| Abstract: | Studies of the regulation of heme oxygenase by synthetic metalloporphyrins reveal that within this group of compounds there exist both inducers and inhibitors of the synthesis of this enzyme or of its catalytic function. The ability of metalloporphyrins to alter heme catabolism is of considerable experimental and clinical interest since such alterations may have consequences for other aspects of heme homeostasis, including its synthesis and its function in the form of cytochrome(s) P-450. Examples of the metabolic effects – and their potential clinical and pharmacological consequences – produced by two synthetic metalloporphyrins, Sn-protoporphyrin and Co-protoporphyrin, are discussed. |
