Comparison of hepatic microsomal drug-metabolizing systems from rats fed crude and purified diets

Hepatic microsomes from rats fed a crude or a purified diet were compared by measureing their contents of protein, cytochrome P-450, and cytochrome b5, their rates of activity of NADPH- and NADH-cytochrome c reductases, NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase, NADPH oxidase, lipid peroxidase, ethylmorphine N-demethylase, aniline hydroxylase, benzpyrene hydroxylase, and their substrate-binding spectra (ethylmorphine, hexobarbital, aniline, and ethyl isoyanide). With the exception of lipid peroxidase activity, which was much higher in microsomes from animals fed the crude diet, little or no consistent diet-related differences in these measurements were observed over a 4-week experimental period, nor were results significantly less variable with one or the other diet. No consistent significant differences were observed with two strains of rats. The lower lipid peroxidase activity seen with the purified diet appeared to be due to the high vitamin E intake when that diet was employed; rats fed the crude diet and an oral supplement of alpha-tocopherol yielded microsomes with low lipid peroxidase activities similar to those seen in microsomes from rats fed the purified diet. A gradual temporal increase in benzpyrene hydroxylase activity was observed with both diets. This was interpreted to be due to environment inducing agents other than those present in the diet.