Salicylate enhancement of renal glucuronide conjugation and tubular excretory transfer of phenols.

Salicylate administration increased glucuronyltransferase activity, with o-aminophenol as the substrate, in chicken kidney homogenates, but did not affect glucuronyltransferase activity in chicken liver homogenates. In addition, salicylate administration increased in vivo renal glucuronidation of catechol and p-nitrophenol without affecting renal sulfate conjugation of these compounds. These results suggest that salicylate administration selectively enhances renal glucuronide conjugation, thereby promoting a more rapid metabolism and elimination of circulating phenols, especially at high plasma phenol concentrations. Isolated human kidney perfusion experiments reveal that glucuronide and sulfate conjugates of phenol, p-nitrophenol, and 1-naphthol are formed in the human kidney, suggesting that the effect of salicylate treatment on renal glucuronidation may apply to humans.