Comparison of the effects of Sesbania drummondii on the hepatic microsomal monooxygenase systems of chickens and rats.

Sesbania drummondii, a toxic leguminous shrub found throughout the southeastern United States, induces different responses in chicken vs rat hepatic microsomal monooxygenase systems. Groups of 4- to 8-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats and White Leghorn chickens were given extracts of S drummondii by gavage for 3 days. Doses, which were 0.4 and 0.8% of daily body weights, respectively, for the rats and chickens, were adjusted to induce similar clinical lesions in the 2 species. The hepatic microsomal monooxygenase systems of control and treated animals were compared, using cytochrome P-450 content, cytochrome b5 content, NADH- and NADPH-cytochrome c-reductase activity, and 6 cytochrome P-450 mediated enzyme activities. Increases of twofold in the cytochrome P-450 content, NADPH-cytochrome c-reductase, aminopyrine-N-demethylase, aniline hydroxylase, ethoxycoumarin-O-deethylase, and aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activities; fourfold in the aldrin epoxidase activity; and 15-fold in the ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity were observed in the S drummondii-treated chickens. In contrast, the treated rats had nearly twofold decreases in these values, suggesting a species-specific effect of S drummondii on microsomal monooxygenase systems, ie, induced with S drummondii.