Effect of blood on styrene oxidation in perfused rat liver

The oxidation of styrene to styrene oxide was studied in the isolated perfused rat liver in the presence and absence of blood at styrene concentrations of 2.5 and 50 mM. Erythrocytes contained in whole blood increased the levels of styrene glycol about 5 times after a short perfusion time with both concentrations. This increase was observed up to 1 h with 2.5 mM styrene. At both styrene concentrations styrene oxide was not detectable, either in the presence or absence of blood indicating that the liver was able completely to detoxify the styrene oxide produced by the mixed-function oxidases (MFO) and the oxyhemoglobin in the erythrocytes.