Definition
Liver microsomes are a subcellular fraction consisting of vesicles of the endoplasmic reticulum, prepared by liver homogenization and differential centrifugation of the tissue. They are commonly used to investigate hepatic drug metabolism.
The liver is the predominant site of metabolism in the body for a large proportion of pharmaceutical drugs. The rate of metabolism influences the body’s exposure to a drug and can consequently impact the drug’s efficacy and toxicity. Hepatocytes are the major cell type, accounting for approximately 80% of the liver’s mass [1] (see entry “Drug Metabolism Assessment: Hepatocytes”). They express a broad range of enzymes capable of metabolizing xenobiotics and endogenous molecules. The endoplasmic reticulum, a continuous membrane network within the cytosol, is particularly abundant in hepatocytes [2]. A number of key metabolic enzymes are localized to this subcellular organelle, including cytochrome P450 (CYP) and uridine...
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Wilcock, J., Ward, L. (2022). Drug Metabolism Assessment: Liver Microsomes. In: Talevi, A. (eds) The ADME Encyclopedia. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-84860-6_144
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