Drug metabolism in experimental tuberculosis: I. Changes in hepatic and pulmonary monooxygenase activities due to infection.

Pulmonary and hepatic drug metabolizing enzyme activities of tuberculous guinea pigs were examined in detail. Experimental tuberculosis resulted in enlargement of liver and lung accompanied by decreased microsomal cytosolic protein. The tuberculosis infection resulted in decreased hepatic contents of cytochrome P-450 and cytochrome b5 NADPH-cytochrome C reductase in lung and liver. A parallel decrease in the microsomal mixed function oxidases (MFO) was observed in liver and lung of tuberculous guinea pigs. The hepatic and pulmonary activities of UDP-glucuronyl transferase were elevated in the infected animals. Glutathione S-transferase activity exhibited an increase in liver and decrease in the lung of tuberculous guinea pigs. Some of the changes observed in monooxygenase in tuberculosis were caused by reduced food consumption. In general, tuberculosis infection can be viewed to lower drug metabolizing capacity of the animal, probably due to the damage and disturbed membrane integrity.