Effects of a cysteine precursor, L-2-oxothiazolidine-carboxylate, nutritional status, and sex on tissue glutathione and hepatic GSH-utilizing enzymes of CD-1 mice.

Objectives of this study were to compare the effects of sex, nutritional status and L-2-oxothiazolidine carboxylate (OTC) treatment on tissue constituents frequently involved in responses to chemical toxins. Four groups of adult CD-1 mice were studied: fed females, fed males, fasted males, and fasted males three hours after treatment with OTC (10 mmoles/kg, sc). Female fed mice were found to differ from male fed mice as follows: lower tissue GSH in liver and kidney but not lung; lower hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 content and cytosolic GSH transferase activities, particularly using CDNB as substrate; and higher hepatic GSH peroxidase but similar GSSG reductase activities. Overnight fasting was associated with a decrease in hepatic and renal GSH and hepatic cytochrome P-450. OTC treatment was only found to increase hepatic GSH and decrease renal GSH. Thus in fasted CD-1 male mice, the intracellular cysteine precursor, OTC, has an apparently selective effect on tissue GSH contents without confounding effects on hepatic GSH utilizing or restoring activities.