Impairment of drug metabolism in polycystic non-parasitic liver disease.

1. Drug-metabolizing capacity in cases of polycystic non-parasitic liver disease was investigated using plasma antipyrine clearance as an index. 2. The four subjects with maternally inherited polycystic liver metabolized antipyrine at a significantly slower rate than the six other members of the family. 3. This reduction in antipyrine metabolism is due to the loss of active liver parenchyma, and is probably also influenced by alterations in the vascular bed due to compression by the enlarged cysts.