Changes in circulating concentrations of testosterone and estrone sulfate after human chorionic gonadotropin administration and subsequent to castration of 2-year-old stallions.

Reproductive steroids testosterone (T) and estrone sulfate (E1S) are used as diagnostic markers for cryptorchidism in horses. The human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) stimulation test is used as a diagnostic aid because administration of this hormone results in greater incremental differences in circulating steroid concentrations. Thoughts regarding optimal sampling times following hCG administration, however, are inconsistent. Additionally, determination of half-life of these steroids is important in postsurgical samples to confirm complete removal of testicular tissue. Objectives of this study, therefore, were to determine optimal sampling periods for peak T and E1S after hCG administration and half-life of these steroids after castration. Eight pony stallions were randomly assigned to control or treatment groups (5000 IU hCG). Blood samples were collected following hCG administration. Subsequently, stallions were castrated and blood samples were collected post-castration. The T concentrations were greatest at 72 h after hCG and were greater (P < 0.02) in samples from hCG-treated than control animals: 9,903.4 ± 384 and 784.0 ± 192 pg/mL, respectively (Mean ± SEM). The T concentrations were also greater at 1, 12, 24, 48 and 96 h. The E1S concentrations did not change after administration of hCG. The T response to hCG administration was biphasic with a maximal response between 48-96 h after administration. Half-lives of T and E1S were 1.1 and 0.7 h, respectively, and concentration of T and E1S was similar to that of geldings at 24 h post-castration, which, therefore, should be considered an optimal time to ensure complete castration has occurred.

Risk assessment of substances that are both genotoxic and carcinogenic report of an International Conference organized by EFSA and WHO with support of ILSI Europe.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the World Health Organization (WHO), with the support of the International Life Sciences Institute, European Branch (ILSI Europe), organized an international conference on 16-18 November 2005 to discuss how regulatory and advisory bodies evaluate the potential risks of the presence in food of substances that are both genotoxic and carcinogenic. The objectives of the conference were to discuss the possible approaches for risk assessment of such substances, how the approaches may be interpreted and whether they meet the needs of risk managers. ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) provides advice based solely on hazard identification and does not take into account either potency or human exposure. The use of quantitative low-dose extrapolation of dose-response data from an animal bioassay raises numerous scientific uncertainties related to the selection of mathematical models and extrapolation down to levels of human exposure. There was consensus that the margin of exposure (MOE) was the preferred approach because it is based on the available animal dose-response data, without extrapolation, and on human exposures. The MOE can be used for prioritisation of risk management actions but the conference recognised that it is difficult to interpret it in terms of health risk.

Integrated risk assessment and endocrine disrupters.

1. The procedures currently employed for risk assessment are unlikely to be sustainable in the future for a variety of reasons. A number of actions are needed to remedy the situation and the most important of these actions are: * to improve access to existing data; * to introduce a prioritisation system based on exposure assessment; * to co-ordinate and harmonise approaches of different organisations involved in risk assessment. 2. Integration of information and methodologies between human health risk assessment and ecological risk assessment (integrated risk assessment) is advocated in this paper as one of the most important steps towards a holistic and effective way of conducting a risk assessment. 3. A framework is proposed for identification of agents for which an integrated risk assessment would be of particular value. Close collaboration across disciplines and across countries is necessary for the potential of integrated risk assessment to be realised in practice. The practicality of applying integrated risk assessment to endocrine disrupting agents is presently being investigated in an EU funded multi-laboratory collaborative study (CREDO).

Hazard identification by methods of animal-based toxicology.

This paper is one of several prepared under the project "Food Safety In Europe: Risk Assessment of Chemicals in Food and Diet" (FOSIE), a European Commission Concerted Action Programme, organised by the International Life Sciences Institute, Europe (ILSI). The aim of the FOSIE project is to review the current state of the science of risk assessment of chemicals in food and diet, by consideration of the four stages of risk assessment, that is, hazard identification, hazard characterisation, exposure assessment and risk characterisation. The contribution of animal-based methods in toxicology to hazard identification of chemicals in food and diet is discussed. The importance of first applying existing technical and chemical knowledge to the design of safety testing programs for food chemicals is emphasised. There is consideration of the presently available and commonly used toxicity testing approaches and methodologies, including acute and repeated dose toxicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, immunotoxicity and food allergy. They are considered from the perspective of whether they are appropriate for assessing food chemicals and whether they are adequate to detect currently known or anticipated hazards from food. Gaps in knowledge and future research needs are identified; research on these could lead to improvements in the methods of hazard identification for food chemicals. The potential impact of some emerging techniques and toxicological issues on hazard identification for food chemicals, such as new measurement techniques, the use of transgenic animals, assessment of hormone balance and the possibilities for conducting studies in which common human diseases have been modelled, is also considered.

Optimisation of the enantiomeric separation of 12 2-aminotetralin analogues using Chiral AGP high-performance liquid chromatography by simultaneous factorial design.

A method for the simultaneous optimisation of mobile phase composition for the resolution of pairs of enantiomers of 12 2-aminotetralin analogues is presented. The selectivity necessary to discriminate between 12 analytes was obtained by using mass selective detection. The ability to examine more than a few analytes at a time extends the otherwise limited applicability of a factorial design strategy to the rapid development of chiral assays.

Enhanced arsenite-induced hepatic morphological and biochemical changes in phenobarbital-pretreated rats.

Changes in liver morphology and biochemistry have been assessed 16 hr after a sc injection of sodium arsenite [As(III), 75 mumol/kg] to control and phenobarbital (PB)-pretreated (80 mg/kg, ip daily for 3 days) adult male Wistar rats. As(III) administration to PB-pretreated rats [PB + As(III)] caused hydropic degeneration, total loss of glycogen, necrosis in some centrilobular zones, and an increase in lipid vacuoles around the periportal area. Electron microscopy showed an increased number of vacuoles and autophagosomes containing organelle-like material. There was a 30% decrease in total hepatic cytochrome P-450 (CYP450). O-dealkylation of ethoxy- and pentoxyresorufin and N-demethylation of benzphetamine decreased to 42, 32, and 30% of control values, respectively. 5-Aminolevulinic acid dehydrase decreased 25% from controls, and metal chelatase activities decreased to 25% of the PB-treated group. Injection of As(III) alone resulted in a mild increase in lipid-containing vacuoles around the periportal zone, a moderate loss of glycogen in midzonal areas, and, by electron microscopy, a dilatation of the bile canaliculi and an increase of the number of myelin-like structures. CYP450 content and the O-dealkylation of ethoxy- and pentoxyresorufin and N-demethylation of benzphetamine all decreased between 30 and 50%. These results demonstrate the greater susceptibility of the liver to injury following PB with compounds not requiring metabolic activation. The metabolic basis of these changes are unclear but may result from an increased demand for metabolic energy due to PB induction and decreased adenosine triphosphate synthesis caused by arsenic.

Effects of arsenite on hepatic mixed-function oxidase activity in rats.

1. Injection of arsenite (As3+) to control rats results in losses of total hepatic cytochrome P-450 and significant decreases of ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase (ECOD) and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activities. However, As3+ appears to decrease the activity of these enzymes differentially, with EROD showing greater sensitivity than ECOD. 2. Injection of As3+ to rats treated with phenobarbital and isosafrole significantly decreases the total content of hepatic cytochrome P-450 and various mixed function oxidase (MFO) activities, with the exception of ECOD which appears to be insensitive to As3+. 3. 3-Methylcholanthrene administration apparently protects against the effects of As3+ on the cytochrome P-450 system, since total content of the cytochrome P-450 and various MFO activities were all insensitive to this treatment.

Haloalkylamine-induced renal papillary necrosis: a histopathological study of structure-activity relationships.

The haloalkylamine 2-bromoethanamine (BEA) causes necrosis of renal papillae of rats within 24 h of a single intraperitoneal dose greater than or equal to 100 mg/kg. Nine structural analogues of BEA, differing by halide substitution, alkyl chain elongation or amine substitution, were tested for their ability to induce renal papillary lesions in rats. Three compounds (2-chloroethanamine, 3-bromopropanamine and 2-chloro-N,N-dimethylethanamine) induced lesions which were morphologically indistinguishable from those of BEA. All the molecular structural variations investigated reduced papillotoxicity compared with BEA, the parent compound. A variety of non-renal lesions including hepatic, adrenal, testicular and lymphoid necroses were also encountered. The most toxic compound was 2-fluorethanamine, a 5 mg/kg dose of which was lethal and induced renal corticomedullary mineralization and centrilobular hepatic necrosis. One analogue, 3-bromo-2-hydroxypropanamine, caused rapid and extensive necrosis of the adrenal pars fasciculata and reticularis, simulating human Waterhouse Friderichsen syndrome. The three newly identified renal papillotoxins are all theoretically capable of generating direct-acting alkylating species in solution and their activity as direct-acting mutagens in the Ames bacterial mutagenicity test with TA100 (indicating base pair substitution) closely correlated with their potency as papillotoxins. We therefore hypothesize that non-enzymically formed direct-acting alkylating species mediate these papillary lesions, and that the target selectivity of haloalkylamine toxicity most probably results from the accumulation of these alkylating species in papillary tissue.

Sodium arsenite induced alterations in bilirubin excretion and heme metabolism.

The acute administration of sodium arsenite (AsIII) to rats resulted in a biphasic alteration of the hepatic cytosolic "free" heme pool. The first stage was an increase in the cytosolic "free" heme without significant effects on the content of cytochrome P-450 or on bilirubin excretion. The second stage consisted of a continuous fall of the cytosolic "free" heme and of the content of cytochrome P-450. These changes were concurrent with an eight-fold increase in heme oxygenase activity and associated with marked elevations in the biliary excretion of bilirubin. The bile was collected from chronically cannulated rats to avoid artifacts related to anesthesia or post anesthetic effects. The rapid increase in biliary excretion of labeled heme degradation products indicated an increased breakdown of newly synthesized heme. Immunoelectrophoresis of bile proteins showed an altered pattern of bile protein excretion. The increased biliary haptoglobin suggested some hemolysis, while the reduction in the free immunoglobulin A (IgA) secretory component showed an AsIII-related decreased protein transport across hepatocytes to bile. Further research is required to assess the direct role of an increased heme degradation in the genesis of the hepatotoxic effects of AsIII.

Intestinal absorption of oxalate by xylitol-treated rats and mice.

The absorption of 14C-labelled oxalic acid was studied in Wistar rats, CD-1 mice and NMRI mice. Oxalic acid in solution was given to the animals by gavage either with water alone or with 0.625 g/kg b.w. of xylitol. Both xylitol-adapted animals and animals not previously exposed to xylitol were used. Adaptation to xylitol diets enhanced the absorption and urinary excretion of the label (oxalic acid) in both strains of mice but not in rats. Earlier studies have indicated a high incidence of bladder calculi in mice but not in rats fed high amounts of xylitol. The results of the present study offer one likely explanation for the increased formation of bladder calculi as a result of oversaturation of urine with oxalate.

Assessment of arsenic effects on cytosolic heme status using tryptophan pyrrolase as an index.

Acute arsenic (As) administration produced in rat liver a decrease in the heme saturation of tryptophan pyrrolase (TP), accompanied by dose-related increases in 5-aminolevulinate synthetase (ALAS) and heme oxygenase (HO) activities, along with a corresponding decrease in cytochrome P-450 (P-450) concentration. The relationship between heme synthesis and degradation was altered as a result of As treatment. The magnitude of these effects was related to the oxidation state of arsenic, sodium arsenite (AsIII) being more potent than sodium arsenate (AsV). These results support the contention that the heme saturation of TP is sensitive to treatments that modify liver heme concentration. The increase in HO activity produced by As appears to be mediated by a mechanism largely or entirely independent of heme. The main effects of continuous exposure to AsIII were an initial decrease in the heme saturation of TP, which remained constant during the period of treatment, and an initial increase in ALAS activity, which after ten days of exposure dropped somewhat but remained above control values. No significant effects on HO or P-450 concentration were observed. These results were interpreted as indicative that a new balance between heme synthesis and degradation had been reached and that an adaptive response to the subchronic effects of AsIII was taking place.

Practolol inhibits human skin fibroblast cell mat hydroxyproline accumulation.

Despite being poorly absorbed practolol (N-4-2-hydroxy-3-(1-methyl-ethyl)-amino propoxy phenyl acetamine) inhibited the accumulation of cell mat hydroxyproline, a measure of collagen synthesis, by human skin fibroblasts (DT2PH) in vitro, (ID50 0.8 X 10(-3) M). The degree of inhibition was dependent on the concentration of practolol used and the incubation time. Neither preinitiation of collagen synthesis nor omitting ascorbic acid from the incubation medium modified this inhibitory action. In contrast, in vitro generated metabolites of practol, using normal and aroclor induced hamster liver preparation, and structural analogues of practolol had no effect on cell mat hydroxyproline levels. Related compounds, propranolol, (1-(isopropylamino)-3(1-naphthyl-oxy)2-propranolol), and paracetamol, (N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)acetamide), both inhibited hydroxyproline levels. Fibroblasts derived from uninvolved skin of a psoriasis patient (PS1) were several fold more sensitive to practolol and propranolol than cells derived from normal skin but showed little change in sensitivity towards paracetamol.

Renal and hepatic lesions induced by 2,2,4-trimethylpentane.

The renal changes produced by 2,2,4-trimethylpentane, a constituent of unleaded gasoline, are studied in Wistar rats. The compound was given at a dose of 2 ml/kg daily by gavage dissolved in corn oil (2:1) to nine Wistar Albino rats. Nine control male rats received an equivalent dose of corn oil. Six animals were housed in metabowls to allow the collection of urine for enzyme and urinanalysis. The remaining three animals of each group were housed in a normal animal cage. After 2 days of treatment, all the test rats were noted to have lost weight and were killed on this or on the subsequent day. Macroscopic examination of the livers and kidneys revealed no visible lesions on the kidney, but two of the rats had white, slightly raised patches on the liver. Microscopic examination demonstrated centrilobular and confluent necrosis, hydropic degeneration and vacuolation of hepatocytes. Microscopic examination of the kidneys indicated eosinophilic hyaline droplet accumulation in the cells of the tubules, and tubular dilation. Analysis of plasma alkaline phosphatase and aspartate transaminase activity revealed increases consistent with liver damage. Analysis of urinary N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase and alkaline phosphatase activity showed increases consistent with renal toxicity. An apparent increase in the amount of cellular debris in the urine was also found, when the sediment was examined microscopically. From this study, it would appear that 2,2,4-trimethylpentane possess hepatotoxic as well as nephrotoxic properties.

A cytochemical study of the livers of rats treated with diethylnitrosamine/phenobarbital, with benzidine/phenobarbital, with phenobarbital, or with clofibrate.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with clofibrate (CLOF) in the diet for 2 years or with 4 i.p. injections of either diethylnitrosamine (DEN) or benzidine (BZ) followed by phenobarbital (PB) in the diet for 67 weeks, or just with PB for 41 weeks. Animals were killed at frequent intervals, some while still on treatment and others after 3 or 6 months withdrawal of treatment. The livers were subjected to cytochemical measurements of the parenchyma, foci, nodules and carcinomas. The parenchyma of the CLOF groups showed, in general, increases in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6PD), alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (alpha-GPD), 5'-nucleotidase (5'-Nu), acid phosphatase (AP) and catalase and decreases in uricase and glutathione (GSH). CLOF induced a low incidence of GSH positive foci; nodules showed universally lower levels of catalase and GSH. In the DEN/PB and BZ/PB groups the parenchyma showed increases (even before PB treatment started) in G-6PD and in gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT) and decreases in GSH. DEN raised and BZ lowered 5'-Nu. Neither initiator affected alpha-GPD. Both initiators caused a high incidence of foci positive for G-6PD and for gamma-GT; nodules induced by DEN/PB were mainly positive for gamma-GT and showed an erratic response to the other parameters. Carcinomas, found only after DEN/PB, were all positive for G-6PD and, with one exception, all were negative for alpha-GPD, 5'-Nu, AP and GSH. All changes regressed within 3 months of withdrawal of CLOF but not after withdrawal of PB from DEN-initiated animals. In conclusion G-6PD, alpha-GPD and 5'-Nu may be useful histocytochemical parameters for studying the precarcinogenic hepatic changes and nodules induced by peroxisome proliferators and by genotoxic hepatocarcinogens.

Effects of phthalic acid esters on the liver and thyroid.

The effects, over periods from 3 days to 9 months of administration, of diets containing di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate are very similar to those observed in rats administered diets containing hypolipidemic drugs such as clofibrate. Changes occur in a characteristic order commencing with alterations in the distribution of lipid within the liver, quickly followed by proliferation of hepatic peroxisomes and induction of the specialized P-450 isoenzyme(s) catalyzing omega oxidation of fatty acids. There follows a phase of mild liver damage indicated by induction of glucose-6-phosphatase activity and a loss of glycogen, eventually leading to the formation of enlarged lysosomes through autophagy and the accumulation of lipofuscin. Associated changes are found in the kidney and thyroid. The renal changes are limited to the proximal convoluted tubules and are generally similar to changes found in the liver. The effects on the thyroid are more marked. Although the levels of thyroxine in plasma fail to about half normal values, serum triiodothyronine remains close to normal values while the appearance of the thyroid varies, very marked hyperactivity being noted 7 days after commencement of treatment, this is less marked at 14 days, but even after 9 months treatment there is clear cut evidence for hyperactivity with colloid changes which indicate this has persisted for some time. Straight chain analogs of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, di-n-hexyl phthalate and di-n-oxtyl phthalate differ entirely in their short-term effects on the liver and kidney but have similar effects on the thyroid. The short-term in vivo hepatic effects of the three phthalate esters can be reproduced in hepatocytes in tissue culture. All three phthalate esters, as well as clofibrate, have early marked effects on the metabolism of fatty acids in isolated hepatocytes. The nature of these changes is such as to increase storage of lipid in the liver. A hypothesis is presented to explain the progress from these initial metabolic effects to the final formation of liver tumors.

Time and dose study on the response of rats to the hypolipidaemic drug fenofibrate.

Groups of male Wistar albino rats were administered diets containing sufficient fenofibrate to ensure intakes of either 200, 60 or 13 mg/kg/day or sufficient clofibrate to ensure an intake of 400 mg/kg/day. Four rats from each experimental group and 6 control rats were killed, 3, 7, 14 and 28 days, 8, 12 and 20 weeks and 6, 9, 12 and 18 months after commencement of treatment. At all time points livers were subjected to histological, electron microscopic and biochemical examination, the other major abdominal organs were removed for histological examination. A more extensive necropsy was carried out on rats killed after 12 and 18 months. The major alterations were observed in the liver, although there were also morphological changes in the thyroid, pancreas and kidney after prolonged treatment. The hepatic changes followed a distinct time course. Within 24 h of offering diets containing the compounds to the rats there was accumulation of small droplets of lipid, induction of peroxisomal enzymes and of the specific cytochrome P-450 catalysing omega-hydroxylation of fatty acids and an increase in the number of mitotic figures. More slowly developing changes were loss from the centrilobular zone of fat, glycogen and of glucose 6-phosphatase activity. Here maximal changes were observed after 14 days of treatment. A still more slowly developing change was accumulation of enlarged lipid-loaded lysosomes, which was maximal at 26 weeks, accompanied by the development of lipofuscin bodies. Finally, in animals treated for 12 months or more there was evidence for increasing cell turnover as indicated by an increased number of mitotic figures, more dark cells and induction of serum alanine transaminase. The last 2 groups of changes were not observed in rats treated with 13 mg/kg/day of fenofibrate. In general the degree of change in rats treated with 400 mg/kg/day of clofibrate was similar to those found in rats treated with 60 mg/kg/day of fenofibrate.

Hepatic responses to the administration of high doses of BHT to the rat: their relevance to hepatocarcinogenicity.

Although butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) is non-mutagenic, at high doses it has recently been associated with an increased incidence of liver tumours in laboratory rodents. To establish whether chronic liver cell injury may be involved in the genesis of these tumours, BHT was administered to rats by orogastric gavage at doses of 0, 25, 250 or 500 mg/kg/day for up to 28 days and also at daily doses of 1000 and 1250 mg BHT/kg for up to 4 days (sublethal doses). The sublethal doses induced centrilobular necrosis within 48 hr, whereas administration of BHT for 7 or 28 days caused dose-related hepatomegaly and at the highest dose level induced progressive periportal hepatocyte necrosis. The periportal lesions were associated with proliferation of bile ducts, persistent fibrous and inflammatory cell reactions, hepatocyte hyperplasia and hepatocellular and nuclear hypertrophy. Biochemical changes consisted of dose-related induction of epoxide hydrolase, dose-related changes in the ratio of cytochrome P-450 isoenzymes and depression of glucose-6-phosphatase. Measurement of BHT demonstrated a dose-related accumulation in fat but not in the liver. Changes in hepatic activating and detoxifying enzyme profiles are implicated both in the mechanism of periportal hepatocyte damage and in the change of site of damage according to the dose and duration of the treatment. The persistent and active nature of the lesions in rats dosed with 500 mg BHT/kg for 28 days, combined with evidence of cell damage at doses equivalent to those associated with hepatic tumours (250 mg BHT/kg), suggests that chronic liver cell damage may be involved in their aetiology. In this and several other studies, there was no evidence that BHT causes liver damage at a dose level of 25 mg/kg/day. As this is several hundred times higher than the normal human intake, it is considered unlikely that BHT poses a threat to human health.

Effects of mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and its straight chain analogues mono-n-hexylphthalate and mono-n-octyl phthalate on lipid metabolism in isolated hepatocytes.

In cultured hepatocytes, as in vivo, mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP) and its straight chain analogues mono-n-hexyl phthalate (MnHP) and mono-n-octyl phthalate (MnOP) each cause accumulation of lipid but only MEHP produces significant induction of peroxisomal fatty acid oxidizing enzymes. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying this lipid accumulation we investigated the effects of these phthalates and the drug clofibric acid on fatty acid metabolism in suspensions of isolated hepatocytes. The effects were found to be markedly dependent on the nutritional state of the animals from which the hepatocytes were isolated. In hepatocytes isolated from animals fasted overnight, or animals fed ab libitum but killed at approximately 2.30 p.m., MEHP, MnHP, MnOP and clofibric acid each caused a marked rapid stimulation of fatty acid oxidation and the synthesis of triglycerides in hepatocytes when incubated in Hanks saline. Export of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) from the cells was either unchanged or somewhat reduced. In contrast, in hepatocytes isolated from rats fed ad libitum but killed at approximately 9.30 a.m. MEHP and clofibric acid did not alter fatty acid oxidation or triglyceride synthesis, while MnOP and MnHP increased triglyceride synthesis but decreased fatty acid oxidation. The effects of fasting were largely abolished by incubations of the cells in a complete tissue culture medium (Liebowitz L-15). The results suggest that MEHP and its straight chain analogues can, either as the free acid or the CoA ester, mimic the action of fatty acids in the allosteric regulation of fatty acid metabolism.

Time and dose-response study of the effects on rats of the plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate.

Groups of male and groups of female Wistar albino rats were administered diets containing sufficient di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) to ensure intakes of either 1000, 200, or 50 mg/kg/day. Four rats from each experimental group and six control rats of the same sex were killed 3, 7, 14, and 28 days and 9 months after commencement of treatment. At all time points the major abdominal organs were removed and subjected to histological examination. A more extensive necropsy was performed on those rats killed after 9 months of treatment. At all time points the livers of the rats were subjected to extensive histologic, electron microscopic, and biochemical examination. Changes could be grouped according to their time course. Two early and transient alterations were noticed. First, there were morphologic changes in the bile canaliculi of male rats treated with 1000 mg/kg/day of DEHP. Second, there was a burst of mitosis immediately after the start of administration of the compound. The time course of this mitotic burst varied; the increase in mitosis was greatest at 3 days in rats treated with 1000 mg/kg/day of DEHP and was smaller but more prolonged in rats treated with 200 or 50 mg/kg/day. Other changes, namely, a midzonal to periportal accumulation of fat, induction of peroxisomal enzymes, and induction of the P-450 isoenzyme also developed rapidly but were sustained throughout the study. The maximal change was usually attained within 7 days of commencement of treatment. More slowly developing changes were hypertrophy of the hepatocytes, centrilobular loss of glycogen, and a fall in glucose-6-phosphatase activity. Here maximal changes were not attained until 28 days after commencement of treatment. These three effects were clearly observed in rats treated with 200 or 1000 mg/kg/day of DEHP but were only marginally altered in rats treated with 50 mg/kg/day. Finally accumulation of lipid-loaded lysosomes assessed by light and electron microscopy and by assay of beta-galactosidase activity was only apparent in rats treated with DEHP for 9 months with 200 or 1000 mg/kg/day of DEHP. Changes in female rats were qualitatively similar to those observed in male rats. The alterations were, however, less pronounced than in male rats treated with an equal dose of DEHP and the degree of liver enlargement was much less because, although the initial hyperplasia was clearly apparent, there was a much smaller degree of hypertrophy.

Identification of the proximate peroxisome proliferator(s) derived from di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate.

A primary rat hepatocyte culture system was utilized to determine the proximate peroxisome proliferator(s) derived from di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). DEHP was administered to rats and the urinary metabolites were identified and isolated. The major metabolites were those resulting from initial omega- or omega - 1-carbon oxidation of the mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) moiety. These metabolites, together with MEHP and 2-ethylhexanol, were added to primary rat hepatocyte cultures and the effect on peroxisomal enzyme activity was determined. The omega-carbon oxidation products [mono(3-carboxy-2-ethylpropyl) phthalate (I) and mono(5-carboxy-2-ethylpentyl) phthalate (V)] and 2-ethylhexanol produced little or no effect on CN- -insensitive palmitoyl-CoA oxidation (a peroxisomal marker). MEHP and the omega - 1-carbon oxidation products [mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (VI) and mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (IX)] produced a large (7- to 11-fold) induction of peroxisomal enzyme activity. Similar structure-activity relationships were observed for the induction of cytochrome P-450-mediated lauric acid hydroxylase and increase in cellular coenzyme A content. This identification of the proximate proliferators will aid in the elucidation of the mechanism by which DEHP causes proliferation of peroxisomes in the rodent liver. Oral administration of MEHP (150 or 250 mg/kg) to male guinea pigs did not produce hepatic peroxisome proliferation. Addition of MEHP (0 to 0.5 mM) or one of the "active" proliferators in the rat (metabolite IX, 0 to 0.5 mM) to primary guinea pig hepatocyte cultures also failed to produce an induction of peroxisomal beta-oxidation. Possible reasons for this species difference are discussed.