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Effects of solvent exposure on testosterone levels and buturylcholinesterase activity in mice

Kjellstrand, Per ; Bjerkemo, M ; Adler-Meihofer, M and Holmquist, Björn LU orcid (1985) In Acta Pharmacologica et Toxicologica 57(4). p.242-249
Abstract
In female and male mice the effect of exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE) seen at the lowest concentration is an increase in liver weight. The activity of plasma butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) increases even more than the liver weight at corresponding concentrations, but only in the males. Depletion of testosterone through castration or destruction of the pituitary gland or hypothalamus, are the only other ways to experimentally induce corresponding increases in BuChE. Plasma BuChE activity increase was found to be a common reaction after exposure to TCE, perchloroethylene, chloroform, methylene chloride and carbon tetrachloride and also after exposure to ethanol. Other solvents such as toluene, xylene, benzene and 1,1,1-trichloroethane had... (More)
In female and male mice the effect of exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE) seen at the lowest concentration is an increase in liver weight. The activity of plasma butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) increases even more than the liver weight at corresponding concentrations, but only in the males. Depletion of testosterone through castration or destruction of the pituitary gland or hypothalamus, are the only other ways to experimentally induce corresponding increases in BuChE. Plasma BuChE activity increase was found to be a common reaction after exposure to TCE, perchloroethylene, chloroform, methylene chloride and carbon tetrachloride and also after exposure to ethanol. Other solvents such as toluene, xylene, benzene and 1,1,1-trichloroethane had little or no effect on BuChE activity. Normal and castrated male mice were continuously exposed for one month to 150 p.p.m. TCE. The increase in BuChE activity after the exposure was of the same magnitude as the increase seen after castration. BuChE activity in castrated males was not further increased by TCE exposure. Administration of testosterone with osmotic minipumps for 13 days almost restored the normal testosterone and BuChE levels in castrates. The effect of TCE exposure on BuChE activity in these animals was the same as on normal males. Testosterone levels were not influenced by the TCE exposure in normal males or in castrates given testosterone. No sex hormone binding globulins (SHBG) could be detected in the mice. BuChE activity changes induced through solvent exposure are therefore neither directly nor indirectly (through SHBG) due to effects on testosterone. The results from these animal experiments do not support the epidemiological findings of decreased testosterone levels in humans exposed to solvents. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Acta Pharmacologica et Toxicologica
volume
57
issue
4
pages
242 - 249
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:0022374581
ISSN
0001-6683
DOI
10.1111/j.1600-0773.1985.tb00038.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9c9ad808-6c32-403e-8011-54a0348a3d40 (old id 4897264)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 17:12:36
date last changed
2021-01-03 06:22:28
@article{9c9ad808-6c32-403e-8011-54a0348a3d40,
  abstract     = {{In female and male mice the effect of exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE) seen at the lowest concentration is an increase in liver weight. The activity of plasma butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) increases even more than the liver weight at corresponding concentrations, but only in the males. Depletion of testosterone through castration or destruction of the pituitary gland or hypothalamus, are the only other ways to experimentally induce corresponding increases in BuChE. Plasma BuChE activity increase was found to be a common reaction after exposure to TCE, perchloroethylene, chloroform, methylene chloride and carbon tetrachloride and also after exposure to ethanol. Other solvents such as toluene, xylene, benzene and 1,1,1-trichloroethane had little or no effect on BuChE activity. Normal and castrated male mice were continuously exposed for one month to 150 p.p.m. TCE. The increase in BuChE activity after the exposure was of the same magnitude as the increase seen after castration. BuChE activity in castrated males was not further increased by TCE exposure. Administration of testosterone with osmotic minipumps for 13 days almost restored the normal testosterone and BuChE levels in castrates. The effect of TCE exposure on BuChE activity in these animals was the same as on normal males. Testosterone levels were not influenced by the TCE exposure in normal males or in castrates given testosterone. No sex hormone binding globulins (SHBG) could be detected in the mice. BuChE activity changes induced through solvent exposure are therefore neither directly nor indirectly (through SHBG) due to effects on testosterone. The results from these animal experiments do not support the epidemiological findings of decreased testosterone levels in humans exposed to solvents.}},
  author       = {{Kjellstrand, Per and Bjerkemo, M and Adler-Meihofer, M and Holmquist, Björn}},
  issn         = {{0001-6683}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{242--249}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Acta Pharmacologica et Toxicologica}},
  title        = {{Effects of solvent exposure on testosterone levels and buturylcholinesterase activity in mice}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0773.1985.tb00038.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1600-0773.1985.tb00038.x}},
  volume       = {{57}},
  year         = {{1985}},
}