Mouse liver and lung glutathione s-epoxide transferase: effects of phenobarbital and 3-methylcholanthrene administration.

The effects of 3-methylcholanthrene (3MC) and phenobarbital (PB) administration on the levels of glutathione-S-epoxide transferase activity in supernatant preparations of liver and lung were studied in a number of different strains of mice, C57Bl/6, C3H, C3H-f, Balb/c-, A+ and DBA/2+. Three epoxide substrates, 3MC-11,12-oxide, styrene oxide (SO) and 3,3,3-trichloro-1,2-epoxypropane (TCPO), were employed in this investigation. PB administration (75 mg/kg body weight for 3 days) resulted in 13-57% increases in enzyme activity in the liver supernatant but was ineffective in inducing activity in lung. 3MC administration (40 mg/kg body weight for 2 days) on the other hand was without any effect on glutathione-S-epoxide transferase activity in both liver and lung.