Effect of repeated exposure to aniline, nitrobenzene, and benzene on liver microsomal metabolism in the rat.

Exposure of rats to aniline at daily doses of 50 mg/kg of body weight over a month stimulated the microsomal metabolism as manifested by (1) acceleration of p-hydroxylation of anilin and N-demethylation of aminopyrine in 9-000 times g postmitochondrial supernatant of the liver, (2) shortening the sleeping time after hexobarbital, and (3) reduction of the antipyretic effect of phenacetin. In the rats exposed to nitrobenzene in a similar manner to aniline, nitroreduction of nitrobenzene and p-hydroxylation of aniline remained unaffected; the antipyretic effect of phenacetin was decreased, whereas hexobarbital sleeping time remained unchanged. Exposure of rats to benzene (50 mg/kg of body weight daily for a month) had no effect on the rate of hydroxylation of benzene and N-demethylation of aminopyrine. In benzene-exposed rats hexobarbital sleeping time was prolonged whereas the antipyretic effect of phenacetin was unaffected. Microsomal metabolism of aniline, nitrobenzene, and benzene was stimulated and inhibited when the rats were pretreated with phenobarbital and SKF 525-A, respectively.