Induction of peroxisomal acyl CoA oxidase activity and lipid peroxidation in primary rat hepatocyte cultures.

Peroxisome proliferators have been suggested to induce liver carcinogenesis as a result of increased peroxisomal hydrogen peroxide production and cellular oxidative stress. Primary monolayer cultures of hepatocytes isolated from male F344 rats were incubated in medium containing one of three different peroxisome proliferators and examined for the induction of peroxisomal CoA oxidase activity and lipid peroxidation. The latter parameter was determined by measuring levels of conjugated dienes in lipid fractions extracted from harvested cells. The peroxisome proliferators used in these studies were nafenopin and clofibric acid (two hypolipidemic drugs) and mono(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (MEHP), the primary metabolite of the industrial plasticizer, di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP). The relative specific activity of peroxisomal acyl CoA oxidase was increased by about 300% after incubation for 44 h with 200 microM nafenopin; lower levels of induction were observed with clofibric acid or MEHP. Relative to controls, the level of conjugated dienes was increased approximately 2-fold after incubation with 200 microM nafenopin; there was no apparent increase in conjugated dienes after incubation with up to 200 microM MEHP or 400 microM clofibric acid. The increase in conjugated dienes with 200 microM nafenopin was inhibited by co-incubation with the antioxidant, N,N'-diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine. Thus, peroxisomal enzyme induction by nafenopin can result in membrane lipid peroxidation and monolayer cultures of rat hepatocytes may provide a useful model system for studying relationships between peroxisome proliferation, enhanced hydrogen peroxide production and cellular changes due to hepatic oxidative stress.