Abstract

We have used an isolated perfused fetal sheep liver preparation to study the fetal hepatic metabolism of propranolol in vitro in the intact organ. Eight livers were perfused in situ via the umbilical vein in an oxygenated recirculating system at 300 ml/min. Radiolabeled 15-microns microspheres were used to quantify the hepatic ductus venosus shunt. Propranolol (4 mg) was dosed into the reservoir as a single bolus and perfusate and bile sampled over 150 min. Propranolol, 4-hydroxy propranolol (4OHP), 5-hydroxy propranolol (5OHP), desisopropylpropranolol (DIP), naphthoxylactic acid (NLA), and alpha-naphthoxyacetic acid (NAA) were assayed by HPLC, before and after deconjugation by enzyme hydrolysis. Mean age was 125 +/- 10 days, and mean liver weight was 66.1 +/- 18.8 g. Oxygen consumption (1.10 +/- 1.03 mumol/g/min), bile flow (0.51 +/- 0.18 microliters/g/min), and perfusion pressure (8.7 +/- 3.3 mm Hg) were stable. Ductus venosus shunt was 41.6 +/- 17.4% of umbilical vein flow. Propranolol clearance was 26.2 +/- 13.4 ml/min, and shunt-corrected extraction of propranolol was 0.26 +/- 0.13. The relative amounts of metabolites in perfusate after 150 min were: 4OHP (25.1%), 5OHP (5.08%) (ring-oxidation products), DIP (6.57%), and NLA (4.33%) (side-chain oxidation products). No alpha NAA (a product of N-dealkylation of NLA) was detected. Except for NLA, metabolites were present predominantly as conjugates. Biliary excretion of unchanged drug and metabolites accounted for a further 1.33% of the propranolol dose. These data indicate that, although the hepatic clearance and extraction of propranolol are low, the fetal sheep liver can metabolize propranolol by both ring- and side-chain oxidation reactions and can conjugate these metabolites.