title: Accelerated hepatic haem catabolism in the selenium-deficient rat.
abstract: 1. Hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 concentrations are lower in selenium-deficient rats treated with phenobarbital for 4 days than in similarly treated control rats. 2. No defect in haem synthesis was found on the basis of measurements of delta-aminolaevulinate synthase (EC 2.3.1.37), delta-aminolaevulinate dehydratase (EC 4.2.1.24) and ferrochelatase (EC 4.99.1.1) activities, and urinary excretion of delta-aminolaevulinate, porphobilinogen, uroporphyrin and coproporphyrin. 3. No defect in apo-(cytochrome P-450) separated by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. 4. An increase in haem catabolism was found. An 8-fold increase in hepatic microsomal haem oxygenase (EC 1.14.99.3) activity occurred in selenium-deficient rats after phenobarbital treatment, compared with a less than 2-fold increase in control rats. Also excretion of 14CO in the breath after administration of delta-amino[5-14C]laevulinate was greater by phenobarbital-treated selenium-deficient rats than by similarly treated controls. 5. These studies demonstrate that the defective induction of cytochrome P-450 by phenobarbital in selenium-deficient rats is accompanied by increased haem catabolism. This could be due to increased breakdown of cytochrome P-450 or to catabolism of haem before it attaches to the apo-cytochrome. The role of selenium in stabilizing cytochrome P-450 and/or in protecting haem from breakdown remains to be determined.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000378:metabolism; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism; D006418:Heme / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000378:metabolism; D010634:Phenobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000652:urine; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D012643:Selenium / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D011166:Porphyrins; D011506:Proteins; D006418:Heme; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases; D012643:Selenium; D010634:Phenobarbital