Study of the optimal temperature for the liver microsomal assay with mice S9 fractions.

The effect of temperature on enzymatic activity and stability was studied with respect to the monooxygenase activities of aminopyrine-N-demethylase (APD) and p-nitroanisole O-demethylase (pNAD) under incubation conditions for the liver microsomal assay. The activities of S9 liver fractions of mice induced with sodium phenobarbital and beta-naphthoflavone were determined during a period of preincubation in a range of temperatures from 30 to 44 degrees C. The greatest value of the mean specific activity was found at 40-42 degrees C for both APD and pNAD. The rapid increase of lipid peroxidation after 1 h of incubation at temperatures higher than 42 degrees C can provide an explanation of the enhancement of the rate of inactivation. In order to determine whether biological response is affected by the modifications induced by temperature in the metabolic activating system, tester strain D7 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used to assay the genetic activity of the well known premutagenic agent cyclophosphamide by incubating the mixtures both at the traditional temperature of 37 degrees C and at 42 degrees C. We suggest that the use of more favourable conditions for LMA with respect to enzymatic activity, than the traditional ones could improve the reliability and the sensitivity of such tests.