Effect of UDP-glucuronic acid depletion by salicylamide on biliary bilirubin excretion in the rat.

To determine the effect of UDP-glucuronic acid (UDPGA) depletion on bilirubin metabolism, salicylamide (SAM, which is metabolized primarily through glucuronidation, was administered to rats at a dose of 2 mmol/kg, and biliary bilirubin excretion and the proportion of bilirubin glucuronides were determined. At 15 min after administration of SAM, the UDPGA level in the liver was markedly decreased. Although the total biliary excretion of bilirubin showed no change, the bilirubin diglucuronide level in the 0- to 30-min period after SAM administration was significantly lower (36.9 +/- 4.3%) than that of the untreated control group during the same period (47.5 +/- 1.7%; P less than .01). The biliary bilirubin monoglucuronide (BMG) level in the 0- to 30-min period was significantly increased, compared with the control group. The C8-BMG/C12-BMG ratio in the 0- to 30-min period was significantly higher than that of the control group. At 150 min after SAM administration, there was an increase in the UDPGA level in the liver accompanied by an increase in bilirubin diglucuronide and a decrease in BMG. These results indicate that changes in UDPGA in the liver due to SAM administration influence the bilirubin composition of the bile.

Deficit of uridine diphosphate galactose in galactosaemia.

The levels of uridine diphosphate galactose (UDPGal) and uridine diphosphate glucose (UDPGlc) have been determined in liver autopsy samples, erythrocytes and cultured skin fibroblasts from galactosaemic patients and compared to non-galactosaemic controls. In patients with undetectable erythrocyte galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase (transferase) activity, the levels of UDPGal were substantially lower than in controls. In patients with detectable transferase activity, even though in less than 1% of normal values, both UDPGal and UDPGlc levels were in the normal range. Incubation of erythrocytes from both galactosaemic patients and normal individuals with 10 mmol/L uridine increased UDPGal and UDPGlc levels several-fold, both in the presence or absence of galactose in the incubation medium. We hypothesize that a deficit of UDPGal is responsible for the late onset clinical manifestations in galactosaemia which include ovarian failure, speech defect and neurological abnormalities. We suggest that uridine administration may be of therapeutic value in raising the intracellular concentrations of UDPGal. We conclude that the transferase reaction, however small in activity, is essential for optimal UDPGal formation.

Effect of galactosamine-induced hepatic UDP-glucuronic acid depletion on acetaminophen elimination in rats. Dispositional differences between hepatically and extrahepatically formed glucuronides of acetaminophen and other chemicals.

Galactosamine (GAL) markedly depletes hepatic UDP-glucuronic acid (UDP-GA) whereas extrahepatic UDP-GA is minimally affected. This suggests that GAL predominantly inhibits hepatic glucuronidation. Therefore, the effect of GAL-induced hepatic UDP-GA depletion was examined in bile duct-cannulated rats to determine the role of hepatic glucuronidation in the disposition of acetaminophen (AA). GAL markedly altered the fate of AA-glucuronide but had little or no effect upon other AA metabolites. GAL decreased the biliary excretion of AA-glucuronide up to 92%, whereas reductions in blood levels and urinary excretion of AA-glucuronide did not exceed 50%. This suggests that AA-glucuronide excreted in bile is predominantly of hepatic origin whereas AA-glucuronide found in blood and urine is derived from both hepatic and extrahepatic tissues. Data in the present and previous studies [Gregus, Watkins, Thompson, Klaassen: J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 225, 256, (1983)] indicate that GAL greatly reduced the biliary excretion of AA- and valproic acid-glucuronide whereas the biliary excretion of the glucuronides of phenolphthalein, iopanoic acid, bilirubin, and diethylstilbestrol was only partially decreased. This difference appears to be largely due to differential contributions by the liver and extrahepatic tissues in the glucuronidation of various compounds as well as the availability of glucuronides formed in extrahepatic tissues for biliary excretion. Specifically, the extrahepatically formed glucuronide conjugates of AA and valproic acid are not readily available for biliary excretion whereas the glucuronides of the other compounds are readily excreted into bile.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)