3.7. Detoxication mechanisms

Wild and hand-reared grey partridges and capercaillies were used to study both inter- and intraspecific differences in the hepatic detoxication ability (IV). Connected with this work, the effect of time spent in sampling on the hepatic enzyme activity was examined. The activities of three different easily induced cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, 7-ethoxyresorufin-0-deethylase (EROD), 7-pentoxyresorufin-0-deethylase (PROD), and coumarin-7-hydroxylase (COH) were analysed. EROD and PROD activities were analysed using the method of Burke et al. (1977a), and COH activity using the method of Aitio (1978). The activities of these monooxygenases in mammalian liver are catalysed by CYP1A, CYP2B and CYP2A enzymes, respectively (Mattson et al. 1998). The same enzymes were used to examine the detoxication mechanisms in grey partridges after a change in the diet from commercial to either natural or tannin-containing commercial food (V).