Age-related change of hepatic uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase and sulfotransferase activities in male chickens and pigs

The hepatic activities of uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) and sulfotransferase (SULT) of male Ross 708 broiler chickens at the age of 1, 7, 14, 28, and 56days and male Camborough-29 pigs at the age of 1day and 2, 5, 10, and 20weeks were investigated. Glucuronidation and sulfation of 4-nitrophenol were used to evaluate the activities. Porcine hepatic UGT and SULT activities were low at birth, peaked at around 5-10weeks, and then declined. Both hepatic UGT and SULT activities of chickens were high at hatch and declined. Chicken hepatic UGT activity had a peak at the age of 28days. Affinity of hepatic SULT to 4-nitrophenol is similar in chickens and pigs, but the affinity of hepatic UGT in pigs was about 10 times higher than that in chickens. 4-nitrophenol was predominantly conjugated by SULT instead of UGT in chicken livers from hatch to day 56. Conversely, hepatic UGT contributed predominantly in 4-nitrophenol conjugation than the SULT in pigs from birth to 20weeks. Therefore, age has significant impact on hepatic activities of UGT and SULT, and the importance of UGT and SULT on conjugation is different in chickens and pigs.