Monoclonal antibody-directed radioimmunoassay of specific cytochromes P-450.

A rapid solid phase radioimmunoassay (RIA) for cytochromes P-450 has been developed utilizing specific monoclonal antibodies to major forms of rat liver cytochrome P-450 that are induced by 3-methylcholanthrene (MC-P-450) and phenobarbital (PB-P-450). Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that were endogenously labeled with [35S]methionine were used to detect MAb-specific cytochromes P-450 in liver microsomes from untreated rats and rats pretreated with 3-methylcholanthrene (MC) or phenobarbital. The competitive binding assays are rapid and can detect cytochrome P-450 in less than 100 ng of microsomal protein. The RIA was used to examine the distribution of MAb-specific cytochromes P-450 in extrahepatic tissues of MC-treated rats; an approximately 30- to 50-fold greater amount of MC-P-450 in liver relative to lung and kidney was observed, which corresponds well with aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity in these tissues. The inducibility of MAb-specific cytochromes P-450 in several species was also examined by competitive RIA. Significant increases in the MAb-specific P-450 were observed in MC-treated rats, guinea pigs, and C57BL/6 mice, all highly inducible for aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase; little increase was observed for the relatively noninducible DBA/2 mouse strain.