats from the diabetogenic effects of streptozotocin by nicotinamide pretreatment also prevented the increase in AHH activity observed in unprotected animals. 4. Treatment of control and diabetic female rats with 3-methylcholanthrene resulted in larger increases in hepatic AHH activity in control animals, but similar increases in cytochrome P-448 content occurred in both treatment groups. 5. Differential stimulatory or inhibitory effects on AHH activity were observed after the addition of SKF 525-A, metyrapone, and rotenone to hepatic microsomes in vitro from control and diabetic female rats. However, similar stimulatory responses in AHH activity were observed after addition of alpha-naphthoflavone to microsomes from both treatment groups.