Drug Development and Toxicology - Assignment Example

It is vital in the activation of various carcinogens and detoxification of toxic epoxides (Bauer, Faiola, Abernethy, Marchan, Pluta, Wong, Gonzalez, Butterworth, Borghoff, Everitt and Recio, 2003).The deficiency of epoxide hydrolase does not show any abnormal phenotype. This suggests that it is not important for physiological homeostasis and reproduction. However, deficiency in epoxide hydrolase results in the organism been unable to bioactivate DMBA to the carcinogenic metabolite. This results in the organism been highly resistant to DMBA induced carcinogenesis.

Its deficiency causes a decrease in reaction to toxicity that is as a result of benzene as there is a reduction in the number of metabolites that are toxic (Bauer, Faiola, Abernethy, Marchan, Pluta, Wong, Gonzalez, Butterworth, Borghoff, Everitt and Recio, 2003).As shown in the test results, the concentration of 4, 5 – dihydrodiol reduces day after day. This means that the catalysis of epoxide hydrolase leads to its reduction. This means that the toxicity of 4, 5 – dihydrodiol is relatively reduced.

For 7, 8 – dihydrodiol, the catalysis of epoxide hydrolase leads to its complete reduction. Hence, it is rendered non-toxic. The concentration of 7, 8 – diol – 9, 10 – epoxide continually rises after each day. This means that the inhibition of the catalysis of 7, 8 – diol – 9, 10 – epoxide by epoxide hydrolase leads to a rise in the concentration of this metabolite which results in an increase in its toxicity.Mr X is likely to develop cancer as a result of this accident.

From the graph, it can be inferred on that the concentration of 7, 8 – diol – 9, 10 – epoxide gradually increases. This metabolite is not inactivated but is resistant to epoxide hydrolase and increased in quantity. This increase in concentration increases the likelihood of Mr X developing cancer.