effects of stylbene estrogen [hexestrol] on the glutathione redox system activity in albinos rats

ABSTRACT

The use of stylbene estrogens, which is not only for the aims of reproduction, but also in order to increase protein biosynthesis in domestic animals for feeding, unfortunately these estrogens can be transformed into toxic metabolites, such as carcinogens, electrophiles, hydroperoxides, etc... The obtained results have allowed us to study the role of glutathione redox cycle in detoxification and elimination of different toxic peroxides, arising from hexestrol [3, 4, -para-oxiphenyl-hexane] metabolism. The treatment with this stylbene estrogen induces a great change in this enzymatic system of glutathione. However, the reduced glutathione content decreases significantly in rat's liver and testicles, proportionally with the experimental period and with the studied hexestrol doses. Whereas, the combined significant increase in the glutathione peroxidase and the glutathione reductase activities appears also throughout the treatment, especially in 100 and 200 micro g/kg hexestrol doses. The proportional relationship between the decreased glutathione content and the increased glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase activities in rats injected with hexestrol confirms the participation of glutathione redox cycle in the detoxifying processes of continuously accumulated peroxides, resulting from the metabolism of this synthetic estrogen