Evidence for a predominantly NADH-dependent O-dealkylating system in rat hepatic microsomes

This study compared the NADH- and NADPH-supported p-nitrophenetole (NP) O-deethylase, ethylmorphine (EM) O-deethylase and EM N-demethylase activities of rat hepatic microsomes with respect to dioxygen requirement, inhibition by carbon monoxide, inhibition by classical inhibitors of cytochrome P-450 systems, and the involvement of NADH-cytochrome b5, cytochrome b5 reductase and NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase. The results generated the following conclusions and speculations: NADH- and NADPH-supported O-deethylations of NP involve different P-450 hemoproteins. This conclusion was based largely on the observations that the NADPH-supported reaction was inhibited by carbon monoxide and cyanide (5 mM), whereas the NADH-supported reaction was not; the NADH-supported reaction required a relatively high pO2 for maximal activity, whereas the NADPH-supported reaction did not, and the NADPH-supported reaction was depressed in microsomes from rats that had been administered Co2+, Mn2+, allylisopropylacetamide (AIA) or polyriboinosinic acid X polyribocytidylic acid (poly IC), whereas the NADH-supported reaction was not. However, the NADH- and NADPH-supported reactions shared some common features: both were strongly inhibited by alpha-naphthoflavone and weakly inhibited by 2-diethylaminoethyl 2,2-diphenyl valerate HCI (SKF 525-A), both were destroyed by linoleic acid hydroperoxide, and both were induced by 3-methylcholanthrene (MC) and phenobarbital. The use of antibodies against NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase, NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase and cytochrome b5 demonstrated that both the NADH- and the NADPH-supported reactions depend on established components of cytochrome P-450 systems. The P-450 hemoproteins involved primarily in both the NADH- and NADPH-supported deethylation of NP are the P1-450 type, i.e. they are markedly induced by MC and inhibited by alpha-napthoflavone. The NADH- and NADPH-supported O-deethylations of NP involve separate electron transfer systems.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)