title: Glutathione-related enzyme activities in human fetal adrenal, liver, and kidney.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To understand the capacity of fetal adrenal to catalyze reaction metabolites.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subcellular fractions were prepared by differential centrifugation in fetal adrenal and liver. Glutathione (GSH)-transferase, reductase, and peroxidase were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean values (mumol.min-1/g protein) of GSH-transferase activities in adrenal microsome (112 +/- 34), mitochondria (62 +/- 35), and cytosol (191 +/- 89) were 373%, 270%, and 167%, respectively, higher than those in the corresponding fractions of fetal liver. Adrenal microsomal GSH-transferase was positively correlated with adrenal microsomal P-450 (r = 0.821, P < 0.01), and with adrenal microsomal aminopyrine N-demethylase (r = 0.829, P < 0.01). The GSH reductase contents (mumol.min-1/g protein) in adrenal mitochondria (24 +/- 14), and in S9 (36 +/- 15) were almost 5 times higher, compared with that in liver. Selenium-dependent GSH peroxidase was present in all the adrenal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fetal adrenal, with greater capacities than those of liver in detoxifying reaction, may act as a drug-metabolizing organ during development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Hubei Medical University, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: R X
authors.initials: RX
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ding
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000378:metabolism*; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D008861:Microsomes / Q000201:enzymology; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D005980:Glutathione Reductase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase