ABSTRACT:We previously reported an ontogeny model of hepatic cytochrome P450 (P450) activity that predicts in vivo P450 elimination from in vitro intrinsic clearance. The purpose of this study was to conduct investigations into key assumptions of the P450 ontogeny model using the developing rat model system. We used two developmentally dissimilar enzymes, CYP2E1 and CYP1A2, and male rats (n ؍ 4) at age groups representing critical developmental stages. Total body and liver weights and hepatic microsomal protein contents were measured. Following high-performance liquid chromatography analysis, apparent K M and V max estimates were calculated using nonlinear regression analysis for CYP2E1-and CYP1A2-mediated chlorzoxazone 6-hydroxylation and methoxyresorufin O-dealkylation, and V max estimates for p-nitrophenol and phenacetin hydroxylations, respectively. Hepatic scaling factors and Intentional and inadvertent exposures (i.e., environmental contamination, breast milk) of the developing neonate to xenobiotics raises significant concerns over the potential risks posed to the exposed neonate. However, ethical impediments and limited toxicity data in human pediatric populations hinder the assessment of such risk. Furthermore, evidence for age-dependent differences in susceptibility to toxicity precludes a simple adult-to-neonate extrapolation of toxicity risk based upon toxicology studies in adult populations (Clark et al., 2004;Ginsberg et al., 2004b). A need exists, then, for predictive paradigms for risk assessment in human pediatric populations.Pharmacokinetic processes, particularly elimination mechanisms, often underlie these age-related differences in susceptibility to toxicity. Most elimination processes undergo significant ontogeny (Alcorn and McNamara, 2002a) and their maturation status in the developing neonate may determine toxicological outcomes following a xenobiotic exposure (Ginsberg et al., 2004a;Barton, 2005). Consequently, knowledge of a neonate's elimination capacity is critical for toxicological risk assessments. To address this issue, recent efforts to use available data on the ontogeny of xenobiotic elimination mechanisms in humans and animals have lead to models that allow predictions of xenobiotic elimination in the developing neonate (Alcorn and McNamara, 2002b;Brent, 2004;Barton, 2005;Jarabek et al., 2005;Bjorkman, 2006;Edginton et al., 2006;Johnson et al., 2006;Nong et al., 2006) These models are either based upon physiological data from pediatric patients and adults or upon developmental toxicological assessments in suitable animal systems. In the only validated model approach (Nong et al., 2006), the authors reported that a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model premised upon knowledge of ageand subject-specific human CYP2E1 protein content and known physiological variables can be used to evaluate interindividual variation in internal dosimetry estimates for toluene (CYP2E1 substrate) exposures in children and represents a feasible approach for risk assess-