Effect of hyperoxia on rat pulmonary and hepatic cytochrome P450 monooxygenases.

Exposure of adult male rats to hyperoxia (O(2) > 95%) resulted in a tendency for all of the components of the pulmonary cytochrome P450 (P450) system to increase at 48 h after the exposure. However, the most pronounced effect of hyperoxia was observed on pulmonary ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activities which were induced 4- and 25-fold respectively after 48 h. In the liver, P450 and NADH b(5) reductase were increased after 48 h, while other components of the monooxygenase system remained unchanged. In the hepatic microsomes, contrary to the lungs, aminopyrine N-demethylase activity was decreased after 24 h of hyperoxic exposure (P < 0.05) and returned to the control level by 48 h. Similar changes were observed in benzphetamine N-demethylase activity. Aniline hydroxylase activity was decreased after 8 h of hyperoxic exposure (P < 0.01) and remained decreased at 24 h (P < 0. 01) and 48 h (P < 0.05). The level of induction of ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activities, however, was almost similar in the liver to that observed in the lungs.