A comparison of xenobiotic metabolism in cells isolated from rat liver and small intestinal mucosa.

The metabolism of several foreign compounds has been investigated in viable isolated liver and intestinal mucosal cells. Glucuronic acid and sulphate conjugation was observed in both cell preparations with respect to phenol. Conjugation of 1-naphthol was also observed in isolated intestinal cells. Acetanilide was the only metabolic product of aniline observed with intestinal cells. N-Acetylation was also found to be the major pathway of aniline metabolism in liver cells but p-hydroxylation followed by O-conjugation were also important reactions. Intestinal cells thus appear to be generally effective in conjugation reactions. However, in contrast to hepatocytes the intestinal cells were unable to form glycine conjugates from benzoic acid. The metabolism of 7-ethoxycoumarin and 7-hydroxycoumarin was investigated in isolated intestinal cells from control, 3-methylcholanthrene and phenobarbitone pretreated rats. Glucuronic acid and sulphate conjugation rates of 7-hydroxycoumarin appeared to be unaffected by these pretreatments whereas increases in 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylation were observed.