Acetaminophen-arylated proteins are detected in hepatic subcellular fractions and numerous extra-hepatic tissues in CD-1 and C57B1/6J mice.

To identify acetaminophen (APAP)-bound proteins in addition to the major 44 and 58 kDa APAP-binding proteins (Bartolone et al., 1992, Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 113. 19-9; Pumford et al., 1992, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 182, 1348-1355; Bulera et al., 1995, Toxicol, Appl. Pharmacol. 134, 313-320), we investigated subcellular localization of liver proteins and tissue distribution of proteins arylated by a hepatotoxic dose of APAP in CD-1 and C57B1/6J mice. Western blot analysis with affinity-purified, anti-APAP antibodies allowed the detection of covalently bound proteins in liver mitochondria, nuclei, membrane, cytosol, and microsomes. Enzyme market assays revealed that subcellular fractions were 90-98% pure. The lack of contamination from other isolated subcellular fractions indicates that covalently bound proteins were specific to the particular subcellular fraction. APAP-arylated proteins with molecular weights similar to those detected in the liver were found in cytosolic fractions from kidney, lung, pancreas, heart, skeletal muscle, and stomach. The presence of arylated proteins in extra-hepatic organs suggests that other organs may be susceptible to APAP toxicity and may contain critical protein targets that are important in APAP toxicity. In contrast, covalently bound proteins were not detected in cytosols isolated from spleen, small intestine, brain, and testis. The characterization of the APAP-arylated proteins identified in this study will aid in elucidating the mechanism of APAP-induced toxicity.