The in vivo induction of rat hepatic cytochrome P450-dependent enzyme activities and their maintenance in culture.

Cytochrome P450-dependent enzyme activities were measured in hepatocytes from adult male rats, induced in vivo with phenobarbitone, beta-naphthoflavone, dexamethasone or isoniazid: the stability of the induced activities in culture was also determined. Each inducer produced a characteristically different pattern of enzyme activities with dexamethasone, isoniazid and beta-naphthoflavone selectively inducing erythromycin N-demethylase, p-nitrophenol hydroxylase and ethoxyresorufin O-dealkylase respectively. In general, the induced activities were maintained for 24 hr in culture. This indicates the feasibility of an in vivo induction-hepatocyte culture system for the study of metabolism-mediated toxicity.