Differential inhibition of biphenyl hydroxylation in perfused rat liver.

A differential inhibition of biphenyl hydroxylation by alpha-naphthoflavone and metyrapone was observed in isolated perfused rat liver. alpha-Naphthoflavone inhibited 2- and 4-hydroxylation in livers from beta-naphthoflavone-pretreated animals but had no effect on both reactions in livers from phenobarbital-pretreated animals. Metyrapone inhibited 2- and 4-hydroxylation in phenobarbital-stimulated livers, but only insignificant inhibition of 2-hydroxylation and a slight enhancement of 4-hydroxylation by metyrapone was observed in beta-naphthoflavone-stimulated livers. Conjugation of 2-hydroxybiphenyl and 4-hydroxybiphenyl by isolated perfused livers was also studied. 4-Hydroxybiphenyl preferentially formed sulphates in livers from untreated animals but after induction glucuronidation was as effective as sulphation or even exceeded sulphation. Only glucuronic acid conjugates of 2-hydroxybiphenyl were detected.