Alterations in hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 hemeproteins in diabetic rats.

Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to determine the effect of diabetes on the cytochrome P-450-region proteins of rat liver microsomes. Compared to normal microsomes, diabetic microsomes from both male and female rats exhibited distinct increases as well as decreases in the hemeproteins of this region. These results support the concept that the substrate specific changes in drug metabolism observed in diabetic rats may be related to specific alterations in the hepatic cytochrome P-450 hemeprotein population.