Metabolism of a glutathione conjugate in human fetal and adult tissues.
Human fetal and adult liver was found to catalyze the metabolism of a glutathione conjugate, acetaminophen-glutathione, to the cysteine conjugate. The activity was higher in the fetal than in the adult liver, 4.06 +/- 0.59 and 1.63 +/- 0.42 nmol/10 min/mg protein, respectively. The initial reaction was catalyzed by gamma-glutamyltransferase, as indicated by the inhibitory effect of serine-borate. The hydrolysis of the formed cysteinylglycine conjugate was extremely rapid since no conjugate was detected and an almost stoichiometric formation of acetaminophen-cysteine from acetaminophen-glutathione was observed. The human fetal kidney also metabolized acetaminophen-glutathione to the corresponding conjugate. This activity was, however, lower than in the liver from the same fetus.
D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000032:analysis
D000082:Acetaminophen; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D005978:Glutathione