Cyclophosphamide-impaired regulation of hepatic heme metabolism

Summary Im male rats hepatic cytochromes b₅ and P-450 were reduced at different times after treatment with cyclophosphamide (CP) (200 mg/kg i.p. for 3 days). In contrast, microsomal heme did not change until 48 h after the last dose of CP, leading to accumulation of heme in a non-cytochromal form. Parallel to the above changes the heme metabolism showed derangement: -aminolaevulinate synthase, the rate-limiting enzyme in heme synthesis, was depressed and heme oxygenase, the enzyme which catalyzes the oxidative degradation of heme, was increased.