Ethanol as an inducer of UDP-glucuronyltransferase: a comparison with phenobarbital and 3-methylcholanthrene induction in rabbit hepatic microsomes.

In this report we have examined the ability of ethanol to induce UDP-glucuronyltransferase activity in male rabbits using p-nitrophenol as substrate. The rabbit was found to be an excellent species for studies of ethanol induction since almost 3-fold increases in activity were observed relative to controls. Ethanol induction of p-nitrophenol UDP-glucuronyltransferase activity was even greater than induction by 3-methylcholanthrene, the prototypic inducer of this type of activity. Thus, the rabbit shows promise for studies of UDP-glucuronyltransferase isozymes that are induced by chronic ethanol consumption.