Hepatic microsomal oxidative metabolism of pesticides and other xenobiotics in pregnant CD1 mice

Pregnancy-related changes in oxidative metabolism of several xenobiotics including pesticides were examined in the hepatic microsomes of CD₁ mice. The effect of pregnancy on hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450-catalyzed substrate oxidation was found to be dependent upon the type of reaction examined. Not all substrates undergoing the same reaction showed identical changes during pregnancy. Those enzyme activities which exhibited a decline in specific activity during pregnancy generally exhibited no change in total hepatic capacity. Enzymes posting no change in specific activity throughout gestation generally showed large increases in total hepatic activity. Phorate S-oxidation was catalyzed by both microsomal flavin-containing monooxygenase (MFMO) and cytochrome P-450. Moreover, there was no pregnancy-related change in either MFMO or total enzymatic (MFMO plus cytochrome P-450) phorate S-oxidation.