Influence of gallic acid esters on drug-metabolizing enzymes of rat liver.

The effect of three antioxidants, propyl, octyl and dodecyl gallate, on hepatic drug metabolism in male rats was studied in vivo and in vitro. When fed at a dietary concentration of 1% for 14 days, only dodecyl gallate increased relative liver weight. Cytochrome P-450 content was not influenced, but a slight increase in cytochrome b5 content was observed after the feeding of propyl gallate. Monooxygenase activity (benzo[a]pyrene-hydroxylase and ethoxycoumarin-deethylase activities) was not affected by propyl or octyl gallate, but a significant decrease in benzo[a]pyrene-hydroxylase activity was apparent in rats fed dodecyl gallate. Study of benzo[a]pyrene-metabolite formation in liver microsome preparations from control and propyl gallate-treated rats showed an overall decrease in metabolite production following gallate treatment, the decrease being statistically significant for the formation of the 9,10-dihydrodiol. Epoxide-hydratase activity was enhanced by a factor of 1.5 in rats fed propyl gallate; glutathione-transferase activity was unaffected. In vitro, the gallates proved to be potent inhibitors of ethoxycoumarin deethylation in liver microsomes from untreated and phenobarbital-treated rats; however, when cytochrome P-448 had been induced by pretreatment with 3-methylcholanthrene, ethoxycoumarin deethylase was less sensitive to the inhibitory action of the gallates.