Abstract
The activities of three drug conjugation reactions, glutathione, glucuronic acid and sulphate conjugation and the synthesis of glutathione, have been measured in hepatocytes isolated from strept-ozotocin-induced male diabetic rats. The intracellular content of reduced glutathione (GSH) was decreased in diabetic rat hepatocytes compared with controls. Following depletion of the intracellular GSH stores with diethylmaleate, the resynthesis of GSH in the presence of 0.5 mM l-methionine, occurred faster in diabetic rat hepatocytes than in those from control rats indicating that the cystathione pathway may be more efficient in the diabetic animals. In contrast, there was no significant difference in the resynthesis of GSH between control and diabetic rat hepatocytes in the presence of l-cysteine. The GSH conjugation of 1-chloro-2, 4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) and 3, 4-dichloronitrobenzene (DCNB) was deficient in diabetic rat hepatocytes, although only the effect on the former reaction was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The V max for CDNB conjugation was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in cytosolic fractions prepared from diabetic rat liver than in control rat liver fractions. This was accompanied by an increase in the affinity of the enzyme for CDNB. In contrast, the V max and K m for the conjugation of DCNB in cytosolic fractions were unaffected by the induced-diabetes. Glucuronic acid conjugation of both 1-naphthol and phenolphthalein was markedly deficient in diabetic rat hepatocytes. The intracellular concentrations of the cofactor for glucuronidation, UDP-glucuronic acid, were decreased in diabetic rat liver and this was thought to contribute to the defect in glucuronidation. The sulphation of 1-naphthol was not significantly altered by the induced diabetes. Deficiencies in glutathione and glucuronic acid conjugation in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats may result in an increased susceptibility to xenobiotic induced cytotoxicity.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
