The use of porcine hepatocytes for biotransformation studies of veterinary drugs.

1. Cultures of porcine hepatocytes with high viability were isolated from a liver sample by a simple procedure. In ageing monolayer cultures the cytochrome P-450 content and 7-ethoxycoumarin-O-deethylase activity decreased gradually while glutathione levels increased. 2. The nitrofuran, furazolidone, was rapidly metabolized, partly resulting in the formation of 3-(4-cyano-2-oxobutylidene amino)-2-oxazolidone. 3. Acetylating and deacetylating activities towards sulphadimidine and its N4-acetyl metabolite were present in porcine hepatocytes. Relative and absolute levels of these activities varied in different batches of hepatocytes. 4. No differences were seen in a number of enzyme activities measured in cytosolic and microsomal fractions isolated from different lobes of one liver. Differences between livers from different animals were marked.