ON THE INTERACTIONS OF PERFLUOROCHEMICAL EMULSIONS WITH LIVER MICROSOMAL-MEMBRANES

The interactions of rat liver microsomal membranes with various emulsified perfluorochemicals (PFCs) have been studied. The percentage of microsomal cytochrome P450 forming a complex with a PFC decreased with increasing critical solution temperature (CST) of the PFC. The complex was apparently not formed with lipophobic PFCs whose CSTs were higher than 46-degrees-C, e.g. perfluorotributylamine. The complex was destroyed by an excess of a lipophobic PFC emulsion. The rate of complex formation depended on the solubility of the PFC in water and on the dispersity of the emulsion. The results obtained have been used for an analysis of liver cytochrome P450 induction after intravenous administration of fluorocarbon emulsions to rats. It is suggested that the membrane-related biological activities of PFCs depend mainly on the solubility of PFCs in lipids and water.