The Development of Kinetic Parameters of Hepatic Drug-Metabolizing Enzymes in Perinatal Rats

Abstract

The development of the apparent kinetic parameters Km and Vmax was studied in perinatal Wistar rats for three functionally diverse, hepatic enzymes (p-nitroanisole O-demethylase, carboxylesterase and bromosulphophthalein–glutathione conjugating enzyme), the period studied being from 3 days prepartum to 35 days postpartum. The kinetic parameters underwent marked quantitative changes during development, which appeared to be independent of sex for the first 5 weeks postpartum.