The metabolic sulphation of polyethyleneglycols by isolated perfused rat and guinea-pig livers

Abstract

1. It is shown that isolated perfused rat and guinea-pig livers can sulphate polyethyleneglycol 200 at rates of about 5 and 10 nmol/g per min, respectively. 2. In the guinea-pig about equal amounts of sulphated polyethyleneglycol 200 appear in the bile and in the perfusate, while in the rat about 99% appears in the latter. 3. Polyethyleneglycols 400 and 1000 are also sulphated in perfused guinea-pig liver but polyethyleneglycol 6000 is not. 4. Polyethyleneglycols are therefore not suitable solvents for xenobiotics which may undergo sulphation because of the likelihood of competition for sulphate.