GENDER-RELATED DIFFERENCES IN EXPRESSION OF MURINE GLUTATHIONE S-TRANSFERASES AND THEIR INDUCTION BY BUTYLATED HYDROXYANISOLE

The basal levels of mu and pi class glutathione S-transferases RNA: were 18-fold higher in the male mouse liver as compared with the female, When 0.75% (w/w) BHA was included in the diet it altered the RNA levels of alpha, mu, pi GST classes and mGSTA4-4 in a tissue and sex specific manner, The most marked induction of RNA was seen for the mu class GSTs of female liver, lung and kidney (52, 10 and 8-fold, respectively), and of male liver and kidney (25 and 3.5-fold, respectively), the pi class GSTs of female liver, lung, and kidney (11, 10, and 5-fold, respectively), and mGSTA4-4 of female liver (4-fold), The effect of BHA on the induction of the mu and pi class GST RNA was 2-9 fold greater in female as compared with male tissues, The degree of induction of GST RNA did not correlate directly with changes in GST protein indicating that post-transcriptional events regulating GST expression may be affected by BHA particularly for GST mu and mGSTA4-4.