Potentiation of EPN-induced inhibition of liver microsomal carboxylesterase by addition of liver cytosol from 6-aminonicotinamide-treated, starved rats.

Addition of liver cytosol from 16 hr-starved rats treated with 6-aminonicotinamide to rat liver microsomes caused potentiation of the anti-carboxylesterase action of ethyl-p-nitrophenyl phenylphosphonothioate (EPN). This was not found when liver cytosol from non-pretreated rats after 16 hr-starvation was used. This potentiation of EPN-induced inhibition of carboxylesterase may be, at least in part, explained by the fact that treatment of rats with 6-aminonicotinamide resulted in a significant increase in NADPH level in liver cytosol which, in turn, stimulated formation of an EPN oxygen analog, a potent inhibitor of carboxylesterase, through cytochrome P-450-coupled monooxygenase.