© 1992 Oxford University Press
research-article |
Effect of p-Xylene Inhalation on the Bioactivation of Bromobenzene in Rat Lung and Liver

*Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy and Pharmacol Sciences, Purdue University West Lafayette, Indiana 47907
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University West Lafayette, Indiana 47907
Received July 22, 1991; accepted November 13, 1991
It is unclear whether the pneumotoxicity observed with bromobenzene (BB) in phenobarbital-induced rats is related to BB bioactivation in lung, liver or both. To help differentiate pulmonary from hepatic bioactivation, BB was administered alone and in combination with/p-xylene, which inhibits pulmonary but induces hepatic cytochromes P450. Exposure to /vxylene alone (3400 ppm for 4 hr) produced no changes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) measurements (
-glutamyl transpeptidase, lactate dehydrogenase, protein, white blood cell count) or serum sorbitol dehydrogenase. p-Xylene increased hepatic microsomal benzyloxy- (BROD), pentoxy- (PROD), and ethoxy- (EROD) resorufin O-dealkylase activities but decreased pulmonary microsomal BROD and PROD. Immunoblot analysis revealed an induction of hepatic but not pulmonary microsomal P450IIB apoprotein. When rats were exposed to p-xylene (2800 ppm) or room air for 4 hr, treated 12 hr later with BB (0.5 ml/kg, ip) or corn oil, and killed after 12 hr, p-xylene increased hepatic P450IIB (27-fold) concomittant with a similar increase in BROD activity. p-Xylene also increased hepatic P450IA apoprotein (3.4-fold) with a complimentary increase in EROD activity. p-Xylene potentiated BB-induced hepatotoxicity. In pulmonary micro-somes p-xylene and BB each produced similar decreases in both EROD and BROD activities. The combination of p-xylene and BB had an additive effect on pulmonary P450IA1 reduction. BALF analysis and histopathology revealed no pneumotoxicity with any treatment. p-Xylene potentiation of BB-induced hepatotoxicity without pneumotoxicity suggests that the liver does not produce metabolites of BB which are directly involved in pulmonary damage.