The work carried out in our laboratory is related to the study of the liver enzymes which are responsible for metabolism and the elimination of drugs from the body. The primary focus is to correlate the changes in the function of the immune system with these changes in the cytochrome(s) P450 dependent drug metabolizing enzymes. Since stimulation of the immune response by infectious diseases, or by many drugs which are used to treat cancer and/or viral infections, is frequently associated with a decrease in the ability of the body to metabolize drugs, it is important to determine the mechanism for this effect. We also are interested in the effects of the environmental contaminants on these drug metabolizing enzymes.

Publications
Barnes, D.W., Morahan, P.S., Loveless, S., and Munson, A.E. The effects of maleic anhydride-divinyl ether (MVE) copolymers on hepatic microsomal mixed-function oxidase and other biologic activities. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 208:392-398, 1979.

Barnes, D.W., Page, D.G., Duke, S.S., and White, K.L. Subchronic toxicology of diethylstilbestrol in the mouse. Drug Chem. Toxicol. 6:455-485, 1983.

Kaminiski, N.E., Barnes, D.W., Jordan, S.D. and Holsapple, M.P. The role of metabolism in carbon tetrachloride-mediated immunosuppression: In vivo studies. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 102:9-20, 1990.