The glutathione status of rat kidney nuclei following administration of buthionine sulfoximine.

Rat kidney nuclei were isolated by techniques designed to limit the loss of small water-soluble metabolites. Lyophilized rat kidney powder was disrupted with a Tekmar Tissumizer, and nuclei were purified by discontinuous gradient centrifugation through a glycerol-metrizamide solution at 4 degrees C. Purified nuclei exhibited similar DNA to protein ratios as reported for other rat nuclei isolated by nonaqueous isolation techniques. Results suggest that in control animals the concentration of glutathione in the kidney nucleus is similar to that in the cytoplasm. However, following treatment with buthionine sulfoximine, rat kidney nuclear glutathione levels were less than the corresponding cytoplasmic glutathione levels.