Dietary butylated hydroxyanisole reduces covalent binding of acetaminophen to mouse tissue proteins in vivo.

Covalent binding of acetaminophen (APAP) metabolites to mouse liver and kidney proteins was significantly decreased by prior consumption of diets containing 0.75% butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). However, dietary BHA did not influence the covalent binding of APAP-derived radioactivity to liver microsomal protein in vitro. These findings suggest that BHA has no effect on monooxygenases involved in the conversion of APAP to reactive metabolites in vivo. The decreased covalent binding in vivo may be ascribed to the increased concentration of reduced glutathione (GSH) in liver and kidney following BHA consumption.