Inhibition of rat hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 system by cobaltous chloride and reversal of inhibition by iron in vivo.

The effects of preexposure of rats to cobaltous chloride (CO) mixed in iron-sufficient (I.S) and -deficient (I.D) diets on hepatic microsomal electron transfer system was investigated. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed for 4 weeks on I.D diets mixed with 0, 100 and 200 ppm CO. At the end of 4 weeks three rats from each group were transferred to I.S diets mixed with the same amount of CO. Liver microsomal NADPH - Cytochrome C reductase, NADPH - dehydrogenase, cytochrome P-450 and aniline binding were determined in both batches of rats. The rats receiving CO in the I.D diets showed a 35, 60, 75 and 40% decrease in NADPH - Cyt. C reductase, dehydrogenase, Cyt. P-450 and aniline binding respectively. The rats transferred from I.D diet to I.S diet showed a complete recovery of the inhibition of the microsomal electron transfer system. The rats receiving 200 ppm mixed with I.S diets did not show any changes in any biochemical parameter measured.