Limitation of theophylline elimination by reduced oxygen availability in mouse hepatocytes and rat isolated livers.

The effect of oxygen availability on theophylline metabolism by mouse hepatocytes and rat isolated livers was examined. The elimination of theophylline by mouse hepatocytes and the metabolism of theophylline to dimethyluric acid by isolated, perfused rat livers was seriously impaired when the gas mixture supplied contained less than 28% oxygen. The correlation coefficients relating oxygen supply and the concentration of theophylline remaining in mouse hepatocyte suspensions were -0.74 to -0.84. In the isolated, perfused rat liver experiments, the correlation coefficient relating oxygen availability and dimethyluric acid production was 0.87. These observations are interpreted as supporting the hypothesis that oxygen availability per se is an important factor in determining the rate of theophylline metabolism.