[Metabolism of phenylbutazone in the liver (author's transl)].

The object of the investigation was to study the capacity of the liver to metabolize drugs under diversified conditions (cirrhosis, hepatitis, cholestasis in alcoholics, in diabetics as well as in eplieptics treated with barbiturates) as well as the possibility of inducing this function. To accomplish this we determined the half-life of Butazolidin. Only in cirrhotics it was shown that the capacity to metabolize Butazolidin was reduced. Induction with barbiturates increased hepatic captation of the drug but did not modify the biotransformation of the same. This is attributed to the development of a "hypoactive hypertrophy" of the reticuloendothelium.