Effects of porphyrin-inducing drugs on ferrochelatase activity in isolated mouse hepatocytes.

The effects of several concentrations of griseofulvin and 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydro-2,4,6-trimethylpyridine (DDC) on ferrochelatase activity in suspensions of isolated mouse hepatocytes were examined. In agreement with previous findings in the intact chick embryo liver and chick embryo liver cell culture, DDC, but not griseofulvin, inhibited the enzyme in the isolated mouse hepatocyte suspension. These results indicate that the difference between the effects of griseofulvin on hepatic ferrochelatase in rodents in vivo (inhibition), the intact chick embryo (no effect), and the chick embryo liver cell culture (no effect) cannot be attributed solely to species differences.