[On the extrahepatic aldosterone metabolism. II. Plasma protein binding and renal clearance of tetrahydroaldosterone glucuronide and 18-aldosterone glucuronide in man].
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The development of specific antisera for immunochemical determination of morphine, morphine-3-glucuronide and morphine-6-glucuronide is described. Morphine was N-demethylated to normorphine and N-alkylated to give N-aminopropyl-normorphine as hapten for antisera against morphine. As haptens for antisera against morphine-3-glucuronide and morphine-6-glucuronide, N-aminopropyl-nor-morphine was glucuronidated in position 3 or 6 respectively. Each of these three haptens were coupled to BSA employing the glutaraldehyde method to obtain three different immunogens. Immunisation of rabbits with these conjugates gave anti-morphine, anti-morphine-3-glucuronide and anti-morphine-6-glucuronide antisera, which were tested in a competitive, heterogeneous radioimmunoassay. Tracers for this radioimmunoassay procedure were synthesised by substitution of morphine and morphine-6-glucuronide in position 2 with 125I and indirect iodination of the morphine-3-glucuronide hapten according to the method of Bolton and Hunter. The resulting antisera show very specific reactions with morphine, morphine-3-glucuronide and morphine-6-glucuronide. Cross reactivities of each antiserum with structurally related opiates and opioides are very low. The cross reactivities of the anti-morphine antiserum against morphine-3-glucuronide, morphine-6-glucuronide, codeine, codeine-6-glucuronide or dihydrocodeine were less than 0.3%, the anti-morphine-3-glucuronide antiserum against morphine, morphine-6-glucuronide, codeine, codeine-6-glucuronide or dihydrocodeine less than 0.1% and the anti-morphine-6-glucuronide antiserum against morphine, morphine-3-glucuronide, codeine or dihydrocodeine less than 0.1%, against codeine-6-glucuronide less than 2.3%. The determination of morphine, morphine-3-glucuronide and morphine-6-glucuronide in blood samples (limit of detection= 3, 1, 0.5 ng/g) of nine cases of fatal heroin overdose with this radioimmunoassay method and the comparison with a GC/MS method is described.
Stability of furosemide glucuronide, the major metabolite of furosemide, was studied in order to accurately assess the glucuronidation of furosemide. Furosemide glucuronide was purified by high-performance liquid chromatography, and the mass spectrum of furosemide glucuronide showed the molecular ion peaks [M-H]- at 505 and 507 (m/z). Furosemide glucuronide was photodegraded to the compound, which was shown more hydrophilic than furosemide glucuronide by high-performance liquid chromatography assay. The photodegradation product of furosemide glucuronide was hydrolyzed to one of the photodegradation products of furosemide by beta-glucuronidase, indicating that the photodegradation product of furosemide glucuronide possessed a glucuronic acid moiety. Furthermore, the mass spectrum of the photodegradation product of furosemide glucuronide exhibited molecular ion peaks [M-H]- at 487 and [M-2H+2Na]- at 509, indicating the chlorine displacement of furosemide glucuronide by a hydroxyl group. Furosemide glucuronide was unstable in an aqueous solution (pH=7.4), and presumed acyl migration isomers of furosemide glucuronide (furosemide glucuronide-isomers) were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with photodiode array UV detector. The UV spectra of seven furosemide glucuronide-isomers were closely similar to that of furosemide glucuronide but not furosemide. Exposing a mixture of furosemide glucuronide and furosemide glucuronide-isomers to light resulted in the production of new compounds. UV spectra of photodegradation products of furosemide glucuronide-isomers were closely similar to those of photodegradation product of furosemide glucuronide. These results suggested that furosemide glucuronide-isomers were also photodegraded, resulting in the displacement of chlorine by a hydroxyl group as in furosemide glucuronide.
trans-3'-Hydroxycotinine is the major nicotine metabolite excreted in the urine of smokers and other tobacco or nicotine users. On average, about 30% of the trans-3'-hydroxycotinine in urine is present as a glucuronide conjugate. The O-glucuronide of trans-3'-hydroxycotinine has been isolated from smokers urine and appears to be the major glucuronide conjugate of trans-3'-hydroxycotinine in urine. However, nicotine and cotinine are both glucuronidated at the nitrogen atom of the pyridine ring. We report here that human liver microsomes catalyze both the N-glucuronidation and the O-glucuronidation of trans-3'-hydroxycotinine. The N-glucuronide was purified by HPLC, and its structure was confirmed by NMR. Both N- and O-glucuronidation of trans-3'-hydroxycotinine were detected in 13 of 15 human liver microsome samples. The ratio of N-glucuronidation to O-glucuronidation was between 0.4 and 2.7. One sample only catalyzed N-glucuronidation, and one sample did not catalyze either reaction. The rates of N-glucuronidation varied more than 6-fold from 6 to 38.9 pmol/min/mg protein; rates of O-glucuronidation ranged from 2.8 to 23.4 pmol/min/mg protein. The rate of trans-3'-hydroxycotinine N-glucuronidation by human liver microsomes correlated well with both the rate of nicotine and the rate of cotinine N-glucuronidation. trans-3'-Hydroxycotinine O-glucuronidation correlated with neither nicotine nor cotinine N-glucuronidation. These results suggest that the same enzyme(s) that catalyzes the N-glucuronidation of nicotine and cotinine may also catalyze the N-glucuronidation of trans-3'-hydroxycotinine in the human liver but that a separate enzyme catalyzes trans-3'-hydroxycotinine O-glucuronidation.
BACKGROUND: Morphine-6-beta-glucuronide is a primary morphine metabolite with potent opioid action. However, its low and slow brain permeability eventually prevents its central opioid effects after short-term intravenous administration. Research is needed to establish whether morphine-6-beta-glucuronide qualifies as an analgesic; this study provides the pharmacokinetic bases for such studies. METHODS: Plasma concentration-time data of morphine-6-beta-glucuronide and morphine obtained from 20 healthy volunteers after short-term intravenous administration of either morphine-6-beta-glucuronide or morphine were described by a biexponential disposition curve. Disposition parameters of morphine-6-beta-glucuronide and morphine were estimated by nonlinear regression, and basic pharmacokinetic parameters (clearance, volume of distribution at steady state, and mean disposition residence time) were derived. A new model of metabolite kinetics was applied, and the disposition parameters of morphine and morphine-6-beta-glucuronide were then used to fit the plasma concentration-time profile of morphine-6-beta-glucuronide formed from morphine. Thereby the fraction of morphine metabolized to morphine-6-beta-glucuronide and the mean transit time of morphine across the site of metabolism were estimated. RESULTS: The extent and time course of morphine-6-beta-glucuronide formation from morphine could be well described by a parametric model, with a fraction of morphine metabolized to morphine-6-beta-glucuronide of 7.55% +/- 1.24% and a mean metabolic transit time for morphine to morphine-6-beta-glucuronide of 0.28 +/- 0.21 hour. The underlying disposition of morphine and morphine-6-beta-glucuronide was characterized by clearance (morphine clearance, 32.7 +/- 6 ml.min-1.kg-1, morphine-6-beta-glucuronide clearance, 2.2 +/- 0.4 ml.min-1.kg-1), volume of distribution at steady state (morphine, 1.8 +/- 0.3 L.hr-1; morphine-6-beta-glucuronide, 0.12 +/- 0.02 L.hr-1), and mean disposition residence time (morphine, 1.8 +/- 0.4 hours; morphine-6-beta-glucuronide, 1.7 +/- 0.4 hours). CONCLUSIONS: The time course of morphine-6-beta-glucuronide formation kinetics was analyzed with use of the information on the disposition kinetics of both morphine and preformed morphine-6-beta-glucuronide, which was obtained by separate data fits. The transformation of morphine to morphine-6-beta-glucuronide could be described by two parameters characterizing the extent and delay of metabolite formation. The results of this study will serve as pharmacokinetic bases of future investigations of morphine-6-beta-glucuronide in human beings.
While N-glucuronidation is an important pathway for metabolism of aromatic amines, it has not been demonstrated for N-acetylbenzidine. A glucuronide of N-acetylbenzidine was synthesized and identified by mass spectrometry as N-acetylbenzidine-N'-glucuronide. This N'-glucuronide is acid labile with a t1/2 of 4 min at pH 5.3. A similar acid lability was also observed with benzidine-N-glucuronide. The formation of N-acetylbenzidine-N'-glucuronide was assessed with liver slices and microsomes prepared from human, dog and rat. When 0.014 mM [3H]N-acetylbenzidine was incubated with human liver slices a significant amount of N-acetylbendizine-N'-glucuronide was produced (8-26% of the total radioactivity recovered). With higher concentrations of [3H]N-acetylbenzidine (1 mM) rat slices also produced N-acetylbenzidine-N'-glucuronide. However, N'-glucuronide formation was not detected with dog liver slices incubated with either 0.014 or 1 mM [3H]N-acetylbenzidine. N-Acetylbenzidine-N'-glucuronide formation was observed with microsomes prepared from human, dog and rat. To assess maximum activity four detergents were used at two concentrations. With or without detergent activation the relative amount of glucuronidation was human > > dog > rat. The rate of benzidine N-glucuronide formation was 4.3- and 1.6-fold greater than N-acetylbenzidine-N'-glucuronide in dog and rat respectively, while in human both rates were similar (1.1-fold). With or without detergent activation the relative amount of benzidine-N-glucuronide formation was human > dog > > rat. N-Glucuronidation of [3H]N,N'-diacetylbenzidine was not observed. Thus N-actylbenzidine-N'-glucuronide formation appears to be an important pathway for metabolism of N-acetylbenzidine, especially in humans. Due to their acid lability, formation of the N-glucuronides of N-acetylbenzidine and benzidine provides a mechanism for hepatic detoxification and accumulation of these carcinogens in the bladder. A new model is described illustrating the effect of N-glucuronidation and the influence of N-acetylation on arylmono- and aryldiamine-induced bladder carcinogenesis.
Quercetin-3- and quercetin-7-glucuronides are major products of small intestine epithelial cell metabolism (J. Nutr. 130 (2000) 2765) but it is not known if quercetin glucuronides can be further processed in the liver or if they are excreted directly. Using the HepG2 hepatic cell model, we show that highly purified quercetin-7- and quercetin-3-glucuronides can follow two pathways of metabolism: (i) methylation of the catechol functional group of both quercetin glucuronides (44% of quercetin-7-glucuronide at a rate of 2.6 nmol/hr/10(6) cells, and 32% of quercetin-3-glucuronide at a rate of 1.9 nmol/hr/10(6) cells, over 48 hr) or (ii) hydrolysis of the glucuronide by endogenous beta-glucuronidase followed by sulfation to quercetin-3'-sulfate (7% of quercetin-7-glucuronide at a rate of 0.42 nmol/hr/10(6) cells and 10% of quercetin-3-glucuronide at a rate of 0.61 nmol/hr/10(6) cells, over 48 hr). In contrast, quercetin-4'-glucuronide was not metabolised, and interestingly this is not a major product of the small intestine absorption process. The conversion of the quercetin-7- and quercetin-3-glucuronide to the mono-sulfate conjugate shows intracellular deglucuronidation by beta-glucuronidase activity, allowing transient contact of the free aglycone with the cellular environment. Inhibition of methylation using a catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor shifted metabolism towards sulfation, as indicated by an increase in quercetin-3'-sulfate formation (increase in rate to 1.13 and 1.43 nmol/hr/10(6) cells for quercetin-7-glucuronide and quercetin-3-glucuronide, respectively). Efflux of quercetin metabolites from HepG2 cells (methylated glucuronide and sulfate conjugates) was not altered by verapamil, a p-glycoprotein inhibitor, but efflux was competitively inhibited by MK-571, a multidrug resistant protein inhibitor, indicating a role for multidrug resistant protein in the efflux of quercetin conjugates from HepG2 cells. These results show that HepG2 cells can absorb and turnover quercetin glucuronides and that human endogenous beta-glucuronidase activity could modulate the intracellular biological activities of dietary antioxidant flavonoids.
Acyl glucuronidation is an important metabolic pathway for fluoroquinolone antibiotics. However, it is unclear which human UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzymes are involved in the glucuronidation of the fluoroquinolones. The in vitro formation of levofloxacin (LVFX), grepafloxacin (GPFX), moxifloxacin (MFLX), and sitafloxacin (STFX) glucuronides was investigated in human liver microsomes and cDNA-expressed recombinant human UGT enzymes. The apparent Km values for human liver microsomes ranged from 1.9 to 10.0 mM, and the intrinsic clearance values (calculated as Vmax/Km) had a rank order of MFLX > GPFX > STFX > > LVFX. In a bank of human liver microsomes (n = 14), the glucuronidation activities of LVFX, MFLX, and STFX correlated highly with UGT1A1-selective beta-estradiol 3-glucuronidation activity, whereas the glucuronidation activity of GPFX correlated highly with UGT1A9-selective propofol glucuronidation activity. Among 12 recombinant UGT enzymes, UGT1A1, 1A3, 1A7, and 1A9 catalyzed the glucuronidation of these fluoroquinolones. Results of enzyme kinetics studies using the recombinant UGT enzymes indicated that UGT1A1 most efficiently glucuronidates MFLX, and UGT1A9 most efficiently glucuronidates GPFX. In addition, the glucuronidation activities of MFLX and STFX in human liver microsomes were potently inhibited by bilirubin with IC50 values of 4.9 microM and 4.7 microM, respectively; in contrast, the glucuronidation activity of GPFX was inhibited by mefenamic acid with an IC50 value of 9.8 microM. These results demonstrate that UGT1A1, 1A3, and 1A9 enzymes are involved in the glucuronidation of LVFX, GPFX, MFLX, and STFX in human liver microsomes, and that MFLX and STFX are predominantly glucuronidated by UGT1A1, whereas GPFX is mainly glucuronidated by UGT1A9.
Raloxifene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator used for the treatment of osteoporosis, undergoes extensive conjugation to the 6-beta- and 4'-beta-glucuronides in vivo. This paper investigated raloxifene glucuronidation by human liver and intestinal microsomes and identified the responsible UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs). UGT1A1 and 1A8 were found to catalyze the formation of both the 6-beta- and 4'-beta-glucuronides, whereas UGT1A10 formed only the 4'-beta-glucuronide. Expressed UGT1A8 catalyzed 6-beta-glucuronidation with an apparent K(m) of 7.9 microM and a V(max) of 0.61 nmol/min/mg of protein and 4'-beta-glucuronidation with an apparent K(m) of 59 microM and a V(max) of 2.0 nmol/min/mg. Kinetic parameters for raloxifene glucuronidation by expressed UGT1A1 could not be determined due to limited substrate solubility. Based on rates of raloxifene glucuronidation and known extrahepatic expression, UGT1A8 and 1A10 appear to be primary contributors to raloxifene glucuronidation in human jejunum microsomes. For human liver microsomes, the variability of 6-beta- and 4'-beta-glucuronide formation was 3- and 4-fold, respectively. Correlation analyses revealed that UGT1A1 was responsible for 6-beta- but not 4'-beta-glucuronidation in liver. Treatment of expressed UGTs with alamethicin resulted in minor increases in enzyme activity, whereas in human intestinal microsomes, maximal increases of 8-fold for the 6-glucuronide and 9-fold for the 4'-glucuronide were observed. Intrinsic clearance values in intestinal microsomes were 17 microl/min/mg for the 6-glucuronide and 95 microl/min/mg for the 4'-isomer. The corresponding values for liver microsomes were significantly lower, indicating that intestinal glucuronidation may be a significant contributor to the presystemic clearance of raloxifene in vivo.
Epirubicin is one of the most active agents for breast cancer. The formation of epirubicin glucuronide by liver UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) is its main inactivating pathway. This study aimed to investigate epirubicin glucuronidation in human liver microsomes, to identify the specific UGT isoform for this reaction, and to correlate epirubicin glucuronidation with other UGT substrates. Microsomes from human livers were used. UGTs specifically expressed in cellular systems, as well as two UGT2B7 variants, were screened for epirubicin glucuronidation. Epirubicin, morphine, and SN-38 glucuronides were measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography. The mean +/- S.D. formation rate of epirubicin glucuronide in human liver microsomes (n = 47) was 138 +/- 37 pmol/min/mg (coefficient of variation, 24%). This phenotype was normally distributed. We screened commercially available UGT1A1, UGT1A3, UGT1A4, UGT1A6, UGT1A9, UGT2B7, and UGT2B15 for epirubicin glucuronidation. Only UGT2B7 converted epirubicin to its glucuronide. No differences in epirubicin glucuronidation were found in HK293 cells expressing the two UGT2B7 variants at position 268. Catalytic efficiency (V(max)/K(m)) of epirubicin glucuronidation was 1.4 microl/min/mg, a value higher than that observed for morphine, a substrate of UGT2B7. Formation of epirubicin glucuronide was significantly related to that of morphine-3-glucuronide (r = 0.76, p < 0.001) and morphine-6-glucuronide (r = 0.73, p < 0.001). No correlation was found with SN-38, a substrate of UGT1A1 (r = 0.04). UGT2B7 is the major human UGT catalyzing epirubicin glucuronidation, and UGT2B7 is the candidate gene for this phenotype. The reported tyrosine to histidine polymorphism in UGT2B7 does not alter the formation rate of epirubicin glucuronide, and undiscovered genetic polymorphisms in UGT2B7 might change the metabolic fate of this important anticancer agent.
The reactions of the glucuronide conjugates of the carcinogens N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-hydroxy-AAF), N-hydroxy-4-acetylaminostilbene (N-hydroxy-AAS), N-hydroxy-4-acetylaminobiphenyl (N-hydroxy-AABP), and N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminophenanthrene (N-hydroxy-AAP) with transfer RNA, ribosomal RNA, DNA, polyadenylate, polyguanylate, polyuridylate, polycytidylate, poly(adenylate, guanylate), and poly(guanylate, uridylate) were studied. The relative order of reactivity of these glucuronides with nucleic acids, measured by the covalent binding of the aryl group labeled with 3H or 14C, was glucuronide of N-hydroxy-AAF greater than glucuronide of N-hydroxy-AAS greater than glucuronide of N-hydroxy-AABP greater than glucuronide of N-hydroxy-AAP. The glucuronide of N-hydroxy-AAP showed only marginal or negligible reactivity. The glucuronide of N-hydroxy-AAF showed greater reactivity with polyguanylate than with polyadenylate, but the reverse was true for the glucuronide of N-hydroxy-AAS. Both of these glucuronides had much lower extents of reaction with polyuridylate and polycytidylate. Except for the reaction of the glucuronide of N-hydroxy-AABP with polyadenylate, there was no detectable reaction of this glucuronide or the glucuronide of N-hydroxy-AAP with the homopolynucleotides. Under comparable conditions the glucuronide conjugates of N-hydroxy-AAF, N-hydroxy-AAS, and N-hydroxy-AABP demonstrated greater reactivity with poly(adenylate, guanylate) and poly(guanylate, uridylate) than with the homopolynucleotides. Furthermore, the synthesis of two new glucuronide conjugates, those of N-hydroxy-AAS and N-hydroxy-AAP, is described.
Glucuronide conjugates represent one of the major types of naturally occurring phase 2 metabolites of xenobiotics and endobiotics. The process underlying their formation, glucuronidation, is normally considered detoxifying, because glucuronides usually possess less intrinsic biological or chemical activity than their parent aglycones and they are rapid excreted. However, a number of glucuronide conjugates are known that are active and may contribute to pharmacological activities or toxicities associated with their parent compounds. These include two classes of glucuronides with electrophilic chemical reactivity (N-O-glucuronides of hydroxamic acids and acyl glucuronides of carboxylic acids) and several types of glucuronides that impart biological effects through non-covalent interactions (morphine 6-O-glucuronide, retinoid glucuronides, and D-ring glucuronides of estrogens). Glucuronides may thus contribute to clinically significant effects, including environmental arylamine-induced carcinogenesis, drug hypersensitivity and other toxicities associated with carboxylic acid drugs, morphine analgesia, and cholestasis from estrogens. This review summarizes the rat and human UDP-glucuronosyltransferases that may be involved in the formation of bioactive glucuronides, including their substrate- and tissue-specificity and genetic and environmental influences on their activity. This knowledge may be useful for enhancing the therapeutic efficacy and minimizing the risk of adverse effects associated with xenobiotics that undergo bioactivating glucuronidation reactions.
Denopamine is one of the oral beta(1)-adrenoceptor-selective partial agonists. Denopamine glucuronide is the most abundant metabolite in human, rat, and dog urine when administered orally. Species differences in denopamine glucuronidation were investigated with liver microsomes obtained from humans and experimental animals. In rat and rabbit, only the phenolic glucuronide was detected, whereas in dog and monkey, not only the phenolic glucuronide but also the alcoholic glucuronide was found. In contrast, in humans, the alcoholic glucuronide was detected exclusively. The kinetics of denopamine glucuronidation in human liver microsomes showed a typical Michaelis-Menten plot. The K(m) and V(max) values accounted for 2.87 +/- 0.17 mM and 7.29 +/- 0.23 nmol/min/mg protein, respectively. With the assessment of denopamine glucuronide formation across a panel of recombinant UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) isoforms (UGT1A1, UGT1A3, UGT1A4, UGT1A6, UGT1A7, UGT1A8, UGT1A9, UGT1A10, UGT2B4, UGT2B7, UGT2B15, and UGT2B17), only UGT2B7 exhibited high denopamine glucuronosyltransferase activity. The K(m) value of denopamine glucuronidation in recombinant UGT2B7 microsomes was close to those in human liver and jejunum microsomes. The formation of denopamine glucuronidation by human liver, jejunum, and recombinant UGT2B7 microsomes was effectively inhibited by diclofenac, a known substrate for UGT2B7. The denopamine glucuronidation activities in seven human liver microsomes were significantly correlated with diclofenac glucuronidation activities (r(2) = 0.685, p < 0.05). These results demonstrate that the denopamine glucuronidation in human liver and intestine is mainly catalyzed by UGT2B7 and that glucuronidation of the alcoholic hydroxyl group, but not the phenolic hydroxyl group, occurs regioselectively in humans.
Nicotine is considered the major addictive agent in tobacco. Tobacco users extensively metabolize nicotine to cotinine. Both nicotine and cotinine undergo N-glucuronidation. Human liver microsomes have been shown to catalyze the formation of these N-glucuronides. However, which UDP-glucuronosyltransferases contribute to this catalysis has not been identified. To identify these enzymes, we initially measured the rates of glucuronidation by 15 human liver microsome samples. Fourteen of the samples glucuronidated both nicotine and cotinine at rates ranging from 146 to 673 pmol/min/mg protein and 140 to 908 pmol/min/mg protein, respectively. The rates of nicotine glucuronidation and cotinine glucuronidation by these 14 samples were correlated, r = 0.97 (p < 0.0001). The glucuronidation of nicotine and cotinine by heterologously expressed UGT1A3, UGT1A4, and UGT1A9 was also determined. All three enzymes catalyzed the glucuronidation of nicotine. However, the rate of catalysis by UGT1A4 Supersomes was more than 30-fold greater than that by either UGT1A3 Supersomes or UGT1A9 Supersomes. Interestingly, when expressed per UGT1A protein, measured by a UGT1A specific antibody, cell lysate from V79-expressed UGT1A9 catalyzed nicotine glucuronidation at a rate 17-fold greater than did UGT1A9 Supersomes. UGT1A4 Supersomes also catalyzed cotinine N-glucuronidation, but at one-tenth the rate of nicotine glucuronidation. Cotinine glucuronidation by either UGT1A3 or UGT1A9 was not detected. Both propofol, a UGT1A9 substrate, and imipramine, a UGT1A4 substrate, inhibited the glucuronidation of nicotine and cotinine by human liver microsomes. Taken together, these data support a role for both UGT1A9 and UGT1A4 in the catalysis of nicotine and cotinine N-glucuronidation.
The effect of dicoumarol on glucuronidation of 3-OH-benzo(a)pyrene (BP) appears to be due to inhibition of UDPglucuronosyltransferase (UDPGT) and not to an inhibited DT-diaphorase (NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase); to date the only enzyme known to be inhibited by dicoumarol. This dicoumarol-sensitive form of UDPGT does not seem to be identical to the major form catalyzing the glucuronidation of p-nitrophenol or methylumbelliferone, nor to the isozyme involved in the formation of phenolphthalein glucuronides. These conclusions are based on the following observations: In solubilized microsomes, devoid of DT-diaphorase, a 3-OH-BP glucuronidation activity is found which is very similar to that observed in microsomes before passing through an azodicoumarol Sepharose 6B column that binds more than 98% of DT-diaphorase; in the eluate from this column the inhibition by dicoumarol of 3-OH-BP glucuronidation is the same as in microsomes containing DT-diaphorase; other coumarin derivatives, which are either modified or substituted in the methylene bridge between the two coumarin entities in dicoumarol, are potent inhibitors of DT-diaphorase but not of UDPGT; a concentration of 10(-6) M dicoumarol is sufficient to inhibit 3-OH-BP glucuronidation 50%. In contrast, to inhibit glucuronidation of p-nitrophenol or methylumbelliferone the concentration of dicoumarol must be raised to the substrate level: i.e., 10(-4) M. Phenolphthalein glucuronidation is almost unaffected even by this high concentration of dicoumarol. The present investigation also reveals that DT-diaphorase and NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase can both catalyze the reduction of BP-3,6-quinone for the formation of BP-3,6-quinol glucuronides. In the eluate from the azodicoumarol Sepharose 6B column, no NADH-supported glucuronidation of BP-3,6-quinone can be detected unless DT-diaphorase is added. However, NADPH-supported formation of BP-3,6-quinol glucuronides can still be observed. The rate of the latter reaction is sufficient enough to allow studies on the effect of dicoumarol on BP-3,6-quinone glucuronidation. These results show that glucuronidation of BP-3,6-quinols is also catalyzed by a dicoumarol-sensitive UDPGT. However, not only is the formation of BP-3,6-quinol monoglucuronides inhibited by dicoumarol, but the conversion of monoglucuronides to diglucuronides is inhibited as well. The former reaction is inhibited 50% by 3.5 X 10(-6) M dicoumarol (close to the I50 for 3-OH-BP glucuronidation), whereas 10 times less dicoumarol (2 X 10(-7) M) is sufficient for 50% inhibition of the latter reaction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)