Perinatal exposure to low doses of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin alters sex-dependent expression of hepatic CYP2C11

• Published in: Journal of biochemical and molecular toxicology 2003, Vol.17 (5), p.278-285
• Main Authors: Ishizuka, Mayumi, Yonemoto, Junzo, Zaha, Hiroko, Tohyama, Chiharu, Sone, Hideko
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase - biosynthesis; Administration, Oral; Animals; Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases - biosynthesis; Brain - drug effects; Brain - enzymology; Brain - metabolism; CYP2C11; Cytochrome P450 Family 2; Environmental Pollutants - toxicity; Estrogen; Female; Gonadal Steroid Hormones - blood; Gonadal Steroid Hormones - metabolism; Imprinting; Liver - drug effects; Liver - enzymology; Male; Ovary - drug effects; Ovary - metabolism; Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins - toxicity; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Sex Factors; Steroid 16-alpha-Hydroxylase - biosynthesis; TCDD; Testis - drug effects; Testis - metabolism; Testosterone
• ISSN: 1095-6670; 1099-0461
• DOI: 10.1002/jbt.10090

The cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoform CYP2C11 is specifically expressed in the liver of adult male rats, and 5α‐reductase is specifically expressed in the liver of the adult female rats. The sexually dimorphic expressions of these hepatic enzymes are regulated by the sex‐dependent profiles of the circulating growth hormone (GH). However, it is not well known whether hormonal imprinting or activation factors in the neonatal brain influence the sexually dimorphic expression patterns of hepatic enzymes. We therefore examined the effect of perinatal exposure to 2,3,7,8‐tetrachlorodibenzo‐p‐dioxin (TCDD) on sex‐dependent expressions of hepatic enzymes. Pregnant rats were treated with TCDD at a dose of 0, 200, or 800 ng/kg on gestation day 15, exposing the pups to the chemical. Although the expression of CYP2C11 protein in the livers of male pups on postnatal day (PND) 49 was significantly higher than that of the controls, but the 5α‐reductase activities in the livers of female pups were not altered by exposure to TCDD. Focusing on perinatal periods, testosterone and estrogen levels significantly increased in the brain of male pups on PND 2. The results suggest that the alteration of testosterone and estrogen levels affect hormonal imprinting in the neonatal brain of male pups, and thus induces a change in the level of male‐specific hepatic CYP2C11. We conclude that perinatal exposure to TCDD at low doses may change the sexual differentiation of the neonatal brain in male rats. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 17:278–285, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.10090