engleski

Effects of herbicide atrazine on reproductive tissues

Atrazine (2-chloro-4-etylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine; A), a selective s-triazine herbicide with low acute toxicity, is one of the most widely used pesticides in agriculture. According to the persistence and liposolubility there is a great possibility of A presence in food and water as well as in the consumer,s body,organs and tissues. A interferes with the biochemical processes in neuroendocrine organs and androgen-dependet tissues and influences the gonadotropic mechanism in rats. The effects of A on protein contents in neuroendocrine organs and androgen-dependent tissues and on hormone-receptor complex formation in rat ventral prostate (P) were investigated. Protein contents in rat P, testis (T), pituitary (PT) and hypothalamus (HT) cytosol were determined by 12.6% SDS-PAGE after in vivo p.o. treatment with A (60 mg / kg bw. daily, during 10 days). The decrease from app. 37% in P protein contents vs. control were detected at Mr from 22 kD to 48 kD. The increase of 8.3% in protein contents at Mr 78 kD was detected in T cytosol, and of 22.4% at Mr 82 kD in PT cytosol. In HT cytosol decrease from 30% to 60% in protein contents at Mr from 35 kD to 97 kD were detected. The highest changes in HT cytosol protein contents were detected at Mr 68 kD. 3H-Dihydrotestosterone (3H-DHT) receptor complex formation in rat P cytosol has been analyzed by ultracentrifugation in sucrose density gradient. After incubation of P cytosol with 3H-DHT (5 nM) the ultracentrifugation pattern showed a large peak of radioactivity at the zone >12 S. The formation of 3H-DHT- receptor complex was inhibited 37% after in vitro addition of 0.7 ľmole of A. After binding of 3H-DHT, receptor molecules in rat P nuclei resolved by 12.6% SDS-PAGE were detected at Mr 43 kD and 67 kD. In vitro addition of 0.7 ľmole of A blocked binding of 3H-DHT to nuclear receptors in P for app. 41%. This results show that the presence of A in the environment, possible ingestion via the food chain, may present a risk for reproductive system. More attention should be paid to the possible effects of various toxic substances found in food and water, as they could induce marked changes at the cellular level.

herbicide atrazine; prostate; androgen receptors; protein contents

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