Cytochrome P-450 mediated O-dealkylation of 7-alkoxycoumarins in liver microsomes from rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri).

Evidence has recently been presented for variation in the inducibility of various 7-alkoxycoumarin-O-dealkylase activities in liver microsomes from a number of mammalian species by β-naphthoflavone (βNF). In the present study we have investigated the inducibility of hepatic microsomal 7-methoxycoumarin-O-demethylase, 7-ethoxycoumarin-O-deethylase, 7-propoxycoumarin-O-depropylase and 7-butoxycoumarin-O-debutylase activities in rainbow trout by βNF. O-demethylase activity was increased approximately 17-fold, O-deethylase and O-depropylase activities approximately 9-fold and O-debutylase activity approximately 25-fold. The kinetics of the various hepatic microsomal 7-alkoxycoumarin-O-dealkylase activities were investigated in control and βNF-treated rainbow trout. The O-demethylase-, O-depropylase- and O-debutylase activities exhibited monophasic Michaelis-Menten kinetics in liver microsomes from both control and βNF-treated rainbow trout, whereas the O-deethylase activity exhibited biphasic Michaelis-Menten kinetics in control liver microsomes and monophasic Michaelis-Menten kinetics in liver microsomes from βNF-treated rainbow trout.