NUTRITIONALLY AND CHEMICALLY-INDUCED IMPAIRMENT OF SULFATE ACTIVATIONAND SULFATION OF XENOBIOTICS IN-VIVO

Sulfation requires 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) as the sulfate donor. In the search for methods to inhibit sulfation reactio ns via impairment of PAPS synthesis, two experimental conditions have been tested in rats. A low-sulfur diet, which does not deplete hepatic glutathione, reduced inorganic sulfate but not PAPS levels in the liv er and moderately decreased sulfation of acetaminophen. Administration of molybdate, which is an alternative substrate for intestinal and re nal sulfate transport as well as for ATP-sulfurylase, depleted both su lfate and PAPS in liver and markedly inhibited sulfation of acetaminop hen. Therefore, administration of molybdate may be used as an experime ntal tool to study the role of sulfation in the fate and effect of xen obiotics.