Patterns of porphyrin accumulation in response to xenobiotics. Parallels between results in chick embryo and rodents.

Our objective was to determine whether patterns of porphyrin accumulation produced by chemicals in chick embryo hepatocyte culture would indicate which enzyme of heme biosynthesis was inhibited. The ferrochelatase-inhibitory potency and porphyrin patterns produced by DDC, TTMS, and their analogues were studied. The protoporphyrin:coproporphyrin ratio observed was found to correlate with ferrochelatase-inhibitory activity. The results obtained in chick embryo with TTMS and DDC parallel those found in rodents. Griseofulvin has been shown to lower ferrochelatase activity and to cause the accumulation of protoporphyrin in rodent liver. In chick embryo liver cell culture, however, coproporphyrin, uroporphyrin, and heptacarboxylic acid porphyrin accumulate and ferrochelatase activity is not lowered. Uroporphyrin, heptacarboxylic acid porphyrin, and coproporphyrin are the major porphyrins to accumulate in response to PAHs (for example, 3,3',4,4'-TCBP in chick embryo liver cell culture). This may be explained by inhibition of UROD, which has been observed in chick embryo and rodent liver. Some chemicals, such as phenobarbital and nifedipine, cause the accumulation of these porphyrins in chick embryo liver cell culture, and this is explained by inhibition of UROD. These chemicals have not been reported to interfere with heme biosynthesis in the intact chick embryo or rodents; possibly protective mechanisms that are not available in the cell culture system are operative in the intact animal. It was concluded that porphyrin patterns may serve as a guide to which enzyme of heme biosynthesis is inhibited in chick embryo liver cell culture. The results obtained in the culture system with certain chemicals, such as DDC and TTMS analogues and PAHs, correspond with results in rodents. In other cases, such as with griseofulvin, the results do not correspond.