Epoxide Hydrase and Glutathione S-transferase Activities with Selected Alkene and Adrene Oxides in Several Marine Species

Epoxide hydrase and glutathione (GSH) S-transferase activities were measured in subcellular fractions prepared from liver or hepatopancreas and some extrahepatic organs of a number of marine species common to Maine or Florida. These activities were easily detected in the species studied. In fish, hepatic GSH S-transferase activities were normally higher than hepatic epoxide hydrase activities for the alkene oxide (styrene oxide and octene oxide) and arene oxide (benzo[a]pyrene 4,5-oxide) substrates studied, whereas in crustacea, hepatopancreas epoxide hydrase activities were higher than hepatopancreas GSH S-transferase activities with the same substrates. Extrahepatic organs from fish and crustacea usually had higher GSH S-transferase activities than epoxide hydrase activities with the alkene and arene oxide substrates. GSH S-transferase activity was also found in liver or hepatopancreas of every aquatic species studied and in a number of extrahepatic organs, when 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene or 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene served as substrate.