L-gulono-gamma-lactone oxidase is not induced in rats by xenobiotics stimulating L-ascorbic acid biosynthesis

L-Ascorbic acid (AsA) is synthesized from D-glucose in rats; the terminal step of this synthetic pathway is catalyzed by L-gulono-gamma-lactone oxidase (GLO). In this study, we examined the effects of phenobarbital (PB) and 3-methylcholanthrene (MC), both of which are known to stimulate AsA biosynthesis in rats, on the hepatic levels of GLO activity, GLO mRNA, and AsA. Firstly, the existence of GLO mRNA was examined in the liver, kidney, lung, small intestine, spleen, testis, and prostate from a male rat; and GLO mRNA was found to be present only in the liver, in which GLO activity was also detected. The intraperitoneal injection with PB (100 mg/day/kg body weight, once a day for 2 days) or MC (20 mg/day/kg body weight, once) significantly elevated the hepatic level of AsA and the urinary excretion of AsA in rats (5-week-old males). The hepatic levels of cytochrome P-450IIB1 mRNA and cytochrome P-450IIB2 mRNA and those of cytochrome P-450IA1 mRNA and cytochrome P-450IA2 mRNA were also elevated in the rats treated with PB and MC, respectively, indicating a normal response of these animals to these compounds. However, the level of GLO mRNA and the activity of GLO in the liver tended to be slightly decreased by the administration of PB or MC, though the differences were not significant. Thus it is clear that the treatment with PB or MC stimulates the biosynthesis of AsA by increasing the activity of some enzyme(s) participating in the synthesis prior to GLO.