Pyridine and acetone are efficacious inducers of CYP2E1 in both rats and rabbits. The response in the elevation of CYP2E1 levels, changes in CYP2E1 mRNA levels, and enhanced translational processing of hepatic CYP2E1 mRNA during the early phase of CYP2E1 induction by the solvents pyridine and acetone were examined. Time-depen-dent incease in CYP2E1 levels occurred at early times (6-24h) following a single dose of pyridine treatmene, as assessed by Western immunoblot analysis, whereas the levels in CYP2E1 mRNA transiently decreased at 12h post-treatment, returning to the level present in untreated animals.