Effects of thermal degradation products of polystyrene on drug biotransformation and tissue glutathione in rat and mouse.

Rats and mice were exposed to the fumes of oxidative thermal degradation of polystyrene (350 degrees C). A decrease in the reduced glutathione (GSH) in both liver and lung was detected immediately after both the acute (mice, 3 h) and subacute (rats, 3 weeks) exposures were stopped. Later on an elevation in the amount of GSH due to the increased synthesis (rebound effect) could be seen. Cytochrome P-450 content in mouse liver was initially decreased after acute exposure, but the prolonged treatment doubled the amount of the P-450 hemoprotein in liver microsomes. After acute exposure 7-ethoxycoumarin 9-deethylase activity in mouse liver was doubled in 24 h. When the exposures were continued, this enhancement in ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase activity gradually disappeared. O-deethylase activity was also enhanced in rat liver and lung after subacute exposure. The exposures given had no effect on diphenyloxazole hydroxylase, and the effects on the conjugating enzymes (epoxide hydratase, UDPglucuronosyltransferase, glutathione S-transferase)) were insignificant in rat liver.