Tin-protoporphyrin suppression of hyperbilirubinemia in the jaundiced Gunn rat.

Suppression of hyperbilirubinemia was studied in jaundiced adult and neonatal Gunn rats following treatment with tin-protoporphyrin. The effects of tin-protoporphyrin treatment on heme oxygenase, NADPH cytochrome c reductase, and biliverdin reductase activities were studied in adult jaundiced Gunn rat renal, hepatic and splenic tissues. Hepatic heme oxygenase activity was studied in nonjaundiced and jaundiced Gunn neonates. Significant decreases in plasma bilirubin levels were observed for both adult and neonatal rats treated with 50 or 100 mumol tin-protoporphyrin/kg body weight. Tin-protoporphyrin-treated rats had significantly lower hepatic and renal heme oxygenase activities, splenic and renal cytochrome c reductase activities, and a significantly higher splenic biliverdin reductase activity. Hepatic heme oxygenase activity was also significantly reduced in the neonatal rats.