Strain and sex differences in the effect of enflurane and isoflurane on heme metabolism in mice.

1. The influence of strain and sex on the effect of enflurane and isoflurane and administration on heme metabolism was investigated to identify the animal model which could best reproduce the biochemical signs of acute intermittent porphyria. 2. Enflurane produced 35% and 80% increases in ALA-S activity only in CF1 male and female mice, respectively, whereas isoflurane induced 40% enzyme activity in CF1 male. 3. CF1 males showed around 35% decrease in blood PBGase and PBG-deaminase after administration of enflurane, whereas isoflurane provoked a striking inhibition (70%) in males of the C57 strain. 4. Enflurane produced alterations in heme synthesis, which would fit a model of acute porphyria in CF1 male mice. On the other hand, isoflurane would mimic biochemical alterations of this porphyria in C57 males.