title: Identification of the cyanopregnenolone-inducible form of hepatic cytochrome P-450 as a catalyst of aldrin epoxidation.
abstract: In light of recent suggestions that hepatic microsomal aldrin expoxidation activity selectively reflects the phenobarbital (PB)-inducible form(s) of cytochrome P-450 (P-450PB), we tested the effect of pregnenolone-16 alpha-carbonitrile (PCN), a synthetic steroid that induces P-450PCN, a form of the cytochrome biochemically and immunochemically distinguishable from P-450PB. In hepatic microsomes prepared from rats receiving PB, 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC), or PCN, the latter compound produced a greater increase in aldrin epoxidation activity relative to control than did PB, whereas 3-MC decreased enzyme activity. Moreover, the aldrin epoxidation activity in microsomes prepared from PCN- or PB-pretreated rats was selectively inhibited by form-specific antibodies directed against P-450PCN or P-450PB, respectively, whereas anti-P-450MC antibodies gave no inhibition with microsomes prepared from induced or control animals. We conclude that P-450PCN, P-450PB, and probably other cytochromes P-450 catalyze aldrin epoxidation, precluding use of this enzyme as a specific marker of a single form of the cytochrome.
mesh_terms: D000452:Aldrin / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000235:genetics*; D004852:Epoxy Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008748:Methylcholanthrene / Q000494:pharmacology; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D010634:Phenobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology; D011285:Pregnenolone Carbonitrile / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D004852:Epoxy Compounds; D011285:Pregnenolone Carbonitrile; D008748:Methylcholanthrene; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D000452:Aldrin; D010634:Phenobarbital