Metabolism of 2-methylnaphthalene by rat and rainbow trout hepatic microsomes and purified cytochromes P-450.

The metabolism of 14C-2-methylnaphthalene by hepatic microsomes and purified cytochromes P-450 from rat and rainbow trout was studied using HPLC and radioactivity counting. The effects of pretreatment with beta-naphthoflavone and phenobarbital on the formation of three dihydrodiol metabolites and 2-hydroxymethylnaphthalene by microsomes and purified cytochromes P-450 were compared. The metabolism observed with microsomes could not adequately be accounted for by the combined metabolism observed with the purified cytochromes P-450. Differences in the microsome suspension buffers used when preparing microsomes for cytochrome purification as compared to preparing microsomes for direct use appeared to be a significant factor in these differences.