Hepatic Drug-Metabolizing Enzymes during Embryonic and Fetal Development

摘要: Twenty or thirty years ago, it was believed that all drugs (and other environmental pollutants) were “toxic”, pharmacologically active, in their parent (non-metabolized) form. The function of drug-metabolizing enzymes therefore regarded as detoxication, i.e. to “inactivate” the active drug. More recently has become increasingly evident although some are, indeed, nonmetabolized form, many are inactive until being metabolized (1,2). A delicate balance exists, therefore, between detoxication and toxification.