We have discovered cytochrome P450 and associated monooxygenase activities in microsomes prepared from spinal cord tissues from rats and a human. Cytochrome P450 levels and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate cytochrome c reductase activities in microsomes from rat spinal cord were similar to those observed from the whole brain. However, certain monooxygenase activities were significantly lower in the rat spinal cord microsomes as compared to the corresponding activities observed in the whole brain. Cytochrome P450-mediated monooxygenase activities were also detectable in microsomes prepared from human spinal cord. Immunoblot analyses of rat and human spinal cord microsomes using antisera to various forms of hepatic cytochrome P450 namely (2B1 + 2B2), 1A1, 1A2 and 2E1 revealed the presence of immunologically similar forms. The spinal cord microsomes also cross-reacted with the antiserum to the phenobarbital-inducible form of rat brain cytochrome P450. Immunocytochemical stain was predominant in the gray horns of the rat spinal cord. At the cervical level, lamina 1 and 2 representing the substantia gelatinosa were intensely stained. In the ventral horns, lamina 7, 8 and 9 containing the large motor neurons were strongly labelled, while small neurons revealed variable staining. In the white matter, the glial cells were stained but the axons remained non-reactive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)