PRECISION-CUT SLICES AS A TOOL FOR STUDYING PHASE II DRUG METABOLISM IN RAT SMALL INTESTINE IN VITRO

A wide range of endogenous and exogenous compounds including many drugs and their metabolites are inactivated by phase II drug metabolism enzymes UDP-glucuronyltransferase and glutathione S-transferase. The aim of the study was to set up an intestinal precision-cut slice technique for evaluating phase II drug metabolism in rat small intestine. The enzyme activity of UDPglucuronyltransferase and glutathione S-transferase was measured up to 4 h of incubation and compared with those from intestinal cells obtained by mucosa scraping technique. The results from our study suggest that the activity of both phase II drug metabolism enzymes remains constant at least for a period of 4 h. Both intestinal preparations exhibit phase II metabolic activities at similar rates, but precision-cut intestinal slices have a longer life span. They remain viable up to 24 h of incubation. Precision cut slices might be reliable and quite simple system for evaluating xenobiotic phase II metabolism in rat intestine in vitr