Comparable constitutive expression and activity of cytochrome P450 between the lobes of the porcine liver

•We investigated CYP450 mRNA and activity in the different lobes of the porcine liver.•Constitutive mRNA expression and activity were determined to be equal between lobes.•Large inter-individual variation in both mRNA and activity were observed.•Correlation between specific mRNA and activity were shown.

Due to limited availability of human liver tissue for the study of cytochrome P450 (CYP450), porcine liver tissue has been suggested as an alternative source to prepare microsomes and hepatocytes. The porcine liver is made by four different lobes. The present study investigated the expression and activity of specific CYP450 isoforms in the four lobes, with the purpose to examine if one lobe of the porcine liver resembles the human more than others. Samples from the four major lobes were taken from female pigs and mRNA expression and activity of CYP1A, 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E and 3A determined. The results showed no differences in specific mRNA expression and activity of any of the investigated CYP450 isoforms. In conclusion, the study shows that all parts of the porcine liver are equally useful as model tissue.