Cytochrome P450-dependent alkoxyphenoxazone dealkylase activity in rat alveolar type II cells: effect of pretreatment with beta-naphthoflavone.

Cytochrome P450-dependent alkoxyphenoxazone dealkylase activity was measured in alveolar type II cells from control and beta-naphthoflavone (ip) treated-rats. Type II cells were isolated from collagenase/elastase-digested lung tissue and purified by centrifugal elutriation. The specificity of the cytochrome P450-dependent activity towards four alkoxyphenoxazones (methoxy-, ethoxy-, pentoxy-, and benzyloxyphenoxazone) was measured under conditions that minimized interference by cytosolic conjugating- and NADPH-dependent quinone reductase activities. Ethoxyphenoxazone dealkylase activity was induced 17-fold following beta-naphthoflavone treatment and was further characterized by its kinetic parameters and sensitivities toward in vitro inhibitors (Km(app) = 0.20 microM, Vmax = 1.74 pmoles resorufin min-1 (10(6) cells)-1 10(6) cells; I50 (alpha-naphthoflavone) = 0.025 microM, and I50 (metyrapone) = 72 microM). beta-Naphthoflavone pretreatment of the rats did not result in statistically significant changes in methoxy-, pentoxy-, or benzyloxyphenoxazone dealkylase activity of alveolar type II cells, although, a trend towards decrease activity was observed for benzyloxyphenoxazone. beta-Naphthoflavone pretreatment had no effect on oxygen consumption or trypan blue exclusion in alveolar type II cells and macrophage ethoxyphenoxazone dealkylase and benzyloxphenoxazone dealkylase activities were not affected by the beta-naththoflavone pretreatment. The results show that exposure to beta-naphthoflavone resulted in an increase in type II cell cytochrome P450-dependent ethoxyphenoxazone dealkylase activity but not in other alveolar type II cell or macrophage alkoxyphenoxazone dealkylase activities or in parameters that monitor viability and cell wall integrity.