Effect of dietary level of sulfur-containing amino acids on liver drug-metabolizing enzymes, serum cholesterol and urinary ascorbic acid in rats fed PCB.

Effects of dietary level of sulfur-containing amino acids (S-AA) on liver drug-metabolizing enzymes, serum cholesterol and ascorbic acid metabolism in growing rats fed diets containing 300 ppm of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) were investigated. Maximum gain in body weight was observed with 0.5% S-AA diets with or without PCB addition. Metabolic parameters increased by PCB were liver weight, activities of hepatic aminopyrine N-demethylase and aniline hydroxylase, serum total cholesterol, serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol, serum corticosterone and urinary metabolites of the glucuronic acid pathway including ascorbic acid, glucuronic acid and glucaric acid. In the PCB-treated animals, maximum values of liver weight, aminopyrine demethylase activity, serum cholesterol, serum corticosterone, urinary ascorbic acid and glucaric acid were obtained with about 0.8% S-AA. For the maximum induction of these metabolic responses, 0.5% S-AA was not enough. Urinary glucuronic acid and the ratio of lower density lipoprotein cholesterol versus high density lipoprotein cholesterol were decreased with a supplement of S-AA to PCB-containing diets.