title: Studies on metabolism and toxicity of styrene--VI. Regioselectivity in glutathione S-conjugation and hydrolysis of racemic, R- and S-phenyloxiranes in rat liver.
abstract: Rat liver cytosol converted phenyloxirane enantiomers regioselectively to glutathione S-conjugates. R-(+)-Phenyloxirane was converted to S-(1-phenyl-2-hydroxyethyl)glutathione (conjugate 1) and S-(2-phenyl-2-hydroxyethyl)glutathione (conjugate 2) (ratio 6.1:1), and S-(-)-phenyloxirane to conjugates 1 and 2 (ratio 1:32). Racemic phenyloxirane was converted to conjugates 1 and 2 (ratio 1.8:1). The conjugates were separated by HPLC on an octadecylsilicone column and identified with synthetic specimens whose structures were assigned by 13C NMR spectrometry. R-(+)-, S-(-)- and racemic phenyloxiranes were hydrolyzed to R-(-)-, S-(+)- and racemic phenylethanediols by microsomal epoxide hydrolase without inversion of absolute configurations of their benzylic carbons. R-(+)-Phenyloxirane had much smaller Km and Vmax than the S-(-)-oxirane did. The R-(+)-oxirane potentially inhibited the microsomal hydrolysis of the S-(-)-oxirane and was preferentially hydrolyzed when the racemic oxirane was used as the substrate. Microsomal monooxygenase oxidized styrene to R-(+)- and S-(-)-phenyloxiranes (ratio 1.3:1), and the ratio was little changed by the pretreatment of the animal with phenobarbital, 3-methylcholanthrene and polychlorinated biphenyls.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D004851:Epoxide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D004852:Epoxy Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D004988:Ethers, Cyclic / Q000378:metabolism*; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D006868:Hydrolysis; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D004852:Epoxy Compounds; D004988:Ethers, Cyclic; C013690:styrene oxide; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D004851:Epoxide Hydrolases