Abstract
Acetaminophen (AA) glucuronidation is capacity limited in several species after administration of high doses and previous data indicate that this phenomenon is due probably to a decrease in the concentration of the reaction cosubstrate UDP-glucuronic acid in liver. The rate-limiting determinant in UDP-glucuronic acid synthesis during AA glucuronidation is not known. The objective of the present study was to determine whether UDP-glucuronic acid synthesis during AA biotransformation is restricted by the supply of UDP-glucose or is limited by UDP-glucose dehydrogenase activity. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with 600 mg/kg i.p of AA and liver was obtained 30, 60, 120 and 240 min later for quantitation of UDP-glucose, glycogen and UDP-glucuronic acid. AA was found to decrease markedly UDP-glucuronic acid concentration in liver 30, 60 and 120 min after injection (28, 52 and 58% of control values, respectively). In contrast, hepatic UDP-glucose levels were not altered after 30 min, but were decreased to 55 and 68% of control values 60 and 120 min after AA administration. Glycogen concentrations were decreased at the 30-min time interval only (78% of control). Therefore, maximal depletion of UDP-glucuronic acid occurred when UDP-glucose levels were not affected. UDP-glucose dehydrogenase is subject to product inhibition by NADH and UDP-glucuronic acid and it is possible that NADH accumulates during rapid utilization of UDP-glucuronic acid. Consequently, the effects of AA on cytosolic NADH/NAD ratios in liver were examined by determining the lactate/pyruvate ratio.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)